"Stop with your sweet talk," Tang Zhengtian glanced at him, then surveyed the Dean, the stewards, and the others. "Do you know that this alchemist is the one who harmed my son?"
The Tang family members erupted in a commotion. "What? How can this be? We can't eat this pill; it must be poison."
Dean Xing Mian was also taken aback. He looked at Dou Bai and the others, thinking, what exactly have you been doing?
Dou Bai was also stunned. He had felt it was strange earlier when Mo Xin, after refining the pill, first took out the pill and then scraped a basin of waste material from the cauldron, saying the waste material was for external application while the pill was for consumption.
After handing the basin of waste material and the pill to Dou Bai, he said he was returning to his residence.
Dou Bai asked him to come out together, but Mo Xin repeatedly declined, saying he disliked such occasions.
So that was the reason!
But even so, Dou Bai would not doubt the authenticity of this pill.
Dou Bai said loudly, "This pill was refined according to the formula you provided. It makes no difference who refines it; it can cure illnesses. I think Sect Leader Tang should stop dwelling on this matter. The priority now is to have the young master take the medicine as soon as possible. Judging by your son's condition, he cannot afford much delay, can he?"
Tang Zhengtian fell into thought.
At this moment, Tang Hao walked over. "Father, don't listen to him. There must be some trickery involved..."
Before he could finish speaking, Tang Zhengtian slapped him away.
Then Tang Qianyu stepped forward, saying anxiously, "Big Brother, let Tang Lin take the pill first. We can't delay any longer."
Tang Zhengtian fell into contemplation. The whole affair stemmed from a provocation. If it came to hatred, neither side had any deep-seated animosity.
Therefore, the other party's actions were more likely motivated by a desire to save someone.
It was not impossible that they intended to add insult to injury.
However, given the current situation, he could only take a gamble, a gamble on the other party's character and ability.
Tang Zhengtian finally made up his mind and said to Dou Bai, "Please proceed."
Following Mo Qi's instructions, Dou Bai first fed the pill to Tang Lin. Then he quickly joined the upper and lower halves of Tang Lin's body together and applied the black, sticky waste material layer by layer to the joining point, covering it all around.
After completing these actions, Dou Bai stood up and watched quietly.
A moment later, faint white smoke began to rise from the black, sticky area. The Tang family members cried out in alarm, "Someone's being killed! It's a poison!"
Tang Qianyu rolled her eyes and said, "Don't be so alarmed. It's not poison; it's the medicine working. It looks quite effective."
The crowd gradually quieted down and watched. They saw Tang Lin's previously pale face gradually regain its color, and his eyes slowly opened.
The pain in his body also gradually disappeared. His waist was unbearably itchy, and he desperately wanted to scratch it but dared not.
Gradually, he could feel the existence of the lower part of his body again. He tried to move his toes, and miraculously, his toes actually moved.
His heart was filled with ecstasy, and a stream of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes.
Tang Zhengtian and the Tang clan also noticed Tang Lin's changes and were overjoyed.
Tang's mother was so excited that she cried and laughed, almost fainting.
Tang Lin wanted to get up, but Tang Zhengtian held him down, saying, "No rush, lie down for a while longer." Tang Lin obediently lay back down.
The next moment, Tang Zhengtian, leading several members of the Tang clan, walked up to Dou Bai and bowed deeply. "Thank you for your hard work. We have caused you trouble."
Dou Bai waved his hands repeatedly. "Don't thank me. I didn't do anything. You should truly thank classmate Mo Xin."
Tang Zhengtian straightened up, his eyes reddened. "Please convey my words to him. I, Tang, respect him as a man of integrity. From now on, the Tang family will no longer trouble him. Furthermore, wherever we clash with the Tang family, the Tang family will retreat three steps!"
He turned and said loudly to the Tang clan members behind him, "Did you all hear what I said today?"
"We heard clearly!" the response echoed through the heavens!
Dou Bai said, "I will certainly convey it."
Then, in the next moment, the Tang family members left in an orderly and grand manner.
The Dean and the others breathed a long sigh of relief. This farce had finally ended. Fortunately, they had not been heavily involved in the entire conflict, which was truly a blessing.
However, through this conflict, everyone remembered one name: Mo Xin.
The sun began to set, and the crowd dispersed. Everything was as quiet as a flowing stream.
Suddenly, Mo Qi appeared on the courtyard wall and shouted to the departing Tang Zhengtian, "It's only right that you don't trouble me, as I never provoked you. But when will you repay the money you owe me?"
As he spoke, he threw a strip of cloth in his hand, which fluttered down into Tang Zhengtian's hand.
Tang Hao, holding his head, slunk away through the crowd.
"Fifty million spirit stone coins!" Tang Zhengtian unfolded the cloth and his face turned green. He roared, "Tang Hao!"
Tang Hao had already vanished.
Tang Qianyu gazed blankly at the wall, tears welling up in her eyes. She murmured, "It's you, you're still alive."
However, her voice was too soft, lost in the crowd, and Mo Qi did not notice her.
Tang Zhengtian, without hesitation, took out his storage bag and began searching through it. His brow furrowed, and the more he searched, the tighter his frown became.
Tang Qianyu suddenly offered a storage bag. "Big Brother, I have one!"
It was truly a timely assistance. Tang Zhengtian was sweating profusely from anxiety. Seeing this help, he accepted it almost without thinking and casually tossed it up towards the wall.
Mo Qi caught it and put it away without even looking. He looked at Tang Zhengtian and cupped his fists. "Very good. I also respect you as a man of integrity. Farewell."
He then jumped off the wall from the other side and disappeared from everyone's sight.
With a click, as Mo Qi landed, he stepped on a sharp stone that protruded like a sword. The pain made his eyes water, and he almost cried out, but he couldn't bear to ruin the moment of coolness, as people outside the wall had not yet left.
So he opened and closed his mouth several times, but managed to make no sound.
Mo Qi took out the storage bag, preparing to count how many spirit stone coins were inside.
Upon opening it, besides spirit stone coins, there were also handkerchiefs, rouge, and face powder...
And a flying blade artifact, which seemed to be a standard accessory for the Tang family. What an unexpected gain! Mo Qi was overjoyed, not even bothering to count the spirit stone coins.
This was not the place to test artifacts, so he put it away for now.
However, having only a flying blade was not enough. He would have to learn the Tang family's techniques and divine abilities another day.
As Mo Qi returned to his residence and was about to enter, Manager Qin and others arrived, looking travel-worn.
Manager Qin's attitude was very humble, and his expression was exceptionally kind. He told Mo Qi that he had been blind and had not realized Mo Qi's profound attainments in alchemy. He apologized for any disrespect shown at times and hoped Mo Qi would be understanding.
He then invited Mo Qi to join the Alchemist Association.
Mo Qi said he would consider it for a few days and give them his reply.
Manager Qin then discussed cooperative alchemy matters with Mo Qi, which Mo Qi refused. This was because cooperative alchemy would inevitably bring out the Mo family's pill brand, which would be detrimental to his hidden identity.
Manager Qin did not seem to mind much. He mysteriously produced an alchemy formula and handed it to Mo Qi, hoping he would study it when he had time and refine a couple of pills for him if convenient.
Alchemy was a minor matter. Mo Qi did not refuse. He accepted the formula without looking at it and said, "Don't worry, I will certainly look at it carefully when I have time."
Manager Qin and his entourage then politely took their leave.
The residents of the surrounding dormitories poked their heads out, most of them looking extremely surprised. "Who is this important figure? Manager Qin himself came to visit, and he looked so respectful. And this person acts so aloof and condescending."
"Yes, perhaps he's a young master from a cultivation family? His background must be extraordinary!"
As Mo Qi entered the dormitory, he felt utterly dismayed. The dormitory consisted of two rooms, and besides Mo Qi, another person lived there. It turned out to be another person who had cleared the Nine-Layered Heavenly Pagoda, Du Gu Jun.
Since he had checked in first, he had already occupied the outer room, leaving Mo Qi with the inner room.
However, Du Gu Jun was quite enthusiastic. As soon as Mo Qi entered, he greeted him warmly, "Hello, my name is Du Gu Jun."
Mo Qi, of course, knew he was Du Gu Jun.
"Mo Xin."
"Mo Xin, does that mean 'don't believe'? Is it a fake name?"
Mo Qi was speechless. Was it that obvious?
"Real name."
"Real name? And clearing the Thirty-Three-Layered Heavenly Pagoda is also real?"
"I don't know. I don't know how to fake it either."
From this brief exchange, Mo Qi noticed that Du Gu Jun was a bit effeminate, dragging his words and making feminine gestures, often using orchid fingers and one-yang fingers.
"You're not Yingtai, are you?"
"Oh, you! I am Yingtai, and you are not Shanbo."
Mo Qi's skin crawled, and he quickly fled to the inner room, closing the door and bolting it.
Then, Mo Qi took out the alchemy formula given by Manager Qin with great interest. After a glance, he understood why Manager Qin had appeared so mysterious.
It was a formula for a pill that enhanced a man's capabilities in a certain aspect. Manager Qin seemed quite enthusiastic!
He should support such endeavors!
He immediately set up his furnace in the dormitory. A few hours later, several pills were refined.
Just as the pills were finished, there was a loud bang, as if the outer door had been kicked open.
Mo Qi was startled and immediately opened the inner door. He saw three to five fierce-looking individuals barging in.
As soon as they entered, they shouted, "How many people live in here? Come out, all of you. Line up outside."
Du Gu Jun obediently went out.
Seeing their arrogant and overbearing demeanor, Mo Qi initially intended to ignore them. However, wanting to find out what they were up to, he followed them out.
As he was going out, someone pushed him. "Hurry up, can't you walk?"
Mo Qi kicked him back into his room, knocking him unconscious.
The person was walking at the back. The others didn't notice that he had been kicked and knocked out.
Mo Qi only glanced back before going out.
In the corridor, a long queue had already formed. Another group of people arrogantly directed, "Newcomers, line up in order."
Mo Qi saw that everyone else had lined up and thought this might be an arrangement by the academy, so he obediently joined the end of the line.
Mo Qi saw Du Gu Jun standing next to him and asked him sideways, "What are they making us line up for?"
Du Gu Jun sighed and said, "This is the treatment for us newcomers. The students who enrolled in previous years establish a connection with us through their transmission spirit stones. If they need errands run, they use the transmission spirit stones to have us do them, such as fetching food from the mess hall or signing in at the lecture hall..."
"This is too outrageous," Mo Qi said indignantly.
"But there's nothing we can do. Who told us to be newcomers?" Du Gu Jun replied.
Mo Qi wanted to turn and leave, but then he thought, establishing a connection might be good. Later, he could make them run errands for him.
After all the new students had lined up, the arrogant group stood opposite them, like a beauty pageant. Whomever they fancied, they would walk over and establish a connection.
Du Gu Jun was quite sought after. Three people surrounded him simultaneously, wanting to establish a connection. However, after Du Gu Jun revealed his Du Gu family token, those people sheepishly retreated.