Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 917 - 917 554 Everyone Takes a Step Back_2

Chapter 917: Chapter 554: Everyone Takes a Step Back_2 Chapter 917: Chapter 554: Everyone Takes a Step Back_2 Qi Tian silently shook his head. Now that Xiang Bo’s storage bag had been stolen, all he could think about was his storage bag; he did not care about anyone else. Didn’t everyone know to ask about Qi Tian’s situation? This alone showed that no matter how gentle and kind Xiang Bo seemed on ordinary days, it was all a disguise. If he faced an emergency, Xiang Bo would reveal himself to be an extremely selfish person.

Qi Tian knew exactly what had happened last night. He didn’t hurry to get up, instead, he cradled his head in his hands, feigning weakness. “What’s going on? Why does my head feel so sluggish? My lord, what did you just say?”

Xiang Bo didn’t notice the mockery in Qi Tian’s tone; he simply reiterated, “Most of the items in my storage bag have been taken. Hurry up and wake everyone else, then go catch the real culprit for me.”

Qi Tian reached for his own storage bag and then also cried out in surprise. “What’s going on? Where are the things in my storage bag? This is bad, our camp has been hit by thieves. Everyone, get up quickly!”

With Qi Tian’s shout, Gao Jinmei and Xia Xiaoming stopped pretending and thought things over. They too discovered they had been robbed upon Qi Tian’s reminder. Thereafter, Gao Jinmei and Xia Xiaoming personally took action and roused the other guest officials. The Bewilderment Pills used by Zhang Ting targeted cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but for Gold Core Realm experts like them, there were numerous ways to counteract the effect.

Consequently, everyone realized that the contents of their storage bags had been burgled, with over ninety percent of their belongings gone. This outcome was unacceptable for anyone, including Xiang Bo. Even as the City Lord’s son, the loss hurt him significantly. He was supposed to go to the Imperial College; could he afford to have less in his storage bag? All the cultivation resources he had prepared for himself were vital for whether he could enjoy privileges at the college. Now, everything was gone, and even if he didn’t consider whether he would miss the College’s annual enrollment, he wouldn’t be able to gather such resources again.

The other people’s situations were even worse than Xiang Bo’s; they carried their entire fortunes with them. Now that their storage bags had been emptied by thieves, their wealth was wiped out in an instant. It was no longer a matter of whether they could continue cultivating in the future but a question of whether they could even survive.

All of them wished they could immediately find and tear the thief to pieces, but they found no traces after searching the surroundings. However, some attentive individuals noticed some disordered footprints on the ground—they were faint, but with some special methods, they were still distinguishable.

This was actually due to Zhang Ting’s carelessness. Even though she was deeply troubled by a betrayal yesterday, she should have cleared the traces. But Zhang Ting forgot, and as a result, she drew trouble upon herself.

When Xiang Bo learned that Zhang Ting had moved around the camp several times last night, he immediately suspected her of significant foul play. He then commanded Qi Tian and the rest of the guards and guest officials to surround Zhang Ting’s tent.

“Zhang Ting, I’ll give you ten breaths to come out from your tent, or else I’ll have to be rude to you,” Xiang Bo shouted.

Zhang Ting had already heard the commotion outside and came out of her tent without fear. She said, “Xiang Bo, what are you shouting about so early in the morning? Are you announcing a death?”

Xiang Bo angrily said, “Zhang Ting, last night there was a theft in the camp. Tell us, what exactly happened? Was it you who did it?”

Zhang Ting said, “Whatever I say now, you may not believe, but I can still swear to tell you that the things you’ve lost are really not on me, nor have I let my relatives or friends take them away. If I speak a half-truth, may my intestines rupture and my belly rot until I die.”

Cultivators do not swear lightly, and once they do, they usually keep their promises. Zhang Ting declared in this manner that the items were not on her, so they certainly were not. However, Zhang Ting was still playing a little clever here, for she did not directly swear that she did not steal everyone’s belongings.

Xia Xiaoming saw that Xiang Bo was momentarily taken aback by Zhang Ting’s words and he was instantly displeased, for last night, when Zhang Ting stole his belongings, he was scared out of his wits. Now, of course, he wanted to recover everything with interest.

Xia Xiaoming spoke up, “Zhang Ting, don’t change the subject. Just now, the gentleman was questioning whether you stole our missing possessions or not. If you truly didn’t do this deed, then swear again and repeat the oath.”

After being reminded by Xia Xiaoming, Xiang Bo and the others also realized the cunning ploy Zhang Ting had employed. They all started eyeing Zhang Ting with fierce anticipation, saying, “You’ve heard Master Xia’s words. To prove your innocence and also to let us find out who the real culprit is, shall we keep dragging this on?”

How could Zhang Ting relent at this point? Swearing or not, it brought her no benefit whatsoever. She flatly said, “Who do you think you are? Do you think I have to do whatever you tell me to do? I already made an oath just now, and you still want me to swear another? Let me warn you not to ask for an inch and take a mile. I, Zhang Ting, am not one to be trifled with.”

Zhang Ting steadfastly refused to swear another oath, and as the crowd’s emotions surged, the distance between them and Zhang Ting grew closer and closer, a severe conflict threatening to break out at any moment. If that happened, Zhang Ting would undoubtedly be at a great disadvantage and might even be beaten to death by Xiang Bo and the others. Such an outcome was not what Qi Tian wanted to see; he was still counting on using Zhang Ting as a connection to the royal family and could not let her die. After some thought, Qi Tian stepped forward and said, “Stop arguing. Continuing like this won’t result in anything. What we need now is to resolve this issue as soon as possible and find everyone’s lost items. Everything else is unimportant. Sir, and Miss Zhang, I have a suggestion and I ask you both to give me a chance to speak.”

Xiang Bo nodded. He was now about seventy to eighty percent sure that Zhang Ting was the thief from last night, but he had no evidence. He could not use force against Zhang Ting, especially since he couldn’t make the first move. After all, Zhang Ting’s father was also a City Lord, and in terms of status and position, not inferior to him, so he had to consider all the consequences.

Qi Tian said, “Actually, it’s very simple. Everyone takes a step back. Let’s search Miss Zhang’s person to see if she has hidden the items on her, and also search her tent thoroughly. If nothing is found in those two places, then Miss Zhang is innocent. Otherwise, Miss Zhang might need to give us a reasonable explanation. Miss Zhang, what do you think?”

Of course, Zhang Ting was not afraid of being searched, nor was she afraid of someone searching her tent. She said, “It’s possible, but I have two conditions. First, I can be searched, but only by a female cultivator, and second, if you find nothing, it proves I didn’t steal your things, and from now on, at any time, in any place, you cannot use this matter to threaten me or speak ill of me.”

This time, Xiang Bo nodded directly. He didn’t believe that in a single night, Zhang Ting could have hidden the items so well that they couldn’t be found. If Zhang Ting had that ability, she wouldn’t have had to wait until now to have the opportunity to study at the Imperial College; the royal family would have discovered her long ago.

“Since you have no objections, you may search me now. Who will do it?” Zhang Ting said.

Gao Jinmei walked out unhurriedly and said, “Out of everyone present, aside from you, Miss Zhang, I am the only female cultivator. It seems this task falls to me. Miss Zhang, let’s go behind that rock, I will conduct a thorough search on you.”