Chapter 533: Cheating at the Grand Medicine Testing Convention
Wang Shuchen admitted defeat?
Wang Gong’s heart lurched as he cast a glance at His Highness Duke of Qin behind him. He and the Duke of Qin had agreed to foster Wang Shuchen, but the boy had admitted defeat on his own? There would be nothing to say if the boy had strove until the end before being declared the loser, but he actually gave up before the time was over.
How could the Duke of Qin ever want someone like that?
Long Feiye only stared coldly at Wang Shuchen, feeling quite displeased. Right now the crowd was still caught in a frenzy of disbelief. The young boy Xie Peng had astonished everyone as much as Wang Shuchen’s actions disappointed them. Of all the guesses for the outcomes at the Grand Medicine Testing Convention, none of them had guessed this.
Head Elder Xie stood up, silencing the crowd. No matter how unbelievable things seemed, the truth was right before their eyes. The Xie Clan had won. Head Elder Xie was in an excellent mood as he strode onstage. “Since the Wang Clan has admitted defeat on their own, then today’s competition will end here. I formally announce that the winner of the Grand Medicine Testing Convention is the Xie Clan’s Xie Peng—”
“Hold it!” Han Yunxi suddenly shot to her feet.
Perhaps….perhaps her voice had been too loud, because everyone turned as one to look her way.
What is that woman doing?
“Qin Wangfei, you…what do you mean by this?” Head Elder Xie asked coldly. The victor had already been determined, so why was an outsider like Han Yunxi interjecting?
But Han Yunxi only burst into laughter. “This wangfei has many meanings. I don’t know which one Head Elder Xie would like to hear?”
Even Long Feiye was puzzled, to say nothing of everyone else. What’s going on with her?
“Han Yunxi, if you dare cause trouble at the Grand Medicine Testing Convention, don’t blame me for being rude!” Head Elder Xie warned.
“Cause trouble? This wangfei only wanted to see a fair trial of strength. How can that be counted as trouble? Just who’s the one really disturbing the Grand Medicine Testing Convention? Head Elder Xie, you should be clearer than anyone else!” Han Yunxi’s clear, powerful voice rang through the silent audience, her abrupt accusation bewildering everyone present.
The Xie Clan Head couldn’t help but rise to his feet, furious. “Han Yunxi, we Medicine City won’t allow you to meddle as you please. If you have something to say, then say it outright. Otherwise, don’t even think of leaving today!”
“Fine!” Han Yunxi didn’t leave, but walked straight onstage. A clueless Long Feiye followed behind her. Everyone’s eyes were on the pair in confusion, wondering exactly what had happened. As soon as Han Yunxi got onstage, she picked up the big basket of medicinal ingredients and took out the remaining items one by one, listing them by name.
“White Atractylodes Rhizome, a whole scorpion, Ligusticum striatum, sicklepod, scarlet skies, purple violets, mulberry leaves…” She sounded off the remaining 53 ingredients one by one. “These ingredients were provided by the Council of Elders? Head Elder Xie looked over them himself?”
“Just what do you want to do?” Head Elder Xie demanded.
“Are they or aren’t they?” Han Yunxi asked again.
Head Elder Xie refused to answer. “Someone come, drive away this troublemaking woman!”
“Head Elder Xie, are you afraid of being found out?” Han Yunxi asked back.
“Completely unreasonable! Someone, hurry and chase her off!” Head Elder Xie was so angry that his face was almost green, but Han Yunxi’s next words turned him green for real.
“The Council of Elders provided questionable ingredients to the competitors. Xie Peng cheated!”
Her words were like simultaneous peals of thunder that left everyone dumbstruck.
That…really happened?
“Blasphemy! All nonsense! Get her away immediately! She actually dares to disturb our Grand Medicine Testing Convention and smear my Council of Elders! Hmph, Medicine City and Pill Fiend Pharmacy are absolutely irreconcilable!” Head Elder Xie was so enraged that he couldn’t even talk properly.
Wang Gong’s eyes flashed with a complicated expression before he quickly stood up. “Head Elder Xie, Qin Wangfei must have discovered something peculiar. It’s not too late to wait and hear what she has to say.”
The Xie Clan Head immediately rose to his feet to retort aggressively, “What peculiarity? What does the Wang Clan Head mean by these words? Just then, everyone saw the competition with their own eyes. You were watching as well, Wang Clan Head. Was there anything strange? Hmph, she’s only a poisons doctor, how much medicine does she understand? Even I couldn’t tell anything wrong, so how could she? She’s obviously spreading fallacies to deceive the people!”
As soon as the Xie Clan Head finished speaking, Head Elder Xie shot a look at the guards, who rushed forward to take Han Yunxi into custody. However, Long Feiye took the chance to stomp his feet, sending out a thick wave of energy that sent them all toppling to their feet. Everyone was alarmed by the sight. Ouyang Ningnuo leapt out of his seat. Heavens, hasn’t His Excellency Pill Fiend always talked before he fought? When did he switch his tactics? And how is his martial arts so formidable?!
Such considerable depths of inner energy easily placed him amongst the top five fighters in Cloud Realm Continent. Ouyang Ningnuo silently told himself to be extra careful when dealing with Gu Qi Sha in the future. He’d have the treat him the same way he treated Long Feiye—with caution!
Sometimes, the best way to get rid of threats was through a show of strength. Long Feiye’s stomp kept all the guards at bay and shut up both Head Elder Xie and the Xie Clan Head. But they were still as stubborn as before.
“Han Yunxi, Gu Qi Sha, Medicine City gave Pill Fiend Pharmacy face this time, but you shouldn’t be so shameless!” the Xie Clan Head raged.
“Heheh, guilty consciences through and through. Do you need to react so strongly? It’ll hurt your health.” Han Yunxi grinned coldly.
“The competition just then was as clear as day. Han Yunxi, you’re provoking the authority of Medicine City’s Council of Elders and suspecting my own skills as clan head! This old man has no guilty conscience, but I definitely won’t allow you to look down on my Medicine City’s self-respect!” Head Elder Xie accused sternly.
He wanted to raise sympathy for his views so the crowd would support him, but Han Yunxi shot back, “This wangfei does suspect you all. Such a big flaw, yet not a single person noticed? How hilarious!” As she spoke, she glanced at Wang Gong with a sneer. “Head of the Wang Clan, I heard that your medical skills are far above all of the clan heads and equally matched to multiple members of the Council of Elders. But I never expected you to be so blind today and let your young master admit defeat. Heheh, you and your son have thoroughly lost face for the Wang Clan today.”
Ouyang Ningnuo had long wondered whether Han Yunxi and the Wang Clan had some sort of ties, but he dropped his suspicions after hearing such words. She was thoroughly holding a grudge against the Xie Clan.
Knowing that Qin Wangfei was taunting them on purpose, Wang Gong only put on a resentful expression. “Qin Wangfei, if you don’t explain yourself, the Wang Clan won’t forgive you today even if the Council of Elders does! Just what kind of flaw are you talking about? Speak!”
Head Elder Xie panicked and was about to stop them when Lady Lianxin stood up as well. For the first time ever, she was on Han Yunxi’s side. “If Head Elder Xie doesn’t have a guilty conscience, then what’s wrong with hearing out Qin Wangfei? This elder is here to represent Medical City to watch a competition, not play around. I still have to report my findings to my superiors when I return. If we can’t get to the bottom of this today, heheh…then Medicine City has no need to send invitations for Medical City in the future.”
Lady Lianxin had been unable to meddle with Mu Yingdong’s affairs, but she still had a say regarding the Grand Medicine Testing Convention. After all, Medical City would pay close attention to the victor as well.
Head Elder Xie had no choice but to soften his tone. “Fine. Then may Qin Wangfei clarify yourself. However, I’ll say this first: if Qin Wangfei can’t offer a sastisfactory explanation, I definitely won’t be polite!” Even if Han Yunxi can tell that something’s off, so what? Her poison skills are formidable, but these are all common medicinal ingredients. I refuse to believe that she can explain what’s going on.
Han Yunxi gave a snort of contempt. “First, bring out Xie Peng’s prescription.”
Head Elder Xie openly handed over the paper, which Han Yunxi read out loud. Everyone immediately understood why Wang Shuchen had admitted defeat after hearing the list. Most of the audience had no idea how to make heads or tails of the prescription. Even with the list and quantities of ingredients, they couldn’t figure out how to put them all together, much less the effects of the final pill. No wonder Wang Shuchen had been at a loss.
Wang Gong himself was the most amazed of all, because even he didn’t understand the prescription.
“Heheh, so eager to announce the winner without even publicizing the prescription first? Head Elder Xie, isn’t that too careless of you? Or do you think the prescription was so ordinary that it didn’t merit a public viewing?” Han Yunxi mocked.
Head Elder Xie avoided the question to focus on something else. “Fourth Young Master Wang has already admitted his loss. According to the rules of the competition, that’s valid enough to determine the winner. What was wrong with that?”
“Oh…looks like Head Elder Xie feels that this prescription is ordinary after all,” Han Yunxi said before looking towards the audience. “What does everyone else think?”
The crowd was silent. Anyone who could attend this convention had to be intelligent, so each of them knew clear in their hearts that this prescription counted as a top-tier formula. Even if Xie Peng was a child prodigy, it would be impossible for him to think up such a pill within a single incense stick. Without a doubt, someone had taught him the prescription first. But it was the Council of Elders who had provided the medicinal ingredients—dozens of them at that—and Wang Gong who had selected 30 from the pile to offer Xie Peng. It seemed impossible that any sabotage could have been at work. Besides crediting Xie Peng for his good luck, they had nothing else to say.
“This prescription…heheh, I’m afraid this old man wouldn’t understand it even if I studied it for the rest of my life!” Wang Gong mocked himself before roaring into laughter.
Head Elder Xie’s expression shifted before he feigned anger and rebuked, “What does the Xie Clan mean by this?”
The Xie Clan Head naturally made ample preparations when the clan chose to teach this particular prescription to Xie Peng. It would have been best if the formula wasn’t publicized, now that it was, he had his own ways to deal with the issue as well.
“Xie Peng, what’s going on here?” he interrogated the boy.
“This… This was taught to me last year by a man in the ingredient storage warehouse,” the once-arrogant brat had instantly morphed into a sorry-looking little child. With a face full of innocence, he added, “There aren’t any rules that you can’t use other people’s prescriptions for the Grand Medicine Testing Convention. You can only blame Wang Shuchen for been too inexperienced to see an old prescription like this before.”
Xie Peng’s words were already infuriating enough, but the Xie Clan Head had even thicker skin. He said, “As things stand, it’s our Xie Clan that got lucky. By coincidence, the Council of Elders provided ingredients that could create this particular pill. Heheh, esteemed wangfei, you can’t blame the Xie Clan for that, can you? It was even the Wang Clan Head that picked out Xie Peng’s 30 allocated ingredients. He wouldn’t have helped out Xie Clan on purpose, would he?”
Everyone was certain that the Xie Clan had cheated, but there was no way to prove it. No one could tell how they could’ve pulled it off. Han Yunxi’s jade-like fingers brushed past the extra ingredients she’d taken from the basket as she said in a cold voice, “Head Elder Xie, may I ask just what were the criterion for picking the rest of these 53 medicinal ingredients?”
Head Elder Xie’s expression changed slightly. It couldn’t be, has Han Yunxi…?