Chapter 115: Holy Object

Treasure? Hmph! You barbarian lands, treasures are nothing but scrap copper and rotten iron!

Master Tang curled his lip in contempt, looking haughty.

The Bosi envoy flew into a rage, a vicious light flashing in his eyes.

Bold! How dare you insult our Bosi holy object—the Scarlet Flame Stone!

He suddenly drew the saber at his waist, blade pointing straight at Master Tang.

This Scarlet Flame Stone is the supreme treasure of our Bosi nation—how can you, a bunch of rats, dare to slight it!

"Scarlet Flame Stone?" Zhao frowned.

"I have never heard of this before."

"Hmph, that's because you are ignorant and narrow-minded!"

The envoy sheathed his saber and said arrogantly:

"The Scarlet Flame Stone contains immense power; it is the holy object passed down through generations in our Bosi nation."

"Now it has been stolen by that Hawei; you must hand him over, or else..."

"Or else what?"

Zhao's tone turned icy, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Or else, in seven days, the Bosi army will raze Wangjiang Cheng!"

The envoy's tone was hard, refusing to yield.

"What big talk!" Zhao slammed the table and shouted angrily:

"Do you think Wangjiang Cheng is a lamb for the slaughter?"

"Even if your Bosi army really comes, it's still uncertain who will win!"

"Please calm down, sir."

Jiang Xiaomu stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said:

"Envoy, you have come a long way; surely you are just following orders."

"Why not let us investigate first to see whether Hawei truly stole your holy object?"

The envoy gave a cold snort.

"Investigate? No need! We already have solid evidence."

"It proves Hawei is the culprit who stole the Scarlet Flame Stone!"

"If you don't hand over Hawei and the Scarlet Flame Stone by then, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

Having said that, the envoy flicked his sleeves and left, leaving everyone in the hall staring at each other.

"What are we to do?" Master Tang said, brows furrowed with worry.

"The Bosi forces are coming with great might; how should we respond?"

Zhao pondered for a moment, then looked at Jiang Xiaomu.

"Mr. Jiang, I leave this matter to you; you must uncover the truth and give the Bosi envoy an explanation."

Jiang Xiaomu nodded.

"Sir, rest assured, I will go investigate right away."

After leaving the Governor's Mansion, Jiang Xiaomu headed straight to Hawei brothers' shop.

At that moment, the shop's doors were tightly shut, with a wooden sign hanging above that read "Closed for the day" in large characters.

Jiang Xiaomu secretly thought:

"It seems the Hawei brothers have sensed something amiss and made preparations in advance."

He stepped forward and knocked on the door, waited a moment, but there was no movement.

He knocked a few more times, still no response.

"Could they not be here?"

Jiang Xiaomu felt doubtful, about to leave, when suddenly he heard a faint footsteps from inside the door.

With a creak, the door opened.

Hawei poked his head out, eyeing Jiang Xiaomu warily.

"Lord Jiang, why have you come..."

Jiang Xiaomu got straight to the point and said:

"Regarding the Bosi envoy's matter, I'd like to talk with you."

Hawei's face changed slightly, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Saying that, he was about to close the door.

Jiang Xiaomu, quick-eyed and quick-handed, put his hand on the door panel, looking at him with a half-smile.

"Boss Hawei, are you feeling guilty as a thief?"

Hawei's face flushed red, and he stammered:

"I... I didn't."

"Whether you did or not, you know it yourself." Jiang Xiaomu's tone grew heavier.

"The Bosi envoy says you stole their holy object—the Scarlet Flame Stone; do you admit it?"

Upon hearing the words "Scarlet Flame Stone," Hawei's pupils contracted sharply, a flash of panic in his eyes.

But he quickly steadied himself, forcing calm as he said:

"I've never even heard of the Scarlet Flame Stone; they must have made a mistake."

"Really?" Jiang Xiaomu looked at him half-believing, half-doubting.

Why not let me go in and search? That would also prove your innocence.

Hawei hesitated for a moment, but eventually stepped aside.

Jiang Xiaomu walked into the shop and looked around. The shop wasn't large, displaying some exotic treasures, dazzling to the eye, yet it appeared somewhat disordered.

"Brother Hawei, where did you get all these things?"

Jiang Xiaomu casually picked up a peculiarly shaped antique and asked.

"These are all things I've collected from various places." Hawei explained.

"My brother and I have traveled far and wide, seeing plenty of rare curiosities."

Jiang Xiaomu nodded, his gaze falling on a tightly closed door in the corner of the shop.

"What's behind that door?"

"It's my bedroom; there's nothing to see."

Hawei's eyes flickered; he clearly didn't want Jiang Xiaomu to enter.

"If there's nothing to see, then I should be allowed to look even more."

Jiang Xiaomu pressed closer step by step.

"Otherwise, I would find it hard to believe in your innocence."

Hawei's face alternated between green and white, and he eventually opened the door helplessly.

The room wasn't large, simply furnished with only a bed, a table, and a cabinet.

Jiang Xiaomu walked to the cabinet and reached out to pull open its door.

The cabinet was empty, containing nothing.

"It seems I was overthinking."

Jiang Xiaomu said this feigning ease, then turned to leave.

Just then, she caught a glimpse of something under the table from the corner of her eye.

He bent over and saw a black wooden box lying there.

"What is this?"

Jiang Xiaomu picked up the box and asked.

Hawei's face changed drastically; he snatched the box and clutched it tightly to his chest.

"This… this is my personal belongings, it has nothing to do with you!"

"Personal belongings?" Jiang Xiaomu snorted coldly.

"I think it's stolen goods!"

Hawei's face turned pale, his lips trembling, unable to speak.

Jiang Xiaomu snatched the box and opened it.

Inside the box lay a black stone, emitting a faint red glow.

"Is this the Scarlet Flame Stone?"

Jiang Xiaomu asked.

Hawei slumped onto the floor, head lowered, saying nothing more.

Jiang Xiaomu gazed at the black stone, thinking to himself:

"It seems the matter is more complicated than I imagined."

Hawei sat collapsed on the floor, his eyes vacant.

"It… it is the Scarlet Flame Stone…"

His voice was hoarse, trembling with despair.

Jiang Xiaomu crouched, his sharp eyes fixed on him.

"Tell me, what exactly is going on with this thing?"

Hawei took a deep breath and related an ancient legend in fragments.

"It is said that, hundreds of years ago, the Bosi King, during a hunt,"

"personally witnessed a heavenly fire fall from the sky, landing in the mountains."

"The Bosi King ordered people to find this burning stone, and they discovered it was miraculously intact."

"It merely emitted a faint red glow, warm to the touch, and even more astonishing, the person who possessed this stone"

"seemed to gain some unfathomable power, able to influence the emotions of those around them, even… alter the human magnetic field."

Jiang Xiaomu took hold of the "Scarlet Flame Stone," feeling it warm and smooth, with a dark red light subtly flowing across its black surface.