Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 727 - 338. Only by standing at the highest point of morality can one point fingers at others.

Chapter 727: 338. Only by standing at the highest point of morality can one point fingers at others.

Hunters are inherently a loose organization with no detailed management regulations. Members resolve their conflicts with a fight; just don’t delay everyone’s chance to battle and kill Citizens of the Society.

In such an environment, there actually exists a kind of grassroots governance vacuum among the Hunters. Matters such as market transactions are basically based on one’s conscience.

If you’re at a loss, just accept it; if you’re not convinced, just fight. Why all the fuss?

Li Aozi seized upon this point and immediately asserted confidently,

"Gentlemen, since this vendor thinks I’m slandering him, I am not an unreasonable person. There might be some misunderstanding here—but if there’s no issue, why doesn’t he speak up for himself?"

Harlowe immediately clamored, "I’ve been talking—"

"Why so aggressive!"

Li Aozi didn’t wait for the other party to respond, glaring unhappily at him, then calmly smiled and said,

"However, I’m also a reasonable person—let’s do this, with so many people here, it’s also a good opportunity for public validation. Let’s all see where the goods have gone, and if there really is a misunderstanding, I will certainly apologize, and nobody should make things difficult for this Tree Person vendor."

Barely managing to find an exit, Harlowe felt increasingly uneasy as he vaguely thought he saw several past customers with suspicious expressions, seemingly discussing something.

Damn... this kid really has the moral high ground to occupy.

Harlowe’s heart skipped a beat. If it turned out that he was found dealing in substandard Institutions, it would surely break his chain of interest, and his image among the Hunters would definitely be greatly damaged.

Now that it had come to this, he could only wait and see what the kid wanted to do—after all, he was just making some money, why would he be targeted by a Silver Hunter?

"What do you want?"

Harlowe said irritably.

"Quite simple—we have many people watching, so let’s just reenact the scene, and let everyone see if the items from your store will vanish into thin air."

Li Aozi said indifferently,

"This is to your advantage too. If I lose, I will compensate you with equivalent materials, and if you lose—well, there’s no need to make things difficult for you, a simple apology will do."

"Fine!"

Harlowe thought for a moment and said,

"But one thing, if you dare to play any tricks, there are all these people watching—you’ll have to reveal your name and identity first!"

"No problem."

Li Aozi answered without a hint of redness in his face or heartbeat,

"I stay true to my name, and do not change my given name, Du Zexin. From the Frost Plated Star, I have extensively hunted Pseudo-Humans of the Forged Society. If I have misunderstood you, then I will accept whatever punishment you decide."

[You are performing an action of ’Deception’...]

[Specialty·’Unilateral Action’ activated!]

[[Charm] check successful, the other party believes your lie.]

"...That’s more like it."

Harlowe said vaguely,

"That’s still not enough—record it! You have to record and live broadcast the whole process."

Li Aozi smiled slightly.

"No problem."

[Silly sapling, I am the broadcaster!]

Li Aozi let Harlowe randomly pick a few Hunters from the crowd to hold the video cameras, doing a full recording and even projecting the screen into mid-air for the bystanders to see, thus attracting an even larger crowd.

As more and more people gathered, Harlowe somewhat relaxed.

"This kid, truly deceitful and sly, while he looks decent enough, his actions are utterly shameless. He’s clearly trying to use this opportunity to take a few Institutions from me, such evil..."

However, regarding the outcome, Harlowe was not too worried:

"Hmph, the Institutions I personally tampered with might be of inferior quality, but I haven’t pulled any tricks. This kid thinks he can frame me? I want to see, with four cameras around, if they can’t capture him tampering?"

Apart from the Plunders, no other Pathway possesses the ability to steal away others’ items out of nowhere. The disappearance of the two items just now must have been due to his use of some equipment or item effects.

Ironically, to prove he couldn’t wield magic, the kid exposed the truth that he was a Biochemist.

This, in turn, served as a reminder to Harlowe.

"Hmph, a biochemist... Well, we just need to pay attention to any changes in his implant gear, that’s all."

Most biochemists possess the ability to transfer consciousness, so you can’t judge their actual age by their appearance. This kid may look to be in his twenties, but who knows if he’s hundreds of years old or a popsicle.

And for advanced biochemists, achieving the effects of certain magical devices through implant gear is not impossible.

Harlowe crossed his arms, his four cameras in position. He had checked them personally, and there were no problems whatsoever.

After all, he is a mechanic himself, and he still has that much confidence.

Li Aozi arrived at his stall and glanced down at the array of intricate machinery on display, then raised his eyes to look at Harlowe:

"Are you sure everything is fine?"

"I am a conscientious merchant, I would never engage in such shady dealings," Harlowe replied with a laugh. "Moreover, Mr. Du Zexin, are you psychologically prepared?"

"What do you mean?" Li Aozi smiled. "Do I need to prepare for anything?"

"You’ve got a good-looking skin, I must admit, you’re definitely an elite of the top tier. Outstanding wherever you go. Perhaps it’s because you think that someone like me, who toils for a living, doesn’t deserve to share a space with you, that you do this—slandering others without any evidence, questioning them, and even if they prove their innocence, you would coldly criticize them."

Harlowe said lightly:

"I don’t understand why you’re baselessly slandering and spreading rumors about a hardworking low-class worker? Is it merely due to a sense of superiority? Or is it because, just my existence makes you uneasy? As a Silver Hunter, why are you so obsessed with troubling a nobody like me?"

Li Aozi maintained his smile and spoke with righteous indignation:

"I’m just upholding justice, that’s all."

"Heh."

Harlowe sneered:

"What a pity, there is no evil here for you to vanquish. Your surplus sense of justice should be saved for the battlefield!"

Li Aozi did not respond.

Harlowe wasn’t lying—at least about one thing: his goods might be of poor quality and explode after a few uses, but it doesn’t mean he’s a conman.

Actually, among this pile of trash, there can also be gold that shines.

That item should be right here, but due to its special properties, the "Eye of Truth" could only see the junk information on top of it, thus overlooking the actual shocking effect.

He lifted his hand and casually picked up a mechanism from the stall, like a paper umbrella, without activating the "Eye of Truth," and instead weighed and fiddled with it.

"How about it?" Harlowe asked with crossed arms, raising an eyebrow confidently.

No matter how Li Aozi flipped and turned it, the paper umbrella remained just that, without revealing itself.

Perspiration formed on Li Aozi’s forehead and under his breath, Harlowe could just hear him mutter ’that’s not right’ and ’it wasn’t like this before’.

"Heh, have your tricks failed in front of the camera?"

Harlowe looked disparagingly at him and mocked:

"You could try a few more items, I don’t mind."

The situation quickly reversed, much to the delight of the onlookers who were eager for the spectacle.

Li Aozi’s face flushed scarlet, seemingly driven mad by embarrassment, as he continued to handle and put down one piece of machinery after another.

As each piece of machinery was picked up and discarded, Li Aozi’s expression seemed to grow increasingly bizarre.

"Haha, out of tricks, are you? With the camera possibly exposing you at any moment, I’d like to see what you’ll do!"

Just as Harlowe was about to advise Li Aozi not to waste his energy, Li Aozi picked up a landscape painting and suddenly felt a hunch.

"It doesn’t feel like an inanimate object, it emanates some warmth, and the edges have a texture that’s somewhere between crystal and papyrus..."

That’s it!

Click.

Li Aozi blinked and, facing the crowd, opened up his empty hands.

"Everyone saw it, that painting suddenly disappeared."

Li Aozi turned his head and pointed at Harlowe:

"How can you, a dishonest merchant, still deny it?"