Chapter 3469 — A Thousand Miles to Deliver the Pill

Good heavens, what on earth had he just done? Guan Xiaopeng felt that he was even more humiliated now than when he had first discovered that Guan Xin was a wild little delinquent girl!

"Lin—so you're the one I was matched with in the blind date?" Guan Xin was staring wide-eyed at Wei Zhao as well.

"Most likely, yes!" Wei Zhao said with a bitter smile.

"Then why didn't you say so earlier? You had me worried sick the whole time!" Guan Xin breathed a sigh of relief, though she still found it hard to believe. "How could you possibly be the disciple of my father's benefactor? Why didn't you ever mention it before?"

"I only just found out myself," Wei Zhao said with a wry smile. "To be honest, if Auntie Shen hadn't told me about this, I would never have known I even had a betrothal on me! Much less that the person I was betrothed to was you!"

"Really?" Guan Xin was both startled and delighted, and a little bashful too; blushing, she squirmed and said, "If I'd known, I wouldn't have gotten myself up like this—what a bad impression I must have left on Auntie Shen. It's all your fault, with your awful ideas!"

"How is this my fault?" Wei Zhao was caught between laughter and tears. "I didn't know back then either!"

"It's all right, I think it's quite nice, actually. I had a friend once who loved dressing in that non-mainstream style, just like you—it makes me feel rather nostalgic!" Shen Yutang said with a smile. "As long as the two of you are happy with it!"

"Exactly, exactly—young people are all a bit wild, as long as they like it themselves, that's what matters!" Guan Xiaopeng's mood had finally eased considerably. He had never imagined that the whole affair would be resolved in such a dramatic fashion!

And so the rest of the meal turned into a warm, harmonious gathering. Guan Xiaopeng even asked, rather hopefully, "Xinxin, how many months along is the baby in your belly? When do I get to become a grandfather?"

This made Guan Xin instantly mortified. "Dad, I was just talking nonsense earlier—Wei Zhao and I haven't—"

"You haven't?" Guan Xiaopeng was instantly somewhat disappointed. "I thought there was already one—got my hopes up for nothing. Well then, you two had better hurry up!"

And so the matter was settled. In the days that followed, Guan Xin returned to Bai Lingtou's home, while Wei Zhao had to prepare for the Heaven Rank trial.

Except that no sooner had Wei Zhao arrived in Donghai City than he received a phone call from Kang Jingming!

"Great Wei Zhao, where are you? I have good news to tell you!" Kang Jingming said excitedly the moment the call connected.

"Kang Jingming? I'm in Donghai City, of course. What good news?" Wei Zhao's heart stirred slightly—could it be that Kang Jingming had finished refining the Qi Gathering Pill? That had been awfully quick. Could he really have been frightened into it by Wei Zhao?

Kang Jingming had dragged out the Qi Gathering Pill again and again. He had promised it back during the trial at the Xuandan Sect, but a long time had passed with no progress. Wei Zhao had nearly given up on it, convinced that Kang Jingming would never refine it for him. Could it be that Kang Jingming, scared out of his wits, had decided to refine the pill as a gesture of goodwill?

Wei Zhao truly could not figure it out.

"It's like this—after untold hardships, I've finally succeeded in refining the Qi Gathering Pill!" Kang Jingming said. "Great Wei Zhao, when would you like me to deliver it to you?"

Kang Jingming was not exaggerating in the least. He really had expended enormous effort to successfully refine this Extreme Qi Gathering Pill! The Extreme Qi Gathering Pill was not the same as an ordinary Qi Gathering Pill—the ordinary kind was somewhat easier, but hardly anyone had ever succeeded in refining the Extreme Qi Gathering Pill.

Kang Jingming had refined it through ceaseless experimentation and study, and fortunately, with the guidance of Patriarch Xuanchen and Patriarch Xuanzhen, he had finally managed to produce a single Extreme Qi Gathering Pill, working day and night without rest!

"Is that so? You've already refined it? Then bring it over for me!" Wei Zhao had not expected Kang Jingming to be so forthcoming; he had assumed he would have to go pick it up himself!

"Sure thing—I'll be over in the next couple of days to find you! The villa in Donghai City, right? I'll go there!" Kang Jingming said.

"Come on over. Considering your help in refining the pill, I'll let bygones be bygones." Wei Zhao said. "But you'd better hurry—I'm already at the peak of the mid Heaven Rank, almost maxed out. If you don't come soon, it'll be of no use to me at all!"

"Ah! All right then, I'll set off tonight—wait for me!" Kang Jingming said hastily. For anyone else, leveling up might be an uncertain thing, but Wei Zhao was different—with him, leveling up could happen just like that, with no rhyme or reason, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. So Kang Jingming really was afraid that Wei Zhao would level up, and then Wei Zhao would no longer take the Extreme Qi Gathering Pill but would give it to one of his underlings instead—and if by some chance it killed the underling, wouldn't Wei Zhao come looking for him to settle the score?

So this pill absolutely had to be eaten by Wei Zhao! Only if it killed Wei Zhao would the matter be settled once and for all! At this thought, Kang Jingming dared not delay; he decided to set off at once, without a moment to lose!

After hanging up, Wei Zhao grew even more suspicious. The more he thought about it, the more something felt off. This was not Kang Jingming's character at all—the man was sinister and vicious. When had he ever been so considerate of others? Even if he did refine the pill for Wei Zhao, he would surely have made Wei Zhao come fetch it, then tried to set some trap for him along the way. But this time he was surprisingly forthcoming.

Yet no matter how Wei Zhao turned it over in his mind, he could not figure out the reason. If Kang Jingming really did deliver the Qi Gathering Pill tomorrow, then Wei Zhao truly could not see where Kang Jingming would have any room to pull a trick.

The night passed without incident. Wei Zhao and Wang Xinyan slept in each other's arms; this faint, gentle warmth made Wei Zhao feel very much at ease. Wang Xinyan's condition was also stabilizing—it seemed the energy stone really was effective. Only, it would be even better if Wang Xinyan could cultivate!

He had set out last night and arrived this morning—that was quite some speed. It looked like he had been traveling all night without sleep!

"Great Lin, good morning!" Kang Jingming greeted Wei Zhao warmly. "I've brought you the pill. See here—does this mean you won't hold me responsible anymore? Let's just call last time's misunderstanding water under the bridge, shall we?"

"The pill—take it out and let me have a look first!" Wei Zhao held out his hand.

"Here it is!" Kang Jingming drew a small wooden box from his bosom and handed it to Wei Zhao. "The quality might not be the best—you know my skill level. Being able to refine it to this extent is already quite good. It may be slightly different from those top-grade Qi Gathering Pills."

Kang Jingming said this deliberately, to plant the idea in Wei Zhao's mind beforehand, so that even if he later discovered that the Extreme Qi Gathering Pill was somewhat different from an ordinary Qi Gathering Pill, he would attribute it to Kang Jingming's refining skill and technique.