Chapter 2572 — Ying Ziyu's Lie
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"You know as well as I do that the Hidden Zhao family and the Hidden Zhuang family were much the same back then—no Heaven-rank experts to speak of, scraping the bottom of the barrel among the hidden clans. A marriage alliance with the Yu family alone was never going to be enough. To claw its way up, the Hidden Zhao family has always dreamed of finding itself a patron," Chief Zhu said. "So once Chen Xi succeeds, she'll be presented to some promising young talent of an ancient sect as a cultivation cauldron, and in exchange the Hidden Zhao family gets itself a backer at the ancient-sect level."
"I see." Wei Zhao nodded. No wonder the Hidden Zhao family had never come over to his side and had opposed him at every turn—they had a hidden card to play all along. Still, it was understandable. Compared to Wei Zhao, a backer at the ancient-sect level was nothing but a minnow beside a whale.
The trouble was that the Hidden Zhao family suffered from a shallow view of things; they had overlooked Wei Zhao's capacity for growth. In so short a time, he had gone from a Yellow-rank expert who could be wounded by Uncle Zhu to a mid-stage Earth-rank peak expert capable of skipping ranks and one-shotting Heaven-rank fighters. Such a rate of growth was simply breathtaking.
Wei Zhao might not yet possess the power of an ancient sect, but what of him after a while? If they knew of his plan to mass-produce Heaven-rank experts with Spirit-Gathering Pills, they would probably think twice.
"You keep Chen Xi safe. If they make a move on her, tell me first," Wei Zhao said.
"Understood, Mr. Lin." Chief Zhu could not fathom why Wei Zhao still would not move against the Hidden Zhao family. With his abilities, wiping them out ought to be the work of minutes. What he did not know was that while Wei Zhao could indeed destroy the Hidden Zhao family, it would be a considerable strain—he could only pick them off one by one, striking from the shadows. And the moment the other hidden clans that bore him a grudge decided Wei Zhao had become a threat they could no longer ignore, they would band together and fight him to the bitter end.
And when that time came, it would be more than a fight to the bitter end. Wei Zhao knew his own limits well enough: a sneak attack on a single Heaven-rank expert was no problem, but facing several Heaven-rank experts head-on would be little short of walking to his own death.
As things stood, so long as Wei Zhao did not wipe out any one family root and branch, they would not join forces. Each had its own calculations, and none was willing to stick its neck out and be the first to be picked off as the offending bird. Thus a delicate balance held.
Wei Zhao's task was to maintain that balance as best he could, to draw as many hidden clans to his side as possible—to turn enemies into friends where he could. And where he could not, he would at least refrain from striking at them outright until he was absolutely certain of victory.
"Mm. Your brother, Zhu the Second—how are his injuries?" Wei Zhao asked mildly. If he wanted Chief Zhu to follow him with wholehearted devotion, he could not withhold a few favors; and Zhu the Second's injuries were the perfect opening. If Wei Zhao healed him, Chief Zhu would surely follow him in earnest.
"He..." Chief Zhu's expression faltered at the question, and a flash of incredulous joy crossed his eyes. "The Second—he's crippled now. Mr. Lin, do you mean..."
"Find a suitable opportunity, and I'll treat him," Wei Zhao said with a nod. "Serve me well, and I'll raise Zhu the Second's cultivation as well—late-stage Mystic-rank peak is not out of the question."