Chapter 4160 — Impossible to Confirm

"Good, I understand! You're right, Chief Wei Zhao—those high-ranking elders really are terrified of Senior Di Xingdao. Otherwise they wouldn't have sent us ahead this time to scout and verify things."

"Mm. Then head back now, and follow the plan exactly as I just laid it out," Wei Zhao said with a nod.

"Yes! Chief Wei Zhao, just wait for my good news!" Wei Shenjin cupped his hands in farewell, then turned and strode out the door, eager for action—he could hardly wait to go finish off that slut Situ Qian once and for all!

Back at the Snow Sword Sect, the first thing Wei Shenjin did, naturally, was report to Situ Guangzong and the others—and just as he had expected, that bitch Situ Qian was indeed absent.

"Shenjin, you're back! Quick, tell us—did you see Xue Li? Can you confirm that Wei Zhao is the martial artist Ling Yi?" Situ Guangzong and the others pressed eagerly.

Seeing their reaction, Wei Shenjin understood at once. Situ Qian had her own designs on Wei Zhao and had not yet reported them to these people, and so he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"I didn't see Xue Li, but I did see Wei Zhao. By his bearing, he is worlds apart from the martial artist Ling Yi—I cannot confirm the two are the same man. And I was told that Di Xingdao appears there every few days. Even if it could be confirmed, there would be no way to move against him at the Heavenly Pill Pavilion," Wei Shenjin reported, exactly as Wei Zhao had instructed.

"Cannot confirm? How can that be?" Nantian Jiguang, Si Haitao, the Patriarch Xuan Chen, and the others exchanged bewildered looks. This was no rumor fabricated to make a fool of the Snow Sword Sect—it was a matter carved in stone. And yet it could not be confirmed?

"Your disciple is merely speaking the truth. I dare not jump to conclusions—if I recklessly brought needless disaster upon the sect, I could not bear the responsibility," Wei Shenjin said with a shrug.

"In that case, we can only find another chance to probe further in the days to come. This is a grave matter, after all. I hope Director Nantian will understand. In any case, the sect will remember the goodwill of you all," Situ Guangzong said after a moment's deliberation.

He too had thought it through: though the martial artist Ling Yi had to be caught—the reputation of the entire Snow Sword Sect was at stake—unless ironclad proof were laid before them, they would not rashly move against Wei Zhao and the Heavenly Pill Pavilion.

After all, a troublesome fiend like Di Xingdao was best left alone if at all possible; otherwise great trouble would follow, and even an elder with real authority like Situ Guangzong could not shoulder such a weight of blame.

"Well... very well. This is your sect's affair, after all; we merely offered a reminder out of goodwill, fearing that if the matter drags on it will damage your sect's reputation. Since your sect is in no hurry, there is nothing more for us to say," Nantian Jiguang said coolly, somewhat displeased.

"Director Nantian, you are too serious. The intelligence you bring is like timely rain to us—the whole sect is deeply grateful. And as for that Wei Zhao, if he truly proves to be the martial artist Ling Yi, we will never let him off!" Situ Guangzong said with a hasty, placating smile. "It grows late; I have already had a banquet prepared. You must all stay and drink a few cups, and let us play proper hosts—I would not rest easy otherwise."

Nantian Jiguang and the others exchanged a glance. Though the Snow Sword Sect's attitude was **, as long as they pressed a little more there was still a chance the sect would step forward against Wei Zhao. There was no need to strain relations into hostility, so they nodded and agreed.

The two elders Situ Guangzong and Wei Feng entertained Nantian Jiguang and the others, while petty underlings like Wei Shenjin, now regarded by all as a "cripple," naturally had no place at the table and were sent home by Situ Guangzong.

That, however, suited Wei Shenjin perfectly. He was nowhere near as skilled as Wei Zhao at concealing his true strength; just now, within a few words' time, he had nearly given himself away.

Fortunately, his meridians had only just healed, and his strength showed only the faintest signs of recovering; moreover, everyone had assumed from the start that he was a cripple and paid him no particular attention. Otherwise, sharp-eyed men like Nantian Jiguang and Situ Guangzong would likely have seen through him within moments, and the plan Wei Zhao had entrusted to him would have gone up in smoke.

Back in his own room, Wei Shenjin was rather surprised to find that that wanton wench Situ Qian had not gone off to bed her Senior Martial Brother Ma; instead she sat sulking indoors, with her maid Xiao Qiuhua at her side trying to comfort her.

"Hmph. Seems this slut really has taken a fancy to Chief Wei Zhao," Wei Shenjin sneered to himself. Then he stepped through the door, forced a smile onto his face, and said to Situ Qian, "Qian'er, I just found something wonderful at the Heavenly Pill Pavilion. Shall we try it now?"

"Something wonderful? What something wonderful?" Situ Qian frowned and shot him a glance.

"Something to liven things up in that department—I hear it works marvelously. Exclusive to one shop, no other branch to be found!" Wei Shenjin at once produced the two packets of medicine Wei Zhao had given him, as if displaying a treasure. The packaging of both looked identical; only he knew in his heart which packet was tainted and which was not.

"Something to liven things up? The Heavenly Pill Pavilion actually sells such things? Let me see!" Situ Qian, sullen a moment before, perked up at once, her eyes lighting up as she took the first packet Wei Shenjin handed her. Beside her, Xiao Qiuhua eagerly crowded in as well.

A pair of shameless sluts indeed! Wei Shenjin sneered inwardly. Seeing the two women bent over studying it for a while, he volunteered, "You can't tell just by looking. Whether it's any good, only trying it will show."

"Then what are you waiting for!" Situ Qian at once began tearing off her clothes, and Xiao Qiuhua climbed onto the bed right after her, urging Wei Shenjin to hurry.

Wei Shenjin smiled to himself and, suppressing his disgust, went over. After the three of them took the first packet, it proved just as Wei Zhao had said—far more satisfying than any time before. Even wanton women with appetites as insatiable as Situ Qian and Xiao Qiuhua found it almost more than they could take; it was sheer bliss.

Afterward, both women felt that all their years before had been lived in vain. Even the exorbitantly priced aphrodisiacs of the Central Merchants' Association could not compare with this divine medicine—before it, those were nothing but a heap of dung.

Having tasted such sweetness, women of Situ Qian's and Xiao Qiuhua's lewd nature could hardly stop there. The next morning, before Wei Shenjin was even awake, Situ Qian shook him and demanded he get up for another round—but Wei Shenjin mumbled hazily, "I can't, Qian'er... your senior brother is spent, I can't get it up..." (To be continued) R466