Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Public Competition
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Are you sure you want to challenge me to refine pills?” said Lu Jiuhe with a look of disdain.
Fang Lin nodded and said very seriously, “If I win, the hundred-year ganoderma is mine. If I lose, I will apologize.”
Lu Jiuhe sneered, “You’ll have to apologize kneeling before Kang Lu.” Fang Lin nodded without objection.
At this time, Kang Lu was helped up by others, seated in the pavilion. Seeing that Fang Lin was recklessly challenging Lu Jiuhe to refine pills, a cold look flashed in his eyes.
“Fang Lin, I’ll make you kneel before me! I’ll step on you hard!” Kang Lu roared in his heart.
Seeing Fang Lin’s calm demeanor, without any hesitation, Lu Jiuhe felt a slight doubt.
“Where did Fang Lin get his confidence? He has only been a beginner for a year.
Even if he had talent, he hasn’t been to the Pill Forest Academy, how can he dare to challenge me in pill refining?” Lu Jiuhe wondered to himself, his eyes flickering.
Unable to help it, Fang Lin looked so calm, as if he had everything under control. Lu Jiuhe wasn’t stupid, so he naturally doubted.
However, Lu Jiuhe soon stopped doubting. He had absolute confidence in himself, believing that Fang Lin never could beat him.
“Since we’re going to compete, let’s make it more lively and invite an elder to judge the winner. All the Pill Sect disciples can witness, what do you think?” Fang Lin added.
Upon hearing this, Lu Jiuhe hesitated again. If they did it as Fang Lin suggested, it’d be a big deal. If he lost, it’d be more than a little bit humiliating.
Lu Jiuhe dared not agree too easily. He was confident, but what would happen if he lost?
Thinking of the consequences of failure, Lu Jiuhe couldn’t help but shiver. If he lost, even if he embraced the powerful Yu Qiufan, he would likely be dismissed.
Lu Jiuhe had a clear look of hesitation on his face. Seeing this, Fang Lin knew he was wavering, but in order to get the hundred-year ganoderma, he knew he had to provoke him a little more.
“Lu, aren’t you daring? If you dare not, just give me the hundred-year ganoderma to save yourself the embarrassment in front of everyone,” Fang Lin said, intentionally showing a hint of mockery on his face.
Lu Jiuhe’s face turned ugly. He knew well that Fang Lin was using reverse psychology, but he couldn’t help but fall for it.
As an upper-ranking disciple, he couldn’t face the challenge of refining pills from a lower-ranking disciple. If this spread, he would still lose face.
Whether he agreed or not, Lu Jiuhe admitted in sorrow that he seemed to have no good way out.
Kang Lu and others were somewhat confused, what is Lu doing? Why is he standing there not answering?
In their eyes, Lu Jiuhe had no reason not to accept. Fang Lin was just a lower ranking disciple, and independent Lu was an upper ranking one, there should be no fear of Fang Lin.
Lu Jiuhe’s forehead was sweating. At this moment, he finally understood why Kang Lu, a normally influential figure, consistently underestimated Fang Lin.
Fang Lin was indeed no ordinary person and very difficult to handle.
Seeing that Lu Jiuhe wasn’t speaking, Fang Lin decided to add fuel to the fire. “Lu, don’t worry. Even if you lose, I won’t mock you.”
Finally, Lu Jiuhe couldn’t hold back any longer, gritted his teeth, and said, “Since you’re so presumptuous, it’s only right as your senior brother that I teach you a lesson.”
Fang Lin laughed. Finally, this Lu had taken the bait and won half of the hundred-year ganoderma.
Fang Lin wanted to conduct this competition in public so that Lu Jiuhe had no chance to go back on his word. If they competed privately and Lu Jiuhe lost but still held the hundred-year ganoderma, Fang Lin would be helpless. He surely couldn’t snatch it, could he?
“Since Brother Lu has agreed, let’s set the competition for one day later,” said Fang Lin.
Lu Jiuhe just grunted in response, agreeing without saying much.
Fang Lin left, and soon after, Lu Jiuhe also left the courtyard. He had to make the news of refining pills competition with Fang Lin public and invite an elder to witness it.
Soon, the whole Pill Sect knew about the refining pills competition between Lu Jiuhe and Fang Lin, attracting a lot of attention.
Any person who heard about this, whether a Pill Apprentice or a formal disciple, thought Fang Lin was mad. How dare he compete in refining pills with an upper-ranking disciple? Was there anything more overambitious than this?
No one thought Fang Lin could win. More people mocked Fang Lin, thinking he was too arrogant, undervaluing upper-ranking disciples just because of some talent.
Even Xu Shangao, who had a good relationship with Fang Lin, was startled when he heard that Fang Lin was competing in refining pills with Lu Jiuhe.
“This Fang Lin really doesn’t know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is. Even with talent, he won’t achieve much.”
“Not knowing his limitations, it’s really a sigh.”
“Lu Jiuhe has been an upper-ranking disciple for several years. His alchemy technique is no less than that of a true One Cauldron Pill Refiner. Fang Lin is being too presumptuous.”
“I think it’s not just presumptuous, but stupid! Unbelievably stupid!”
The whole Pill Sect was full of discussion, with countless people mocking Fang Lin.
Some even argued that Fang Lin was too arrogant, trying to challenge a superior disciple, without respecting the hierarchy.
But these comments didn’t gain much agreement. The competition in the Pill Sect was fierce, fights often happened. Although it was rare for a
lower-ranking disciple to compete in refining pills with an upper-ranking one, no one thought Fang Lin was disrespecting the hierarchy.
Even Yu Qiufan, one of the Four Elites of Pill Sect, spoke out for the rare time, implying his attitude towards Fang Lin with two words: absurd.
The word “absurd” reflected Yu Qiufan’s attitude towards Fang Lin, and led more people in the Pill Sect to mock and ridicule Fang Lin.
The contest was set to be held in the Pill Array, which should have been held in the Pill Forest Academy. But considering that Pill Apprentices could witness the contest, Pill Array was the most appropriate place.
An elder to witness Fang Lin and Lu Jiuhe’s contest was finally decided. It was the old man with the surname Zhou, who was in charge of the Pill Apprentice assessment.
Old man Zhou was known as a kind man in the Pill Sect and would not favor either side, making him the most suitable witness.
Early the next morning, many disciples of the Pill Sect gathered at the Pill Array, most of them Pill Apprentices. They rarely saw contests between official disciples, so naturally, they wouldn’t miss this opportunity. They took their places early, waiting to broaden their horizons.
For these Pill Apprentices, although they felt Fang Lin’s challenge to Lu Jiuhe was too reckless, most of them were inwardly supporting Fang Lin.
After all, Fang Lin had just become an official disciple, and an exceptional talent who unusually passed the assessment on his first try. These Pill Apprentices hoped to see Fang Lin create a miracle again, even if the odds were slim.
The official disciples of the Pill Sect arrived one after the other. However, not all the official disciples were there. Only a part of them came to the Pill Array, while many official disciples didn’t care. They had long settled the outcome in their minds, and saw no need to watch.
On the contrary, from the Martial Sect, a few people came, but they just wanted to see the excitement.
The vast Pill Array was crowded with people everywhere except the central area. Various sounds were heard one after another, making the place especially noisy.
Old man Zhou arrived quite early, stood on the stone platform with a smile on his face, not caring about the noise around him.
As the sun rose high, a commotion rose from the crowd. Lu Jiuhe had arrived..