Chapter 125: The Body Search

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Lin Xiong felt immensely gratified when he heard that.

Lin Yanbei had stolen the limelight that morning, making him unbearably jealous.

Now he had turned Lin Yanbei into a thief. Let’s see how arrogant Lin Yanbei could still be!

…

Lin Yanbei continued reading, but just then, someone patted him on the shoulder again.

Having been interrupted twice in succession, Lin Yanbei was beginning to lose patience.

But when he turned around and saw Lin Sangqian, a smile immediately spread across his face. “What’s wrong, little sister? Are you tired?”

“Second Brother, what did Lin Xiong just come over and say to you?”

“Just some incoherent nonsense. I wasn’t really listening.” Lin Yanbei frowned. “That boy may be young, but our uncle and aunt have filled his head with nothing but wicked ideas. I couldn’t be bothered with him.”

“You couldn’t be bothered with him, so he took advantage of that and slipped something onto you,” Lin Sangqian said.

Lin Yanbei was startled. “What?”

Lin Sangqian reached into the right pocket of his clothes and pulled out an object.

It was a small piece of ink.

“Did Lin Xiong just put this on me?” Lin Yanbei asked, bewildered. “What is he trying to do?”

“He was probably acting on someone else’s orders, trying to frame you as a thief.” Lin Sangqian’s voice gradually turned cold. “If I’m not mistaken, this is pine-soot ink. It’s not cheap. A piece this size would cost at least ten taels of silver.”

“What?” Lin Yanbei shuddered. “They… they’re actually this vile!”

If he were truly framed as a thief today, Hai Xing Academy would be unable to protect him. Under pressure, they might even expel him.

There were only two academies in the town. Unless he went elsewhere, his path of study would end right there.

How utterly vicious.

Lin Yanbei clenched his fists, his eyes reddening.

Lin Sangqian was shaken as well.

Fortunately, she had been watching Lin Yanbei from the shadows the entire time, afraid that someone might try to harm him.

That was why she had seen everything clearly when Lin Xiong slipped the piece of ink onto him.

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If she had not come today, Lin Yanbei would likely have been framed as a thief. Lin Shuimei and Hou Tianlu might even have spread the story throughout the town. By then, Lin Yanbei would have become a public outcast, despised and attacked by everyone.

Fury surged from Lin Sangqian in waves.

Lin Shuimei, since you insist on courting death, don’t blame me for what comes next!

“Little sister, what should we do now?” Lin Yanbei asked. “Should I go tell Master Ge and Master Hou right away and ask them to stand up for me? They can ask Master Hou what this is supposed to mean!”

“No,” Lin Sangqian said. “If we take this piece of ink there, Hou Tianlu will have an even easier time claiming that you stole it.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“Give them a taste of their own medicine.” Lin Sangqian smiled coldly, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

…

The midday break ended, and everyone returned to the classroom they had been in earlier.

“This afternoon, we’ll be competing in reciting poetry from memory.” Hou Tianlu beamed. “All right, then, next…”

At that moment, a young attendant hurried in, his face anxious, and whispered something into Hou Tianlu’s ear.

“What did you say?” Hou Tianlu paled. “How could it be missing? Go and find it at once!”

“We’ve searched everywhere, but we simply can’t find it!” the attendant said miserably.

“You good-for-nothing!” Hou Tianlu pretended to be furious and kicked him.

“Master Hou, what happened? Why are you so angry?” Master Huang asked.

Hou Tianlu looked at him with a gloomy expression. “A piece of pine-soot ink of mine has gone missing. I bought it just last month for twelve taels of silver and haven’t even been willing to use it yet!”

Master Ge let out a mocking laugh.

What difference would the finest ink make in the hands of someone like Hou Tianlu?

“If it’s missing, just take your time looking for it,” Master Huang said cheerfully. “It must still be somewhere in the academy.”

At that moment, Hou Tianlu shot Lin Xiong a meaningful glance. Lin Xiong immediately understood, stood up, and said loudly, “Master, you always kept that piece of ink safely in its place. Why should it happen to go missing today?”

Master Ge immediately sensed something unusual in his words. “What exactly are you implying, boy?”

“Hmph. If you ask me, someone from Hai Xing Academy must have stolen it! I saw them wandering around everywhere just now!”

“What did you say?” A student from Hai Xing Academy instantly rose to protest. “We were only walking around the courtyard. We didn’t enter a single room, let alone take anything of yours!”

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“Exactly! Who would want to steal your things? As if we cared!”

Lin Xiong shouted again, “You must be the ones who stole it!”

Someone from Ru Wen Academy chimed in, “It was definitely you! You’re all paupers. Only paupers would go to Hai Xing Academy!”

“That’s enough!” Master Huang shouted sharply. He then turned coldly toward Hou Tianlu. “Master Hou, is this how you usually teach your students?”

“You can’t blame them,” Hou Tianlu said. “My piece of ink truly is missing. And your students just happen to be here today. If you call that a coincidence, isn’t it rather too convenient?”

Master Ge suddenly realized what was happening and glanced at Lin Yanbei.

Earlier, Lin Sangqian had come to him and asked to disguise herself as a young attendant so she could accompany them to Ru Wen Academy, saying that she was afraid something might happen to Lin Yanbei…

Could this entire scheme by Hou Tianlu have been aimed at Lin Yanbei?

Master Ge naturally did not believe Lin Yanbei would steal anything, but he could not prevent others from deliberately framing him.

Cold sweat appeared on Master Ge’s brow.

“Hou Tianlu, what exactly are you implying?” Master Huang raged. “Are you saying that someone from Hai Xing Academy would steal your things? What evidence do you have?”

“If you want evidence, a search will settle everything!” Hou Tianlu sneered. “If you truly have nothing to hide, then submit to a body search!”

“You! How can we let you search us whenever you please? That’s an insult!”

“If you didn’t steal it, what are you afraid of? After the search, if it proves that I wronged you, I’ll apologize immediately!”

At that moment, Lin Yanbei suddenly spoke. “Apologize? How?”

Hou Tianlu looked at him. “An apology is an apology! Don’t you understand even that?”

“You’ve already slandered us. Words alone won’t be enough, will they?” Lin Yanbei said with a smile. “If you truly intend to search us, then once it’s proven that we were framed, you’ll have to kneel and apologize to us!”

Master Ge looked at him uneasily.

Why was this boy so confident? Would this really work?

“Hahahaha! You arrogant young brat!” Hou Tianlu laughed in exasperation. “Fine! We’ll do as you say. In any case, you’re certainly the ones who stole my ink!”

The ink was on Lin Yanbei’s person. Let’s see how arrogant that brat could be in a moment!

“Come on, then. Search me!”