Chapter 404 - 208: So I’ve Become Your Savior?

"Brother Yu, you go in my place. Just like last night," Wan Ze interjected.

Zhai Yu looked at Wan Ze thoughtfully. "And where will you be while I'm gone?"

"The training hall," Wan Ze said. "I'll just be at the hall practicing, waiting for his message. If he wants to find me, it'll have to be through a communicator or a messenger, so my location won't make a difference. On the contrary, if I were to go with you to Lingyun Manor and he had someone tailing you, they might discover Xiao Ya's existence. That would be a bad trade-off."

The Xiao Ya situation required Zhai Yu to use his own forces to construct an impenetrable prison, ensuring they kept every detail firmly in their grasp.

Zhao Henian was a wild card… but he would never trust Zhai Yu or Zhai Jia. Only Wan Ze could get close, because from Zhao Henian's perspective, Wan Ze still needed his final payment.

Hearing this, Zhai Yu's eyes lit up slightly.

He suddenly realized that within those few seemingly casual remarks, Wan Ze had actually re-analyzed the relationships between the three parties—Zhao Henian, Xiao Ya, and himself—and devised a strategy that was most advantageous for them.

Zhao Henian was in the shadows, Xiao Ya was in the open, and Wan Ze had chosen to occupy the most inconspicuous position between them… the training hall.

There, he wouldn't act rashly or expose himself.

Wan Ze was like a hunter tightening the drawstring on a bag, waiting for his prey to walk right in.

Zhai Yu mulled it over. Just as he was about to speak, Wan Ze added, "By the way, Brother Yu, there's also the matter of Secret Martial Arts… I need Martial Skills."

Zhai Yu froze.

He looked at Wan Ze, his lips parted, but he hesitated.

In the past, he would have definitely tried to talk him out of it.

It was a responsibility he felt as a senior brother.

After all, a person's time and energy are finite.

Junior Brother Wan Ze's talent was truly remarkable. In all of Dragon Eagle… besides perhaps the Eldest Senior Brother, there was no other prodigy like him.

But it was precisely because of his great talent that he should focus every bit of his energy where it counted, not spread it thin learning a massive number of Martial Skills.

Zhai Yu had said these things many times before. The core message was always the same: martial arts requires focus.

But now, he didn't say a single word.

Because Wan Ze was no longer that young kid who asked about the mechanics of force.

He was a Qi Refiner now… a true, living Qi Refiner.

To this day, Zhai Yu still hadn't fully grasped the meaning behind those two words.

But he was certain of one thing: if a Qi Refiner said he was looking for Secret Martial Arts, he must have a good reason.

So Zhai Yu didn't ask any questions, just gave a solemn nod. "Don't worry. Leave it to me."

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs echoed from the end of the hallway. They knew at once it was Zhai Jia.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Zhai Jia's figure appeared at the top of the stairs. He was carrying a bulging plastic bag in his left hand, while his right clutched a half-eaten steamed bun. His cheeks were puffed out like a hamster's as he continued to chew.

The white buns in the plastic bag were still steaming.

"Mmph, what're you two doing standing here? Posing for a photo?" Zhai Jia asked indistinctly, taking another bite of his bun as he spoke.

Zhai Yu glanced at him, then reached out and patted his shoulder. "Time to go."

"Huh?" Zhai Jia, his mouth stuffed with the bun, didn't immediately register. "I haven't even sat down yet."

"No need to sit." Zhai Yu was already walking away, his voice trailing behind him. "Take Ah Ze to the training hall in a bit. After that, head back to base and have Xiao Yunkai verify some handwriting."

"Verify handwriting?" Zhai Jia swallowed the mouthful of bun whole and choked. He thumped his chest. "COUGH, COUGH. Verify what handwriting? Damn, I feel like I missed a whole lot just by going out for breakfast."

Zhai Yu paused at the landing and glanced back, his tone leaving no room for discussion. "We need to accelerate things with the Divine Martial Society. Dragon Eagle is going to notify them officially today. When that happens, they'll definitely demand we hand someone over. You need to be quick. Don't slack off."

Zhai Jia was dumbfounded. He glanced down at the bun in his hand, then up at Zhai Yu's retreating back. Suddenly, it tasted like ash in his mouth.

The amount of information packed into Zhai Yu's last sentence was staggering.

'If Dragon Eagle was officially notifying the Divine Martial Society, it meant their covert friction was about to escalate into open antagonism. And the Divine Martial Society would definitely demand someone be handed over. Who? The answer was self-evident.'

At this thought, Zhai Jia couldn't help but take a deep breath. His expression grew serious. "Got it. Leave it to me."

He might have seemed like a goofy slacker most of the time, but when it came to getting things done, he never dropped the ball.

That was precisely why Zhai Yu felt confident leaving the matter in his hands.

Zhai Jia was about to turn and head downstairs when he paused and twisted back around. "Right, what do we do about Xiao Ya?"

Xiao Ya was currently in their custody. They were calling it protection, but it wasn't much different from house arrest.

And this woman's status was undeniable—East District Administrative Deputy Director. It didn't matter how much actual power she held; the title was real.

A person like that couldn't be locked up for too long without attracting outside attention.

Zhai Yu didn't answer right away. He stood at the landing. "I'll keep her occupied for now. The fact that Zhao Henian is alive can't be hidden forever. Even if I say nothing, Xiao Ya will find a way to confirm it herself. She's not the type to just sit and wait to die."

Zhai Jia nodded pensively.

"Sometime today, at the latest, Xiao Ya will find a way to contact the outside world," Zhai Yu continued. "Once she makes contact, she'll learn that Zhao Henian is still alive. What do you think she'll do then?"

Zhai Jia frowned, thinking for two seconds. "She'll make sure Zhao Henian ends up dead for real."

"Exactly." Zhai Yu nodded. "And she won't do it herself. To put it bluntly, the only reason she's in Jiangnan is to take advantage of Zhao Henian's misfortune and swallow up his sphere of influence. But her footing here is unstable, and the people she can deploy in Jiangnan are limited. Whereas we, Dragon Eagle, happen to be the local powerhouse in the Holy City."