Chapter 125: Contest (Patreon)

~~~

Silence.

Regardless of how loud the murmurs around him are, Liu Jin’s world has become silent. He looks neither left nor right. His gaze does not even seek out Elder Xue’s, no matter how much he wishes to. Once again, Liu Jin has little choice but to wait for people much mightier than he to decide his fate.

“See his skills?” Lord Feng Gui echoes his brother and laughs. “Brother, are the skills of an Inner Disciple truly something that can be of interest to you?”

“As I understand it, his skills were of interest to the entirety of our Eternal Flame Clan mere weeks ago,” Lord Feng Shang replies smoothly. Any trace of discomfort in his posture has been completely erased. “Why should I hold myself apart? Indeed, wasn’t it my inability to see the skills of our disciples that led to my shame? Perhaps, I should have paid more attention to our Inner Disciples.”

“Far be it from me to deny you the opportunity to reflect on your mistakes, how do you propose we accomplish this? Shall we grab disciples and modify their dantain so that Elder Xue’s disciple may identify the exact ways in which it was done?” Lord Feng Gui lets out a sharp laugh. “We are not savages, brother.”

“I would never dare suggest something like that, little brother. Certainly, it is impossible to replicate the exact circumstances in which Elder Xue’s disciple distinguished himself. However, he is a disciple of the Apothecary, is he not? Alchemy should be something he takes pride in. Indeed, that he was able to dissect the poisons used by the disgraced Cheung suggests quite a bit of skill in that area.”

A hum leaves Lord Feng Gui’s mouth. His hand goes to his chin. “Are you suggesting a pill-making contest, brother?”

“It should be decent entertainment if nothing else.”

“How thoroughly old-fashioned of you, brother.”

A pill-making contest.

Certainly, Lord Feng Shang is right. As a member of the Apothecary, it should be natural for pill making to be a strength of Liu Jin’s. Indeed, Lord Feng Gui and Elder Xue trade a quick glance, one so discreet Liu Jin barely catches it. That seems to be Elder Xue’s cue to speak up.

“I see no reason to object, Lord Feng Shang,” she says. “My disciple does not lack skill, yet who shall be his opponent?”

“I believe I can be of assistance,” Elder Dang says. “As you all know, many disciples who belonged to the Medical Pavilion left to other divisions after that dreadful event. As it so happens, I have a former disciple of the Medical Pavilion in my division who happens to be quite proficient in pill making. By mere happenstance, I have brought him here tonight.”

“Interesting.” Lord Feng Shang hums thoughtfully. Liu Jin is nearly a hundred percent sure he had arranged this with Elder Dang long before the feast began. “Elder Xue, I hear you have granted your disciple quite a bit of authority in the Medical Pavilion.”

“I have.”

Lord Feng Shang’s lips form a smile. “Then this shall be doubly interesting. A former disciple of the Medical Pavilion against a current one. Shall we see which is better?”

The slightest crease appears on Lord Feng Gui’s face, one which Liu Jin soon mirrors. If Liu Jin loses, Lord Feng Shang’s faction will use his lack of skill as a way to put Elder Xue’s management of the Medical Pavilion in doubt. That is surely what they are after with this contest.

Elder Xue merely smiles.

“I can think of no better way to do so than this one. Disciple Qing, step forward.”

“Disciple Bu Jing,” Elder Dang says. “You as well.”

A pale-eyed disciple on the other side of the room stands up at the same time Liu Jin does. He is a few years older than him and has a narrow face set in a frown. His Qi marks him as someone in the True Realm.

The two walk until they are fifteen paces away from the main table and kneel.

“This disciple is ready to serve,” Liu Jin and Bu Jing say at the same time.

“I am pleased to hear that,” Elder Feng Shang says and snaps his fingers.

Any remaining doubts Liu Jin has are fully silenced when three servants bring in furnaces, utensils, and ingredients. Liu Jin can easily recognize every single one of them. There is not one that is not rare. They are not the sort of things one would have lying around. This was definitely planned in advance.

“Oh, how thoroughly you have prepared yourself, brother. To think you just came up with this idea, yet you already have all the ingredients ready.” Lord Feng Gui gives a few mocking claps. “Why, if only you had shown half this level of preparation for the tournament, we might not have finished fourth!”

The flicker of a frown crosses Lord Feng Shang’s face.

“Is there anything wrong with being prepared, brother? You scold me for not preparing enough. Now you wish to do the same for preparing too much?”

“Dearest brother, does it not strike you as unfair that you have clearly decided on which pill you are going to ask them to make ahead of time?”

“Shall I let you or Elder Xue decide instead?” Lord Feng rebuts. “Do we not run into the same problem that way?”

“At the very least, dear brother, I do not have any ingredients ready. You are the one who wants to be entertained. What entertainment is there when you place so much under your control?”

“I am afraid, dearest little brother, that your type of entertainment feels too much like recklessness to me.”

It is, by all means, a normal conversation between brothers. There is no hint of hostility in their expressions, not an ounce of aggression in their voices. And yet, each exchange generates an unmistakable pressure in the room which bears down on everyone around them. The Elders show no sign of noticing it, but the disciples unlucky enough to be close to the head table have a hard time holding their heads up.

Heartening Phoenix Pill.

Both brothers freeze in place, and so does the rest of the room. The overpowering presence created by the two brothers is snuffed out as easily as a candle.

Lord Feng Zhang has spoken.

Liu Jin doesn’t know how he knows that, but it is as certain as the sun rising every morning.

“It seems neither of us will choose the pill,” Lord Feng Shang says, his voice measured. His body is now leaning two inches further away from his father’s seat.

“It seems that is the case, dear brother,” Lord Feng Gui replies, for once a mirror image to his brother. “Though if it is a Heartening Phoenix Pill they are making, we shall need different ingredients.”

Unlike before, it takes the servants several minutes to bring out the ingredients needed, which helps reassure Liu Jin that this part has not been planned in advance.

The way Bu Jing keeps glaring at him out of the corner of his eyes is rather awkward, though.

“The rules are simple,” Elder Dang says once tools and ingredients have been laid out for Liu Jin and Bu Jing atop red silk. “You shall each prepare a Heartening Phoenix Pill. Whoever creates the superior pill will be the winner. Any questions?”

“I have one, honored Elder,” Liu Jin says. “I see the servants have brought pill furnaces for us, but would it be alright if I do not use it?”

His question causes confusion not just across the room but even among the Elders. It is Elder Geng, from the Armory, who hums in thought and nods.

“Direct Resonance, is that it?”

The words are not something Liu Jin has heard before, but to his surprise, Elder Xue nods.

“Correct. My disciple prefers to make pills through Direct Resonance.”

“Direct Resonance?” Lady Ling echoes. Her beautiful face wrinkles in confusion. “I must admit I am not familiar with the term.”

“It is no surprise, my lady,” Elder Geng says. “It is quite old-fashioned. In the era before pill furnaces became common, people were forced to use their Qi to create the same effect. Of course, this caused greatly uneven results in pill production. Furnaces went a long way towards standardizing results as well as lessening the odds of failure.”

His explanation creates ripples across the banquet hall. Furnaces are everyone’s preferred method for pill-making. Certainly, skill is required to manipulate a furnace. The more high-end the furnace, the more skill one needs. Even among people using the same model of furnace, there will be differences in results.

However, the method Elder Geng talks about is one that seems even more skill-based.

In other words, Liu Jin will have to rely solely on his skill at harnessing ingredients against an older, more experienced disciple. Even though Liu Jin is a disciple of the Apothecary, his opponent, Bu Jing, belonged to the Medical Pavilion and is in the True Realm. His skills at manipulating furnaces and pill-making should leave nothing to be desired, especially since he is the one Lord Feng Shang and Elder Dang chose for this.

In other words, most people in the room are already certain of Liu Jin’s defeat.

“I can think of no better way to appreciate the difference in skill,” Elder Xue says, showing confidence that is not shared by most. “Two disciples trying to make the same pill, using the same ingredients, yet two completely different methods. Lord Feng Shang’s idea is certainly a good one.”

Emboldened by her display, Lord Feng Gui adds, “Why not? You are the one who wanted to be entertained, brother.”

Lord Feng Shang merely hums in reply and nods to Elder Dang.

“Your request is allowed, disciple,” Elder Dang tells him. “If there are no further objections...”

He waits a moment, giving everyone a chance to say nothing. No one does.

“Begin!”

Liu Jin and Bu Jing quickly sort through the ingredients given to them: salve of a Wise Oak, root of Dragonblood, mucus of a Frost Salamander, leaves of a Pale Ice Tree.

And, of course, one Phoenix Feather.

The Heartening Phoenix Pill grants the one who eats it incredible resistance against fire, often to the point of immunity. As the name implies, Phoenix Feathers are a key ingredient in their preparation. It is the quality of the Phoenix Feather that determines the potency of the pill.

Liu Jin and Bu Jing have each been given one feather. The message is clear.

If they fail, there will be no second chances.

The Pale Ice Tree leaves are cleaned. The Dragonblood root is chopped into small pieces and powdered. Bu Jing finishes this stage first, using the speed granted to him by a higher cultivation level. His furnace is soon glowing with green flames as he starts mixing the ingredients and inserting them.

Liu Jin does his best to phase him out. There is no point in paying attention to any progress other than his own. The looks and murmurs from the other disciples, the attention of the Emperors, and even Lord Feng Zhang’s presence hovering above everyone. None of those things are needed. Liu Jin’s world narrows until nothing other than the ingredients he is using exists.

His Qi flares up.

Resonating and harmonizing with the ingredients. Was it really such an old method? If so, he wished either his father or master had told him about it. He had known it wasn’t common, but he hadn’t known it was ancient. Whenever he had asked them about it, they just said not many people used it.

Would he have used the furnace had he known about that?

No.

The answer comes to him instantly. No, he wouldn’t have. It is not that he doesn’t know how to use a pill furnace, but he’s not going to win against someone in the True Realm with that method.

This is not the time to appear weak. Liu Jin must win here, and by doing so, reinforce his value and gain influence.

That is the only path for him.

Wise Oak. Dragonblood. Frost Salamander. Pale Ice Tree.

Not a single one of those ingredients is related to fire. People usually think that is the case because the Phoenix Hearting Pill is meant to fight fire with cold. However, that could not be further from the truth. Otherwise, a Phoenix Feather would not be its main ingredient. Instead of fighting fire with cold, the Phoenix Hearting Pill takes advantage of the latent properties within the Phoenix Feather. It seeks to grant its user a shadow of a Phoenix’s ability to thrive in flames.

The other four ingredients better enable the process by helping contain the power of the Phoenix.

Liu Jin’s Qi easily resonates with the four ingredients and brings them to a higher level of refinement. Even though they are all high-grade ingredients, not one of them is particularly volatile.

The same cannot be said of the Phoenix Feather.

The ones they have been given are high-grade ones. No doubt, someone in the True Realm will have an easier time controlling the energies it will unleash during the pill-making process. Liu Jin breathes deeply, and as he does, his Qi reaches out to the feather, tapping into its essence. There is power there. Even though the feather no longer has any connection to its owner, the embers that remain are a mighty fire.

Control.

Breathe.

The Phoenix Feather forms the core of the pill. The other four ingredients serve to contain its essence and preserve its properties as it’s turned into a pill. However, that is easier said than done.

One ingredient after another is added and compressed, creating layer upon layer around the pill. Each time this happens, more energy is unleashed. However, it all just washes over Liu Jin without issue. His Qi is fully attuned to that of the Phoenix Feather. The fire cannot hurt him. It is blinding, yet Liu Jin is not using his eyes anymore. His Qi is so deeply entrenched into every part of the process, he can even feel the breathing of each individual cell.

By the end of it all, there is a pure red pill on his hands and scorch marks around him.

The hall is quieter than before, but by no means is it silent. Murmurs, worried and expectant, abound. The people look at Liu Jin with different eyes. To his side, Bu Jing has also produced a red pill from his furnace. Did he finish first?

“Well done, disciples,” Elder Dang says, his face stern. “Present your pills and step back so that they may be judged.”

Bu Jing and Liu Jin do so. Both pills are perfectly round and of a healthy red. There is no outward distinction between them.

“How do you propose we do this, brother?” Lord Feng Gui says, steepling his hands together. “I am quite sure you had something in mind before, but the pill they have made is different from the one you wanted. Doubtlessly, you cannot expect us to burn two of the disciples here so we may see which pill protects them better.”

“That would be foolish,” Lord Feng Shang agrees, “especially when there is a much simpler method.”

He raises his finger; flames flicker atop it.

“The pills are meant to be resistant to fire. The one that burns first is the weaker one. Why make things more complicated than they need to be.”

“Why, indeed?” Lord Feng Gui’s smile as he says that is unmistakably heavy. Fire appears in his hand as well. “Shall I be the one to do it then?”

“Brother, do you not see the flames on my fingers?”

“Brother, this is supposed to entertain you. What point is there if you participate as well?”

“Are you so uncouth you do not know there are places where audience participation is encouraged?”

“Is that what you were doing in the capital instead of supporting the disciples you took there? Entertaining yourself with shows? Oh, your poor disciples.”

“Your words are becoming too bold, brother.”

“I do not need words, brother. Your results speak for themselves.”

A bead of sweat rolls down Liu Jin’s throat. He’s hardly the only one like that. The fires held in the brothers’ hands grow with every passing word.

“Oh, dear,” Elder Fa says, “My lords, please. It is no good for brothers to fight.”

Elder Ju sighs. “At this rate, we’ll have to call Elder Xun again. Is that how things will be from now on? If I were that old man, I’d have locked the Technique Hall tight by now.”

Elder Dang scowls. “Must you always be so impertinent?”

“On the contrary,” Elder Ju says. “I am nothing if not pertinent, though in this case, it seems the choice was taken out of everyone’s hands.”

The brothers blink and follow Elder Ju’s pointed finger.

The pills are on fire.

Somehow, without anyone noticing, blue flames have been cast on them.

Lord Feng Gui dismisses his flames. Lord Feng Shang does the same.

“I cannot think of a fairer judge than our honored father,” Lord Feng Shang says. With a wave of his hand, he dismisses his father’s flames. “Elder Dang, see what remains.”

“Elder Xue, if you would, please,” Lord Feng Gui adds.

The two Elders step forward to see what remains of the two pills. Though the blue flames came from someone with greater power than even an Emperor, Patriarch Feng Zhang obviously held back. The clearest evidence of this is that there are remains at all.

Bu Jing’s pill has lost its color and shape. Rather than a perfectly round red sphere, it now looks like a raisin. However, that there is anything left of the pill speaks volumes of the skill with which it had been made. As for Liu Jin’s pill…

The corners of Elder Xue’s lips twitch upwards. “Oh my.”

It is perfect.

Despite being subjected to the same fire as Bu Jing’s, nothing but a perfect red sphere remains.

“I believe there is no need to discuss who the winner is,” Lord Feng Gui says, smiling smugly at his brother.

“Quite right, brother,” Lord Feng Shang says, his face neutral as he looks at Liu Jin. “The winner is obvious to all.”

“And it would be remiss of us to not give credit where credit is due, brother-in-law,” Lady Ling adds, smiling as she leans against her husband. “Cheer him, one and all. The winner of the pill-making competition is Qing Jin!”

The applause feels a little too much like an execution sentence.

~~~

As the servants clean up, Liu Jin can only be glad he is back on his seat and away from the Elders and the Feng family.

“You handled that well,” Senior Brother Guo tells him.

“If that was well-handled, I do not wish to know what mishandling it would have looked like.”

“You’d probably be dead,” Fan Bingbing says bluntly. Liu Jin laughs, not because she’s wrong, but because she’s right.

Up in the head table, Elder Fa of External Relations brings his hands together in a soft clap. “That was reasonably good entertainment. Certainly, it is proof that, with Elder Xue at the helm, the Medical Pavilion is in good hands for now.”

Try as he might, Liu Jin cannot spot any sign of deceit in Elder Fa’s face.

“However, it is unreasonable of us to ask Elder Xue to split her disciples and her focus between two divisions. She has done the entire Eternal Flame Clan a great favor, but eventually, a new Elder will have to be elected to ease her burden.”

Unbelievable.

Had Liu Jin failed, they would be saying Elder Xue is doing a bad job and needs to be replaced immediately. Since he won, they are now saying Elder Xue is doing a fine job, but it would be wrong to overburden her.

Some people have no shame.

“A burden?” Elder Xue echoes, amused. “I’d hardly call it that.”

“Really?” Elder Dang prods. “Even though there has been a rise in injuries during spars in recent weeks? Certainly, Elder Xue may be able to handle things for now, but that may not be the case in the future.”

“In any case,” Lord Feng Shang says, “the election of an Elder is something we must see to eventually.”

“And who do you suggest we choose, brother? I certainly hope you are not planning to put forth a candidate,” Lord Feng Gui says. “Your ability to choose has clearly been proven faulty.”

Lord Feng Shang’s lips form a thin line, but there is no comeback he can make.

“I am, of course, willing to let the Elders put forth candidates. You as well if you wish to.”

“Such a thing is not as simple as you make it sound, Lord Feng Shang,” Elder Geng rebukes him. “Whether we need to choose an Elder or not, the people who meet the qualifications to become one are not easily found.”

“In the first place, save for Elder Xun, the strongest Emperors in the Eternal Flame Clan are gathered at this very table,” Elder Ju says, yawning as he draws a circle with his finger. “The ones that remain out there are Branch Heads who have been placed in strategic locations. Moving them could be potentially troublesome.”

“The one we are replacing is not an Emperor but someone in the Heaven Realm,” Elder Fa counters.

“So?” Elder Ju shrugs his shoulders. “The problem is the same. We may have far more Heaven Realm cultivators than we have Emperors, but how many of those meet the requirements to be an Elder?” His gaze sweeps over the room. “There are Heaven Realm disciples in this very room. Does a single one of them believe he is ready to be an Elder?”

Not a single disciple rises. Everyone understands that to volunteer right now would be to be judged by Elder Ju on the spot.

“As I thought.” Elder Ju smiles wryly. “Besides, wouldn’t it be cruel?”

Lady Feng blinks owlishly. “Cruel?”

“Most of our strongest cultivators are Feng-blooded, my lady,” Elder Ju answers. “Making them an Elder is the same as asking them to choose which side of the family they like best. Well, plenty of Fengs here have already made that choice, right?”

Elder Ju laughs, but no one laughs with him. To Liu Jin’s side, Fan Bingbing is making her best approximation of a statue. Senior Brother Guo pats her shoulder sympathetically.

“I wonder,” Elder Fa says, “Why not choose someone of Feng blood? Feng Zhuo is in the Heaven Realm already, isn’t he?”

That sets a round of murmurs. Feng Zhi, who had been doing his best to ignore everything around him, suddenly twists his face into a furious scowl.

“My nephew?” Lord Feng Gui asks. “He’s far too young.”

“But skilled,” Elder Dang counters. “No one can deny Young Feng Zhuo’s skill, Lord Feng Gui.”

“No one can deny Young Feng Zhuo is not in the compound or even in the Empire,” Elder Geng says.

“No, perhaps that is the point,” Elder Ju says. “Young Zhuo will be made Elder without being here for his father surely knows his thoughts. Why, perhaps Young Zhuo is so skilled and mighty, he might even vote without being here. Is that how it will be?”

Elder Dang scowls. “What are you implying?”

“I am fairly sure I could hardly have made my meaning clearer.”

“Must you always-”

“Enough!” Elder Xue claps her hands. “I see we all have fairly strong opinions, yet we have neglected to hear the opinion of the one who matters most: Young Feng Zhuo. If you truly are serious about him being a choice, then there is no harm in waiting until he returns so that every Elder may judge him at their leisure.”

“That would be acceptable,” Lord Feng Gui says, humming. “My nephew is certainly strong enough to deserve the opportunity.”

“If Lord Feng Gui agrees, I see no problems with it,” Elder Geng adds.

One by one, each of the members of Lord Feng Gui’s faction gives their agreement. This is, after all, to their benefit. There are only so many ways in which they can halt the election of a new Elder. By saying they are waiting for Feng Zhuo’s return, they can give themselves more time. Judging by the frowns on Lord Feng Shang’s side of the table, they realize this.

“We are all agreed then,” Lord Feng Shang says. “My son shall be tried once he returns.”

“There is one more issue,” Elder Dang suddenly speaks up. “I know this feast is being held for Lord Feng Shang’s benefit, but we have already talked of so many other things it would be negligent of me if I did not bring it up.”

The surprised looks come not just from Lord Feng Gui’s side of the table but from Lord Feng Shang’s as well.

“As I said moments ago, there has been an increase in the violence present in the spars.”

“Violence is nothing new,” Elder Geng says.

“Perhaps, but there has been an increased number of reports of rule-breaking as a result. To make matters worse, there have already been times in which, due to the number of offenses happening at once, the bracelets have started to malfunction.”

That causes frowns all around the room. The bracelets each disciple wears monitor point increases and decreases. In other words, they are helpful in monitoring infractions.

“Is this true?” Lord Feng Shang asks.

“Quite, my lord. I speak these words under the shadow of your honorable father. I’d dare not lie here.”

“And I suppose you wish to offer a solution.”

“As you may all recall, in the time before we gave disciples bracelets, it was the Internal Force which took care to tally the points of each disciple. Therefore, I wish to ask Patriarch Feng Zhang’s permission to reinstate the Internal Force so that the incidents may be lessened.”

Granted.

The word comes before anyone can object. Liu Jin does not know what this means for the future. Nothing good judging by the smile on Elder Dang’s face.

However, Patriarch Feng Zhang has spoken.

All that is left is for everyone to obey.

~~~

AN:

This ended up being longer than expected. Also, it's been a very unlucky week for me to have to review a long chapter. So many headaches. Apologies for any mistakes.