Chapter 4171 — Huang Xiaotao's Turmoil

Faced with a Su Zhaohe in the early Golden Core stage, Wei Zhao stood no chance in his eyes. To knowingly walk to his death and still stubbornly press on would be sheer folly.

"Heh, it's fine. I've known that for a while now," Wei Zhao said with a faint smile. Those were not empty words; they were the simple truth.

By the strength Su Zhaohe let show on the surface, he appeared to be only at the great perfection of Foundation Establishment, and even Wei Zhao had been fooled by him at first glance. But though Su Zhaohe might deceive the eyes of every other person, he could not deceive Wei Zhao's golden finger.

Since arriving on Cloud Terrace Island, he could not directly see through the strength of those at higher levels, but against opponents of the same level or lower, his insight was effortless. There was no chance of anyone slipping past him.

"What? You know full well the man is an early Golden Core expert, and yet you still—" Li Zhengming was struck dumb. He could tell that Wei Zhao was not putting up a brave front; the man truly seemed to have the confidence of one who could handle this with composure.

But a newcomer of the Welcoming Pavilion facing an early Golden Core expert—and a renowned prodigy at that—was that even possible?

"You'll see when the time comes." Wei Zhao clapped Li Zhengming on the shoulder with a smile, then paused slightly, his gaze drawn to a slender figure approaching from not far off. The figure looked very familiar.

"Excuse me, are you Wei Zhao?" The newcomer wore a veil, and the voice was familiar as well. It was none other than Huang Xiaotao, who had once gone with him to Mount Hucai Tianwu.

"Captain Xiaotao?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. He had never imagined that Huang Xiaotao would come looking for him in person. But on second thought, his identity as the martial artist Ling Yi had already been made public; it was hardly surprising that Huang Xiaotao had heard the news.

"Senior, so you really are Senior Ling Yi. Wonderful!" Huang Xiaotao brightened at once and hurried over to Wei Zhao, her delight plain to see.

Off to the side, Li Zhengming glanced at the two of them with an odd expression. Judging by Huang Xiaotao's attire, she was certainly a formal disciple of the Azure Cloud Pavilion, while his own leader Wei Zhao, for all his strength, was merely a newcomer—and yet here he was, being addressed as "Senior." The scene felt strange no matter how one looked at it.

"Leader, I'll be going on ahead," Li Zhengming said, his face still odd, and tactfully made himself scarce.

"Don't call me Senior anymore. It sounds awkward. Just call me Wei Zhao," Wei Zhao said with a wry smile.

"That... all right, then forgive my boldness, Lin—Wei Zhao." Huang Xiaotao paused a moment herself, then said with some embarrassment.

In her mind, Ling Yi had been an exceedingly formidable existence, one she could only look up to. She had never expected that he was in fact a newcomer of the Welcoming Pavilion, and a junior disciple of the Azure Cloud Pavilion besides. When she had first heard the news, she had refused to believe it; only now, seeing him with her own eyes, had she finally accepted reality.

"What brings you here this time?" Wei Zhao asked of his own accord.

"It's... it's nothing really. I just wanted to thank you, Senior—oh, no, Wei Zhao—for saving my life, and also to say I'm sorry to you," Huang Xiaotao said softly, her head lowered.

"Sorry? Whatever for?" Wei Zhao asked, puzzled.

"If you hadn't stood up for us back then, you would never have crossed Su Zhaohe, and you would never have ended up in the fix you're in now. It's all because I dragged you into it..." Huang Xiaotao said despondently.

Back then, Ling Yi had indeed displayed tremendous strength. But in Huang Xiaotao's heart, Su Zhaohe had always been a shadow that would not fade, and she could not help worrying that Wei Zhao might not be Su Zhaohe's match. If so, she would have been the indirect cause of Wei Zhao's ruin, and the guilt would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"You're overthinking it. Even without this business, I'd have wanted to do Su Zhaohe in," Wei Zhao said with a faint smile. "Captain Xiaotao, after I heard your story that day, I already felt the urge to kill the man. How could such a piece of filth be allowed to live in this world? I was just worrying that I'd never get a chance to go after him, and then, lo and behold, he came knocking on my door with a challenge of his own accord. Isn't that perfect!"

"Ah?" Huang Xiaotao was startled. She hesitated, then said, "You... you actually mean to avenge me? I..."

As she spoke, Huang Xiaotao lowered her head, her fingers twisting together in confusion. Having been wounded, her heart had grown cautious and fragile, and in this moment it gave a violent shudder, as though something within had been touched.

Looking back, when they were on Mount Hucai Tianwu, Wei Zhao had stepped in to kill Su Zhaohu and the others in order to protect them, and afterward, to cover their escape, he had fought a mysterious expert. From the aura she had sensed even at a distance, that person had to have been a Golden Core expert!

And now, he was even thinking of taking the initiative to stand up for her, to go and take revenge on Su Zhaohe!

For no reason at all—there had been no real connection between them—why was he so good to her?

Could it be that he likes me? The thought sprang up suddenly and, irresistible, seized her whole mind in an instant, startling even Huang Xiaotao herself.

Her thoughts had always been simple. Before her injury, cultivation had been everything to her; afterward, she had been single-mindedly set on accumulating spirit jade to restore her looks. She had never seriously considered matters between men and women, and had always felt that love was something very far removed from her. After her disfigurement especially, she had felt certain she would spend the rest of her life alone.

Yet now, all at once, she had come to know a Wei Zhao. They had met only once before and had not spoken much, but one thing was undeniable: the first impression Wei Zhao had left on her was utterly distinct, and it stirred her curiosity.

When a woman begins to feel curiosity about a man, she is not far from falling.

Huang Xiaotao could not help but let her thoughts run wild. This feeling of being cherished and protected by a man—it was truly wonderful and warm. Did he really like her? And did she... like him too?

"What's the matter?" Wei Zhao asked, puzzled, seeing that Huang Xiaotao had lowered her head and said nothing for quite a while.

"Ah? N-nothing..." As though her little secret had been seen through, Huang Xiaotao's heart fluttered like a startled deer. Fortunately she wore a veil; otherwise Wei Zhao would have caught her blushing, fidgeting, and thoroughly embarrassed.

"Oh, all right then." Wei Zhao gave her an odd look and shrugged.

"But I... my face is ruined, my looks destroyed. You don't have to be so good to me... I'm not worth doing all this for..." Huang Xiaotao suddenly remembered her present state, and her expression fell. Her voice trembling, she said despondently, (To be continued)

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