Chapter 4027 — Smashed Unconscious
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Since Zheng Tianjie liked making others die by "furnace explosion," then paying him back in his own coin with this very trick could hardly be called excessive. After all, the man's status was nothing ordinary. If it ever came out that this was an assassination, the entire Far North Island would be turned inside out in an investigation, and then the trouble would be truly enormous.
But if he died from a furnace explosion during pill refinement, then it was entirely his own problem, and no blame could be laid at anyone's feet. The Far North Island authorities could hand the Pill Hall exactly that explanation, and so there would be no need for them to risk offending so many other great figures by launching a massive search. And Wei Zhao would escape calamity.
Even now, Wei Zhao, the very author of this scheme, had been wounded so grievously. As for Zheng Tianjie, struck square in the chest by this top-tier killing move while completely off guard, his fate could well be imagined.
Even as a formidable Golden Core expert, he was still flesh and blood. How could he possibly withstand such a terrifying explosion?
Against a pure true-qi bomb or a pill-fire bomb alone, Zheng Tianjie might still have been able to defend himself, as Xu Lingchong had done, relying on his incomparably powerful true-qi protection. But once the two were fused, it was an entirely different matter.
Even a Golden Core expert like Zheng Tianjie, suddenly confronted with such an unnatural killing move, could only be described as "dead beyond any doubt."
As to whether Zheng Tianjie was thoroughly dead, Wei Zhao had no time to spare for that. One thing at least was certain: even if the man had not yet breathed his last, he could not be far from death. Unless Zhang Lifeng himself were present, no one could save him. Wei Zhao's only headache now was whether he himself could get away cleanly.
That earth-shaking blast had startled the entire Far North Island. The nearby Town-North Guard had quickly gathered after regaining their senses, and if they found Wei Zhao in his current half-crippled state, he would be utterly finished.
Countless people were rushing toward the scene. Though Wei Zhao had deliberately chosen a direction with fewer people and had the cover of night, he could not ultimately contend with the crowds converging from every direction, especially the well-trained Town-North Guard.
Others might be converging merely to gawk, but the Town-North Guard were clearly on emergency alert. For something as suspicious as Wei Zhao, covered in wounds, to want to slip out from under their noses was far easier said than done.
Wei Zhao's movements could not be called slow, and he made a point of threading through high-cover corners and dark places. In such a chaotic state, with so many eyes about, the odds of being noticed and suspected were not high. Yet he had one fatal problem: his injuries.
The killing move earlier had been extremely draining to begin with, and coupled with the wounds from the backlash, Wei Zhao could clearly feel his stamina draining away swiftly even as he gritted his teeth and endured. And at this moment, he had still not escaped the Gathering Hall.
"Who goes there?" A shout came suddenly from around the corner ahead, followed by a dense yet orderly clatter of footsteps. From the sound alone, one could tell it must be a squad of the Town-North Guard.
Wei Zhao's heart lurched. With no time to look, he pushed open the nearest door without hesitation and slipped inside.
In his current bedraggled state, if he ran straight into them, the Town-North Guard would certainly take him for a suspicious character and seize him. Then everything would be over.
Besides, Wei Zhao was in terrible shape now. His stamina was nearly exhausted to its limit, and even the true qi within him had grown disordered. Otherwise, with his concealment skills, he would never have been detected by the Town-North Guard from this distance.