Han Junpo's performance could easily evoke sympathy from those who didn't know the truth.
Even people in the reception hall today believed over eighty percent that the old man truly hadn't received justice.
Not to mention the online world where just a little guided opinion made people ready to be influenced by that trend without thinking for themselves. Since Bai Fanxian's side didn't respond, the hired commenters creating negative sentiment grew bolder.
Tang Tianjie watching Han Junpo's extremely weak and pitiful manner nearly wanted to vomit up his breakfast.
A small 8th-stage Qi Gathering cultivator who was both gentle and polite?
He still remembered that girl displaying an arrogant and willful attitude in his home!
But when the situation reached this point, their side still had no evidence to defend themselves. No wonder the masses would easily move to Han Junpo's side.
Right—this time Han Junpo didn't want to deal with Bai Fanxian through "physical force." He realized clearly from their last fight that he wasn't the young woman's match. He was trying to make Bai Fanxian surrender through social pressure instead.
This era wasn't the barbaric past where anyone could kill anyone and get away easily. Even Bai Fanxian herself knew well from her recent studies. With Han Junpo revealing himself to everyone through public channels like this, it was like using society as a shield preventing Bai Fanxian from moving freely.
If she used force, would that mean she had to kill everyone who disagreed with her?
If she did that, people would come seeking revenge endlessly—their friends, acquaintances, or families. Would she have to keep killing those innocents who knew nothing?
Of course that was impossible. Bai Fanxian wasn't that kind of person.
Han Junpo secretly smiled. After conducting major information gathering on Bai Fanxian, he found that though she was rather willful, counting properly, she'd only acted violently enough to injure people three times.
First was at the Tang Clan residence.
Second was himself at her villa.
The last was a clash with the Red Widow Queen whose cause he still couldn't find.
That told him she wasn't unreasonable to that extent. Otherwise he certainly wouldn't dare use this method to pressure her. Moreover, he'd prepared military "people" in case of the worst situation.
Seeing society starting to turn toward his side, Han Junpo continued speaking.
"As everyone can see, my granddaughter has been in this condition for about a month. Even the best elixirs or modern medicine in the country can't revive her."
He spoke sadly while stroking Han Xiaoyi's head pitifully.
"I know well that injuries from clashes between cultivators are normal..." Han Junpo glanced at Xie Zizhou, who'd said this.
"But being injured to disability like this is too much, isn't it?"
When he finished, viewers started murmuring critically. They looked at Han Xiaoyi's pitiful condition with various emotions.
From what they saw, they were starting to think it really was too much!
Moreover, that girl was only an 8th-stage Qi Gathering cultivator. Being injured like this by a Grandmaster-level figure made them angry.
Especially with people constantly manipulating opinions in the comments—at this moment, even if it was a beautiful woman, they could still see her as ugly!
"Right, even though she's Grandmaster Han's granddaughter."
"What about us ordinary people?"
"Where do these Grandmasters get off acting so superior?"
Such opinions kept increasing. The hired people were celebrating how easily it succeeded!
"Not just my granddaughter—that day both Elder Ting and Young Master Yi standing there were also injured to disability."
Han Junpo shifted his gaze to the young man and elder behind. He signaled it was time for them to perform too.
Ting Kangming nodded. He arranged his emotions and displayed a sorrowful manner.
"It's as Grandmaster Han said. That day I just stopped by to greet the Tang Clan, but who'd have thought I'd accidentally displease Grandmaster Bai Fanxian who was there."
"Me too... my father has known the Tang Clan for long. That day I went there and was severely injured by Grandmaster Bai..." Yi Fan hurriedly explained. He looked at Bai Fanxian sipping tea quietly and showed fear.
"Then where exactly are you injured?"
Xie Zizhou frowned suspiciously. He wouldn't let these unclear points pass. From his cursory look, neither seemed to be injured.
With someone raising the issue, viewers started thinking. These two didn't look injured at all. They walked around freely, their faces didn't look ill. Their claims seemed unconvincing.
"Uh..." Yi Fan's face reddened with embarrassment. He turned to look at Ting Kangming and Han Junpo for help, but both stared back with pressure instead.
Finally the young man had to speak.
"That... that part of me won't get hard."
"..."
Both viewers and people in the room looked at the young man strangely. Especially people there whose gazes involuntarily dropped to look at the young man's crotch area.
"...I see."
Xie Zizhou cleared his throat once. Some consoling comments came in from online. The person who'd spoken himself felt this was the most humiliating day of his life. He secretly glanced at Bai Fanxian with hatred building in his heart.
"So we don't want much... just if Grandmaster Bai will compensate with her elixirs until we return to normal is enough..."
When Han Junpo finished, people in the room who came with the same purpose all narrowed their eyes.
That cunning old fox!
So he wanted Heaven-Defying Revival Pills after all!
They cursed Han Junpo and this shameless plan in their hearts, but couldn't help feeling deeply envious because it looked like Han Junpo had really prepared well!
To even pull in the An Clan all the way from the south to cooperate—they'd secretly seen the faint smile on that An Clan head's lips!
Willing to sacrifice his own son to injury.
But it was really worth it!
This time, viewers all turned to look at Bai Fanxian as one. Director Wang himself swallowed while ordering cameras to zoom toward Bai Fanxian sitting calmly.
She sipped tea and listened to everything Han Junpo said without interrupting even once. Acting as if watching a play and this matter had nothing to do with her.
Her followers had worried expressions, but seeing their my lady didn't seem heated, they calmed down and just sat beside her.
"...Are you finished?"
Bai Fanxian opened her eyes and met Han Junpo's. The old man startled slightly when clashing with her indifferent gaze.
She wasn't under pressure at all?
Or would she really surrender easily and create elixirs for them?
"Grandmaster Bai... we're just demanding what's rightfully ours." Han Junpo spoke to break this uncomfortable silence. Online viewers started wondering why she didn't respond or deny anything.
Wouldn't she defend herself or explain at all?
Right, not at all. Bai Fanxian just kept sipping tea leisurely. People gathered in this room didn't dare interrupt anything. They waited patiently until she placed the empty teacup on the tray the elderly butler extended to receive.
During this silence, she was processing things in her mind.
Could she kill these people causing trouble for her?
Yes.
But that would mean peace in her life would immediately collapse. People would come endlessly both for revenge and seeking benefits from her.
She'd have to keep killing them until perhaps only she and her people remained in this world.
But if she did that, would she still be herself?
Her essence was "Alchemy Empress"—not a tyrant, demon, or protagonist in novels she'd read who killed indiscriminately.
Moreover, she wasn't alone. She now had many followers. Strong survivors like Xie Suyao would be fine, but there were many others still weak.
Three of them were just small children.
She couldn't protect them all constantly, nor could she order them to live in her Border forever.
They all had to have their own lives.
Bai Fanxian opened her eyes. Her followers felt their my lady's gaze change. Before, it had seemed somewhat drifting and aimless. Especially Uncle Huang, who'd been with her longest and constantly helped relieve her boredom, saw clearer than others.
Now she had a goal.
She'd do as she did ten thousand years ago again.
If she didn't want to kill indiscriminately, didn't want people causing trouble, then become a figure or power so supreme that no one dared cause problems.
The Goddess Alchemy Palace that disappeared without even ruins in this era—
I will rebuild it again!
When she decided, her mind suddenly cleared. Human life should have some goal to hold onto. After handling the Divine Doctor matter for Hui'er successfully, she'd have the next goal ready.
"...Grandmaster Bai?" Han Junpo decided to break the silence again. Now he himself was starting to feel pressured enough to sweat.
Liu Yianfei in the back was the same. He kept his hand near his sword hilt. He worried Grandmaster Bai would act rashly, forcing him to intervene.
"You say you want me to heal you?"
Seeing Bai Fanxian willing to speak, Han Junpo sighed with relief.
"Yes. We're not asking much, are we?" Han Junpo smiled as if what he was saying was most justified.
But Bai Fanxian didn't do as he expected.
"Do any of you have recovery elixirs?"
Suddenly Bai Fanxian changed topics until people in the room couldn't follow. But still someone nearby pulled out a white bottle with four or five pills inside while confused.
"I have some Starlight Dew pills."
Starlight Dew was an elixir helping treat internal injuries popular among cultivators. Being only Tier 2 and not very expensive, it was like common medicine many carried.
"If you need it, take it." That man spoke kindly. After all, it wasn't expensive and he wanted to know what Bai Fanxian would do.
Bai Fanxian controlled that bottle upward. Upon reaching her, she opened the stopper and poured one pill into her hand.
They didn't understand what she was doing. Weren't they just discussing Heaven-Defying Revival Pills?
"...You said even your best elixirs including modern medicine can't help you?"
Han Junpo and others quickly nodded confirmation. If ordinary elixirs could truly cure them, they wouldn't need to perform like this.
"Hmph!..."
Bai Fanxian exhaled through her lips as if displeased. The five pills from that bottle floated out. Home viewers all watched the scene about to unfold with interest.
Whoosh!
All five pills shot into the mouths of the five people making demands so fast no one saw. When they realized it, even Han Junpo had swallowed that Starlight Dew pill!
The old man panicked trying to vomit the medicine out. But thinking that Bai Fanxian got that pill from a stranger, and he himself could confirm it was truly "Starlight Dew" with no harmful effects, the old man let the medicine's effects work quietly.
"Grandmaster Bai... we told you these elixirs don't work." He spoke while making a sad expression. His eyes looked at his granddaughter who was forced to swallow that pill too.
"Especially my granddaughter... urk!"
Suddenly Han Junpo uncontrollably vomited out a clot of black blood. He vomited two or three more times until that area became a small pile of blood!
Both people there and online were shocked.
Was Grandmaster Bai causing trouble now?!
But then Han Xiaoyi lying like a vegetable suddenly opened her eyes wide and sat up abruptly. She vomited out a little blood fragments and looked around confused.
Everyone was shocked with jaws hanging. Wasn't this girl injured nearly to disability? Why did she sit up so full of life and vigor!
But the most eye-catching were Ting Kangming and Yi Fan. Because their crotch areas all bulged up uncontrollably. The young man and elder curled into shrimp shapes and clutched their hands between their legs with embarrassment!
Even Han Junpo, who initially looked seriously ill from vomiting out several blood clots, looked relieved.
Their conditions improved visibly!
What did this mean?!
Didn't you say even the best elixirs couldn't cure you?
But just eating commonly available Starlight Dew pills you all recovered! Even Han Xiaoyi nearly stood up from her wheelchair!
Were you deceiving us? Do you think we're all idiots?!
Online opinions erupted like a flood. Different from the silent room inside, they turned to look at each other. Only Uncle Huang noticed the faint, meaningful, cold smile at Grandmaster Bai's lips!
He shivered slightly, knowing this wouldn't be something as simple as mere healing!
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