Chapter 4673 — Temporary Team-Up
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Forgive me for asking bluntly, but are you sure there's no problem in acting together with the three of them?" Wei Zhao asked suddenly. His whole purpose in going with Huo Yudie lay in the Thunder Profound Vine, and now her original plans and rhythm had clearly been thrown into disarray. If this meant the Thunder Profound Vine was doomed to slip beyond reach, he had no intention of wasting his time trailing these people for nothing.
"That..." Huo Yudie hesitated too, her tone faltering. "The more people, the more strength—traveling with them has its advantages and disadvantages. Let's take it one step at a time for now, and if it doesn't work, we'll think of something else."
"Fine. Since you put it that way, I've no objection." Wei Zhao nodded. He could tell that Huo Yudie evidently did not want to say much; her words were vague enough that he could not make out her meaning. Then he asked, "By the way, just who are those people, exactly?"
Though a few scraps of information had let him infer some of their identities, it was hardly complete. Wei Zhao felt it necessary to first ascertain the other side's background, so that if a conflict arose he could weigh his options without too many reservations.
"The man in front is named Ren Zhongyuan—you heard that much yourself. He's a disciple of the Xiangyun Academy of the Eastern Continent. Over at Xiangyun Academy he has no particular backing, but he is the son of our academy's Grand Libationer." Speaking of the man, Huo Yudie's eyes plainly held a measure of disgust—her suitor clearly had no favor in her eyes.
"Grand Libationer?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. He had heard of posts like Libationer—his old adversary, Southern Heaven Aurora, was a Libationer at the Middle Island Cultivators' Academy, for instance—but Grand Libationer was something he was hearing for the first time.
"Mm, these are posts unique to the Eastern Continent's academies. In authority they're roughly on par with a vice dean; the two offices overlap and oppose each other, and in some respects the Grand Libationer's grip on the academy is even stronger than a vice dean's—because all the Libationers and students fall under the Grand Libationer's jurisdiction, decided by a single word from him." Huo Yudie offered a brief explanation.
"I see." Wei Zhao more or less grasped the meaning of the post. Most likely, because the academies of the Eastern Continent were so formidable and heaven-defying, their power so vast, this position had been set up expressly to balance authority—lest a vice dean's hand cover the sky. After all, the deans of the various academies would never have the inclination to personally manage the academies' internal affairs.
"The other man is named Yi Xiaotian, also a disciple of Xiangyun Academy. His uncle is a vice dean there." Here Huo Yudie paused abruptly, then, blushing, went on in a voice as faint as a mosquito's: "He is Jiali's dual-cultivation partner, which is why he often comes with Ren Zhongyuan to our academy."
"Dual-cultivation partner?" Wei Zhao could not help but throw the pair an odd look. Sure enough, Yi Xiaotian's hand was resting restlessly on Jiali, groping about—carrying on such petty tricks right in front of the rest of them. The man was truly a piece of work.
Still, this fellow was not necessarily uninterested in Huo Yudie. Just now, though he had not reacted as strongly as Ren Zhongyuan, the way he looked at her was plainly tinged with lust. Eyeing the dish in his bowl while coveting the pot—that was the common failing of all rich young masters.
"As for Junior Sister Jiali, her full name is Yao Jiali, and she is the granddaughter of Vice Dean Yao of our Chenjiao Academy." Huo Yudie suddenly gave Wei Zhao a meaningful look before continuing, "That mortal woman I mentioned to you before—she only came to such an end because she offended her." R1152