Zhao Ya quickly walked to the bedside, crouched down, and gently held the old lady’s hand.
The old lady grasped Zhao Ya’s hand tightly.
"Ya, you’re a good child. Before I die, there’s something I want to entrust to you. Can you promise me?"
"Grandma, please don’t say that. I’ll go find a doctor later; you’ll be fine." Zhao Ya comforted her.
The old lady chuckled a few times, "No need to comfort me; I know my condition. No miracle doctor can save my life anymore. This old woman has lived long enough, but the only thing I can’t let go of is my little granddaughter."
"She’s a child of misfortune. Her mother died just as she was born. Later, her father went out for business and hasn’t been heard from since; he’s probably dead by now. Once this old woman dies, she’ll be left alone in this world."
Behind them, Tang Zui’Er lowered her head, sobbing quietly.
Zhao Ya’s heart was also heavy.
"So before I die, I only want to ask you to take care of Zui’Er. Are you willing?"
Zhao Ya didn’t hesitate.
Whether it was the care he received from the Tang Family in his childhood or his own sense of morality, he couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
"Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll treat Zui’Er like my own sister. As long as I have a bite to eat, she won’t go hungry," Zhao Ya said solemnly.
"Good child, there’s no need for that. You’re someone destined for great things. I don’t ask for much; if in a few years, you find Zui’Er to be obedient and sensible, you could take her as a wife or concubine. That way, I would be content even in the afterlife."
"Grandma!" Tang Zui’Er called out, filled with shyness.
The old lady didn’t respond and continued, "Of course, if you don’t fancy her, you can treat her as a maid."
"In any case, in this world, she’s an orphan with some looks. If you don’t help her, she’ll surely be harmed by wicked people."
Zhao Ya thought that even though this old lady was blind, her mind was very clear.
"Yes, yes, I’ll definitely take care of Zui’Er. Grandma, you just rest and recover; I’ll handle everything else."
Hearing Zhao Ya say this, the old lady finally released his hand.
"Go on, you’re someone destined for great things; go get busy."
Tang Zui’Er escorted Zhao Ya to the door.
Zhao Ya hesitated, then said, "Sister Zui’Er, you should be careful these days. Come to me if anything happens; I’m afraid Grandma might..."
He didn’t finish, but the meaning was clear.
"Yes, I understand, Brother Ya."
Only then did Zhao Ya return to the Escort Agency. Due to the delay, he arrived later than usual today.
As soon as he walked in, Tan Dong approached with a worried expression.
"Old Zhao, why are you only arriving now?"
"Oh, something came up at home that delayed me. What’s up?" Zhao Ya asked.
Tan Dong looked around, then lowered his voice, "Don’t you know? Something big happened last night."
Zhao Ya’s heart skipped a beat, instinctively thinking his killing of two hooligans had been discovered, but he quickly calmed down.
Those two hooligans were clearly low-level scum with no background. People like that die every day in Wuxiang City; it’s nothing new.
So he calmly shook his head, "No, what happened?"
"According to reliable sources, last night Wei Yu successfully broke through and is now a master of Great Success in Bone Refining," Tan Dong said enviously.
Only then did Zhao Ya realize what had happened.
He hadn’t expected Wei Yu to break through last night as well; what a coincidence.
"Oh, that’s what it was. Well, congratulations to Junior Brother Wei then."
Seeing Zhao Ya’s indifferent attitude, Tan Dong seemed a bit frustrated.
"You, at a time like this, still have the mood to say such things. Don’t you feel any sense of crisis?"
"Wei Yu and you, along with Luo Feng and Zhou Hua, were all selected by the Chief of the Escort as elites. Now that he’s broken through first, you can bet the Chief will greatly praise him, possibly even promoting him to Porter. Does that not pressure you?"
Looking at the anxious Tan Dong, Zhao Ya couldn’t help but smile.
"What can I do? No matter the pressure, he broke through first!"
"Sigh, that’s true, but I just can’t stand Wei Yu. He always looks down on others, acting so arrogant."
"Come on, if you had that talent, you’d probably be more arrogant than him." Zhao Ya patted Tan Dong’s shoulder, comforting him.
Sure enough.
Once everyone at the Escort Agency had arrived, Chief Meng Lei summoned everyone and publicly announced Wei Yu’s breakthrough to Great Success in Bone Refining.
For a moment, the crowd was in an uproar.
"Wow, how long has this guy been in the Escort Agency? And he’s already achieved Great Success in Bone Refining so quickly?"
"I heard he’s only fifteen this year. People like him make others envious!"
"Truly, young heroes prove their worth early. His future is limitless now."
Achieving Great Success in Bone Refining at fifteen is an outstanding talent even in Wuxiang City, so everyone was in awe.
Zhao Ya stood among the crowd, looking up at Wei Yu, who stood proudly on the stage, pondering.
Wei Yu’s talent was undeniably impressive.
Considering that Zhao Ya needed the help of a Golden Finger to achieve Great Success in Bone Refining in such a short time.
And Wei Yu was even a year younger than him.
In martial arts, being a year apart can sometimes make a world of difference.
No wonder Meng Lei valued him so highly.
For a moment, Zhao Ya even felt the urge to publicly announce his own breakthrough to Great Success in Bone Refining.
But he quickly restrained himself.
Firstly, doing so might make others think he was just following the trend. Secondly, standing out too much went against Zhao Ya’s principle of being low-key and cautious.
Sometimes it’s not easy to be a genius.
So Zhao Ya decided it would be better to "break through" after some time.
Unlike his calm demeanor, Luo Feng was full of envy.
"Junior Brother Wei is amazing, achieving Great Success in Bone Refining so quickly. Does this mean he has a chance at the Fourth Realm, maybe even Membrane Forging?"
Luo Feng muttered, but Zhou Hua, who hadn’t spoken all this time, suddenly sneered.
"It’s not certain. Many prodigies achieve Great Success in Bone Refining in their teens, but how many make it to Membrane Forging?"
After saying this, Zhou Hua turned and left.
"What’s up with him, always talking so cynically?" Luo Feng pouted and turned to Zhao Ya.
"Don’t you think so, Zhao?"
Zhao Ya just smiled and didn’t respond.
At this moment, Meng Lei, looking pleased, said on the stage, "Now that Wei Yu has achieved Great Success in Bone Refining, he should no longer be doing menial tasks. I hereby announce that from today on, he is promoted to Porter."