Chapter 3571 — Canvassing for Votes
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
There were three reasons. First, as the Welcome Pavilion’s sole new disciples’ steward, one was naturally the model and exemplar for all newcomers. Even if only for the Pavilion’s own face, cultivation resources would inevitably be tilted in one’s favor. Otherwise, if the exemplar representing the newcomers could not even clear the Foundation Establishment hurdle, would that not make everyone laugh their teeth out?
Second, though the new disciples’ steward only assigned the lowliest tasks, with skillful handling one could build a vast network of connections among the newcomers of all three pavilions—of great benefit to future prospects. A simple example: nobody wants to clean the latrines. Assign it to others but exempt this one person—would that person not owe you a favor?
Third, since the new disciples’ steward was a post of the Welcome Pavilion, it necessarily came with the post’s privileges. Even if not as generous as those of the steward senior brothers, there would be some stipend—and compared with other new disciples, one would already have won at the starting line.
Having worked out these three points, the minds of the Azure Cloud Pavilion newcomers instantly began to race. Since the post of new disciples’ steward was to be decided by vote, did that not mean they too had a chance? If one secured the post, would one not rise to glory hereafter?
Yet when they saw the aggressive, predatory gazes of Xu Lingchong and his companions, their faces stiffened at once, and they immediately realized: for newcomers of the Azure Cloud Pavilion like themselves, this was nothing but a pipe dream!
Among all the new disciples of the three pavilions, one needed more than two-thirds of the votes to win. What did that mean?
It meant not only fully conquering every newcomer of the Azure Cloud Pavilion present, but also conquering at least half the newcomers of the Soaring Heaven Pavilion and the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion combined. Was that possible? Never mind the pack of cultivation second-generations from the Soaring Heaven Pavilion—even the old codgers of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion would pay you no mind. To think they would vote for you worthless Azure Cloud Pavilion newcomers—dream on!
"By past experience, the new disciples’ steward is generally a newcomer from the Soaring Heaven Pavilion; a few times it has been snatched by the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. But as for our Azure Cloud Pavilion—that has never happened." The long-suffering senior brother explained in a low voice to Wei Zhao and the others.
Wei Zhao nodded. All of this was only to be expected. The cultivation second-generations of the Soaring Heaven Pavilion looked down on the newcomers of the other two pavilions entirely; the old codgers of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, relying on their formidable strength, still had some competitiveness. As for the Azure Cloud Pavilion, in such matters they could only be bystanders. For them, the only difference lay in whether they would end up conquered by the Soaring Heaven Pavilion or by the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion—nothing more.
"It seems everyone understands now. Good." Meng Jueming, long accustomed to such things and harboring no unrealistic ambitions to fight for his own Azure Cloud Pavilion newcomers, at once turned and presented Kang Jingming beside him: "This is Senior Brother Kang Jingming of the Soaring Heaven Pavilion, the candidate Young Master Xu is backing this time. When you vote tomorrow morning, you all know what to do, yes?"
Only now did Wei Zhao finally understand. So Kang Jingming had not come to make trouble for him after all—he had come borrowing the tiger’s skin to canvass for votes. Who knew what honeyed words the brat had spoken to persuade Xu Lingchong to back him so? At the very least, Zhong Yongliang, who likewise trailed at Xu Lingchong’s side, had never enjoyed such favorable treatment.