Chapter 3994 — Linghua Strikes

Bang! Before Linghua the steward, Kang Jingming had no power to resist at all; the slap sent him flying a dozen or more zhang backward, and only then did he hit the ground in a sorry heap, unable to climb to his feet for a long while.

Faced with this sudden spectacle, everyone in the hall was struck dumb. Yet not one of them—including the many great personages present—said a word against it. Far from rebuking Linghua for his brazen strike, their gazes toward Kang Jingming instead carried a measure of irritation, as though they themselves had been made fools of in public.

This Linghua was no mere chief steward of the Dan Hall's spiritual herb gardens. Not only did he have powerful backing, he was also acknowledged throughout the Dan Hall as a prodigy of pill refinement; should he but set his mind to it, he was a strong contender for the next vice-hall master of the Dan Hall.

The reason he sat in the post of chief steward of the herb gardens—a position that to outsiders seemed less than illustrious—was first, that he himself held a particular passion for cultivating spiritual herbs, and second, that it could be counted as a rotation through different duties. After all, only once one had served in every important post could one gain a deep understanding and grasp of the Dan Hall as a whole, and thereby have all the more qualification and confidence to compete for the hall master's seat in days to come.

Had it been anyone else who so rashly struck out and questioned Kang Jingming, the great personages seated here might not necessarily have believed him. But with Linghua stepping forward, the weight of his words was naturally far beyond that of Kang Jingming, a mere novice pill refiner—who should be listened to and who believed was plain at a glance.

After sending Kang Jingming flying with that slap, Steward Linghua drew a clean handkerchief from his robes and carefully picked up the two crushed remnants on the ground—no longer resembling pills at all—gathering every last scrap without missing the slightest bit.

Then Steward Linghua called across to Wei Zhao: "Junior Brother Wei Zhao, I happen to have two Foundation Establishment golden pills right here. Their quality is a notch below your two, perhaps, but they still rank among the finest one could hope to see. What say you to a trade?"

Wei Zhao's two top-grade Foundation Establishment golden pills had merely been crushed under Kang Jingming's foot—a little dirty, a little unsightly. If one did not mind, they could still be taken as normal. It was only that continuing to use them as a birthday gift for Shangguan Lan'er would be somewhat inappropriate.

Steward Linghua's proposal was, to Wei Zhao, timely help in the snow—no small favor.

Yet Wei Zhao only smiled and said, "I have already given those two pills to Miss Shangguan. She is their owner now. I'm afraid you've asked the wrong person, Steward Linghua."

Hearing this, Steward Linghua gave a charming smile. "Quite right. I've been so angered by that blind fool Kang Jingming that my wits have gone muddled. Little Junior Sister Lan'er, what do you say?"

Shangguan Lan'er pouted. This was a birthday gift Wei Zhao had given her with his own hands; naturally she did not want to trade it away so casually. Yet even if the effects were unaffected, to make her take pills that Kang Jingming had stepped on was truly a little disgusting—too much to ask of anyone.

"All right then, I'll trade with you, Senior Brother Linghua," Shangguan Lan'er said at last, nodding in agreement.

Just then, little Juanjuan Bear came trotting over to Steward Linghua as though presenting a treasure, a box clutched in its arms. It hoisted the box up with great effort, whimpering all the while.

"What's this about?" Puzzled, Steward Linghua opened the box and found inside none other than the top-grade Foundation Establishment golden pill that Kang Jingming had refined earlier.

At the sight, Shangguan Lan'er pressed a hand to her forehead, caught between laughter and tears. "Senior Brother Linghua, it wants you to trade for this Foundation Establishment golden pill as well..."

At those words, the whole hall could not help but smile. This little Juanjuan Bear was indeed a sly one.

Steward Linghua crouched down with a laugh and patted little Juanjuan Bear on the head. "Little thing, only a top-grade Foundation Establishment golden pill can be traded for a top-grade Foundation Establishment golden pill. What you're holding won't do at all—at best it counts as a pile of dog dung."

"Whimper!" Little Juanjuan Bear clearly froze for a moment, then suddenly flung the Foundation Establishment golden pill in its hand far away, and even rubbed its paws in utter disgust, giving the impression it had truly grabbed hold of dog dung—a sight to make one laugh and cry at once.

And that flung-aside Foundation Establishment golden pill was, just as Steward Linghua had said, no better than a pile of stinking dog dung. Even lying there on the ground, from first to last no one paid it any heed—not a single person gave it so much as a second glance.

Watching this unfold before his own eyes, Kang Jingming—already beaten to the point of spitting blood—this time felt his vision go black and nearly fainted from rage.

Damn it all, this was the fruit of ten days and ten nights of my bitter labor! Put on the market, it would fetch several hundred spirit jades at the very least. Was there any need to despise it like this?

At this point, Xu Lingchong could hold back no longer and spoke up abruptly: "Steward Linghua, are you certain both these pills are genuine? Do be careful not to misjudge and take a loss. Your own loss would be a small matter, but if you drag all the distinguished personages present into becoming a laughingstock along with you, that would be rather unfortunate. Don't you agree?"

At these words, Steward Linghua's elegant brows drew slightly taut, and he said coldly, "What, does sitting in the seat of chief senior brother of the Chongsheng Pavilion's stewards lend one's words such confidence now? You mean to question even my judgment?"

These words could well be called an overflow of domineering spirit—yet everyone in the hall seemed long accustomed to it.

Steward Linghua ordinarily seemed effeminate, a sissy through and through, but those who truly knew him understood that when the critical moment came, this man's domineering ferocity yielded to no one.

Of course, by his present identity as chief steward of the herb gardens, he seemed less impressive and imposing than Xu Lingchong, chief senior brother of the Chongsheng Pavilion's stewards; by rights he ought not dare speak to Xu Lingchong in such a tone.

And yet, in backing he was deeper than Xu Lingchong, not shallower; in strength he was greater than Xu Lingchong, not weaker; and in status, besides being chief steward of the herb gardens, he was also a powerful candidate for the next hall master of the Dan Hall.

One must understand that the Dan Hall, like the Law Enforcement Hall, stood among the foremost of the Threefold Pavilion's independent halls. To become the Dan Hall's master would at once place one on the same level as Gongyang Jun; thus even as a mere candidate, Steward Linghua need not regard Xu Lingchong as worth his notice.

Indeed, even Gongyang Jun would have to look at him with new eyes in the future. After all, among these cultivators, who did not take pills? Who could avoid seeking the Dan Hall's favor? When the time came, one word from Hall Master Linghua and you would be on the blacklist—could you really count on Kang Jingming to refine pills for you then?