Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Discussing Merits and Rewards
Translator: 549690339
The grand hall of Pill Sect was crowded with people.
Gu Daofeng was sitting at the top, flanked by elders, while in the center of the grand hall, three people were standing.
They were Meng Chaoyang, Gu Liuli, and Fang Lin.
With the contest against the Ten-thousand Medicine Sect over, the three of them had contributed greatly to the Pill Sect and naturally deserved rewards for their merits.
However, most of the people’s gazes were fixed on Fang Lin; the expressions of the elders were complicated, and it wasn’t clear whether they admired Fang Lin or felt ashamed.
Amongst these elders, the most vexed were naturally Zhao Dengming, Yu Zhen, and Elder Gao.
They had managed to imprison Fang Lin in the Demon Suppressing Cave with great difficulty, only for him to emerge after half a month as though nothing happened. Plus, Fang Lin had now gained great merit for Pill Sect, which bothered them greatly.
But even if they were uncomfortable, they wouldn’t dare take any action against Fang Lin now, as he was a meritorious person, admired by most of the elders. If they attempted to suppress Fang Lin at this point, it would certainly backfire.
Looking down at the three individuals, Gu Daofeng spoke gently, “All three of you have rendered a great service to my Pill Sect. You have been summoned here today for your reward. Speak freely about what you desire as a reward. Anything reasonable can be considered. ”
Upon hearing this, some of the elders wore surprised expressions. The Sect Leader wasn’t usually so generous, so today’s offer to let Meng Chaoyang and the others mention their desires was quite unexpected.
Meng Chaoyang glanced at the two people beside him and signaled for them to speak first.
Fang Lin remained calm and didn’t immediately speak, maintaining his silence.
However, Gu Liuli, standing there, seemed a bit awkvvard, continuously twining the corners of her robe in her hands.
She couldn’t be blamed, though. Among the three of them, she was the only one who failed in her battle against the Ten-thousand Medicine Sect. If not for her loss, Pill Sect might have defeated the Ten-thousand Medicine Sect instead of ending up in a deadlock.
Seeing neither Meng Chaoyang nor Fang Lin say anything, Gu Liuli was the first to reply, “Leader, I am ashamed and do not deserve any rewards.”
Gu Daofeng’s face bore a smile, giving off a pleasantly warm feeling to those who didn’t know his true nature.
“The merits of the three of you are equal, none higher or lower. There’s no need to feel ashamed,” said Gu Daofeng.
Upon hearing these words, the expressions of many elders subtly changed, and a cold sneer took birth in Fang Lin’s heart.
Everyone knew that today’s three contests had been fraught with danger for Pill Sect, and it was Fang Lin who ultimately salvaged the situation and saved the face of the Pill Sect.
In the final round, the opponent was Dugu Nian, and within the entire group of Pill Sect disciples, who else was a match for Dugu Nian?
Only Fang Lin could defeat him.
Therefore, logically speaking, Fang Lin’s merit was unquestionably the greatest.
But Gu Daofeng had claimed their credits were equal, which was not to aggrandize Meng Chaoyang and Gu Liuli, but instead to indirectly diminish Fang Lin’s merit.
Gu Liuli didn’t think of these implications and was quite grateful to Gu Daofeng. Meanwhile, Meng Chaoyang seemed to have understood; his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Zhao Dengming and the others laughed inwardly. The Sect Leader really knew how to play. Despite Fang Lin’s popularity at the moment, he still tried to suppress him and lessen his merit.
Someone immediately refused to accept it. Mu Yan stood up and declared straightforwardly, “In this contest, Fang Lin’s merit exceeded that of the other two. This cannot be disputed.”
Mu Yan’s words were very sharp, and he even went overboard, not only openly contradicting Sect Leader Gu Dao Feng’s statement but also offending Meng Chaoyang and Gu Liuli.
Of course, Meng Chaoyang and Gu Liuli didn’t take offense, considering that Mu Yan’s statement was reasonable.
They also acknowledged that Fang Lin’s merits indeed exceeded theirs.
Gu Daofeng’s face instantly changed. With a smack on his iron case, he roared while looking furious, “Mu Yan, get out!”
The grand hall fell silent. People hardly ever saw Gu Daofeng so angry.
Unafraid, Mu Yan turned to leave the grand hall.
What had started as a pleasant awards ceremony suddenly started feeling a bit tense.
Meng Wuyou signaled Fang Lin with his eyes, hinting at him to avoid any reckless speech.
A long silence passed until Yan Zhengfeng broke the awkwardness by stepping forward and saying, “Sect Leader, Elder Mu Yan’s words were indeed inappropriate, but we should deal with him later. For now, we must reward the three disciples. In my opinion, although Fang Lin’s contributions were the largest, they don’t overshadow the merits of Meng Chaoyang and Gu Liuli. Therefore, I suggest that the rewards given to Fang Lin should be a bit more generous.”
Even though Yan Zhengfeng’s words were subtly put, they were still more biased towards Fang Lin.
Fang Lin cogged his fist in salute, “I am not greedy. I only hope to obtain a truly top-tier Pill Furnace. Not like last time when I was hastily and unsatisfactorily given a substandard one.”
Upon hearing this, the faces of the elders of the Pill Pavilion turned awkward. A shade of frost crossed Gu Daofeng’s eyes, though he managed to hide it well.
“If that’s the case, I will reward you with a Pill Furnace. Check if it is to your liking,” Gu Daofeng said emotionlessly. With a wave, a Nine Palace Bag flew towards him.
Fang Lin caught the Nine Palace Bag. He didn’t care about courtesies and directly checked what was inside.
Seeing Fang Lin’s impolite action, Gu Daofeng was angered but didn’t say anything.
Inside the Nine Palace Bag was an ordinary-looking Pill Furnace of the usual grey color. At first glance, it seemed like a low-grade Pill Furnace.
However, after having a look, Fang Lin smiled. This Pill Furnace was quite decent. Although it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, it was an antique piece with hundreds of years of history, at least.
The aura emitted by this Pill Furnace was stronger than the previous Golden Flame Cauldron by many folds.
“Thank you, Sect Leader!” said Fang Lin, putting away the Nine Palace Bag and bowing to Gu Daofeng.
Gu Daofeng nodded but didn’t look at Fang Lin again. He continued asking Meng Chaoyang and Gu Liuli what they wanted.
The duo didn’t dare to demand anything excessive. Gu Daofeng casually gave them some rewards, which, of course, wasn’t too shabby.
After everyone dispersed, Fang Lin was surrounded by various elders who praised him for his stunning performance. He dealt with them, his face almost stiff from too much smiling.
When he finally returned to his residence and saw the condition inside, he almost exploded.
Dugu Nian was seen rummaging through his medicinal plants, which were left disheveled. Many plants were even uprooted and sadly strewn on the ground.
Dugu Nian, on the other hand, was using a Pill Furnace to refine a pill, completely ignoring Fang Lin’s arrival.
Fang Lin was furious.. It was okay to squat in his place, but to wreak havoc on his medicinal plants too?