Chapter 4334 — Farewell, No Escort Needed

Even though the corner where Wei Zhao had been sitting was rather out of the way, he had made no effort to conceal his aura. Any competent late Golden Core cultivator at the peak of that stage could have found him with a casual sweep of spiritual sense—just as the black-robed man had done, discovering him the instant something struck him as off.

By comparison, the third and fourth were an embarrassment to the very title of peak late Golden Core cultivators. No wonder that despite being of the same grade, they amounted to nothing more than lackeys, while the black-robed man led them.

"Was it you who killed Number Two?" The black-robed man was all vigilance, his eyes fixed on Wei Zhao's every move, while the third and fourth behind him wore the tense look of men facing a great enemy.

They could not gauge Wei Zhao's true depth, but from the manner of Number Two's death they could well judge that he had been slain with a single palm strike. Whoever could kill a peak late Golden Core cultivator in one blow naturally filled all three with dread—after all, they themselves were merely peak late Golden Core cultivators.

"That's right. And if you three don't see reason, he'll serve as your cautionary tale." Smiling faintly, Wei Zhao rose and walked toward them.

The black-robed man, together with the third and fourth behind him, exchanged glances and retreated again and again, backing all the way out onto the deck, never daring to strike at Wei Zhao rashly.

"Just who are you, and why have you done such murder upon my brother?" With nowhere left to retreat, the black-robed man finally steeled himself and asked in a low voice once more. He assumed instinctively that this man must be some enemy his Number Two had made in True Segment City—the sort who slaughters at the slightest offense. Such things happened all the time.

"Oh? Do the three of you truly not remember me?" Wei Zhao breathed the fresh air on deck and smiled faintly.

The black-robed man was taken aback. Could it be that this man was not some private enemy Number Two had made after all?

"I remember now—you... you're that escort!" the fourth suddenly cried, pointing at Wei Zhao. He had always had a good memory. Earlier in the cabin, the light had been dim and he could not see clearly, but now on the open deck in the bright light, one look at Wei Zhao's face and it all came back to him.

"An escort?" The black-robed man and the third were slower to catch on. They froze for a moment before it registered, then looked Wei Zhao over carefully and were likewise startled. "So it really is you!"

"Not bad. Your memory's a little better than this brother of yours. Now then—if you don't want to die, sail the ship properly for me." Wei Zhao's tone carried not the slightest regard for these three peak late Golden Core cultivators.

"Ha?" The three exchanged odd looks, then burst into wild laughter as though they had just heard the greatest joke in the world. The black-robed man pointed at Wei Zhao and leered, "Brat, is there something wrong with your head? A worthless piece of trash like you wants to play the shark with me? Hahahaha!"

The third and fourth, who had been so panicked a moment ago, joined in the hysterical laughter. Their earlier sorry state had been partly the shock of seeing Number Two's corpse and partly the drink not yet worn off. But now that they had gotten to the bottom of this fellow, there was nothing left to fear.

If they recalled rightly, this whelp before them was nothing but an early Golden Core piece of garbage, no different from an ant before three peak late Golden Core cultivators—one could crush and kill him at will.

"The corpse is lying right there in plain sight, and still you'd rather believe everything is under your control. Are all you pirates so fond of deceiving yourselves?" Wei Zhao mocked with a faint smile.

"Hmph. Brat, I don't know what trick you used to kill Number Two—sneak attack or drugging, most likely—but if you think you can use his death to bluff and threaten me, you're far too green! I'll tell you the truth: these little tricks were things I'd already played out and moved past when I first went out into the world, hahahaha!" The black-robed man laughed with open contempt.

"Heh. In that case, there's nothing more to say." Wei Zhao's gaze turned cold, but before he struck he asked one more question: "Just one question—your Number Two died so miserably. Do none of you feel grief or sorrow?"

"Grief and sorrow? Haha, an ant is an ant. You don't even understand the simplest law of the jungle—the strong prey on the weak. His death only proves his strength fell short. What has that to do with us? With him gone, there's one fewer mouth to split the loot. We brothers get a bigger share of spirit jade. We ought to thank you for doing us a good turn!" The black-robed man laughed with scorn.

Behind him, the third and fourth showed not a trace of grief either. Their eyes fairly shone, as though they sincerely felt that Number Two's wretched death was no misfortune at all, but an unexpected blessing.

"So that's how it is. Then I understand." Wei Zhao shook his head faintly. If even sworn brothers who lived and worked side by side day in and day out treated one another this way, these people were beyond saving.

"What do you understand, you piece of shit? You understand how you're going to die next? That you dared board our ship alone already proves your stupidity—you're beyond saving!" The black-robed man sneered and cursed at the two behind him, "What are you standing around for? Kill him already!"

Even as he spoke, the black-robed man himself quietly edged backward, his eyes flickering. Clearly he still harbored some wariness of Wei Zhao and was not nearly so arrogant as he had just pretended to be.

True enough, by sneak attack or drugging, even a peak late Golden Core cultivator might be killed by an early Golden Core one. But what sort of man was Number Two? A specialist in dirty tricks—how could he have fallen for another's scheme so easily?

So it was quite possible this whelp before them was not as simple as he looked, and one careless step could capsize the boat in a ditch. To be safe, better to let the other two make the first move and see whether there was a trap here.

The third and fourth had no inkling of this reasoning at all. Scolded by the black-robed man, they at once attacked Wei Zhao with loud laughter. Killing a weakling of the early Golden Core stage would be as easy as turning over a hand.

This leader of theirs is a sly one, all right! The corner of Wei Zhao's mouth lifted slightly, and with a flicker of his form he vanished without a trace.

The third and fourth were stunned. They were not quite as stupid as one might imagine; this strike had been launched with full force to seize the initiative, yet Wei Zhao's whereabouts had suddenly vanished.

Alarmed, they hurried to track him with their spiritual sense—but when they found his position, their faces changed drastically. For Wei Zhao was standing right behind them, less than a single step away!