“Worse than death?” Lin Chen narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flickering within them, “I’d like to see how exactly you plan to make me suffer a fate worse than death!”
Zhao Mang immediately raised his voice and shouted, “Two precious spiritual herbs have gone missing from the Zhao Family’s Hundred Herbs Hall. They’re worth a fortune, and I suspect that you stole them!”
The moment those words fell, the surrounding crowd burst into an uproar.
“Lin Chen actually stole spiritual herbs from the Zhao Family?”
“Even if he’s fallen into ruin, he’s still the Lin Family’s heir. No matter how bad things are, he wouldn’t stoop to stealing spiritual herbs, right?”
“Exactly, a Lin Family heir resorting to theft… it just doesn’t sound believable!”
“Well, you never truly know a person’s heart. Maybe after becoming useless, his temperament completely changed!”
“I’ve heard the Lin Family is in serious internal conflict right now. Lin Chen is about to fight the Eldest Elder’s son in a life-and-death battle. He must be desperate for cultivation resources!”
“When you put it that way, it actually makes some sense!”
…
The discussions grew louder and more chaotic, and more people gathered to watch. Some found it impossible to believe, while others thought it entirely plausible.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhao Mang’s lips. Among the crowd were quite a few people he had arranged in advance. Their purpose was simple, to completely ruin Lin Chen’s reputation in public.
He wanted Lin Chen to experience what it felt like to be condemned by thousands.
Lin Chen slowly swept his gaze across the crowd before returning it to Zhao Mang. A faint sneer appeared on his lips, “Is this the method you came up with to make me suffer worse than death?”
“Hmph!” Zhao Mang’s face filled with mockery as he looked at Lin Chen with absolute confidence, “You only know how to cultivate. You have no idea what kind of methods I, Zhao Mang, possess!”
As his words fell, three marketplace guards appeared from within the crowd.
They wore uniform dark robes, with armbands marked “Marketplace Guard.” Moving in unison, they pushed through the crowd and stopped before Lin Chen and Zhao Mang.
At their head was a stern-faced middle-aged man with a heavy aura. His cultivation had reached the 9th stage Spirit Realm.
He was Captain Wang, the leader of the marketplace guard squad.
“Captain Wang, valuables have been stolen from the Zhao Family’s Hundred Herbs Hall. I have sufficient evidence to suspect that Lin Chen is the thief. I ask Captain Wang to investigate thoroughly!” Zhao Mang immediately pointed at Lin Chen and spoke loudly.
Captain Wang exchanged a glance with Zhao Mang, as if the two already understood each other without words.
Then, putting on a facade of fairness, Captain Wang spoke, “Young Master Zhao, this man is the Lin Family’s heir. This is a serious matter. Do you have sufficient evidence?”
Without hesitation, Zhao Mang pointed at the storage ring on Lin Chen’s hand and said sharply, “The stolen items from my Zhao Family, the Purple Crystal Glazed Flower and Dragon Yang Blood Ganoderma, worth 10,000 spirit stones, are inside his storage ring. A search will reveal everything!” This chapter was copied from NovelPing without permission.
His tone was fierce and resolute, instantly convincing many of the onlookers.
“10,000 spirit stones… even a Lin Family heir might not resist that temptation!”
“The marketplace is backed by the Merchant Alliance of the Eastern Extreme Region. Anyone who dares to cause trouble or steal here will pay a heavy price!”
“If this is confirmed, Lin Chen will become the laughingstock of the entire Luoyun City!”
…
Listening to the chatter, Lin Chen’s brows slowly furrowed.
Meanwhile, Zhao Mang wore a triumphant smile, as if his scheme had already succeeded.
At that moment, Captain Wang’s sharp gaze landed on Lin Chen, his tone leaving no room for refusal, “Young Master Lin, according to marketplace rules, we must conduct an inspection upon receiving a report. Please cooperate and hand over your storage ring so we can check whether it contains the Zhao Family’s missing Purple Crystal Glazed Flower and Dragon Yang Blood Ganoderma.”
Hearing this, Lin Chen’s expression darkened.
This was clearly a premeditated setup, a coordinated performance.
The moment Zhao Mang accused him of theft, Captain Wang appeared. Everyone knew Captain Wang had close ties with the Zhao Family.
Now, under the pretense of marketplace rules, he wanted to inspect Lin Chen’s storage ring.
If Lin Chen refused, it would be seen as a guilty conscience, confirming suspicion. The guards would then have the right to forcibly detain him.
If he agreed, Zhao Mang had likely already prepared the stolen items and would use Captain Wang’s hand to quietly plant them inside his storage ring.
This was an open scheme.
A calculated, unavoidable trap.
Seeing Lin Chen remain silent, Zhao Mang smirked and shot Captain Wang a knowing glance.
Captain Wang immediately released the pressure of his 9th stage Spirit Realm cultivation. The heavy aura pressed down like a mountain, suffocating those nearby.
He stared at Lin Chen and stepped forward, closing the distance, “Young Master Lin, if you have not stolen anything, then after inspection, we will naturally clear your name. But if you refuse to cooperate, disrupt the order of the Luoyun City marketplace, and disregard the authority of the Merchant Alliance of the Eastern Extreme Region, don’t blame us for acting according to the rules!”
With those words, he directly invoked the Merchant Alliance of the Eastern Extreme Region, using its authority to suppress Lin Chen.
The Merchant Alliance governed countless marketplaces across the Eastern Extreme Region. Its power was vast, filled with countless experts.
Even powerful families had to abide by its rules. Anyone who dared cause trouble in the marketplace would face devastating retaliation.
At the entrance of the Pill Pavilion, Sun Baocheng and Lin Qianqian had been drawn by the commotion.
They understood the situation clearly.
In her eyes, Lin Chen was already trapped with no way out.
Accused of theft in public, pressured by the marketplace guards to hand over his storage ring, once the search uncovered anything, his guilt would be sealed.
If he refused, the guards could detain him for resisting arrest.
A cripple without a spiritual root, once thrown into the marketplace detention chamber, would be lucky to survive at all.
No matter the choice, the outcome was unacceptable.
“Is there no way out?” Sun Baocheng watched from afar, a trace of regret in his eyes.
A once unrivaled genius of Luoyun City, betrayed by his childhood sweetheart, stripped of his spiritual root, and now framed when trying to become an alchemist.
Lin Qianqian remained silent for a long time before saying softly, “From his perspective, there is no solution.”
However…
At that very moment, Lin Chen suddenly smiled instead of showing anger.
His gaze swept across the crowd before settling on Zhao Mang and Captain Wang. Calm and composed, he asked, “Captain Wang, I’d like to ask… if I truly stole the Purple Crystal Glazed Flower and Dragon Yang Blood Ganoderma from the Zhao Family’s Hundred Herbs Hall, what would be my crime, and how would I be punished?”
Before Captain Wang could respond, Zhao Mang cut in with a cold laugh. His triangular eyes locked onto Lin Chen, “Stealing property worth over 10,000 spirit stones in the marketplace requires returning the stolen goods, receiving 100 strokes of the rod in public, and being permanently recorded in the marketplace records, never allowed to enter again!”
This was no ordinary punishment. It was specifically designed for cultivators, capable of breaking through spiritual energy defenses and striking directly at the physical body.
If someone at the Spirit Realm suffered 100 such strikes, it would likely damage their foundation.
The smile on Lin Chen’s face gradually deepened, “It seems your preparations are quite thorough.”
“Confess now, and I can have Captain Wang go easy on you!” Zhao Mang burst into arrogant laughter.
Captain Wang followed up immediately, “Hand over your storage ring at once, or don’t blame me for being impolite!”
As his words fell, the oppressive aura of the 9th stage Spirit Realm surged forward. The two guards beside him stepped forward at the same time.
In an instant, the atmosphere became tense, like drawn swords ready to strike.
Yet Lin Chen showed no fear. Instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
He raised his voice and said clearly, “Captain Wang, if I remember correctly, the marketplace regulations include a rule about false accusations being punished in return, correct?”