Chapter 2881 — Tianchan's Lie
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Your disciple Kang Jingming pays his respects to the Venerable Master!" The moment he crossed the threshold, Kang Jingming dropped to his knees as though he stood before an emperor of old, bowing three times and kowtowing nine, deference itself.
"Mm, Zhaoming, rise," Elder Ancestor Xuanchen said, thoroughly pleased with Kang Jingming's conduct.
"Thank you, Venerable Master!" Only then did Kang Jingming get up and stand carefully at Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's side.
"Zhaoming, I've called you here to ask what sort of martial skill you wish to learn." In truth, Elder Ancestor Xuanchen did not think much of this nominal disciple, but Kang Jingming was unfailingly respectful, and he was an elder of the Xuandan Sect besides. So Xuanchen had decided to cultivate him a little—it would be no bad thing to make him his own spokesman within the sect.
"Whatever the Venerable Master wishes to teach, your disciple will learn. Your disciple would never presume to pick and choose!" Kang Jingming, wild with joy, said hurriedly.
He was indeed a mid-Heaven-Rank expert—but only an alchemist, with no fighting strength to speak of. Above all, standing before Wei Zhao as a Heaven-Rank figure and being threatened by him, forced to agree to certain unequal terms, had left Kang Jingming deeply stifled and helpless. That was why he craved power more than any other alchemist.
"Very good. Yet though you say so, I see thick desire in your eyes," Elder Ancestor Xuanchen said mildly.
"Uh... that..." Kang Jingming flushed at once.
"I dislike people lying to my face. Tell me the truth—what do you want to learn?" Elder Ancestor Xuanchen asked, his expression turning stern.
"I want to learn formidable martial skills—the more formidable the better!" Kang Jingming gritted his teeth and said.
"Good. At last you begin to speak the truth." Elder Ancestor Xuanchen nodded, then asked, "Why?"
"Because... I want to surpass Wei Zhao. I want revenge. I want to do away with Wei Zhao!" Now that he understood Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's temperament, Kang Jingming resolved to speak plainly. He was gambling—gambling that his honesty would make Xuanchen regard him in a new light and teach him formidable martial skills.
"Oh?" At the name Wei Zhao, Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's expression shifted slightly. He was rather surprised. "You have a grudge against this Wei Zhao fellow?"
"Indeed!" Kang Jingming nodded and said, "Last time, I went to trade dan recipes for the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Tempering Pill with Wei Zhao. I meant to humiliate him, but I hadn't counted on being no match for him—and he humiliated me instead..."
"Oh? You two were already at odds?" Elder Ancestor Xuanchen asked with keen interest.
"Yes, Venerable Master, it happened like this..." Kang Jingming had not expected Elder Ancestor Xuanchen to take an interest in his feud with Wei Zhao, so he held nothing back, recounting the whole history of their grievances in detail...
"I'd never have guessed, Kang Jingming—you're a nasty piece of work, a proper little villain!" Elder Ancestor Xuanchen looked at Kang Jingming and laughed heartily. "All these schemes of yours may not have succeeded, but they prove well enough that you're a man full of wicked ideas!"
"That..." Taken aback by Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's words, Kang Jingming flushed, his face turning somewhat ugly. He said weakly, "Venerable Master, these are only childish tricks..."