novelraw 598. The Cao Family's Situation
598. The Cao Family's Situation
The largest and perhaps most legendary alchemy gathering in history has finally come to an end, but its influence will not disappear immediately, and those who care are still paying attention to everything in Saint Pill City.
Ling Haonan, the Supreme Elder of the Spirit Clan, watched everything unfold with remarkable composure. His withered body, as gaunt as an old tree branch, sank deeply into the sandalwood chair, his knuckles on the armrests turning bluish-white. His eyes, deep beneath his wrinkled eyelids, were like ancient wells. The deafening cheers from the distant plaza pierced the clouds and reached his ears. Because of his immense power, he had witnessed everything that happened during the Pill Gathering, but ultimately, he did nothing.
After the official results of the Alchemy Tournament were announced, and Xiao Yan officially won the championship, a trace of sorrow finally appeared in Ling Haonan's usually calm eyes. The dark medicinal soup in his teacup had long since gone cold, but he didn't drink another drop after the result was decided.
Even when he felt an intense pain in his forehead, he didn't move at all; he just sat there quietly.
"Does Heaven truly not protect my Spirit Race...?"
The sigh that escaped his throat was tinged with the stench of decaying blood. As this powerful Dou Sheng rose to his feet, the setting sun outside the window cast his long, distorted shadow, making him look like a dying old snake.
Ling Haonan was not some senile old man after all; his life had been stained with countless blood, and he was a notorious and powerful member of the Spirit Clan. He looked at the lingering remnants of pill lightning above Saint Pill City, and a bloodshot glint appeared in his cloudy eyes.
……
The Danta, in the hall where the three giants reside.
Cao Ying knelt on the green jade bricks, and as she lowered her head, a strand of black hair slipped past her ear, the tip of her hair trembling slightly like ripples on a cold pool.
"Teacher, I'm sorry..."
After saying this, Cao Ying choked up. Of course, she felt guilty towards Xuan Kongzi, after all, he was her teacher. And she knew very well that when her teacher was at his most overwhelmed, she and the Cao family behind him chose to betray him.
The reason why the Cao family's departure had such a great impact was not only because the Cao family's strength ranked second among the five major affiliated families of the Pill Tower, but more importantly because they took away their future star.
Cao Ying also understood more clearly that the main reason the Cao family had to ally with the Spirit Clan was because she, whom they considered a rising star, had fallen into a deep slumber. Her current presence here was primarily in the hope that Xuan Kongzi would forgive the Cao family's problems.
However, when Cao Ying met Xuan Kongzi, she could no longer bring up the matter, and in the end, all that remained was a meaningful "I'm sorry".
Xuan Kongzi looked at Cao Ying kneeling in front of him with some emotion, and finally helped his proud disciple up himself.
"You silly girl, you're smart but you always overthink things. If you mean following your family to join the Spirit Clan, I have no reason to blame you, after all, your life was in their hands back then. Not to mention, the Spirit Clan's power is so great, many elders of the Pill Tower have their own ideas. If we had to deal with everyone, the Pill Tower could just disband."
"What happened to you was a mistake made by your teacher and your grandfather back then. Fortunately, the chronic illness in your body has been cured, otherwise this matter would probably have been a lifelong regret for your teacher."
When he said this, Xuan Kongzi spoke in a gentle tone, clearly not intending to dwell on the Cao family and Cao Ying's allegiance to the Spirit Clan. As the head of the three giants of the Pill Tower, his opinion already represented a great deal.
Before Cao Ying could explain, Xuan Kongzi continued, "If you mean you haven't beaten Xiao Yan, then you don't need to take it to heart. I competed with his teacher, Venerable Yao, back then, and I was also one step behind. Don't dwell on temporary setbacks; just keep trying."
"You are still young, and you have a vast world to explore in the future. Don't let a mere champion in the National Dan Competition hold you back."
Xuan Kongzi's words were filled with a teacher's care for his disciple, and Cao Ying could hardly remain unmoved. Immediately, Cao Ying's previously tense heart completely relaxed.
Xuan Kongzi's words conveyed two messages to her: the Pill Tower intended to forgive and forget about her and the Cao family. This was what the Cao family truly cared about, since it was uncertain whether a family that had betrayed the Pill Tower would be accepted back.
In the worst-case scenario, if the Pill Tower were to pursue the Cao family's problems, the Cao family would naturally find themselves in a precarious situation. However, the actions of the Spirit Clan left both Cao Ying and the Cao family's leaders utterly disheartened. Furthermore, Xiao Yan's Pill Refining Competition resulted in the creation of a pill that could cure Cao Ying's condition. Considering all these factors, Cao Ying made her own decision.
The current head of the Cao family strongly supported Cao Ying's decision afterward. After all, there were too many things to do during the Pill Gathering, and the Spirit Clan's control over the Cao family was still only superficial. Now was the best opportunity to sever ties.
Now that Xuan Kongzi has spoken, at least the Cao family's return to the Pill Tower is no longer a problem. As for whether the Cao family and the Pill Tower can return to their original close relationship, that depends on how things develop.
Cao Ying didn't expect that coming to Xuan Kongzi to cry and complain would make everything disappear. Preventing the Cao family from being destitute and homeless was already the best possible outcome.
Secondly, on a personal level, Xuan Kongzi, as her teacher, did not hold Cao Ying's actions against her and still regarded her as his successor. She was still the enchantress of the Pill Tower, and that would not change. In fact, she still had a good chance of obtaining the Three Thousand Burning Flames. From this point of view, it can be seen that Xuan Kongzi really cared about his disciple.
"Thank you, teacher..." Cao Ying bowed to Xuan Kongzi. Only the two of them at the time knew the true meaning behind her bow.
"You've worked hard during the Pill Gathering too." Xuan Kongzi smiled at Cao Ying and said, "Now that you've resolved your inner conflict, you don't need to stay with this old man anymore. I heard that Xiao Yan is having a celebration banquet. He notified me, so you can go in my place."
"A victory celebration banquet?" Cao Ying was somewhat surprised.
"Winning the championship under such circumstances is indeed worth celebrating. He took the initiative to invite me, but I'm still very busy here. Please take a jar of Millennium Green Pu wine over for me. Oh, and bring Dan Chen along too. That girl was dragged down by us old guys. Now that everything is resolved, it's natural to let her interact with more people."
"Alright, then this disciple will go."
Deep down, Cao Ying really wanted to have more contact with Xiao Yan. Through this Pill Gathering, especially her interactions within the Pill World, Cao Ying increasingly felt that Xiao Yan was a very interesting young man. He was far superior to the so-called "geniuses" she had met at the Pill Tower.