Chapter 621: Master Hongde

In the main hall, Su Xiuyi turned to Changyuan and asked, "Changyuan, are you certain these Pills weren’t crafted by you?"

Changyuan stated firmly, "Pavilion Master, I guarantee it. These Pills were absolutely not crafted by me."

Su Xiuyi looked at Xu Wenlin. "Do you have anything else to say?"

"Hahaha." Xu Wenlin couldn’t help but laugh. "Just because you say Xiuyi Pavilion didn’t craft them, that makes it true? I could claim this Xiuyi Pavilion is mine, for all the good it would do! Words are wind; where’s the proof? Everyone, am I right?"

The crowd immediately erupted in an uproar. It was true; at a time like this, words alone were not enough to convince anyone.

"Changyuan, if you’re saying these Pills weren’t crafted by you, you must have some proof. Show them. For instance, is there a problem with the Pill’s composition?" Su Xiuyi said to Changyuan.

"Yes, Pavilion Master."

Changyuan nodded, took a Pill from the box, and placed it on his palm. A wave of his Profound Sense immediately enveloped it, beginning a careful analysis. Profound Sense was normally intangible, yet as he used it on the Pill, faint flickers of light appeared from time to time. He was clearly analyzing the Pill’s structure, hoping to find some discrepancy.

Xu Wenlin’s expression was also grave. His eyes flickered as he watched Changyuan’s analysis, revealing a deep-seated nervousness.

However, as time went on, a look of confusion crept into Changyuan’s eyes, as if he had discovered something strange. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

"Impossible."

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Changyuan suddenly cried out in alarm.

Su Xiuyi frowned. "What is it?"

Changyuan’s face was pale, clearly drained of energy. Dense beads of sweat covered his forehead. He frowned and said in disbelief, "Pavilion Master, the composition of this Miasma Origin Pill is identical to the ones from our Xiuyi Pavilion. There’s nothing different about it."

"Haha," Xu Wenlin sneered. "Everyone, did you hear that? It’s because these *are* Xiuyi Pavilion’s Miasma Origin Pills! Of course there’s no difference. Now let’s see what Xiuyi Pavilion has left to say."

Su Xiuyi’s voice was grim. "Changyuan, are you certain?"

"I will analyze it again." Sensing the gravity of the situation, Changyuan dared not be careless and began his analysis once more. This time, his gaze was intense, cold sweat dripped from his brow, and his body trembled slightly, a clear sign of the immense effort it was taking.

But after another incense stick’s worth of time, he could only shake his head with a bitter smile. "Pavilion Master, their compositions are truly identical."

The hall erupted once more. Changyuan of Xiuyi Pavilion had inspected the Pill twice and confirmed its composition was identical, yet he still insisted it wasn’t a Pill sold by them. The blatant contradiction immediately aroused the crowd’s suspicion.

Things were quickly taking a turn for the worse.

Just then, a glint flashed in Su Xiuyi’s eyes. "Bring me a dog."

Changyuan and the others jolted, instantly understanding Su Xiuyi’s intention. ’The Celestial Wolf Squad has been claiming this Pill poisoned their member, so everyone has been focused on the Pill being toxic. But what if the man wasn’t killed by the Pills in the box?’

’Perhaps the Pills in the box are harmless, planted only to frame us.’

The moment Su Xiuyi spoke, the crowd also had a moment of realization, and murmurs broke out among them.

Xu Wenlin, however, remained perfectly composed, a cold sneer still playing on his lips.

Before long, a massive dog was led over. A member of Xiuyi Pavilion fed it a Miasma Origin Pill on the spot. Scarcely a moment after swallowing the Pill, the dog began to convulse. A few twitches later, it collapsed, its eyes rolled back, white foam frothed at its mouth, and its body went rigid. It couldn’t be any deader.

Then, the dog’s skin turned a dark, blackish color, its appearance in death identical to that of the Celestial Wolf Squad member.

"Ah, it’s really poisonous!"

"These Miasma Origin Pills are actually toxic!"

The crowd erupted, their discussions turning frantic. Those who had previously purchased Miasma Origin Pills were especially terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat. ’If I had taken that Pill, then...’

All eyes turned to the people of Xiuyi Pavilion, filled with rage.

Changyuan’s expression went slack, his face turning deathly pale. He stumbled a few steps to the dog’s side and scanned it carefully with his Profound Sense, but he couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. He could only mutter, "How can this be?"

"Su Xiuyi, what do you have to say now?" Xu Wenlin roared, a mocking sneer plastered on his face.

"Give us back our brother’s life!"

"A wicked Pill pavilion like this has no right to exist in the Celestial Capital Prefecture!"

The members of the Celestial Wolf Squad roared in fury, their killing intent palpable.

Su Xiuyi’s expression became incredibly grim. He could feel the tendrils of a conspiracy closing in, ready to swallow his Xiuyi Pavilion whole, yet he felt powerless to resist.

In terms of raw power, he was the strongest person present, but he couldn’t make a move. The moment he resorted to force, his guilt would be sealed, and he’d never be able to clear his name. Not only would twenty years of his hard work be destroyed in an instant, but he himself would face sanctions from the Celestial Capital Prefecture.

Changyuan looked dejected, his face grim. "Pavilion Master, my skills are too low. I truly cannot see what’s wrong with this Pill... but I swear, I did not craft it."

An Alchemist might err in their analysis of a medicine, but they would never fail to recognize the unique aura of a Pill they personally crafted.

"Hmph. Even now, Xiuyi Pavilion still tries to make excuses. I, Xu Wenlin, am not an unreasonable man. You claim over and over that Xiuyi Pavilion didn’t craft this Pill, yet you can’t produce a shred of evidence. Hahaha, you think you can get away with it that easily?"

Having seized the moral high ground, Xu Wenlin was aggressive and put on a show of great anger.

"Sigh... Xiuyi Pavilion has been in the West District for some time now and has become quite popular lately. I never imagined it was such a malicious place. It’s a good thing this was exposed today. Otherwise, who knows how many more people would have been poisoned by Xiuyi Pavilion’s Pills."

Just then, a heavy sigh came from the crowd. Everyone turned to see an old man slowly emerging from their midst.

"Master Hongde."

"It’s Master Hongde from the Ancient Pill Tower!"

The crowd stirred with excitement.

The Ancient Pill Tower was an extremely famous establishment in the West District that specialized in the Pill business, and its reputation there was immense.

This elder, Hongde, was its chief Alchemist. His skill had reached the Seventh Grade, and his name was renowned throughout the West District.

There was hardly a soul in the entire West District who didn’t know of him.

Su Xiuyi froze. Looking at Hongde of the Ancient Pill Tower, he sensed the foul stench of a conspiracy, and his brow furrowed deeply.

Although Hongde was famous in the West District, he was known to be a recluse. Many Martial Artists had tried and failed to even get an audience to request a Pill from him. To think he would appear here at such a critical moment was unexpected.

Furthermore, Xiuyi Pavilion’s growth over the years had cut into the Ancient Pill Tower’s market share, which made Su Xiuyi even more suspicious.

He immediately said coldly, "Master Hongde is truly a man of great compassion. We are all deeply impressed. However, for a distinguished Seventh Grade Alchemist such as yourself to appear in my humble Xiuyi Pavilion... could it be that Master Hongde is here to purchase Pills? What a surprise."

His words were laden with insinuation, and many of the intelligent people present understood the underlying meaning.

’Master Hongde is a man of high status who rarely makes public appearances. He’s also a Seventh Grade Alchemist. Why would he show up at Xiuyi Pavilion?’

A glint flashed in Hongde’s eyes, and he sighed softly. "It seems my appearance has caused Pavilion Master Su some misunderstanding. I was merely passing by when I heard that a poisonous Pill had killed someone here. I came in out of curiosity, only to witness such a wicked and unconscionable scene."

"Since Pavilion Master Su does not welcome me, you can simply pretend I was never here."

Hongde then retreated back into the crowd, his face a mask of sorrowful compassion.

"Pavilion Master Su, I believe you can give me a proper explanation now," Xu Wenlin said mockingly the moment Hongde stepped back, his lips curled in a sneer of utter contempt.

"Rest assured. Even if you didn’t want an explanation, I would give you one," Su Xiuyi snorted. He then turned to the crowd and said with a wry smile, "Elder Yao, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you with this."

’He hadn’t wanted Elder Yao to get involved. After all, they had only just arrived in the Celestial Capital Prefecture today. But given the circumstances, if he didn’t resolve this now, Xiuyi Pavilion would likely be forced to close for good.’

’Elder Yao?’

Everyone turned to see another old man stepping out from the crowd.

"Let me take a look." Elder Yao had been observing the entire time. He didn’t refuse the request, simply stepping forward with a confident air.

Hongde’s eyes flickered. As a fellow Alchemist, he could immediately sense that Elder Yao’s attainments in Alchemy were terrifyingly profound. This man was also a Seventh Grade, Lord Level Alchemist.

He was shocked. ’Since when did Xiuyi Pavilion have a Lord Level Alchemist?’

’For all these years, Xiuyi Pavilion’s strongest Alchemy Master has been Changyuan. I’ve never heard of them having anyone stronger.’

Seeing Elder Yao about to inspect the Pill, Xu Wenlin frowned and said coldly, "Hold on, Pavilion Master Su. Who is this man?"

"A friend of mine. He is also a Lord Level Alchemist," Su Xiuyi said calmly.

Xu Wenlin immediately snatched the Pill back and said icily, "Pavilion Master Su, your Xiuyi Pavilion’s investigation is over. What new trick are you trying to pull? Besides, this man is your friend. Who knows if his results will be accurate, or if he’ll try to tamper with the evidence?"

Su Xiuyi replied coldly, "Whether he is my friend or not is irrelevant. The most important thing is finding the truth, is it not?"

"No," Xu Wenlin said sharply. "This man’s origins are unknown. What if he tampers with my Pills?"

"Ridiculous." Su Xiuyi sneered. "You claim a Pill from my Xiuyi Pavilion poisoned someone, yet you deny us the right to even examine it? Xiuyi Pavilion may be a small enterprise, but we are not a place where just anyone can come and act so outrageously."

A cold glint flashed in Su Xiuyi’s eyes as a terrifying pressure emanated from his entire being.