Chapter 3823 — A Bit Pathetic Indeed
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
At these words from Kang Jingming, everyone present exchanged knowing smiles, yet none dared chime in with details, fearing that too much talk would set Wei Zhao to thinking. After all, however much of a fool Wei Zhao might be, saying such things to his face would still make it far too easy for him to see through the trick.
Wei Zhao and the others exchanged glances and smiled. As for the rumor that Wei Zhao had been swindled with worthless jade, Miserable Senior Brother and Xiao Che had naturally heard it long ago, and Wei Zhao had already explained it all to them using the very same story he had told Miserable Senior Brother in the first place.
Kang Jingming's crowd rejoiced in another's misfortune, each one still convinced that the leader Wei Zhao really was the sort of fool who could not tell good jade from worthless jade—never suspecting that they themselves, who believed such an absurd tale, were the true idiots, sold out and still counting the money for their betrayers.
Seeing that Wei Zhao could not even be bothered to answer, Kang Jingming changed tack and said, "The reason I came over this time was actually to have a word with you, alchemist to alchemist. For my first batch I tested six spirit herb seeds, and in the end three of them grew—a survival rate of only fifty percent. I am not quite satisfied with that result. What do you think, Top Newcomer Lin?"
At these words, the Qingyun Pavilion newcomers all around could not help drawing a collective sharp breath. Three out of six surviving, a fifty-percent survival rate—that result simply crushed the combined efforts of every Qingyun Pavilion newcomer put together!
One had to understand that apart from Wei Zhao's little gang, the other eleven Qingyun Pavilion newcomers put together had only barely managed to grow two spirit herb seeds to maturity. They were simply not in the same league as Kang Jingming.
And according to what that effeminate steward in the spirit herb garden had said back then, for newcomers like them, getting three out of ten spirit herb seeds to survive was already cause for burning incense in gratitude. Kang Jingming's fifty-percent survival rate had plainly pushed things to the absolute limit—outrageously, absurdly good!
If even a result like that left him dissatisfied, then the rest of them might as well stop living—go buy a block of tofu and dash their brains out against it.
After a round of gasps, everyone's gaze fell back on Wei Zhao. He gave a faint smile, then said with a grave and earnest air, "A survival rate of only fifty percent—that really is a bit pathetic. Zhaoming, you must work harder and push on. You cannot go losing face for us alchemists."
Wei Zhao's expression—the solicitous concern of an elder for a junior—nearly had the whole crowd doubled over laughing. Shinning right up the pole like that, this fellow Wei Zhao was just too damn vicious!
"Gah!" Kang Jingming's face went black on the spot. My fifty-percent survival rate has already blinded everyone in the spirit herb garden with its brilliance, all right? You worthless fool who hasn't grown a single one in all this time—what right do you have to say such a thing to me!
Off to the side, Zhong Yongliang could not help secretly snickering again. Kang Jingming had wanted to put on airs before Leader Wei Zhao, and now not only had he failed to show off—he had walked right up and gotten himself stomped on by Leader Wei Zhao for his trouble. The man's insides must be about to explode with rage by now!
"Is that so? Then I'd like to ask—after all these days, Top Newcomer Lin, just how many have you managed to grow? Surely you wouldn't go smearing mud on the faces of us alchemists?" Kang Jingming said with a forced cold laugh, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.