Chapter 4627 — Two Matters
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"No, not a whisper of any such thing. But though our Tri-Stack Pavilion has intelligence posts in the Southern Continent's waters, the distance is great and our intelligence has always been sluggish. If some upheaval truly has occurred, it is not impossible that those posts have been temporarily paralyzed." Shangguan Tianxia frowned slightly, then asked in puzzlement, "This is an internal secret of the spirit beast clans, is it not? How did you come to know of it?"
"I was being hunted by the remnant sect of the Western Hills and blundered deep into South Island, where I happened to come upon their spirit beast assembly. That was how I overheard it by chance. At the time the crowd was in a fever pitch—every beast there had been whipped into a fury. Unless I am mistaken, they will certainly carry this through; it is only a question of sooner or later." Wei Zhao spoke with certainty.
"Mm. Since the Spirit Beast King vanished, the spirit beast clans have indeed grown somewhat restive. The one holding power among them now should be the Vermilion Bird, no?" Shangguan Tianxia asked.
"Correct." Wei Zhao nodded, but did not elaborate further on the current state of the spirit beast clans. For one thing, there was no need just yet; for another, this was, after all, the beasts' own affair, and he had to consider the feelings of that ghostly fellow.
"Good. Though this matter has no bearing on North Island for the moment, if the spirit beast clans truly do this, they will not be content to stop there—further moves will surely follow. To be safe, this matter must be handled with care. On behalf of North Island's Tri-Stack Pavilion, I will record a merit for you." Shangguan Tianxia said thoughtfully.
"You are too kind. I am, after all, a disciple of the Azure Cloud Pavilion; reporting such things is simply my duty. There is no question of merit." Wei Zhao shook his head.
"It is good that you see it so, but what is yours is yours." Shangguan Tianxia smiled, unbothered, then asked with sudden interest, "I heard from little Lan'er that you had already entered the selection for the Dawnstar Academy of the Eastern Continent, but that you did not wish to go?"
Seeing Wei Zhao's strength transformed as if reborn, Shangguan Tianxia had originally intended to recommend him to the Eastern Continent—after all, he was the Tri-Stack Pavilion disciple he thought most highly of since Gongyang Jun. Yet he had heard this news from Shangguan Lan'er's lips instead.
Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. He glanced at Shangguan Lan'er and nodded. "Mm, for the moment I have no such intention. But when the time is right, I will surely go to the Eastern Continent. Otherwise I would be a frog at the bottom of a well."
"That is well then. I had thought you were like Gongyang Jun, holding the Eastern Continent as so much worthless chaff." Shangguan Tianxia paused, then said with weight: "The academies of the Eastern Continent may gather geniuses like clouds, but their atmosphere is on the whole far too restless and frivolous. For people like you and Gongyang Jun, it is no wonder at all that you would look down on those so-called geniuses. Still, the Eastern Continent is, after all, the summit of all five islands of the Heavenly Steps—a place where masters come forth in droves and hidden dragons and crouching tigers abound. While one is young and has the chance, one should go and test oneself there."
"Your teaching is noted, Master Shangguan. This disciple will keep it in mind." Wei Zhao said gravely. (To be continued) R466