Chapter 57: A gentleman’s lie


    Trantor: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow


    Jia Fu was conflicted.


    He had dispelled his suspicions of Fang Yuan and was certain that Jia Gui was the mastermind.


    “But yet, so what if I know the truth?” Jia Fu felt anger and sadness surging, “I have no evidence at


    hand, so if I used Jia Gui in front of father without any proof, father might even think I am trying to


    frame him!”


    Jia Fu was smart, and he looked at Fang Yuan, a light shing in his eyes.


    Jia Jin Sheng had journeyed with him together, and now that he was missing, it was Jia Fu’s fault for


    not taking care of him! Since he could not use Jia Gui, he had to give his father some answer.


    And this answer was in front of him!


    “That’s right, if Fang Yuan is the scapegoat, it would at least help me get through this crisis. Once I get


    over it, I can get back at Jia Gui with twice the payback.” Jia Fu thought deviously.


    He raised his pitch, interrogating Fang Yuan, “Fang Yuan, how do you prove that you did not harm Jia


    Jin Sheng?”


    The n elders were stunned. This is obviously your internal dispute, why are you still grabbing onto


    my nsman?


    Only the Gu Yue n leader looked grim, his expression turning sharp as he stared at Jia Fu.


    “Fang Yuan, what proof do you have to show that you were not present at the time and did not harm Jia


    Jin Sheng? If you can’t prove it, you are the murderer!” Jia Fu pointed at Fang Yuan, his gaze furious


    as he threatened with his aura.


    “He’s trying to push our n’s Fang Yuan into being the scapegoat. How atrocious!” At this point, the


    n elders had reacted and their expressions all turned unkind.


    They had been fighting and scheming against each other for a long time, so if they thought about it,


    they would know easily about Jia Fu’s standpoint and intentions.


    “Witness? Of course I do! I prepared it long ago.” Fang Yuan smiled internally, but showed an


    expression of shock, as if he wanted to speak but couldn’t.


    “No need for others, just tell me if you do or not!” Jia Fu raised his voice again, forcing Fang Yuan.


    Fang Yuan showed an indignant expression, but finally gritted his teeth and said helplessly, “No.”


    “Haha. Then you are —”” Jia Fu was about to dere his verdict but at that point.


    “Halt!” The academy elder took a step forward and stood in front of Fang Yuan with a solemn


    expression, “Of course he has a witness, that would be me!”


    “You?” Jia Fu asked in shock.


    “That’s right, me.” The academy elder, facing Rank four Jia Fu, was slightly overpowered. But seeing


    Gu Yue Bo’s encouraging gaze, he gathered his courage and raised his head, “These days when Fang


    Yuan unexpectedly became the first to break through the middle stage, I sent my men to investigate


    him. His everyday activities and actions are recorded down, there was no time for him to harm Jia Jin


    Sheng.”


    “Yes, this is it…” Fang Yuan hid behind the academy elder’s back, where no one could see his curled


    lips, revealing a smile.


    Jia Fu’s expression was dim, he did not expect the academy elder to stand out and protect Fang Yuan.


    The crucial point was, the Gu Yue n leader did not object. This had a great meaning, for it meant the


    Gu Yue n was going to protect Fang Yuan.


    “I get it! I wanted to get Fang Yuan to be the scapegoat, but that was from my perspective, and I


    did not consider their perspective. Indeed, once Fang Yuan is criminalized, the Gu Yue n has to bear


    the evil name of harming a Jia family member. From then on they will have to face the Jia family’s


    retribution as well as losing their own reputation. Furthermore, future caravans would not dare toe


    here and trade anymore, the loss is too great!”


    Thinking of this, Jia Fu was anguished and wanted to p his own head.


    The Gu Yue higher-ups did have such considerations.


    Fang Yuan was a C grade, so if he really harmed Jia Jin Sheng, handing him over was nothing. But the


    point was, now that his suspicion had been cleared, if he was handed over, wouldn’t the Gu Yue n


    suffer a great injustice and lose out greatly?


    Knowing that this conflict could not be resolved, Jia Fu gritted his teeth, determined to get his way. He


    said, “If so, why don’t you let me use the Footprint Gu. Once this Gu is used, it will show us hisst


    30,000 footprints on the floor.”


    The academy elder scoffed in displeasure.


    Jia Fu’s words meant he did not trust them. But he has no reason to stop him, thus he let Jia Fu


    through.


    “Come and test!” Fang Yuanughed coldly at Jia Fu, walking towards him with his head lowered.


    He was confident, having predicted this. Thus, these few days he kept his activities within the vige


    and did not go to the secret cave.


    Under the Gu Yue higher-ups supervision, Jia Fu did not y any tricks.


    The Footprint Gu was very peculiar, it was shaped like a person’s foot. Its material was like a


    translucent yogurt, giving others a feeling of smoothness, and the surface had a yellow-green luster.


    Its size was small, being only palm size.


    Jia Fu held it in his hands, sending primeval essence into the Footprint Gu.


    The Footprint Gu became brighter, and then suddenly with a “bam” sound, exploded into a cloud of


    yellow green powder.


    The powdery cloud enveloped Fang Yuan and spun around him before flying out of the discussion hall.


    Where the powder cloud passed through, the floor would show a series of footprints.


    These footprints glowed in a yellow green light around the same size as Fang Yuan’s foot. They were


    Fang Yuan’s footprints when he entered the discussion hall.


    The footprints extended from the family head pavilion into the academy hostel and then to the academy


    and circted. Other than that, it reached the mountain vige’s inn.


    The powder cloud became smaller as it flew, and finally at the 30,000th step, it vanished.


    The results were clear, everyone had checked and knew that Fang Yuan was innocent, there were no


    suspicious points.


    Jia Fu sighed, taking out a small jade box.


    He opened the jade box, where there was only a jade piece inside.


    The jade piece was a translucent emerald colour, and there was a Gu sealed inside.


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    This was a phasmids(1), its body long and slim, with the colour of jade, its entire body looking like a


    bamboo tube.


    The phasmids was normally longer than a palm, but this one wasn’t, being only the size of a fingernail.


    On its surface, it emitted a white glow.


    “Green jade as its body, white light enveloping its form, this is the Bamboo Gentleman!” At once, some


    of the elders recognised this Gu worm and eximed.


    Even Gu Yue Bo was moved. He could not refrain from advising, “Brother Jia, this Bamboo Gentleman


    is a Rank four Gu, it is not easily refined. Why waste it here?”


    Jia Fu shook his head, looking at Fang Yuan: “This Bamboo Gentleman was obtained through


    gambling rocks when I was young. The rock was only opened halfway before it could no longer be


    extracted. As everyone knows, this Gu worm is fed honesty as food, being able to detect lies from birth.


    Only an honest gentleman who has never lied can refine and feed this Gu.”


    “Fang Yuan, you just have to open this rock and keep the Bamboo Gentleman in your aperture.


    Whatever I ask you, you will answer. Next, we will take out this Gu and let everyone see if it changed


    colour. If the Gu changes colour, you’re lying!”


    “No problem.” Fang Yuan did not hesitate. He immediately opened the jade piece and did as Jia Fu


    instructed.


    The Bamboo Gentleman appeared in his aperture and emitted a faint green glow, covering the primeval


    sea.


    Fang Yuan felt that if he said a single lie, the Bamboo Gentleman could detect it and turn its body from


    green into another color.


    But he only epted it because he had his trump card.


    “Spring Autumn Cicada!” With a thought, the Spring Autumn Cicada awakened and let out a trace of its


    aura.


    This aura was overpowering, and it immediately suppressed the Bamboo Gentleman.


    The Bamboo Gentleman emitted a green glow and immediately shrunk its body. Its entire body was


    curled up, trembling in fear. How could it have the excessive spirit to detect lies?


    Jia Fu begin interrogating, with his first question hitting home, “Fang Yuan, did you harm my brother Jia


    Jin Sheng?”


    “No!” Fang Yuan affirmed.


    Jia Fu asked, “Do you have any other information about him?”


    Fang Yuan shook his head, “No idea.”


    Jia Fu asked again, “Did you say anything dishonest to us earlier?”


    Fang Yuan shook his head again, “No.”


    “Alright, you can take out the Bamboo Gentleman now.” After finishing with three questions, Jia Fu


    instructed Fang Yuan.


    Fang Yuan took out the Bamboo Gentleman, and everyone saw that it was still an emerald green


    colour with no changes.


    The n elders heaved a sigh of relief.


    Jia Fu’s expression became milder as he kept the Bamboo Gentleman, cupping his fists towards Gu


    Yue Bo, “Much offense this time, brother Gu Yue.”


    “No matter, the truth is what we wanted to see as well.” Gu Yue Bo waved his hand, then sighed, “But


    what a pity for this Bamboo Gentleman.”


    The Bamboo Gentleman had the ability to detect lies and was a Rank four Gu, thus it was very


    valuable. But feeding and refining it was not easy. It had to be refined by an honest gentleman. If any


    other Gu Master had said a single lie, the refinement would fail and the Bamboo Gentleman would die


    on the spot.


    Its food was honesty. It would reside in the aperture of an honest gentleman and consuming the


    gentleman’s honesty as food to survive.


    Now that the Bamboo Gentleman had been opened, it was extremely weak, but it had no food to


    restore its strength. After being treated so harshly by Fang Yuan, its death was set in stone.


    Jia Fu shook his head, looking at the Bamboo Gentleman in his head, not feeling any pity.


    He said solemnly, “I have already done my best to investigate, but I received no results. This time,


    when I get back to the family, I will employ the divine investigator Tie Xue Leng(2), it would definitely


    get this matter cleared up! Goodbye.”


    Saying so, he cupped his fists towards Gu Yue Bo and left, crisp and quick, with a certain elegance to


    it.


    Seeing Jia Fu and the rest leaving, Gu Yue Bo heaved a sigh of relief and said, “You can all leave


    now.”


    He waved at the n elders, but suddenly thought of something and said, “Academy elder please stay


    back.”


    Without losing a single drop of sweat, Fang Yuan walked out of the family head’s pavilion safe and


    sound.


    (1) Phasmids: Stick-bugs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasmatodea


    (2) 铁血冷 – Tie Xue Leng, Tie means Metal and is the name of the Tie n. Xue Leng means cold


    blood. This name will be important.