At noon of the second day, Mu Chen waved his sleeve to open the lid of the furnace, took out nine pills and threw them into a jade plate. These pills not only looked different in color but had distinct effects. However, they were all covered with a layer of faint aura which enabled him to tell their quality.
After putting the furnace into the space ring, Mu Chen held the plate, went out of the room and handed the pills to the servant at the door, who was startled at the first sight of the pills and hastened to pass them to the judge panel.
The judges looked at each other after examining the pills carefully, all seemingly shocked. With only three shares of herbs, Mu Chen should have concocted nine pills. They assessed the herbs used in each pill, only to find that Mu Chen didn't waste any tiny material. Among the nine pills, the judges only recognized Heart-Protecting Pill, Ambergris Pills, Five-Element Blood-Coagulation Pill and Qingyang Pill, which were all hard to concoct. The rest five were full of dynamic spirit power but unknown to the judges.
It was worthy to mention that all these nine pills had reached the top level!
At this time, other pill alchemists were still trying hard to control their soul power to avoid distraction. Otherwise, the herbs would be wasted or the furnace would even explode. However, Mu Chen stood indifferently downstairs, seemingly in lack of interest. People's attitude suddenly changed while looking at him, 'How old is he?'
Only a hundred or so!
Being able to produce so many high-quality pills with limited materials in so short a time, Mu Chen did have remarkable talents. In the judges' prediction, three top pills out of those herbs would reach the ceilings, while Mu Chen unexpectedly brought them nine!
"Nine top pills!" The appraiser announced fairly. Bystanders all gasped in shock upon hearing that.
The crystal screen showed that the second place was Yin Lixun who only concocted two high-quality pills. Bo Jinyu followed him with also two pills, one of which, however, looked unsaturated in color to be counted as a top pill. Both the two used up their herbs during the competition as others did.
Mu Chen was reluctant to discuss with the crowd but interrupted them indifferently, "These awards are mine now, right?" His spirit power could be faintly sensed from the cold voice.
Bo Yuntian twitched the corner of his mouth, feeling a heartache, 'The child is so poor that he still thinks about the awards now. How hard should his life be?'
"Yours, definitely yours!" Bo Yuntian consoled him, "This competition is due to be concluded at noon tomorrow. By then you can certainly go and claim the awards yourself."
Worrying about Gu Yunjue who was meditating to heal himself alone, Mu Chen didn't want to stay longer, so he just turned around and left before giving a glance at Bo Jinyu's image in the screen.
It was bustling with noise in the street because this competition had attracted amounts of travelers to Pill City. Stalls and stores at either side of the street were selling various kinds of stuff. Kids hand in hand with their elders were holding colorful candies in their little arms and smiling radiantly.
Mu Chen subconsciously walked into a small shop and bought two packs of candies.
After he paid the shopkeeper, he immediately regretted as he looked at the candies in his hands. 'The evil disciple conceives so many licentious thoughts and can't even tell right from wrong, but I still buy candies for him! I really should have chopped my hands!'
While he was hesitating whether to throw the candies away, a white figure flashed beside him and aroused his notice. 'It's the white-dressed scholar!' Mu Chen frowned.
He hastened to follow the man but felt poked by someone at his waist as soon as he just took a few steps.
Mu Chen turned around with a frozen face, only to see Gu Yunjue smiling at him brightly with two bundles of desserts held in the hand.
"Since Master has come out, why don't you directly return to the inn to see me? I'm so worried about you!" The youngster smiled gently as before. He took over the candies in Mu Chen's hand with a chuckle, "All my favorite. Master does care for me."
Mu Chen asked doubtfully, trying to explore the truth, "I should haven't noticed you are behind me. How did you do that?"
Gu Yunjue opened the candy box, took out two candies and put them beside Mu Chen's mouth smilingly, "After this Pills Concocting Competition is concluded, I'll find a quiet place to tell you something." Mu Chen looked at him with cold eyes, seemingly quite discontent. Gu Yunjue hastened to change his attitude with a beaming smile, "I have many things to explain to Master. Please give me some time."
Mu Chen responded indifferently, "I'll definitely spank you if you don't explain it clearly to me!"
Gu Yunjue curved the corner of his mouth as he stuffed the candies in Mu Chen's mouth, then he smiled when seeing this master's knitted brows, "Anything Master wants! If you want to spank me, I'll take off my pants and keep my bottom high to let you spank so long as you are satisfied."
Mu Chen suddenly raised his hand and pinched Gu Yunjue at his face mercilessly. Such a shameless little bastard should still dare to say those filthy words to him. He just deserved a sound spanking!
The two wandered around along the street and bought many other things. But Mu Chen remained cold all the way, no matter how hard Gu Yunjue tried to coax him. Gu Yunjue knew privately that a knot of emotional entanglement had already formed in Mu Chen's heart. If he didn't explain to this master clearly, Mu Chen would be at odds with him all the time.
Mu Chen was easy to understand and to guess. He preferred to detach himself from matters but wasn't silly. He must have figured out Gu's identity, so he showed the cold expression and reacted like that after seeing Bai Yi.
Looking at this person in front of him, Gu Yunjue smiled slightly with some sense of bitterness.
Mu Chen turned around and happened to see Gu Yunjue's expression. He paused a while but eventually couldn't make up his mind to desolate his little disciple. So he stretched out his hand to Gu Yunjue…By now, he just wanted to give all the best in this world to this disciple that he had brought up himself since the childhood and was reluctant to see Gu suffer anything, even if this youngster still had something concealed from him.
Gu had been so small a child at the first time they met each other. The old scars in Gu's body were real and it was a fact that Mu Chen had raised this disciple up. Besides, there was no doubt that Gu was so good to Mu Chen and took troubles to find herbs for him. So what else could he hesitate for?
As soon as they both had time, Mu Chen would just grab this little bastard to explain to him.
His eyes brightening, Gu Yunjue hastened to take master's hand when Mu Chen's fingers trembled slightly. He would never give up his little master but hadn't expected Mu Chen should in turn have the same faith toward him.
Mu Chen gripped Gu tightly in his hand and directly pulled him to return to the inn, without saying a word.
"If you don't explain clearly to me, I'll simply expel you and leave you alone to yourself." Mu Chen said those words coldly. Apparently he had taken it seriously and wasn't joking.
Gu Yunjue, however, grinned with delight, "Master is right. I'll obey everything Master asked."
Back to the inn, Mu Chen meditated to have a rest and Gu Yunjue just sat beside him as a guard as if he was protecting his treasure and dreaded to leave for a moment.
*
"Lord, Mu Chen has gone out of the competition hall. He will definitely be the winner unless something unexpected happens. Others are all incomparable." A young servant reported to Gu Yunjin respectfully.
Gu Yunjin gave a faint smile, with killing intent flaring in his eyes, "Wait. Star-Cloud Exalt will definitely attack him as soon as Mu Chen gets the championship."
"Lord is right!"
"Where is Fu Ruankao?" Seeing the black-dressed old man absent, Gu Yunjue asked with a little worry.
"My Lord, Elder Fu hasn't been back since last night."
"Not being back?" Gu Yunjin frowned, "Send people to look for him."
Fu Ruankao was the last safeguard that Gu Yunjin's mother had left to him. All those years, Gu Yunjin had been accustomed to this henchman staying beside him. He didn't believe that Fu might have met troubles because he was the only cultivator that had reached the Immortalization Stage among all those subordinates. But Fu hadn't come back yet, so Gu Yunjin felt unexplainably unsettled in his heart.
Unfortunately, there was still no information about Fu Ruankao in the next day.
Gu Yunjin had no choice but to send people to check Fu's Soul Jade Tablet. Although it was intact, he still felt concerned. 'He is alive but hasn't come back yet. There must be some hiding reasons.'
Right at this moment, the young servant reported hurriedly, "Several elders' Soul Jade Tablets are broken!"
Gu Yunjin was astounded, with his face frozen, "Send people to investigate! What the hell is going on?"