“Ha-ha-ha, damn! I admire this brat!”
Up on the terrace, Xie Tianyang slapped the table as he roared in laughter, “No matter where you go in the Tianyu Empire, all you hear about Vicious Pill King is how powerful and influential he is. But when he is here, he’s actually reduced to such a wretched state. Look at him, he is on the verge of crying, so angry he can’t even speak. He’s so miserable, I even pity him.
“This brat is inhuman. How can he be like this to his elders? Ha-ha-ha…” Xie Tianyang cursed Zhuo Fan while also laughing.
Long Jiu and Jian Suifeng’s gazes met and smiled. But when they looked back at Zhuo Fan, their eyes were filled with admiration.
Long Jie and Long Kui felt more and more complicated instead.
They were of the same age and even came from one of the best houses in Tianyu, but they only got to be supporting roles for the elders of their house.
While Zhuo Fan, a servant from a third rate clan, was fighting head to head with the empire’s most famous, and even came at an advantage at that.
Why was the gap so large when they were of the same generation?
Peony Overseer and Iris Overseer watched the thin figure in complete control over the whole situation in such awe, they couldn’t even speak.
The two tasted Vicious Pill King’s cruelty and treachery on their own skin. Yet, they knew. Not even the entire Drifting Flowers Edifice was enough to defeat him.
However today, the old geezer was like a puppet played by this mysterious youth to exhaustion.
His wretched figure, unable to even cry, was something the two women never even believe was possible. Was this the same cruel and sinister Vicious Pill King?
Swallowing dryly, the overseers watched each other, but it was Iris Overseer, in the end, who walked to Long Jiu, “Uncle Jiu, stop being so cryptic and tell us who is this fake Song Yu already? Who’s clan’s young master is he? Or is he an inner disciple from a sect?”
Caressing his beard, Long Jiu shook his head, his eyes at a loss, “Clan? Ha-ha-ha, his clan is nothing more than a firefly. As for sects, I never heard of any being mentioned. In short, this brat is one huge enigma!”
“Not even Uncle Jiu knows?” Peony Overseer was startled as she rushed over, “Then why do you have so much faith in him?”
“Faith? Humph, as if!”
Xie Tianyang snorted, “Out of everyone I trust, he is absolutely not among them! None of you know his true nature. One second he is buddy-buddy with you, and in the next, he casts you aside, changing tunes faster than you can turn a page. If you put your faith in him, you won’t even know how or why you died.”
This made Xie Tianyang recall something and his eyes were filled with dread, “You cannot imagine a crueler and more sinister man in this world. I recall that condescending grin when he sold out Ning’er and it gives me chills even now!”
Their hearts shuddering, the overseers noticed Xie Tianyang being truthful. But if this man was such a monster, why were Long Jiu and the rest respecting him so?
Xiao Dandan was irked by Xie Tianyang’s description of Zhuo Fan and barked, “You keep saying my husband is your friend, but why do curse him behind his back and even call him a traitor?”
“Me, curse? Ha-ha-ha, that’s the truth of it. And he won’t deny it either.” Xie Tianyang laughed, “But if there’s one thing I admire about him, it’s his hypocrisy!”
“Then why are you all still friends with him?” Peony Overseer asked puzzled.
They all started laughing, “How could we not?”
Iris Overseer was thoroughly confused. None of them clearly trusted him and even said he was worse than a human, but why were they so reliant on him?
Like a true friend, leaving him in charge of everything. Wasn’t this a contradiction?
Seemingly seeing her doubt, Xie Tianyang smiled, “Iris Overseer, trust and entrusting are different things. He is not a friend worthy of trust, but he is a brother to entrust in. And that is because of his strength!”
Xie Tianyang pointed at the wretched Vicious Pill King, “Tell me, if it weren’t for our untrustworthy friend, how would you have dealt with that old geezer?”
Shuddering, the overseers now understood what he meant.
It wasn’t that this mysterious youth was worthy of trust to place Drifting Flowers Edifice’s fate in his hand. It was that there was no one else up for the job!
Lounging in his stone chair, Xie Tianyang’s look softened when he gazed at Zhuo Fan, “Do you know why you have such faith in an unworthy friend? Because he is the only one worthy of it.”
“Without him, I would’ve lost the one I love. I believe I cannot repay this favor for as long as I live. This is why I spoke without hesitation at the feast and put Sword Marquise Abode in the face of danger for Drifting Flowers Edifice’s sake.”
This shocked the two overseers greatly.
It now came to light that Sword Marquise Abode and Veiled Dragon Pavilion did not help them because of Drifting Flowers Edifice, but because the brat asked them to.
They started to laugh dejectedly.
One of the Seven Noble Houses, Drifting Flowers Edifice, with a history of over a millennium, had loss in terms of reputation to a random kid. [If Grandmother knew this, she would be flipping out right about now.]
Atchoo~
On the first spot, Zhuo Fan sneezed for no rime or reason. But for real this time.
Rubbing his nose, Zhuo Fan cursed inside, [Who the hell is talking behind my back?]
He looked at Vicious Pill King staring blankly, [It’s gotta be this old coot cursing me in his mind. Don’t you worry now, I will have your life soon enough.]
Zhuo Fan’s eyes flashed with killing intent.
But this time, the old guy was innocent. Ever since his loss in the second round, out of anxiety, except for feeling anger, he didn’t dare to even curse Zhuo Fan in his mind.
All who entered the third round were famous grandmasters of alchemy. He may not be up to Vicious Pill King’s level, but he had refining skills to make up for it.
After one failure, Yan Song could still catch up. But now, he fell behind too much and there was no hope for a comeback.
He now started to truly panic but the more restless his heart was, the less he could think of a way out.
Zhuo Fan laughed coldly inside, having foreseen this.
In fact, the two failures happened all according to Zhuo Fan’s plan, right when they were about to finish being refined. This also worked to make him waste the most of his time.
Even if he didn’t intervene in his third refining, the Vicious Pill King still wouldn’t make it.
Plainly speaking, Vicious Pill King lost the third round, but more importantly, he was played around like a fiddle by Zhuo Fan.
Tao Danniang’s eyes flashed in glee. She never would’ve thought Zhuo Fan capable of having Vicious Pill King kicked out of the competition.
Now, regardless of who of the two won, Bodhi Root would stay with Drifting Flowers Edifice.
Chu Qingcheng found Zhuo Fan more and more to her liking. To take Xiao Dandan’s earlier words, this husband was far stronger than the last.
“Got it!”
Vicious Pill King facepalmed out of the blue. He took out eight silver needles in haste and stuck them in his head.
“Silver needle acupoint?”
Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow and smiled. The old guy wanted to seal his hearing and avoid any disturbance.
[Why didn’t you do it sooner then? Yours truly needn’t interfere since you’re through anyway.]
But Vicious Pill King flashed a flame on his hand and threw ingredients in.
“5th grade pill, complete!”
And another shout came, marking the 9th finalist. The rest were also working hard. The slowest needed around three minutes.
While the fastest ones are around half a minute.
[Humph, this old coot is done for!]
Zhuo Fan laughed coldly while the other alchemists were getting excited. This was their chance, perhaps the only one in their lives, to beat Vicious Pill King.
Suddenly, a blood arrow was spat into the flame and the fire towered ten meters high, many times stronger than before.
In a blink, all the ingredients were refined.
Zhuo Fan squinted, [This old coot is dead serious on entering the finals to use even his blood essence.]
Too bad, not even this could make a pill in time.
Then another blood arrow was spat and Vicious Pill King rushed to make signs despite the blood around his mouth.
In a blink, the blood turned into the shape of a pill and the concoction resulted from refined ingredients rushed inside.
A shout later, Vicious Pill King’s flame grew bigger, and the lustrous blood pill came out while emitting dense energy.
Vicious Pill King grabbed the pill and shouted, “5th-grade pill, complete!”
“5th-grade pill, complete!”
At almost the same time, another shout echoed.
Xiao Ya eyed the two and came to Vicious Pill King who finished first and nodded after inspecting the pill, “Elder Yan’s low 5th grade pill is complete. He enters the finals.”
He was pulling the last silver needle when he heard her. Vicious Pill King sighed and swayed. But this did not wipe the relief on his face.
From his wane face, Zhuo Fan knew he damaged his vitality. He may have qualified, but now he could refine no more…