Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Consent verification
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Meng Wuyou was resolute, it seemed as if he had discarded all outside concerns. No matter if the sky would fall down, it wouldn’t affect his determination.
“Sect Leader, esteemed elders, to decide whether these seventeen pill formulas are worth improving, we only need to conduct verification tests,” Meng Wuyou declared.
Mu Yan also stepped forward and said, “Even the pill formulas left behind by our ancestors may have some flaws. It is our responsibility as the younger generation to refine and improve them so that the blood, sweat, and tears of our predecessors in the Pill Sect could be perfected.”
Mu Yan’s words won the approval of many elders, but still, some of the more stubborn ones shook their heads in dissent.
Yu Zhen snorted coldly, disdainfully looking at Meng Wuyou, saying, “Our ancestral pill formulas have been honed and refined by generations of our predecessors. We as the generation following them can barely appreciate them enough, let alone question them.”
Without sparing Yu Zhen a glance, Meng Wuyou addressed Gu Daofeng, “I beg the Sect Leader to allow this old man to conduct the verification tests in front of everyone.”
“Sect Leader, it can’t happen! This is outright disrespectful!” “Why not? If successful, it is a boon to the Pill Sect!”
“We should not trample on our forebears’ hard work!”
“If we always calculate the ‘hard work of our ancestors,’ when can our Pill Sect progress?”
The debate kicked off with over sixty percent of the elders agreeing to allow Meng Wuyou to conduct the verification tests, while the remaining thirty percent categorically refused.
Then there were several elders who did not hastily voice their opinion, choosing to maintain neutrality and observe the situation.
Yan Zhengfeng, the old man who had been resolutely opposing Meng Wuyou, was currently furrowing his brows in deep thought and wasn’t uttering a word. Gu Daofeng, seated atop the Sect Leader’s seat, was also quiet, letting the two factions of elders below continue their quarrel.
After a while, people on both sides seemed to have tired of arguing and gradually quieted down. All gazes were set on Gu Daofeng, waiting for his final decision.
Ultimately, whether the correctness of these seventeen pill formulas could be tested or not depended on Gu Daofeng’s decision.
If he vetoed the suggestion with a single word, Meng Wuyou wouldn’t be able to achieve anything even if he persisted.
Meng Wuyou was slightly nervous at this point. He really hoped that these seventeen pill formulas would be improved to make the heritage of the Pill Sect stronger. However, the decision lay in Gu Daofeng’s hands. Being known for his unpredictable actions, Meng Wuyou wasn’t confident of getting approval from him.
Gu Daofeng swept his gaze across everyone present, eventually resting it on Meng Wuyou.
“On that day, Elder Meng seemed not to have entered the Pill Formula Palace alone, ” Gu Daofeng began, his tone leisurely as if dropping a bomb. Meng Wuyou felt weighed down.
Many present looked towards Meng Wuyou, wondering what Gu Daofeng was insinuating in his words.
Gu Daofeng continued, “As far as I remember, Meng Wuyou went in together with Fang Lin. Perhaps this matter has something to do with him.”
The crowd appeared surprised upon hearing this, questioning how Fang Lin managed to get involved.
Meng Wuyou inwardly sighed, he hadn’t managed to conceal the truth from the Sector Leader’s sharp gaze. Initially, he wanted to shoulder everything himself, but in the end, Fang Lin was pulled into the matter too.
Gu Daofeng smiled faintly and said, “Elder Meng, while I respect your alchemical expertise, you may struggle to improve these formulas. This possibly has something to do with Fang Lin. Aren’t you willing to share this with us?”
People grew curious after hearing Gu Daofeng’s words. Could it be that Fang Lin had improved the formulas, not Meng Wuyou?
Many shook their heads at this absurd idea. Fang Lin, a mere seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, was improving formulas handed down by enlightened ancestors of the Pill Sect. How was that even possible?
However, from Gu Daofeng’s words, it seemed that Fang Lin played an extraordinary role in the matter.
Meng Wuyou looked hesitant. Now he was in a position where he had to ride the tiger; he could no longer hide the truth that Fang Lin, not he, was the actual improver of the pill formula.
At that moment, Meng Wuyou firmly announced, “Indeed, Fang Lin lent a hand in improving the pill formulas.”
People were astonished at this confession, while Gu Daofeng smiled and said,
“I suppose there’s more to it. Elder Meng, you still seem to be holding back.”
Meng Wuyou sighed and acknowledged, “Indeed, Fang Lin pointed out the miscalculations in the seventeen pill formulas. After careful verification, I found his observations true. The formulas could indeed be much improved.” At these words, the crowd was taken aback, including Mu Yan.
“Absurd! Truly absurd! A low-class disciple dare to discuss revamping the pill formulas?”
“Laughable! Apparently, Elder Meng has been fooled by this Fang Lin.”
“We’ve been arguing this whole time over such a farce!”
Some of the elders began shaking their heads, chuckling coldly, and some even thought about leaving the hall.
Even the elders who previously supported Meng Wuyou sighed, finding the matter bizarre. The Pill Sect had been thrown into chaos just because of the words of a low-class disciple.
Mu Yan frowned slightly, feeling discontented that Meng Wuyou didn’t inform her about such a critical issue. Now, unprepared and bewildered, she didn’t know how to respond.
Zhao Dengming immediately stood up and declared, “Elder Meng, have you lost your mind due to old age? You actually take a low-class disciple’s words so seriously, wasting our time?”
Just as he finished speaking, Zhao Dengming felt something was off. Hastily, he apologized to Yan Zhengfeng with a bow and a smile, “Elder Yan, I apologize for my disrespectful words.”
Yan Zhengfeng glanced at Zhao Dengming but didn’t argue with him. Instead, he turned to Meng Wuyou, commenting, “As for this Fang Lin, I’ve heard a bit about him. A person to whom the Four Saints statues has shown spirit, received full marks in the alchemy examination for Pill Apprentices, and even defeated the high-class disciple, Lu Jiuhe, in an alchemy duel. Truly, a rare genius in our Pill Sect.”
None in the crowd found Yan Zhengfeng’s evaluation strange. Even those who were biased against Fang Lin had to admit that he was indeed one in a million.
“But to revise our ancestors’ pill formulas based solely on his word, Meng Wuyou, when did you become so unwise?” Yan Zhengfeng stated emphatically.
Meng Wuyou maintained face and replied, “Fang Lin received guidance from a high-ranking person in his youth and has knowledge of numerous pill formulas. I have already made improvements to the seventeen pill formulas according to his suggestions, and indeed they are better than the original ones.”
“Oh? You have already verified it?” Yan Zhengfeng asked with a frown.
Meng Wuyou nodded. He had been busy verifying Fang Lin’s words these past days. He was confident enough to come here, only after gaining complete certainty.
Yan Zhengfeng took a deep breath and turned to Gu Daofeng, “Sect Leader, if so, I agree to the verification. I, too, wish to see if Fang Lin truly possesses the extraordinary talent as you claimed..”