Chapter 313: False Accusation

"What did you lose, sir?"

Master Teacher Liu's eyebrows furrowed; he could tell the other party was deliberately saying this.

"I lost a very precious medicinal herb!"

Physician Bai Chan was already accustomed to this routine. He said indifferently, "Hand over the herb immediately, or I will report you and have you thrown into prison!"

"Master Teacher Liu, I didn't take anything from him. He's slandering me!" Zhao Ya hurriedly explained.

"That's right, Master Teacher Liu. Zhao Ya's father is the Lord of White Jade City. He has everything he could ever want. How could she possibly steal anything?"

"Teacher Zhang himself is an alchemist. What medicinal herb can't he buy? Why would he need to steal?" Zheng Yang and the others also stepped forward.

Having spent so much time together, they naturally trusted Zhao Ya's character. How could she possibly steal something from this disgusting old man?

"Hmm!" Master Teacher Liu cut off their words and looked up. "I am Liu Ling, a 1-star Master Teacher from Beiwu Kingdom. I've brought a few students here, and there might be some misunderstanding..."

With a flip of his wrist, a token representing his identity appeared in his palm.

"A 1-star Master Teacher?" Physician Bai Chan was momentarily stunned.

Master Teachers held an extremely high status in Tianwu Royal City; at the same rank, they were far superior to physicians. However, in Tianwu Royal City, the truly high-ranking ones were 2-star Master Teachers; 1-star was still a bit lacking. Besides, "a strong dragon cannot overpower a local snake." So what if he was a Master Teacher? As long as he wasn't from Tianwu Royal City, there were at least ten thousand ways to silence him.

Thinking this, and recalling how even some 1-star physicians had shown him respectful deference in recent days, his arrogance returned. His face darkened. "Misunderstanding? I am highly respected in the Physician Guild; even the guild master shows me deference. Are you saying I'm slandering your little student?"

"That's not what I meant..." Seeing that even after he revealed his identity, the other party spoke like this, Master Teacher Liu quickly explained.

A 1-star Master Teacher enjoyed revered status in kingdoms like Beiwu and Tianxuan, where no one dared offend them. But in a first-tier kingdom like Tianwu, their importance immediately diminished. Some powerful families and forces would even retain a few Master Teachers. Because of this, while the title instilled caution in many, truly powerful forces and influential individuals didn't pay much heed to it—unless... they reached the 2-star level!

With the Master Teacher Pavilion backing him, he wasn't particularly afraid, and no one would dare do anything to him. However, Zhao Ya and the others were different. They were unfamiliar with this place. If the issue wasn't resolved properly, it could lead to numerous disputes. And if things truly devolved into trickery, it could even damage his own reputation as a Master Teacher.

"If that's not what you meant, then what *do* you mean? Your student stole my item, and I've tracked them all the way here. Are you saying I can't get it back?" Physician Bai Chan waved his hand dismissively, his arrogance soaring. He knew what the other party feared, making him even more reckless.

"Gentlemen, what's going on here?" The argument between the two parties was loud. Just then, the owner of Tianwu Inn rushed over.

"One of your guests stole my item. What do you think is going on?" Physician Bai Chan casually pulled over a chair and sat down.

"This..." The owner's face was full of anxiety. He had just heard: on one side was a 1-star Master Teacher, and on the other, Physician Bai Chan, who was currently the hottest and most influential figure in the Physician Guild. He couldn't afford to offend either.

"I won't make things difficult for you. Since you can't resolve this, go invite the patrol team. I'm sure there's one outside!" With a raised eyelid, Physician Bai Chan remained fearless. A Master Teacher from a small place like Beiwu Kingdom... was nothing to be afraid of.

"Yes, yes!" The owner breathed a sigh of relief and quickly gestured. A waiter, hearing the instruction, hurried out.

Tianwu Royal City was vast, and daily disputes needed prompt resolution to maintain order. The patrol team was the royal family's dedicated force responsible for maintaining public security. Whenever trouble arose, they could be notified to come.

"Well... what medicinal herb did you lose, sir? It's quite inconvenient to disturb the patrol team at this late hour. Perhaps we can resolve this privately?" Hearing that the patrol team was to be called, Master Teacher Liu could only cup his fists.

Being on someone else's turf had this disadvantage: the patrol team would certainly side with him. If they truly concluded that Zhao Ya had stolen the item, the various interrogations and trials would be extremely troublesome. If he were alone, he naturally wouldn't be afraid; without an order from the Master Teacher Pavilion, no one would dare arrest him. But Zhao Ya and the others came from a small place like Tianxuan Kingdom and had no significant status. Once an investigation began, it would be difficult to conclude in less than a month or two. Furthermore, once they were in prison, wouldn't the other party be able to say whatever they wanted?

He had been entrusted by his "Senior Brother" to bring these students here. If they were imprisoned, how would he explain himself to his "Senior Brother"? Therefore, he decided to settle the matter peacefully to avoid further trouble.

"What medicinal herb did I lose? Since you want to know, I'll tell you. I lost a Millennium Iron Azure Flower. If sold... its value would be at least ten million gold coins. Settling privately is fine: either compensate me ten million gold coins, or hand this girl over to me to deal with." Physician Bai Chan looked over triumphantly.

"You... nonsense!"

"Slander!"

Zhao Ya hadn't expected the other party to be so shameless; her pretty face flushed crimson with anger, and her breathing became rapid. Zheng Yang and the others clenched their fists.

"A Millennium Iron Azure Flower?" Master Teacher Liu's expression also turned somewhat grim. As a Master Teacher, though not proficient in medicine, he had heard of the Iron Azure Flower. It was a valuable medicinal herb, especially when it reached a thousand years old, making it even more precious. If truly sold, ten million gold coins might not even be enough to buy it. While he had accumulated ten million gold coins over his many years, having so much extorted from him all at once was unbearable, even for him.

"Precisely!" Physician Bai Chan tapped his finger on the table, raising an eyelid. "I just bought this herb, and it disappeared after I encountered your student. If she didn't steal it, then who did? Either pay up, or if you don't want to pay, let me take her back for questioning. Otherwise, I'll just publicize this matter, saying you condoned your student's theft, and we'll see if the Master Teacher Pavilion takes action."

As he spoke, he poured himself a cup of water from the table and looked over with a smug expression.

"This..." Master Teacher Liu's face was livid. The other party had clearly grasped the Master Teacher's weakness. All Master Teachers cherished their reputation. If he were truly framed for condoning student theft, how could he ever pass the 2-star assessment in the future? How could he face anyone?

*Clank, clank!*

The room was tense when a group of people walked in. It was the patrol team the waiter had gone to fetch. These individuals all possessed the strength of the Aperture Opening realm, and the one at the very front was even a Tongxuan realm expert. Clad in full iron helmets and wielding long swords, they exuded an aura of cold, unyielding resolve.

"Greetings, Physician Bai Chan!" The patrol team entered the hall. The leader took one look, recognized Bai Chan, and stepped forward to cup his fists.

If one were to ask who had the most momentum in the entire Royal City recently, it would naturally be Her Royal Highness Third Princess Mo Yu. As for the next, it would probably be the person sitting before them. It was said that he had cured an illness that even 3-star physicians couldn't diagnose. His true strength had likely surpassed the 3-star level, reaching a higher realm, but he hadn't taken the assessment due to insufficient cultivation.

"Oh, so it's Captain Yao!" Raising an eyelid, Bai Chan recognized the other party. He waved his hand grandly. "Since it's you, this will be easy. That girl stole the Millennium Iron Azure Flower, a medicinal herb Grand Apothecary just gave me. How do you suggest we handle this?"

"Grand Apothecary?" Captain Yao's expression subtly changed.

The Grand Apothecary was widely renowned and represented the Poison Hall. Because of this, he had practically become a hegemon in Honglian City, and the Tianwu royal family had never dared to deploy troops against him. The Grand Apothecary personally giving him medicinal herbs meant the rumors were true. This matter had to be handled with extreme care.

"Daring to steal Physician Bai Chan's medicinal herbs? How audacious!" With a cold snort, Captain Yao stepped forward, stopping before Master Teacher Liu. "Master Teacher, I respect your status and will not lay hands on you. Please, hand over this student! Let me take her back for interrogation. Rest assured, the patrol team is fair and just. If she is truly innocent, you will naturally receive a just resolution. But if she did steal something, even if you are a Master Teacher, we will not hesitate to report this to the Master Teacher Pavilion!"

"This... please don't be hasty. We are willing to settle this privately!" Seeing that the two parties knew each other and knowing that if Zhao Ya were taken, she would certainly be confirmed as guilty of theft, Master Teacher Liu took a deep breath and said.

"Master Teacher Liu, no!"

"Zhao Ya didn't steal anything, so why should we settle privately?"

"That's right, Master Teacher Liu, if we settle privately, it's tantamount to admitting that Zhao Ya took their item, which would greatly harm your reputation as a teacher..." Hearing Master Teacher Liu's intention to settle privately, Zheng Yang, Lu Xun, and the others anxiously cried out.

Once settled privately, it would imply a guilty conscience, as if she truly stole the item. Master Teacher Liu's reputation would be greatly damaged, and if it reached the Master Teacher Pavilion, he might even be subjected to an investigation. At that point, he would truly be unable to defend himself.

"Enough! All of you, be quiet!" Master Teacher Liu waved his hand. If they didn't settle privately, Zhao Ya would inevitably be taken back for interrogation. Having lost a student he was supposed to bring, how could he face his "Senior Brother"?

"Settle privately?" Physician Bai Chan clicked his tongue in surprise, seeing that this Master Teacher was willing to pay ten million gold coins for his student. Then he let out a cold laugh. "Settling privately is fine, but I've just had a thought: this Millennium Iron Azure Grass is incredibly valuable. Ten million gold coins wouldn't even buy it. It would probably cost fifty million gold coins. Hand over the gold coins, and I'll leave immediately. If you can't produce them, I'm sorry, but I'm taking the girl with me today!"

"Fifty million? You... what kind of medicinal herb could be worth that much?"

"He just said ten million, and now he's raising the price immediately. Despicable..." Hearing this fellow instantly raise the price of the medicinal herb to fifty million, everyone was enraged, glaring angrily.

Master Teacher Liu also clenched his fists. He had been a Master Teacher for so many years; when had he ever suffered such humiliation?!

"What's wrong? If you want to settle privately, do it quickly. Don't dally here. My time is precious; I don't have leisure to waste on you!" Physician Bai Chan picked up his teacup and looked over with a smug expression.

"You..." Master Teacher Liu's face was ashen.

"Master Teacher Liu, I'll go with them. He clearly accosted me and then framed me for stealing a medicinal herb! I refuse to believe there's no justice in the entire Tianwu Kingdom!" Zhao Ya stepped forward and declared loudly.

Inside the room, Zhang Xuan, who had just finished washing up and was about to sleep, suddenly froze. "That sounds a bit like... Zhao Ya? Could they have arrived?"