Chapter 3879 — Friend or Foe?

At last Nan Tianxiong's resolve wavered. He brooded for a moment, then said, "Very well. For the time being, you will follow the second brother here. When I have leisure, I will personally instruct you as well. In the days to come, serve me well—but should you harbor even the slightest disloyal thought, you know what awaits you."

"Your disciple obeys!" Yu Jiang was overjoyed. He had already secretly stashed away Nan Tianyong's enormous legacy; if he could now obtain Nan Tianguan's Lesser Formless Divine Art and Nan Tianxiong's personal guidance, then even without the Star Ink Stone, his meteoric rise was only a matter of time!

In the midst of such uneventful days, a month flew past in the blink of an eye, and the sixteenth round of the Newcomer Challenge officially began.

"Damn it, what on earth is that woman thinking? Does she really mean to cross me?" Watching Murong Zhen's alluring figure from afar, Meng Jueming ground his teeth in hatred.

Over the past month, Murong Zhen had proceeded methodically, slowly challenging her way up from the lowest-ranked dwelling. Her intent was plain for all to see.

Whatever Wei Zhao could see, he could see as well. But the problem was that, knowing full well what Murong Zhen was calculating, he could only choke it down—and that feeling was truly maddening.

Had Murong Zhen thrown herself straight into Wei Zhao's camp from the start, Meng Jueming's situation would have been even worse, yet strangely he would not have felt so tormented.

Fortunately, though, this suspense would be resolved in today's round of the challenge. More than a dozen rounds had now passed, and the Newcomer Challenge was entering its final phase; the rankings of the dwellings had gradually settled, and there would be few variables left.

As for the other formidable figure, Li Zhengming, throughout these dozen-plus rounds he had never once revealed his early Foundation Establishment strength. Originally ranked second among the dwellings, he had very wisely chosen a roundabout strategy: seizing an opportunity when another newcomer challenged him, he had voluntarily conceded, not only dropping himself to a lower-ranked dwelling to gain room to challenge, but even thereby successfully sidestepping the onrushing Murong Zhen—killing two birds with one stone.

By the current rankings, today's round of the Newcomer Challenge was the one that would best reveal that woman Murong Zhen's true intentions. The reason was simple: directly above her was Meng Zhou.

In the previous rounds, the newcomers Murong Zhen had challenged, though nominally all under Meng Jueming's command, were not his core loyalists. Meng Zhou was different—this one was the direct line Meng Jueming had cultivated with all his might, the very bottom line of Meng Jueming's position.

Murong Zhen challenging other newcomers mattered little, but if today she named Meng Zhou as her opponent, it would amount to a formal declaration of war against Meng Jueming. From then on, in Meng Jueming's eyes, she and Wei Zhao would be the same—sworn enemies, with no room left for reconciliation.

If, however, Murong Zhen skipped over Meng Zhou today and challenged Xiao Che, the one ranked above him, that would be a gesture of goodwill toward Meng Jueming—and in his eyes, she would become one of his own, someone worth courting and using.

Friend or foe—all depended on how Murong Zhen chose today.

Before the battle, Meng Zhou asked Meng Jueming nervously for advice: "Ninth Cousin, if Lady Murong challenges me today, what should I do?"

Although the Meridian Heart-Shattering Pill had long since been in hand, by Meng Jueming's deliberate arrangement Meng Zhou had still not taken it; to this day he remained merely at early Foundation Establishment, while his opponent Murong Zhen stood at the peak of early Foundation Establishment—there was simply no fighting her.

"What do you mean, what should you do? If she dares challenge you, that proves she's our enemy—fight her with everything you've got!" Meng Jueming gave a cold snort, then eyed Meng Zhou with sudden suspicion. "I hear that wanton woman has lately been inviting people to her wooden hut for tea. You haven't been among them, have you, boy?"

"Ah? No! Absolutely not!" Meng Zhou denied it vehemently at once.

Over the past month, Murong Zhen had not only kept both Meng Jueming and Wei Zhao wavering, but as her position gradually solidified, some of the Qingyun Pavilion newcomers beneath her had begun to sit on the fence. The most obvious sign was their acceptance of Murong Zhen's invitations to attend the so-called Wooden Cottage Tea Gatherings at her little hut.

Of course, nominally these were perfectly innocent tea gatherings; put plainly, they were occasions to watch that wanton woman Murong Zhen dance seductively. Even if they tasted no real sweetness, merely seeing such a ravishing, alluring beauty in very simple attire striking every kind of provocative pose was enough to make a man swallow hard.

Moreover, attending Murong Zhen's tea gatherings brought benefits beyond mere feasting of the eyes; for these lowly newcomers of Qingyun Pavilion, there were in fact tangible advantages.

Facts had proven it: the newcomers who had previously accepted invitations to the Wooden Cottage Tea Gatherings were deliberately bypassed by Murong Zhen throughout this month's Newcomer Challenge. Otherwise, in the span of a single month, she could never have fought her way from that so-called Sixteenth Dwelling at the foot of the mountain all the way to the Fifth Dwelling.

The two newcomers she had skipped over midway had, in fact, come out ahead—they could feast their eyes at the Wooden Cottage Tea Gatherings and lose fewer challenge points at such a critical juncture of the Newcomer Challenge. Why not?

Still, this was not without its drawbacks for them. At the very least, when Meng Jueming saw that Murong Zhen had deliberately spared those two, they were already placed on his blacklist. Even if they had not openly betrayed him, when the time came, Meng Jueming would certainly settle accounts after the autumn harvest!

This was also why, for all Murong Zhen's allure, a whole month had netted her only two newcomers. The others might drool as well, but beneath Meng Jueming's despotic might, many had the thieving heart while few indeed had the thieving nerve.

"Truly nothing?" Meng Jueming shot Meng Zhou a sidelong glance. This one was the direct-line junior brother he valued most; if other newcomers sat on the fence, he would at most be irritated—but if trouble arose even with Meng Zhou, then he, the managing senior brother, would be left a commander without an army.

Meng Jueming did not doubt Meng Zhou's loyalty, but as for this one's intelligence, he truly could not bring himself to praise it. A few casual teases from Murong Zhen, and trouble might well ensue—he had to guard against it.

"Truly nothing! Isn't a poison oath enough for you? Ninth Cousin, you mustn't believe others' slander!" Meng Zhou hastily swore.

Yet there was a faint unease in his words. Back when he had first heard of Murong Zhen's Wooden Cottage Tea Gatherings, his heart had indeed stirred considerably; had he not feared that other newcomers would see him and word would reach Meng Jueming's ears, he would likely have sneaked over to attend long ago.