Chapter 737: Searching the Workshop for Evil Objects

Li Yan had only suspected it, not confirmed it.

But Lu Chengye's running away immediately gave the game away.

"Where are you going?!"

Hearing Sha Lifei and the others happened to arrive, and seeing this, he gave a sneer, reached out to probe and twist, using the "Golden Silk Entangling Arm" of Red Fist, directly pinning him to the ground by his arm.

People each have their own talents, but their energy is limited.

Although Lu Chengye was a master carpenter, his combat power was truly average.

After being pinned by Sha Li, sweat broke out on his forehead, and he struggled violently, but he also sobered up, cursing loudly: "You brute, let go of this old man, my stomach hurts, I need to go to the latrine!"

Lu Chengye's shouting echoed in the workshop, immediately attracting the attention of many artisans nearby, who surrounded them one after another.

They were already on edge due to the tight schedule, and at this moment, seeing the highly respected Master Lu pinned to the ground, they were filled with righteous indignation.

"What are you doing!" A bare-chested strong man glared, picked up a hammer, and rushed over. "Let go of Master Lu!"

Others also picked up red-hot iron tongs and blocked the gate.

"Exactly, who will be responsible for delaying the progress!" Other artisans also surrounded them, accusing them in a jumble of voices.

They naturally knew the identities of Li Yan and the others.

Not only were they the famous Twelve Yuan Chen of the Mystic Sect martial world, but they were also on close terms with the upper echelons of the academy and were special offerings hired by the academy.

But the Qiankun Academy was different.

This was an academy that respected artisans, and they could even participate in the imperial examinations and become officials in the future, which was why they had gathered from all over the place.

If they were still to be bullied at will, and even the master couldn't be spared, then they might as well stay in their local areas, where they could earn more money and be respected.

Mo Sect Grandmaster Tao Fengchun's face was even gloomier, and he strode over.

He was covered in smoke and ash, his eyes bloodshot, and he shouted sternly: "Nonsense! The god idol's waist buckle is still in the final process, if Master Lu has any mishap, can you bear the responsibility!"

Hearing Sha Lifei was intimidated by the crowd's momentum, and the strength in his hands loosened a bit.

Lu Chengye took the opportunity to break free, stumbling behind Tao Fengchun, clutching his arm with a face full of grievance: "Tao Shi, this old man was just here to check the mortise and tenon, in a hurry to go to the latrine, they made a move without saying a word, I don't know what kind of madness they've caught..."

Li Yan's brows locked tightly, and he was about to explain, but Tao Fengchun had already scolded him head-on: "Li Li Shaoxia, the imperial court sent you to protect the god idol, not to cause trouble! Right now, the various Mystic Sects are eyeing us like tigers, and every moment of delay adds a point of risk!"

He pointed to the mountain of components piled in the distance, his voice raspy like the friction of rust: "Three hundred and sixty joints and mortise-and-tenon connections—everything depends on Master Lu's oversight."

"If we miss tomorrow's auspicious hour, how will you explain it to Eunuch Zhao?"

The old man was in a very bad mood at this moment.

He had spent a lot of effort helping Li Yan and the others refine artifacts a while ago, but he didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, they would cause trouble for him at the critical moment.

The artisans were even more indignant when they heard this, and some even picked up tools and surrounded them.

Wang Daoxuan saw this and hurriedly smoothed things over: "Tao Shi, calm down, we also sensed something unusual..."

"Unusual?" Tao Fengchun sneered and interrupted, his beard still stained with wood shavings. "Master Lu has been in the workshop for thirty years, and the Dharma artifacts he has handled number in the tens of thousands! If you really had the heart to protect, you should be watching those Mystic Sect people!"

Having said that, he grabbed Lu Chengye's wrist. "Let's go! The dougong on the north side is still waiting for you to correct!"

It was clear he was going to protect Lu Chengye.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, his hand pressing tightly on the hilt of the Dust-Breaking Blade.

He didn't take Tao Fengchun's angry words to heart.

The time was tight and the task was heavy, and the old man was almost busy to the point of madness.

Instead, it was Lu Chengye's evasive eyes and forced calmness that made him believe his judgment even more, and he strode forward to block the two.

"Tao Shi, calm down." Li Yan reached out to block the two.

His voice was not high, but it clearly covered the noise in the workshop.

"It is my duty, I cannot comply. Just now, Master Lu's behavior was indeed suspicious. The safety of the god idol concerns the national fortune, allow me to carefully inspect the workshop and all items handled by Master Lu, and only then can I be at ease."

"You!"

Tao Fengchun was trembling with anger, his gray beard curling up.

"Li Li Shaoxia! Do you not trust this old man? Or do you not trust us artisans recruited by the imperial court?!"

"Master Lu is highly respected and has served the country for decades, how can you allow yourself to be so groundlessly suspicious and insulting!"

This old man was already a bit obsessed at this moment.

For him, this matter had risen to the reputation of the artisans; if he didn't strongly support Lu Chengye, the artisans around would inevitably feel cold.

Especially at this critical moment, the god idol might not be completed as scheduled because of this.

"It is not that I do not trust Tao Shi, and even less that I do not trust all the master artisans." Li Yan naturally understood the reason, but his gaze remained like electricity, firmly locking onto Lu Chengye behind Tao Fengchun.

"The demon people are treacherous, and their methods are unfathomable. I would rather investigate and find nothing than let a disaster happen due to negligence. If Li has any mistakes today, I will naturally apologize to Master Lu." His voice was resolute, and he didn't take a single step back.

Hearing Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan stood behind Li Yan, and Wu Ba, Lu San, and Long Yan'er, who had come upon hearing the news, all looked solemn and raised their vigilance.

They naturally believed in Li Yan's intuition.

After all, no one knew the terror of the Jianmu demon people better than them; at the critical moment, even if they chose to make a move and offend these artisans, they could not be careless.

Just as the atmosphere was tense and the artisans were making more and more noise, a deep and calm voice suddenly sounded at the workshop door.

"What is the dispute?"

The voice carried an invisible pressure, instantly suppressing all the noise.

Everyone looked toward the sound, only to see Divine Fist Grandmaster Huo Yin standing with his hands behind his back, having quietly appeared at the door at some point.

He was wearing that coarse linen garment stained with fine night dew and dust, and no fatigue from the battle could be seen on his face, only his eyes were as deep as an abyss, sweeping across the scene calmly.

Having just repelled Heavenly Master Zhang, the momentum on him had not yet dissipated; just by standing there, he made the entire workshop instantly fall into a pin-drop silence.

Tao Fengchun saw Huo Yin, as if he had found his backbone, and immediately strode forward, pointing at Li Yan and saying in a deep voice: "Grandmaster Huo! You've come just in time! Li Li Shaoxia... he is groundlessly suspecting Master Lu Chengye of being a demon spy and intends to forcibly search the workshop!"

"Master Lu is just an honest and simple artisan and has never left the academy. The schedule is already tight, what if the progress is delayed?"

Huo Yin's gaze lingered on Li Yan and Lu Chengye for a moment, without any emotional fluctuation.

He turned to Li Yan: "Li Yan, what evidence do you have?"

Li Yan met Huo Yin's gaze calmly: "Senior, please observe. Just now, the fierce battle at the foot of the mountain was in full swing, and everyone's hearts were wavering. I sensed a brief and weak evil Qi disturbance here, and then discovered Master Lu's panicked expression and abnormal behavior, attempting to leave the core area in a hurry."

"It is a feeling; I would rather investigate too much than leave hidden dangers unchecked."

"A feeling?" Tao Fengchun laughed out of extreme anger. He slammed his hand on the wooden rack beside him, shaking the undried components on it slightly. "Good! Good, what a feeling! Since Li Li Shaoxia is so confident in his feeling and has dragged Grandmaster Huo to witness it, this old man will make a bet with you today!"

He looked around, his voice like a bell, toward the full workshop of artisans and some Commandant's Office guards who had rushed over: "Grandmaster Huo is here! Everyone listen! I, Tao Fengchun, am willing to guarantee with the dignity of a Mo Sect Grandmaster!"

"Li Li Shaoxia can search inside and outside this workshop, especially all the areas and components handled by Master Lu! If he can find even a trace of evidence to support his so-called 'suspicion,' this old man will kowtow to him and the Twelve Yuan Chen in public to apologize, resign from the position of academy offering, and quit the Mo Sect from now on! If you search and find nothing..."

He stared fixedly at Li Yan, word by word: "Then please, Li Li Shaoxia, take your people and leave the Qiankun Academy immediately!"

"The matter of protecting the god idol, my Mo Sect and the Forbidden Army are enough to handle, no need for the Twelve Yuan Chen to worry!"

Clearly, his anger had flared up, and Tao Fengchun was ready to turn against them. ===== CHAPTER 738 =====