Chapter 3586 — Caught Red-Handed?
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
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!