43: Hey you damn dog, say something!

Early the next morning, as Zhang Hai pushed open the door of his Immortal Cave and stepped out, he saw Li Haotian and Su Yao looking at him with strange expressions.

“Good morning, Revered Master, Senior Sister.”

Zhang Hai waved his hand, and Su Yao immediately rolled her eyes, ignoring him. She picked up her vegetable basket, preparing to go fight the Willow Tree on the Back Mountain.

Zhang Hai looked blankly at his Revered Master and scratched his head. Had he done something wrong?

“Tsk tsk tsk. I never expected you, kid. You usually look like such a proper gentleman, but secretly you're doing things like this. Tell me, where did you steal those undergarments last night?”

Li Haotian pointed at the several undergarments neatly placed on the ground by the door of his room. Zhang Hai looked in the direction of the finger and instantly froze, his face filled with confusion.

“Revered Master, I was Cultivating all last night. I never left the Immortal Cave you gave me to practice the Beast Transformation Art. How could I have gotten these?”

Zhang Hai gesticulated wildly in excitement, pointing at the undergarments on the ground, his face flushed red as he tried to explain, yet not knowing where to begin.

Just as the two were about to say something more, Wangcai, humming a little tune, walked up from the bottom of the mountain. It had gone out for another stroll just as the sun rose.

“Revered Master, hurry and put away the gifts this Venerable One brought you. Why haven't you taken them inside yet? Don't you like the colors or styles?”

Wangcai shook its dog head in confusion, walked forward, and fell into contemplation as it looked at the undergarments.

It seemed that next time before stealing, it must ask its Revered Master about his preferences. If the Revered Master didn't like what it brought back this time, he would probably be very unhappy.

Zhang Hai's mouth twitched violently. He kicked Wangcai, startling the dog. An attack at the Foundation Establishment Stage couldn't hurt it, but it dared not fight back. The opponent was its Revered Master, and fighting back would result in punishment from the Heavenly Dao.

For a time, Wangcai was chased everywhere by Zhang Hai.

Just then, a Disciple from Beast Taming Peak walked over, leading a Spirit Beast. This type of Spirit Beast had a sense of smell far keener than a dog's.

“Chief Li.”

The Disciple respectfully bowed toward Li Haotian.

Li Haotian nodded.

“What is it? Is there something you need here at Spirit Gathering Peak?”

The Disciple spoke respectfully.

“Yesterday, several female Disciples' undergarments disappeared from our Beast Rearing Peak. It seems a thief has appeared within the Sect. I was specifically authorized by the Elder today to investigate this case. My natal beast smelled that the scent originated from Spirit Gathering Peak.”

Behind the Disciple followed a group of female Disciples. Zhang Hai, who was wrestling with Wangcai, immediately froze on the spot, his mouth twitching incessantly.

The Spirit Beast led by the Disciple constantly twitched its nose, seeming to follow the scent. It quickly found its target and bolted toward Zhang Hai's Immortal Cave.

Everyone followed the direction of the Spirit Beast and saw several neatly folded undergarments blatantly displayed on the ground outside the Immortal Cave door.

The scene instantly fell into dead silence. Zhang Hai nervously fixed his gaze on Li Haotian.

Li Haotian's lips curled slightly. At this moment, suppressing his smirk was harder than suppressing an AK's recoil. Why explain? Opportunities to witness such events were rare; he had to enjoy the spectacle today.

“According to the Disciples registered under you, Chief Li, this Immortal Cave seems to belong to the Disciple you recently took in, correct? Could it be this person?”

“That's right. This is the Disciple I just accepted. Alas, Zhang Hai, I didn't expect you to be this kind of person.”

Li Haotian said this while picking up his tea and taking a small sip, then looked at Zhang Hai with a teasing, gloating expression.

Zhang Hai's face turned crimson. The group of female Disciples and the male Disciple all fixed their eyes on him.

“Hello, fellow Disciple. Please come with us to the Law Enforcement Hall to clarify this matter.”

The man slowly stepped forward. Seeing that Li Haotian had no intention of interfering, he reached out to seize Zhang Hai.

Zhang Hai's expression changed.

“Wait a moment! It wasn't me! It really wasn't me!”

Zhang Hai waved his hands repeatedly, then pointed at Wangcai, who had just been wrestling with him on the ground.

“That dog brought them back last night! I didn't do it.”

As soon as the words fell, the entire scene plunged into dead silence once more.

“Is this person treating us like idiots?”

“That's outrageous! He's actually claiming this was done by a dog. It's just a dog; how could it possibly steal things from others?”

“Exactly! Moreover, anyone entering our Immortal Caves must possess some knowledge of Formations. They would have to break the Restriction on our Immortal Cave to get in; otherwise, they couldn't enter.”

“Junior Brother, I don't think anyone is going to believe that kind of excuse.”

Zhang Hai stared wide-eyed at the crowd, who refused to believe him. For a moment, he was speechless.

“No, no, no! This dog isn't an ordinary dog! It's a Golden Core Stage dog! He really did it! Before you arrived, he personally admitted that he stole them!”

Everyone once again turned their attention to Wangcai. Wangcai clearly knew it had done something wrong, sticking out its tongue and wagging its tail innocently. Then... “Woof!”

A clear, loud bark rang out, instantly igniting the fury of all the female Disciples.

“Wow! He really is treating us like fools! How could a Golden Core Stage dog talk? Yao Beasts only gain the opportunity to transform and speak when they reach the Saint Realm!”

“Exactly! This pervert actually tried to frame an adorable puppy! Beat him up!”

“Make this pervert get out of the Sect, or we won't be able to sleep peacefully anymore!”

The female Disciples angrily waved their fists and rushed forward to hit Zhang Hai.

Zhang Hai immediately became frantic and kicked Wangcai right on the rear.

“Dead dog, say something!”

Before Wangcai could react this time, Zhang Hai was already being escorted to the Law Enforcement Hall by the enraged female Disciples under the charges of theft and animal abuse.

Li Haotian watched Zhang Hai being taken away, drained the tea in his cup, and then kicked Wangcai in the butt: “Go explain the situation clearly! If my Disciple's reputation is ruined, tonight we're setting the pot on the fire and eating dog meat.”

Only then did Wangcai react, spreading its four legs and rapidly chasing after the furious procession.

After a long debate in the Law Enforcement Hall, Wangcai finally confessed to doing the entire thing, detailing its criminal process and methods clearly and thoroughly.

It even described what kind of incense each Disciple used, which finally convinced everyone that the theft of the undergarments was indeed its doing.

Zhang Hai looked at the surrounding crowd with tears in his eyes. His innocence was finally proven. After being admonished to properly manage his natal beast and paying a small fine, he was released.

Wangcai lowered its head and cautiously followed behind its Revered Master, terrified of being kicked. It hadn't expected things to turn out this way. In its understanding, anything it stole belonged to it, but apparently, its Revered Master didn't see it that way.