Chapter 4398 — Preparing for the Grand Gathering

"By the way, Brother Qi, there's a favor I'd like to ask of you," Wei Zhao suddenly said, his expression turning grave.

"Brother Ling, don't talk like that—between us, what's this talk of favors? Whatever you need, just say the word. I'd go through fire and water to get it done for you," Qi Wenmo said, thumping his chest.

"I'd like to borrow the Qingtian Escort Agency's channels to secretly escort someone back to Weihu City first, and from there on to the North Isle. Would that be possible?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Secretly escort someone?" Qi Wenmo was briefly taken aback, then nodded without hesitation. "Of course that's no problem. Escorting people is exactly what the Qingtian Escort Agency does—getting a person from one place to another is nothing. But Brother Ling, who is this person?"

"Brother Lu, you can come out now." Wei Zhao smiled faintly and called Lu Bianren out from the inner room, then introduced the two to each other. "This is my senior brother from the Azure Cloud Pavilion of the North Isle, Lu Bianren. And this is Qi Wenmo, the young master of the Qingtian Escort Agency."

"A pleasure to meet you. I look forward to your guidance," Lu Bianren and Qi Wenmo said simultaneously, cupping their hands in salute to each other.

"Brother Ling, could this Brother Lu be the acquaintance you ran into earlier at the Central Chamber of Commerce? We searched high and low and couldn't find him, yet the two of you just happened to meet on your own—what a coincidence under heaven!" Qi Wenmo looked Lu Bianren up and down, and understanding dawned on his face. Like Wu Baoliang, Lu Bianren was one of the people Wei Zhao had asked them to look for.

"Ha ha, it certainly was a coincidence," Wei Zhao said with a laugh, glossing over it. "Brother Lu came to the South Isle months ago on a mission, but some mishap occurred and he's been stranded here ever since. Our fellow disciples back on the North Isle are all worried about him. That's why I wanted to ask you, Brother Qi, to use the agency's channels to get Brother Lu back as quickly as possible."

"Say no more, say no more. Brother Ling's business is the agency's business. It's just escorting one person—what's all this talk of asking favors? You're being far too formal, Brother Ling," Qi Wenmo said with an easy laugh.

In truth, sharp as he was, he could more or less guess that there must be something unsaid behind all this—something Wei Zhao could not conveniently explain, or else he would not have gone out of his way to say "secretly escort." But Qi Wenmo would not press him. Everyone had their own **, after all, and if a careless question of his put Wei Zhao and his companion in an awkward spot, he would have no one to blame but himself.

Those in the escort business asked only what should be asked and never what should not—that was the most basic rule of the trade. Otherwise, at best you offended a client; at worst you might invite disaster out of thin air. As the young master of the Qingtian Escort Agency, Qi Wenmo had a firm grasp of that much.

"Then I'll leave Brother Lu in your hands, Brother Qi," Wei Zhao said, dispensing with pleasantries. He turned to Lu Bianren. "Brother Lu, I still have matters to attend to here on the South Isle, so I won't be heading back with you. Give my regards to Brother Ku and the others, and tell them not to worry about me."

"Mm. You must be careful yourself, junior brother. The old saying goes that great skill makes one bold, but our opponent is truly formidable. Whatever you do, do not act rashly on your own. Best to return and report to the higher-ups, then plan carefully for the long term," Lu Bianren warned, unable to hide his unease.

With Qi Wenmo present, he could not name the Central Chamber of Commerce outright, but Wei Zhao naturally understood his meaning. Given the terrifying strength the Central Chamber had displayed, a handful of people could never hope to shake it. Only if the entire Threefold Pavilion of the North Isle mobilized would they have even a shred of confidence to contend with it.

"Rest easy, Brother Lu. I know what I'm doing," Wei Zhao said with a nod. Though he often found himself locked in desperate struggles with others, at heart he was not a man who courted conflict. Before, he had not known any better; now that he knew full well the Central Chamber of Commerce was teeming with experts—that Xuan Ascension giants could be encountered at any turn—how could he go provoking them recklessly again? He was not a fool.

"Good. We'll meet again on the North Isle," Lu Bianren said, cupping his hands in farewell to Wei Zhao.

"Yes, until we meet again on the North Isle. No time to lose—Brother Qi, see Brother Lu off at once," Wei Zhao said.

"Right away. Brother Lu, follow me." Qi Wenmo led Lu Bianren out. As one of the five great escort agencies of the South Isle, the Qingtian Escort Agency naturally had its own dedicated logistics channels; secretly spiriting a single person out was a trivial matter, undetectable by any power or any person.

With Lu Bianren sent off, Wei Zhao had finally settled a weight on his mind. This had been his foremost purpose in coming to the South Isle; hunting down Wu Baoliang had been merely incidental.

Over the next few days, Wei Zhao stayed shut in his room and did not venture out. His sole occupation each day was to devote himself to cultivation. Seeing so many experts at the Central Chamber of Commerce this time—Xuan Ascension giants above all—had truly shaken him, and the pressure was self-evident.

He was not a man who reveled in strife, but he possessed an extraordinarily competitive spirit and had never been willing to lag behind others. Otherwise, he could never have reached the level he stood at today.

As things stood, reaching the Xuan Ascension stage in a short time was clearly unrealistic for Wei Zhao, and even if such a shortcut existed, he would not take it. Pressure was pressure, but steady, grounded accumulation was the true way. So the only thing for Wei Zhao to do now was to cultivate in earnest, lay his foundations as deep and solid as possible, and quietly await the moment of breakthrough.

Moreover, after the affair at the Central Chamber of Commerce, although he had the Thousand-Silk Mask to conceal his identity, prudence demanded that he not wander about outside at such a sensitive time.

After all, he had only put on the Thousand-Silk Mask on the spur of the moment when he was discovered. Earlier, when he had been roaming the first and second floors, he had shown his true face, and so many clerks had seen it. With the astonishing power the Central Chamber of Commerce had demonstrated, who could say whether they might be able to trace him?

Since there was nothing to do outside anyway, Wei Zhao simply stopped going out altogether, cultivating in seclusion while he waited in peace for the South Isle Escort Gathering to begin.

Beyond that, Wei Zhao made a point of warning Qi Wenmo as well: unless necessary, it would be best for him not to go wandering about outside during this period. Against a Central Chamber of Commerce so unfathomable, no amount of caution was excessive.

If the Central Chamber of Commerce truly could trace Wei Zhao's true appearance, then they could surely also find out that he had appeared together with Qi Wenmo. If that dragged Qi Wenmo into trouble, it would be terrible.

Qi Wenmo was somewhat puzzled by this, but he readily nodded in agreement. He assumed Wei Zhao was worried that the Poison Eye Mercenaries and the Dragon Boat Escort Agency might seize this critical juncture to make trouble and strike from the shadows. (To be continued…) R527