Chapter 4076 — The Return of Hong Zhong

If one were to sum up the reasons behind Wei Zhao's astonishing, heaven-defying performance—unbeknownst to all—then beyond the potent effects of those four top-grade Foundation-Building Golden Pills, the more crucial factor lay in his diligent cultivation during ordinary days. Only through profound accumulation could sudden brilliance erupt; that was the true king's way.

Feeling the nearly qualitatively transformed, surging true qi coursing through his body, Wei Zhao could not help but entertain the thought that with his current strength, were he to face a formidable opponent like Zheng Tianjie once more, he should possess the ability to meet him in head-on battle.

Zheng Tianjie was a formidable expert of the Golden Core stage—and even if he was only in the early Golden Core stage, he was still an existence that completely transcended all experts of the Foundation-Building stage.

Foundation-Building and Golden Core were two entirely different concepts. By the common understanding of the world, no matter how powerful a Foundation-Building great-perfection cultivator might be, it was absolutely impossible for them to be a match for a Golden Core stage opponent in direct confrontation—even if that person was an alchemist.

Between Heaven-rank great-perfection and early Foundation-Building, there might perhaps arise a disparity in strength, for the step from Heaven-rank to Foundation-Building was a transformative threshold; if one failed to adapt, an upset was still possible. But the Golden Core was different.

Yet Wei Zhao felt no such thing at all. Had he never crossed hands with a Golden Core expert, that would have been one thing—but now he genuinely felt that with his present strength, a head-on battle with Zheng Tianjie would not end in his defeat!

Before the Foundation-Building stage, was the Golden Core stage truly an undefeated myth? Wei Zhao had a strong premonition that perhaps before long, he would be able to verify it with his own hands.

After Wei Zhao, Shangguan Lan'er and Ning Xuefei broke through in succession. Shangguan Lan'er had, earlier on and under the aid of Foundation-Building Golden Pills and Shangguan Tianxia's personal guidance, broken through to the mid Foundation-Building stage; and now she had risen yet another level, becoming a peak mid Foundation-Building expert.

As for Ning Xuefei, though this princess of West Island likewise disliked cultivation, her progress in strength was no less than Shangguan Lan'er's; now she too stood exactly at peak mid Foundation-Building.

From alchemy to breakthrough, the three of them had spent a full day and night inside the room without stepping out even once. When at last they opened the door and emerged one after another, the five core disciples of the Soaring Heavens Pavilion who had been ordered to protect the two young ladies now looked at Wei Zhao with entirely different eyes.

One man with two women—and both of them princesses, no less. This fellow was simply incredible. To have romanced his way to such a level—even if he did nothing else for the rest of his life, his future prospects would still be boundless...

Faced with the crowd's peculiar, meaningful gazes, Shangguan Lan'er and Ning Xuefei noticed nothing unusual at all. Only Wei Zhao was somewhat embarrassed, his mouth twitching—without realizing it, he seemed to have done something that set these people's imaginations running wild!

As his strength grew, the once unfathomable Golden Core experts were no longer so remote in Wei Zhao's eyes. These experts too had joys and sorrows, and each possessed a fiercely burning heart for gossip. He could only hope they would not spread this matter around and let it run wild—otherwise Wei Zhao would once again be thrust onto the crest of the storm.

With nothing else to do, Wei Zhao, after leaving the room, brought the two women along to the Hong Clan Merchants' Guild, hoping to check on news of the Living-Form Mushroom.

Yet the moment he stepped through the guild's front doors, a familiar figure inside made Wei Zhao's steps falter. Then, with heartfelt delight, he said, "Elder Hong, when did you get back?"

At the sight of Wei Zhao, Hong Zhong's face likewise lit up with joy. He hurried forward and looked him up and down, clicking his tongue in wonder. "Young Hero Lin, parted for many days, and you have been reborn once again! This pace of your strength's advancement truly opens this old man's eyes—joyous news, joyous news!"

"Grandpa Hong, you only see your junior martial brother—do you not see us?" Shangguan Lan'er stepped up from behind with a grin.

"Heh heh, little Lan'er, this Grandpa Hong may overlook anyone, but never you, you little girl!" Hong Zhong chuckled, then turned to Ning Xuefei and cupped his hands in salute. "This must be Miss Ning of West Island. I have long heard of you—come, come, upstairs, please!"

"Just call me Feifei, Grandpa Hong," Ning Xuefei said with a sweet smile.

After inviting the three of them to a private room upstairs, Hong Zhong at once ordered a banquet spread. After exchanging pleasantries and reminiscences, he personally apologized to Ning Xuefei and Shangguan Lan'er on behalf of the Hong Clan Merchants' Guild. The two women, however, did not take it to heart at all—even if they bore a grudge, they would settle it with Si Haitao, and would never lay it at the guild's door.

Only then did Hong Zhong explain to Wei Zhao the reason for his return to North Island this time. "To be frank with you, Young Hero Lin, this old man volunteered to come back to North Island. With such a huge scandal as Si Haitao's, only this old man could return to clean up the mess. As of now, I hold the post of vice chairman while concurrently serving as the steward of the North Island branch."

Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback at these words and asked in puzzlement, "Given your connections and relationships here on North Island, Elder Hong, you are indeed the obvious choice to handle the aftermath—but to concurrently hold the post of branch steward, that rather sounds like a demotion, does it not?"

Normally, if Hong Zhong had truly come merely to clean up the mess, a few conciliatory words would have sufficed; there would have been no need for him to concurrently serve as branch steward and remain long-term on North Island, far from the seat of power at the Middle Island headquarters. For a vice chairman, this was hardly a good thing.

Instinct told Wei Zhao that Hong Zhong's days on Middle Island had likely not been going smoothly.

Sure enough, Hong Zhong sighed and said, "You may not know this, Young Hero Lin, but although this old man was promoted to vice chairman on merit and counts as one of the top figures at the guild headquarters, I have long operated here on North Island and my foundations at headquarters are not deep. Hence, when I went to Middle Island this time, I was immediately squeezed out by a faction led by the executive vice chairman."

Wei Zhao's eyelid twitched slightly. This situation was indeed enough to catch one off guard—a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake, and all the more so when the other party's position and power both exceeded Hong Zhong's. A veritable local dragon, he was.

Hong Zhong downed a gulp of wine and continued, "Holding an office without any real power, I could accomplish nothing. I have already been rendered a figurehead by their combined efforts. If I stayed on, I fear I would have become utterly idle. So I could only seize this opportunity to return to North Island first—at least here I can retain a measure of autonomy."

"It seems the Hong Clan Merchants' Guild is a jianghu of its own!" Wei Zhao sighed with emotion, then consoled him, "Never mind. We will proceed step by step. When you have time, Elder Hong, tell me the details—let me see whether I can be of help."