Chapter 3830 — Waiting One Hour
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
Five hundred spirit jades for a single top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill—though such a purchase price could hardly be called exorbitant, it was certainly far from low. The Hong Merchant Guild might well turn a handsome profit from the deal, yet Hong Zhong had, all the same, shown Wei Zhao considerable consideration.
Wei Zhao had no objection whatsoever. He nodded at once and said, "That will do. My thanks to you, Steward Hong. However, I have one more request—an impertinent one, I fear."
"Whatever it is, Young Hero Lin, simply say the word. This old man shall do his utmost." Hong Zhong was somewhat taken aback. Twice now he had dealt with this Lin Er, and never once had he heard the man make any demand at all.
Still, out of the regard he held for Wei Zhao—and because on both occasions Wei Zhao had indeed brought him no small benefit—so long as the request was not too outrageous, Hong Zhong would do his best to grant it.
Yet the request Wei Zhao made next left Hong Zhong blinking in surprise: "I should like to linger here a while. It won't interfere with your business, will it, Steward Hong?"
"Of course, of course. As you please, Young Hero Lin. If you wished to stay the night here, I could have arrangements made." Hong Zhong chuckled. He assumed Lin Er had truly taken Yu Jiang's advice to heart and meant to lodge here!
Small wonder. To his mind, Wei Zhao must have taken fright at Nan Tianyong and his disciple Yu Jiang, and wished to hide here a while—to wear down the other's patience and make them give up of their own accord. To feel fear and want to retreat before an enemy as utterly beyond one's means as Nan Tianyong—that was only human nature.
But in Hong Zhong's eyes, Wei Zhao's notion was still a touch too wishful. Given the grudge between him and Nan Tianyong's pair of master and disciple, the other side would never let him off so easily. No matter how long he stalled here, it would do no good; they would keep their post and wait for the rabbit to come to them, and there was simply no chance they would leave.
Perhaps in a little while, this Lin Er would think better of it and turn around to beg the skilled retainers of the Hong Merchant Guild to protect him.
But Wei Zhao only smiled and shook his head. "Stay the night? No, that won't be necessary. I need only wait here one hour, and that will be enough."
"Wait one hour?" Hong Zhong could not help but start. Veteran of the jianghu though he was, he could make neither head nor tail of what Wei Zhao was plotting. He could only give a rueful laugh and nod. "Very well then, Young Hero Lin, as you please. If you have any need, speak to this old man at any time."
In the blink of an eye, the hour slipped by, and there beneath the blazing sun Nan Tianyong and his disciple Yu Jiang had kept watch across the street from the Hong Merchant Guild for a full hour.
"Disciple, do you suppose that brat is cowering inside the Hong Merchant Guild and won't dare come out? Grinding away at him like this is nothing but a waste of time!" Nan Tianyong scowled, his face full of impatience.
It was Yu Jiang who had sworn undying enmity with Wei Zhao, not Nan Tianyong himself. Apart from avenging his disciple, he had come here for another reason as well: to avenge himself. That humiliation at the Hong Merchant Guild last time he had been unable to repay, and if he wanted satisfaction, the only place to take it was out of Wei Zhao's hide.
But to stand here burning through time merely for that one breath of grievance—Nan Tianyong had no such patience.
In his view, given the gap between their strengths, if he were in Wei Zhao's present shoes, he would sooner die than step one foot outside the Hong Merchant Guild.