Chapter 3587 — The Vanished Spirit Jades
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Meng Jueming could never in a thousand years have guessed that Wei Zhao carried on his person a jade pendant space capable of storing objects, and that at this very moment the two spirit jades lay quietly within it.
"Senior Brother Meng, do we need to keep searching? I don't mind at all—search away, all of you, so long as in the end my innocence is cleared!" Wei Zhao said, still wearing that innocent look as he regarded Meng Jueming's ashen face.
Could it be that this brat had never laid eyes on those two spirit jades at all, and that was why he was so utterly unruffled?
Meng Jueming eyed Wei Zhao with suspicion, then suddenly jolted as a far likelier possibility struck him. Two spirit jades that size certainly would not simply vanish into thin air. Since they could not be found on Wei Zhao, they must have been taken by someone else!
"No need. Junior Brother Lin, you are clean—you are an upright man. Don't be angry; I was merely doing my duty. We'll go search the other grottoes!" Looking at Wei Zhao's unruffled expression, Meng Jueming felt as though he had swallowed a fly—and not just any fly, but one of those oversized ones that buzz around a cow pat all day long.
"Huh? Search the other grottoes?" Meng Zhou and Li Zhengming exchanged glances. This step had not been part of the plan at all. But seeing the unspeakably foul look on Meng Jueming's face, neither dared say a word. They hurriedly assented and went out.
Searching every last one of their grottoes, one after another, was a helpless move on Meng Jueming's part. After all, he had already declared that they would first screen their own people. Now that nothing had turned up on Wei Zhao, then to show fairness he would have to search the others as well, even if it was only for appearances' sake.
What was more, having entertained that thought just now, Meng Jueming genuinely harbored suspicions about the other newcomers present. When Meng Zhou had gone to plant the spirit jades in Wei Zhao's grotto earlier, someone might have spotted him and secretly made off with the two jades. Such a possibility was not at all out of the question!
Yet after searching every other newcomer, both person and grotto, with particular attention paid to Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai, those two cronies of Wei Zhao's, the two spirit jades remained utterly without a trace—not the faintest sign of them could be found.
At this, Meng Jueming was well and truly in a fix. Damn it, he had schemed with all his might to set Wei Zhao up and failed, and instead had lost Meng Zhou's and Li Zhengming's spirit jades into the bargain. This was truly a case of going out to steal a chicken and losing the rice you baited it with.
Yet foul as his mood was, the proper words still had to be said. Meng Jueming could only force himself to say, "Very well. We have finished screening our own people and found no problems. As the managing senior brother, I am gratified. I will report the theft of the spirit jades to the Pavilion Master for further investigation. All of you, disperse and get on with your business!"
At this, the crowd had no choice but to scatter, one after another. They had not witnessed the spectacle they had imagined, and now each wore a look of lingering disappointment.
"Wretched Junior Brother, patch up the sealing wards on the three of their grottoes," Meng Jueming ordered offhandedly. Then, his face darkening, he drew Meng Zhou and Li Zhengming aside. In his view, this day's affair was ten parts out of ten the fault of his own people!
The two followed Meng Jueming to a deserted corner, where Meng Zhou said with a miserable look, "Cousin Ninth, what are we to do now? We failed to trap Wei Zhao, and instead our own two spirit jades are gone. How are we supposed to cultivate from here on?"