Chapter 3889 — Blocking the Door

Had they not feared that handing in too many would invite suspicion, the two of them could easily have submitted far more. After all, given the crude conditions enjoyed by newcomers to the Azure Cloud Pavilion, coaxing six of ten spirit herb seeds to sprout was already a stunning and rare feat; submitting any more than that would have been outrageous.

Besides, in the positions Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai now occupied, the points from the spirit herb trial were little more than an itch they could not scratch, and it was hardly worth courting suspicion over a paltry few points.

The spirit herb seeds Wei Zhao had cultivated for them boasted such a high survival rate, yet his own forty seeds had been wiped out to the last one. Was that even possible? Knowing Wei Zhao as he did, Xiao Che reckoned their leader had likely hidden his light on purpose, biding his time to let a few posturing clowns make fools of themselves.

Not only Xiao Che, but Li Zhengming in the crowd was of the same mind, sitting back and waiting for Meng Jueming and his lot to be slapped in the face.

Amid the bustling press of people, the gate of Cave Dwelling No. 1 at the foot of the mountain finally swung open, and when Wei Zhao saw the crowd besieging his doorstep, he was visibly taken aback.

"Oh? This early?" Wei Zhao smiled faintly, and his next words promptly turned every face in the crowd black. "I heard such a racket inside just now, I thought a pack of beggars had come from somewhere and blocked my cave dwelling to beg for alms. To think it was all of you—what a lively bunch you are."

Beggars! You're the beggars here! Everyone cursed inwardly, yet on reflection, in the state they were in, were they not precisely beggars blocking a door to beg? Delivering themselves to be mocked—the more they thought about it, the more despicably shameless it seemed.

At this, Meng Jueming could hold back no longer. "Wei Zhao, you haven't forgotten what day today is, have you?"

"Today?" Wei Zhao pondered a moment, then suddenly smacked his own forehead. "Right you are! Senior Brother Meng, you've reminded me just in time. Is today the day the spirit jade gets handed out again? The last few times you always gave me the smallest share—you can't play favorites again this time. And oh, yes—any of you who'd like to trade spirit jade with me, line up and start bidding, first come, first served!"

What the hell! What in the world was this supposed to be? Was this brat truly a fool, or only pretending to be one?

Meng Jueming was stunned for a long moment, already cursing the boy's ancestors in his belly, but beside him Murong Zhen could not help bursting into a giggle. Setting aside his strength and his allegiances, this Wei Zhao fellow was really rather amusing.

"Wei Zhao, don't you dare change the subject with me. I, your senior brother, solemnly remind you: today is the final deadline for handing in the spirit herb trial. You declared forty spirit herb seeds in one breath, and to this day you haven't turned in a single one. Do you know what consequences that will bring?" Meng Jueming scowled and snorted coldly.

At these words the crowd perked up at once. Here came the good show!

"What consequences? Isn't it just a deduction of forty assessment points?" Wei Zhao said with a look of amusement.

"A deduction of forty assessment points? Hmph, you've wasted a full forty spirit herb seeds that my spirit herb garden painstakingly cultivated—this junior brother of ours thinks far too lightly of the consequences, it would seem." Before Meng Jueming could speak, a voice from afar had already snorted out the reply on his behalf.

The crowd started and turned at the sound, and there they saw three figures approaching slowly from the distance.

The two flanking were familiar faces, Kang Jingming and Zhong Yongliang, while the one leading in the center was none other than that sissy head steward of the spirit herb garden whom they had met in the Pill Hall the last time the spirit herb seeds were distributed.

Why had this one come? Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight, though judging by the scene before him, even a fool could guess with his toes: the sudden arrival of this sissy head steward must surely have been arranged in advance by Kang Jingming and Meng Jueming.

The much-put-upon senior brother hurriedly shot Wei Zhao a look. This visitor came with ill intent; today they must tread carefully, or true disaster would follow.

Wei Zhao merely smiled noncommittally, watching coldly from the sidelines and waiting to see how things would unfold.

When this sissy head steward of the spirit herb garden drew near, the newcomers of the Azure Cloud Pavilion all perked up. No matter how sissy this fellow might be, he was still a figure of authority in the Pill Hall. Now that he had come in person to make trouble for Wei Zhao, today's spectacle was well worth the wait!

Kang Jingming stepped forward with a chuckle. "Leader Wei Zhao, when I was tallying the points I discovered that all forty of your spirit herb seeds had perished utterly. I thought the matter rather odd, so I took the liberty of inviting Steward Linghua over to have a look. It's a matter of duty—I trust you won't take offense."

What a piece of work this one was! Qiao Hongcai and Xiao Che and the others all raised their middle fingers in unison.

Wei Zhao's eyelid twitched at the words, though not because of Kang Jingming's petty, gloating little smirk, but because of a name he was hearing for the first time.

Steward Linghua? The name certainly did justice to this steward's sissy temperament—what other red-blooded man would ever give himself a name like that?

Steward Linghua's phoenix eyes swept Wei Zhao up and down appraisingly; he cocked his orchid finger and said in that mincing, sardonic tone, "This junior brother, when you declared those forty spirit herb seeds last time, this one kindly gave you a reminder, did he not?"

"Indeed," Wei Zhao nodded blandly.

"I'm afraid I don't recall. Pray enlighten me, Steward Linghua," Wei Zhao said, still composed and at ease.

"Every single spirit herb seed, even mass-produced as they are, consumes countless hours of blood and sweat from every soul in the spirit herb garden. This time the higher-ups decreed they be brought out for you newcomers' assessment. Even knowing that over eighty percent would be lost, this one had nothing to say."

Here Steward Linghua's voice abruptly turned cold. "But to insist on declaring forty spirit herb seeds when you knew full well you lacked the ability—that falls outside the bounds of normal conduct. Might this one be permitted to understand it as this junior brother deliberately sabotaging the fruits of my spirit herb garden's labor?"

Before Wei Zhao could respond, Meng Jueming had already rushed to chime in. "Quite right. Though I, Meng Jueming, am the steward of the Azure Cloud Pavilion newcomers, when it comes to such irresponsible, vicious conduct that damages the precious resources of the Threefold Pavilion, I have never been one to shield and cover for my own. Steward Linghua, I give you my word here and now: this Wei Zhao is yours to deal with as you see fit, and we will cooperate with you fully."

For today's affair, Meng Jueming had already cleared things beforehand with Hu Yunfeng, the pavilion master of the Welcome Pavilion; otherwise, as a mere newcomer steward, he would never have dared utter such words in public.