Wei Tianxiao had long been prepared. The instant Wei Tiantong's body moved, Wei Tianxiao swept his great hand outward, forcibly knocking Wei Tiantong's figure aside.
Though Wei Tiantong was formidable in his own right, the gap between him and the clan head Wei Tianxiao was still considerable.
Wei Tianxiao's ability to manage the clan had never been particularly strong, but he had earned the position of Wei family head through the most powerful martial arts talent and potential of his generation.
Now, Wei Tianxiao stood at the eighth level of the Sovereign realm — his strength was the undisputed number one within the Wei family. Among all the clan heads of the nine great houses in the Glazed Royal City, he ranked in the top three!
Wei Tiantong attacked several times in succession, and every strike was effortlessly blocked by Wei Tianxiao.
"Clan Head, what is the meaning of this?" Wei Tiantong's brows knotted together.
Wei Tianxiao said coldly, "I should be the one asking you that. This is a duel between alchemists — what business is it of yours to interfere?"
A clan head was still a clan head. Once angered, he carried the full weight of his authority.
Wei Tiantong roared in fury, "Since he won, he should have stopped while ahead. Why not give the antidote? Since when does winning a bet in a duel mean you claim someone's life as well?"
"If you can't afford to lose, then don't gamble. It wasn't Alchemist Zhen who proposed the wager. If I recall correctly, it was this Alchemist Yu of yours who picked the fight in the first place?" Wei Tianxiao's tone was detached.
His personality had never been particularly dominant, but at this point the situation had nearly reached an open rupture. Even Alchemist Yu had already turned on Wei Tiantong, going so far as to threaten to poison every member of the Wei family to death.
Things had progressed to this stage — how could they possibly end on friendly terms?
Wei Tiantong ground his teeth and turned his gaze to Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng. "You two elders — Wei Tianxiao is abusing his position as clan head to engage in tyranny! As seniors of the clan, surely you should speak a word of fairness?"
At this juncture, Wei Tiantong had to rally everyone against Wei Tianxiao. Otherwise, the situation would become extremely unfavorable for him.
Elder Zhuo smiled faintly. "This wager seems to have nothing wrong with it. What fairness do you want us to speak of? If you want fairness, I have only six words."
"What?" Wei Tiantong was taken aback.
"If you don't court death, you won't die." Elder Zhuo's tone was mild.
Elder Feng nodded as well. "That's right. If your Alchemist Yu hadn't provoked trouble on his own, there would have been no wager. Without the wager, none of this would have happened. Tiantong, when all is said and done, he brought this upon himself!"
The attitude of these two elders nearly made Wei Tiantong think his ears were deceiving him.
Wei Xiu couldn't help but remind them, "You two elders… you haven't made a mistake, have you? Alchemist Yu is the one who holds the key to your salvation!"
That Alchemist Yu also stared coldly at Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng, his face twisted in a grimace. "You two old fossils — going back on your word. It seems you don't want your juniors to live anymore."
Wei Tiantong's confidant elder also urged, "Brother Zhuo, Brother Feng, at a time like this, you need to be clear about which side you're on. Be careful not to make a misstep and end up on the wrong side."
"Hmph! Wei Tiantong, what we discussed previously concerned the shops on Shennong Street, didn't it? Have we discussed anything about Shennong Street just now?" Elder Zhuo asked with a cold laugh.
Wei Tiantong nearly erupted in curses but forced down his rage. "If Alchemist Yu succumbs to the poison, then everything becomes moot. He is the key to your juniors' salvation. If you don't protect him now, would you wait until he dies from the poison and let your juniors be buried alongside him?"
This remark did more harm than good. The moment it left his mouth, both Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng wore expressions of fury.
Elder Feng in particular exploded. "Wei Tiantong, you invited a wolf into the house, and you have the nerve to call him a savior? Why don't you say that this man surnamed Yu is also the one who tied the knot in the first place?"
At these words, both Wei Tiantong and Alchemist Yu's expressions shifted slightly.
Wei Tiantong denied it flatly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What knot-tying?"
Elder Feng raged, "Stop pretending! It was all this man surnamed Yu pulling the strings. Elder Zhuo's direct grandson, my own direct disciple — which of them wasn't schemed against by this man surnamed Yu? And then he comes playing the good guy, currying favor and trying to recruit us two old men. Wei Tiantong, you really do know how to betray your own! What a fine scheme you've been running. We two old fools nearly got played in circles by you!"
Wei Tiantong was utterly dumbfounded. This matter was supposed to be top secret — how had these two old men found out?
No wonder they had ignored all his earlier hints and glances!
Hearing this, Alchemist Yu knew his cover was blown. He decided to drop all pretense and shouted at Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng, "Since you already know, then what are you waiting for? Without me, Yu, and my exclusive methods, those juniors of yours are dead men walking. If you have any sense, capture this impostor immediately, seize his antidote, and hand it over to me. Then perhaps I might consider forgiving you…"
Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng exchanged a glance, both thinking the man had gone mad.
Wei Jie let out a cold laugh. "Man surnamed Yu, stop dreaming. Your little tricks were completely neutralized by Alchemist Zhen days ago."
"What?" Alchemist Yu and Wei Tiantong changed color at the same time.
They looked at each other, and in an instant their eyes were filled with countless complex emotions. Wei Tiantong in particular felt as though the heavens and earth were spinning around him.
The defection of Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng meant that his schemes were completely exposed! His ambition to seize the throne had utterly collapsed!