Chapter 3879 — Friend or Foe?
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"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.