Chapter 2753 — Are You Toying With Me?

The true Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Refining Pill is a fourth-grade pill. Wei Zhao's original "improved" formula had been a third-grade new Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Refining Pill, fabricated from the Life-Extending Detoxification Pill and the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Refining Pill combined. But after Wei Zhao's re-revision, it had become a fourth-grade pill once more.

As for whether Kang Jingming could actually refine it after receiving the formula, that was no concern of Wei Zhao's.

Such a trivial thing had netted him an option on a third-grade pill, a map of the Xuan Dan Sect's trials, and Kang Jinglong's promise not to harass Wang Xinyan during his school years—an absolute bargain.

It was just that the Xuan Dan Sect's Tian Canbian did not seem particularly easy to deal with. Wei Zhao had not managed to wheedle much out of him. It seemed the Xuan Dan Sect was not like the You family—not so easily fooled.

"Then bring out the formula," Kang Jingming urged, eager to claim credit.

"You haven't given me the Xuan Dan Sect trial map, and you haven't given me your promise to refine the pill—so how do you expect me to give you the formula?" Wei Zhao countered.

"The trial map I can have the Xuan Dan Sect email to your phone inbox right now—just check it," Kang Jingming said. "As for the promise to refine the pill, the promises of our Xuan Dan Sect are always honored. Everyone in the ancient circles knows this; our credibility is beyond question."

"Fine, then give me the map first," Wei Zhao said. "As for promises, I don't put much faith in such things. Have them issue a written certificate for the pill-refining instead—so that I'll have evidence later on."

"That can be arranged. I'll have the Xuan Dan Sect issue a pill-refining certificate." Kang Jingming nodded readily. "Is that satisfactory now?"

"Not yet. I'll hand the formula to Teacher Bai first. With Teacher Bai as guarantor, once I've received the map and the certificate, Teacher Bai will naturally give you the formula." As he spoke, Wei Zhao handed the formula he had just written to Leader Bai.

"Hmm... then how am I to know whether it's genuine?" Kang Jingming asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Why not ask Teacher Bai?" Wei Zhao said.

"Very well." Kang Jingming turned to Leader Bai. "Teacher Bai, what do you say?"

Leader Bai took Wei Zhao's formula and glanced over it, a flicker of surprise passing through his mind. He had not expected Wei Zhao to have written a fourth-grade formula—though this did match the grade of the legendary true Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Refining Pill.

Examining the pharmacology and properties within, he found no problems either. The formula should indeed be that for refining the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Refining Pill, so Leader Bai nodded and said, "The formula is indeed the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Refining Pill's formula. There is no problem with it."

"Good, then." Though Kang Jingming did not know how formidable Leader Bai was, he had heard both Ancestor Xuan Zhen and Tian Canbian speak of him with great esteem, so he did not think too much about it—after all, Tian Canbian had already approved this exchange arrangement. "I'll contact the Xuan Dan Sect right away."

Very quickly, Tian Canbian's side sent, to the email address Kang Jingming had provided, a map of the Xuan Dan Sect's trials and a certificate from the Xuan Dan Sect for commissioned pill-refining. It stated that in half a year they would refine on his behalf either a Qi Gathering Pill or an Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill—the Qi Gathering Pill guaranteed to succeed, the Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill not guaranteed.

"Now you can give me the formula, surely?" Kang Jingming asked Wei Zhao once all this was done. "And it's best you don't spread this map around—otherwise, if everyone passes the trials, you won't be able to choose any good pills for yourself. You understand."

"Oh, fine. As for what your elder brother promised, I'll have Teacher Bai act as supervisor. If he breaks the agreement, Teacher Bai has the right to expel him from campus," Wei Zhao said. "That's no problem, is it?"

"N-no... no problem..." Kang Jinglong said through gritted teeth.

"Very well then, Teacher Bai, the formula can be given to them now," Wei Zhao said to Leader Bai.

"All right." Teacher Bai handed the formula to Kang Jingming.

The moment Kang Jingming took the formula, he hurriedly examined it in detail—but when he had finished, his expression changed at once, and he cried out in alarm, "This is a fourth-grade formula?"

"Yes, that's right," Wei Zhao nodded. "It is a fourth-grade formula."

"Then why was the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Refining Pill formula you gave me before a third-grade one?" Kang Jingming demanded. "Are you playing me?"

"That's right—the earlier one was third-grade, so it may have had flaws, and this is the other one. Did you think I could just alter formulas at will?" Wei Zhao frowned. "Do you want it or not? If not, give it back!"

"I want it, I want it!" Kang Jingming reflected that this made sense. Wei Zhao was not even a proper alchemist—how could he possibly alter formulas at will? Never mind him; even the Xuan Dan Sect's ancestors—Heaven, Earth, Man, and Ancestor Xuan Zhen—could not accomplish such a thing. If Wei Zhao could, then ghosts would truly be walking the earth.

So it is that sometimes, when one tells the truth, no one believes it—and so it was with Kang Jingming. He nodded and said, "Very well, I'll go report to the young sect master."

Not daring to delay, Kang Jingming hurried to the adjoining room, dialed Tian Canbian's number, and, through Xiao Taohong, got hold of Tian Canbian.

"Young Sect Master, this is Xiaoming!" Kang Jingming said, drawing a deep breath.

"Oh, Xiaoming. How did it go? Did you get the formula in exchange?" Tian Canbian asked.

"I got it, but the bargaining was a real headache. Wei Zhao wouldn't budge an inch, and I had no choice—I had to agree to another condition of his..." Kang Jingming said with a woebegone face.

"What? You agreed to a condition on your own authority?" Tian Canbian's tone turned cold at once.

"No, Young Sect Master!" Kang Jingming hastened to explain. "What I promised was at my own expense—it has nothing to do with the Xuan Dan Sect! It's like this: Wei Zhao fancies my elder brother's fiancée, that is, my future sister-in-law, so he forced my brother into an unequal treaty..."

Kang Jingming exaggerated the matter of Wang Xinyan that Wei Zhao had raised, laying it all out for Tian Canbian—his purpose being to claim merit, to show that he had sacrificed even his personal interests for the sect.

"I see..." Tian Canbian nodded after hearing it. "Xiaoming, you truly work for the sect with all your heart. The Xuan Dan Sect will never treat you shabbily—rest assured of that."

"Haha, it's nothing. The sect's interests come first in all things!" Kang Jingming declared with righteous fervor. "Now the formula is in hand, but Young Sect Master, there's one other problem."

"Oh? What problem?" Tian Canbian asked.