Meng Tong's words made the gathered newcomers turn thoughtful eyes on Wei Zhao. His little speech had salvaged a good deal of face for Meng Tong: judging by the man's earlier overbearing display, it really did seem quite natural that a momentary lapse had kept him from using his full strength.

After all, if it were truly the case that at the same cultivation realm the native experts of Cloud-Tier Island came off worse than a bumpkin from the mortal realm, that would be too absurd for words—it would turn common sense on its head.

"So that's how it was! I was wondering how I managed to cripple you so easily!" Wei Zhao nodded as if a great truth had just dawned on him, then said, "I said as much, didn't I—putting you down was a breeze and a pleasure. But since it was only a momentary lapse, then by all means, hold nothing back, and let us have another go. That way it will be fair and square."

As he spoke, Wei Zhao watched Meng Tong with a half-smile. The man could not even muster a full breath to speak with, and yet he still found excuses to wriggle out of it—truly a dead duck with a stiff beak, one who would not shed a tear until he saw the coffin.

"Er…" Meng Tong choked on his words, and with every eye upon him he could only keep bluffing, "Hmph! You're a spiteful one, aren't you? You sneaked a palm strike in on me just now and I'm already gravely wounded, yet you still want me to fight you—you're plainly out to finish me off! Fine, then you just wait. At the ranking tournament a month from now, I'll show you what a true Heaven-Tier Great Perfection expert really is! No… what a true Foundation Establishment expert really is! By then I'll make you cry in perfect rhythm!"

"A month from now? Very well. I'll put in some solid training—perhaps by then I can beat you even without sneaking in a strike." Wei Zhao answered noncommittally, in a cool, offhand tone.

Since Meng Tong's beak remained so stiff, Wei Zhao could not be bothered to press him further. The aim of establishing his authority had already been achieved; to keep badgering the man would only offend the senior figures of the Welcome Pavilion, which would be counterproductive. He turned at once to Meng Jueming and said, "Senior Brother Meng, the rules you laid down a moment ago—do they still stand?"

As for Meng Jueming, Wei Zhao no longer cared whether he offended him or not. Today's actions had already offended him thoroughly; there could be no reconciliation between the two of them now.

"Hmph, of course they stand." Meng Jueming shot Meng Tong a glance, his face the color of iron, and did not deny it. After all, he had laid down those rules publicly; at a moment like this he could hardly slap his own face by flatly denying them.

"Good, then I thank you, Senior Brother Meng." Wei Zhao smiled faintly. Everyone present expected him to demand Cave Dwelling Number One from Meng Tong without delay—but instead he turned to Qiao Hongcai. "Brother Qiao, I'd like to trade my Cave Dwelling Number Fourteen at the foot of the mountain for your Cave Dwelling Number Fifteen. Would that be all right?"

"Ah?" Qiao Hongcai was stunned, staring at Wei Zhao in disbelief. He had already resigned himself to his lot—and now, unexpectedly, Wei Zhao wanted to trade cave dwellings with him!

Cave Dwelling Number Fourteen at the foot of the mountain was indeed ranked last among all the cave dwellings, but it was still far better than Number Fifteen—the worst cave dwelling in history, one that had been abandoned halfway through. If Number Fifteen could drive a person to despair, then with Number Fourteen, so long as one worked hard in ordinary times, there was still hope of overtaking the others!

One drove men to despair; the other still held out hope. Between the two lay a gulf as vast as heaven and earth!

"This… is that really all right?" Once it sank in, Qiao Hongcai was beside himself with joy.

He was no fool, and he had already guessed why Wei Zhao was doing this. True, doing so would likely offend Meng Tong completely, and even draw in the senior brother Meng Jueming behind him—but Qiao Hongcai was not afraid. Whether he offended them or not, the fact was that these people would never accept him; otherwise they would not have assigned him Cave Dwelling Number Fifteen without a word of discussion.

And now Wei Zhao had extended him goodwill—to trade Number Fifteen for Number Fourteen was a pie dropped straight from the heavens, enough to change the entire course of his future life. How could he not be wild with joy!

"Of course it's all right. Senior Brother Meng said just now that we may exchange cave dwellings privately among ourselves." Wei Zhao glanced at Meng Jueming's dark, glowering face and spoke calmly.

To Qiao Hongcai this was a matter momentous enough to alter the trajectory of his life, but to Wei Zhao it was no more than a small thing done in passing. He had only just met Qiao Hongcai, but from the man's earlier conduct it was clear that though his strength was hardly remarkable, he had hot blood in his veins—a rare thing in a cultivation world grown cold to human feeling. Wei Zhao's impression of him was rather good, and he was hardly going to begrudge so small a favor, one he could do with a mere turn of his hand.

"Then I thank you, Brother Lin!" Qiao Hongcai did not look at Meng Jueming's or Meng Tong's faces again, but joyfully accepted on the spot and took his place behind Wei Zhao.

After today's affair, Meng Tong and his lot would surely hate him all the more; if he wanted to go on staying here, he could only band together with Wei Zhao and the others. Wei Zhao might have come up from the mortal realm, but the impression he gave was a very good one—he was worth befriending.

Wei Zhao then looked at Meng Tong and said, "So now Cave Dwelling Number Fifteen at the foot of the mountain is mine. Meng Tong, according to the rules Senior Brother Meng laid down earlier, I want to use it to trade for your Cave Dwelling Number One at the foot of the mountain. You won't go back on your word, I trust?"

"What? You actually want me to live in that worst cave dwelling in history?" Meng Tong had been puzzling over why Wei Zhao, having won, did not trade cave dwellings with him but instead went to trade with Qiao Hongcai—what sort of thinking was that? Could it be that he was putting on airs and simply did not want his own cave dwelling?

So he had actually been rather pleased, until this moment, when it finally dawned on him what Wei Zhao intended. It struck him like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, and it was a long while before he recovered. His venomous gaze ranged back and forth between Wei Zhao and Qiao Hongcai, as though he wished he could swallow the two of them alive.

Mind you, even trading his Cave Dwelling Number One at the foot of the mountain for Number Fourteen had already set his teeth on edge—and now, to his astonishment, Wei Zhao was playing an even crueler game, demanding that he go live in Number Fifteen, the worst cave dwelling in history!

This was a feud beyond all hope of reconciliation! At the thought of spending the coming month in the worst cave dwelling in history and becoming the laughingstock of every newcomer from then on, Meng Tong felt he was on the verge of a mental breakdown!

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