Chapter 557: Back to Labor Office
The elders and venerables gazed upon Yue’er with newfound interest.
[She ain’t half bad, a good promising elite seed. Besides, it’s only natural that the master gets to ‘safekeep’ his disciple’s gear, no?]
“Ha-ha-ha, she is a fine disciple and I haven’t seen someone like her in years. Since no one wants her, I’ll be taking her.” A grizzled old man eyed Yue’er. Or was it her items? Who knows.
But then a creepy voice shouted, “Elder Yang, don’t go hogging everything. I find the girl quite pleasing, she’ll be under me!”
“Heh, Elder Gu, you must be dreaming. I got dibs on her and now you want to take her away from me?” Elder Yang glared at the interloper.
His greedy look warned him, [Stand the hell down before you hurt yourself!]
But Elder Gu merely huffed.
Then came another voice, “You two are in your own little world I see, to think she is yours.”
“Heh, shameless old Wang, you got your share last year and didn’t see me fighting over them, did you? Now that I’ve finally found a good seed, you want to take it?” Elder Yang would simply not have it, no no no.
Elder Gu chimed in, “Yeah, you always get the most disciples and still come back for more? Go back to your cozy home and stay out of our business!”
“Ha-ha, now you both are coming for me? No chance! I get to have so many disciples because you two throw them away. No matter what, she must be mine!” Elder Wang roared.
The two bickered and as the oldies piled up, the fighting escalated.
The competition was now in chaos, shouting and fighting everywhere. The disciples were speechless.
The same elders and venerables who they saw having stone faces and fighting for respect were now clobbering each other.
All for one tiny little disciple. They were stunned and also envious of Yue’er.
[She’s just some outer disciple and just because of a measly win she’s got everyone’s attention and they are fighting over her.]
While Yue Ling was overflowing with joy for her sister.
Xie Wuyue sneered at their tantrums and watched Venerable Shi. [This guy must be thinking the girl has been nurtured with great care all these years, a pawn to quell the inner disciples.]
[And he must be planning to throw her into the inner sect and take her away from my control just so she loses her worth.]
[Funny though, she’s not mine but Zhuo Fan’s. Take her for all I care, Zhuo Fan is bound to rear another one in the Labor Office.]
This Sect Leader had no worry whatsoever.
Xie Wuyue grinned inside, praising Zhuo Fan’s whammy. Even he would’ve needed more time to get an outer disciple to this level.
To say nothing about catching the eyes of everyone with every movement of his as a Sect Leader. Having Zhuo Fan as his proxy was so much better.
While Xie Wuyue’s noncommittal attitude threw Venerable Shi for a loop.
[Isn’t she his pawn? Or does he have other plans?]
Venerable Shi probed, “Silence! Venerables, elders, have you no shame exhibiting such disgrace before the entire sect?”
Ugh!
The oldies froze mid swing, looking at Xie Wuyue and Venerable Shi with shy gazes and red faces.
They got too caught up in getting the girl that they let themselves go and devolved into bickering like old hags.
But as the matter stood, who will get the doll and her dowry?
Venerable Shi spoke with a cold smile, “Sect Leader, everyone shows interest in taking her as a disciple, but it is hard to decide. From how I see it, with Hu Mei’er dead, second elder has lost a dear disciple and taking Yue’er would mend his broken heart.”
[You rotten no good vile Shi Manshan! You want to hog all the goodies by yourself!]
Every elder and venerable screamed at him, in their minds at least.
Venerable Shi had the second elder in his bag, and by proxy he would get all the demonic treasures and an elite candidate.
[Hu Mei’er died, but he would get three demonic treasures. It’s totally worth it!]
[The hell with mending hearts? Look how perverted the second elder is? Do you see any hurt on his face?]
The whole sect knew just how close he was to his female disciples. [Since one died, he’d just get another.]
[Take the mending and stuff it where the sun doesn’t shine!]
All elders and venerables were outraged, moving from Venerable Shi to second elder. The latter was even roaming his creepy eyes over Yue’er’s body.
Even nodding now and then.
Yue Ling panicked. Any female disciple knew of the second elder’s tastes.
Yue Ling feared her sister would fall to his poison and would end up the same way as her predecessor.
“You’re wrong, Venerable Shi.”
A middle-aged man in white smiled, “In the inner sect competition, there are no grudges. Once you step on the ring, emotions have no place, with life and death settled on a whim. We are elders and venerables, accustomed to our disciples’ fate so how could we care for them? Second elder’s perverted tastes have been going on for centuries now, yet it just so happened that today he has changed? Venerable Shi, letting him have this doll is an insult to the rest of us!”
Venerable Shi squinted.
Second elder glared.
The man glossed over and chuckled, “While my disciple, Yue Ling, is her sister. By having them work together, their future will be limitless, achieving glory in the Double Dragon Gathering!”
“Venerable Bai, are you fighting me over a disciple?” Second elder’s hawk-eyes stared back.
Venerable Bai waved his hand, “Can you even fight? I only care about the sect’s future and speak facts. The sisters will help each other and thereby, the sect.”
“Why you…” Second elder was fuming.
Venerable Shi said, “Venerable Bai, you’re a venerable yet you would fight an elder? “
“He-he-he, do you mean I can’t? Venerable Shi, aren’t you always doing it?” This was a naked taunt.
Everyone saw a thin elderly in a plain robe poking fun at Venerable Shi.
Venerable Shi snorted, “Venerable Qi, you too?”
“Of course, it is my responsibility to look out for our disciples’ future.” Venerable Qi stuck out his chest and annoyed the hell out of Venerable Shi.
Xie Wuyue snickered inside.
[Venerable Qi and Venerable Bai are third and fourth in line of authority. The two together can hold Venerable Shi back.]
They all had no care for each other, until now. Since Venerable Shi and Grand Elder allied, they considered everyone beneath them, taking what they pleased and setting up their disciples into becoming elites.
While eliminating all obstacles and in turn getting on these two venerables’ bad side.
Their disciples, Kui Lang and Yue Ling, were demoted to laborers. But with Gui Hu always picking fights with their other disciples and killing them, they knew the two were after their share.
Left with no other choice, they used their two disciples’ credit in the Labor Office to get them back.
Venerable Shi had always pushed back Venerable Qi and Venerable Bai.
But now at last, someone stood up to these greedy bastards!
Xie Wuyue grinned, “Enough squabbling. I know everyone wants a talent to nurture, but did you ever stop to think to ask the person herself? Wasting a talent like her is damaging to the sect!”
Everyone nodded and turned to Yue’er, eager to be her master.
Xie Wuyue said, “As an inner disciple, you have to have a master’s guidance. Speak now, who will be your guide?”
Yue’er roamed her eyes over the oldies and their hypocritical smiles, lost on who to pick.
Yue Ling was giving her obvious hints from the side. [Pick Venerable Bai!]
“If you don’t want to die, go back to the Labor Office!”
An aged voice entered her ear, “Three months of training should’ve let you know that the strong never ask for anything.”
Yue’er shuddered and turned to the blade in her hand and her eyes lit up. With a bow she said, “Sect Leader, please send me back to the Labor Office!”
[Say what?!]
Everyone was slack jawed…