Chapter 531: Competing at the Grand Medicine Testing Convention (2/2)
Lady Lianxin originally planned to get off her high horse and use her title as a Medical City Elder to ask forgiveness for the Mu Clan’s sake. However, Head Elder Xie’s repeated mentions of the Hundred Poisons Sect made it difficult for her to speak. Although she had a platform to speak in Medical City, anything involving the Hundred Poisons Sect was taboo to the medical academy’s head elder. She wouldn’t disturb those restrictions lightly. Faced with Mu Yingdong’s disappointed look, Lady Lianxin was simply a younger sister who wanted to help but found herself helpless. She ended up avoiding his gaze.
Seeing this, Mu Yingdong’s heart thoroughly died! He lowered his head in silence. He would never beg the Council of Elders for mercy, because that was akin to begging your enemy to spare you. Rather than respect or sympathize with his views, they would only treat him as a joke. This logic he understood very well.
Never show mercy to your enemies; otherwise, there’ll come a day when you become the loser. This logic, Head Elder Xie understood as well.
“Someone come, take Mu Yingdong away to await his sentence! Eliminate all of the Mu Clan’s right to compete in the convention. Before the Council of Elders formally bring him to trial, not a single member of the Mu Clan is allowed to leave Medicine City a step!” Head Elder Xie proclaimed loudly.
All of the Mu Clan members present in the crowd had their heads bowed. None of the other families moved to plea for their sake. Wang Gong glanced at Long Feiye and Han Yunxi to see that they remained unmoved; he too, kept silent. A perfectly good Grand Medicine Testing Convention, formerly used to display true skills amongst the different clans, had turned into a stage of schemes and intrigues between plays for power. The people offstage couldn’t help but gasp or sob. In the midst of their reactions, Mu Yingdong was led away.
While the crowd was still mired in their thoughts, great changes had already taken place in Medicine City. With the Mu Clan down, the Wang and Xie Clans were now the only opponents left who could match each other in strength. Without a doubt, the battle to control Medicine City would only intensify from now on.
At this moment, Head Elder Xie proclaimed, “Someone come, set up the stage again. We’ll continue with the Grand Medicine Testing Convention!”
After all that, Head Elder Xie wants to go on with the competition instead of resting? Han Yunxi assumed that they’d postpone things to tomorrow at least, but it looked like the Xie Clan was prepared to win everything with one blow and show off to their utmost.
Most of the Mu Clan had scattered by now, but Lady Lianxin remained sitting in her place as if nothing had happened, drinking a few sips of tea as she prepared to watch the proceedings. Noting this, Han Yunxi privately admired her tolerance. She also wanted to find the woman and ask her some questions before she left. As the crowd sat down to prepare for the competition, Ouyang Ningnuo remained in his seat beside Long Feiye. He had no intentions to return to his old spot.
“Your Excellency Pill Fiend, do you think the fourth young master of the Wang Clan will win first place?” he grinned while asking in a low voice.
Long Feiye remained mute.
“Your Excellency Pill Fiend, why didn’t Medicine City invite you to be a judge? You’re the authority in this field,” Ouyang Ningnuo asked next.
Long Feiye remained mute.
“Heheh, no clans in Medicine City can compare with the likes of a single Pill Fiend.” Ouyang Ningnuo had turned to face Long Feiye as he spoke, his tone sincere. “Your Excellency Pill Fiend might seriously consider cooperating with the Cloud Realm Trade Consortium. You can ask for any terms you like with this one and I’ll definitely fulfill them to your satisfaction.”
Long Feiye…still remained mute!
By now, the Wang Clan’s fourth young master Wang Shuchen had taken the stage anew. Ouyang Ningnuo finally directed his attention onstage instead of annoying Long Feiye. The Grand Medicine Testing Convention was important to begin with, but now that the Mu Clan had fallen, its significance grew even more critical. The official battle between the Wang and Xie Clans would start from this competition!
Leaving aside the priceless rewards given to the champion, including rights to enter the Council of Elders’ lands and the medicine storehouses at any time, there was public morale to consider as well. The effects on public sentiment would be great. After the once-in-a-decade Grand Medicine Testing Convention concluded, it would be time for the Council of Elders’ elections for new Elders. Head Elder Xie hadn’t reached the age of retirement yet, so he would keep his position, but Seventh Elder and a few others were due to leave their posts. Thanks to the Council’s penalty against the Mu Clan, the Mu Clan members would definitely be expelled from the board as well. That meant plenty of positions would open up for the taking. Here too, was another test of public sentiment from the people.
Would they pick the Wang Clan, or the Xie Clan? Medicine City was a world where medicine reigned supreme and people talked with their pharmacy skills. The younger generation was crucial to the conversation. Which family had geniuses, cultivated geniuses, or had more young, talented pharmacists were sure to be the future masters of the city. Why had the Mu Clan gained so much support in the past? Why did so many people curry favor with them? Why, it was all because of Mu Linger’s existence.
The logic still held true now.
Today, the champion of the Grand Medicine Testing Convention would be able to gain their clan, Wang or Xie, a head-start in the battle for favor. The atmosphere turned tense as the competition began, and the crowd watched on with concentration.
Wang Shuchen was the Wang Clan’s trump card and didn’t disappoint. He stood for four whole hours after taking the stage, defeating all his challengers—among them famous youths from the Xie Clan as well. But in the end, the Xie Clan sent up a little disciple called Xie Peng1 who was no more than 10 years old. He was the youngest competitor today.
Everyone was shocked by his appearance. Many people had guessed that the Mu and Xie Clans might have hidden talents of their own to deal with Fourth Young Master Wang, but each family had limits on how many competitors they could enter into the contest. How could this child enter the stage unless he was some sort of prodigy?
Han Yunxi and Long Feiye had full faith in Wang Shuchen, but now they were paying even closer attention…
1. Xie Peng (谢鹏) – Peng is a type of mythical bird in Chinese mythology.