Chapter 5002 — Quite a Character
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Third Brother? You mean to say..." Wei Zhao could not help but be taken aback. He had only guessed that Oda Ba and Oda Zhou came from the same clan, but he had never imagined the two were so closely related.
"That is right. Oda Ba and I are half-brothers. I am the second son, he the third—only he has some quarrel with the family, and so never speaks of it to anyone." Oda Zhou nodded, then cupped his hands in thanks. "Speaking of which, I owe Young Hero Lin a proper thank-you. Had you not reminded me, I would never have known he had come to the Central Island. It has been some years since we brothers last met."
"I see. With a man of your caliber in the family, and a figure like the Fleet Captain who ranges the seas at will, your clan must be no small matter indeed," Wei Zhao said in admiration.
"Nothing so grand. We are merely one member of a rank-family," Oda Zhou said with a smile.
"A rank-family?" Wei Zhao was startled. It was the first time he had ever heard the term. It seemed the powers of the Heaven-Rank Central Island were indeed not so simple and straightforward as they appeared on the surface.
On this Cloud Step Island, one could not generally learn of these powers lurking beneath the water unless one had reached a sufficient level of strength. Wei Zhao, however, was now a fine hand of the early Mystic Ascension stage, his true strength comparable to a titan of the Mountain-Opening stage. He had reached the point where he must understand such things; otherwise, knowing nothing at all, he might well stir up disaster beyond measure.
Oda Zhou was minded to cultivate good relations with Wei Zhao. Since the topic had come up in passing, he meant to explain it properly—a favor neither too great nor too small, for which Wei Zhao would surely be grateful.
Yet before he could open his mouth, a flurry of footsteps sounded from outside, and a guard hurried in to report: "Vice Island Lord Wu has come with men and requests an audience!"
"Vice Island Lord Wu? What does he want?" Oda Zhou was somewhat surprised. Hearing the clamor outside, he knew the guards alone likely could not hold them back, and waved his hand. "Let them in."
A moment later, Wu Che and his party strode in. Wei Zhao was taken aback at the sight, for quite a number had come with him, and all were familiar old faces. Zheng Dongyang, Nan Tian Liuguang, and Tong Yangxi had all come.
The only one absent was Zheng Dongjue. After all, his ties to the Famous Pill Sect could not be lightly exposed—it would undermine his standing in the Pill Hall.
Wei Zhao was rather startled to see these people, and they were equally startled to find him present. For a good long while they simply stared at one another, wide-eyed. At last Oda Zhou broke the deadlock and asked, "Vice Island Lord Wu, what brings you to my Number One Island Lord's Hall?"
"Island Lord Oda, I have just learned that a reply has arrived from the Eastern Continent, so I notified Master Zheng to come and examine the Eastern Continent's response," Wu Che said with surface deference.
"Is that so? And how did the Eastern Continent reply?" Oda Zhou glanced at the several of them with a smile that was not quite a smile.
"None of us have looked yet. It will carry more weight to open the reply in Island Lord Oda's presence, lest anyone think Master Zheng forged the letter." Zheng Dongyang's tone was neither yin nor yang as he turned to look at Wei Zhao. "As it happens, this letter bears directly on the fate of the Tian Dan Pavilion. That you get to hear it on the spot may be counted your good fortune—at least you will not die without knowing why."
"Oh? Then I shall truly listen with both ears." Wei Zhao exchanged a glance with Oda Zhou. Though he did not know the full story, those two sentences alone were enough for him to guess the gist. Seeing that Oda Zhou would not help them move against him, these people had set their sights on the Eastern Continent instead—truly, a thief's heart that would not die.