Chapter 4985 — Vice Island Master Soejima Enters the Fray

"That's not all. The boy also said..." Zhao Youque grimaced awkwardly.

"Said what?" Tong Yangxi pressed at once.

"He also said he had some ties to our Morning Star Academy..." Zhao Youque said, his expression strange.

"Ties? What ties? Surely he isn't a disciple who came out of our Morning Star Academy?" Zheng Dongyang's eyelid twitched as well. Many people in Middle Island had at some point studied at an Eastern Continent academy; such a coincidence was not impossible.

"That's not it either—his tone was far loftier than that. He said he was a friend of Headmaster Ling Yuanqing, and the master of the great Qing Xuanzi!" Zhao Youque said, bracing himself.

"What?!" Zheng Dongyang was struck dumb. He quickly recovered himself, though, and said with a frown, "That's utterly impossible. As far as I know, Qing Xuanzi's master died long ago—how could he possibly turn up here?"

In the world of cultivation one could not judge by appearances, for the young-looking might well be old monsters who had lived centuries or a millennium, merely preserving a youthful face—Zhuang Yifan was a case in point. But for this fellow to style himself Qing Xuanzi's master was nothing but absurd nonsense!

"Exactly. With boasting like that, the man must be a fraud!" Tong Yangxi declared from the side. Never mind that the thing was utterly impossible—even if there were a shred of possibility to it, he had to snuff out Zheng Dongyang's misgivings at once. Otherwise, if Wei Zhao really were Ling Yuanqing's friend and Qing Xuanzi's master, what was the Famous Medicine Sect even fighting for?

If that were truly the case, he might as well do nothing at all—he would have no choice but to hurry to the Heavenly Elixir Pavilion in person and beg forgiveness at their door. There was no second path.

Zhao Youque said nothing. Of course he did not believe Wei Zhao's wild claims either, but given the formidable strength Wei Zhao had displayed, the man could hardly be an ordinary Morning Star disciple. Perhaps he really did know grand figures like Ling Yuanqing and Qing Xuanzi, and that was why he dared so recklessly to borrow the tiger's pelt and hoist its banner.

"There's no doubt about it. Hmph—for this boy to play his tricks right in the Morning Star Academy's face, he truly is a piece of work!" Zheng Dongyang snorted with contempt. To puff himself up before the academy's number-two alchemist—what difference was there between that and going down to the underworld to play at being a ghost?

"This is simply going too far. Master Zheng, what do you say we do next? We can't just let the boy slander the Morning Star Academy's good name as he pleases," Tong Yangxi said, full of expectation.

"I don't much care about the Morning Star Academy's reputation, one way or the other, but the boy certainly can't be left alone. Otherwise people will think we're afraid of him—they might even take him for some great personage," Zheng Dongyang said with a slight frown.

"Exactly so. We've already had two men fall to him in a row; we absolutely must not keep feeding his arrogance. It's only a pity that the Famous Medicine Sect's guest experts here on Middle Island aren't strong enough—we'll still have to trouble you to think of something, Master Zheng," Tong Yangxi said hurriedly.

The best of his guest experts were at most at the Nascent Soul stage, and their strength might not even match Diao Huanshan's, let alone suffice against Wei Zhao. This matter could only be settled by Zheng Dongyang stepping forward.

Of course, Zheng Dongyang was himself an alchemist and no fighter. But with his transcendent status, handling a matter like this required no personal effort at all—he need only send word, and a host of experts would come flocking. A mere Wei Zhao was nothing worth mentioning.

"Mm. Since this Wei Zhao can fight above his level, his strength is genuinely not weak; we mustn't underestimate him. Ordinary experts likely won't be able to deal with him." Zheng Dongyang pondered a moment, then said, "How about this: we make no rash moves for now. When the time comes, we'll have Vice Island Master Wu step forward to deal with him!"

"Vice Island Master Wu?" Tong Yangxi was taken aback, and said with a look of surprise, "The Vice Island Master Wu you speak of, Master Zheng—could it be Wu Che, the standing vice island master who rose out of nowhere last year?"

The Middle Island Master's Cabinet had always divided power among five: one island master and four vice island masters. The standing vice island master held the greatest real authority of the four, with a say in virtually every matter great and small; in power and in rank he stood second only to the island master, making him the number-two figure in Middle Island's official hierarchy.

As for the Wu Che Tong Yangxi had named—though he had deep seniority within the Master's Cabinet, he had always kept his talents and his light well hidden. In terms of presence he could not even match Di Xingdao; after all, the latter's strength on paper was low, but he was a legendary figure known to every household, and forceful by nature besides, his true strength by no means negligible even within the Master's Cabinet.

And yet Wu Che was not truly incompetent—he merely kept his depths concealed. When the Master's Cabinet held its internal re-election for standing vice island master last year, the man the outside world had never favored suddenly made his move and carried the day in one stroke, emerging as a dark horse of no small note.

"The very same," Zheng Dongyang said with a nod.

"But he's the number-two figure in Middle Island's official circles—even vice island masters like Di Xingdao and Chu Wentian are pressed down beneath him. And they say he keeps everyone at arm's length; precious few can claim his acquaintance. Master Zheng, you can actually prevail upon even him?" Tong Yangxi was now all the more astonished.

For merchant houses like theirs, those few in the Master's Cabinet were always the ones they watched most closely. Even if they could not become insiders sharing in the profits, they must do their utmost to cultivate ties—at the very least, they could not let such figures become stumbling blocks, or their business would be hard to conduct.

Tong Yangxi had spared no effort in that regard, and the newly elevated standing vice island master Wu Che in particular had been the chief target of his assiduous courtship. It was a pity that Wu Che had always met his overtures with indifference, at most accepting a few gifts at festivals and holidays—Tong Yangxi had not even earned the right to be received in his halls.

"Just so. This Vice Island Master Wu is indeed aloof and proud by nature. But Steward Tong would do well to remember my standing—others can only beg favors of him, whereas he must come begging to me. I am a guest of honor at his table!" Zheng Dongyang laughed in satisfaction.

"Quite so, quite so. A high-grade alchemist like you, Master Zheng, holds transcendent status wherever he goes; ordinary folk cannot even get an invitation. However aloof and proud Wu Che may be, he can't do without pills and elixirs," Tong Yangxi said in sudden understanding, smiling apologetically.

"You may not know this yet, Steward Tong, but the reason I made this special trip to Middle Island wasn't purely in answer to your invitation—it was also on account of Vice Island Master Wu. He's now a peak expert of the late Mystic Ascension stage, and before long he'll set about assaulting the Titan realm, so he urgently needs someone to help him refine pills. To bring me here, he's written no small number of letters over the past year," Zheng Dongyang said with a smile.