BXBX NOVEL Chapter 51 - 51: Elders Gathered
In the great hall of the Pill Sect, an old man in white and an old woman in black both looked at the seated Gu Daofeng with an odd expression on their faces.
In Gu Daofeng’s hand was Fang Lin’s Shaking Three Mountains method written on three large pieces of paper. The more he read, the more his brow furrowed.
Once he had finished reading all three pieces of paper, Gu Daofeng said nothing, his brow deeply furrowed as he paced slowly behind his desk, seemingly deep in thought.
The old man in white finally lost his patience and said, “Leader, isn’t that Fang
Lin just messing with us?”
The old woman in black remained silent for she too harbored doubts, but she didn’t voice them lightly.
Gu Daofeng’s scholarly face remained calm, and upon hearing the old man in white’s words, he replied slowly, “Let’s not be hasty in drawing conclusions. Let’s first practice this method and then make our judgement.”
Upon hearing this, both the old man in white and the old woman in black could only nod in agreement.
After the two left, a young man entered the hall. Gu Daofeng handed him the three pieces of paper and after expressing his thanks, the young man left.
Three days later, the young man reappeared in the great hall, his complexion slightly pale and his eyes filled with anger.
“That isn’t the practice method for Shaking Three Mountains at all. Practicing according to the instructions on the paper caused severe pain in my meridians and made it hard to control my Inner Strength! We’ve been fooled by that Fang Lin!” The young man barked furiously.
Upon seeing the young man, Gu Daofeng responded, “Perhaps this is indeed the practice method for Shaking Three Mountains. Practice for another month and then see.”
The young man clenched his fists and had no choice but to nod and leave.
Suddenly one day, the long absentee Meng Wuyou appeared in the great hall of the Pill Sect with an incredibly solemn expression, clutching seventeen pill formulas in his hand.
The Pill Sect elders gathered, with Gu Daofeng seated high above them.
“Elder Meng, you called upon me to gather all the elders. May I ask what the matter is?” Gu Daofeng said with a gentle smile.
With the exception of a few elders who were unable to attend, everyone else had gathered. Some of the elders wore expressions of impatience. What could possibly be so important as to require all the elders to be present?
Meng Wuyou stood in the center of the hall and looked around at everyone, his gaze finally falling on Gu Daofeng.
With a fist and palm salute, Meng Wuyou paid his respects to Gu Daofeng and then spoke, “After verifying many times, I can now confirm that the seventeen pill formulas from the D Building Pill Formula Palace are incorrect.”
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent before erupting in uproar. Even the usually impassive Gu Daofeng revealed a flash of surprise in his eyes.
“Elder Meng, what nonsense are you talking about?”
“Shut up at once!”
“This is truly outrageous!”
“How dare you question our Pill Sect ancestors!”
Meng Wuyou’s words immediately led to a chorus of angry criticism and rebuke from many elders. Some even hurled sharp-tongued insults at him.
A group of elders maintained their silence, not uttering a word. However, the look they shot at Meng Wuyou bore a trace of doubt and concern.
Zhao Dengming, who never got along with Meng Wuyou, sneered, “Elder Meng, do you realize what you’re saying? You dared to declare the pill formulas left by our ancestors of the Pill Sect incorrect. Such conduct is truly outrageous and enough to strip you of your elder title!”
Yu Zhen also chimed in, “The pill formulas left by our ancestors are tried and true. Who do you think you are to question them?”
Meng Wuyou stood his ground, his expression as calm as still water, his aged eyes filled with an unprecedented sense of determination. The harsh words swirling around him didn’t affect him in the slightest.
“Silence!” Gu Daofeng commanded, his booming voice echoing throughout the hall, silencing everyone.
The discussions ceased as people awaited Gu Daofeng’s response.
“Elder Meng, could you please elaborate?” Gu Daofeng calmly said.
Meng Wuyou nodded before shaking the seventeen pill formulas in his hand, “Recently, I entered the D Building Pill Formula Palace and examined various pill formulas. I discovered certain problems with these seventeen pill formulas, so I conducted a reverse-life verification. I have confirmed that there are indeed problems with these seventeen pill formulas. In my opinion, since there is a problem, it should not be ignored. Today, I sincerely ask the leader to modify these seventeen pill formulas, for the benefit of future generations of our Pill Sect.”
“What nonsense!” An elderly man at the forefront of the group angrily rebuked. This man, with his extremely aged appearance and hunched figure, seemed close to death, his entire body exuding an aura of decrepitude, as if he could pass away at any moment.
This man was Yan Zhengfeng, one of the elders at the Pill Sect with the highest seniority. Even Gu Daofeng had to show him deferential respect.
Yan Zhengfeng was one of the most senior members of the Pill Sect, with great reverence for the Sect’s ancestors. He wouldn’t allow anyone to question the Pill Sect’s ancestors, not even the slightest bit.
Meng Wuyou’s words were not just questioning, but seeking to overturn the pill formulas left by the Sect’s ancestors. This, in his view, was highly disrespectful and utterly outrageous.
Yan Zhengfeng, tottering, stepped forward and pointed accusingly at Meng Wuyou, his features thunderous, “Meng Wuyou, you dare to do something so outrageous, you are the shame of our Pill Sect!”
Zhao Dengming, Yu Zhen, and others chuckled covertly. They didn’t dare to openly rebuke Meng Wuyou in such a straightforward manner, but Yan Zhengfeng could. Even if Yan Zhengfeng called Meng Wuyou a beast to his face, no one would reprimand Yan Zhengfeng.
Confronted with Yan Zhengfeng’s rebuke, Meng Wuyou showed no trace of anger but instead offered a respectful salute befitting a junior to Yan Zhengfeng.
“I can understand Elder Yan’s anger. Our Pill Sect ancestors poured their hearts and souls into creating numerous pill formulas, enabling the Sect to flourish till this day. Just like Elder Yan, I have great admiration for our Pill Sect ancestors. As far as these seventeen pill formulas are concerned, there is no fundamental error, just that some ingredients need to be improved. This isn’t about rejecting the achievements of our ancestors. Elder Yan is a pillar of our Pill Sect, the senior of everyone in the Sect. These seventeen pill formulas should be improved under the witness of Elder Yan.” Meng Wuyou respectfully said, his demeanor neither servile nor overbearing, leaving no room for criticism.
Yan Zhengfeng was taken aback by Meng Wuyou’s response and found himself at a loss for words, but he still glared at Meng Wuyou, his expression far from pleased.
Gu Daofeng spoke up, “Elder Yan, please calm down for the time being. If Elder Meng indeed found errors in the pill formulas and corrects them, it would surely be a fortunate event for our Pill Sect.”
Gu Daofeng paused before adding, “However, Elder Meng, how can you prove that these seventeen pill formulas are incorrect? This matter is of great importance, and you should think twice about your actions so as not to make a mistake.”
This time, Gu Daofeng dropped his amicable tone. In his view, Meng Wuyou’s undertaking was indeed a bit audacious. Even the previous Pill Sect leaders did not dare to question the pill formulas left by their ancestors..