Chapter 3797 — A Stirring in the Heart

But what others could not see, Meng Jue Ming, with his strength and sharp eye, could not possibly miss. In that instant when Xiao Che made his move, though he did not display his full power, Meng Jue Ming could clearly sense that this unremarkable-looking Xiao Che, like Qiao the Good-for-Nothing, was already a formidable expert at the early Foundation Establishment stage!

Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai, both at early Foundation Establishment, plus Wei Zhao, that madman of a monster-class top newcomer—before, they had thought little of it, but looking back now, the lineup these three formed could absolutely be called luxurious!

Though out in the wider world, all three of them, Wei Zhao included, would be considered mere beginners, nowhere near worthy of the word "formidable," within the Welcoming New Pavilion they were a genuine dream team—not merely formidable, but formidable to the extreme!

Even Meng Jue Ming, the senior brother in charge of affairs, even with his recent prospects of rising to the position of Third Pavilion Master of the Welcoming New Pavilion, could not help but feel a toothache at the thought of this lineup. A single powerful Wei Zhao was not frightening in itself, but once every one of them banded together began to grow strong, the matter became very difficult indeed!

With Wei Zhao and those two together, not only would they be harder to deal with in the future, but more critically, once the three of them matured, the balance of power might well be reversed—and then he, Meng Jue Ming, their mortal enemy who had opposed them time and again, would truly be finished.

No! He had to think of a way to strangle this dangerous sprout in the bud as quickly as possible, or else, like a snake struck but not killed, endless trouble would follow!

Meng Jue Ming cast a venomous glance at Wei Zhao and Xiao Che, then looked at Meng Zhou lying battered and gravely wounded to one side, and thoughtfully stroked his chin.

Wei Zhao, Xiao Che, Qiao Hongcai—though this trio's lineup seemed fine and mighty within the Welcoming New Pavilion, and under the various newcomer protection rules could even be called unsolvable, they were not entirely beyond dealing with. At least for now, among the three there was one flaw—a fatal flaw.

And that flaw lay in Qiao Hongcai!

Do not forget: Meng Zhou was now gravely wounded and in a sorry state, and Qiao Hongcai, who had fought him to a mutual ruin, could certainly be no better off—within ten days to a fortnight, there was absolutely no chance of recovery!

Though it was still unknown what Xiao Che's exact strength was now, or whether he had succeeded in Foundation Establishment like Qiao Hongcai, the present Qiao Hongcai was beyond doubt the weakest link among Wei Zhao's trio—and now was the perfect opportunity to cut him out.

Only, Meng Jue Ming now faced a most awkward problem: he had too few capable hands, too few pieces at least that could be used against Wei Zhao's trio. As things stood, apart from Meng Zhou, he could find not a single other candidate.

Li Zhengming was decent enough, but after all he had not established his foundation. Unlike Meng Zhou, who had Foundation Establishment Pills and Elixirs, if Li Zhengming relied purely on his own strength to break through to Foundation Establishment, there was no possibility of it in the short term.

And if even Li Zhengming would not do, then the other newcomers who had thrown in their lot with him would do even less. To deal with Wei Zhao's trio, count and recount as he might, this heavy responsibility could only fall on Meng Zhou.

Meng Jue Ming, a dignified senior brother in charge of affairs, yet the lineup of newcomers under his command was far less solid and mighty than that of Wei Zhao, a mere newcomer from the secular world—were such a thing to get out, it would be more than ironic; it would make people laugh their teeth out.

And now the even more awkward problem was this: he clearly knew where the flaw in Wei Zhao's trio lay, yet Meng Zhou, the one and only capable piece under his command, was likewise gravely wounded, and moreover, because of the cave-dwelling ranking, could not take the initiative against Qiao Hongcai at all.

To know the enemy's flaw plainly and yet be unable to strike—this time Meng Jue Ming truly came to understand what it meant to be left aching with frustration.

"No—the chance is rare, and this village will not keep this shop forever. I can't let a good-for-nothing like Qiao keep strutting about..." Meng Jue Ming knitted his brows and pondered a while. He glanced at Meng Zhou by his feet, and suddenly something stirred in his heart; then the corner of his mouth curled into a sinister arc.

After Xiao Che and Zha Wu, the newcomer challenge tournament finally got into its stride. Though no dazzling figure of the top five caliber took the stage, with the groundwork laid by the earlier bouts, the other newcomers fought as if injected with chicken blood, trading blow for blow—quite fierce and thrilling indeed.

When the third round of the newcomer challenge tournament ended and the newcomers dispersed, Wei Zhao went to Cave Dwelling No. 13 at the foot of the mountain to heal Qiao Hongcai's injuries. Though there was no danger to his life, Qiao Hongcai's wounds were, after all, serious ones that had damaged sinews and bones; if he were not treated promptly, chronic problems could easily take root.

"Boss, so you really can heal people's injuries? I thought you'd just refined some pill for me!" Feeling the warm true qi flowing from Wei Zhao's palm, Qiao Hongcai could not help but look astonished.

And he was not alone—the miserable senior brother and Xiao Che, both absent at the moment, had thought the very same thing.

After all, skill lies not in quantity but in mastery. There was only one Zhang Lifeng, the divine alchemist and sage physician. If everyone else tried to do the same, the inevitable result would be mediocrity in both, producing nothing of note and even hindering the most crucial matter of raising one's strength—a penny wise and a pound foolish, more loss than gain.

"Even if I, your boss, were an alchemist, I wouldn't know how to refine every kind of pill, and it would take time, wouldn't it? How could that be as convenient and effortless as healing you directly like this? Besides, this isn't any great ability—it's just that the cultivation method I practice is somewhat special." Wei Zhao smiled faintly.

"Heh heh, boss, you make it sound so easy. I've cultivated for all these years and never seen anyone heal another person like this—now I've finally witnessed it! Truly worthy of our boss, mighty and domineering as expected, skilled in everything!" Qiao Hongcai chuckled in admiration.

This kid sure knows how to flatter! Wei Zhao shook his head speechlessly, then warned, "Remember, about my being able to heal people—don't go spreading it around. It'll bring trouble."

"Absolutely, boss, rest assured. 'An innocent man is guilty by the mere possession of a jade'—I know that principle well, and I won't breathe a word to anyone!" Qiao Hongcai promised again and again.

Only then did Wei Zhao nod in relief, signaling Qiao Hongcai to calm his mind and focus as he devoted himself fully to the treatment.

Time slipped away bit by bit. After continuing for a full three double-hours, Wei Zhao finally slowly withdrew his true qi and ended the healing session.

Three double-hours—to others, such a span would seem unbelievably short, but to Wei Zhao, the fact that even with his present cultivation at the peak of early Foundation Establishment he still needed so long to completely purge the injuries from Qiao Hongcai's body meant that the kid's wounds were far more serious than they appeared on the surface!RS