Chapter 3586 — Caught Red-Handed?

Kubi might not be standing in his way at the moment, but if he could push Kubi out and install one of his own men in his place, then the Qingyun Pavilion territory within the Newcomer's Hall would become Meng Jueming's own private kingdom!

Meng Zhou and Li Zhengming acknowledged the order with a grunt and, grinning savagely, barged into Wei Zhao's grotto. Wei Zhao did not move to stop them and simply let them search. There was nothing else in the grotto anyway; he was rather looking forward to seeing how these fellows would extricate themselves in a moment.

While Meng Zhou and the other went in to search, Meng Jueming stationed himself with a cold chuckle at the entrance, blocking Wei Zhao's way, lest Wei Zhao turn desperate and lash out once the "stolen goods" were found.

Yet Meng Jueming waited and waited, and all he saw was the two of them rummaging about inside, and still they failed to produce the "stolen goods" he had prepared in advance. He assumed the pair were deliberately putting on an act, and rolled his eyes. He had already laid the groundwork thoroughly enough; what was the point of pretending now?

He was itching to savor the sight of Wei Zhao's face after having the tendons of one hand and one foot crippled, and could not help snapping angrily, "What are you two dawdling about in there for? Get out here this instant!"

Meng Zhou and Li Zhengming exchanged a glance, both drenched in sweat. Spurred on by Meng Jueming's urging, they refused to believe it and swept the entire grotto once more, yet it remained utterly empty!

In truth, the grotto was only so large; everything in it was plain at a glance, and a hundred more searches would turn up nothing. So they could only turn to Meng Jueming with the look of men who had seen a ghost, spread their hands, and say with bitter smiles, "Senior Brother Meng, there's nothing."

"Nothing? How could there be no—" Meng Jueming caught himself just in time. With so many people watching outside, he had nearly given the game away. He composed his expression at once and said, "You two keep an eye on him. I'll search myself!"

"Yes!" Meng Zhou and Li Zhengming hurriedly flanked Wei Zhao on either side, and Meng Jueming strode into the grotto to conduct the search himself. As for Wei Zhao, the man at the center of it all, he seemed to harbor no dissatisfaction whatsoever, and simply stood to one side watching with an air of serene detachment.

Meng Jueming swept his gaze around. The grotto was bare and open; everything in it was taken in at a glance, and in truth there was no need to search at all to know. But it was indeed just as Meng Zhou and the other had said: the "stolen goods" were nowhere to be found.

This made no sense. The thing had been arranged long ago—how could it not be there? The grotto was only so big; there was scarcely even room to hide a piece of spirit jade, and finding something if it were there should have been simplicity itself!

Suspicion rose in Meng Jueming's heart. He turned his head and saw Wei Zhao's serene expression at the entrance, and suddenly a thought struck him. Of course! The boy must have thought of some way to hide the spirit jade on his person—that was why he dared to be so utterly unruffled!

"You two, search him!" Meng Jueming said with a savage grin.

He had already guessed the truth of it. No doubt Wei Zhao had discovered the spirit jade upon returning, realized something was amiss, and devised a way to conceal it on his body. To still put on such composure at a moment like this—the boy was a talent of sorts. What a pity that old ginger is always the spicier!

Right, why hadn't they thought of that! Meng Zhou and Li Zhengming's eyes lit up at once, and they reached out to search Wei Zhao. A thing as large as a spirit jade—no matter how skillfully he had hidden it, once a man was searched like this, it could never stay concealed.

Wei Zhao's eyes shifted slightly. Though there was no risk to him in this, being searched so brazenly was not how he was accustomed to conducting himself.

Yet Meng Jueming seemed to read his intent, and with a cold laugh he issued the threat: "If you do not wish to be named a thief, Junior Brother Lin had best cooperate. Otherwise, by the rules of the Newcomer's Hall, we senior stewards may make an exception and lay hands on a suspect who refuses to cooperate—life or death not to be accounted for. Think it over carefully."

"Very well. Since that is so, I will trouble you two to search thoroughly, so that later you cannot say you were not careful and keep pinning the suspicion on me." Wei Zhao hesitated a moment. He had come to Cloudstep Island for a purpose; if he were driven out for breaking some rule, the loss would far outweigh the gain!

Meng Jueming's strength was a notch above Brother Kubi's—he should be a peak expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage—while Wei Zhao himself was only of the early Foundation Establishment. Not that he necessarily lacked the power to fight, but unless it was necessary, Wei Zhao did not wish to reveal his strength before a crowd. Moreover, to strike now would only invite gossip and give them something to hold over him, and then he truly would not be able to clear his name.

But since they were willing to search, then let them search. When nothing was found, it would not be Wei Zhao's face that was lost but their own! So he smiled with perfect composure and said, "This will conveniently help clear my name as well. I have always kept Senior Brother Meng's teachings close to heart—to be a man who walks upright!"

"Hmph, as if that needed saying. Don't think hiding it on your body will save you—just wait and cry, you country bumpkin!"

Meng Zhou and Li Zhengming searched Wei Zhao from head to toe, and suddenly Meng Zhou fished a piece of spirit jade from Wei Zhao's pocket and laughed in triumph. "Found it! Caught red-handed—now what do you have to say for yourself!"

The onlookers perked up at once, but when they saw the size of the spirit jade in his hand, their expressions turned strange one and all, and Wei Zhao remarked teasingly from the side, "Look closely—this is my own spirit jade. Since when has Brother Meng's spirit jade become so small and exquisite?"

Damn it! Amid the laughter, Meng Zhou finally realized: the spirit jade he had found was only the size of an egg, and not his or Li Zhengming's at all.

Meng Jueming's face went livid with rage. Could this idiot do anything right? Taking a fool like this as a lackey—he would lose all face.

Meng Zhou was immediately beside himself with humiliation, his face flushing crimson. Yet no matter how he and Li Zhengming searched, apart from this one piece of spirit jade they could find nothing else on Wei Zhao.

"Idiot! I'll do it myself!" Meng Jueming impatiently dragged Meng Zhou aside and took over personally. This should have been simplicity itself—how had it gone so wrong in the hands of this fool?

Yet Meng Jueming searched him once himself and still found nothing; refusing to believe it, he searched again, and still found nothing.

Wei Zhao stood with his arms raised, watching him, and asked meekly, "Senior Brother Meng, this should prove my innocence now, shouldn't it? I truly am the most upright of men, am I not?"

Meng Jueming had forgotten to answer. His face was full of disbelief: how could it not be there? This was impossible!

If those two pieces of spirit jade were not hidden in the grotto, then they must be hidden on his person. No matter how clever his method of concealment, two pieces of spirit jade that large could not possibly elude a search!