Chapter 4226 — The Poison Eye Mercenaries

So Wei Zhao was not about to sit and wait for death. After signaling Huang Xiaotao to steady herself, he immediately commanded the spirit bird beneath them to surge to its utmost speed. The other party seemed not to have expected Wei Zhao to accelerate so abruptly; caught off guard, they were left behind in an instant.

Yet before Wei Zhao could breathe a sigh of relief, the flying spirit beast behind them had already caught up again, and within mere moments it was flying neck and neck with their own spirit bird.

This truly startled Wei Zhao. After all, Huang Xiaotao's spirit bird was among the finest in speed for flying spirit beasts; only a very few birds of prey could ever surpass it. If their pursuers had been riding a raptor, that would have been one thing—but theirs was plainly an ordinary flying spirit beast!

Looking more carefully, Wei Zhao's eyes suddenly narrowed. He saw at once that the other party was not simply driving the flying spirit beast along. That middle-aged man of unfathomable strength had one hand laid upon the beast's neck, and whatever trick he was working through it had turned a docile creature into one with blood-red eyes and a ferocious aspect—clear signs of being forcibly goaded into a berserk state.

"Leaving in such a hurry—are you two headed for the Wei Arc sea region?" the sinister-looking man in the place of honor opposite them asked, arching an eyebrow with a haughty air.

"Indeed we are," Wei Zhao replied coolly. He was somewhat displeased, but there was no need to make enemies the moment he arrived—especially with a formidable Nascent Soul expert sitting across from him.

Besides, Wei Zhao knew that since the man could force a flying spirit beast into a berserk stampede, any hope of outrunning him with their spirit bird was now unrealistic. He could only swallow his anger for the time being and play along.

"I see. In that case, let your female companion come with me. I've taken a fancy to her," the sinister man said, still haughty, leering at Huang Xiaotao out of the corner of his eye.

Wei Zhao was stunned. After a moment's blankness, fury erupted in his heart. In the year or more since coming to Cloud Ladder Island, he had seen a fair share of spectacles—he had even been on brotherly terms with a legendary figure like Di Xingdao—but never had he encountered such an arrogant idiot!

Who the hell do you think you are? What makes you think you amount to anything? Out of nowhere, for no reason at all, one casual sentence and you expect Huang Xiaotao to go with you? Do you fancy yourself the king of heaven?

Seeing the sinister man's lecherous gaze sliding over her without restraint, the look of a man ready to devour her whole, Huang Xiaotao could not help but feel nervous and afraid. She shrank behind Wei Zhao; being eyed by this man made her sick.

"Sorry, but that's impossible," Wei Zhao said, forcing down his anger. However much he feared the man's strength, he would never let Huang Xiaotao fall into his hands—what would his conscience be worth then?

Wei Zhao had never been the meek, long-suffering type. From the mortal world all the way to here, his creed had always been: if no one provokes me, I provoke no one; if someone provokes me, I kill them!

Even when he did occasionally endure in silence, it was only to erupt all the fiercer later. Wei Zhao was not lacking in quick wits or adaptability, but one thing could not be denied—the times he truly held himself back were very few.

Once someone touched his reverse scale, he cared nothing for how strong they might be; he would fight them to the bitter end first and worry later. This hot-bloodedness was rooted in his very bones; it could never be changed in this lifetime—otherwise he would not be Wei Zhao.

Though Wei Zhao could still keep a calm face at this moment, the true qi within him was already stirring restlessly. The instant the other man made one overreaching move, Wei Zhao would strike first without the slightest hesitation.

Their side did have a Nascent Soul expert holding the fort, and his strength was not to be underestimated—but whether one could win was one matter, and whether one fought at all was another. With Huang Xiaotao's safety and his own dignity as a man at stake, Wei Zhao had no reason, and absolutely no possibility, to hand her over!

Seeing Wei Zhao answer so adamantly, Huang Xiaotao felt somewhat nervous, yet sweet at heart. True feeling shows in adversity; perilous as their situation was, hiding behind Wei Zhao still filled her with a deep sense of security.

She believed that even if the sky fell, Wei Zhao would prop it back up for her—such was the boldness of the man she, Huang Xiaotao, had chosen!

Yet to this answer of Wei Zhao's—seemingly mild, in truth unyielding—the sinister man seemed not to give the slightest heed, as though Wei Zhao were no more than air to him. That he had deigned to greet them at all was already the height of courtesy; whether Wei Zhao refused was not something he had ever considered, nor did it matter in the least.

"Boy, listen well. I am Cheng Qitian of the Poison Eye Mercenaries, and my father is Cheng Haonan, their commander. Just let this woman follow me of her own free will, and from now on in the Wei Arc sea region, you can tell people you're under my protection!" the sinister man said, still with that haughty air.

Judging by his expression, the Poison Eye Mercenaries were clearly a formidable power with immense pull in the Wei Arc sea region—at the very least, dropping that name ought to cow the vast majority of people.

"Cheng Haonan?" Wei Zhao showed not the slightest sign of being cowed. Instead he blinked in puzzlement and said with a strange frown, "What's that? Are there Young and Dangerous types in the Wei Arc sea region too?"

With a name that resounding, anyone in the mortal world who had seen a few films would first think of that big boss of Causeway Bay—an idol to countless youths in his day.

"Cheng Haonan! Watch your mouth, boy!" Cheng Qitian flew into a rage. He did not understand what "Young and Dangerous" meant, but he could guess from Wei Zhao's strange expression that it was certainly no compliment.

To him, Cheng Haonan was not only his father and his greatest shield, but the idol he had worshipped since childhood—not to be profaned by anyone.

"Oh," Wei Zhao said noncommittally, then answered mildly, "Cheng Haonan or Chen Haonan, she won't be going with you either way, and I won't be needing your protection. I'd advise you, sir, to give up that notion while you still can."

"Hmph. Seems you two are first-timers in the Wei Arc sea region," Cheng Qitian sneered.

"And if we are?" Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly.

"And if you are? Heh heh, truly, ignorance breeds fearlessness. Come to this place without knowing the rules and you'll die a miserable death. If she doesn't come with me willingly today, then your time will be coming very soon." Cheng Qitian sneered on and on, while unabashedly sizing up Huang Xiaotao all the while.R1152