"Fellow Daoist Wen, I was only testing King Zhou, Di Xin. Even if you hadn't intervened, I wouldn't have harmed him." After saying this, Yang Jian offered Wen Zhong a few more explanations.
Wen Zhong nodded slightly and looked at everyone present. "Seniors and fellow Daoists, all the evidence indicates that the stolen treasures were taken by one and the same person. Earlier, Fellow Daoist Zhao and the Three Ladies also tested the Great King several times, but found nothing amiss. More importantly, just now, when True Person Taiyi's Universe Ring was stolen, Yang Jian was testing the Great King. At the time, the Great King's life was in danger, and he was too busy trying to save himself. How could he have stolen True Person Taiyi's treasure?"
Yang Jian nodded quietly, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
No matter how you looked at it, Wen Zhong's final point carried the most weight.
There were both witnesses and physical evidence.
The Great King simply hadn't had the opportunity!
And with so many people watching, it would be unreasonable to keep pinning the blame on King Zhou.
Besides, their goal was only to find the treasures and punish the thief. They weren't determined to do anything to King Zhou.
Although Zhao Gongming and his companions, along with the Nine Heavens Profound Maiden and Nine Nether Pure Maiden, hadn't been in the Royal Palace at the time, they'd clearly seen what was happening inside through their Divine Sense.
Hearing Wen Zhong's explanation, they all nodded, indicating that they accepted it.
Wen Zhong had only just returned from the North Sea, and Zhao Gongming knew perfectly well that there were many soldiers at the front who could vouch for him. He was clearly above suspicion.
Seeing everyone's expressions, True Person Taiyi realized the matter might be troublesome. He questioned Zhao Gongming, the Nine Heavens Profound Maiden, and the others individually. Once he'd learned all the details, his heart sank.
There hadn't been any other members of the Daoist Sect in Chaoge at the time, which made things very difficult.
No wonder they'd focused their suspicions on King Zhou, Di Xin. Everyone else had been confirmed as an ordinary commoner, with a clear background and known whereabouts. They'd been tested several times and cleared of suspicion.
An awkward silence fell over the group.
"Uncle-Master Taiyi, do you have any ideas?" Zhao Gongming was the first to break the silence.
True Person Taiyi stroked his long white beard. "I just remembered that I still have a batch of pills to finish refining in my cave abode. Golden Cloud Boy might not be able to hold out much longer. I'll return to Qianyuan Mountain at once..."
As he spoke, he looked at Yang Jian. "Yang Jian, if you learn anything about Sky-Howling Dog but can't handle it on your own, come to Golden Light Cave and find me. Your uncle-master will help you get Sky-Howling Dog back."
With that, he nodded to everyone, then left Chaoge Mountain in a streak of light.
Everyone was left dumbfounded.
It was obvious that True Person Taiyi had backed out because the matter looked difficult. He didn't want to put himself out for something thankless; he'd rather take advantage of the outcome.
He'd dressed it up in noble-sounding words, claiming he would help Yang Jian retrieve Sky-Howling Dog. Wasn't he just using the chance to recover the Universe Ring to take care of Yang Jian's business as well?
"Fellow Daoists, I'll also keep an eye on what's happening in Chaoge. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything." Wen Zhong was the only one there who hadn't lost a treasure. He had no intention of getting too deeply involved, so he hurriedly said his piece and prepared to take his leave.
Zhao Gongming reached out to stop him. "Fellow Daoist Wen, it would be best not to let word get out about our repeated tests of Di Xin, lest it cause further complications. Let's keep this information among ourselves. Agreed?"
Wen Zhong nodded at once. "I won't mention it to the Great King. Since we're on the subject, there are two other things I should tell you. First, because so many things have happened in the palace, the Great King has issued a royal decree and posted it throughout the land, seeking extraordinary people and hidden talents. Members of the Daoist Sect may gradually arrive in Chaoge. When they do, you should assess them yourselves. Don't cast your net too wide and make enemies unnecessarily."
"Of course. Those who arrive later won't be among the suspects," Zhao Gongming, Yang Jian, and the others said, nodding.
Wen Zhong continued, "As for the second matter, I'll pass on some cultivation methods for unaffiliated cultivators to the Great King. His aptitude is terribly poor, so he'll never amount to much, but it's not impossible that he'll cultivate primordial energy. If you later discover that the Great King has Magic Power, don't grow suspicious and connect him to the thefts again."
Now that it had been proven that Di Xin hadn't had the opportunity to commit the thefts and couldn't have been the thief, no one had any objection.
What did it matter to them if someone completely unrelated wanted to cultivate?
After explaining these matters, Wen Zhong didn't ask about their plans for searching for the treasures. He simply transformed into a streak of light and returned to Chaoge.
At that moment, Di Xin was still waiting for Wen Zhong in the Imperial Garden.
Most of all, he wanted to know what had happened to True Person Taiyi. He was Nezha's master, after all, and a formidable figure.
He was genuinely worried that the man might have some divine ability that would expose him.
"Great King..."
Wen Zhong had resolved the trouble in the palace that day, and his mood had lightened considerably. When he saw Di Xin, he wore an easy smile.
"Grand Tutor, who was that person from the sky?" Di Xin asked, feigning nonchalance.
Wen Zhong naturally didn't tell him the truth. He only chuckled. "Heh heh, a friend came from afar."
"Even if he comes from far away, should we execute him?" Di Xin immediately thought of a meme from his previous life.
"Heh heh, the Great King jests. He's a fellow Daoist who came to meet me after hearing I'd returned from the North Sea. He's already gone back." Wen Zhong laughed, masking his embarrassment at deceiving the Great King.
"If he's a friend of the Grand Tutor, why didn't you invite him into the palace? I could have hosted a banquet for him." Hearing that True Person Taiyi had already left, Di Xin felt the weight lift from his heart. He also took the opportunity to offer Wen Zhong a gesture of goodwill.
"People of the Daoist Sect are like idle clouds and wild cranes. They shun worldly affairs and might not take well to the rules of the palace." Wen Zhong began making things up without batting an eye.
Di Xin changed the subject. "Very well. Grand Tutor, do you have an answer about the matter of teaching me the Dao that I mentioned before?"
Since the Great King had brought it up again, Wen Zhong could only reply, "Anyone with the will to pursue the Dao can cultivate. I've treated this as a matter of the utmost importance. The cultivation methods of my sect aren't suitable for the Great King, so before I left, I went to seek out a suitable method for you."
As he spoke, Wen Zhong moved his hand, and a stack of silk scrolls appeared in his grasp as if by magic. "This set of cultivation methods is just right for the Great King. As long as you don't neglect state affairs, you can cultivate to your heart's content."
"And..."
As he spoke, he moved his hand again. This time, a crystal-clear object appeared, shaped like a brick.
"Great King, this is called a Spirit Stone. It's a crystal formed over ten thousand years as it absorbed the essence of the sun and moon and gathered abundant spiritual energy. Keep it with you, and you'll make twice the progress when cultivating."
"A Spirit Stone. What a treasure! Grand Tutor, could you get me a few more?"
Having gone from a novice to a seasoned veteran in his previous life, Di Xin had heard plenty about things like this. Now he'd found that the Spirit Stone mentioned in the Immortal Yuan Records was really sitting right in front of him. He couldn't help getting overexcited.
After all, the greatest use of this item wasn't to speed up cultivation, but to restore Magic Power.
Still, it was just as effective for cultivation.
For example, when taking pills, one's progress depended on the concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding area.
A pill that provided ten years' worth of cultivation would produce greater progress if taken in a place rich in spiritual energy, and less progress otherwise.
Deep inside the palace, Di Xin had only ordinary spiritual energy to work with, so he had no choice but to take his pills there.
But if he really had a Spirit Stone, things would be entirely different.
Hearing the Great King's request, Wen Zhong was at a loss for words. He grimaced. "Great King, this is the only Spirit Stone I have. These stones are rare throughout the world. I promise that if I come across another, I'll save it for you."
"Good, good. I owe you a great debt, Grand Tutor. By the way, we still need to look for that big white dog. Otherwise, it might come out and scratch me one day. If I die, the world will fall into chaos. My death would be nothing, but the people would suffer!"
Di Xin was quick to change tack and had already moved on to another subject.
"Yes, I'll go capture the white dog at once!"
Wen Zhong agreed, then hurriedly left the palace.
Before you continue