Adding Fuel to the Fire

Having deduced that The Case of the Stolen Warehouse at Chaoyun Manor was likely man-made, Song Ankang immediately thought of Hao Jiyong.

There was no other reason. Compared with everyone else, Hao Jiyong simply had far too many suspicious points.

Liu Yuanqing had also investigated the other warehouse hands and found that all their suspicious points combined did not amount to even one Hao Jiyong. No wonder Liu Yuanqing had pinned the matter on him.

Song Ankang frowned as well. He carefully examined the warehouse inside and out, yet found nothing. Only as he was leaving did he inexplicably recall that strange feeling of unease he had experienced upon first entering the warehouse.

Over the following days, Song Ankang continued cultivating while frequently visiting the warehouse to inquire about the progress of the theft investigation. Yet there were no leads at all, and even that earlier feeling of unease had vanished.

There was, however, good news regarding the investigation into Hao Jiyong: the ten-year ginseng he had sold had indeed been freshly dug up, not left over from the previous year.

Moreover, Hao Jiyong had found the place where he had dug up the ten-year ginseng, and the manor's ginseng-growing experts confirmed that ginseng of a respectable age had indeed grown there.

Even so, because the theft investigation had made no progress for so long, the suspicions hanging over Hao Jiyong, after easing somewhat, swiftly surged back—especially after something happened.

"Hao Jiyong, you're my elder brother! Why won't you help me? The Ningmen Association has nearly driven me into a dead end, and you're still hiding your money away instead of taking it out, aren't you?"

"Everyone says you stole more than a dozen precious Medicinal Herbs and already sold them for quite a bit of money. Just taking out one-third would be enough to pay off my gambling debts. Why won't you save me?"

"If you want to stand by and watch the Ningmen Association drive me to my death, then don't blame me for exposing this. Those precious Medicinal Herbs must have been stolen by you, because you told me about it once."

"You even said that Chaoyun Manor's warehouse management had so many loopholes that as long as the people inside harbored even the slightest crooked thought, they could take out plenty of precious Medicinal Herbs. So you harbored crooked thoughts yourself, didn't you?"

That morning, Song Ankang was sparring with Jiang Yunhe in the courtyard, improving his combat experience and fighting techniques, when piercing shouts rang out from outside.

Song Ankang's expression darkened. Since the theft investigation had shown no progress for days, many people had once again turned their attention to Hao Jiyong. Now that Hao Jiyong's younger brother, Hao Jimeng, had shouted all this, even more people would likely suspect Hao Jiyong again.

Hao Jiyong had made time to gather Medicinal Herbs in the dead of night for his younger brother Hao Jimeng, yet Hao Jimeng not only failed to repay kindness with gratitude, but actually believed the idle gossip that Hao Jiyong had stolen the precious Medicinal Herbs from Chaoyun Manor's warehouse.

After failing to get what he wanted from Hao Jiyong, he had even repaid kindness with enmity and viciously bitten Hao Jiyong, clearly intending to drive Hao Jiyong's entire family into a dead end.

What a heartless, ungrateful wolf. And Hao Jiyong had treated him so well.

Though Song Ankang felt Hao Jimeng's actions increasingly proved that Hao Jiyong had not stolen the warehouse's precious Medicinal Herbs, most people saw it differently. To them, Hao Jiyong's suspicion only grew greater.

"Even Hao Jiyong's own younger brother says the precious Medicinal Herbs in the warehouse were stolen by Hao Jiyong. Clearly, there can be no mistake. The manor lord judged the wrong man this time and wasted so much time for nothing."

"I said Hao Jiyong had far too many suspicious points. Who else could it be but him? Although the Son-in-law's words make some sense, perhaps Hao Jiyong deliberately meant to confuse us. In truth, he was the one who stole those precious Medicinal Herbs from the warehouse."

"Hao Jiyong refuses to admit it now only because we are all watching him, so he does not dare tell Hao Jimeng that he stole the precious Medicinal Herbs from the warehouse. For the sake of his own family, he would drive his younger brother to a dead end. Hao Jiyong is truly ruthless."

"The Son-in-law is too foolish. He actually believed someone like Hao Jiyong. In the end, the Son-in-law is simply too stupid to manage a manor at all. After all, he used to be nothing more than a frail scholar too weak to truss a chicken. What abilities could he possibly have?"

The same matter could be interpreted differently by different people. Song Ankang felt Hao Jimeng's behavior increasingly proved Hao Jiyong's innocence, but most people did not think so. It even affected Song Ankang's standing and reputation within Chaoyun Manor.

"Son-in-law, what should we do? So many people in the manor are saying Hao Jiyong has pulled the wool over your eyes, that you have no ability yet insist on sticking your neck out. If the Medicinal Herbs truly cannot be recovered, you will bear a great deal of responsibility too."

"We should not have interfered in this matter. They should have handled it themselves. The Son-in-law has only just arrived; even if there were any punishment, your responsibility would not have been great. But the Son-in-law is kindhearted and saved Hao Jiyong's family. If they truly did this, then you have been terribly wronged."

The little maid Qiushi had grown anxious as well. She kept circling Song Ankang, even more worried than Song Ankang himself.

Seeing how deeply concerned she was, Song Ankang smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry. Even if I got this wrong, it would be nothing. Besides, in my view, Hao Jimeng has instead strengthened my earlier deduction."

"After a while, we'll go take another look at the warehouse. Perhaps we'll find some trace or clue."

Jiang Yunhe, standing nearby, remained silent, his brows slightly furrowed in equal confusion.

After lunch, Song Ankang practiced the Seven Injuries Demonic Scripture for a while, then headed toward the warehouse with Qiushi and Jiang Yunhe. But halfway there, they once more heard Hao Jimeng shouting from outside the stockade wall.

"Hao Jiyong, the deputy warehouse steward of Chaoyun Manor, is my elder brother. He has money, and he will help repay the money I owe you. He has helped me repay it many times before—you know that too, don't you? So rest assured and stop pressuring me. Give my elder brother a little more time."

"A few days ago, my elder brother even dug up a ten-year wild ginseng. Didn't that already pay off almost all the interest? He has the ability to dig up a few more and repay the principal too. Please grant us a little more time."

The voice was very familiar—after all, Song Ankang had heard it that very morning. He was stunned. It had not been long at all, yet Hao Jimeng had returned again.

No longer bothering to go to the warehouse, Song Ankang and his group went up onto the stockade wall. There, they saw Hao Jimeng surrounded outside the wall by several fierce-looking burly men. Hao Jiyong stood beside them with a helpless expression, while Hao Jiyong's wife and children watched anxiously from atop the wall.