Chapter 1861: 1399: Cleared of Suspicion (Part 2)

Chapter 1861: Chapter 1399: Cleared of Suspicion (Part 2)

“We must find the evidence to send him to prison!”

“Yes!”

The five masters exchanged glances and replied in unison, evidently in agreement.

In reality, they all knew what was going on and couldn’t think of any way to imprison a Loose Cultivator, which left them extremely frustrated.

…

On the other side.

Rapidly leaving the yamen, Li Zhirui returned to the Five Blessings Tavern. Although he had the Dragon Qi Jade Seal, the Daoist magic network of the yamen still made him very uncomfortable.

Next, he needed to rest well and meditate to recover.

As soon as he returned to his room, he sat down cross-legged to absorb Spiritual Energy through breathing exercises.

About two hours passed before Li Zhirui slowly finished his exercises, got up, and walked out of the room.

“Shopkeeper.”

He went to the main hall, looked at the Shopkeeper who was calculating yesterday’s expenses and income, and called out before continuing,

“Because of me, the tavern and that waiter got implicated, and I feel truly sorry. Although this isn’t much silver, please accept it as a token of my apology.”

The Shopkeeper raised an eyebrow and replied with a smile, “Since you’ve gone to such lengths, I’ll accept it.”

“Where is that waiter? I’d like to apologize in person.”

“Xiao Liu, come out quickly!” the Shopkeeper shouted toward the backyard.

The waiter hurried out and asked, “Shopkeeper, is something the matter?”

“This guest wants to apologize to you.”

Li Zhirui stepped in and said, “My issues caused you trouble, and I’m truly sorry. Please don’t refuse this token of compensation.”

With that, he handed over a small package.

“This…”

“Accept it.” The Shopkeeper’s eyes flashed with excitement as the package emitted a golden glow, clearly of great value, and he immediately gestured for Xiao Liu to accept it.

“In the next few days, there might be other issues. I hope you can understand, Shopkeeper.” Li Zhirui suspected the official wouldn’t give up easily.

“No worries. I trust that you’re innocent,” the Shopkeeper replied with a smile.

He had once used the merchant’s Secret Technique to evaluate Li Zhirui’s worth, but to his surprise, it appeared blank in his eyes!

There were only two possibilities for this: either the person had no value, or the value was so immense it was beyond his cultivation to see.

Clearly, it couldn’t be the former!

Thus the Shopkeeper wanted to befriend this man, especially today when he witnessed his generosity first-hand, which made him even more eager to build this connection.

Li Zhirui vaguely sensed the Shopkeeper’s intentions, but he had no particular thoughts about it. After all, he was just a passerby and wouldn’t stay long.

“I just hope the official can prove my innocence soon.” With that, he bowed to the two and took his leave.

“Shopkeeper, shouldn’t this compensation still go to you? I didn’t do anything,” Xiao Liu said, hesitant but unwilling to part with it, holding the package out.

“Keep it well; the contents might change your destiny,” the Shopkeeper waved him off and sent him back.

He could already see Xiao Liu’s luck changing dramatically, and he sighed inwardly; such wealth! A single act changed the course of a person’s life.

Xiao Liu returned to his small room, eagerly and nervously opened the package. There wasn’t much inside, just dozens of silver taels, a few gold coins, and a book.

“‘Business’! Could this be a merchant’s cultivation method?!”

He no longer cared why Li Zhirui, a Cultivator, would have merchant Methods. His eyes widened in shock, and his hands trembled as he grabbed the book, breath rapid, fingers shaking as he turned the cover, concentrating as he read word by word.

“Throughout the world, people bustle for profit; busy for gain…The way of business: buy low and sell high…”

Completely immersed, Xiao Liu lost track of time, growing increasingly hungry but ignoring it; only when he was famished did he awaken from his trance.

Yet he didn’t appear weary at all; instead, he was excited and energetic, already envisioning a bright future in business.

…

In the ensuing days, Li Zhirui obediently stayed in his guestroom, not stepping outside once.

This left the official unsure how to frame him, as despite all efforts, there was no way to link the evidence to Li Zhirui.

Even Wang Jianyi’s corpse had no clues, as if he had really died suddenly and alone, without any involvement from others.

Rumors began circulating in the city about the official, accusing him of abusing power for personal vendettas, losing the demeanor of a Legalist disciple and tarnishing the faction’s reputation!

Initially spread by only a few, soon more joined in the discussion. Although not known throughout the city, at least half the populace was aware.

“Sir, this case can’t be delayed any longer…” one day, a Master spoke to the official.

“Indeed, sir, regardless, this case should end,” echoed several other masters.

The official frowned and asked, “What happened?”

The masters hesitated, cautious to speak.

“It’s fine, just speak plainly.”

“Many outside say you’re prolonging this case for personal vendettas, harming your reputation by dragging it on.”

Crash—

The sound of ceramics shattering filled the room, followed by a voice repressing anger, “Such a scheming Cultivator, no less cunning than us in the bureaucracy!”

The study fell silent for a long time before a voice finally spoke again, “We will conclude this case tomorrow!”

“Yes!”

The masters exhaled in relief, realizing if their charge had continued resisting, it could’ve turned into a scandal, ruining his career even if the rumors were false!

Luckily, he retained some sanity.

…

Nothing more was said that night.

Early the next morning, the yamen posted a notice announcing Wang Jianyi’s death was indeed accidental, unrelated to others.

When Xiao Liu heard the news, he rushed to tell Li Zhirui, “Brother Wang, your suspicion is cleared!”

“Thanks for running errands for me these days.”

Of course, the rumors hadn’t appeared from nowhere; Li Zhirui had secretly asked Xiao Liu to discreetly gather beggars and vagrants, paying them to spread the crafted narrative.

Isn’t that the kind of sensational topic that common folk love?

“No problem, Brother Wang. Without you, I wouldn’t have been taken in as an apprentice by the Shopkeeper,” Xiao Liu grinned sheepishly.

After receiving the ‘Business’ book that day, he’d quickly grasped its teachings, and traces of Copper Coin aura faintly emerged from him.

That very day, a merchant disciple Shopkeeper noticed and, upon inquiry, learned that Xiao Liu had self-studied!

The Shopkeeper, slightly taken aback, hadn’t expected this humble lad to have a knack for business, even with considerable talent, quickly taking him as an apprentice after some thought.

The Shopkeeper might rely on this apprentice to help ascend greater heights in the future.

Xiao Liu’s efforts for Li Zhirui weren’t the Shopkeeper’s orders but his own heartfelt decision.

“Since I’ve been cleared, it’s time for me to leave,” Li Zhirui decided not to linger longer, knowing the official would likely suspect he was behind the rumors.

Better to leave immediately while the opportunity was right, rather than risk new tactics from the opposition.

Legalist disciples are notoriously vengeful, and he certainly didn’t want to engage in a prolonged fight of magic, wasting his time.

Leaving was indeed the best choice now!

“`