Chapter 4527 — The Azure Dragon Elder
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
"Mm, that's only natural, really. Loyalty exists only under the deterrence of absolute strength—that holds true for human cultivators, and the spirit beasts are certainly no exception," Wei Zhao nodded and said with feeling.
While Wei Zhao and the ghost-thing conversed in secret, the Vermilion Bird looked out over all the spirit beasts submitting before it and laughed in satisfaction. "Brothers of the spirit beast clan, the King is still very young, and to have him personally command our clan would be beyond his strength. As his subordinates, we cannot force a man to do what he cannot; we must at least leave the King room to grow at ease. Therefore the King has decided to entrust the governance of affairs to this elder and the Azure Dragon Elder together."
Before the Vermilion Bird's words had died away, on the other side the strange old man with the blue face and fangs stepped forward and gave a slight nod to the assembled spirit beasts—plainly the Azure Dragon Elder of whom the Vermilion Bird spoke.
As for the so-called new Spirit Beast King, from first to last it had not made a single sound; everything was controlled and managed by the Vermilion Bird. Any discerning eye could see that this was nothing but a puppet through and through.
"What? The Azure Dragon Elder?" Wei Zhao showed little reaction, but upon hearing these words the ghost-thing's already hurried breathing at once grew more unsettled still, and Wei Zhao could distinctly sense from it a towering, bone-deep fury. From the moment he had met the ghost-thing until now, he had never once seen it provoked into such furious shame.
"Senior, what's wrong?" Wei Zhao asked quickly.
"Azure Dragon... heh heh, Azure Dragon. That scoundrel has actually promoted a new Azure Dragon Elder?!" The ghost-thing was grinding its teeth in rage. Had it been in its full prime, Wei Zhao had no doubt it would have charged up and trampled this Vermilion Bird Elder to death beneath its feet.
"What do you mean?" Wei Zhao was utterly baffled. There were four top elders in all; since there was a Vermilion Bird Elder, surely it was no wonder there should be an Azure Dragon Elder too?
"Hmph, because I am the Azure Dragon Elder!" the ghost-thing roared in fury.
"Uh..." Wei Zhao was struck dumb with shock. This was the first time he had learned the ghost-thing's exact identity—no wonder it was so agitated and angry. So this was the original Azure Dragon Elder, and plainly the one now standing on the platform was a henchman newly promoted by the Vermilion Bird.
Such a thing was not hard to understand. When the ghost-thing had first descended to the mortal world in its capacity as one of the four great elders, for a short while others might not have dared to do anything. But once its absence had stretched on long enough, its seat as a top elder would naturally become a choice morsel in others' eyes, and to be supplanted was only to be expected.
"Senior, you had best not be too angry. Since they would even dare to replace the Spirit Beast King, what is one elder's seat to them?" Wei Zhao could only smile bitterly and console it.
The ghost-thing fell silent for a long while, and only then did its hurried breathing gradually calm. With a measure of resignation and helplessness it said, "You're right. Heh heh, I've been gone so long, it's only natural a new elder should be raised up. It seems this Vermilion Bird has truly seized control of the spirit beast clan's overall situation—no small feat..."
"Aren't there other top elders? Are they just going to let the Vermilion Bird run so rampant?" Wei Zhao asked, somewhat perplexed.