Chapter 4973 — Good News and Bad News

"Mm, for now that's all we can do," Wei Zhao said with a nod.

"By the way, Wei Zhao, how long were you planning to stay this time?" Ning Xuefei asked then.

"That..." Wei Zhao glanced at the two women, unable to bear it. Because of Chang Minghui's presence, this trip was in truth a flight, and by any reckoning he could not linger—the sooner he left, the better. Staying here would put not only himself in danger but perhaps drag Ning Xuefei and Huo Yudie down with him, and that was a regret he would never be able to undo.

And yet the two women had waited for him so long—Ning Xuefei above all. Unlike Huo Yudie, who had at least gathered with him once on the Giant's Path, she had waited until this very moment just to see him, and now after a hurried reunion they must part again. It was, truly, a little cruel.

"Leave tomorrow morning instead, won't you?" Ning Xuefei clung to Wei Zhao's arm and wheedled.

"Tomorrow morning?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. He had meant to stay at least two or three days to keep Ning Xuefei company, and he had not expected the girl to be so considerate. His heart warmed. "All right. I'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Then where are you headed next?" Huo Yudie asked.

"I was originally going to your Morning Star Academy, but since you've come all this way, Yudie, there's no need for me to make the trip. Give my apologies to Aunt Liu for me, will you?" Wei Zhao smiled apologetically. Here too was a considerate girl: she had hurried all the way to Xiangyun Academy not, as Ning Xuefei said, to spend a few more days together, but to save him time. Wei Zhao knew it perfectly well.

"Mm. So you're going back to the North Island next?" Huo Yudie pressed.

"Before I go back to the North Island, I mean to take a turn through the Middle Island," Wei Zhao said after a moment's thought. He had not seen Tianchan and Xueli and the others for a long time. Last time he returned to the North Island he had said he would go to the Middle Island to visit them, and then he had ended up going to the West Island instead. This time he could make up for it.

"Oh. What a pity it's inconvenient this time—otherwise I really would like to go to the Middle Island with you and meet the Tianchan and Xueli you and Jingjing are always talking about," Huo Yudie said with regret. She had just succeeded in breaking through to the Mystic Rising stage and must now spend her time consolidating her cultivation and realm; Liu Ziqi would never let her go running about.

"Yes, yes, I was thinking the same thing—what a pity!" Ning Xuefei sighed along with her. Huo Yudie was at least half a graduate by now, while she had only just enrolled; there was even less chance of her running off anywhere.

"Don't worry, there'll be chances enough in the future," Wei Zhao said with a smile, comforting them both. Then he added, "By the way, Yudie, I've already spoken to Xinyan and Xiaotao—told them to stand and fall together with you once you reach the Mystic-Rank sea region. When the Mystic-Rank sea region begins taking recruits, send me word, whether or not I can make it in time. At the very least I want to know where you are."

"Mm, I understand." Huo Yudie nodded again and again.

"Oh no—you're all going off to the Mystic-Rank sea region, so what about me?" Ning Xuefei said, her face fallen.

"You?" Wei Zhao and Huo Yudie exchanged a smile. "You'll stay here and cultivate properly, of course. Even if you are the princess of the West Island, you can't go to the Mystic-Rank sea region before you've reached the Mystic Rising stage, can you?"

"How annoying. If I'd known, I'd have cultivated properly from the start—then I wouldn't be left behind all by myself now," Ning Xuefei grumbled.

Wei Zhao couldn't help laughing at that. "If you cultivated properly, you wouldn't be Ning Xuefei."

Of all the people he knew, Ning Xuefei and Shangguan Lan'er came from the best families, and neither was lacking in talent; had they applied themselves to cultivation, either could have made something of herself. It was only a pity that the two of them loathed nothing in the world so much as the dull grind of cultivation. Even the trifling strength of the Foundation Establishment stage had been drugged into them—what hope for anything more?

"Hmph! From today on, I've decided to shut myself away and cultivate!" Ning Xuefei gave a petulant little snort. Then, meeting Wei Zhao's and Huo Yudie's half-smiling looks, she thought better of it and hastily amended, "Fine—from tomorrow, then. Once you've gone I'll start working hard, and one day I'll astonish the both of you!"

"Is that so? Then you're giving up your research into formations and self-forging mechanisms?" Wei Zhao watched her, smiling.

"Er..." Ning Xuefei choked on that. Such things were far more interesting to her than cultivation. She hastily amended herself again: "Then I'll set aside half my time for cultivation—that's fair enough, isn't it?"

"Fine. You said it yourself—next time I come, if I find you've made no progress, you're getting a spanking," Wei Zhao said, smiling.

Ning Xuefei glanced at Wei Zhao's palm, and her pretty face flushed scarlet. She squirmed and said, "Then... should I take my clothes off for it?"

"Pff!" Wei Zhao, who had just taken a sip of tea, sprayed it all over her face, and even Huo Yudie choked. What on earth was going on in this girl's head?

Ning Xuefei could only wipe the tea from her face with a look of deep grievance. "I washed my face today. Thanks."

Wei Zhao was caught between laughter and tears. At last he stopped teasing the girl and made to say what was on his mind—when Leng Rufeng's voice suddenly called from the doorway, "Chief, Jiang Yuechuan is here."

"Good. Send him in." Wei Zhao nodded, then turned to Huo Yudie and Ning Xuefei. "You two go take a walk in the courtyard for a while. I have a few things to discuss with him—a private matter of his."

"All right." Huo Yudie and Ning Xuefei answered meekly and went out.

Once the two women had gone, Jiang Yuechuan hurried in. Dispensing with courtesy, he cupped his hands to Wei Zhao and blurted, "Brother Lin, how is Qin Chan?"

"The good news is, she went to the Giant's Path trial, and she's now a cultivator of the early Mystic Rising stage," Wei Zhao said mildly.

"Truly?" Jiang Yuechuan was overjoyed. He murmured in disbelief, "How could Qin Chan have advanced so fast? Back then she was even a notch weaker than me. It seems she met a renowned master at Morning Star Academy. Then I can rest easy. Wonderful—truly wonderful!"

Though Qin Chan had now left him far behind in strength, Jiang Yuechuan would not let so petty a vanity breed resentment in him. Instead he rejoiced for her from the bottom of his heart. In truth, whether one was strong or not was secondary; so long as Qin Chan was well, that was enough for him.

"No—she met no renowned master. Quite the opposite: over there she had no background or backing at all, and was bullied by one and all," Wei Zhao said, pouring cold water on him with something like pity.

"What? Then how could she..." Jiang Yuechuan was struck dumb. (To be continued.)