Chapter 15: Joke, What a Joke
The moment these words were uttered,
Everyone present gazed in astonishment.
Even Lin Feng found himself dumbfounded.
They never anticipated that Jiang Chen could exhibit such loyalty and consideration for others' feelings.
When Lin Feng brought up the bet earlier,
No one had considered how Jiang Yuqian might feel.
"Alright, alright, I admit it was my mistake. I didn't think it through, and I'm sorry."
Though Lin Feng was seething with discontent internally, he still forced himself to apologize to Jiang Yuqian and Jiang Chen through clenched teeth.
Jiang Chen had not demanded an apology,
But Lin Feng opted to make amends for his error in order to preserve his image.
And so—
[Ding! Protagonist Lin Feng publicly apologizes to you, causing his mood to sink and his Heavenly Fate Value to decrease by 100 points!]
[Ding! You gained 200 points of Villain Value!]
The system prompt resounded.
Jiang Chen experienced a surge of satisfaction in his heart. He scoffed lightly on the surface and said icily, "There won't be a next time."
Just then,
"But, Young Master Jiang,"
"There are still two alchemists."
"I am confident that I can treat Jiang Yuqian. Let me try."
Lin Feng, unwilling to relinquish the chance to nurture the Burning World Red Lotus, spoke up once more.
"Brother Jiang Chen..."
Unfortunate cousin Jiang Yuqian gazed at Jiang Chen with a pallid complexion.
Now devoid of hope, she refused to abandon any possibility.
Thus, she resolved to attempt a desperate measure and let Lin Feng give it a try.
If no one intervenes, Lin Feng will undoubtedly heal her later, and their relationship will grow closer.
But would Jiang Chen permit such a development?
Clearly not!
"Ninth Sister, he's just a guy who hasn't even opened an alchemy book, how can you rely on him?"
"Don't worry, cousin, I won't let you die young; your illness can be easily cured!"
Jiang Chen shook his head at his cousin Jiang Yuqian, then offered an encouraging smile.
"Jiang Chen!"
"Don't mislead Miss Jiang Yuqian; only I can save her now!"
Lin Feng fearlessly glared at Jiang Chen, his face brimming with confidence.
"Hmph."
"I'm deceiving my cousin?"
"Only you can save Ninth Sister?"
"Joke, what a joke! Take a look at this!"
Jiang Chen sneered, lightly brushing his storage bracelet with his right hand, and suddenly a vivid red pill materialized.
The moment this pill appeared,
A chorus of gasps echoed!
"It's the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill!"
"And it's the highest quality one!"
"Young Master Jiang, I didn't expect you to possess this pill! With this pill, Miss Jiang Yuqian's illness is no longer a concern!"
Qiu Liaoxi gazed at the pill in Jiang Chen's hand, her face a picture of surprise, as she exclaimed repeatedly.
All at once,
Everyone present recognized that what Jiang Chen held in his hand was the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill!
"Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill!"
"How could he have the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill!"
Lin Feng stared in disbelief at the pill in Jiang Chen's hand, utterly astounded!
He could never have anticipated it.
Jiang Chen himself would actually possess such a pill!
Now, having boasted about it, he had no opportunity to treat Jiang Yuqian, and he couldn't prove that he wasn't merely bluffing!
"Why, why must it be like this!"
A wave of frustration welled up from Lin Feng's heart, suffocating him, causing his face to redden and his fists to clench involuntarily.
However,
At this moment, aside from Jiang Chen, no one was truly concerned about him.
Everyone rejoiced that Jiang Yuqian could be saved!
"So Young Master Jiang possessed the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill all along!"
"To have such a rare pill in hand, as expected of the Eldest Young Master!"
"Hahaha, it seems our worries were unfounded; with the Eldest Young Master present, nothing will befall the Ninth Young Lady!"
"..."
The Jiang Clan's cultivators exchanged surprised glances and conversed animatedly.
"I, I, I'm saved!"
"Big Brother Jiang Chen, you're so naughty! Why didn't you reveal the pill sooner? Ninth Sister was terrified! Wah wah wah!"
"..."
Jiang Yuqian, both overjoyed and tearful, collapsed into Jiang Chen's arms, sobbing and playfully hitting him.
"Since you left the room, you all have been engaged in non-stop chatter, so how could I have found an opportunity to speak?"
Jiang Chen laughed, patted Ninth Sister's back, and handed her over to Alchemist Xie, who trailed behind her.
In truth, he had deliberately refrained from revealing the pill immediately.
Lin Feng had desired to flaunt his abilities.
Of course, Jiang Chen needed to interrupt him at the height of his display to achieve the greatest impact!
Otherwise, how could he provoke Lin Feng's emotions and shatter his spirits?
The system prompt indicated that Jiang Chen's tactic had been effective—
[Ding! You have successfully thwarted protagonist Lin Feng's attempt to show off and publicly humiliated him, causing him to lose an opportunity and dampening his spirits, reducing Lin Feng's Heavenly Fate Value by 300 points!]
[Ding! You have obtained 500 points of Villain Value!]
Although it cost 800 points of Villain Value to gain only 500 points, diminishing Lin Feng's Heavenly Fate Value was paramount.
Now that Lin Feng's Heavenly Fate Value had decreased by 300 points, he only had 4480 points remaining.
One step closer to vanquishing protagonist Lin Feng!
"Big Brother Jiang Chen, quickly, give me the pill!"
Jiang Yuqian extended her tiny hand towards Jiang Chen, her eyes pleading.
"Here you go, this is for you!"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and handed the pill to Jiang Yuqian, "Take good care of yourself!"
"Okay!"
"I will always remember Big Brother Jiang Chen's life-saving kindness and will never forget it!"
"If Big Brother Jiang Chen has any requests in the future, I will absolutely not refuse, even if it means going through fire and water!"
Jiang Yuqian tightly clutched the pill, expressing her gratitude and resolve.
She was well aware of the value of the pill in her hand!
And, even more so, the significance of Jiang Chen's benevolence towards her!
"Alright."
"Am I the kind of person who would make my own cousin go through fire and water?"
"Go, concentrate on treating your illness!"
Jiang Chen smiled and patted Jiang Yuqian's head, then turned to Alchemist Xie and inquired, "With the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill, you won't encounter any issues treating her, right?"
"Eldest Young Master, rest assured, there won't be any problems!"
Alchemist Xie promptly reassured him; she too was grateful to Jiang Chen, as Jiang Yuqian was the girl she had watched grow up.
"Okay, proceed!"
Jiang Chen nodded slightly, signaling Alchemist Xie to escort Jiang Yuqian away.
Shortly after,
Alchemist Xie respectfully bowed, then guided Jiang Yuqian onto the luxurious carriage and departed from the Vast Spirit Residence under the protection of the Jiang Clan cultivators.
Beside them,
Watching the luxurious carriage vanish through the gate,
Lin Feng, feeling unbearably frustrated, experienced another sharp twinge of loss in his heart!
Had it not been for Jiang Chen, that profound sense of gratitude from Jiang Yuqian would have been directed at him!
Clenching his teeth secretly,
Lin Feng gazed at Jiang Chen, and a swell of resentment rose in his heart.
But Jiang Chen didn't even spare him a glance.
"Alchemist Qiu."
"Thank you very much for assisting my cousin in diagnosing and treating her illness alongside Miss Ning Xian."
Jiang Chen stood up and offered a slight bow to the two.
"Young Master Jiang, that's not true!"
"I couldn't cure the Ninth Young Lady; it was Young Master Jiang's Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill that saved her!"
"Ah, I've dedicated my life to studying alchemy, but I'm ashamed to have my patient right in front of me and yet be powerless to help."
Qiu Liaoxi quickly shook her head, not daring to accept the praise.
"Yes!"
"Ninth Young Lady was gravely ill, I saw it with my own eyes and felt anxious in my heart, but I was helpless to assist her..."
"Fortunately, Young Master Jiang had the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill, otherwise I would have been tormented by the thought of Miss Jiang Yuqian perishing before my eyes."
Ning Xian also spoke earnestly, and her gaze toward Jiang Chen was no longer guarded.
"Haha."
"If it weren't for you two diagnosing my cousin's illness, how would I know that the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill could save her?"
Jiang Chen chuckled and said, "So, please don't dismiss the credit that rightfully belongs to you both."
Then,
He took out two pills and presented them to Qiu Liaoxi.
"These two pills are my tokens of gratitude for treating my cousin."
"In addition, from now on, the Vast Spirit Residence will be under the protection of the Jiang Clan, and the incident with the Di Clan won't happen again."
"As for your identities, I will also keep them confidential."
After speaking, Jiang Chen gazed at Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi with a sincere expression.
"Treating and saving people is what I should do."
"Moreover, we only contributed a little, Young Master Jiang. You've helped us keep our secret and resolved the trouble with the Di Clan, so we are already deeply grateful."
"Yes, please take back these two precious Origin Fusion Spirit Pills, Young Master Jiang."
"..."
Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi appreciated Jiang Chen's promises and were truly grateful, but they hesitated to accept the pills once more.
"As I said, this is a reward."
Jiang Chen shook his head and spoke earnestly, "These are two distinct matters."
Thus, Qiu Liaoxi reluctantly accepted the pills and handed them to Ning Xian.
These pills were valuable for helping one break through from the Elemental Movement Realm to the Soul Refining Realm, boasting an exceptionally high success rate and no adverse effects.
Their rarity determined their value, making them even more precious than ordinary Soul Refining Realm pills.
With these two pills, one could swiftly advance to the Soul Refining Realm.
If Ning Xian claimed she wasn't elated, that would surely be a falsehood.
Seeing the others accept the pills, Jiang Chen smiled inwardly.
He aimed to foster a positive relationship with Ning Xian, and presenting gifts was undeniably one of the best approaches.
However, offering something without reason invites suspicion!
Ning Xian was far from naive and would surely be cautious.
Once this path was taken, distrust would only increase, making it challenging to repair.
Therefore, providing a gift with a justifiable reason would enable the recipient to accept it more comfortably and naturally enhance the relationship.
At this moment.
Having gifted the pills to Ning Xian.
Jiang Chen turned his head and glanced at Lin Feng, unveiling a smile.