Sung-il quickly spoke up before Xiao Mo could.
"This is my good Brother who is visiting the Demonic Cult from the Righteous Faction. He was interested in the guqin skills of the Red Orchid maidens, so I borrowed Brother Bai Luo's token to bring him here."
Xiao Mo glanced at Sung-il, and Sung-il gave him a look that said he should just go with it.
After pausing for a moment, Xiao Mo cupped his fists at President Kim without opening his mouth to introduce himself. Meanwhile, he was internally realizing his earlier thoughts about Sung-il were wrong. He really wasn't close to Bai Luo and had likely entered his room to steal this special jade token.
Seeing Xiao Mo cupping his fist and remaining silent, President Kim snorted before turning back to Sung-il and saying coldly.
"I won't bother quibbling with you on whether you stole that jade token from Young Master Bai Luo or not, but you can forget about visiting the Practice Hall. The Guest Hall is where guests who visit the garden stay."
"But-"
Sung-il wanted to say something but was cut off by President Kim.
"The jade token allows you to enter the garden, but I get the final say on where in the garden you can go, and for you, as well as your friend, the Practice Hall is a restricted area you can never enter!"
Xiao Mo's heart sank upon hearing that.
After throwing that out, President Kim turned to leave, however, Sung-il quickly stopped her and asked.
"Wait! Senior Sister Kim, the Red Orchid maidens perform for guests, right? Can you make an exception for my good brother here, he only wants to listen to their guqin."
Upon hearing this, President Kim couldn't help but stop in her tracks and let out a laugh. She then turned to look at Sung-il with a mocking expression and said.
"Do you think I would believe you? Any friend of yours is likely not a good person. Who knows what you're planning by sneaking him in here."
Hearing this, Sung-il became indignant and retorted.
"Senior Sister Kim, how can you be so heartless? My Brother is someone who truly appreciates the guqin and wishes to listen to-"
President Kim didn't allow Sung-il to finish his rant as she coldly cut him off once again by saying.
"Have you forgotten how your brother was caught trying to open a gap in the Formation so you could slip through? Poor Junior Brother Ho-yun must have been coerced by you to disrupt the Formation against his will. I even had to break a few of his bones and revoke his token to discipline him a bit."
President Kim then thought of something, and her expression turned to one of pity as she glanced at Xiao Mo before asking.
"Don't tell me this villain is coercing you to do this? Just say the word and I'll make sure to teach him a lesson on your behalf."
Sung-il's scalp turned numb when he heard that, and cold sweat soaked his back. He glanced at Xiao Mo, wondering if he was going to sell him out and use this chance to enter the Practice Hall.
However, contrary to Sung-il's thoughts, Xiao Mo didn't do that. He cupped his fists at President Kim and politely said.
"President Kim, I truly am visiting from the Righteous Faction. Brother Sung-il wasn't trying to do anything nefarious, I had always wanted to witness the disciples of the Demonic Cult's guqin skills and Brother Sung-il offered to take me here."
Upon seeing Xiao Mo's polite demeanor, President Kim realized he might be telling the truth. However, she had her doubts.
"You said you were from the Righteous Faction, did you come with that lecherous Third Young Master of the Han Clan?"
Xiao Mo, who still had his fist cup while in a bowed position, stiffened slightly. He then sighed in his heart and revealed the truth.
"President Kim, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Han Xiao Mo, the Third Young Master of the Han Clan, and I initially came here due to the marriage arrangement my father made between the Cult Leader's daughter and myself. However, I personally wanted to visit the Red Orchid Garden."
As Xiao Mo had suspected, the moment he revealed his identity, President Kim's reaction was just like those of the Emei Sect disciples when he had requested to enter their Sect.
With a blanched face, President Kim took three steps back and then stuttered out in a mortified tone.
"You—You're that lecherous villain the Young Miss is forced to marry?!"
She immediately turned to Sung-il, and she looked even more angrier than before as she said through gritted teeth.
"Sung-il, good, good, good. You actually brought a wolf dressed in sheep's clothing into our Red Orchid Garden. Even for you, I would never have thought you would do something like this!"
Hearing President Kim's words, Sung-il could only force a smile before looking over at Xiao Mo confusedly, wondering why he revealed his identity.
Xiao Mo shook his head in response. It didn't sit well with him hiding his identity to enter this place, especially when it would eventually be revealed later. At that point, the reaction would still be the same.
So, he would rather go through with revealing his identity now than later, and if that meant he wouldn't be able to see those disciples' guqin skills, then that was fine.
When it comes to the guqin, Xiao Mo found it hard to be anything but genuine. Lying his way into the Red Orchid Garden and interrupting those disciples' guqin practice with his unwanted presence was something that he simply could not bring himself to do.
"President Kim, if you decline to allow me into the Practice Hall then I'll take my leave."
President Kim didn't respond and only snorted at Xiao Mo as he turned to walk away.
Sung-il saw that Xiao Mo didn't even consider staying inside the Guest Hall, and this made him fall into deep thought. After a moment, he suddenly turned to President Kim and asked.
"Senior Sister Kim, the Red Orchid Garden has a rule that states anyone who can pass the test of learning the Divine Orchid Melody in an allotted time can join, correct?"
President Kim frowned when she heard that but still nodded her head.
Sung-il smiled, especially when he saw from the corner of his eye that Xiao Mo had suddenly stopped in place.
With an amused laugh, Sung-il pointed at Xiao Mo behind him and then said.
"Great! Then how about allowing my good brother here to take that test?"