The Herb Garden Hall disciple nodded and stepped forward but Disciple Cai’s shout rang out through the courtyard.
"We have followed you for long enough! It’s about time you give up! You’ve found nothing but scraps of cloth and footprints that prove nothing!" Disciple Cai spoke.
Even Elder Cho walked and stood beside his disciple and glared at Rei.
"This charade has truly gone on for too long. The hour is almost up. Stop wasting time and let the judicial hall handle this, little disciple." Elder Cho spoke seriously as his expression darkened.
Hearing this even Rei took a step back from the intense suffocating pressure the two gave. Just as the pressure came, so did the inverse. Karn stood in between the two parties and looked at Elder Cho.
"Hall Master Mo gave my disciple one hour to complete her investigation. To disregard that time is to disregard the authority of the Martial Hall itself." Karn spoke gravely.
"Elder Cho, let Elder Karn’s disciple finish. If there is nothing here, your disciple has nothing to fear." Hall Master Mo nodded.
Elder Cho scoffed in frustration and took a step back. Disciple Cai’s expression darkened.
Silence descended over the courtyard. Rei looked at the Garden Hall disciple.
"Open it."
The Garden Hall disciple nodded and opened the storage shack. The inside was filled with spirit tools that were required for the herb gardens that the Garden Hall overlooked.
Rei stepped inside and her eyes scanned the entire shack. She had little time so she needed to find the robes as quickly as possible.
Her eyes moved across the shelves, gardening tools, empty spirit herb containers, bundles of dried grass and several sets of work clothes belonging to the Garden Hall disciples. But there was nothing.
’Where did he hide them?’ Rei’s fingers brushed against the floor.
A faint layer of dust covered the wooden boards except for one place. Rei’s eyes narrowed.
There was a rectangular patch beneath one of the shelves where the dust had been disturbed recently.
"Move this." She pointed toward the shelf.
Two Garden Hall disciples stepped forward and dragged it aside. A small wooden box sat underneath. Seeing this, Rei’s eyes lit up.
Rei opened the wooden box quickly and inside were several pieces of old cloth, gardening gloves and discarded robes.
Rei reached inside for the discarded robes immediately. The robes were made from the same blue fabric as the thread Rei had found in the bushes. The robe was old and worn, its sleeves faded from years of use but Rei’s eyes immediately noticed something else. There was dirt along the lower hem, the same dark soil she had seen near the eastern garden.
"Is this yours?" Rei held the robe toward Cai.
"Yes." Cai sighed but his expression remained calm.
"You said the robe you brought us earlier was the one you wore yesterday." Rei’s eyes narrowed.
"It is." Cai smiled faintly.
"Then why is this here?" Rei questioned.
"Because that is an old robe of mine."
"You wore this one yesterday."
"I did not." Disciple Cai answered.
"Then why are your robes torn exactly where we found the thread at the eastern garden?" She pointed at the thread that was falling off from the part of the torn robes.
Disciple Cai froze.
"None of that matters."
Rei’s eyes flickered. ’Got him!’
Rei pulled the robes closer to her nose. The scent of the Storm Orchid was overwhelming.
"Why do your robes have the scent of the Storm Orchid all over it?" Rei questioned.
"I work in the Herb Garden. Is it really so strange for my clothes to smell like herbs?" Cai’s expression stiffened.
"Not like this. This isn’t the smell of the garden. It’s the Storm Orchid itself." Rei held the robe closer.
"That just proves he handled the Storm Orchid. It does not prove he placed it in Shin’s pouch." Elder Cho spoke with a scoff of frustration.
"Yes, we have no witness who saw Disciple Cai place it there." Rei spoke as she scanned the robes once more.
"Master..." Rei looked at her master Karn.
Karn nodded and said "My disciple has completed her investigation. Please make a decision, Hall Master if this is satisfactory enough to vindicate my disciple."
Karn gave a deep bow towards Hall Master Mo. In response Hall Master Mo nodded and brought Elder Wang and Elder Mu to deliberate over the findings.
The three elders went over all the evidence that Rei’s investigation had gathered.
Disciple Cai had only reported the Storm Orchid missing in the morning even though he was on guard duty during the night. Cai’s old robes were hidden in the storage shack and carried the scent of the Storm Orchid. The hanging thread matched the robes and the robes have the same tear as the blue thread. Shin had been with Karn during the time Cai claimed to have seen him.
And yet...
....The Storm Orchid had still been found inside Shin’s pouch.
Karn stayed calm during this whole exchange but Elder Cho’s face was turning red from rage. Whatever plan he had devised, it had clearly not gone as he intended. His eyes wandered onto Rei with a killing intent hidden inside.
Hall Master Mo and the two elders eventually stopped deliberating and reached a decision.
"The evidence is not satisfactory to vindicate Shin completely...." As this was said Rei’s face turned to despair.
’Was it still not enough?!?’ She glanced at Shin with deep remorse.
Disciple Cai smiled and so did Elder Cho. Karn on the other hand stayed calm but his killing intent flared out ready to strike at any moment.
Before Elder Cho and his disciple could rejoice, Hall Master Mo completed his sentence.
"....But the uncovered evidence is enough that the original accusation and evidence is not enough to establish the truth."
Elder Cho and Disciple Cai’s smiles faded immediately.
"This...This.... Hall Master please reconside-!" Elder Cho spoke but realized too late he revealed his hand.
"Elder Cho, this decision shouldn’t matter to you as long as your disciple has not been judged guilty for framing a fellow disciple." Elder Mo spoke with a cold glint in his eye.
"Ye-Yes! This elder understands!" Elder Cho gave a quick bow.
"Disciple Cai." Hall Master Mo spoke.
"Yes, Hall Master." Cai stepped forward.
"Do you maintain that Shin stole the Storm Orchid?"
"I do." Disciple Cai replied.
"And you maintain that your brother was framed?" Elder Mo turned toward Rei.
"I do." Rei stepped forward.
"Then there is only one method left." Elder Mo nodded.
Rei’s eyes narrowed. She already knew what he was going to say.
"The Martial Exchange."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter