Chapter 4173 — The Five-Day Pact
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Phew, she's finally given up." Watching her retreating figure, Wei Zhao let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Talking with this girl was more exhausting than a full bout of fighting.
To be honest, with Huang Xiaotao's pure, lotus-like beauty, together with her strong and kindhearted nature, any man who saw her would be delighted—Wei Zhao was no exception. After all, a gentleman courts a fair maiden; such was man's nature and common failing.
The reason he went to such lengths to refuse her was simply that Wei Zhao did not wish to take on any more debts of the heart. To have so many close female confidantes was indeed a blessing every man would envy, but it was at the same time a heavy responsibility upon his shoulders.
From first to last, Wei Zhao had always felt he had failed his women far too much. That was why, ever since coming to Yunjie Island, he had deliberately avoided entangling himself in any more affairs of the heart, devoting himself single-mindedly to cultivation, hoping to awaken all of them as soon as possible.
If he now added Huang Xiaotao to the number, it would be unfair both to the many women already in his life and to Huang Xiaotao herself. Better, then, to nip her notion in the bud as early as possible.
"It's probably just gratitude for what I've done, a momentary impulse that gave her the idea of giving herself to me in return. Once she calms down and thinks it over, I'm sure she'll see reason." Wei Zhao shook his head and smiled to himself.
Little did he know that while such a momentary impulse was indeed quite plausible in other girls, with Huang Xiaotao's steadfast nature, how could she be so easily swept away by a passing whim?
The five days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the duel that Su Zhaohe had agreed upon with Wei Zhao arrived at last, with all eyes upon it.
That day the North Island arena was thronged with people, the surrounding stands packed so tightly that not a drop could trickle through. Nearly sixty percent of the Three-Tier Pavilion's disciples had come to watch the fight.
Of the two challengers, Su Zhaohe needed no introduction—rumor had it that he was about to take Shangguan Tianxia as his master, making him the most illustrious prodigy in the Three-Tier Pavilion of late. Wei Zhao, meanwhile, was still only a newcomer of the Welcome Pavilion, yet he was the most talked-about new disciple in years, and his name was already known to everyone from top to bottom of the Three-Tier Pavilion.
Both were figures of focus, and with the stark gap in strength between them, this duel had drawn intense attention from the very moment it was arranged, becoming the favorite topic of conversation among nearly all the Three-Tier Pavilion's disciples.
In those brief five days, the marketplace of rumor had even spun the grudge between the two into several wholly different versions.
Some said Wei Zhao had killed Su Zhaohu, and that Su Zhaohe meant to avenge his cousin, seizing the occasion to display his strength and draw the Pavilion Master Shangguan's notice. This was, indeed, the very account Su Zhaohe had given when he publicly issued the challenge.
Others said that Huang Xiaotao had once gone to the Welcome Pavilion to meet Wei Zhao in secret; that this woman had been caught up in a scandal with Su Zhaohe before, and had later been banished to the Qingyun Pavilion after her face was ruined by mishap—and that it was her stirring the pot between them that had set Su Zhaohe and Wei Zhao at each other's throats. R1152