護花近衛 - 第4705章 小巫見大巫 - 翰墨軒

Wei Zhao thought it over and understood at once. The fellow had deliberately lingered here instead of moving on—most likely he was waiting to watch Wei Zhao make a fool of himself, and perhaps he still had not given up on Huo Yudie.

Now that Kang Jingming had suddenly swaggered back, Scarface assumed he had taken a fancy to this female cultivator, and his heart tightened at once. If the brat opened his mouth and demanded her, what was he supposed to do? Fight or not fight?

If he fought, the best he could hope for was mutual destruction—at the very least he had no way of dodging that true qi made tangible technique, and he might not even manage mutual destruction. What awaited him after that was all too easy to imagine.

But if he did not fight, and backed down again and again in front of this crowd with everyone watching, he would have no authority left at all. How was he supposed to collect tolls after that?

While Scarface was still mired in his dilemma, Kang Jingming did not even glance at him. He walked straight past and tossed off in passing, "Relax. Cheap common goods like that don't catch my eye."

Of course he would not stir up trouble with nothing better to do, provoking Scarface when the man had already given way. He needed to keep this creature around to humiliate Wei Zhao—he was waiting to enjoy a fine show. Why would he waste the chance to deal with Scarface now? The man was a rare and useful watchdog.

Hearing Kang Jingming's scornful tone, Scarface's mouth twisted. Though he felt a measure of relief, his interest in the female cultivator he had stripped bare before the crowd had cooled. He cursed, then casually tossed her aside, and his lust-crazed underlings' eyes lit up at once. With grating cackles they swarmed forward and dragged her off, hooting and shouting, to some place no one could see.

Under everyone's gaze, Kang Jingming came forward with a stately, measured stride. After a disdainful glance at Wei Zhao, he turned to Huo Yudie with an attentive, solicitous air and issued his invitation: "My beauty, you saw what just happened. As long as you come with me, Scarface won't dare touch a hair on your head. But if you keep following this posturing fool, your end will be too grim to bear watching. The example is right before your eyes—anyone with a shred of sense knows how to choose. What do you say, my beauty?"

"I've made myself clear. I won't team up with you. Give up that hope," Huo Yudie refused again without a moment's hesitation, her tone plainly impatient. Inwardly she could not help muttering: is there something wrong with this fool's head? How many times have I said it already—why does he keep asking?

As she spoke, though, her eyes flicked to his suit of ultra-high-tech equipment, and she could not help a private pang of envy. If only she had gear like that—she would blast that wretched Scarface flying with a single shot!

"Hmph, it seems my beauty is truly a poor judge of character. I've told you this thing is nothing but a posturing fool who looks the part and is useless in a fight, yet you still trust him so. Do you really believe he has that kind of strength?" Kang Jingming's face darkened. He sneered at the two of them. "Fine then, I'll say no more. You can stay here with this posturing fool—neither of you is getting through!"

Huo Yudie pursed her lips, at a loss for a moment how to retort. After all, that Scarface across the way really was savage, and whether it was her or Wei Zhao, they might not truly have the strength to get past him. Yet to obtain the Thunder Mystic Vine they had to cross the Myriad-Year Grand Canyon, and now they could not even get into the canyon. What were they to do?

Huo Yudie could not help looking to Wei Zhao for help, only to see him glance at the smug, strutting Kang Jingming. The corner of his mouth lifted in a faint smile. "Who says we're not getting through? Come on, let's go across too. The monkey show's over—it was rather entertaining!"