Xu Qingxuan had truly given them a new perspective on things. The crowd recalled the story of how Pill King Ji Lang had lost to Pill King Zhen of Veluriyam Capital all those years ago. It was a story that took the entire Upper Eight Regions by the storm. Pillfire City had killed many people in order to stifle the rumors, but to no avail.
In the end, the city refused to acknowledge the loss and claimed that Veluriyam Capital had cheated by researching the Longevity Pill beforehand, while Pill King Ji Lang had little to no time for preparation and thus failed the incredibly easy task due to lack of enthusiasm. This statement of theirs was utterly unconvincing, but it was enough to stifle heated discussions. Eventually, people began to forget about Pill King Ji Langâs humiliating loss.
Pill King Zhen? Veluriyam Capital was genuinely a great distance away from Tilted Moon Region. If they sought the Capitalâs help, itâd be a great form of disrespect to Pillfire City. After all, their borders was right next to each other. Pillfire would definitely take offense if they hired help from that far away. Being neighbors with the city wasnât always a good thing. The sectmasters exchanged glances without saying anything.
The second sectmaster smiled wryly. âQingxuan, your suggestion isnât bad, but it doesnât suit our situation very well if you take everything into account. Itâs basically a slap to Pillfire Cityâs face.â
âWhy must we consider the cityâs face? Whatâs wrong with hiring someone else if the city is incompetent? Itâs not as though we sought Veluriyam Capital for help first!â Xu Qingxuan had made a good argument.
âWhat do you all think?â the second sectmaster asked ruefully.
The senior sectmaster sighed. âWe might consider asking Pill King Zhen of Veluriyam Capital for help, but only as a last resort. Before that, we should consider Pill King Blue Phoenixâs suggestion and find the genius Shao Yuan.â
âYes. If heâs really as great as the pill king says he is, maybe a miracle will happen?â
The sectmasters quickly came to a unanimous decision. Theyâd seek Pill King Shao Yuanâs help first, just as Pill King Blue Phoenix had suggested. They wholeheartedly believed that Pill King Shao Yuan would show up if the reward was high enough, even if his whereabouts were currently unknown.
An announcement was made while they were in the middle of their discussion. âEsteemed sectmasters, Elder Jing asks for an audience.â
âElder Jing?â The senior sectmaster was a little taken aback. âWhatâs he doing here?â
âHe wishes to recommend a pill king.â
Elder Jing? An image of Elder Jing flashed across the three sectmastersâ minds. Indeed, there was an Elder Jing among the elders of the sect. However, he didnât particularly stand out among the jury of elders. He wasnât exactly the cream of the crop. That was why they were a little taken aback when Elder Jing wanted to recommend someone. However, they needed all the help they could get. If they denied him of his audience, whoâd ever recommend a pill king again?
âSend him in,â the senior sectmaster ordered.
Elder Jing was the Jing forefather and held a seat in the Moon God Sectâs council of elders. However he didnât get to see the sectmasters very often.
âJing Tianbo pays his respects to the three sectmasters and the holy maidens.â
The holy maidens were second only to the sectmasters. Their authority was just above the elders, but it was mostly just a symbolic gesture as they held no true power for the time being.
âElder Jing, you may rise. We heard that youâre recommending a pill king?â The senior sectmaster wasnât exactly enthusiastic, but there wasnât any hostility in her voice.
Jing Tianbo nodded. âYes. This subordinate is here for that reason.â
âOh? The pill king youâre nominating. Where is he from?â She followed up warmly.
âThis subordinate doesnât know.â
How dare you recommend someone without knowing his background first? The senior sectmaster was starting to feel annoyed. âWhat rank pill king is he then?â
Jing Tianbo found himself in an increasingly awkward situation. He didnât actually know what rank the person in question was. He suddenly found himself incapable of answering.
âThen you should at least know what school of pill dao heâs from, right?â The sectmaster was on the verge of kicking him out.
Jing Tianbo smiled wryly. âI heard that his origin is extremely mysterious. This subordinate hasnât made the proper inquiries. However...â
âElder Jing! You are too rash!â The second sectmaster suddenly yelled as she could no longer hold back her anger. âIf youâre going to recommend someone, you should at least research his background first! How dare you recommend someone you donât even know a thing about!? Do you even know what youâre doing?â
Jing Tianbo was terrified. Cold sweat immediately poured from his forehead. âThis subordinate realizes his mistake. But...â
âThatâs enough! Iâve heard enough from you. Elder Jing, you may take your leave. The sect is in urgent need of a pill dao expert, but not every Wang, Chen, or Lin has the right to enter our sect and point fingers!â
Color drained from Jing Tianboâs face. The entire incident was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, but he didnât dare to go against the sectmasterâs orders. He flashed a wry smile and bowed deeply. âThis subordinate has overstepped his boundaries, I ask for your forgiveness. Aii...â
Jing Tianbo didnât have enough authority to speak. Otherwise, he couldâve added a few more words. Unfortunately, he didnât have the courage to do so. He was genuinely intimidated by the wrath of the three sectmasters.
However, Xu Qingxuan suddenly spoke up. âElder Jing, the pill king that youâre recommending, what is his surname? You should at least know that much, right?â
Jing Tianbo quickly answered. âHe goes by the surname of Shao! Maybe the sectmasters have heard of him too? A captain from the Bleakmoon Hall was recently declared as Emperor Peerlessâ foster son, right? Sir Shao has accompanied the emperor throughout his stay in our region. A few months ago, theyâve even attended the Bounty Arena in Pillfire City together and raised an enormous commotion there!â Jing Tianbo didnât dare to linger once he was done and immediately backed towards the exit.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âWait!â The senior sectmaster yelled excitedly. The other two sectmasters were also brimming with excitement.
âElder Jing, did you just mention that he goes by the surname of Shao? Is his full name Shao Yuan?â The senior sectmaster asked agitatedly.
âThat is correct. Senior sectmaster, you know of Sir Shao Yuan too?â Jing Tianbo was a little taken aback. He didnât expect the sectmasters to care about such mundane affairs. And it was true, the sectmasters genuinely knew nothing about this pill king. The only reason they even knew of his name was because theyâd just come to a decision to seek his help.
Pill King Blue Phoenix had strongly recommended Pill King Shao Yuan. He held Sir Shao in such high regard that Sir Shao seemed like the only person he revered in the pill dao world. No ordinary person could possibly gain so much respect from a proud and acclaimed pill king like Blue Phoenix. The sectmasters of Moon God Sect couldnât help but have a paramount of respect for Shao Yuan. Initially, they were worried theyâd fail to locate the enigmatic pill king, but unexpectedly, he was right on their doorstep! Finding him hadnât taken the slightest effort!
âElder Jing, youâve done us a great service. Quick, go get Pill King Shao Yuan!â
âPlease hurry. Tell him that weâre willing to give him any reward for his services! As long as he finds out whatâs wrong with the Moon God Precious Tree, he can ask for any amount of spirit stones from us.â
Jing Tianbo breathed a sigh of relief and laughed inwardly at himself. If heâd known earlier that this would happen, he shouldâve just mentioned Sir Shaoâs full name. It wouldâve saved him an earful.
The sectmasters exchanged glances once Elder Jing had left. The second sectmaster was still a little skeptical. âIsnât this too much of a coincidence? I canât help but suspect that something is amiss.â
âI concur. However, Emperor Peerless has been in Frostmoon City for quite some time. Since Sir Shao and the emperor are well acquainted, it isnât that suspicious to see them together.â
âWho cares if itâs a coincidence or not? Our main concern is his ability to cure our Precious Tree! Does anything else really matter if he can solve our problem?â The senior sectmaster ended the argument. The crowd nodded in agreement.
âSenior sectmaster, how should we welcome him? Should we show him as much hospitality as Pill King Ji Lang, or would that too excessive?â
âMm, thatâs true. His fame is nothing when compared to Pill King Ji Langâs.â
The senior sectmasterâs face darkened. âWho cares if heâs famous or not at a time like this? Pill King Ji Lang is famous, yes. But what has he done for us?â
âJing Tianbo has already left. Heâll surely inform Sir Shao of our predicament. Sir Shao might hold it against us if he realizes that weâre showing him less hospitality than the other pill kings. This might end up working against our favor.â
The discussion on hospitality was from henceforth put to rest. If the guest didnât put forth his best simply because he wasnât shown enough hospitality, all their efforts would go down the drain.
Jing Tianbo quickly brought the news to the first division. Jiang Chen was thrilled. He turned around to face Jiang Feng.
âThis is our chance! Father, Iâll make sure hand over your token to little sister. We can only hope that sheâll hand it over to mother.â
Jiang Feng nodded resolutely. âShe will. We share the same righteousness in our blood because sheâs my daughter. Of that I have no doubt.â
Jiang Chen nodded. He hoped that itâd be the case. He was worried that his sister mightâve lost her innocence after being constantly brainwashed by the sect. Could she possibly remain kind, gentle, and magnamious as how his father described his mother?
Jiang Chen brought along his fatherâs token and left with Jing Tianbo without hesitation. He didnât bring a single person with him. Not even Emperor Peerless. The more people there was, the bigger the chance that something could go wrong.
They soon arrived at the entrance of the Moon God Sect. It was his second time here, but he was in a completely different mood this time. He was determined to deliver the message to his mother so that his parents could reunite. The desire to do so burned fiercely inside of him. It was the his responsibility as their son and his greatest wish.