Chapter 3622 — Zhong Yongliang Offers a Scheme
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
The two of them trudged out of Mining Zone Ten with long faces. Meng Jueming was just about to go find Dai Wuchang and arrange a replacement Zone Seven contract for Meng Zhou when, to his surprise, he caught sight of two familiar figures at the entrance: Kang Jingming and Zhong Yongliang.
These two were not merely disciples of the Soaring Heaven Pavilion—they were lackeys hand-picked by Xu Lingchong himself, and counted among the more prominent newcomers of this term's Welcome Newcomers Pavilion.
Kang Jingming especially, under Young Master Xu's particular favor, had all but locked in the post of newcomers' steward. From what Meng Jueming had observed, the man was shrewd and full of schemes, and lately he had been haunting the Spirit Jade Hall with great diligence—no doubt with an eye on the spirit jade dug from the mines.
A sudden inspiration struck Meng Jueming. Of course—these two were Wei Zhao's mortal enemies as well, their feud stretching back to the mortal realm. If he could enlist them in a scheme against Wei Zhao, they would surely leap at the chance! Perhaps they knew Wei Zhao well enough to have some clever trick up their sleeves.
At that thought, Meng Jueming hurried forward a few steps and called out, "Brother Kang, Brother Zhong, I never expected to run into you two here. What a coincidence."
"Well, well, if it isn't Brother Meng!" Kang Jingming and Zhong Yongliang exchanged a glance, then answered with matching smiles.
Soaring Heaven Pavilion disciples might look down on the men of Azure Cloud Pavilion as a matter of course, but Meng Jueming was, after all, the steward of the Welcome Newcomers Pavilion and had Wei Zhao under his authority, and Young Master Xu Lingchong seemed to regard him with a measure of favor. So Kang Jingming was quite willing to cultivate him. As for Zhong Yongliang, whatever Kang Jingming did, he did too, resolutely refusing to fall behind.
After a few pleasantries, Meng Jueming asked, "Are you two headed down into the mines?"
"That's right. Small newcomers like us don't have the easy life you do, Brother Meng. Apart from digging jade down in the mines for a bit of spirit jade, we've got no other decent prospects," Kang Jingming answered with a smile.
"Ha, Brother Kang, that's far too modest of you! You two are Soaring Heaven Pavilion disciples, and moreover Young Master Xu's most valued subordinates. Even if you go down into the mines, it must be Mining Zone One—digging thirty or forty pieces of fine jade a day is a sure thing. Even a steward like me is a little envious. To call yourselves small newcomers is really a bit much!" Meng Jueming flattered him with a chuckle.
Meng Jueming's words were mere flattery, but beside him Meng Zhou's gaze held envy that he could not conceal. What did thirty or forty pieces of fine jade a day even mean? It meant that a single day's casual work for them matched five days of his own labor—three or four days of idle toil and they could claim a spirit jade as reward. Truly, comparisons were maddening!
"Not at all, not at all." Having noticed Meng Zhou's envious look, Kang Jingming kept his words humble, though inwardly he was rather pleased with himself.
It only proved how right he had been to cling tightly to Xu Lingchong's leg when he first teleported up to Cloud Terrace Island. Otherwise he would have been assigned to a wretched place like Azure Cloud Pavilion, toiling all day for a mere five or six pieces of fine jade—that would have been truly miserable! And of course, if one were targeted on every side as Wei Zhao was, it would be even more pitiful.
But if Kang Jingming only knew that he, a prized newcomer of Mining Zone One, had to labor three or four days to earn a single spirit jade, while Wei Zhao could sneak away at least two spirit jades every day—with practically no risk at all—would he not simply die of envy and hatred?