Chapter 2890 — Xuanchen's Scheme

"Oh?" Patriarch Xuanzhen said, after hearing Tianchan's words. "Wasn't Earth Tyrant wounded by Zhang Naiyao? Didn't we hear before that his injuries were severe, that he was beyond saving?"

"That is so, but they have been keeping him alive with Great Return Pills..." Tianchan said.

"I happen to have an idea." A scheme had already taken shape in Patriarch Xuanchen's mind. "In this matter, I say we let him go to Wei Zhao!"

"Go to Wei Zhao?" Tianchan was momentarily stunned, and Patriarch Xuanzhen was equally baffled, unable to guess what going to Wei Zhao had to do with anything.

"To Wei Zhao, of course, for Earth Tyrant's sake!" Patriarch Xuanchen said with a faint smile. "It is simple. Isn't Wei Zhao Zhang Naiyao's nemesis? He took Zhang Naiyao's attacks and came away completely unscathed, and even managed to strike a bargain with Zhang Naiyao during the trial, getting him to draw the Five Baleful Qi out of his own body and his female companion's—what a formidable feat that was! So I say that for Earth Drill Star's business, we should go to Wei Zhao. A man as capable as Wei Zhao will surely think of something! Besides, wasn't Senior Brother White Leader's injury healed? Wei Zhao may well have top-grade Great Return Pills on him as well."

"How could that be?!" Patriarch Xuanzhen's expression changed at once. This was plainly making trouble for Wei Zhao. Between Wei Zhao and Zhang Naiyao there was no telling what unspeakable bargain had been struck; for Wei Zhao to extract further benefits from Zhang Naiyao was all but impossible. And now Xuanzhen himself had let slip that Wei Zhao might hold top-grade Great Return Pills—if the Yellow Earth High Sect were to learn of this, would Wei Zhao ever know peace again?

Even if Wei Zhao had none, the Yellow Earth High Sect had only to believe it. At the faintest hint of a possibility, the Yellow Earth High Sect, desperate to see their Young Sect Master Earth Tyrant wake, would certainly go to Wei Zhao and force him to hand over the top-grade Great Return Pills!

In that case, Wei Zhao would likely be subjected to interrogation—just as when Patriarch Xuanchen had sent Little One and Little Eleven to deal with Wei Zhao last time. Naturally, Patriarch Xuanchen ought to oppose this.

"Second Senior Brother, in this matter I am acting for Wei Zhao's own good as well. He is Senior Brother's disciple, so let him cultivate ties with a great ancient sect like the Yellow Earth High Sect. There is only benefit in it, no harm—the more friends, the more roads open!" Patriarch Xuanchen waved his hand and said mildly, "Enough. The matter is settled."

Tianchan's heart gave a faint start. Before Patriarch Xuanchen brought up Wei Zhao, the thought of him had not crossed her mind; but the moment Xuanchen mentioned him, Tianchan immediately recalled what had passed between her and Wei Zhao beneath the cliffs of the Five Baleful Mountains!

Her injuries at the time had been so grave that Tianchan was certain that even with Great Return Pills, she could never have recovered so swiftly and so easily. Yet Wei Zhao had, as if by a miracle, healed her wounds. And he had healed his own as well—even his hand, run through on the cliff face. Wei Zhao had cured these injuries in no time at all.

At this thought, Tianchan found herself hoping that Wei Zhao would win the Yellow Earth High Sect's support as an ally. She believed that with her, Tianchan, working to broker the matter, it would not be difficult to make the Yellow Earth High Sect deeply grateful to Wei Zhao. And Tianchan—without quite realizing it—had already come to hope in her heart that Wei Zhao might gain a powerful arm to lean upon.

"Uncle-Master, then this disciple will contact Earth Drill Star shortly and have him pay Wei Zhao a visit, to see whether this matter can be resolved," Tianchan said, betraying nothing in her expression.

Tianchan's words left Patriarch Xuanzhen stunned—and Patriarch Xuanchen even more so!

"Tianchan, do you truly not understand the problem here, or..." Patriarch Xuanzhen's expression shifted slightly. He had not expected Tianchan to agree to Patriarch Xuanchen's request. After all, this was no order but a discussion; Xuanzhen still had ways to turn the matter around. There was no need for Earth Drill Star to go to Wei Zhao!

He believed that so long as he held firm, Patriarch Xuanchen would not force the matter through. But with Tianchan's assent, the whole thing was settled with a single stroke.

"Young Sect Master Tian is a woman of great principle!" Patriarch Xuanchen narrowed his eyes slightly, and certain thoughts rose in his mind. Tianchan had failed to receive the inheritance, so in the future she would undoubtedly become the Young Sect Master of the Xuandan Sect—Tianbian was wholly unsuited to the role, though becoming an Elder or even a Grand Elder in time might still be possible.

And so Tianchan would naturally wish to foster good relations between the Xuandan Sect and the Five Luminaries Sect. As the true power behind the Five Luminaries Sect, Patriarch Xuanchen was a man she should court—entirely understandable, and it pleased him greatly!

He thought to himself: Tianchan, though you are Xuanzhen's disciple, for the sake of the Xuandan Sect you have no choice but to lean toward my camp. If you are to take the Sect Master's seat securely in the future, it will be impossible without my support!

"Master, this disciple has no other choice. If we do not divert this trouble with Earth Drill Star in time, and something truly happens to Earth Tyrant on Xuandan Sect territory, then the responsibility will fall heavily on both the Xuandan Sect and the Five Luminaries Sect. When the Yellow Earth High Sect comes knocking and we tear off all pretense, it will benefit no one," Tianchan explained. Her words seemed fair-minded, but in truth she was speaking in Patriarch Xuanchen's favor.

"You..." Patriarch Xuanzhen's chest heaved. He glared in fury at this prized disciple whom he had raised from childhood, almost as a daughter of his own—and now she had turned traitor to Patriarch Xuanchen's camp. He simply could not accept it!

Yet he had no way to fall out with Xuanchen to his face. The Xuandan Sect was openly a vassal of the Five Luminaries Sect, after all; it was entirely proper for Tianchan to heed Patriarch Xuanchen's words, and that was a thing that could not be raised openly.

"Master, in doing this, this disciple acts for the greater good!" Tianchan said calmly.

"You... very well!" Patriarch Xuanzhen drew a deep breath, rose to his feet, and without so much as a glance at Tianchan strode out of the room. "I am tired. I am going to study pill refining!"

"Master..." Tianchan sighed softly in her heart. She would have to find another chance to explain! Ever since Tianchan had learned that Patriarch Xuanchen, openly and covertly, had never abandoned his designs against Wei Zhao, she had resolved to stay close to Xuanchen and keep abreast of his plans, so that she might warn Wei Zhao in advance and keep him from falling into the trap.

Patriarch Xuanzhen departed in a fury, but Patriarch Xuanchen paid it no mind. With a faint smile, he said, "Tianchan, your master is quite an amusing fellow—tired, and going off to refine pills?" (To be continued.)

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