Chapter 3923 — The Troublemaker Arrives
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
Watching all this, Li Zhengming could not help but secretly fret. There was no question about the Black-Backed Staff Ape's strength; equip it with a fine staff-type weapon, and at the level of ordinary spirit beasts it would have almost no match among its peers.
If Meng Zhou succeeded this time, then on the strength of this peak late Heaven Grade Black-Backed Staff Ape alone, he could lock in first place in this spirit pet assessment round—beyond any doubt.
Naturally Li Zhengming did not want to let him succeed so easily. Yet with so many people around and so many eyes watching, if he tried to sabotage things in secret, he would easily give himself away. As a key undercover agent Wei Zhao had planted at Meng Jueming's side, to expose himself early over such a trifling matter would hardly be worth the cost.
But if things went on this way, once Meng Zhou succeeded in the subjugation, then in the spirit pet battles to come, even Wei Zhao might not have a way to deal with him. After all, it was spirit pets that fought in the arena—no matter how strong Wei Zhao was, it would do him no good.
Just as Li Zhengming stood caught in his dilemma, Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai happened to pass by not far from where he was.
In fact, by their original route, the two of them would never have run into Meng Zhou's gang; under normal circumstances they would simply have passed each other by. But now there was a Li Zhengming standing atop the tree canopy, and the situation was altogether different.
From his commanding height, a common fruit suddenly came hurtling at the two of them, giving Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai quite a start and instantly drawing their attention.
And Li Zhengming, the one who had set it all in motion, pretended not to have noticed them at all, continuing to stand atop the canopy as though nothing were amiss, carrying out the lookout duty Meng Zhou had forced upon him.
Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai were, after all, capable hands of the early Foundation Establishment stage. Under ordinary circumstances they might not have spotted Meng Zhou's gang, but now with Li Zhengming's hint, it took them only an instant to find them.
"Talk about enemies meeting on a narrow road. Well, well, top newcomer Meng—what a coincidence, subduing a spirit pet, are we? Want me to lend you a hand?" Qiao Hongcai sneered with a cold chuckle, rolled up his sleeves, and came charging over.
Facing him were a full dozen or so men led by Meng Zhou, yet he launched his charge without a shred of scruple, not taking them seriously in the least.
Xiao Che followed close behind, though he cast Li Zhengming a glance laden with meaning. Whose hand that fruit had come from, Qiao Hongcai might not be able to tell, but it could not escape Xiao Che's eyes.
Deliberately luring the two of them over with a fruit—just what was Li Zhengming playing at?
Xiao Che could not help but feel baffled. If that woman Murong Zhen were present, such a move might be understood as luring snakes into a jar—after all, with Murong Zhen plus Meng Zhou's gang, dealing with him and Qiao Hongcai would be more than easy. But there was no sign of Murong Zhen at all now. Luring the two of them over like this—wasn't that just sabotaging Meng Zhou's plans?
While Xiao Che was still hesitating, Qiao Hongcai had already leaped forward to the front of Meng Zhou's group. Meng Zhou was instantly thrown into a panic and hastily shouted to the Azure Cloud Pavilion newcomers: "Stop him, quick! There'll be rich rewards afterward!"
This was the critical moment in his subjugation of the Black-Backed Staff Ape, and he was on the verge of complete success. If Qiao Hongcai interrupted him now, all his work would come to nothing, and the spirit pet talisman he had used would be wasted along with it.