Chapter Eighty-Four: Words Like Poisonous Blades

  ……

  As soon as they saw this array, the disciples knew that there would be a lively scene to watch and gathered around. Seeing this elixir, each of them exclaimed in surprise and secretly praised the quality of this small gathering spirit elixir as being extraordinary.

  It's indeed hard to believe that this is what Chen Mo has achieved in just one month of practice.

  Chen Mo frowned and ignored him.

  But the tree wanted to be quiet while the wind wouldn't stop, Huo Yingfan stepped forward and carefully considered it for a moment. What he thought in his heart was exactly the same as Ye Lianxiang's. He scolded: "Chen Mo, you have a big nerve! You actually stole the elixir and dared to sell it? According to the rules of Changchun Valley, you must be expelled from the valley and never be employed again."

  "That's right, they should be driven out." Several of He Yingwen's followers behind him chimed in, with a self-righteous air.

  "Heh heh." Ye Lianxiang smiled secretly, it seemed that calling Huo Yingfan for help to vent her anger was a wise choice.

  "Are you stealing?" Chen Mo's eyes narrowed, and he said in a low voice: "You're kidding, are you saying I'm stealing just because you say so? Huo Yifan, if you can't produce any evidence..."

  Originally, his heart was set on competing with Gu Muqing, and he had to focus all his energy on improving his own strength. Moreover, he didn't want to cause trouble for the female Shifu and make her disgusted. Chen Mo took a step back and avoided causing more disputes.

  However, the other party was aggressive and actually framed me for theft. In that case, this matter cannot be settled amicably.

  Huo Yingfan sneered, "Still dare to be stubborn? With just a month of training, you think you can refine such high-quality Xiao Jiling Dan? Who do you think you are, the astonishingly talented Mu Shifu? No, even if it were Mu Shifu, back then she didn't have such incredible speed."

  His words caused a stir among many of the disciples who were watching from the sidelines.

  "Huo Shixiong is right, it can't be that the elixir was really stolen?"

  "You said, could it be Mu Shibo's refinement?"

  "You're kidding? Master Mu, a fifth-grade pharmacist, might refine one or two pills to teach people, but he definitely won't refine so many."

  "It seems this kid really did steal the medicine."

  "I thought he looked quite handsome and refined, not someone like that?"

  "It seems that the simple-minded Mu Shibo has been deceived by someone."

  ……

  A string of endless chatter poured into Chen Mo's ears like a tidal wave.

  Sometimes, people's words are like knives and can also kill others.

  With Chen Mo's long-honed and increasingly calm temperament, he wouldn't have been provoked by someone like Huo Yingfan, just as the clear wind blows over the mountain ridge, letting him be strong if he wants to be.

  But now, things are not that simple. Even if the other party has no evidence to say that they stole the Dan medicine, once the rumors spread, it will have a great impact on the reputation of the kind-hearted Mu Lingwei who took them in.

  At this point, Chen Mo's face became even colder and more stern, his voice low as he said: "Huo Shixiong, I believe you've had a plan in mind all along? Speak up, what do you want me to do to prove my innocence?"

  Being stared at by Chen Mo's piercing gaze, Huo Yingfan's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and a chill rose from the bottom of his heart. But thinking again, he was just a nobody from the countryside without any backing, so what if he was stepped on? Could he jump all the way to heaven?

  "In fact, I also hope from the bottom of my heart that Brother Chen is not a despicable person. Huo Yingfan's expression was calm and collected, with a tone that seemed to be speaking well of Chen Mo: "As Brother Chen said, these elixirs were refined by himself, then Brother Chen can indeed be called a genius of astonishing talent. I can accompany Brother Chen and engage in a public debate."

  He determined that Chen Mo didn't have this skill and took the opportunity to eliminate him from Changchun Valley.

  Chen Mo's eyes had already retracted their cold intent, and he said calmly: "How does Master Ho want to spar?"

  Huo Yingfan saw that he had taken the bait, and secretly felt pleased with himself. On the surface, he became even more gentle and elegant: "Our Changchun Valley is a sacred place for alchemy, and we value the art of alchemy above all else. If we are to engage in a contest, it would naturally be a contest of alchemical skills. As a disciple of Mu Shifu's younger brother, you must have received true teachings and are certainly not ordinary. But I entered the sect earlier and cannot bully you, so let us refine a batch of Aggregating Spirit Pills together, and this will also allow you to prove that these small Aggregating Spirit Pills were indeed made by your own hands."

  "Huo Shixiong is really kind-hearted, should I thank you for your care?" His tone was sarcastic, and Chen Mo's mouth corners slightly curled up.

  "No need to thank me, I didn't have the chance to learn from Mu Shifu, so being able to spar with her true disciple is a fortunate thing." Huo Yingfan said hypocritically.

  Yeh Lianxiang covered her mouth and smiled secretly, not expecting that Huo Yingfan was quite capable. Although there was a suspicion of bullying the weak, it was a bit excessive. But seeing Chen Mo's failure with a disheveled face, that thread of guilt disappeared without a trace.

  "Heh heh, since we have the Dan Bureau, it wouldn't be interesting without adding some excitement. Why don't I give 50,000 gold to Brother Huo to boost his morale?" Ye Lian's smile was sweet and charming, but her heart was as cold-blooded as a snake, and she began to fan the flames."

  "Indeed a princess, so generous with her money! I'll bet 20,000 that Master Huo will win."

  "I'm out 40,000."

  ……

  Huo Yingfan's followers have successively added their bets, and the outcome is already very clear. Why not hurry up and follow suit? After a round of bidding, it has already reached 140,000 gold coins, and one side is leaning towards Huo Yingfan.

  If Chen Mo agreed, it would obviously make him impossible to turn over.

  "Haha." Huo Yingfan burst out laughing: "I'll add a bit more, another 60,000 taels of gold, making it a total of 200,000. Chen Mo, don't say I'm bullying you. If you win, take the 200,000. If you lose, as long as you lose just one tenth of that amount in gold." He was also afraid that Chen Mo would be scared off by the huge bet, so he quickly added a condition to reassure him.

  Let these two hundred thousand taels of gold become a trap that lures Chen Mo into silence.

  When the time comes, as long as he loses, he can rely on rumors to "substantiate" his crime of stealing elixir. Even if Mu Lingwei intervenes, she will not be able to save him.

  A completely predictable duel, and among the onlookers, some of the disciples also had a tacit understanding of He Yingfan's malicious intentions, secretly sweating for Chen Mo, their eyes all fixed on Chen Mo, waiting for his reaction.

  Because up until now Chen Mo still had the chance to refuse.

  A moment of silence, his heart grew even calmer, this time no matter what, he had to fight. Not to mention the 200,000 taels of gold at stake...

  His piercing gaze seemed to be about to drown him at this moment, but he was still calm and composed, unmoving.

  Huo Yingfan's mouth curled up, this kid had clearly fallen into a desperate situation, and was in a dilemma. If he didn't agree, he would give everyone an excuse to accuse him of stealing the elixir. If he agreed, then the fight for the elixir would definitely make him lose forever.

  And on the other side, Ye Lianxiang's delicate face was also hard to conceal a sneer, self-satisfied and muttering: "This is what happens when you offend Her Highness."

  Chen Mo looked at everyone's reaction, one by one, and said in a low voice: "Alright, I agree with you."

  "Goodness gracious, he must have been knocked out cold! What's the point of being a hero at this time?" The surrounding area suddenly erupted in a flurry of discussions.

  "It's so lively."

  A deep, resonant voice rang out, and the bustling hall suddenly fell silent. The newcomer was Gu Yuexiao, the executive of Dan Bao Ge, who held the position of Changchun Valley elder and fourth-grade pharmacist.

  "This time there's a good show to watch, even Old Man Gu Yue has come to 'give face'."

  ……

  The slightly quieter hall was once again filled with murmurs of discussion.

  Chen Mo's gaze fell on Gu Yue Xiao, who had long heard that he was the elder of Dan Bi Ge, and his identification of the quality of dan medicine was also accurate. He was a decent person.

  "Since there is a Dan Bureau, as the executive of the Dan Bureau Pavilion, how can I miss it? I recommend myself to preside over this Dan Bureau competition. The standard will be based on the high and low prices of the elixirs in the Dan Bureau Pavilion. Do you have any objections?"

  "Your identification of Dan medicine quality is unmatched in Changchun Valley. You've come to make a judgment, it's an honor for your disciple." Huo Yingfan hastily stepped forward, slapping his horse's buttocks repeatedly.

  Ignoring Huo Yingfan's flattery, Gu Yue Xiao looked at Chen Mo with interest and saw that he was wearing a loose gray robe, which made him look quite handsome but unremarkable. In her heart, she also thought: "Could it be that he is really a genius? He can refine the Spiritual Gathering Pill in just one month after entering the sect?"

  With his status, he wouldn't normally join in the commotion among juniors. However, just as he was hiding in the shadows to watch the show, he unexpectedly heard Mu Lingwei's transmission asking him to preside over this Dan Conference.

  It seemed that Chen Mo was at least somewhat capable, and his heart secretly looked forward to it.

  "Since there are no objections, let's prepare individually. The fight for the Dan will begin in an hour." Gu Yue Xiao announced solemnly, ignoring Chen Mo's opinion directly.

  One hour later.

  In front of Danbi Pavilion, a large square was packed with people. In a short period of time, the fight for Dan had already become well-known to everyone.

  Each of the disciples came to watch the commotion. Everyone was talking about it, but the vast majority were not watching the competition process, but wanted to see Chen Mo's dejected appearance after his failure.

  It can be seen that Chen Mo has been taken as a disciple by Mu Lingwei, and he is still living in the Xuan Kong Pavilion with the goddess of countless people's hearts, which has already provoked public outrage.

  On the jade stone steps, there is a five- or six-zhang-wide dan platform.

  Chen Mo and Huo Yingfan stood facing each other, with a wooden table behind each of them, on which were placed three batches of medicinal materials for refining the Lingdan. In the middle of the platform, a sandglass about three feet high floated blue light, fine sand flowing like water, used to keep time.

  In the corner of the platform, on a wooden frame, a bronze gong shone with golden light. Next to it, a disciple of Dan Yun Ge held a drumstick in his hand, waiting quietly for the signal. Below the stage, the crowd surged and moved about, making the scene very lively.

  Gu Yue stood up and walked to the center of the platform, scanning the two people before turning to face the public: "The rules of the Dou Dan Bureau are as follows: next to each person are three sets of medicinal materials for refining the first-class Spirit Gathering Pill. Each person has three chances, with a sand timer keeping track of time. The competition must be completed within one hour. If the medicinal materials are used up or the time limit is exceeded without completion, it will be considered a failure. Those who complete the task within the allotted time will be judged according to the standards of the Dan Fang Pavilion, and the person with the excellent quality pill wins."

  The atmosphere in the square suddenly became heavy, as if a storm was brewing.

  But Chen Mo on the stage did not know that his master, Mu Lingwei, was quietly paying attention to all of this in a secluded corner.

  "Are you ready?" Gu Yuexiao asked the two of them.

  "Uh-huh." The two nodded heavily.

  ……