Pill patterns?
Grand King Hong's eyes lit up. He was no empty fraud after all. The Dao of Pills was his greatest strength, and the study of pill patterns was the field within alchemy where he had invested the most time and effort. It was his forte. In this domain, Grand King Hong truly had nothing to fear.
"Pill patterns? Are you sure?" Grand King Hong's confidence surged, his composure restored in an instant.
"I'm asking whether you dare or not."
That contemptuous attitude sent Grand King Hong into a rage. "Fine! I'll take your challenge. Three questions each on pill patterns. But if you lose, you have to tell everyone who sent you!"
"Who sent me?" Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Is that kind of baseless claim something you can rely on?"
"Hmph! Naturally you'll have to swear an Inner Demon oath. Otherwise, how could anyone hold you to it?" In his area of expertise, Grand King Hong truly had no fear of Jiang Chen whatsoever.
No matter what background this opponent came from, within his own domain, Grand King Hong was brimming with confidence.
"Very well. Then let's swear." Jiang Chen's expression was flat. "If I lose, I will truthfully reveal who sent me. Should I utter even half a lie, I shall suffer Inner Demon backlash and die on the spot."
After taking the oath, Jiang Chen glanced at his opponent. "I've sworn. Your turn."
Grand King Hong snorted coldly and began his oath as well. "If I lose, I too will—" Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something. His words cut off abruptly.
Jiang Chen laughed coldly. "What's the matter? It comes down to this — you're guilty? You demand oaths of me, but you don't dare swear yourself? Is it that your background can't see the light of day? Or perhaps you came to Glazed King City with ulterior motives? If you won't dare swear, then this wager is off. But I'd suggest a cowardly worm like you scurry out of Glazed King City sooner rather than later!"
Jiang Chen's tone was equally sharp. How could he not see that this man had come to Glazed King City purely to cause trouble? Holding a grand lecture right outside Taiyuan Pavilion's doorstep was nothing short of a deliberate slap in the face — meant to humiliate Taiyuan Pavilion and gradually usurp its position.
Taiyuan Pavilion's standing in Glazed King City was indeed lofty, but not so lofty that others would specifically target it. Jiang Chen had his doubts about that.
He had a nagging feeling that this conspiracy against Taiyuan Pavilion was merely the first move by a hidden hand behind the curtain. Perhaps, by suppressing Taiyuan Pavilion, they were simply testing the waters.
Jiang Chen's expression was resolute, his gaze locked firmly on Grand King Hong, allowing his opponent no room to look away.
Grand King Hong's face darkened. "What's there to be afraid of? I'm only worried that you don't dare."
Jiang Chen burst into hearty laughter. "Good! Then stop hemming and hawing and swear."
The surrounding onlookers were stirred by Jiang Chen's words. Grand King Hong's lectures had indeed been impressive, but if this man truly was an outsider who had come to Glazed King City to stir up trouble, then the crowd might not be so eager to support him.
If it were merely an internal power struggle within Glazed King City, people could afford to stay neutral and take no side.
But judging by the implications, was Grand King Hong not even from Glazed King City? Had he come here specifically to make waves and sow chaos?
If that was the case, then the crowd absolutely could not stand for it.
Especially seeing how evasive and stammering his responses were, how reluctantly he spoke — it only deepened the suspicion in everyone's hearts.
"Grand King Hong, if you truly have nothing to hide, swear the oath right now!"
"That's right! No matter what, we in Glazed King City absolutely will not welcome outsiders who come to our turf to fan the flames!"
"Well said! If you won't swear, that proves you're hiding something."
Grand King Hong let out a cold laugh and declared in a loud voice: "I swear as well! If I lose, I will truthfully reveal who sent me! Should I go back on my word, may I suffer Inner Demon backlash and die on the spot!"
With both sides having sworn their dire oaths, Jiang Chen smiled faintly, his demeanor entirely calm. "You looked so terrified that I'll let you ask first."
Grand King Hong had assumed that whoever got to ask first would become a point of heated contention. He hadn't expected the other party to simply hand the priority over so readily.
Under ordinary circumstances, Grand King Hong would never have deigned to snatch such an advantage. But given the delicate situation and the fact that the man across from him — despite appearing rough and uncouth — radiated an intangible quality that even Grand King Hong couldn't fully read, he didn't bother with pleasantries.
Grand King Hong nodded expressionlessly. "Fine, then I'll ask first."
The moment those words left his mouth, a wave of jeers erupted from all sides. The crowd was clearly disappointed by Grand King Hong's complete lack of grace. As a Pill King who had been giving public lectures, the least he could do when facing a challenger was show some class. The other man had graciously offered him the lead, and he had simply taken it without a shred of hesitation?
Unfazed by the jeering from all around, Grand King Hong maintained his blank expression. He merely cast a cold glance at Jiang Chen. "First question. There is a pill called the Crimson Pattern Heart-Sealing Pill. How many main ingredients does it contain, and how many auxiliary ingredients?"
"Is that one question or two?" Jiang Chen sneered.
"Don't concern yourself with how many — it's a single pill, and all the details belong to one unified question. When you ask yours, you may do the same." Seeing Jiang Chen's reaction, Grand King Hong grew even more certain that his opponent couldn't answer. Besides, in this field, Grand King Hong had a vast repertoire of questions at his disposal. He figured that if he simply pulled out some obscure enough ones, the other man would have no chance.