34: Open the door! My junior brother's things are missing!

Zhao Kui clumsily caught the Spirit Stones, his face instantly covered in flattery: "Thank you, Senior Brother Xiao, for the reward! Senior Brother Xiao, rest assured, this junior will keep a close eye on him! That kid definitely won't be able to pull any tricks!"

"Senior Brother Xiao and Senior Sister Ouyang are a match made in heaven, a perfect couple! Only when you two are together is it truly appropriate!"

Xiao Ce seemed pleased by these words, his expression softened a few more shades, and he took out a few more Spirit Stones and tossed them over: "Remember, watch your mouth, what happened today..."

"Understood! Understood! This junior saw nothing today, said nothing today!"

Zhao Kui repeatedly assured him, holding the Spirit Stones, and retreated with profuse thanks.

After Zhao Kui left and the door closed.

The warmth on Xiao Ce's face instantly vanished completely.

He walked to the table, picked up a brush, quickly wrote a few lines, and then summoned a trusted Disciple.

"Go, find out the background of this Wang Ming."

"Start investigating from Qingzhou City, the faster the better, the more detailed the better."

His voice was low, "Also, go to the Guest Courtyard and keep an eye on our esteemed guest to see what abilities he possesses."

"Yes, Senior Brother!" The trusted Disciple took the order and left.

Inside the room, only Xiao Ce remained.

He walked to the bronze mirror, looking at his face, admired by many female Disciples, but his eyes were terrifyingly gloomy.

"Wang Ming..."

"No matter what your relationship with Yao Xi is..."

"No matter what your background is..."

"Daring to get so close to Yao Xi in Qingxin Palace, right under my nose..."

His five fingers slowly tightened, and his knuckles made a slight crisp sound.

"You must pay the price!"

...Guest Courtyard.

Wang Ming's door was suddenly knocked upon.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The force was great, clearly not coming with good intentions.

Wang Ming had just laid down when he heard the commotion, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

His Divine Sense swept out, and he saw two male cultivators standing outside the door, dressed in Qingxin Palace Inner Sect Disciple robes, both at Foundation Establishment first or second layer cultivation.

The one in the lead had a horse-like face and an arrogant demeanor.

The other's eyes flickered, following behind.

"What is it?" Wang Ming asked indifferently through the door without getting up.

"Open the door! Qingxin Palace Inspection!" The Horse-faced Disciple's voice was rough and impatient, "The Junior Brother who previously stayed in this room said he left valuable items here, and we are ordered to come and search!"

Lost items?

Search?

Wang Ming sneered.

Even for an excuse, it was too crude.

When he moved in, the room had already been cleaned spotlessly, personally inspected by Steward Zhao.

Coming now to look for lost items was clearly a deliberate attempt to find trouble.

It seems that fellow named Xiao Ce acts quickly.

He couldn't help but send people to probe, or... was it to give him a warning?

Wang Ming's voice remained calm, "If you want to search, please present a steward's warrant, or have the Junior Brother who lost the items come and identify them personally."

"Presumptuous!"

The Horse-faced Disciple shouted, "You, an outsider temporarily staying here, dare to question my Qingxin Palace Inspection? I think you have a guilty conscience! If you don't allow a search, it means you've embezzled my Junior Brother's things! Be sensible and open the door quickly, or don't blame us for being impolite!"

The other Disciple also chimed in: "Exactly! Who knows if you were tempted by wealth and hid my Junior Brother's things? Open the door quickly!"

Their voices were particularly harsh in the quiet Guest Courtyard, already attracting the attention of servants and a few Disciples from nearby guest courtyards, who poked their heads out, whispering and discussing.

Wang Ming lay on the bed, not moving.

His eyes, however, turned cold.

He had seen such clumsy framing and coercion many times in his previous life in the workplace and online; he didn't expect the Immortal Realm to also play these tricks, and with such a lack of skill... Inside Yaoguang Hall.

Steward Zhao hurried to the door of the quiet room and reported in a low voice: "Grand Elder, over at the West Wing Guest Courtyard, Xiao Ce has sent people. Under the guise of searching for lost items, they are making trouble for Young Master Wang Ming. What do you think... should we stop them?"

Inside the quiet room, the sandalwood incense still burned.

Zhang Wanyi sat cross-legged on a Meditation Mat, her eyelids not even twitching.

She slowly rotated a string of Prayer Beads in her hand.

Hearing Steward Zhao's report, she was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Oh? Someone lost something?"

She paused, seemingly pondering for a moment, then continued: "It's only natural for people who have lost valuable items to be anxious and want to find them."

"My Qingxin Palace has always been fair. We can't... obstruct someone from looking for their belongings for no reason, can we?"

Upon hearing this, Steward Zhao's heart immediately understood.

The Grand Elder... acquiesced.

In fact, she was happy to see it happen.

She quickly bowed: "This Disciple understands. Then... shall we let them be?"

"Mm." Zhang Wanyi responded faintly, said no more, and continued to meditate with her eyes closed.

Steward Zhao understood, quietly retreated, and instructed that the matter at the West Wing Guest Courtyard should not be interfered with for now.

In front of the Guest Courtyard door.

Seeing no movement inside for a long time, the Horse-faced Disciple became even more smug, his voice growing increasingly arrogant:

"What? Don't dare to open the door? As expected, you have a guilty conscience! If you don't open it soon, we'll have to break in! Then, with the evidence in hand, how will you argue your way out of it?!"

The onlookers, servants and Disciples alike, began to look at the tightly shut door with suspicion and a hint of anticipation for a good show.

Just then.

"Creak—"

The door was pulled open from the inside.

Wang Ming stood inside the door, his expression indifferent, looking at the two aggressive Disciples outside.

"Aren't you going to search?"

He stepped aside, clearing the way, "Go ahead."

The Horse-faced Disciple and his companion exchanged glances, a glint of success flashing in their eyes.

The two swaggered in, their gazes sweeping across the room.

Tables and chairs, beds, cabinets, corners... they even lifted the bedding to look.

Their movements were rough and impolite.

Wang Ming leaned against the doorframe, watching their performance with cold eyes.

Soon, the two finished their search, naturally finding nothing.

The Horse-faced Disciple turned around, staring grimly at Wang Ming, his voice rising: "My Junior Brother clearly remembers putting ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones in the secret compartment of this bed! Now they're gone! Speak! Did you embezzle them?!"

Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

The onlookers, servants and several low-level Disciples, couldn't help but gasp.

In Qingxin Palace, even Inner Sect Disciples only received one or two Low-Grade Spirit Stones in their monthly cultivation resources, and had to complete Sect missions to exchange for more.

Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones was a considerable fortune to them!

A Young Master from a small Family should have roughly this much wealth.

This framing seemed quite plausible.

The two were also convinced.

Senior Brother Xiao's instructions were to find trouble, and the number of lost Spirit Stones was carefully calculated.

Not too many, not too few, just enough to make it difficult for this outsider to prove his innocence.