Yan was extremely frustrated. The favor he had asked was not a very big one was it…? Finally, he suppressed his anger, and once again clasped hands and bowed. “Grandmaster Zhou, again, I plead with you to grant my wish. This is the last time I will ask.”
This last bow was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Zhou Dekun was on the verge of collapse. Panting, he suddenly exploded in a fury: “Favor! Favor!? All you want is a favor!? I’ve given you my medicinal pills. You can see that I concocted them myself! My Dao of alchemy is only average. What’s it to you?! That’s how I am. The pill you were looking at before wasn’t concocted by me! That guy concocted it!!” He pointed at Meng Hao. “That was his pill!! You think you’re pissed off? I’m even more pissed off than you!! You’re the one who made the mistake! If you want to look at that pill from before, then ask that guy!”
Zhou Dekun flicked his sleeve. His face was ashen and filled with rage as he turned to leave. His heart was pounding as he scrambled to come up with a way to salvage the situation.
The man named Yan stared in shock, then spun to look at Meng Hao.
It wasn’t just him. Everyone, including the four Grand Elders, and the hundreds of surrounding Cultivators, all slowly turned to look at Meng Hao. All eyes were now glued on him and him alone.
Most of the gazes were filled with shock and incredulity.
“Whether or not you concocted that pill doesn’t matter,” said Yan to Zhou Dekun. “Events today have reached the point that an alchemy duel is required in order to prove who is the alchemist that I so revere!” His glare shifted from Meng Hao to Zhou Dekun.
“Grandmaster Zhou,” he continued earnestly. “After I defeat this guy, I hope that you will no longer humiliate me, but will allow me to look at that pill.” Without looking at Meng Hao, he lifted his right hand up, and a pill furnace appeared.
Zhou Dekun was on the verge of tears. Even after everything that had happened, he didn’t understand why this man just wouldn’t believe him. Perhaps the act he had put on before had simply been too convincing. The man apparently really did believe that he was looking down on him.
Meng Hao cleared his throat and then hesitantly said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m not a local alchemist. I just lost a match to Grandmaster Zhou, and was told to leave the city. I’m afraid I can’t compete with you in alchemy.” He sighed, looking apologetic.
Hearing this, Zhou Dekun’s face immediately fell, and he began to howl inwardly with anguish. “You’re my ancestor, alright? My ancestor! Can you just not do this to me….”
Second Elder, the one who had previously demanded that Meng Hao leave the city, now looked angrily over toward Zhou Dekun. ‘Why can’t you just take out the medicinal pill, Grandmaster Zhou,’ he thought. ‘Why cause all this trouble?’