Chapter 3889 — Blocking the Door
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Had they not feared that handing in too many would invite suspicion, the two of them could easily have submitted far more. After all, given the crude conditions enjoyed by newcomers to the Azure Cloud Pavilion, coaxing six of ten spirit herb seeds to sprout was already a stunning and rare feat; submitting any more than that would have been outrageous.
Besides, in the positions Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai now occupied, the points from the spirit herb trial were little more than an itch they could not scratch, and it was hardly worth courting suspicion over a paltry few points.
The spirit herb seeds Wei Zhao had cultivated for them boasted such a high survival rate, yet his own forty seeds had been wiped out to the last one. Was that even possible? Knowing Wei Zhao as he did, Xiao Che reckoned their leader had likely hidden his light on purpose, biding his time to let a few posturing clowns make fools of themselves.
Not only Xiao Che, but Li Zhengming in the crowd was of the same mind, sitting back and waiting for Meng Jueming and his lot to be slapped in the face.
Amid the bustling press of people, the gate of Cave Dwelling No. 1 at the foot of the mountain finally swung open, and when Wei Zhao saw the crowd besieging his doorstep, he was visibly taken aback.
"Oh? This early?" Wei Zhao smiled faintly, and his next words promptly turned every face in the crowd black. "I heard such a racket inside just now, I thought a pack of beggars had come from somewhere and blocked my cave dwelling to beg for alms. To think it was all of you—what a lively bunch you are."
Beggars! You're the beggars here! Everyone cursed inwardly, yet on reflection, in the state they were in, were they not precisely beggars blocking a door to beg? Delivering themselves to be mocked—the more they thought about it, the more despicably shameless it seemed.
At this, Meng Jueming could hold back no longer. "Wei Zhao, you haven't forgotten what day today is, have you?"
"Today?" Wei Zhao pondered a moment, then suddenly smacked his own forehead. "Right you are! Senior Brother Meng, you've reminded me just in time. Is today the day the spirit jade gets handed out again? The last few times you always gave me the smallest share—you can't play favorites again this time. And oh, yes—any of you who'd like to trade spirit jade with me, line up and start bidding, first come, first served!"
What the hell! What in the world was this supposed to be? Was this brat truly a fool, or only pretending to be one?
Meng Jueming was stunned for a long moment, already cursing the boy's ancestors in his belly, but beside him Murong Zhen could not help bursting into a giggle. Setting aside his strength and his allegiances, this Wei Zhao fellow was really rather amusing.
"Wei Zhao, don't you dare change the subject with me. I, your senior brother, solemnly remind you: today is the final deadline for handing in the spirit herb trial. You declared forty spirit herb seeds in one breath, and to this day you haven't turned in a single one. Do you know what consequences that will bring?" Meng Jueming scowled and snorted coldly.
At these words the crowd perked up at once. Here came the good show!
"What consequences? Isn't it just a deduction of forty assessment points?" Wei Zhao said with a look of amusement.
"A deduction of forty assessment points? Hmph, you've wasted a full forty spirit herb seeds that my spirit herb garden painstakingly cultivated—this junior brother of ours thinks far too lightly of the consequences, it would seem." Before Meng Jueming could speak, a voice from afar had already snorted out the reply on his behalf.
The crowd started and turned at the sound, and there they saw three figures approaching slowly from the distance.