Chapter 3965 — What Exactly Is Going On Between Them
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
The death of Meng Jueming had already been a heavy blow to Xu Lingchong. Now, because of Wei Zhao, not only had he lost Ma Jian as well, but he had suddenly discovered that the eldest young lady's attitude toward Wei Zhao had begun to turn murky as well. Blow after blow like this—even a young master like him could not help but feel dazed.
Shangguan Lan'er had always been his, Xu Lingchong's, exclusive prize. No one was permitted to lay a finger on her; the slightest sign of improper intent meant a fight to the death.
As for a bumpkin newcomer from the secular world like Wei Zhao, the gap between him and the eldest young lady was essentially that between a toad and a swan. He had assumed such a thing could never pose any threat to him—yet who would have thought that what was least likely to happen had now, inexplicably, shown the first faint, ominous sprout.
This concerned his grand plans for the future—nay, it concerned the Xu family's strategic interests for the next hundred years. Not the slightest carelessness could be tolerated.
Xu Lingchong panicked at once. Even a matter as vital as competing with Nantian Pass for the position of senior disciple in charge of the Chongtian Pavilion was temporarily cast aside as he mobilized his people for a full investigation. He had to find out as quickly as possible what exactly had happened between Shangguan Lan'er and Wei Zhao during this period.
Xu Lingchong was, after all, a young master of the Chongtian Pavilion with eyes and ears everywhere. If he truly wanted to know something, it was simplicity itself; within the Tri-Pavilion, few things could escape his notice. In barely a day, the matter had already come fully to light.
As expected, the information came from Kang Jingming.
Xu Lingchong would have liked to investigate from Shangguan Lan'er's side as well, but the eldest young lady's standing was too lofty. Unless he went in person, no one else could even get a word with her, and there was simply no way to trace what she had done before. To uncover any clue from her was easier said than done.
Besides, who would dare investigate her? She was a figure under the protection of the North Island Elders' Council; even Gongyang Jun would not dare to investigate her rashly.
In the end, therefore, Xu Lingchong could only pin his hopes on Wei Zhao. Even though Meng Jueming was now dead and his grip on the Qingyun Pavilion newcomers greatly weakened, this was still far easier than investigating Shangguan Lan'er directly.
In the Welcome Pavilion today, even without Meng Jueming, Xu Lingchong actually had no shortage of usable men—from Pavilion Master Hu Yunfeng on high to Kang Jingming and Zhong Yongliang below, all were his people.
Yet after much deliberation, the task ultimately fell to Kang Jingming. After all, Hu Yunfeng was, whatever else, the dignified Pavilion Master of the Welcome Pavilion; if he were seen poking into such a matter, it would be easy for others to seize upon as a handle against him. Kang Jingming was simply more convenient.
Upon receiving Xu Lingchong's handwritten letter, Kang Jingming did not find it troublesome at all—on the contrary, he was overjoyed.
With Meng Jueming's sudden death, the Qingyun Pavilion newcomers were now a complete mess, ripe for exploitation. With only his identity as a newcomer steward, he might not have inspired much awe, but armed with the halo of Young Master Xu, things would be very different indeed.
The Chongtian Pavilion newcomers, having clarified just whose backing each of them enjoyed, had long since begun to stir restlessly, intent on supplanting him. This had become especially obvious after he was crushed by Wei Zhao in the cross-pavilion challenge in an almost humiliating fashion—one might even say it was done without the slightest concealment.