44: The true intentions were revealed at the last minute.

Lin Ye's voice was calm, not stirring a single ripple.

But these calm words fell into the dead silent hall.

On the high platform, Elder Liu's hand, which had already been raised and was about to give an order, froze in mid-air.

Below the hall, the Law Enforcement Disciples, who had been ready to rush out and search, suddenly stopped in their tracks.

Outside the hall, the several thousand Outer Sect Disciples, who had been agitated and ready to denounce the thief, had their curses abruptly cut short.

And as for Zhang Ping, the Steward of the Menial Servants, who was the focus, the cruel smile on his face, which had been distorted by the anticipation of victory, instantly stiffened, as if he had put on a comical mask!

“You… what did you say?!”

After a brief silence, Zhang Ping, like a venomous snake whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly leaped up from the ground! He pointed at Lin Ye’s nose, his voice becoming sharp and piercing due to extreme anger and a hint of imperceptible panic, “Little Bastard! Facing death, you still dare to bite back?! Do you think that with such underhanded tricks, you can stall for time and slander good people?!”

“I, Zhang Ping, as the Steward of the Menial Servants, am devoted to public service and incorruptible; who in the entire Outer Sect doesn't know this?! You…”

“Oh? Is that so?”

Lin Ye slowly, step by step, stood up from the ground.

He brushed the dust off his knees, his movements unhurried. The ‘panic,’ ‘despair,’ and ‘grievance’ on his face receded like a tide, replaced by a bottomless, chilling coldness and calm that made one’s heart palpitate.

His dark eyes, at this moment, shone astonishingly bright!

He calmly looked at the frenzied Zhang Ping, and a mocking and pitying arc slowly formed at the corner of his mouth.

“Steward Zhang,” he said softly, “don’t be so agitated. I merely… offered a reasonable suggestion.”

This sudden, earth-shattering 180-degree reversal left everyone stunned!

If the previous Lin Ye, who was speechless and trembling, was a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

Then at this moment, this Lin Ye, with his cold eyes and calm demeanor, was a primeval beast that had shed all its disguises and revealed its terrifying fangs!

“You… you…” Zhang Ping was so startled by his appearance that he instinctively took a step back. Immediately, a greater surge of shame and indignation welled up in his heart, “Don’t try to be mysterious here! Elder, please be discerning! This Disciple is clearly trying to confuse the public and stall for time!”

“Whether it’s confusing the public or not, the Elder will make a fair judgment.” Lin Ye no longer bothered with him. Instead, he turned around and bowed respectfully to Elder Liu on the high platform.

“Elder,” he slowly began, his voice not loud, yet clearly echoing throughout the entire hall, “Steward Zhang said that he found this ledger recording my ‘crimes’ under my bed, correct?”

Elder Liu’s brows were tightly furrowed. He did not speak, but merely stared intently at Lin Ye with his deep eyes, as if trying to discern something from his face.

“This Disciple… finds it very strange.” Lin Ye continued speaking to himself, reaching out and pointing at the so-called ‘evidence of crime,’ “This Disciple may be dull, but even I know that if such a thing, enough to ruin my reputation or even bring about my demise, were truly my doing, no matter how foolish I am, I should have destroyed it immediately after the Minor Competition. Why would I be so stupid as to continue hiding it under my bed, waiting for others to search for it?”

His words hit the nail on the head!

Instantly awakening everyone present!

Yes!

This was illogical!

If Lin Ye was truly a thief, he had already successfully advanced to the top ten and was about to rise to prominence, so why would he leave such a fatal handle?

“You… you forgot because you had a guilty conscience!” Zhang Ping immediately retorted with a stern voice and demeanor.

He no longer wasted words with Zhang Ping, but slowly pulled out another ledger from the bosom of his faded coarse cloth shirt!

The moment this ledger appeared in everyone’s sight, the entire world seemed to stand still once again!

The blood drained from Zhang Ping’s face in an instant! He stared at the ledger in Lin Ye’s hand, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, as if he had seen the most incredible and terrifying thing in the world!

“Elder,” Lin Ye held up the ledger in his hand, his voice calm, yet like a clap of thunder, it exploded in everyone’s ears, “Steward Zhang said he found my ledger.”

“Coincidentally.”

“This Disciple… also inadvertently picked up his ledger.”

The dagger was finally revealed!

At this moment, Lin Ye finally revealed his most deadly fangs, capable of overturning the entire game!

“You… you’re talking nonsense! Slandering me!” Zhang Ping shrieked hysterically like a wild dog whose tail had been stepped on, “That… that thing is fake! You forged it! You’re trying to frame me!”

“Whether it’s forged or not, the Elder will know at a glance.”

Lin Ye didn’t even bother to look at him. He held the ledger with both hands, walked step by step to the high platform, and respectfully placed it in front of Elder Liu.

“I ask the Elder to discern clearly.”

Elder Liu’s breathing, at this moment, became somewhat hurried.

He took a deep look at the calm young man with confident eyes, and then slowly reached out and opened the second ledger!

Just one glance!

Elder Liu’s normally placid pupils suddenly constricted to the size of a needlepoint!

The handwriting in this ledger… the bold and unrestrained strokes, the deeply etched force, the unique flamboyance and harshness revealed between the lines… This… this was clearly Zhang Ping’s own handwriting!

He could even sense a faint, turbid Qi fluctuation from the ink, identical to Zhang Ping himself!

Trembling, he turned to the first page.

Rows of tiny characters, like the sharpest knives, were fiercely etched into his eyeballs!

“Gengzi Year, third day of the seventh month, night, miscellaneous courtyard. Delivered ten bottles of Low Grade Qi Condensation Powder and three Body Tempering Herbs to Senior Brother Liu. Received, one Medium Grade Qi Condensation Medicinal Pill.”

“Gengzi Year, twentieth day of the seventh month, rain, abandoned mine in the back mountain. Delivered fifteen bottles of Low Grade Qi Condensation Powder to Senior Brother Liu… Received, two Medium Grade Qi Condensation Medicinal Pills.”

...Every dirty transaction was vividly recorded on the paper!

Time! Location! The object of the transaction! The items traded! Even the type and quantity of Medicinal Pills profited were recorded clearly, to an appalling degree of detail!

Elder Liu then picked up the ‘evidence of crime’ presented by Zhang Ping on the table and compared the two!

The difference was immediately apparent!

The one forged by Zhang Ping, although it imitated Lin Ye’s handwriting, was ultimately only similar in form, and the details within it were full of loopholes, filled with self-congratulatory speculation!

And this one that Lin Ye took out… every time and quantity of resource entry and exit recorded on it perfectly matched the internal archives of the Sect’s Deacon Hall, without the slightest discrepancy!