Chapter 3707 — The Newcomer Steward
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
One had to understand: across the six assessment stages, a good result in each was generally worth only fifty or sixty points, and in several stages even first place fell short of the fifty-point mark. In other words, holding this newcomer steward position was equivalent to an extra assessment stage—one that handed out full marks by default.
So long as nothing went badly wrong in the six stages, this was practically a guaranteed first-place finish!
Every newcomer's heart burned with hope, each praying that this windfall from the heavens might land on his own head—but anyone with clear eyes could see that this choice had been settled behind closed doors long ago.
Sure enough, Hu Yunfeng went on, "This position shall be filled by Kang Jingming. He placed first in the last public election for newcomer steward, and in the back-mountain trial two days ago he took first place among the Skyward Pavilion. In both prestige and strength, there is no one better suited to the seat. Does anyone object? If you do, raise your hand and speak now—don't come grumbling later about shady dealings behind the scenes and sully the reputation of our Newcomer Pavilion!"
The newcomers were jolted awake as if by a bucket of cold water. They looked at one another, yet not a single voice was raised.
For one thing, by Hu Yunfeng's account, Kang Jingming genuinely had the qualifications for the newcomer steward post; and the others had not the confidence to compete with him in any case.
For another, the newcomer assessment ranked the three pavilions separately. That is, even if Kang Jingming became newcomer steward, those most affected would be the Skyward Pavilion's own newcomers; it had little bearing on the newcomers of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion and the Azure Cloud Pavilion.
And the Skyward Pavilion newcomers had always obeyed Xu Lingchong without question, so making Kang Jingming the newcomer steward was entirely Xu Lingchong's will; naturally they would not protest. As for the uninvolved newcomers of the other two pavilions, it was no concern of theirs, and all the less reason to stick their necks out and invite trouble.
"No one speaking—it seems there are no objections. Then it is settled. From this day forth, Kang Jingming is your newcomer steward!" Hu Yunfeng declared on the spot.
"You are too kind, far too kind." Kang Jingming smiled faintly and cupped his hands again and again toward the crowd of newcomers, his air of smug triumph drawing a wave of envy from them all. But envy was useless—who told them to have a young master like Xu Lingchong backing him?
If it came to who was actually unconvinced, there were indeed those who chafed—they simply dared not say so. Hu Yunfeng had come right out with "raise your hand if you object"—was that not plain as day a invitation to shoot the bird that poked its head from the flock?
Qiao Hongcai wanted to speak, but Wei Zhao held him back, smiling faintly and shaking his head. This so-called newcomer steward might look to others like a formidable post with plenty of gravy, but in Wei Zhao's eyes it was nothing at all.
He would have counted it a waste of time even if it were handed to him! Better to spend that time digging a few scraps of waste jade out of the spirit jade mine—now that would be something real.
With the newcomer steward chosen, the next order of business was familiarizing themselves with the rules, and then the newcomer assessment would formally begin, its six stages to be completed over the next five months. Examining the content of the first stage closely, Wei Zhao could not help but laugh aloud—another test that felt uncannily familiar: resisting pressure!
He had not forgotten that back in the mortal world, when he attended the summit of the hidden clans, he had already been put through such a trial. Now he faced a similar scene again, and it was practically second nature.