Chapter 2690 — For No Reason At All?

"Young Master Lin, please, come in!" Once Yuning had gone, the Yu family's Old Ancestor gestured for Wei Zhao to enter.

"Old Master Yu, you sent Yuning away because you have something to say to me, don't you? Speak plainly—no need for courtesies." Wei Zhao saw through the old man's intent and, wasting no time on roundabout talk, came straight to the point.

"Straightforward as ever, Young Master Lin. Then I'll speak frankly." The Yu Old Ancestor nodded. "Young Master Lin, thank you for stepping in this time. Had you not acted out of righteousness, little Ning might already have been... by that scoundrel Zhao Qibing..."

"I told you, I merely happened to be there." Wei Zhao waved a hand.

"No. You had no ties of any kind to our Hidden Yu family or to little Ning, yet you acted out of righteousness, and this old man is deeply grateful. In thanks, I have decided to give you some heavenly treasures as recompense!" said the Yu Old Ancestor.

"No ties of any kind?" Wei Zhao frowned slightly and looked at Old Master Yu.

"Indeed. So naturally we cannot let Young Master Lin act for nothing—we will make compensation, of course!" The Yu Old Ancestor nodded. "Our Hidden Yu family cannot owe you a favor."

"Old Master Yu, what do you mean by that? Little Ning and I—would you call us old acquaintances? I doubt the Old Master could be unaware of it?" Wei Zhao now understood what the old man was driving at: he was trying with all his might to draw a clean line between himself and Wei Zhao, refusing to link this rescue with Wei Zhao's acquaintance with Yuning—he wanted to treat Wei Zhao purely as a benefactor!

"Young Master Lin, this old man has hardships he cannot voice. Some things you do not know—things even little Ning does not know. But since we have come this far, I will hold nothing back. I will speak the truth. The situation now is this: I have seen what lies between you and little Ning, but in some matters, this old man has no say!" The Yu Old Ancestor shifted his tack and began to play on sentiment.

"What do you mean?" Wei Zhao's heart gave a slight jolt; he looked at the Yu Old Ancestor and asked.

"When little Ning was small, a betrothal was already arranged for her. The betrothed is an ancient sect!" said Old Master Yu, the Old Ancestor. "Our Hidden Yu family sets great store by this marriage, and so does the other sect. So I beg Young Master Lin's understanding: formidable as you are—able to kill a Heaven-rank expert in a single strike, and this old man does not presume to be your match—can you kill a peak late Heaven-rank expert in a single strike? And more than one? So, Young Master Lin, I hope you will restrain yourself. Do not make trouble for our Hidden Yu family, and do not make trouble for yourself. The ancient level is not yet something you can provoke or contend with!"

Wei Zhao was somewhat shaken by Old Master Yu's words and watched him with uncertain, doubtful eyes. He was half in disbelief, yet it explained perfectly why every other hidden family had sought to ingratiate themselves with him while the Hidden Yu alone had not—it seemed they had found another patron on high.

An ancient sect—another ancient sect! Wei Zhao drew a deep breath. With his present strength, he was naturally no match for an ancient sect; yet now that he had resolved to face the matter of Yuning squarely again, he did not wish to give her up so easily either!

"I once told the secular Yu family that the Yu family owed me two wives. Now the secular Yu family is destroyed, and as the power behind them, the Hidden Yu family will naturally have that debt settled on you!" Wei Zhao said coolly. "Yuning is one. Seems I'm still short one?"

"Young Master Lin jests..." The Yu Old Ancestor's heart skipped a beat, though his face remained composed. "Our Hidden Yu family has only one granddaughter of marriageable age—Yuning—and she is already betrothed. Naturally we cannot give Young Master Lin two wives, ha ha..."

"Is that so?" Wei Zhao smiled. "An ancient sect, is it? I understand. I will not ask now which ancient sect it is, but before Yuning is married off, I hope you will tell me. I will ask her with my own mouth whether it is her wish."

"That... that is no problem." The Yu Old Ancestor thought it over and nodded in assent for the time being. The present Wei Zhao was not someone he could afford to provoke!

Though Yuning's betrothal was something he had invented on the spot, the truth was not far off, so the Yu Old Ancestor felt no flush of shame at stretching the facts.

"In that case, I shall take my leave." Wei Zhao said coolly. "Since Old Master Yu does not wish for much dealings with me and would treat me as an outsider, there is nothing left for me to stay for. Until we meet again."

"Young Master Lin, in thanks, this old man will give you some heavenly treasures you may need. What would you like?" asked the Yu Old Ancestor.

"Oh—do you have any of these: colored steel, pure yellow jade, or blue crystal powder?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Oh? We do have some colored steel, but none of the others. Young Master Lin wants only colored steel?" The Yu Old Ancestor found it odd—what would Wei Zhao want with such a thing? It was not a particularly useful material.

"Yes." Wei Zhao nodded.

"Very well." The Yu Old Ancestor asked no more, only beckoning to Yu Ba at the door. "Yu Ba, go find Yu Yi and have him bring that piece of colored steel from the house."

"Yes, Old Ancestor!" Yu Ba nodded and went to see it done.

Before long, Yu Yi arrived, carrying a small box—no doubt the colored steel.

The Yu Old Ancestor took it and handed it straight to Wei Zhao. "Young Master Lin, see whether this is the thing you want?"

Wei Zhao opened the box and glanced inside. It was indeed a piece of colored steel—and larger, no less, than the one he had obtained from the Hidden Han family. That gave him some pleasant surprise. Though Yuning's betrothal had left him deeply unsettled, this piece of colored steel was an unexpected delight!

"Good, this is the very thing. Then I shall not decline." Wei Zhao accepted the colored steel without ceremony.

Since the Yu Old Ancestor was straining to draw a clean line between them, there was no need for Wei Zhao to cling to any connection with him. Wei Zhao had come to see it clearly: everything else was empty; only strength mattered. With strength, all things could be discussed; without it, all talk was hollow.

In the past, before Wei Zhao had the strength to kill Heaven-rank experts in a single strike, would the Yu Old Ancestor have spoken to him so politely? Plainly not—driving him out would have been leniency; he might well have taken the opportunity to finish Wei Zhao off!

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