Chapter 119: To Protect a Friend

All Wang Zen could do was wait outside while news of Shaonu Xue’s wellbeing fliterred down. So far, he had heard that she was steadily recovering. It had taken a lot for hi to gather up his courage and go to her room to check up on her. He was the only few people allowed to visit her room because Ms Hong knew of the lengths he had taken to help her. But Zen felt undeserving, he had ultimately failed but he wanted to see her.

He stopped at the door as he heard other voices there.

“But it doesn’t make sense,” he heard the sweet voice of Xue Shaonu say. “The only way he could poison me is if he had access to me. I’ve never heard of this guy before now, so it is unlikely he could have poisoned me.”

“Perhaps he is not working alone,” the voice of Chen Jian. “The first time I had to deal with the likes of Chu Jiahai he was in a group with Xuan Bao. Since Xuan Bao was expelled and left them leaderless, I thought they would quiet down but I see now I might have been wrong.”

Zen’s eyes widened as he asked himself why they would be talking about Bao. Was he back because if he was, Zen had no doubt that he would be his firs victim and not Xue Shaonu.

“And besides, you cannot deny the evidence. Tell her.” Jian’s voice said.

“It’s true,” a female’s voice that Zen did not recognise said. “I saw Chu Jiahai defeat a much stronger opponent with that weapon. A black, short staff with a hole near the end radiating red energy. I read up on it after Jian commissioned me to stay by your side and prtect you against the assassin who used the same weapon. It’s called a Tamer’s Staff. It’s main purpose is to increase the cultivation speed of a master and their contracted beast. The red energy it radiates during an attack is it siphoning off the energy from the contractual bond between a master and their bound beast. The stronger the contractual bond, the stronger the red energy.”

Zen clenched his fists. The fact that they suspected Jiahai was a part of this was something he found ridiculous.

“Right, now, Chu Jiahai is…” Chen stopped.

Zen did not understand why until the door was abruptly opened and he was pulled in the room. In no time, Zen was lying in Xue Shaonu’s hospital room on the floor, looking up at Chen Jian.

“Why am I not surprised that you would be spying on us.”

“Wang Zen?” Shaonu said, with a sad look on her face. “Is this true?”

“No… No!” Zen got to his feet. “I was not spying, I came to see you. I wanted to check if you are okay then… then I heard him lie about Jiahai.” Zen glared at Chen Jian. “Jiahai does not have anything to do with this!”

“Of course you would protect him.” Jian said. “You’re probably working with him to hurt Xue Shaonu.”

“How could I be trying to hurt her when I’ve bee trying to help her?” Zen snapped, a killing intent already starting to rise.

“Quite poorly I might add,” Jian said. “You failed to obtain both the Lightning Rhino horn and the Steel Moss. It is almost like you planned to fail to keep up a front.”

Zen gritted his teeth his anger. “You don’t know nothing!”

“Zen?”

The voice was soft, not at all the two other two voices arguing in the room but it brought everything to silence. Xue Shaonu had a worried look on her face.

“Xue Shaonu,” Zen said looking at her pleadingly. “Please believe me. I know Jiahai, he has nothing to do with this and… and I will prove it to you.” He said before he ran out of the room.

“Where is he going?” The other girl in the room said.

“I think it’s obvious,” Jian said, with arms folded. “He is going to warn his friend.”