Chapter 83

......

Seeing the scene, the disciples knew there would be a spectacle to watch, and they gathered around. Upon seeing the pill, they each exclaimed in surprise and secretly praised the quality of the small Spirit-Gathering Pill, which was indeed extraordinary.

It was indeed hard to believe that this was the work of Chen Mo, who had only been a disciple for a month.

Chen Mo frowned but did not respond.

However, as the saying goes, "The tree wishes to be still, but the wind will not cease." Huo Yingfan came forward, carefully examined the pill, and his thoughts were exactly the same as Ye Lianxiang's. He angrily shouted, "Chen Mo, you have a lot of nerve. You actually stole the pill and dared to sell it? According to the rules of Changchun Valley, you must be expelled and never hired again."

"Yes, he should be expelled," a few of Huo Yingfan's close friends chimed in, putting on a righteous front.

"Hehe." Ye Lianxiang secretly laughed, thinking that calling Huo Yingfan to help was indeed a wise choice.

"Steal?" Chen Mo's eyes turned cold, and he said sternly, "What a joke. You say I stole, so I did? Huo Yingfan, if you can't provide evidence..."

Originally, he was focused on the duel with Qu Muqing and needed to concentrate all his efforts on enhancing his strength. Moreover, he did not want to cause trouble for his revered master, making her dislike him. Chen Mo was willing to avoid conflict and not stir up trouble.

However, the other party was relentless and even accused him of theft. This matter could not be left unresolved.

Huo Yingfan sneered, "Still trying to talk your way out? With just a month of being a disciple, you think you can refine such a high-quality small Spirit-Gathering Pill? Do you think you're someone like Master Mu, a genius? No, even Master Mu didn't have such speed back then."

His reasoning caused many of the surrounding disciples to start discussing.

"Senior Brother Huo makes a good point. Could the pill really be stolen?"

"Do you think it was refined by Master Mu?"

"Are you crazy? Master Mu, a Fifth-Rank Alchemist, might refine one to teach, but he wouldn't refine so many."

"It seems this boy really did steal the pill."

"I think he looks quite handsome, not the type to do such things."

"It seems the simple-minded Master Mu was deceived."

......

A series of discussions flooded into Chen Mo's ears like a tide.

Words can be like knives, capable of killing. Chen Mo, with his well-honed and increasingly calm nature, would not have cared about Huo Yingfan's provocations, just as the wind blows over the mountain, he would remain strong.

However, now the matter was not so simple. Even if the other party had no evidence of his theft, once the rumor spread, it would greatly damage the reputation of Mu Lingwei, who had kindly taken him in.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo's face became even colder, and he said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother Huo, I believe you have already planned this out. Speak, how do you want me to prove my innocence?"

Stared at by Chen Mo's cold, penetrating eyes, Huo Yingfan felt a sudden chill in his heart. But then he thought, "He's just a country boy with no background. If I step on him, what can he do?"

"Actually, from the bottom of my heart, I hope that Junior Brother Chen is not a thief," Huo Yingfan said in a patronizing tone. "If these pills were indeed refined by you, then you are truly a genius. I can accompany you in a public duel."

He was certain that Chen Mo did not have such skills and saw this as an opportunity to expel him from Changchun Valley.

The coldness in Chen Mo's eyes had subsided, and he said calmly, "Senior Brother Huo, how do you want to duel?"

Seeing that he had hooked Chen Mo, Huo Yingfan felt secretly pleased. On the surface, he appeared even more gracious and elegant. "Changchun Valley is a holy place for pill refinement, and we respect the art of pill refinement. If we are to duel, it should be in the art of pill refinement. You are Master Mu's disciple and have received her true teachings, so you must be extraordinary. However, I have been a disciple longer, so I won't bully you. We will refine a First-Rank Spirit-Gathering Pill, which will allow you to prove that the small Spirit-Gathering Pill is indeed your work."

"Senior Brother Huo is truly considerate. Should I thank you for your care?" Chen Mo's words were laced with sarcasm, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"Thank you, no need. Not having the chance to learn from Master Mu, being able to duel with her true disciple is a great honor," Huo Yingfan said with extreme hypocrisy.

Ye Lianxiang, standing nearby, covered her mouth and laughed. She did not expect Huo Yingfan to be so resourceful. Although it seemed like bullying the weak, it was a bit excessive. But seeing Chen Mo fail and become disheartened, any guilt she felt disappeared.

"Hehe, since there is a pill duel, it would be boring without a prize. How about I offer 50,000 gold to encourage Senior Brother Huo?" Ye Lianxiang smiled sweetly but had a venomous heart, adding fuel to the fire.

"Truly a princess, generous. I'll bet 20,000 gold on Senior Brother Huo winning."

"I'll bet 40,000."

......

Huo Yingfan's followers placed their bets one after another, and the outcome was already clear. They shouted their bets, and the total reached 140,000 gold, heavily favoring Huo Yingfan.

If Chen Mo agreed, it would clearly be a trap from which he could never recover.

"Ha ha." Huo Yingfan laughed loudly. "I'll make it a round number, 60,000 more, for a total of 200,000. Chen Mo, don't say I'm bullying you. If you win, you take the 200,000. If you lose, you only lose 10,000 gold." He was afraid that Chen Mo would be scared off by the large bet and quickly set a trap for him.

He wanted the 200,000 gold to be a trap to lure Chen Mo into a losing situation.

If he lost, the rumors would "confirm" his theft. Even if Mu Lingwei intervened, she could not save him.

This was a no-suspense duel, and some of the spectators were aware of Huo Yingfan's malicious intentions, secretly worrying for Chen Mo, their eyes fixed on him, waiting for his reaction.

Because up to this point, Chen Mo still had the chance to refuse.

The hall was silent, and Chen Mo's mind became even calmer. No matter what, he had to accept the challenge this time. Besides, there was the prize of 200,000 gold...

The intense gazes seemed to want to drown him, but he remained calm and composed.

Huo Yingfan's lips curled up. This boy was clearly in a no-win situation, caught between a rock and a hard place. If he refused, it would give everyone the impression that he was a thief. If he accepted, he would surely lose the duel and never recover.

Ye Lianxiang, standing nearby, could not hide her mocking smile, muttering to herself, "This is the consequence of provoking me."

Chen Mo saw everyone's reactions and said in a deep voice, "Fine, I accept."

"Oh, he must be out of his mind, trying to be a hero at this moment?" The hall erupted in discussion.

"What a spectacle."

A deep voice echoed, and the bustling hall fell silent. The speaker was Gu Yue, an elder of Changchun Valley and a Fourth-Rank Alchemist, the steward of the Pill Offering Pavilion.

"This will be a good show, and Elder Gu Yue has come to 'support' it."

......

The hall, which had become quiet, was filled with discussion again.

Chen Mo's gaze fell on Gu Yue, who he had heard was a fair and precise judge of pill quality as an elder of the Pill Offering Pavilion.

Gu Yue's deep eyes swept the area and said, "Since there is a pill duel, I, as the steward of the Pill Offering Pavilion, cannot miss it. I volunteer to be the judge, and the standard will be based on the price of the pills in the Pill Offering Pavilion. Does anyone have any objections?"

"Your judgment of pill quality is unmatched in Changchun Valley. It is an honor for us disciples to have you as the judge," Huo Yingfan hurried forward, flattering him with smooth words.

Ignoring Huo Yingfan's flattery, Gu Yue looked at Chen Mo with interest. Chen Mo was dressed in a loose gray robe, and apart from his handsome appearance, he was unremarkable. Gu Yue thought to himself, "Could he really be a genius? Refining a Spirit-Gathering Pill in just a month?"

Given his status, he would not normally get involved in the affairs of the younger generation. However, while hiding in the shadows watching the show, he unexpectedly received a message from Mu Lingwei, asking him to oversee the pill duel.

He thought Chen Mo must have some skills and was secretly looking forward to it.

"Since there are no objections, prepare yourselves. The duel will begin in an hour," Gu Yue announced, ignoring Chen Mo's opinion.

An hour later.

In front of the Pill Offering Pavilion, a large square was crowded with people. In a short time, the news of the pill duel had spread far and wide.

Disciples gathered to watch the spectacle, but most were not interested in the process of the duel. They wanted to see Chen Mo's failure and his disheartened appearance.

It was clear that Chen Mo, being taken in as a disciple by Mu Lingwei and living in the Floating Pavilion, had already provoked the anger of many.

On a jade platform, a five to six zhang wide, Chen Mo and Huo Yingfan stood facing each other. Behind each of them was a wooden table with three batches of ingredients for refining the Spirit-Gathering Pill. In the center of the platform, a three-foot-tall hourglass glowed blue, with fine sand flowing like water, used for timing.

In a corner of the platform, a wooden stand held a gong that glowed golden, and a Pill Offering Pavilion disciple held a mallet, waiting for the command. Below the platform, the crowd was bustling, and the scene was lively.

Rising to the center of the platform, Gu Yue looked at the two and turned to face the crowd, saying, "The rules of the pill duel: each of you has three batches of ingredients for refining a First-Rank Spirit-Gathering Pill. Each of you has three chances, and the hourglass will be used for timing. The duel will last one hour. If the ingredients are used up or the time runs out without completion, it will be considered a failure. If completed within the time limit, the quality of the pills will be judged according to the standards of the Pill Offering Pavilion, and the one with the higher quality will win."

The atmosphere in the square became heavy, as if a storm was about to break.

On the platform, Chen Mo did not know that his master, Mu Lingwei, was quietly watching from a secluded corner.

"Are you ready?" Gu Yue asked the two.

"Yes," they both nodded heavily.

......

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends