Chapter 740

Li Yan had only suspected, not confirmed.

But Lu Chengye’s flight immediately exposed him.

“Where are you going?!”

Sha Lifei and others arrived just in time; seeing this, they sneered, reached forward, seized his arm, and applied a Red Fist technique—“Golden Thread Entwining Arm”—twisting it to pin him to the ground.

Everyone has their own talents, but their energy is always limited.

Though Lu Chengye was a master carpenter, his combat ability was truly mediocre.

After being pinned by Sha Li, sweat broke on his forehead; he struggled violently but regained his composure, shouting: “You brute, let go of this old man! My stomach hurts—I need to use the latrine!”

Lu Chengye’s cries echoed through the workshop, drawing the attention of many nearby craftsmen, who quickly gathered around.

Already tense from the tight deadline, they now saw the revered Master Lu pinned to the ground and erupted in fury.

“What are you doing?!” A bare-chested giant glared fiercely, snatched up a hammer, and charged forward. “Let go of Master Lu!”

Others blocked the door with red-hot iron tongs.

“Exactly! Who’s responsible for the delay?!” Other craftsmen crowded in, shouting accusations in unison.

They knew full well who Li Yan and his companions were.

Not only were they the famed Twelve Zodiacs of the Xuan Gate, but they also enjoyed close ties with the academy’s upper echelons and were specially appointed as patrons.

But Qiankun Academy was different.

This was an academy that respected craftsmen—craftsmen who could even take the imperial exams and enter court service, drawn here from all corners of the land.

If even a master could be arbitrarily humiliated, they might as well stay in their hometowns, earn more money, and be respected there.

Tao Fengchun, the Master of the Mo Family, strode forward with a dark expression.

His body was covered in soot, his eyes bloodshot; he barked: “This is madness! The divine statue’s waist clasp still needs its final step! If Master Lu suffers any mishap, who will bear the responsibility?!”

Sha Lifei, intimidated by the crowd’s fury, loosened his grip slightly.

Lu Chengye seized the chance to break free, staggered behind Tao Fengchun, and clutched his arm, looking wounded: “Master Tao, I only came to inspect the mortise-and-tenon joints—I urgently needed the latrine—and they attacked me without a word! I don’t know what’s gotten into them…”

Li Yan frowned, about to explain, but Tao Fengchun cut him off with a scolding: “Li Shaoxia, the court sent you to guard the statue, not to cause chaos! The Xuan Gate sects are watching closely—every moment delayed increases the risk!”

He pointed to the mountain of components piled in the distance, his voice rasping like rusted iron: “Three hundred and sixty joints—all rely on Master Lu’s oversight.”

“If you miss tomorrow’s auspicious hour, who will you answer to, Lord Zhao?!”

The old man was in a foul mood.

He had recently gone to great lengths to help Li Yan and his group forge weapons, only to have them sabotage him at the critical moment.

Hearing this, the craftsmen grew even angrier; some even grabbed tools and closed in.

Wang Daoxuan hurried to mediate: “Master Tao, please calm down—we sensed something unusual…”

“Unusual?” Tao Fengchun sneered, wood shavings still clinging to his beard. “Master Lu has worked in this workshop for over thirty years—he’s handled tens of thousands of magical artifacts! If you truly mean to guard, you should be watching those Xuan Gate people!”

With that, he grabbed Lu Chengye’s wrist. “Come! The northern bracket set still needs your calibration!”

He made it clear he was protecting Lu Chengye.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, hand gripping the hilt of Duan Chen.

He paid no mind to Tao Fengchun’s barbed anger.

The deadline was tight, the task immense—the old man was nearly driven mad by exhaustion.

But Lu Chengye’s evasive gaze and forced calmness only strengthened Li Yan’s suspicion; he stepped forward and blocked the two.

“Master Tao, calm down,” Li Yan said, raising his hand to stop them.

His voice was quiet, yet it drowned out all the noise in the workshop.

“As duty demands, I cannot comply. Master Lu’s conduct moments ago was indeed suspicious. The statue’s safety concerns the fate of the nation—I must thoroughly inspect this workshop and every item Master Lu handled before I can rest easy.”

“You—!”

Tao Fengchun trembled with rage, his white beard bristling.

“Li Shaoxia! Do you distrust me? Or do you distrust these craftsmen summoned by the court?!”

“Master Lu has served the state for decades with the highest virtue—how dare you make baseless accusations and humiliate him?!”

The old man was now bordering on delirious.

To him, this had become a matter of craftsmen’s honor—if he did not stand by Lu Chengye, the others would lose heart.

Especially now, at this critical moment, the statue might fail to be completed on time.

“I do not distrust you, Master Tao, nor do I distrust any of you craftsmen,” Li Yan replied, understanding the cause, yet his gaze remained sharp, locked firmly on Lu Chengye behind Tao Fengchun.

“Demons are cunning, their methods unpredictable. Better to over-investigate than to neglect a threat and cause catastrophe. If I am wrong today, I will personally apologize to Master Lu.” His voice was ironclad; he did not retreat a step.

Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan stood behind Li Yan; Wu Ba, Lu San, and Long Yan’er, who had arrived upon hearing the commotion, all wore grim expressions and raised their vigilance.

They trusted Li Yan’s instinct.

After all, none knew better than they the terror of the Jianmu demons—when necessary, even if it meant angering these craftsmen, they could not afford carelessness.

Just as the tension peaked and the craftsmen’s clamor grew louder, a deep, calm voice suddenly rang out at the workshop entrance.

“What is the dispute?”

The voice carried an invisible pressure, instantly silencing all noise.

All turned to see Master Huo Yin of the Divine Fist Sect standing with arms folded, having quietly appeared at the door.

His coarse linen robe was dusted with night dew and dirt; his face showed no fatigue from battle, only eyes as deep and still as a bottomless abyss, scanning the room with calm authority.

He had just driven back Zhang Tianshi; his aura had not yet faded. Merely standing there, he made the entire workshop fall utterly silent.

Tao Fengchun, seeing Huo Yin, felt as if he’d found his anchor; he rushed forward, pointing at Li Yan: “Master Huo! You’ve arrived just in time! Li Shaoxia… he baselessly suspects Master Lu Chengye of being a demon spy and intends to forcibly search the workshop!”

“Master Lu is merely a humble, honest craftsman—he has never left the academy! The schedule is already tight—what if we fall behind?!”

Huo Yin’s gaze lingered for an instant on Li Yan, then on Lu Chengye, showing no emotion.

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

Li Yan met Huo Yin’s gaze without flinching: “Respected elder, just now, as the battle below raged and morale was unstable, I sensed a brief, faint disturbance of demonic energy here. I then noticed Master Lu’s panicked expression and unusual behavior—he attempted to flee the core area hastily.”

“When instinct warns, better to over-investigate than to let a threat slip away.”

“Instinct?” Tao Fengchun laughed bitterly, slamming his hand against a nearby wooden rack, making the unfinished components tremble. “Fine! Fine! Since Li Shaoxia trusts his instinct so much—and has brought Master Huo as witness—I’ll make a wager with you today!”

He swept his gaze across the workshop, addressing all craftsmen and the arriving officers of the Capital Guard: “Master Huo is here! Everyone listen! I, Tao Fengchun, swear by the dignity of the Mo Family’s Master!”

“Li Shaoxia may search every inch of this workshop—especially every area and component handled by Master Lu! If he finds even a trace of evidence supporting his so-called ‘suspicion,’ I will kneel before him and the Twelve Zodiacs, apologize publicly, resign from my post as academy patron, and leave the Mo Family forever! But if you find nothing…”

He glared at Li Yan, each word sharp as a blade: “Then you and your people must leave Qiankun Academy—immediately, now!”

“We, the Mo Family and the Imperial Guard, are more than capable of guarding the statue—no need for the Twelve Zodiacs to trouble yourselves!”

Clearly enraged, Tao Fengchun was ready to break ties.