Feng Shui Chapter 180: Catching the Culprit

She stood up and briskly paced a few steps, but then remembered that the matches on the high platform were still ongoing and came to a halt.

Shi Fengdu also rose from his seat, his expression solemn as he said, “Rest assured, Workshop Mistress. So far, Ye Jinglan's matches have gone smoothly. Even if there was foul play involved, it likely wouldn’t affect this round. Once everyone has cleared out, we can send someone up to investigate.”

Mu Jinrong let out a long sigh. “You're right.” After sitting down again, she turned to Chen Xiao with gratitude. “Thank you for your timely reminder, Chen Xiao. I wouldn’t have thought of that otherwise.”

Whether her gratitude was sincere or not, she made it look genuine, and that, at least, was pleasant enough.

Chen Xiao smiled politely. “It was just a matter of coincidence. I happened to have heard of similar setups back in my hometown. While such schemes are rare on Yingxian Island, they do occur now and then in the mortal realm.”

Shi Fengdu found himself growing curious about Chen Xiao and asked, “Chen Xiao, where is your hometown?”

“Gengsheng Minor Heaven Realm." Chen Xiao replied without hesitation. He didn’t realize Shi Fengdu was merely making idle conversation and thought he was inquiring for specific background details. So he answered candidly, “Before setting out to train, I worked in a shop that dealt in antiquities. Similar contests exist in the mortal world, and some contestants will stop at nothing to win.”

Of course, Chen Xiao had never seen anything like that in any antiquities shop. What he was really drawing on were the countless TV dramas he had watched from his hospital bed in his previous life, bored and bedridden. The crafty tricks used by villains in those shows were endlessly inventive, real eye-openers.

Shi Fengdu nodded thoughtfully. “I see. That’s quite the unique perspective. As the saying goes, 'Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.' For someone so young, you’ve already had a wealth of experience. With time, your cultivation will surely flourish, and your future is boundless.”

There was clear admiration in his gaze.

Experience was one thing, but being able to quickly connect it with real events and pinpoint where a problem lay showed how sharp Chen Xiao’s mind was.

As the top disciple of the third generation under the Island Master of Yingxian Island, Shi Fengdu had access to abundant resources and exceptional talent. He’d never needed to envy others. In fact, he was simply in the habit of evaluating whether someone was worth recruiting. It wasn’t until much later that he realized something was amiss, because by then, Xi Yunqing’s face had already gone expressionless.

Chen Xiao, oblivious to this subtle shift, humbly lowered his head. “It’s just a little cleverness, not worthy of Young Master Shi’s praise.”

Shi Fengdu decided not to push his luck any further. With a practiced smile, he said, “It’s already past noon, why don’t we go have lunch? The Island Master's kitchen has prepared a fine spread.”

Chen Xiao had originally planned to return and continue watching the match, but after a moment’s thought, he changed his mind. The next round wouldn’t begin for another two hours, so he wouldn’t be missing anything important.

The chefs at the Island Master’s residence were even better than those at the Drunken Immortal Tavern. The food was exquisitely prepared and bursting with flavor. Chen Xiao hadn’t expected such a treat and ended up enjoying it so much that his eyes curved in delight.

Seeing his satisfied expression, the gloom in Xi Yunqing’s heart instantly lifted. As they ate, he even began quietly introducing the dishes, a far cry from his usual mealtime habit of silent dining.

Tong Nuonuo, who had been traveling with him for two or three years, was well aware of Xi Yunqing’s eating habits. Even with a slower sense for these things, he still noticed something was off. With cheeks stuffed full of food, he looked back and forth between the two, confused. But Chen Xiao and Xi Yunqing both remained calm and composed, revealing nothing on their faces. Eventually, Tong Nuonuo gave up and buried his head in the meal.

Tang Ru, on the other hand, was much more composed. She kept her gaze forward the entire time, as if the two people radiating warmth beside her simply didn’t exist.

After the meal, they didn’t return to the Wanjin Pavilion rooms behind the high platform, but instead went back to their private booth on the third floor. Along the way, others passed by, either leaving for a break or heading off to eat.

Back in the booth, Chen Xiao looked down at the high platform below. The scene had changed from the calm they’d left behind. Now it was Ye Jinglan who had taken the initiative, launching an offensive against Zhen Ning.

Judging from the boxes beside them, Ye Jinglan had a slight lead in progress. But rather than settle for a small advantage, she chose to press the attack and create obstacles for her opponent. This move surprised those who knew her.

Ye Jinglan had a gentle appearance and a kind temperament. The disciples of Wanjin Pavilion had all expected her to win by steadily maintaining her minor lead through defense and counterattacks, none had anticipated this level of aggression.

Only a handful of people in the audience understood why she was doing it. Ye Jinglan wanted to cement her advantage and ensure a near-certain victory.

Once the Island Master’s people took over guarding the high platform, both sides’ disciples stepped back and became spectators. Ye Jinglan’s bold strategy drew cheers from many of the Wanjin Pavilion girls, who shouted encouragement.

Chen Xiao walked to the front of the booth and carefully studied the expressions of the Wanjin Pavilion disciples. He watched for a long time, but found nothing unusual. The traitor had strong mental fortitude, no one showed even the slightest abnormal reaction.

He let out a quiet sigh. Xi Yunqing patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Brother Xiao. Your judgment is sound. Once Shi Fengdu’s people investigate during the break, they’ll surely find which item was tampered with. Working backward from there will greatly narrow the search. We’ll catch them soon.”

Chen Xiao nodded and said, “Let’s hope so.”

Under Ye Jinglan’s relentless harassment, Zhen Ning’s dyed threads were all failures for a stretch of time. Just as she was on the verge of losing control and erupting in fury, Ye Jinglan knew when to stop and gracefully withdrew. This almost made Zhen Ning cough up blood in frustration. Since the completion time was also a factor in the evaluation, she had no choice but to conserve her true essence and focus on catching up.

Not only did Ye Jinglan achieve her goal and gain the upper hand, but she also managed to complete the final stage of spinning without any further interference from Zhen Ning.

Ye Jinglan finished around four in the afternoon. She carefully placed the spindle, now wrapped in silk thread, into a box and locked it. Under Zhen Ning’s resentful gaze, she calmly stepped down from the high platform.

As soon as she descended, disciples from Qianxiu Workshop swarmed toward her, but they were quickly intercepted by people from the Island Lord’s Manor, who escorted Ye Jinglan away from the area.

The level of security was unprecedented, leaving the Qianxiu disciples at a loss. It wasn’t until Ye Jinglan had completely disappeared from sight that the crowd gradually dispersed.

So as not to affect Zhen Ning, who was still working on her dyeing, Shi Fengdu did not send anyone to the platform for inspection. He waited another half-hour until Zhen Ning finished and stepped down. Only then did he have everyone cleared from the first floor.

People in the surrounding booths also began to leave. Once most of the spectators had departed, Shi Fengdu personally led his team onto the stage.

This time, in order to avoid any suspicions, no one from Qianxiu Workshop participated in the inspection. Shi Fengdu didn’t only examine Ye Jinglan’s materials, he scrutinized those from Wanjin Pavilion with equal care.

Accompanying him was a cultivator specially invited for their expertise in medicine and dyes. It didn’t take long for them to pinpoint the issue: the dye.

At first glance, the dye appeared identical to the original, but its adhesion was significantly lower. With this altered dye, the adhesion of the purple gardenia pigment would be weak, producing a much paler color.

The color schemes had been carefully studied in advance, and even the slightest deviation could ruin everything. The traitor's scheme was insidious, even if Ye Jinglan noticed something was off during the process, it would’ve been too late. She would’ve been forced to carry on and inevitably lose to her opponent due to inferior quality.

Once the problem was identified, and with the help of Qianxiu Workshop disciples cleared of suspicion, Shi Fengdu’s people quickly apprehended the mole.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Xiao and the others hurried to the main room behind the platform where Qianxiu Workshop was stationed. Ye Jinglan wasn’t there, Mu Jinrong had no intention of informing her just yet. Besides the familiar faces, there was now a woman dressed in the standard attire of Qianxiu Workshop.

Before Chen Xiao’s group arrived, the woman had already been confronted and could no longer deny her actions. Faced with irrefutable evidence, she was forced to admit she had swapped the dye. Realizing her fate was sealed and that Mu Jinrong would never forgive such betrayal, she collapsed to the ground in despair, sobbing and clinging to Mu Jinrong’s feet.

“I was momentarily blinded by jealousy, please, Master, have mercy! I only did it because I couldn’t accept it. We joined the workshop at the same time, and I’ve never been inferior to Ye Jinglan in anything! I envied her for being chosen to represent us. I just wanted her replaced. I didn’t mean to truly harm the workshop! Please, don’t expel me from Qianxiu Workshop!”

Mu Jinrong was furious at her treachery. She and Ye Jinglan had both been carefully nurtured, yet this woman had turned out to be so disgraceful. Mu Jinrong cursed her own poor judgment and kicked the woman hard, sending her rolling.

“For the sake of a petty grudge, you dared sabotage Qianxiu Workshop’s future? You betrayed your fellow disciple! Betrayed our secrets! You’re not worthy to call yourself one of us! As of this moment, you are expelled from Qianxiu Workshop, you are no longer our disciple! If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you myself!”

Even after being kicked away, the woman crawled back to Mu Jinrong’s feet, clutching her skirt and crying desperately.

“Master, please, I beg you! I may have been jealous of Ye Jinglan, but I never intended to endanger Qianxiu Workshop. At first, I only passed along a single message. Later, they got something on me and I couldn’t back out. That’s how it all spiraled out of control. Master, I beg you, for the sake of a disciple who had no choice, please give me another chance!”

Mu Jinrong flung her sleeve with disgust, striking the woman so hard she flew across the room.

“Shameless! If you truly knew you were wrong, you should’ve come clean to me in the beginning. Would things have come to this? You did it again and again, still hoping to get away with it, clearly, you feel no remorse! Someone, drag her out of my sight!”

But just then, Shi Fengdu raised a hand to stop them. “Wait. Let me ask her one question.”

Mu Jinrong, still seething with anger, answered stiffly, “Go ahead, Young Master Shi.”

Shi Fengdu stepped in front of the woman and asked sternly, “You said you passed along a message in the beginning. Who did you give it to?”

The woman, barely clinging to life after the beatings, didn’t dare remain silent under Shi Fengdu’s gaze.

“It was a female disciple from Wanjin Pavilion… but I know she was acting under Zhen Ning’s orders!”