Chapter 185: Maligning Others  

"Isn't that possible, Commander Yan? This is the national treasury, and you know about the Dragonwolf Zhang Lie's background! Wouldn't it be natural that he might be tempted by the treasures on display?" He Tian responded, smiling. Qian Zhen nodded agreeably by his side; the duet the two of them were putting on disgusted the other hunters.

Yan Long stroked his jaw. According to Chu Feng and Zhang Lie himself, Zhang Lie had triggered the defense system as he reached out for the cosmos leaf.

It was true that Zhang Lie would draw the largest suspicion. On the other hand, Qian Zhen and He Tian had fallen unconscious, and they were almost free of suspicion entirely.

However, this was all a superficial picture. Zhang Lie did come from the slums, from a life of poverty, but he had more foresight than even most hunters from major clans. Furthermore, as the champion of the nationwide tournament, he certainly didn't lack for treasures.

"Commander, it seems as though there really are a few items missing from the treasury," a subordinate walked over and reported to Yan Long.

"Oh?" Yan Long's brows raised, and the members of Team Zenith all glanced up sharply. Had someone actually stolen from the treasury? Certainly, none of them had the time to do so.

"Commander Yan, there's simply too much suspicion cast on Zhang Lie. Just in case, I recommend confiscating all the treasures that he's taken from the treasury," He Tian requested once more.

Yan Long glanced at Zhang Lie, who was smirking at He Tian and Qian Zhen.

"Commander, it's been no more than an hour, but the rumors are already circulating widely around the capital," Luo Lie whispered.

A web of suspicion was being cast over Zhang Lie, one that was catching hunters in the capital in its thrall. Quite a few major clans and dojo leaders poured oil on the flames.

"Ridiculous! I'm sure someone's just trying to target Zhang Lie. We've found signs that the defense system in the treasury was tampered with, clearly professional work—and they had to be working with at least one person within the treasury as well!" Yan Long chuckled coldly.

From start to finish, he had believed in Zhang Lie. Zhang Lie was simply too calm in the face of these accusations, so calm that he seemed to be merely enjoying the show put on by a few clowns.

Furthermore, he had requested a significant favor from Zhang Lie before giving him access to the treasury. If there were really something that Zhang Lie needed, he could have mentioned it directly to him then. He was certain that the issue with the defense system had been caused by one of the factions hostile to Zhang Lie, trying to take advantage of the world federation's military to manufacture Zhang Lie's death.

However, Zhang Lie was far too strong for their plan to succeed, so they had to resort to besmirching his name by spreading rumors throughout the capital. The only factions with the ability to do this were the major clans of the capital.

Clearly, the capital had forgotten about his reputation as the fiery dragon of the east—well, he'd make sure to pound that moniker into their heads!

"I don't mind the scrutiny, Commander Yan, but all of us should be searched. After all, any of us could have been the culprit," Zhang Lie replied.

"Indeed, the two of us are in agreement," Chu Feng replied for himself and Yun Bing.

"We too agree!" Qian Zhen and He Tian exclaimed. Yan Long stood up and gazed at the ten hunters.

"Thank you for cooperating. In that case, please hand over the treasures you've selected from the treasury." Yan Long glanced at the items that the hunters placed on the table, then turned to his subordinates.

"What's missing?"

"A seven-star heavenly ox soulshard, the manual for [Tyrant's Dominating Fist], and a superior-grade evergreen dryad soulshard," his subordinate reported.

Yan Long narrowed his eyes. The seven-star heavenly ox soulshard stood out to him; that was a peak-grade soulshard, and one of the more valuable treasures stored in the treasury.

"Does anyone object to having their possessions searched?" Yan Long asked again.

When no one disagreed, he beckoned for one of his subordinates to approach the hunters.

Zhang Lie materialized his potbellied-toad pouch and spilled its contents all over the table. Within the pouch were ingredients for concocting Potion #3, as well as whatever soulshards he didn't yet have time to deal with. Even so, it shocked everyone around him: the pouch alone contained over a hundred superior-grade soulshards.

It was certainly unusual for a first-realm hunter to possess such wealth, but Yan Long knew where he had acquired all of it: from conflicts with the major clans of the capital!

"And the rest of you?" Yan Long turned to the other hunters in the room.

Yan Long and his subordinate checked everyone's spatial-type soulshards, but the three missing items weren't in any of their possessions. Yan Long frowned, turning to his subordinate. "Perform a body search." The hunters of Team Zenith, along with Yun Bing and Chu Feng, passed through the inspection without issue, but He Tian and Qian Zhen suddenly found that something seemed to have been stuffed into their breastplates. Before they could do anything, however, Yan Long's subordinate had already made her way over to them, patting down their body with a pair of gloves.

The other eight hunters glanced at them mockingly as Yan Long's subordinate pulled out a shard of black glass from his chest.

"Look, isn't that the seven-star heavenly ox soulshard?! Who would have expected Young Master He to be a thief?" Chu Feng gasped in surprise, causing Yun Bing to hide her smile behind a fake cough. She knew full well that Chu Feng was the one who had snuck it in while he was unconscious!

"This—no, it's impossible! I didn't do it!" He Tian began to stammer, unable to believe that one of the missing treasures had ended up in his possession. He hadn't ever seen this soulshard before!

"Zhang Lie, it was you! It had to be you! You knocked us unconscious, and then—"

"Hoh. Were you trying to allay suspicion for your crimes by blaming others? How dirty. Is this what the major clans are like?" However, he was interrupted halfway through by Yan Long's subordinate, who had found the remaining soulshard and manual on Qian Zhen's body. magic

Yun Bing, Chu Feng, and the hunters of Team Zenith all began to mock the two thieves, but neither of them could muster a word in their defense.

"He Tian, Qian Zhen, do you have an explanation for this?" Yan Long glared at the two of them.

"I-It wasn't us! It was all Zhang Lie's fault—yes, yes, he had to have stuffed them into our armor while we were unconscious!"

Sweat dripped down He Tian and Qian Zhen's forehead.

"Stealing from a national treasury is punishable by death!" Yan Long shouted, his voice low with killing intent.

"No! Commander Yan, I swear we weren't responsible for this!" Either because he was too frightened or because he was skilled at acting, He Tian began to cry as he pleaded innocence.

"Yes, Commander Yan, neither of us are at fault! I'm sure someone tried to pin the blame on us—it had to be Zhang Lie!" Qian Zhen added, his voice quivering with fear.

"You refuse to admit to your crimes, even now?! Were the two of you responsible for the breach to the defense system as well?"

Yan Long's killing intent grew more and more pronounced, as though he were about to slap them both dead with a single blow. He Tian and Qian Zhen could do nothing but gulp in fear, begging for mercy as they knelt down and pleaded.

"Commander Yan, the He and Qian clan heads are here to pay you a visit!" Yan Long's transceiver suddenly beeped. He sneered as he stepped closer to He Tian and Qian Zhen.

"Ah, are your fathers here to clean up your messes? Your clans must be daring indeed to mess with affairs under my jurisdiction. The two of you will be stripped of your status as two of the top ten participants in the nationwide tournament, and the treasures you've taken will be surrendered to the other victors.

"As for this alleged theft and matters involving the security system, we'll see just what a detailed investigation dredges up, won't we? In the meantime, the two of you can wait in a prison cell!"

He Tian and Qian Zhen's faces were ashen as they were dragged away.