Chapter 1404 — Yu Xiaoke's Heart

Though Wei Zhao had no idea just how many heavenly materials and earthly treasures it must have taken to turn the little creature into what it was now, one thing was plain: they could not have been few.

"It should be the Sky-Thunder Pig," Wei Zhao said to Yu Xiaoke. "This little creature is the main thing I came here looking for."

"The Sky-Thunder Pig? What a delightful name," Yu Xiaoke said.

By now the Mighty General and the Sky-Thunder Pig had fallen into conversation. Wei Zhao could not follow a single word of it, but the Mighty General certainly understood his meaning; its chatter with the little creature now was, he guessed, nothing other than a passing on of his wishes to it.

And in that moment Wei Zhao understood, too, why the jade pendant had given no warning when the Mighty General roared earlier: this little creature posed no real danger to speak of at all, so the pendant had stayed silent. The Mighty General, however, had caught the creature's message and had therefore called it out.

"It is a rather good name, and the little pig is an amusing-looking thing besides," Wei Zhao said, eyeing the creature on the ground with keen interest.

"Since this pig can wander at will through the chamber behind the Gate of Death, our earlier guess must have been right: there is no danger here whatsoever. Had any deadly mechanism been laid down, and this little creature happened to set it off, we would have had a disaster on our hands," Yu Xiaoke said.

"That makes sense too." Wei Zhao nodded, and watching the Mighty General and the little creature chattering away nonstop, he could not help asking: "Little Wei, how is it? Will the little thing come with us, to hunt for the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit together?"

The Mighty General let out a "woof," turned its head and shook it at Wei Zhao. It raised both front paws and waved them about, looking thoroughly exasperated; then it made a calming gesture, signaling Wei Zhao not to be anxious and to leave the matter to it.

"Very well, I leave it in your hands!" Wei Zhao nodded. Fortunately the Mighty General's wits were sharp enough for it to converse with the little creature; otherwise, even if Wei Zhao had forced the Sky-Thunder Pig to come along, it would most likely have refused to obey. If it then declined to help him find the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit, Wei Zhao would be powerless to do a thing about it; and the moment he took his eyes off it, the little creature would disappear without a trace. Where would he ever find it then?

So it was far better by far to let the Mighty General win it over and bring it along of its own accord; that would spare them no end of trouble.

Still, it was plain to see that although the little creature ranked lower than the Mighty General and was somewhat afraid of it, it was stubborn all the same, twittering and chattering at the Mighty General without the slightest intention of leaving with Wei Zhao.

"Your dog - it can understand you?" Yu Xiaoke found the Male Thief truly beyond belief. To have a high-ranking spirit beast at one's side, and an intelligent one at that, one that could follow human speech - it was far too peculiar for words.

"It can. That much really is rather miraculous," Wei Zhao said. "Let us sit down and wait a while. Going by the Mighty General's manner, it will not win the little creature over any time soon; it will most likely need a little longer. Let us rest first."

"Mm!" Yu Xiaoke was agreeable to whatever Wei Zhao wished. She felt that being able to spend a stretch of time alone with him here would be one of the loveliest memories of her whole life. Whether she would ever see Wei Zhao again, no one could say; and at the thought a wave of melancholy came over her - the first time her heart had stirred for a boy, and it ended without a single word.

After hesitating a moment, Yu Xiaoke said: "Shall we talk a little?"

"About what?" Wei Zhao asked.

"About you. Are you and the Female Thief husband and wife?" Yu Xiaoke asked.

"Heh... no." Wei Zhao had not imagined she would ask him that, but he still did not lie to her; he told her the plain truth.

"What? You are not? Then why are you called the Husband-and-Wife Bandits?" At Wei Zhao's answer Yu Xiaoke's heart gave an unaccountable leap, and surprise and delight mingled in her once more.

"Lao Hei's tomb-raiding crew is called the Red Pagoda - do you suppose he looks like a pagoda?" Wei Zhao said with a wry smile. "I have a girlfriend of my own. I came tomb-raiding this time to find a medicine to cure her!"

"Oh... you have a girlfriend..." Yu Xiaoke had been rather glad to hear that Wei Zhao and the Female Thief were not husband and wife, but the very next instant she learned that Wei Zhao already had a girlfriend, and she deflated at once. "Is it the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit you mentioned before?"

"Yes. I am counting on this little creature to help me find it," Wei Zhao said, pointing at the Sky-Thunder Pig.

"So that is how it is... No wonder you risked coming back into the ancient tomb. You really do care for your girlfriend," Yu Xiaoke said with a touch of envy. She was thinking how wonderful it would be if Wei Zhao were ever this good to her, too.

"It is her only hope. Only if I find the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit can she live; otherwise..." Wei Zhao stopped there and did not go on. "Enough of that. Let us rest a while."

"Oh..." Yu Xiaoke nodded.

...

Zhao Fafa had at last wrested from his father the contact details of his distant cousin Zhao Qibing. The two had met before, though only ever across a banquet table; Zhao Qibing had said he would look after him, but afterwards Zhao Fafa had never once got in touch.

This time, Zhao Fafa had simply reached the end of his patience. He had earlier sent his underling Sun Xiaoxing to frighten Wei Zhao, and not only had Wei Zhao not been frightened in the least, he had turned the tables and given them a beating they would not soon forget! That was too much. Lately Zhao Fafa's self-esteem had swollen to the bursting point; to be humiliated like this, how could he swallow it down?

In Zhao Fafa's eyes there was nothing in Songshan City that he, Zhao Fafa, could not settle. As the foremost of the newly christened Four Young Masters of Songshan, he felt he had to reclaim his face: go to Wei Zhao, have it out with him, teach him a lesson, and make him hand Tang Yun over!

So, the moment he had Zhao Qibing's contact details in hand, Zhao Fafa set off at once for the Geili Fuyun Bar.

Zhao Qibing had been in very good spirits these past few days, for no other reason than that he had gained, out of nowhere, the arm of an Earth-rank expert - like a tiger grown wings. Although Leader Zhu had not come right out and declared his support, things now looked all but settled; given time, he was confident, Leader Zhu would throw in his lot with him and become one of his most formidable commanders.

"Young Master Bing, there is a fellow outside driving a Ferrari sports car who claims to be your cousin and asks to see you. What should I...?" Su Jiaonang walked in and asked.

"My cousin?" Zhao Qibing blinked. "I'm a fucking bastard son - where the hell would I get a cousin? He's not some scammer, is he? What's his name?"