Chapter 4220 — The Seat of Third Pavilion Master

And just as Shangguan Lan'er was busy hoodwinking her grandfather, Yu Zhenyang, the Pavilion Master of Qingyun Pavilion, once again descended upon Wei Zhao's grand residence at Inner Gate No. 1, and lightly brushed against the barrier outside the gate.

"Greetings, Pavilion Master," Wei Zhao hurried out to welcome him. He knew that with this Pavilion Master's strength, if he truly wished to slip past the barrier without a sound, it would have been a trifling matter; the man had deigned to wait outside merely out of courtesy.

"No need for such formality. The appointments have come down—Kubi Lesheng is promoted to Third Pavilion Master of the Welcome New Pavilion, and Xiao Che to Senior Brother Steward of the newcomers in Qingyun Pavilion. The news will be officially announced tomorrow," Yu Zhenyang said with a smile.

"Excellent, thank you for arranging it, Pavilion Master." Wei Zhao was overjoyed at once. These two posts were rare and promising positions for both Senior Brother Kubi and Xiao Che; given normal development, their prospects were bright indeed.

"Haha, it was only fitting. There is one other matter—news has come in about Lu Bianren." Yu Zhenyang smiled, then his expression turned somewhat grave. "He did indeed go off on a mission during this period. The mission site was in the Weihu sea region near South Island. But all those who went with him on that mission have already returned; only he has sent no word, no trace at all."

"You mean only Senior Brother Lu broke away from the main party?" Wei Zhao's heart tightened at once. Instinct told him that Lu Bianren might truly have met with trouble.

"Precisely. None of the others who returned know his whereabouts, nor where he went. They only say that they parted ways partway through the mission," Yu Zhenyang nodded.

"Parted ways partway through—why?" Wei Zhao frowned slightly, then asked again, "Pavilion Master, do you know what mission Senior Brother Lu was sent on this time?"

"The mission itself is actually of no consequence, Wei Zhao. I can tell you with certainty that the reason Lu Bianren separated from the others this time was surely to search for Vice Pavilion Master Yao," Yu Zhenyang asserted.

"Vice Pavilion Master Yao?" Wei Zhao was taken aback again. Though he was on good terms with Lu Bianren, the man had never mentioned any Vice Pavilion Master Yao to him—not even Senior Brother Kubi had ever brought it up.

"That's right. I don't treat you as an outsider, so I won't feed you empty talk. This Vice Pavilion Master Yao was Lu Bianren's greatest patron all along," Yu Zhenyang admitted frankly. "Several years ago, Vice Pavilion Master Yao led a party out on a mission, and afterwards all word of them vanished—not a single one returned. The last place they were heard from was this very Weihu sea region. So Lu Bianren deliberately went over there this time; his purpose must have been to search for Vice Pavilion Master Yao. The mission was merely a cover. Once there, he naturally split from the main party."

"I see." Wei Zhao nodded thoughtfully. Senior Brother Kubi had mentioned this matter before, but at the time he had only said that their patron had gone out on a mission and had not returned for several years; he had not been so specific.

Seen in this light, Lu Bianren was almost certainly going to look for someone. He had formerly been Third Pavilion Master of the Welcome New Pavilion—sidelined, perhaps, but still holding an important post, and so it would have been impossible for him to go out on missions. After stepping down, however, he became Second Senior Brother Steward of the outer gate of Qingyun Pavilion; though his status had only risen, not fallen, he was bound by far fewer restraints, and even if he vanished for a time, it would not matter.

"But even if they split up at the start, once the mission was over, would those people really not wait for Senior Brother Lu at all and just come back on their own? That seems hardly reasonable, doesn't it?" Wei Zhao asked in turn.

"On the surface they would certainly wait a while, but that sort of thing is only for show. The truth is, although Lu Bianren counts as a talented disciple and had smooth sailing before, because of his temperament, after his patron Vice Pavilion Master Yao went missing, he has actually not fared well," Yu Zhenyang said with a faint sigh.

Unlike a disciple of ordinary caliber such as Senior Brother Kubi, Lu Bianren—in Qingyun Pavilion, which had always been short of talent—had truly shone brilliantly for a time; otherwise he would never have left an impression on the mind of a Pavilion Master like himself. It was only a pity that, because Vice Pavilion Master Yao had gone missing, Lu Bianren was like an eagle with broken wings, and from then on he faded into obscurity, lost among the crowd.

"Senior Brother Lu was indeed unhappy during his time at the Welcome New Pavilion—that I know. But afterward, did he not rise to Second Senior Brother Steward of the outer gate of Qingyun Pavilion?" Wei Zhao could not help asking in puzzlement.

"Haha, in terms of rank alone, that does count as a promotion. But first, he had no backing; second, he was not shrewd or tactful enough. That post of Second Senior Brother Steward of the outer gate—he could never truly hold it steady. From what I know, after taking office he never exercised any real authority; he was simply left a figurehead by the Senior Brother Steward of the outer gate," Yu Zhenyang said with a touch of regret.

"Is that so..." Wei Zhao had warned Lu Bianren to watch out for exactly this sort of situation well before he took office, so he showed no surprise. Instead he said, "But doesn't a situation where one man holds sole power ill suit Qingyun Pavilion's long-term development? Do the higher-ups really not interfere at all, not inquire at all?"

"That may be so, but the higher-ups not interfering in competition among the disciples below is a convention established over a long time; no one would rashly break the rule. After all, it is also a reflection of individual ability," Yu Zhenyang said, shaking his head.

"This disciple understands. Thank you for telling me, Pavilion Master," Wei Zhao said, nodding in thanks without dwelling on the matter.

"It's nothing—a small matter," Yu Zhenyang said with a smile.

After seeing Yu Zhenyang off, Wei Zhao went straight to the Welcome New Pavilion to find Senior Brother Kubi and told him the whole affair. After all, when it came to ties with Lu Bianren, Senior Brother Kubi's were the closer ones.

"Alas, first Vice Pavilion Master Yao, and now Senior Brother Lu—and I can do nothing to help. What is to be done?" Senior Brother Kubi heaved a deep sigh upon hearing it.

"There's no helping it. For now we can only wait and see, and hope that Heaven looks after them," Wei Zhao said helplessly. Though they now knew the cause, there was still no word at all; even if he wanted to help, it would be to no avail.

"When all is said and done, it's my own uselessness to blame. If my strength had been a little greater before, I could have gone with Senior Brother Lu, and then we could at least have looked after one another. That would be better than standing by helplessly as we do now—alas..." Senior Brother Kubi said in vexation and self-reproach.

"Senior Brother Ku, don't blame yourself so. I may never have met Vice Pavilion Master Yao, but I do know Senior Brother Lu—he is by no means an ordinary man, and he would not meet with mishap so easily. Perhaps there are hidden circumstances we don't know of," Wei Zhao said to console him, then changed the subject. "By the way, besides this matter, there is good news I must tell you: the position of Third Pavilion Master of the Welcome New Pavilion has been settled on you. Tomorrow you had best prepare yourself mentally." (To be continued)