Chapter 1801: Chapter 1798: Do You Know Your Crime?
Xu Wendong’s heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm as he coldly looked at the guard, asking in return, "You say I stole the Soul Condensing Pearl? Do you have any evidence?"
"Bare accusations, trying to pin an unfounded crime on me?"
The guard was momentarily flustered by his imposing aura, clearly not expecting this formerly meek and submissive "loser" to become so assertive.
But he quickly hardened his stance again, saying viciously, "Hmph, Young Master Lin Feng saw it with his own eyes. How could it be false?" As he spoke, he reached out to grab Xu Wendong.
Xu Wendong’s figure flickered as he easily dodged the guard’s hand, a gleam of cold light in his eyes: "I will walk on my own; no need for you to lay hands on me."
He knew clearly that resisting rashly at this moment, surrounded by the many experts of the Lin Family, would not be in his favor; it would be better to enter the Lin Family first and see what they were up to.
The guard, seeing Xu Wendong dodge, became even more infuriated and was about to make a move again when another guard stopped him: "Don’t act recklessly. Take him to see the Family Head first; let the Family Head make the decisions." With that, the two of them escorted Xu Wendong left and right towards the Lin Mansion.
Xu Wendong was brought to the meeting hall of the Lin Family, which was brightly lit but held an unusually oppressive atmosphere.
Lin Zhen Tian sat majestically on the main seat of the Lin Family’s meeting hall. His tall and robust figure, sitting upright with a straight spine, displayed marks left by time that, rather than diminishing his presence, added to his experienced and steady demeanor.
His facial features were as sharply defined as if carved by a knife, with a distinct profile, and beneath a high nose bridge was a stern, thin lip.
His eyebrows resembled two sharp swords angled towards the temples, his deep eyes akin to tranquil pools, seemingly unfathomable when calm. A sweeping gaze could make one feel the sharpness and authority within, as if he could see through all schemes and conspiracies.
The neatly tied white hair shone like silver threads, enhancing his imposing aura.
Lin Zhen Tian exuded an aura of authority belonging to a person of high status, commanding respect without anger. Just by sitting quietly, he could make the entire meeting hall’s atmosphere heavy and oppressive.
His every gaze, every movement seemed to carry an intangible force, making people not dare to look directly, much less defy.
Lin Feng stood to one side, a smug cold smile on his face, as if he had already envisioned the severe punishment Xu Wendong would receive.
"Lin Mo, do you admit your guilt?" Lin Zhen Tian’s voice was low and stern, echoing in the hall.
Xu Wendong, neither humble nor arrogant, cupped his hands and said, "Family Head, I, Lin Mo, have never done anything disloyal to the Lin Family. What guilt is there to admit?"
Lin Feng snorted, stepped forward and said, "Family Head, it was he who stole the family’s Soul Condensing Pearl!"
"That day I saw him sneaking around the Treasure Pavilion, and then the Soul Condensing Pearl disappeared. Who else could it be but him?"
Xu Wendong looked at Lin Feng, his eyes full of mockery: "Lin Feng, you say I stole the Soul Condensing Pearl, did you see me leave with it? Do you have other witnesses or evidence? Are you fabricating this lie on purpose to frame me?"
Lin Feng’s lips curled into a meaningful smirk: "If you hadn’t stolen the Soul Condensing Pearl, how could you have broken through and attained your current Cultivation Level?"
Xu Wendong calmly replied, "There are countless ways to break through in cultivation. How can you assert that merely because my strength increased, I must have stolen the Soul Condensing Pearl? In your eyes, is stealing treasured items the only way to become stronger?"
Lin Zhen Tian slightly frowned, his eyes scrutinizing Xu Wendong and Lin Feng alternately, as he said, "This matter concerns the family’s treasure and cannot be decided lightly. Since you claim innocence, Lin Mo, explain how your cultivation advanced so rapidly."
Xu Wendong calculated silently; if he revealed obtaining the Soul Condensing Pearl and the Nine Netherworlds Manual in the Ancient Tomb, it would surely lead to more trouble and possibly expose his secret.
After a moment of thought, he cupped his hands and said, "Family Head, to be honest, by chance I obtained a Netherworld Fruit, and after consuming it, not only did my injuries heal, but my meridians also expanded, allowing my cultivation to advance."
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng immediately retorted, "Hmph, it sounds so easy. Who can verify your claims? It’s just an excuse you made up!"
"I can vouch for his words!" A gentle yet authoritative voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned towards the sound to see the Seventh Elder of the Lin Family, dressed in a luxurious black robe, walking steadily forward.
Her elegant demeanor exuded an aura of authority, her jet-black hair neatly tied behind her head, with a few strands falling beside her fair cheeks, adding a touch of softness to her sharp demeanor.
The Seventh Elder walked straight to Lin Zhen Tian, slightly bowing and softly saying, "Family Head, I have something to say about this matter."
Lin Zhen Tian nodded slightly, indicating for her to continue.
The Seventh Elder spoke loudly, "A few days ago, while inspecting the family’s properties outside the city, I passed by Shadow Valley and indeed saw Lin Mo lying there, severely injured and barely breathing."
"Out of consideration that he is a Lin Family member, I transferred some Spiritual Power to heal him and left a few Elixirs."
"When I left, he was still unconscious, how could he have had the opportunity to steal the Soul Condensing Pearl?"
Lin Zhen Tian’s gaze was locked onto the Seventh Elder, a hint of surprise and scrutiny in his eyes: "Seventh Elder, this is a serious matter concerning the family’s treasure. Are you sure what you say is true?"
The Seventh Elder smiled slightly, eyes filled with certainty: "Family Head, as a Lin Family Elder, of course, I wish for the family’s peace, not wronging a good person, nor letting a bad person go."
"I’ve always kept an eye on this child Lin Mo. Though his talent is mediocre, his character is pure, and I simply cannot believe he’d commit theft."
"Furthermore, I personally saw him gravely injured and unconscious. How could he steal the Soul Condensing Pearl at the same time?"
Lin Feng’s face turned extremely unsightly in an instant, initially intending to get rid of Lin Mo, unsuspecting that the Seventh Elder would intervene halfway. Filled with anger and urgency, he quickly said, "Family Head, the Seventh Elder’s words cannot be fully trusted! Perhaps she was deceived by Lin Mo, who made up lies to mislead you!"
The Seventh Elder turned to Lin Feng, eyes full of authority and reprimand: "Lin Feng, as a descendant of the Lin Family, you must have evidence in your words and actions."
"Without proof, slandering kin and disrupting family order — what is your crime?"
Lin Zhen Tian’s gaze shifted across everyone’s faces and finally settled on Xu Wendong: "Lin Mo, for now, I’ll choose to believe you."
"But the theft of a family treasure is a serious matter, and I will definitely have it thoroughly investigated."
"Until the truth is revealed, you are not to leave the Lin Family’s grounds." With that, he rose and left.
Xu Wendong silently breathed a sigh of relief, cupping his hands and saying, "Thank you, Family Head, for your discernment. I am willing to stay in the Lin Family to cooperate in the investigation."
Though unwilling, Lin Feng did not dare to act rashly, and could only grit his teeth, casting an enraged glance at Xu Wendong, then leaving the meeting hall in fury.
After Lin Feng left, Xu Wendong looked at the Seventh Elder, although gratitude was written all over his face, a significant question mark rose in his heart.
He clearly had lied, so why did the Seventh Elder help him?
