An Elder of the String Pavilion

Was he still trying to save face at a time like this?

Well, if the String Pavilion wanted to laugh at them, then so be it!

Elder Xu took a while to mull it over before making his decision. “At this point, our image is no longer important. Everyone, come with me!”

The other elders nodded in agreement and made to follow him.

Just then, a man joined them. “Elder Xu, Elder Wang,” he greeted with a faint smile. “You’re all here. Why do you look so terrible? Is there anything I can help you with? If you need something, just tell me. I wouldn’t dare to offend you and your peers.”

After speaking, he laughed quietly to himself in a rather debonair manner.

The elders turned around in surprise and found a man clad in a pure white robe. He looked to be around thirty years old and was quite dashing and elegant.

It was the youngest elder of the String Pavilion, Jiang Yu.

He was touted for his extraordinary strength, and he had a close relationship with the respected elders of the String Pavilion. It stood to reason that he had some sway over the String Pavilion despite his relatively young age.

As a matter of fact, he was also on good terms with most elders from other organizations.

This friendship meant nothing at the moment, however. Something happened to the Cabinet, and the elders had yet to discuss whether to disclose it to the outsiders or not.

Jiang Yu sauntered over with his folding fan.

A beautiful jade piece hung from its base, looking positively exquisite.

It appeared to be glimmering each time the sunlight hit its surface. Clearly, it was no ordinary trinket.

Elder Wang’s scowled when he saw who it was. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

“This meeting hall is designated for our Cabinet. You should know that idlers are not allowed to enter. Honestly, these people have no respect for decorum!”

Jiang Yu chuckled and let the old man grumble for a bit, totally unfazed by the latter’s animosity. “I was merely curious since there seems to be a lot of excitement going on around here. Please do not take it to heart, Elder Wang.”

He unfurled his fan and waved it in the air in a perfect arc.

Elder Xu, on the other hand, brightened upon seeing Jiang Yu. They could use this opportunity to ask for his help in rescuing Yao Tang and her companions.

Sensing that the young man was in a good mood, he picked his words carefully and opened his mouth to speak.

“It’s good that you’re here! Elder Jiang, you see, I have just accepted a new disciple. The problem is—”

“Why are you telling him this?” Elder Wang interrupted angrily. “He is from the String Pavilion! He is not one of us.”

Once they told Jiang Yu, it would only be a matter of time before the entire String Pavilion knew about the matter.

This lad had an obnoxiously big mouth. He would definitely blab the moment he returned to his fold. If that happened, the whole Music Association was bound to know.

How was that supposed to be a good thing?

Elder Wang wondered what the heck Elder Xu was thinking.

Elder Xu frowned and turned to argue with Elder Wang, but before he could utter a word, he spotted Yao Tang approaching from a distance.

His eyes instantly lit up in shock and relief.

“What is wrong with your disciple?”

Jiang Yu, prodded, visibly confused.

He could tell that these elders had something very important to discuss, but they were being so mysterious and secretive about it.

Even Elder Wang was acting strangely. He might have had a terrible temper in the past, but he had never lashed out at innocent people at random as he had just done to Jiang Yu.

“Ah!” Elder Xu exclaimed. “It’s her! She is my new disciple. I just… I wanted to introduce her to the String Pavilion, but she went out earlier in the afternoon, so I never had the chance.”

Elder Xu looked expectantly at Yao Tang.

The other elders followed the direction of his gaze, and soon mimicked his expression of surprise and relief. Elder Wang, the most hot-tempered of them all, even sported a proud smile.

Now, Jiang Yu was baffled more than ever.

It wasn’t just Elder Wang, but the rest of these elders were also acting weird.

If this was Elder Xu’s disciple, then why were all of them beaming with such delight?

Yao Tang stopped in front of Jiang Yu, and Elder Xu happily introduced them to each other. Before that, however, he looked Yao Tang up and down to make sure that she wasn’t hurt in any way.

“Tangtang, say hello. This is Elder Jiang of the String Pavilion. Based on the order of seniority, you may address him as your uncle.”

Jiang Yu nodded at Yao Tang with his signature smile.

Yao Tang nodded and greeted him respectfully. “Hello, Uncle.”