The moment these words were uttered, everyone present gazed in astonishment.
Even Lin Feng found himself dumbfounded.
They had never anticipated that Jiang Chen would exhibit such loyalty and consideration for others' feelings.
When Lin Feng mentioned the bet earlier, no one had considered how Jiang Yuqian might feel.
"Alright, alright, I admit it was my mistake. I didn't think it through, and I'm sorry." Although Lin Feng was seething with discontent internally, he still forced himself to apologize to Jiang Yuqian and Jiang Chen, his words emerging through clenched teeth.
Jiang Chen hadn't demanded an apology, but Lin Feng chose to make amends for his mistake to maintain his image.
Meanwhile, system prompts echoed in Jiang Chen's sea of consciousness in response to his good deed.
[Ding! Protagonist Lin Feng has publicly apologized to you, causing his mood to sink and his Heavenly Fate Value to decrease by 100 points!]
[Ding! You have gained 200 points of Villain Value!]
Jiang Chen felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart, yet outwardly, he scoffed lightly and said icily, "There won't be a next time."
Just then, Lin Feng, unwilling to relinquish the chance to nurture the Burning World Red Lotus, spoke up again. "But, Young Master Jiang, I am really confident that I can treat Miss Jiang Yuqian. Why not let me try? There are still two alchemists here who can verify the truth of my claim."
"Big Brother..." Jiang Yuqian, the poor thing, implored Jiang Chen, gazing at him with a pallid complexion. Now devoid of hope, she was reluctant to dismiss any possibility.
Thus, she decided to take a desperate step and allow Lin Feng to try.
If no one intervened, Lin Feng would undoubtedly heal her later, and their relationship would naturally grow closer.
But would Jiang Chen allow such a development? Clearly not!
"Yu'er, he's just a guy who hasn't even opened an alchemy book, how can you rely on him?" Jiang Chen shook his head, his voice tinged with disbelief, as he spoke to his cousin Jiang Yuqian.
"Don't worry, Big Brother won't let you die young; your illness can be easily cured!" he reassured her, offering an encouraging smile.
"Jiang Chen, don't deceive Miss Jiang Yuqian; only I can save her now!" Lin Feng declared boldly, fearlessly glaring at Jiang Chen, his face brimming with confidence.
"Hmph," Jiang Chen snorted dismissively, then retorted with sarcasm, "I'm deceiving my cousin? Only you can save her?"
"What a joke! Take a look at this!" he announced triumphantly, lightly brushing his storage bracelet with his right hand, and suddenly a vivid red pill materialized.
The moment this pill appeared, a chorus of gasps echoed!
Qiu Liaoxi gazed at the pill in Jiang Chen's hand, her face a picture of surprise, as she exclaimed in astonishment, "It's the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill and it's of the highest quality!"
"Young Master Jiang, I didn't expect you to possess this pill! With this pill, Miss Jiang Yuqian's illness is no longer a concern!" she added, her voice filled with relief.
All at once, everyone present recognized that what Jiang Chen held in his hand was the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill!
"Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill!" Lin Feng stared in disbelief at the pill in Jiang Chen's hand, his voice trembling with utter incredulity. "How could he have the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill!"
He could never have anticipated it; Jiang Chen himself would actually possess such a pill!
Now, having boasted about it, he had no opportunity to treat Jiang Yuqian, and he couldn't prove that he wasn't merely bluffing!
'Why, why must it be like this!' A wave of frustration welled up from Lin Feng's heart, suffocating him, causing his face to redden and his fists to clench involuntarily.
However, at this moment, aside from Jiang Chen, no one was truly concerned about him.
Everyone rejoiced that Jiang Yuqian could be saved.
The Jiang Clan's cultivators exchanged surprised glances and conversed animatedly.
"So Young Master Jiang possessed the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill all along!" one of them remarked with a tone of revelation.
"To have such a rare pill in hand, as expected of the Eldest Young Master!" another commented with admiration.
"Hahaha, it seems our worries were unfounded; with the Eldest Young Master present, nothing will befall the Ninth Young Miss!" laughed a third, expressing relief and joy.
"..."
They continued discussing amongst themselves, their voices filled with excitement and awe.
"I, I, I'm saved!" Jiang Yuqian exclaimed, both overjoyed and tearful, then collapsed into Jiang Chen's arms, sobbing and playfully hitting him as she chided him affectionately, "Big Brother, you're so naughty! Why didn't you reveal the pill sooner? Yu'er was terrified! Wah wah wah!"
"Since you left the room, you all have been engaged in non-stop chatter, so how could I have found an opportunity to speak?" Jiang Chen responded with a light chuckle, patted Jiang Yuqian's back, and handed her over to Alchemist Xie, who trailed behind her.
In truth, he had deliberately refrained from revealing the pill immediately.
Lin Feng had desired to flaunt his abilities. Of course, Jiang Chen needed to interrupt him at the height of his display to achieve the greatest impact!
Otherwise, how could he provoke Lin Feng's emotions and shatter his spirits?
And the system prompts echoing in his sea of consciousness were the best indicator that Jiang Chen's tactic had been effective.
[Ding! You have successfully thwarted protagonist Lin Feng's attempt to show off and publicly humiliated him, causing him to lose an opportunity and dampening his spirits, reducing Lin Feng's Heavenly Fate Value by 300 points!]
[Ding! You have obtained 500 points of Villain Value!]
Although it cost 800 points of Villain Value to gain only 500 points, diminishing Lin Feng's Heavenly Fate Value was paramount.
Now that Lin Feng's Heavenly Fate Value had decreased by 300 points, he only had 4480 points remaining. One step closer to eliminating the protagonist!
"Big Brother, quickly, give me the pill!" Jiang Yuqian extended her tiny hand towards Jiang Chen, her eyes filled with pleading.
"Here you go, this is for you!" Jiang Chen smiled faintly and handed the pill to Jiang Yuqian. "Take good care of yourself!"
"Mhm," Jiang Yuqian nodded, tightly clutching the pill, then vowed earnestly, "I will always remember Big Brother's life-saving kindness and will never forget it!"
"If Big Brother has any requests in the future, I will absolutely not refuse, even if it means to go through water and tread on fire!" she promised with a determined resolve.
She was well aware of the value of the pill in her hand, and, even more so, the significance of Jiang Chen's benevolence towards her!
"Am I the kind of person who would make my own cousin go through water and tread on fire?" Jiang Chen said, shaking his head with a warm smile, then affectionately ruffled Jiang Yuqian's hair. "Go, concentrate on treating your illness!"
Turning to Alchemist Xie, he inquired, "With the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill, you won't encounter any issues treating her, right?"
"Eldest Young Master, rest assured, there won't be any problems!" Alchemist Xie promptly reassured him. She too was grateful to Jiang Chen, as Jiang Yuqian was the girl she had watched grow up.
"Okay, proceed!" Jiang Chen nodded slightly, signaling Alchemist Xie to escort Jiang Yuqian away.
Shortly after, Alchemist Xie respectfully bowed, then guided Jiang Yuqian onto the luxurious palanquin and departed from the Vast Spirit House under the protection of the Jiang Clan's cultivators.
Meanwhile, watching the luxurious palanquin vanish through the gate, Lin Feng felt unbearably frustrated, experiencing another sharp twinge of loss in his heart.
Had it not been for Jiang Chen, that profound sense of gratitude from Jiang Yuqian would have been directed at him.
Clenching his teeth secretly, Lin Feng gazed at Jiang Chen, and a swell of resentment rose in his heart.
But Jiang Chen didn't even spare him a glance. He offered a slight bow to Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian, expressing his gratitude, "Alchemist Qiu, thank you very much for assisting my cousin in diagnosing and treating her illness alongside Miss Ning Xian."
"Young Master Jiang, that's not true!" Qiu Liaoxi quickly shook her head, humbly refusing the compliment, not daring to accept the praise.
"I couldn't cure Miss Jiang Yuqian; it was the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill provided by Young Master Jiang that saved her!"
"Sigh, I've dedicated my life to studying alchemy, but I'm ashamed to have my patient right in front of me and yet be powerless to help," she lamented with a touch of self-reproach.
"Yes!" Ning Xian affirmed, her voice tinged with concern. "Miss Jiang Yuqian was gravely ill, I saw it with my own eyes and felt anxious in my heart, but I was helpless to assist her..."
"Fortunately, Young Master Jiang had the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill, otherwise I would have been tormented by the thought of Miss Jiang Yuqian perishing before my eyes," she admitted with evident relief, and her gaze toward Jiang Chen was no longer guarded.
"Haha." Jiang Chen chuckled and said, "If it weren't for you two diagnosing my cousin's illness, how would I know that the Red Sun Seven Flowers Pill could save her?"
"So, please don't dismiss the credit that rightfully belongs to you both," he insisted earnestly. Then, he took out two pills and presented them to Qiu Liaoxi, offering them generously, "These two pills are my tokens of gratitude for treating my cousin."
"In addition, from now on, the Vast Spirit House will be under the protection of the Jiang Clan, and the incident with the Di Clan won't happen again."
"As for your identities, I will also keep them confidential." After speaking, Jiang Chen gazed at Ning Xian and Qiu Liaoxi with a sincere expression.
"Treating and saving people is what I should do," Qiu Liaoxi responded modestly.
"Moreover, we only contributed a little, Young Master Jiang. You've helped us keep our secret and resolved the trouble with the Di Clan, so we are already deeply grateful," she added, her tone filled with deep appreciation.
"Yes, please take back these two precious Origin Fusion Spirit Pills, Young Master Jiang," Ning Xian interjected respectfully.
The master-disciple pair appreciated Jiang Chen's promises and were truly grateful, yet they hesitated to accept the pills, feeling deeply indebted to him.
"As I said, this is a reward," Jiang Chen shook his head, speaking with resolve, "These are two distinct matters."
Thus, Qiu Liaoxi reluctantly accepted the pills and handed them to Ning Xian.
These pills were invaluable in aiding one's breakthrough from the Original Movement realm to the Soul Refining realm. They boasted an exceptionally high success rate and were free of adverse effects.
Their rarity underscored their value, rendering them more precious than typical Soul Refining-level pills.
Possessing these two pills meant one could swiftly advance to the Soul Refining realm.
If Ning Xian claimed she wasn't overjoyed, that would certainly be a falsehood.
As the master-disciple duo accepted the pills, Jiang Chen smiled to himself. He was intent on building a positive relationship with Ning Xian, and he knew that presenting gifts was an effective way to do so.
However, giving gifts without a clear reason could arouse suspicion. Ning Xian was astute and likely to be wary of such gestures.
Taking this approach risked breeding mistrust, which would be hard to overcome. Therefore, offering a gift for a plausible reason made it easier for the recipient to accept it, naturally fostering a stronger bond.
At that moment, after presenting the pills to Ning Xian, Jiang Chen turned to Lin Feng and revealed a knowing smile.