Huo Wendong was the first to stand up. "Old Scoundrel! What do you take me for!? Steal your pearl? Lu Chengwen and Xu Xuejiao joined forces to cheat me out of tens of billions, and I didn't even blink! If I wanted a pearl, I could buy one. Steal yours? I can't afford that kind of disgrace!"
The Sect Master walked up to him. "Of course, buying it would cost money. But if there were an insider working with you from within..."
The Sect Master turned to look at the surrounding subordinates. Every one of them avoided his gaze.
At last, the Sect Master's eyes settled on the Strategist.
The Strategist froze. "Sect Master, if I stole your Luminous Pearl, I'd rather cut off my own hands and feet!"
The Sect Master said, "He was brought here by you..."
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Huo Wendong said. "Don't pull that crap with me! You're all in this together! Every last one of you! Ha ha, your plan to trick me into buying the land failed, so now you're trying to frame me for stealing your stuff? Zhang, what did you say when we came here? You said your Sect Master didn't understand business but loved pretending he did, and that as long as I came, you'd definitely help me rip him off for a huge sum! Didn't you say that!?"
The Strategist stared at Huo Wendong. "Y-you-you... You're full of shit! I've always been utterly loyal to the Sect Master. How could I say something so rebellious? Sect Master, you have to believe me! I... after all these years..."
The Sect Master raised a hand. "I want to believe you... but unfortunately... my blade cannot."
The Strategist was furious. Finally, he stomped his foot. "Fine, I'll tell the truth! Sect Master,