This situation was nothing short of torture for Wang Teng. He had never in a million years imagined that the once-supremely-mighty Wangting Great House was apparently nowhere near as popular as he'd believed.
The guests hadn't chosen to enter the Taiyuan Tower because they had any respect for the Wangting Great House — they'd done so purely out of fear.
This realization left Wang Teng feeling as though he'd swallowed a fly.
Today's developments were veering further and further off the trajectory he'd envisioned.
And the bet he'd been so certain of winning was now shrouded in a layer of shadow.
No — he absolutely could not lose this bet. Wang Teng knew better than anyone that if they lost, all the Wangting Great House's long-laid plans would go down the drain, and they'd also forfeit a prime storefront on Shennong Street.
He'd lose face on the outside and lose everything that mattered underneath.
"Cold Bamboo Pill King, for this third round, I'm afraid you'll have to step forward yourself." With this thought, Wang Teng turned to the high-ranking Pill King beside him.
Cold Bamboo Pill King was among the top five in the Wangting Great House's ranks. While he wasn't the house's most powerful Pill King, he was certainly one of them.
Looking at the current situation, it was clear from Rong Pill King's demeanor that he'd lost all his fighting spirit. For the third round — whether in terms of skill or morale — it was no longer wise to send Rong Pill King back out.
Wang Teng absolutely refused to watch himself lose this bet.
Cold Bamboo Pill King had to fight. He was the best card the Wangting Great House could play right now.
Seeing how things stood, Cold Bamboo Pill King actually felt quite resistant to stepping onto the field. After all, fighting in this round carried enormous risk. If he showed even the slightest lapse, he'd become the one blamed for losing the bet — the scapegoat.
Although Wang Teng had called on him directly, Cold Bamboo Pill King was anything but willing. Every strong fighter possessed a kind of instinct — and after watching the second round's Pill King duel, Cold Bamboo Pill King had a nagging feeling that the Wei Family's Zhen Pill King was extremely peculiar, with a wildly unconventional approach. Even if Cold Bamboo Pill King fought personally, victory was far from certain.
It wasn't that he feared his opponent — it was that the Eccentric Pill School instilled a natural wariness in him. The Wei Family's Zhen Pill King was clearly an outstanding representative of that school.
Judging by the strength he'd displayed earlier, the man obviously possessed formidable pill-refining skill. Cold Bamboo Pill King was a cautious person; he had no desire to fight in a battle where he had no confidence.
With this in mind, Cold Bamboo Pill King said: "Young Lord, we already established the rules and designated our fighters beforehand. If we change our lineup now, the judges might not agree, and these onlookers will only make more of a commotion. If our opponents use this as an excuse, things could turn very ugly."
Wang Teng's face went cold, and he shot Cold Bamboo Pill King a deep, penetrating look.
Cold Bamboo Pill King was loyal to the Wangting Great House — while he maintained proper courtesy toward Wang Teng, the person he truly feared was not Wang Teng, but the Wangting patriarch.
With the battle in such an awkward state, being asked to fight was something Cold Bamboo Pill King wanted no part of. Even if he won, there'd be no particular glory in it. And if he lost, he'd not only humiliate himself but also become the scapegoat.
Meanwhile, the judges' panel had paid no attention to the little drama unfolding on Wang Teng's side. Pill King Yu glanced at both teams and announced: "The third round will be assessed by us judges directly. The assessment also consists of three matches. The side that wins two will claim victory in the third round. Do you have any objections?"
Pill King Yu paused, then added: "If you have objections, state them now. Once this round determines the winner, the bet becomes final. Anything said afterward will be to no avail."
Get the unpleasant words out first.
The Wei father and son glanced at Jiang Chen. By now, they were completely devoted to him, trusting him absolutely and without reservation. When Jiang Chen had produced the Three-Life Pill to overpower the Jade Marrow Pill, every last shred of worry had vanished from their minds.
They naturally had no objections.
With the battle having developed to this point, they no longer cared whether they won or lost.
Even if the Wei Family ultimately suffered defeat in the bet, their name and reputation had already been thoroughly won back through this contest.
Wei Tianxiao, completely at peace, smiled and said: "We have no objections."
On Wang Teng's side, however: "I'd like to request a change of Pill King."
The moment these words left his mouth, the entire venue erupted in commotion. Cold Bamboo Pill King's face turned bitter, his expression shifting between dark and light — it was obvious he was extremely displeased by Wang Teng's high-handed assignment.
Third Young Master Ji laughed coldly: "Wang Teng, are you talking in your sleep? Before the bet even started, the participating Pill Kings were already designated. You want to swap generals mid-battle — do you think this is child's play? Besides, weren't you the one who said you'd send this Rong Pill King to teach Zhen Pill King how to behave? He hasn't even started teaching yet — are you planning to swap him out and have him teach you how to behave instead?"
Third Young Master Ji's tongue was just as venomous. These words were sharper and more devastating than any face-slap.
Wei Tianxiao also smiled faintly: "Young Master Wang, the bet was your proposal and the rules were agreed upon by everyone. Now you're asking to change generals — are you telling all of Liuli Royal City that the Wangting Great House can't handle it?"
There it was again — "can't handle it."
Wang Teng wished the ground would swallow him whole. Countless pairs of eyes turned toward him from every direction, most of them filled with mockery.
Clearly, everyone found his proposal contemptible.
Pill King Yu exchanged glances with the other judges, then shook his head resolutely: "The rules have been set. They cannot be altered. If you insist on challenging the rules, we will have no choice but to declare the Taiyuan Tower the loser of this bet."
These words completely extinguished Wang Teng's hope of swapping fighters.
Cold Bamboo Pill King, upon hearing this, secretly let out a breath of relief — at last, he wouldn't have to take the field.