BXBX NOVEL Chapter 767 - Sowing Discord
It wasn’t because he wanted a shot at cultivation, but because of Yao Tang. She was practically a genius.
She had only agreed to subscribe to the Cabinet Elders’ tutelage after she was promised she could read their precious books. From this, President Tan surmised that she wanted to develop her musical talent even further.
And if Elder Nie could help her achieve her goals, then he would not hold her back.
President Tan couldn’t deny that the old man’s words were appealing, and certainly advantageous for both him and Yao Tang.
Even so, he couldn’t simply wave his apprehensions away. He knew, too, that Elder Nie could very well be lying through his teeth just to get them over to his side.
If they made the wrong choice now, it might be too late for them to turn back in the future.
If there was one thing that he learned from today’s incident, it was that the Green Cloud Pavilion only knew underhanded tricks instead of fighting fairly.
Such people could not be trusted.
President Tan took a deep breath. He had made up his mind. He looked straight at Elder Nie and said in a firm tone, “I cannot dictate other people’s actions, but I, for one, will not be joining your organization.”
Then he turned to Yao Tang and said, “Tangtang, these people do not abide by the rules of justice. You must not be deceived by them.”
He might have refused for himself, but he didn’t intend to stop Yao Tang if she wanted to join the Green Cloud Pavilion. The most he could do was to warn her to be careful.
Elder Nie let out a cheerful laugh. “What are you saying? I am a Cabinet Elder as well, you know. Why would I go back on my word? Don’t you know the reputation of the Nie family? Look it up and you will understand.”
When he saw Tan Jian’s hostile gaze, he added, “We shall be business partners, don’t you see? I am the Great Elder of the Green Cloud Pavilion, and my word is god. As long as I promise something, it shall be fulfilled at all costs. You may rest assured.”
His voice had turned solemn as he said this. If it had been anyone else, they would surely think that he was being sincere.
But the trio knew better. “I’m not coming with you,” President Tan repeated with a derisive snort.
Elder Nie chuckled. “Well, if you persist on clinging to your suspicions, how about you come and take a peek into our organization first? Maybe then, you will understand everything.
“Despite what you think, we are a proper institution in our own right, and are internal affairs are systematic and precise. We are not inferior to your precious Cabinet. If anything, we have more potential.”
Elder Nie had a deep love for budding young geniuses, but that wasn’t the only reason why he was eager to persuade Yao Tang and her companions.
As things stood, his right-hand man was badly injured and could not be expected to win a fight.
If they engaged in combat now, both sides would only suffer more losses, and it might even lead to a permanent enmity between the parties.
The most practical way is to convince Yao Tang and cart all three of them off without shedding more blood.
Besides, he had already seen what Yao Tang could do with her spiritual strength.
This was what he was truly after.
If he had someone of her caliber in the Green Cloud Pavilion, they would soon rise to be at the pinnacle of power. And as the cherry on top, it would serve as a great insult to those Cabinet Elders.
For their promising young apprentice to betray them like that…
Elder Nie’s smile deepened as he thought of how miserable those geezers would be.
“Miss Yao, President Tan has been working for the Music Association all these years. His loyalty lies with them. You should know that the resources they will grant you have already been weighed beforehand.
“But I assure you, you won’t have to put up with such petty inconveniences in the Green Cloud Pavilion. You will come first. We will dedicate all of our resources to you, without limit, until you realize your full power!”
To his credit, Elder Nie was really able to spin the narrative in his favor. He spoke as though he and his people had nothing but pure and good intentions for Yao Tang.
Surprisingly, this set President Tan off yet again. He huffed and pointed a finger at Elder Nie. “Great! You’re just trying to sow discord, aren’t you? You’re trying to tarnish my relationship with Yao Tang! Shameless old man!”
He turned to Yao Tang with a concerned expression.
“We have faith in you, Tangtang. That’s why I’m letting you decide for yourself on this one. We will support whatever you choose. But keep in mind that these hooligans abducted Elder Chen, and were about to do the same to the three of us.”
“That’s right!” Tan Jian quickly jumped in. “The purpose of their ambush was to kidnap us. If they are as honorable as that old man claims, why would they even need to resort to such methods? Tangtang, you must listen to my father. We will never put the interest of the association before you. You know we care about you very much.”
They needed to win over Yao Tang before Elder Nie poisoned her mind even further. It was one thing for her to join the Green Cloud Pavilion, but if she ended up thinking badly of President Tan and Tan Jian, then that would be another thing entirely.