Chapter 23: Refining the Second-turn Rejuvenation Pill (2)
"Report! The criminal disciple Jiang Tang has been brought here!"
Elder Liuyue waved her slender hand, her gaze containing hidden rage, "Bring him forth!" She wanted to see for herself what Jiang Tang was capable of to incite such fury from a disciple of the Medicine Sect.
When Jiang Tang was escorted by two disciples from Water Cloud Peak, he immediately spotted the malicious-looking Hua Qing.
His heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that this guy intended to frame him?
He had guessed right.
"Jiang Tang, my junior only wished to engage with you in a friendly competition of alchemy skills. Had you refused, it would have been fine, but why resort to such harsh insults? He nearly lost his Cultivation Heart because of you. Can you bear that responsibility?" Hua Qing pulled forward a disciple from the Medicine Sect with a depressed expression and loudly accused Jiang Tang.
"I did not insult anyone," Jiang Tang was startled, then shook his head immediately.
This person he had not even met before, how could there be any insults, what a joke.
"Still trying to argue!?" Hua Qing revealed an outraged demeanor and whipped out a long whip, about to lash out.
Hua Jing's eyes flickered.
"Brother Jiang!" Hua Sheng couldn't stand it any longer, struggling to break free and disperse the Spiritual Power unleashed by the long whip.
At that moment, a surge of Spiritual Power descended abruptly from the high platform above, forcibly blocking the whip and even rebounding it back.
Hua Qing, caught off guard, stumbled and fell to the ground, whip and all, in an even more wretched state than the day before.
"This is the Immortal Sect's territory, how dare you juniors be so presumptuous!" Elder Liuyue withdrew her hands, her beautiful eyes filled with a cold sharpness.
"Elder, I beg you to see the truth! My junior merely wished to exchange friendship through a competition with him, yet he insulted to such an extent that it nearly destroyed my junior's Cultivation Heart. Without the Cultivation Heart, how can one talk about Cultivation or attaining the Immortal Dao!" Hua Qing got up, cupping his fists in salute, his indignation seeming quite genuine.
He spoke with such passion that even Jiang Tang almost believed it.
Almost believed that he really had insulted this disciple from the Medicine Sect.
Jiang Tang smirked.
He might be easy to bully, but that didn't mean he was so easily bullied.
"If that is the case, how would you propose we resolve the grievances between our two Sects?" Elder Liuyue massaged her temple, hiding the helplessness in her eyes.
If this involved the Cultivation Heart, it indeed posed a tricky issue.
However, she had observed Jiang Tang, though an Outer Sect disciple, to be full of righteousness, not appearing to be the sort who would insult others without cause. Furthermore, not long ago, he even won first place at the farming conference, earning great respect for the Servant Disciples.
Poor child, he seemed to have incurred the Medicine Sect disciple's resentment.
Ah, serving as the acting Sect Leader for a few years, how could she have encountered such a troublesome matter.
Originally, the Immortal Sect's leader had been traveling around to ensure peace in the Mortal Realm for many years, rarely appearing in the Sect unless there was a significant matter.
Therefore, the affairs of the Immortal Sect were managed by the Elders of the Twelve Peaks in turn.
In recent years, it happened to fall to Elder Liuyue of Water Cloud Peak.
Although Elder Liuyue favored the Inner Sect disciples, when facing major issues, she would still be fair and impartial, not showing leniency. Anyone verified to have committed severe mistakes would have their Cultivation base stripped and be expelled from the Sect.
"To untie the bell, the person who tied it must untie it. My junior only wanted to compare his alchemy skills with Jiang Tang. This morning, both of them need only to compete in the alchemy of Pills, a simple sparring. Right, junior?" Hua Qing said, elbowing the gloomy Medicine Sect disciple.
The Medicine Sect disciple nodded carefully and cautiously looked up at Jiang Tang, but upon seeing his indifferent gaze, his heart skipped a beat and he quickly looked down again.
For some reason, he always felt that Jiang Tang's eyes were too clean.
As if... they could see through everything.
"Very well, then let's have a competition. Jiang Tang, do you have any objections?" Elder Liuyue's sharp eyes suddenly turned to Jiang Tang.
Jiang Tang instinctively shrank his neck.
The pressure from a superior was indeed terrifying.
Coughing once, he composed himself and nodded in agreement, "I have no objections, Elder."
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"Fine, disciple of the Medical Gate Hua Clan, this elder asks you, what Pills do you wish to compete in concocting?" Elder Liuyue glanced at the Medicine Sect disciple again.
The Medicine Sect disciple also shrank his neck.
Unlike the former's subconscious reverence, his was caused by a guilty conscience.
"To answer the Elder, concocting... any Second-turn Rejuvenation Pill at will."
No sooner had he spoken than the room fell utterly silent.
The crowd frowned in unison.
Elder Liuyue looked at Jiang Tang, then rubbed her forehead again.
She was certain to set this kid up. Judging by his attire, he was just a Servant Disciple. Even if he could concoct Pills, how good could he possibly be?
Hua Sheng pursed her lips, staring intently at Hua Qing.
How complacent the petty are!
Little did they know, Jiang Tang remained silent for a moment, then slowly began to speak, "Fine, then let us concoct a Second-turn Rejuvenation Pill here in this hall, with everyone as witness."
He raised his eyes, looking at the Medicine Sect disciple with a clear and clean gaze.
Seeing this, the Medicine Sect disciple dared not meet his gaze.
He felt increasingly guilty.
"Good, to ensure fairness, this elder will have disciples bring up two Pill Furnaces of the same quality for the two of you to use for alchemy. Retrieve your own Spiritual Medicine, with everyone as witness. Should anyone dare to harbour fraudulent intent—"
Elder Liuyue was holding a strand of spiritual light in her hand, and as she spoke, she narrowed her eyes slightly, causing the strand of light to disintegrate into powdery dust.
"The end will be just like this spiritual light."
Elder Liuyue was beautiful in appearance and her voice was as melodious as the music of the heavens.
However, at this moment, that heavenly voice sounded more horrifying than any demon or ghost to that Medicine Sect disciple's ears.
He might not be aware of it, but he distinctly felt the pressure in the tone of someone of higher status, a pressure that seemed to be uniquely bestowed upon him.
She knew he harbored ill intentions!
The Medicine Sect disciple grew more apprehensive, subconsciously raising his eyes to look at Hua Qing.
Hua Qing nodded slightly to him, signaling that there was no need to panic.
"Are you not already capable of concocting a Second-turn Rejuvenation Pill? Concoct the one you are most skilled at and crush Jiang Tang. Let his reputation be ruined, and have the Sect abandon him," whispered Hua Qing secretly to him.
With Jiang Tang's level of cultivation, he certainly couldn't concoct a Second-turn Rejuvenation Pill.
This was both a friendly exchange between two Sects and a matter of the Immortal Sect's reputation.
When Elder Liuyue made the offer, wasn't it also a bold gamble?
A gamble to resolve grievances if won, or a total loss of face if lost.
How ridiculous it would be for the Mortal Realm's foremost cultivation Sect to be defeated by an Outer Sect disciple from the Medical Gate, and what a grand joke it would be.
The Immortal Sect would surely rage, and find an excuse to kick Jiang Tang out of the Servant Disciples, expelling him from the Sect.
By then, he would have plenty of opportunities to catch Jiang Tang and make him unable to live or die!
A person without the support of power, without the backing of a clan, was just clay in his hands.
Thinking this, a cold smile curled at the edges of Hua Qing's lips.
Indeed, Hua Qing had inquired about Jiang Tang's background yesterday and, upon learning that he had none, had harbored thoughts of revenge.
Thus, today's scene unfolded.
A short while later, several Inner Sect disciples from Water Cloud Peak quickly brought over two large Alchemy Furnaces.
They also brought two piles of Spirit Grass and Spiritual Medicine and after the Medicine Sect disciple verified there was no difference, he and Jiang Tang began selecting their medicines simultaneously.
The Medicine Sect disciple quickly selected his materials, his familiarity betraying a sense of satisfaction in Hua Qing.
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