“Who else, if not me?” President Tan declared indignantly. It was all he could do not to thump his chest in pride.
Elder Li shook his head regretfully. “What a pity. Wouldn’t it be a waste to leave such a promising seedling in your hands?”
“That’s right, that’s right. At the very least, you should choose an elder from the Cabinet as your teacher, right?” Elder Wangcould not help but interrupt once again, his eyes trained onYao Tang.
Elder Xu came up with an idea at that point, and he readily offered a suggestion. “Tangtang, since you insist on staying under your teacher’s tutelage, why don’t you allow us to be your mentors as well? That way, you wouldn’t have to be separated from your master, and you will gain three more to guide you and help you hone your talents. What do you think?”
President Tan was pleasantly surprised by the notion. “I have no objections to this, but my apprentice is the one to make the final decision.”
He doubted that these three old men would be willing to lower their pride and share an excellent pupil among themselves anyway.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Elder Xuput the suggestion on the table, the other two immediately latched on to it. They fussed aroundYao Tangyet again.
“How marvelous, Tangtang! We shall teach you together. You won’t have to give upTan Xian, the brat, and you will get to call us Cabinet Elders your teachers, too.”
“Yes, yes, we will make sure that your talents do not go to waste!”
Yao Tang’s brows furrowed as the three men fawned over her once more. Deep down, she wanted to reject their offer.
But they were staring at her in such earnest.
The wrinkles on their faces were defined, and their backs were hunched in varying degrees. Even so, their eyes were alight with vigor and zeal for life.
If, however, she refused them so callously, one of them just might keel over from a heart attack.
Yao Tang’s frown deepened.
“Tangtang, didn’t you say you wanted to go to the Compendium Pavilionto read some of the more elusive books?”President Tanreminded her. “You will need the approval of several elders for that, you know.”
The old men nodded eagerly. “Well, that goes without saying. As long as you accept our offer, you are free to read any book to your heart’s content.”
Their wrinkly old faces were filled with anticipation.
Yao Tang thought of the parchment paper in her possession. In the end, she could only nod in agreement. “All right.”
The moment the words came out of her mouth, the old men burst into joy. Their faces relaxed, and they laughed jovially with each other.
Never had they imagined that they would chance upon such a precious disciple in their lifetime. The heavens favored them, after all!
Elder Xu chuckled and stroked his beard. “Let’s go, then. There is no time to lose. Let’s head to the association’s Management Office to settle the formalities. We must not delay this any longer!”
“Yes, yes!” The other two elders instantly bobbed their heads.
As the group made their way to the office, the elders continued to observe Yao Tang. The more they studied her, the more pleased they were with their decision.
“Rest assured, Tangtang. We are well aware of your desire to go to theCompendium Pavilion. Once the other elders return, we shall grant you access right away!”
Gone was Elder Wang’s solemn demeanor from earlier. Now, he was acting like a giddy little kid.
Nodding, Elder Liadded, “I think it would be better to call all of our disciples back this time and introduce Tantang to them. We need to pave the way for a harmonious fellowship, don’t we? How about we hold a banquet tomorrow?”
Needless to say, everyone was on board with this.
They walked through the hallway in high spirits.
Even Elder Wang, who was notorious for being stern and aloof, was sporting a grin on his face.
Indeed, they were very satisfied with Yao Tang.
Meanwhile, Yao Ranin one of the many rooms in the association. She sat betweenTeacher ZhangandQin Man, and seated opposite them was another man.
“Please, Senior Brother, we badly need your help. Trust me, Ranranhas the skills. She is more than qualified. The only reason that she was unsuccessful last time was because of unavoidable circumstances. The Beijing Assessment will begin soon. You must letRanranparticipate!”
The man frowned and took a slow sip of his tea. His heart had frozen momentarily upon hearing Teacher Zhang’s request. After a while, he heaved a long sigh and spoke.
“It’s not that I don’t want to help you. If you are confident in Ranran’s abilities, then why rush things? Surely, you can afford to wait until the proper channels open up for you. Besides, do you honestly think it’s easy to find a suitable ensemble that would take her in on such short notice?”
Qin Man bristled at that, thinking that the man was refusing because no money had been put on the table. She raised her chin haughtily and scoffed.
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“Sir, the matter of compensation is not a difficulty for our Yao family. You can ask however much you want, as long as you know your limits, and you are able to deliver your end of the deal.”
