Mortal: Fairy Song Yu has issued you a task.

Chapter 120 Yuan Yao, the victim of a scheme

The sky was clear and the air was crisp, and the streets were bustling with people. The monks walked briskly or strolled leisurely, but when they passed a street corner, they couldn't help but stop and gather around, peering in and peeking.

Lin Jingchu maintained his altered appearance and quietly approached the crowd.

In front of a shop with its doors tightly sealed with wooden boards, four male cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage were firmly surrounding a woman in a red dress.

The beautiful and graceful Yuan Yao looked so lonely and helpless at this moment, it seemed that she had failed to join the Three Immortals Sect as an inner disciple.

Among the four people surrounding Yuan Yao, two were acquaintances—the hooded man and the burly man with a full beard.

The other two, one dressed in a white Taoist robe, with a fair complexion and no beard, looked quite presentable, while the other was displaying the object in his hand with a face full of "indignation".

The other one, judging from his attire, was clearly also a scumbag from the Giant Whale Gang, and his image was much worse.

His skin was dark, and even his black leather shorts couldn't make him look any whiter. He had small eyes, a bulbous nose, and was short, only reaching Yuan Yao's chest.

"Fairy Yuan, you led this Fellow Daoist Fan to this shady inn, causing him to sell his ancestral treasure at a low price and lose more than a thousand spirit stones for nothing. You have to give us an explanation!" The man with the bushy beard shouted loudly, clearly addressing those around him.

Yuan Yao's pretty face turned pale with anger, and she gritted her teeth: "You're the ones who set this up and cheated people! I only earned some spirit stones by connecting people; how could I have colluded with you to cheat?"

"What setup? Sigh, fellow Daoists, please be the judge!" The hooded man turned to the growing crowd of onlookers, spreading his hands, and said, "This vixen, in collusion with this shady inn, tricked this Fellow Daoist Fan!"

The pale-faced cultivator raised an object high in his hand at the opportune moment. It was a semi-transparent, curved fish-shaped jade pendant with white patterns inside, giving it a rather spiritual appearance.

"This is the Frost Abyss Twin Fish Pendant," it was originally a pair, a token given to me by my Daoist partner! The pale-faced cultivator's voice was filled with sorrow.

"But my Daoist partner was unfortunately seriously injured and urgently needs elixirs to stabilize his foundation. To raise spirit stones, I had no choice but to reluctantly sell half of them. It was this woman surnamed Yuan who led me to this shop!"

His finger trembled as he pointed to the closed shop: "I got the spirit stones and hurriedly bought some elixirs to take back. My Daoist partner only told me that the pendant was made of rare 'Qingshui Jade' and was worth far more than I had received! Only then did I realize I had been cheated!"

A stir ran through the crowd. Someone chimed in, "I've seen this woman surnamed Yuan a few times. She's always hanging around the island, making a living by matchmaking and introducing businesses. She doesn't seem to have any clean hands."

Another person scoffed: "More than that! I've also heard that this woman, relying on her looks, is adept at seducing others, and she has quite a few suitors—"

Upon hearing this topic, some people immediately became excited, with some even lewdly clamoring, "Which fellow Daoist has been fortunate enough to taste it? Why don't you come forward and tell us about it?"

Vulgar language and whispers mingled with the sounds of conversation, constantly assaulting Yuan Yao's ears. She trembled with anger, knowing that arguing was futile, and could only suppress her humiliation, coldly saying to the four men, "A transaction is a matter of mutual consent! I merely acted as a guide, earning some intermediary spirit stones. How could I possibly know the true value of this jade pendant? You were clearly in cahoots!"

A fat man with a large belly strolled out of a nearby shop and said slowly, "I'm the owner of the Duobaozhai shop next door. I often see this Miss Yuan bringing people to this shop, and they're always unfamiliar faces. If you say she's not in cahoots with this shady shop, heh heh, who would believe that?"

The crowd grew larger and larger, the discussions grew louder, and the scene became somewhat chaotic. Among the crowd, the two who were the first to speak up exchanged a glance with the hooded man and the bearded man, a hint of smugness flashing in their eyes.

The hooded man suddenly spoke up, his tone softening somewhat: "Fairy Yuan, how about this? We're not unreasonable people. We brothers can cover Fellow Daoist Fan's lost spirit stones. But the condition is that you agree to become Brother Tiger's concubine, how about it?"

The man with the long beard grinned and said, "Brother Tiger is the only nephew of our Giant Whale Gang leader. Following him wouldn't be a disgrace to you."

The ugly man who hadn't spoken until now stared intently at Yuan Yao's ample bosom with his tiny, beady eyes, and chuckled, "Don't worry, as long as you follow me, you'll never lack cultivation resources."

Seeing the growing crowd, Yuan Yao took a deep breath, suppressing her anger and disgust, and said coldly, "I acknowledge the spirit stones I owe you. Give me some time, and I will repay them!"

"That won't do." The hooded man shook his head. "You're just a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If you're determined to run away, you can just disappear into this vast ocean. Where would we find you? We don't want your meager belongings. Either you hand over 1,500 spirit stones right now, not a single one less; or you come back to the Giant Whale Gang with us right now!"

"What are you doing here, making a racket and blocking the passage?" A clear shout rang out, and a group of cultivators dressed in blue and white robes, with long swords at their waists, parted the crowd and entered. It was the patrol and enforcement team of the Three Immortals Sect.

The one who spoke was a middle-aged cultivator with gray hair and white eyebrows, a serious face, and a rather righteous appearance.

The hooded man immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Enforcer Wang, I'm sorry to have disturbed you. It's just a private matter of personal grudges. We will handle it immediately and would never dare to block the road." He spoke very quickly and explained the "whole story" again.

Enforcer Wang's gaze swept across the entire area with lightning speed, finally settling on Yuan Yao. He frowned slightly and said, "Miss Yuan, since you have done this improper thing and damaged other people's property, you should admit it and make compensation as soon as possible. Don't linger here and disrupt the order of the market."

Yuan Yao felt a chill run through her heart when she heard him define the matter so quickly, and she was about to grit her teeth and argue.

"Wait a minute."

A clear voice rang out, and a handsome cultivator dressed in a blue robe entered through the crowd. It was Lin Jingchu, who had regained his original appearance.

"Brother Lin!" Yuan Yao's beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

"It's you again?" The hooded man and the bearded man's eyes darkened, but they quickly relaxed. What could a new cultivator from out of town, even at the late Foundation Establishment stage, do on this Kui Xing Island, rootless and adrift?

Just as they expected, the law enforcement officer's face darkened as he looked at Lin Jingchu: "Who are you? How dare you disturb this law enforcement officer in handling affairs?"

Lin Jingchu didn't say much, but directly took off the warm white jade pendant from his waist and showed it to the law enforcement officer Wang: "I am a guest elder of the Three Immortals Sect. I am an old acquaintance of this Miss Yuan Yao."

"7

The law enforcement officer immediately demonstrated what it means to change one's expression, and smiled warmly, saying, "So you are our sect's guest elder, Fellow Daoist Lin."

Disrespect, disrespect. "

After a moment's thought, he suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Lin, could you be the newly joined weapon-refining guest elder two months ago? Junior Brother Lu Fengzhi mentioned to me that Fellow Daoist Lin's skills are extremely exquisite."

Lin Jingchu cupped his hands and said, "It is indeed I. I have long heard of Enforcement Officer Wang's impartiality, and seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

The four men, seeing this scene of "fellow disciples meeting in joyful harmony," immediately turned ashen-faced, as if they had swallowed flies.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Lin Jingchu, Enforcer Wang turned back to the four people, a sense of unease rising within him. He had just placed the blame on Yuan Yao; if he were to easily change his mind now, wouldn't he be contradicting himself?

But if he didn't change, this guest elder Lin was practically family, and it wouldn't be good to directly humiliate him. Just as his thoughts were racing—

Lin Jingchu had already walked to the side of the group of people who were facing off.

Yuan Yao looked at him with a mixture of anticipation and a hint of grievance in her beautiful eyes: "Brother Lin, you—you've become a guest elder of the Three Immortals Sect? I knew it! With your skills, it would definitely be no problem!"

[Task Discovered]

[Task Name: Prove Your Innocence]

[Posted by: Yuan Yao, a rogue cultivator (Affection level: Approved)]

[Task Description: Fairy Yuan Yao is embroiled in a false accusation. Please help her clear her name and restore her innocence.]

[Quest Reward: One level-one monster resource from Yuan Yao]

Lin Jingchu gave her a reassuring look, then turned to the pale-faced cultivator who claimed to be surnamed Fan, and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Fan, would you mind showing me the jade pendant you have? I have only a rudimentary understanding of weapon crafting, and I might be able to determine its authenticity and value."

The man surnamed Fan was taken aback; something seemed off about the script! He instinctively looked at the hooded man.

Just as he hesitated, the Enforcer Wang spoke up: "Fellow Daoist Lin is a guest elder in our sect specializing in weapon crafting, and is highly skilled in appraising magical artifacts and spiritual materials. Fellow Daoist Fan, could it be that your jade pendant—has some hidden story, and you dare not let anyone examine it closely?"

Sweat beaded on the forehead of the man surnamed Fan. He was caught in a dilemma and had no choice but to grit his teeth and hand over the jade pendant.

Lin Jingchu took the "Frosty Abyss Twin Fish Pendant," infused a wisp of magic into his fingertip, and examined its texture, luster, and the flow of spiritual energy within.

After a moment, his voice turned cold: "The material used in this jade pendant is not 'Qingshui Jade' at all, but rather 'Ice-Patterned White Stone,' which has a slightly similar color and texture! Although they look alike, their values ​​are worlds apart."

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over the four people: "Furthermore, the craftsmanship of this item is mediocre; it's only worth two or three hundred spirit stones! How can you claim a loss of over a thousand spirit stones?"

"You—you're talking nonsense!" The man surnamed Fan was sweating profusely, trying to defend himself. "You must be in cahoots with that witch, spouting lies and defaming my treasure!"

"Hmph!" Enforcer Wang snorted coldly, his late-stage Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure instantly enveloping the four people: "How could I, a guest elder of this sect, slander people so easily? This matter is clear; it was you who deliberately framed me. Quickly apologize to this Miss Yuan and then disperse immediately! If you dare to cause trouble here again and disrupt the order of the market, don't blame me for putting you in jail!"

Having said that, he turned to Lin Jingchu and said politely, "Guest Elder Lin, you see, this island market is bustling with people and many cultivators. It's not appropriate for them to gather here and make a ruckus for so long. How about we have them apologize and settle this matter?"

Lin Jingchu understood that the other party wanted to downplay the issue and resolve it peacefully.

His original intention was simply to play the hero and help Yuan Yao out of a predicament, thus increasing his favorability; otherwise, he wouldn't have waited until the very last moment to step forward.

He immediately went along with it: "Lin has no objection to Judge Wang's handling of the case. As long as my friend's innocence is cleared, that's enough."

Seeing that he had given them a way out, Judge Wang immediately turned his gaze to the four men and shouted, "Apologize at once!"

The four men, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly bowed hastily to Yuan Yao, mumbled "I'm sorry," and, under the direction of the onlookers, awkwardly pushed their way through the crowd and hurriedly left.

The two accomplices and the portly manager of Duobaozhai had already quietly slipped away as soon as Enforcer Wang spoke, pretending nothing had happened. But all of this was a futile effort.

Enforcer Wang had no time to concern himself with such matters; as long as no one caused trouble in the streets, that was enough.

He exchanged a few more polite words with Lin Jingchu, saying that he would definitely come to bother him if he needed any weapon forging in the future. Lin Jingchu naturally replied, "I will do my best."

After Enforcer Wang led his team away to continue his patrol, the crowd gradually dispersed, seeing that there was no more excitement to see.

However, a few idlers were still standing not far away, pretending to select goods, but in reality, they were listening intently and glancing over from time to time.

Yuan Yao let out a long sigh of relief and bowed deeply to Lin Jingchu: "Brother Lin, thank you for speaking up for me and helping me today. I will remember this kindness and virtue forever."

[Yuan Yao, Affection Level: Trust]

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