Chapter 3605 — So Domineering That No One Dares Provoke Him

The mere thought of that sweeping overhaul of the three pavilions three years ago still sent a chill through Lu Bianren's teeth. That restructuring had been set in motion by the Council of Elders, a vast realignment touching every conceivable facet of the three pavilions and all the various independent bureaus and halls—and for Azure Cloud Pavilion, the weakest of them, it had been nothing short of catastrophe.

Being weak, Azure Cloud Pavilion did have men who could win seats on the Council of Elders, but their number had always been the smallest of the three stacked pavilions, and their voice accordingly the feeblest. In that restructuring, the meager influence Azure Cloud Pavilion possessed was carved up almost clean between Skyward Pavilion and the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. The plainest illustration: across independent bureaus like the Welcome Pavilion and the Spirit Jade Hall, one could search high and low and never find a single head of office who hailed from Azure Cloud Pavilion—not one!

Others might muddle along and let it pass, but for a man like Lu Bianren, who longed with all his heart to see Azure Cloud Pavilion strong again, that restructuring was seared into the bone. Three years had gone by, and still there was not the slightest sign of the pavilion recovering its strength; if anything, it slid further downhill, growing more feeble by the day. Were another such overhaul to come now, Azure Cloud Pavilion might well simply fly apart.

Faced with a threat so nakedly undisguised from Xu Lingchong, men of little conscience might shrug it off, but to a man like Lu Bianren, that threat was nothing short of lethal! In truth, had the other party threatened his own person outright, a man of Lu Bianren's temper might not necessarily have flinched—but this concerned the fate of all Azure Cloud Pavilion, and he could not afford to be anything but careful.

Drawing a deep breath to still the towering waves within his chest, Lu Bianren looked at the other and said slowly, "Young Master Xu. It is merely a change of mining zone for one newcomer—a trifling matter not worth mentioning. Surely there is no need to muster such forces and resort to such alarmist talk?"

"Ha, trifling? It seems Pavilion Master Lu has been banished to Reflection Cliff too long. So ill-informed you do not even know what has been happening out in the world!" Xu Lingchong gave a snort of derision, then said darkly, "That newcomer of yours, Wei Zhao, did not know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth, and dared defy my wishes to my face, making a fool of me before so many people. You think I can let this bastard off? I will lay it out plain right here: if you dare change his mining zone for him, then do not blame me for bringing ruin down upon all Azure Cloud Pavilion!"

"Young Master Xu, is this not a bit too overbearing? And besides, a great man does not hold a small man's faults against him—why must a young master of your stature lower himself to quarrel with a newcomer?" Lu Bianren still hoped to win one last concession for Wei Zhao. But in his heart he already knew that, with Xu Lingchong having spoken in such terms, there was no longer any chance of the other yielding.

"Overbearing? Overbearing is exactly what I am! What of it? Displeased, do you want to bite me? Does a spineless coward like you even have the guts? Hahaha!" Xu Lingchong laughed with boundless arrogance. Setting all else aside, by virtue of the single fact that his grandfather sat on the Council of Elders, there was not a soul in all Azure Cloud Pavilion who dared provoke him—and as for Lu Bianren, that notorious good-for-nothing of the Welcome Pavilion, he was even less likely to be taken seriously.

Lu Bianren went livid with rage, yet in the end he could only grit his teeth and swallow it. Never mind whether he could beat Xu Lingchong in a fight—the man's sensitive standing alone meant that any move against him would hand Skyward Pavilion ample grounds for attack. And when that day came, it would be a disaster beyond all measure for Azure Cloud Pavilion entire!

Letting out a long breath of stale air, Lu Bianren knew there was no point in remaining here any longer; it would only invite further humiliation. He could only turn his head and say to the long-suffering senior brother, "There is nothing to be done here. Let us go."

The long-suffering senior brother nodded silently, heaved a helpless sigh, and could only follow Lu Bianren as he turned and departed.

Matters having come to this pass, Lu Bianren could hardly be blamed for failing to try his utmost; indeed, he had already braved no small risk in pleading for Wei Zhao time and again. Were he to nurse a grudge against Xu Lingchong for the sake of Wei Zhao alone, and in the end bring calamity down upon all Azure Cloud Pavilion, then he would truly become the pavilion's sinner.

"Ho, Young Master Xu is mighty and magnificent as ever! Before our Young Master Xu, this so-called pavilion master of three is like a stray dog fleeing in terror—he did not even dare let out a single fart. A thoroughgoing good-for-nothing!" Kang Jingming and the others watched the dejected backs of Lu Bianren and his companion, and could not help laughing aloud as they scrambled to fawn.

Xu Lingchong smiled smugly. Given his standing and position, frightening Lu Bianren away was a matter of no consequence whatsoever; that this sort of trash should think to stand up for Wei Zhao—the fool did not even know how the word "death" was written!

"Young Master Xu, who might these two be?" Dai Wuchang asked after the laughter, pointing at Kang Jingming and Zhong Yongliang. A moment ago, when Lu Bianren had threatened to go find Tong Fei, his heart had been in his throat the whole while; but now that Xu Lingchong had stepped in and scared Lu Bianren off, naturally he had nothing left to worry about.

"This is Kang Jingming and Zhong Yongliang. Both are newcomers who came up from the mortal realm this year; they are now outer-sect disciples of my Skyward Pavilion and my men. I brought them along today to make your acquaintance," Xu Lingchong said mildly.

"So it is Junior Brother Kang and Junior Brother Zhong! The two of you are truly men of fine appearance—no wonder Young Master Xu thinks so highly of you!" Dai Wuchang hastened to ingratiate himself.

Dai Wuchang was single-minded in his desire to curry favor with Xu Lingchong, but owing to his Azure Cloud Pavilion origins, a great young master of Skyward Pavilion like Xu Lingchong would never take him seriously, at most summoning him over when there was use for him. By comparison, currying favor with underlings newly arrived like Kang Jingming was far more reliable—after all, that too amounted to indirectly clasping hold of Xu Lingchong's thick thigh.

"You are too kind, too kind. And the same to you, Senior Brother Dai—I shall be counting on your kind attention in the days to come." Kang Jingming made the polite noises with a faint smile. As a newcomer who had lately enjoyed Xu Lingchong's favor, he had already begun to learn how to put on airs; men like Dai Wuchang were worth cultivating, to be sure, but he must not cheapen his own standing—he must keep the psychological upper hand and the initiative, for only thus could he make the other serve his purposes.

At the same time, Zhong Yongliang seized the chance to work a little relationship-building with Dai Wuchang as well. After all, if he meant to play the role of mole, he could not fall too far behind Kang Jingming; otherwise, even if the other side made some move, he might never learn the particulars of the intelligence.