The Pill King Garden’s exhibition stage had been prepared within the luxurious main hall of the Myriad Treasures Palace. All of the various guest seating had been arranged appropriately.
As Jiang Chen walked into the Myriad Treasures Palace and trod on the noble carpet, he was enjoying himself hugely.
In contrast to the Pill King Garden’s high profile, the Hall of Healing kept an incredibly low profile. They hadn’t started preparing their exhibition stage, even up until now.
Many actually hadn’t known that the Hall of Healing was also hosting a pill exhibition, including even the Pill King Garden.
A saying was in vogue in the capital at the moment, that the Pill King Garden had developed a new type of healing pill, and was about to challenge the Hall of Healing’s position.
To put things bluntly, the pill exhibition today held the Hall of Healing in its crosshairs. It was to provoke and to slap the Hall of Healing in the face.
“Wait, you there, halt! This is a distinguished gathering for the pill exhibition. Do you have an invitation?”
Two practitioners with fiercely aggressive postures barred Jiang Chen’s way.
Jiang Zheng, who was at Jiang Chen’s side, gave a cold snort and directly flung the Pill King Garden’s invitation into their faces.
They glanced at the invitation after receiving it and smiled spuriously. “This is the lowest leveled invitation, and provides standing room with no assigned seating only. Walk over to that corner over there by yourself. Remember not to talk loudly, and not to give offense to other honored guests.”
A slap to the face. The Pill King Garden had indeed prepared this face denying move from the very beginning. They had already designed this slap in the face trap from the day that they had sent the invitation to Jiang Chen.
Yet Jiang Zheng laughed in contempt, “Don’t get the wrong idea. Our household’s young duke has no interest in your so-called pill exhibition, and has absolutely no interest in attending. We’re just passing by and returning your paltry invitation.”
The other party was stunned. Why had they come if not to attend the pill exhibition?
“Not here for the pill exhibition? Then you’re just loitering. Someone come and throw them out.” A Pill King Garden administrator walked over with an aggressive posture.
Jiang Zheng smiled coldly. “Has the Myriad Treasures Palace been rented out by you, the Pill King Garden, today? My household’s young duke is an honored guest here. Are the bones of you lowly slaves itching for a beating?”
The four brothers from the Sheng battalion stepped forward in unison, and the killing aura that they had cultured in the army flared out powerfully, causing the administrator’s face to go white and repeatedly back up.
Jiang Chen said faintly, “Get out of my way.”
At this moment, a figure took a turn out from the interior hallways of the Myriad Treasures Palace. It was the Third Hallmaster, Qiao Baishi, of the Hall of Healing.
Qiao Baishi was wreathed in smiles as he walked up in greeting, smiling hugely. “Young duke Jiang, I have been awaiting your arrival. Please come inside, come inside.”
“Hallmaster Qiao, what is with your Hall of Healing? Didn’t you say you were holding a pill exhibition today? Why so low key?” Jiang Chen complained purposefully.
Qiao Baishi smiled, “The style of our Hall of Healing has always been to keep a low profile. We will set up our exhibition stage soon. It actually won’t take too much time.”
“That makes sense. There is reality beneath the Hall of Healing’s surface. It’s quite normal for you to keep a low profile and not to create such a large scale ruckus like the nouveau riche.” Jiang Chen nodded with a smile.
“Qiao Baishi, what do you mean by this?” On the Pill King Garden side, Courtmaster Wang, the man holding down the fort, walked over in a huff. “It’s our Pill King Garden that’s holding a pill exhibition today, and you are guests. Do you intend to ruin custom and create trouble?”
Courtmaster Wang had struck a strong pose of righteousness.
“Courtmaster Wang, surely you’ve gotten something wrong? You’re putting on a pill exhibition, yes, but does that mean our Hall of Healing cannot do the same? You’ve sent an invitation to us, but does that mean we have to give you face and attend?” Qiao Baishi’s tone was diffident.
“You… you’re not here to attend the pill exhibition?” An expression of incredulity bubbled up in Courtmaster Wang’s eyes.
“We’re here to attend a pill exhibition, but one by our Hall of Healing.” Qiao Baishi smiled faintly.
“What do you mean?” Courtmaster Wang’s eyes grew cold. “Qiao Baishi, are you here to purposely cause trouble?”
“Cause trouble?” Qiao Baishi laughed coldly. “Courtmaster Wang, you think too highly of yourself. Is the status of your Pill King Garden worthy of the Hall of Healing causing trouble for you?”
Courtmaster Wang was speechless and glared at Jiang Chen. “Jiang Chen, you’ve even returned the invitation to us. What are you doing here then?”
“You dunce, I’m here to attend a pill exhibition. The Hall of Healing has a close business relationship with my Jiang family. How can I not do them the favor of attending when they hold a pill exhibition?” Jiang Chen looked at Courtmaster Wang like he was looking at an idiot.
Courtmaster Wang’s face was ashen, he felt that he’d been played by someone. But he immediately thought of the setup for the day - wasn’t it to slap the Hall of Healing in the face?
Since the Hall of Healing was so foolhardy as to overextend themselves with a pill exhibition, it was perfect timing to beat down the Hall’s arrogance with one stroke.
A trace of a sinister smile floated onto Courtmaster Wang’s face when his thoughts travelled down this path. “Qiao Baishi, looks like your Hall of Healing didn’t want to sit passively and await your doom. Since you came knocking, let’s compete and see who’s better at pill medicine.”
Courtmaster Wang was in high spirits and ready for action. Since the Hall of Healing was so overconfident at competing on the basis of pill medicine, then let the “Pill of Dragon and Tiger Blood” harshly slap the Hall’s face.
The Hall of Healing was still highly efficient when it came to execution.
An exhibition stage had been erected directly opposite the Pill King Garden in just a short time. Apart from Qiao Baishi, Second Hallmaster Yue Qun as well as six or seven elders were there from the senior executives of the Hall of Healing.
In addition, the Hall of Healing’s large amount of administrators had also started their nervous preparations.
The Hall of Healing was playing to an extreme this time. Apart from people like Jiang Chen and Princess Gouyu, all the other guests hadn’t received invitations beforehand.
Instead, they waited on the side. Whenever a guest of the Pill King Garden handed over their invitation, the Hall of Healing would smoothly and simultaneously hand them an invitation.
This way, the Hall’s purpose of challenging the Garden in the immediate vicinity was more than readily apparent.
Basically, anyone with power or influence in the capital had received an invite from the Pill King Garden this time. When these guests also received the Hall of Healing’s invitation after arriving, they all felt that it was odd.
However, the majority of these people were all neutral. Not only were they not against it when they saw that the Hall of Healing was actually commencing in head to head combat with the Pill King Garden, but their interest was also quite piqued.
Their interest levels had truly been lacking when they’d originally thought that they were attending a pill exhibition. But unanticipated gains might be made if they were able to witness the competition between the spirit medicine heavyweights!
The Pill King Garden’s senior executives huddled together and held a discussion for a while. They all felt that the Hall of Healing hadn’t come with good intentions.
But Master Violet was quite confident. The “Pill of Dragon and Tiger Blood” was his proud work, and a pill recipe that had come from a hidden sect. He was absolutely confident that it would storm the market in such a common kingdom.
The Hall of Healing? Master Violet shook his head, his eyes quite contemptuous.
The senior executives of the Pill King Garden had been a bit worried, but quickly returned to a status brimming with confidence upon seeing that Master Violet was so confident.
It was said that Master Violet came from a reclusive sect. Would such a superior person be unsuccessful in a mere kingdom capital? The Hall of Healing had come knocking at the door today, and was destined to be beaten into the shape of a pig’s head by the Pill King Garden.
With this consideration, the Pill King Garden neither barred the way nor protested against the Hall of Healing’s actions, allowing the Hall to give out invitations at their leisure.
Of course, they wouldn’t be able to bar the Hall if they wanted to.
After all, sure the Pill King Garden was hosting a pill exhibition, but the Hall of Healing also had the right to hold their own.
However, these guests were still particular about courtesy and first sat in the Pill King Garden section according to custom, since they had received the Pill King Garden’s invitation first.
Apart from a group of diehard Hall of Healing supporters, the neutral guests all held the mentality of not wanting to offend either, and found a seat in the Pill King Garden first.
They also knew that the Hall of Healing would naturally not mind that they had gone first to the Pill King Garden section because the Hall had given an invitation without forewarning. This was the custom of the order of arrival.
Courtmaster Wang was quite satisfied when he saw that the majority of the guests still sat on the Pill King Garden side. He looked in Qiao Baishi’s direction with a few hints of provocation.
The senior executives of the Hall of Healing sat on the chairs behind the exhibition stage, more than a bit ill at ease. This whole matter had been under Qiao Baishi’s organization.
