"The Venerable Ancestor Xuantian is finished—his meridians are all severed. How could he possibly compare with my Second Martial Uncle?" Kang Zhaoming hurriedly said, quashing Thor Sun-Moon's notion of seeking out the Venerable Ancestor Xuantian. He had to nail this matter down.

In truth, Kang Zhaoming's words were nothing but a pie in the sky, dangled to lure the Paoli clan onto the hook. How could Kang Zhaoming not know the standard of the Venerable Ancestor Xuanzhen? The man had tried several times to break through to become a fourth-grade alchemist and failed every time. Fourth-grade pills—did anyone think they were so easy to refine?

Yet Kang Zhaoming's promise did not really violate anything. When we are able to refine it, we will certainly refine it for you first—but right now we cannot, so you will simply have to wait. Thus Kang Zhaoming could decide this matter on his own and agree to it.

"Oh? Then tell me—this enemy of yours, why don't you strike him down yourselves instead of having us do it?" Thor Sun-Moon asked. "If I am not mistaken, the two of you should not be weak in strength, and your Five Luminaries Sect must be teeming with experts. Why do you need us to act?"

Thor Sun-Moon had to get to the bottom of this. Was there some trick hidden in it?

"Actually, it is no great reason. It is simply that this man may die in any way at all—only not by the hand of our Five Luminaries Sect." Here Kang Zhaoming lowered his voice. "That plan of the Heavenly Dao... the old head of the family knows of it, yes? Our Five Luminaries Sect is currently making preparations and does not wish to stir up complications... His dying at the hands of someone from the Other Domain and his dying at ours bring about different consequences..."

What Kang Zhaoming said amounted to saying nothing at all; the reason was rather too vague. But when Thor Sun-Moon heard that it was connected to the Cloud Terrace Island plan, he asked no further. Killing one man, after all, and on the Paoli clan's own territory—hardly a great matter.

It might breed a feud, but the Paoli clan did not fear feuds; their strength spoke for itself. And even if a feud arose, he would accept it, for Thor Sun-Moon yearned too desperately to recover.

"What is that man's strength? When will he come?" Thor Sun-Moon asked.

"His current strength is mid Heaven Rank. But this man has some ability—he can fight above his level. Old head of the family, you must make thorough preparations!" Kang Zhaoming said. As for the tales of him instantly slaying experts at the peak of late Heaven Rank, Kang Zhaoming said nothing; he feared that if he did, the Paoli clan would refuse the job. After all, even experts at the great consummation of late Heaven Rank peak strength would not dare claim they could instantly slay an expert of late Heaven Rank peak strength.

But Kang Zhaoming had also given warning: Wei Zhao was formidable and could fight above his level. If the Paoli clan came to grief later, they could not blame Kang Zhaoming—he had warned them beforehand, and it was they who had paid no heed.

Moreover, Kang Zhaoming was a man full of wicked schemes. In doing this, he actually also wanted Wei Zhao to wound or kill someone of the Paoli clan, so that Wei Zhao and the Paoli clan would become blood enemies. Then, without Kang Zhaoming saying a word, the Paoli clan would strive with all their might to keep Wei Zhao here.

Kang Zhaoming was a man who schemed against everyone.

"Mid Heaven Rank?" The moment Thor Sun-Moon heard Wei Zhao's level of strength, he relaxed at once. A man of such strength coming to the Paoli clan was, basically, going and never returning. So without a second thought Thor Sun-Moon agreed. "No problem. I can help you dispose of this man. But the pills you promised me—you must deliver!"

This was not arrogance on Thor Sun-Moon's part, for upon hearing Wei Zhao's level of strength, no expert at the great consummation of late Heaven Rank peak strength would feel any fear. Besides, although the Paoli clan had some understanding of the Central Plains' cultivation world, they did not keep abreast of every matter at all times. Wei Zhao's emergence had come only within the past year, and his rising to prominence at the ancient strata level was a matter of mere months. That the Paoli clan did not know of him was only natural.

"Rest assured on that. If the old head of the family truly disposes of this man for us, then as soon as my Second Martial Uncle succeeds in breaking through to fourth-grade alchemist, he will unfailingly be the first to refine pills for your esteemed clan!" Kang Zhaoming vowed, thumping his chest. Of course, the undertone was this: if you do not dispose of Wei Zhao, or if my Second Martial Uncle fails to break through to fourth-grade alchemist, then, well, that is hardly our fault.

Naturally, Thor Sun-Moon could hear the undertone in Kang Zhaoming's words—but what he heard was the latter half. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that Kang Zhaoming believed they could not dispose of a mid Heaven Rank expert. Why, that was plainly impossible!

As for the latter half, Thor Sun-Moon also knew that all things carry risk. The Venerable Ancestor Xuanzhen was a third-grade alchemist now—who could guarantee he would not become a fourth-grade alchemist hereafter? It seemed but a hazy promise, yet one had to remember that the Venerable Ancestor Xuanzhen was surely striving without cease; no one desired his own advancement to fourth-grade alchemist more than he did. And who would not wish to raise his own strength?

So this matter still held great promise. Besides, Thor Sun-Moon had no other hope now; if there was even a thread of hope, he would not abandon it—let alone a hope so likely to be realized.

"Mm, this matter is left to me. Give me the man's likeness. Then, Thor Tu, take these two guests to rest and await news!" Thor Sun-Moon said.

"Yes, Father!" Thor Tu answered.

Kang Zhaoming gladly consented. Even if Thor Sun-Moon had not kept them as guests, they would have waited here to see with their own eyes Wei Zhao struck down. Now they naturally followed Thor Tu away, and at the same time Kang Zhaoming sent Thor Tu the photograph of Wei Zhao from his phone, for his reference.

Thor Tu glanced at it and paid it no great mind. After escorting Kang Zhaoming and Xiao Yi to the guest quarters, he returned to the square hall.

"Father, the two guests have been settled to rest," Thor Tu said. "This time... can the Five Luminaries Sect really refine pills for us?"

"I do not know either, but there is always hope! So long as there is hope, that is good. Before, I did not even have hope..." Thor Sun-Moon looked quite delighted. "Only—this time, for my own sake, to dispose of an innocent man who came here to trade... in my heart, I cannot quite bear it!"

"Indeed. The man likely came drawn by our name to trade with us. Even if we do not trade with him, we cannot simply cut him down!" Thor Tu's face was likewise somewhat dark. Their Paoli clan was not the sort of clan that delighted in aggression.

"In the cultivation world, it is hard to say clearly who is right and who is wrong. Since this man is that Kang Zhaoming's sworn enemy, can you say his hands are free of blood debt?" Thor Sun-Moon countered.

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