"Actually, most people are loyal to the Pavilion Master..."
Yao Yao said immediately.
Ning Beichen waved his hand at her and said.
"They are loyal to the Pavilion Master, but that doesn't mean they will support me, right?"
Ning Beichen was not some naive fool, he spoke out what Yao Yao was thinking but hadn't said.
"Young Master... the Pavilion Master is missing now. If you don't compete, then the Pavilion Master's years of hard work will be gone."
Yao Yao said anxiously to Ning Beichen.
"Don't worry, I will go."
Ning Beichen said to her.
"That's great! I'll go and tell them this good news right away and try to persuade more people to support you!"
Yao Yao said happily.
Ning Beichen just smiled without speaking. The Red Sleeve Pavilion was his master's wife's property, and as long as he, Ning Beichen, was here, no one could take it away.
After Yao Yao left, Ning Beichen's expression turned grim.
"You... you... are... looking... for... death!"
Ning Beichen said word by word.
He didn't even need to guess to know that someone must be causing trouble, and that person must have harmed his master's wife.
"I hope you will be sensible and don't treat me like a lamb."
Ning Beichen muttered to himself.
"Beichen, do you need our help?"
Liu Yilin and the others gathered around Ning Beichen. They were all very worried about their master's wife's disappearance, so they understood Ning Beichen's angry mood.
"No need. I want these people to jump out. If they don't, it will be difficult for me."
Ning Beichen said with murderous intent.
Soon, Ning Beichen, along with Liu Yilin and the others, and Abu, arrived at the Red Sleeve Pavilion.
Although Ning Beichen said he didn't need their help, he was worried about their safety. After all, his master's wife, a powerful person, had encountered trouble. He couldn't build his hopes on luck.
And when Ning Beichen appeared at the Red Sleeve Pavilion, not everyone welcomed him; many mocked and ridiculed him.
However, Ning Beichen didn't care about their sarcastic remarks at all, as if he were deaf.
But there were also those who supported him, led by Yao Yao and others who were loyal to Song Qiuyan.
Ning Beichen also observed secretly and found that among his competitors, the Grand Elder was the most arrogant. She was also the most senior, and many people within the Red Sleeve Pavilion supported her, or had long been bought by her.
The second competitor was Xiu Nü. Xiu Nü was the strongest in terms of power and cultivation in the Red Sleeve Pavilion, second only to the Pavilion Master.
Although called Xiu Nü, she was no longer young, her face full of wrinkles, and she spoke very little, unlike the Grand Elder.
The Grand Elder was like an orator, speaking with impassioned and powerful words. Two out of every three sentences she spoke were solemn vows to improve the welfare of the people within the Red Sleeve Pavilion, making the people of the Red Sleeve Pavilion feel passionate.
However, the person Ning Beichen suspected the least was this Grand Elder.
Undoubtedly, this Grand Elder had ambition, and Ning Beichen had seen many such people. They were selfish but not inherently bad.
A person could not stay in a force for so many years without causing trouble, so Ning Beichen ruled her out immediately.
Therefore, the person Ning Beichen suspected was Xiu Nü.
Ning Beichen had seen Xiu Nü's profile. She had only joined the Red Sleeve Pavilion for a few years.
Although she did not seem to have developed her own influence or formed factions within the Red Sleeve Pavilion like the Grand Elder, it was strange that so many people supported her. Ning Beichen wouldn't believe it if he was told there was no trickery involved.
Therefore, Ning Beichen concluded that there must be a force behind the scenes supporting her, creating momentum for her, and pushing her to the top.
This Xiu Nü was either someone from another force, a puppet of someone else, or was being controlled or threatened.
There were many ways to threaten a person, such as targeting her family, finding her vulnerabilities, or identifying her weaknesses.
In fact, Ning Beichen made this judgment because he saw Xiu Nü's expression.
Logically speaking, if Xiu Nü had no problems and truly wanted to compete for the Pavilion Master position, she should be very happy. Even if she didn't show it on the surface, she wouldn't have a blank expression and a sour face, as if everyone owed her money.
Ning Beichen's side was much worse off. Although many people were loyal to Song Qiuyan, they were loyal to Song Qiuyan, not to him, Ning Beichen. Moreover, the Red Sleeve Pavilion was a force predominantly composed of women, so Ning Beichen, a man, naturally couldn't gain much support.
Even the people who supported Ning Beichen now were desperately sought out by Yao Yao. If Ning Beichen had approached them himself, he probably wouldn't have had a single supporter.
"As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a snake cannot move without its head. With the Sect Master's whereabouts unknown, our Red Sleeve Pavilion needs to elect a temporary Pavilion Master to manage affairs until the Sect Master returns. If everyone has no objections, we will begin now."
"There are three candidates for the position of Pavilion Master this time."
"The first is the Grand Elder, who has devoted a lot of effort to the development of the Red Sleeve Pavilion. It can be said that during the time the Sect Master moved to Feikong Tower and no longer managed affairs, the Grand Elder handled all the major and minor matters, so she has gained the approval of most people in the Red Sleeve Pavilion."
"The second is Xiu Nü. Although she has not been in the Red Sleeve Pavilion for long, she has made many indelible contributions to the Red Sleeve Pavilion and has also gained the approval of a part of the Red Sleeve Pavilion's members."
"The third is Ning Beichen. His relationship, I think everyone knows, so I won't elaborate."
When it came to introducing Ning Beichen, it was just a brief mention. It was estimated that he was considered a dark horse candidate with no chance of winning, so he was not taken seriously at all.
"Alright, everyone, please vote. Those who support the Grand Elder, please vote here."
"Those who support Xiu Nü, please cast your vote in this box."
"Those who support Ning Beichen, please vote in the box in front of him."
After the host finished speaking, he began to let the members of the Red Sleeve Pavilion vote. It seemed quite fair, with no tricks involved.
The Grand Elder stood proudly behind the ballot box, occasionally cupping her hands to thank her supporters.
In her opinion, there was no need for an election because she was confident that she would win.
The reason was simple: before the election for Pavilion Master was held, she had already gained the support of two-thirds of the members of the Red Sleeve Pavilion, so how could anyone possibly win against her?
Xiu Nü remained silent throughout, like a cold-blooded assassin. However, when her gaze intersected with someone in the crowd, Ning Beichen keenly noticed it.
Although the person she made eye contact with only nodded subtly and made no other movement, Ning Beichen saw through it at a glance.
As he had expected, Xiu Nü was indeed the one with issues.