Chapter 11 Cracked Jar

The cracked jar made a sharp, ugly sound that as it broke.Everyone near the storage pavilion froze.

Chen Yu’s cold eyes moved from the crate in Lin Feng’s hands to the two outer disciples who were still standing close to where the loose brick had been.

"Explain," Chen Yu said.

The taller of the two saboteurs recovered first. He pointed straight at Lin Feng, face full of righteous anger.

"Senior Brother Chen, we saw everything! He was carrying the crates carelessly and kicked the support brick when he walked past. We only came closer because we noticed the stack was unstable!"

The second one quickly nodded. "Yes! We were trying to warn him, but he ignored us. Now look, a spirit herb jar is broken. That’s sect property!"

Lin Feng slowly set the crate down on the stone ground. He didn’t look particularly worried.

"How convincing, especially the part where you were already standing next to the loose brick before I came back up the steps." He said.

The taller disciple’s face stiffened.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I’m saying that if I wanted to break a jar, I wouldn’t do it in front of an Enforcement Hall disciple while carrying the crate myself. That would be stupid even for me."

A few outer disciples who had been drawn by the noise stopped at a distance to watch. The situation was no longer private. Chen Yu’s gaze swept over the ground. The displaced brick was obvious. So was the position of the two disciples. His expression grew colder.

"You two. Why were you in this area? This storage path is not part of the usual outer sect routes."

"We were just walking!" the shorter one said quickly. "Is that a crime now?"

Lin Feng sighed and took the Echo Mockery Bell out of his sleeve. He gave it a light shake.

A high pitched, exaggerated version of the taller disciple’s voice suddenly rang across the pavilion.

"He was carrying the crates carelessly and kicked the support brick when he walked past!"

"He was carrying the crates carelessly and kicked the support brick when he walked past!"

"He was carrying the crates carelessly and kicked the support brick when he walked past!"

The repeated accusation sounded ridiculous in the bell’s mocking tone. A couple of the watching disciples let out poorly hidden snorts of laughter.

The taller saboteur’s face turned red.

"You—! What did you do?!"

Lin Feng put the bell away and activated the Thin Face Amulet. A cool sensation spread across his skin. When he spoke again, his words carried a more power than usual.

"You came to a restricted storage area for no reason, stood next to an already loose brick, and waited until I was carrying a crate to knock it loose. Then you immediately tried to pin it on me in front of Senior Brother Chen. If you’re going to frame someone, at least practice first. This performance is embarrassing."

The amulet’s effect sank in. Both saboteurs flushed deeper, the public loss of face hitting them harder than normal.

"You shut your mouth!" the taller one snapped. "Everyone knows you’re under observation! You’re exactly the type to destroy sect property and act innocent!"

"Then why do you sound so nervous?" Lin Feng asked mildly. "If your story is solid, you shouldn’t need to shout."

The shorter disciple made a mistake. Under the pressure of the eyes on him and the amulet’s effect, he blurted out, "We were only supposed to make it look like an accident—!"

He stopped too late. The taller one turned and glared at him in pure fury. Chen Yu’s expression froze over completely.

"So," Chen Yu said in a very quiet voice, "you were trying to make it look like an accident."

The two saboteurs went pale.

"That’s not what I meant, Senior Brother! I misspoke!"

Chen Yu did not look interested in excuses. He took out a recording jade and spoke into it with a flat tone.

"Outer disciples Jiang Tao and Wei Hutao. Present in a restricted storage area without assignment. Suspected intentional interference with sect property. Conflicting statements given. To be noted on record."

He turned his eyes to Lin Feng.

"Lin Feng. The jar broke while in your possession. That will also be noted. However, given the circumstances, no further punishment will be issued at this time. Finish moving the remaining crates. Then leave."

It was the most balanced outcome Chen Yu was willing to give. The two saboteurs looked like they wanted to argue, but the Enforcement Hall disciple’s expression made them swallow their words. They cupped their fists stiffly and left with dark faces. The moment they turned away, the system reacted.

[ Jiang Tao’s humiliation has turned into deep resentment ]

[ Wei Hutao’s fear is mixing with anger ]

[ Rage Value +169 ]

Lin Feng finished moving the rest of the crates without further comment. Chen Yu watched him the entire time, as if expecting another incident to appear out of thin air.When the last crate was placed in the lower storage room, Chen Yu spoke again.

"Your name appears in too many reports. That will not end well for you."

Lin Feng wiped his hands on his robes.

"I’ll take that as advice brother chen."

Chen Yu stared at him for a second longer, then turned and left with the other Enforcement disciple. On the way back toward the outer dormitories, Lin Feng noticed a few disciples standing along the path. Most of them looked away when he glanced in their direction. A couple, however, didn’t bother hiding their expressions...

One looked openly annoyed by the continued drama. Another, a thin disciple with average features, actually gave a very small nod before walking off. It was closer to reluctant acknowledgment.

Lin Feng remembered Gao Ren’s words. Not everyone hated him. Some people had been stepped on by the same bullies for a long time. Watching someone push back, even in a shameless way, was not entirely unwelcome to them.

The outer sect was not a single wall of hostility. It was uneven. That information was useful.

By the time he returned to Room 404, the sky had gone dark. Lu Cang nearly dropped his water flask when Lin Feng opened the door.

"You’re back? You’re not locked up? What happened?"

Lin Feng sat down on his cot and opened the system screen.

[ Current Rage Points: 716 ]

[ Milestone Progress: 7/10 ]

[ Note: Host continues to convert manual labor into personal entertainment ]

He leaned back against the wall, a faint smile on his face.