Chapter 4166 — Reluctantly Granting Your Wish
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Crossing the vast open sea meant staying constantly on guard against fierce birds of prey in the skies above, while also watching for sneak attacks from sea beasts below. On top of that, the journey was so long that ordinary flying spirit beasts simply could not sustain such a high-intensity long-distance flight—five or six out of ten would perish along the way.
For this reason, even the great majority of those who chose to ride flying spirit beasts did not dare cross the open sea directly. Instead they avoided the ocean and took the long way around by land, for only thus could they guarantee their safety. This time, however, Wei Zhao was riding a mount exclusive to the Heavenly Path Sect, and had no such worries at all.
Not only was the flying spirit beast itself fearsomely powerful—outrageously so—but the mere special insignia upon it, especially the five dazzling characters "Central Island Island Master's Pavilion," was enough to scare off ninety-nine out of a hundred cultivators and spirit beasts.
To strike at it would be tantamount to opposing the Central Island Island Master's Pavilion. Never mind cultivators—even the spirit beasts lacked the nerve. Their intelligence was not much lower than that of humans, and though the vast sea had never been conquered by mankind, they still knew well what the Central Island Island Master's Pavilion represented.
The whole way was smooth, without wind or wave, and after merely two days and nights, relying on the extraordinary speed of this Heavenly Path mount, Wei Zhao returned to the familiar region of North Island.
Watching the flying spirit beast depart of its own accord, Wei Zhao had barely returned to the Welcoming Pavilion and had not even had time to exchange a few words with his long-suffering senior brothers before he was thrust face-to-face with a major incident—Su Zhaohe had brought Niu Qiang to his door!
Word had it in the streets that Su Zhaohe's acceptance as a disciple by Shangguan Tianxia was already a settled matter, and so Su Zhaohe's standing in the North Island's Threefold Pavilion was now truly at its zenith. The moment he appeared, he drew a great crowd of new disciples from the Welcoming Pavilion.
"So you're Wei Zhao? You've played the shrinking turtle for so long, and at last you've deigned to come back. Perfect timing—I hereby challenge you to a duel before all these witnesses. Do you dare accept?" Su Zhaohe declared loudly, his face full of disdainful superiority.
Wei Zhao was still unaware that he was also a wanted man on North Island, and this sudden confrontation left him utterly baffled. He took in the man's broad, square face, which carried an air of authority all its own—he did seem to be somebody.
"And you are?" Wei Zhao could not help frowning as he asked offhandedly.
Aiya! The moment the words left Wei Zhao's mouth, the whole crowd erupted in an uproar. By a man's name one knows his reputation—who on North Island's Threefold Pavilion did not know Su Zhaohe? Did this fellow truly not know him, or was he pretending not to?
The new disciples of the Welcoming Pavilion exchanged bewildered glances. This fellow had vanished for so long without a trace, and now that he was finally back, was he up to his old habit of putting on airs again?
The crowd was merely enjoying the spectacle, but Su Zhaohe himself had gone red in the face. In recent days he had grown used to being the moon surrounded by stars—when had anyone ever belittled him to his face like this? And from a mere disciple of the Welcoming Pavilion, no less—someone he ordinarily would not even deign to look at.
"I am Su Zhaohe of the Sky-Rushing Pavilion," Su Zhaohe answered through gritted teeth, his expression stiff under the gaze of the crowd.
"Su Zhaohe?" Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly. Why had this fellow suddenly come knocking? Then he added, "I don't believe I've ever met you. Why challenge me to a duel?"