Chapter 4325 — A Sisterly Pact
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Moreover, she had only one personal disciple, and that was Wang Xinyan herself, whom she cherished and protected in all things. If Huang Xiaotao joined them, she believed the girl would suffer no hardship or slight of any kind.
East Sea Divine Nun had already been more than a little tempted; it was only that Ling Yuanqing and Wei Hebei had spoken first, and she had been too polite to contest the matter with them. Now, hearing Wang Xinyan say this, her resolve was settled at once.
After all, this was a dual fire-and-wind spiritual root, and a flawless Golden Core cultivator besides—in talent not the least bit inferior to Wang Xinyan, and rarer still, a female cultivator. To East Sea Divine Nun, whose ranks of disciples were so thin, this was a disciple delivered by heaven itself; even if she had to risk her dignity, she was determined to fight for the girl.
"Oh? Of course you may. It is rare that you should take such an interest, Yan'er—how could your master disappoint you?" East Sea Divine Nun had always doted on Wang Xinyan. She patted the girl's hand, then rose to her feet and addressed Ling Yuanqing and Wei Hebei directly: "This disciple—you two grown men should not squabble over her with an old woman like me. Female disciples are scarce to begin with, and ones of such aptitude scarcer still. Let her cultivate under my wing."
"This..." Ling Yuanqing and Wei Hebei exchanged a glance, somewhat abashed. They had indeed been eyeing Huang Xiaotao's formidable aptitude with greed, and had set their hearts on taking her as their own disciple—but now that East Sea Divine Nun had spoken, they felt too embarrassed to keep contending.
In any case, East Sea Divine Nun was a woman, and courtesy dictated that the two of them yield to her. What was more, she had always taken only female disciples; never before had she come forward to compete for any of the male disciples of surpassing aptitude they had encountered, and to this very day, though she was a vice-chancellor of the academy and a mighty titan of the Opening Mountain stage, she had only Wang Xinyan as a personal disciple. By both sentiment and reason, they ought not to fight her for the girl—otherwise they would look utterly petty.
Among the three great Opening Mountain titans of Morning Star Academy, setting aside the inconsequential nominal disciples and counting only personal disciples, Wei Hebei had taken no new disciples for several years, yet still had the most. To step forward and press his claim at such a moment would put him in the wrong from the start.
As for Chancellor Ling Yuanqing, though his personal disciples were very few, he still had more than East Sea Divine Nun's single solitary one. Moreover, East Sea Divine Nun was not only formidable in strength but also one of the academy's vice-chancellors—altogether indispensable to Morning Star Academy. Now that she had spoken up, so rare an occasion, Ling Yuanqing could hardly bring himself to defy her wishes.
"Very well, then. Since East Sea has spoken, the girl is yours. And among the three of us, you truly are the most suited to teach her," Ling Yuanqing said at last, making the final decision. Beside him, Wei Hebei raised no objection.
A short while later. Huang Xiaotao finished her discussion with Wei Zhao, and there, under the gaze of the multitudes, she followed Ling Yuanqing's earlier instructions and walked straight up onto the high platform, coming to stand before the three great Opening Mountain titans.
Yet before she could speak, East Sea Divine Nun said to her directly: "Girl, those two grown men are both unfit to be your master. I have just discussed it with them—from now on you shall be my personal disciple, and cultivate alongside Yan'er for company. How does that suit you?"
"Ah?" Huang Xiaotao was startled, and could not help turning to look at Wei Zhao below the platform. Wei Zhao had told her just moments ago to take Chancellor Ling Yuanqing as her master.