Chapter 624 - 349: Competition
Chapter 624: Chapter 349: Competition
The Mountain Race of Shu State had entrenched themselves in the region for thousands of years. Even during the Qianyang Dynasty, when the Barbarian Race occupied Shu State, the Mountain Race on Wumeng Mountain had managed to preserve themselves. They relied entirely on their miraculous Poisoning techniques and Witchcraft and Gu Dao. Ordinary Jianghu People couldn’t even get close; even if they remained strictly on guard, they would still unknowingly fall victim to the Mountain Race’s Poison. Not to mention the frail Physicians of the Jiuqu Lineage.
Pei Guanli looked at Wen Xiuyin and asked with a playful grin, "Yours truly has always done things this way! If you’re so pissed off, you’re more than welcome to fetch your master.
"Let yours truly see if that bullshit Jiuqu Divine Doctor dares to bare his fangs at the Mountain Race in Shu State."
"You?!" Wen Xiuyin’s face turned livid. Her chest heaved with anger, yet she didn’t dare utter another harsh word.
Before coming to Shu State, her master, the Jiuqu Divine Doctor, had warned her, "It is better to offend Duke Dingyuan than to provoke the Mountain Race."
It wasn’t because Duke Dingyuan or the various officials of Shu State lacked power, but rather because the Mountain Race’s influence was simply overwhelming. Furthermore, with the news spreading that the Five Poison Sect had once again suffered defeat at the hands of the Mountain Race, Jianghu People from other State Capitals had once more been reminded of the Mountain Race’s fierce reputation.
Thinking of this, the fiery rage in Wen Xiuyin’s chest dissipated slightly. Her expression softened as she said, "Miss Pei, my junior brother spoke out of turn just now. As his senior sister, I apologize to you on his behalf."
Following Jianghu etiquette, she offered a Punch salute.
Instantly, the onlookers inside and outside the Medicine Hall burst into laughter. Even the commoners who understood nothing of Jianghu affairs couldn’t help but chuckle.
"The Jiuqu Lineage really thought they were warlords these past few years. To actually dare provoke the Mountain Race in Shu State—they’re practically courting death."
"Hilarious. That Physician was so sharp-tongued just a moment ago, but doesn’t he have to obediently bow his head now?"
"A smart person knows when to fold when they’re outmatched. Very nice, very nice..."
Ma Liangcai, Liu Quan, and the others, however, breathed a sigh of relief. With Pei Guanli stepping up for them, even if they were outmatched in skill, the negative impact on their reputation would be much smaller than before.
Yuan Liu’er, on the other hand, looked at Pei Guanli with a hint of envy. Having only just entered the Martial Arts path, she hadn’t even seen when Pei Guanli made her move. Relying solely on her Medical Dao studies, she had only managed to catch a faint whiff of a herbal scent.
She wondered when she would become as incredible as Junior Grandmaster Pei.
Little did she know that Pei Guanli actually thought she was the more incredible one.
At this moment, however, a smug look appeared on Pei Guanli’s chubby little face.
"It would have been so much better if you had just said that earlier. You just had to force me to take action."
Naturally, Wen Xiuyin heard the mocking laughter around her. She secretly gritted her teeth but made up her mind to ignore the noise. Taking a deep breath to quell her anger, she administered Acupuncture to detoxify her junior brother while asking, "Earlier, Miss Pei implied that you wanted to stand up for the Jishi Medicine Hall. I just wonder how you plan to do so?"
Seeing her concede, the remaining young man and woman behind her felt rather stifled, but neither dared to speak up. Clearly, they had no desire to end up like their companion lying on the floor.
Pei Guanli clapped her hands. "Simple."
She looked at Wen Xiuyin and continued, "Your Medical Dao has already reached the Minor Success Realm. Running over here to bully the resident Physicians of a clinic is highly inappropriate."
Pei Guanli transferred her gaze to the disciples behind Wen Xiuyin and pointed at them. "Since they are your disciples, they can surely represent the Jiuqu Lineage as well. Why don’t we let them compete against the Medicine Hall’s Physicians?"
Wen Xiuyin understood. She turned around to look at her two disciples, then scanned the Physicians of the Medicine Hall—Ma Liangcai, Elder Li, Yuan Liu’er, and the rest. She then nodded and said, "A competition is naturally acceptable. However, these disciples of mine are only in their early twenties. Although they have studied medicine under me for many years, they haven’t had many opportunities to show off their skills..."
Before she could finish, Pei Guanli raised a hand to interrupt her. "At the end of the day, aren’t you just worried that the inheritors of the Jiuqu Lineage might lose to the Physicians of an ordinary Medicine Hall?
"If that’s the case, I think you should all just go back to wherever you came from. It’ll save you from completely tossing away your master’s dignity."
Hearing this, Wen Xiuyin’s face naturally turned ugly. But the onlookers, eager for a spectacle, began to jeer and encourage the idea. Even if it wasn’t as thrilling as a Martial Arts duel, it would still determine who was superior.
Wen Xiuyin glanced outside the Medicine Hall, secretly vowing that she would never treat any Wandering Martial Artists from Shu State in the future.
The Jiuqu Lineage wouldn’t either!
But no matter how furious Wen Xiuyin felt, things had already reached this point. She decided against doing anything superfluous.
"Since that’s the case, I agree with what Miss Pei proposed."
She paused, sweeping her gaze over the Physicians in the Medicine Hall before her eyes finally settled on Ma Liangcai and Yuan Liu’er. Inside the Jishi Medicine Hall, only these two had slightly stronger auras, indicating they had likely reached the entry-level realm of the Medical Dao.
Expressionless, Wen Xiuyin beckoned to one of the two people behind her. "If you can’t even beat an apprentice of this Medicine Hall, don’t blame me for showing no mercy."
The younger woman didn’t dare to be negligent. She bowed and replied, "I will obey Master’s command."
She then stepped forward, offering a Punch salute to Pei Guanli, and said, "I am Zhou Wenying of the Jiuqu Lineage. Elder Pei, please choose an opponent for me."
They were at the mercy of the situation.
When even her master—Wen Xiuyin, the personal disciple of the Jiuqu Divine Doctor—had bowed her head, she naturally didn’t dare act recklessly.
Pei Guanli didn’t respond immediately. After looking left and right, she still couldn’t figure out who to pick. Then, she turned her head to look at Ma Liangcai and Yuan Liu’er. "Which one of you is confident?"
Ma Liangcai was just about to step forward when Pei Guanli raised a hand to stop him, making the decision outright. "Little Sister Liu’er will compete with her."
Yuan Liu’er was slightly stunned. "Guanli, I... I’ve only just started learning the Medical Dao. I’m afraid..." she said hesitantly.
"What are you afraid of? Don’t be scared. Your Grandmaster said your talent is excellent. Dealing with a lowly grand-disciple of the Jiuqu Divine Doctor will be absolutely no problem.
"You have to know that your Grandmaster... well, anyway, I believe in your Grandmaster. There’s no way you can lose."