Chapter 79: Open Insult

"Master, report this to the authorities, it must be reported!"

"Yes, Master, report it and demand compensation for the damage!"

The monks were furious.

The abbot stood there with a cold expression, twirling two beads of his prayer bracelet. He turned to look at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing said, "Master, please discern the truth. My third uncle would never be the kind of scoundrel to smash the flower shed. We stand by our innocence, so go ahead, report it!"

Zhou Huaihai snorted, "Just because you say it wasn't him, doesn't mean it wasn't! There's solid evidence and witnesses! Let’s see how you can deny it this time!"

He emphasized the word "this."

Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhou Huaihai, "Whether it's a case of a thief crying 'thief' or false accusation, it will all be clear once it's reported! Some people really forget past lessons!"

Zhou Huaihai's face darkened. "Are you mocking me?"

"No, I'm openly insulting you."

So, the rumors about this girl refusing marriage were true—she's bold!

It looked like things were about to get interesting!

Since joining the monastery, it had been so long since they'd seen a good confrontation.

The abbot flicked his prayer beads and said, "Report it!"

Immediately, a young monk received the order and ran off.

As he ran, he frowned, wondering why his master's voice sounded a bit gloating.

The county magistrate, meanwhile, was lamenting his fate, as his wife had tasked him with tutoring their son. He was so frustrated he was pounding his chest in despair.

Upon receiving the news, he rushed over like the wind.

As long as he didn’t have to tutor his son, he'd do anything!

Upon arriving at Qingquan Temple, he immediately spotted Zhou Huaihai and then saw Zhou Qing. His heart sank with a torrent of curses.

I'd rather be tutoring my son right now!

Does this case even need to be judged?

It’s clearly a frame-up!

But he couldn't afford to offend Zhou Yuan by punishing Zhou Huaihai, and neither could he wrong Zhou Qing and Zhou Huailin.

What a mess!

This situation was impossible!

After inspecting the scene of the crime, the magistrate set up court on an open space outside the flower shed.

"Do you admit your guilt?"

With no gavel at hand, the magistrate slammed his hand down hard on the stone table beside him.

The more furious he was, the harder he slammed it.

Ouch!

Silently gritting his teeth, he pulled his hand back and looked toward Zhou Huailin, who was kneeling there.

Zhou Huailin shook his head vigorously. "Your Honor, please see the truth. I didn't do it. I don't even know how I ended up at the flower shed."

A nearby monk shouted, "Nonsense! We clearly saw you committing the crime, and you’re still trying to argue!"

"Exactly! We all saw it."

The other monks chimed in.

"You all saw him smash it?"

The monk shook his head, "Not exactly, but when we arrived, he was standing there with a hoe in his hand, in the flower shed. If it wasn't him, who was it?"

"So, no one actually saw him commit the crime."

One monk pointed at Zhou Huaihai’s guard. "He saw it."

The magistrate turned his sharp gaze toward the guard, his eyes cold and threatening. Even his voice carried a deeper tone of authority.

"You saw him commit the crime?"

The sudden shift in the magistrate’s tone startled the guard, who couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Huaihai.

Zhou Huaihai gave him an almost imperceptible nod, signaling him to stay calm.

The guard then dropped to his knees. "Your Honor, I saw it with my own eyes. It was this man who used the hoe to smash the flower shed."

The magistrate glanced at Zhou Huaihai before shifting his gaze back to the guard.

"You saw him smash the shed. Did you call for help at the time?"

The guard replied, "Yes, I called for help, and these monks here are the ones I brought over."

The monks immediately confirmed this.

The magistrate nodded, then turned to Zhou Huailin. "With eyewitnesses and physical evidence, what more can you say?"

Zhou Huailin cried out in distress, "Your Honor, I’m innocent! I don’t even know how I ended up in the flower shed. I was talking with my father, and suddenly I felt dizzy. When I woke up, I was in the shed, with the hoe in my hand."

"Your father?" the magistrate asked, looking toward Zhou Huaihai.

Zhou Huaihai immediately wore a look of anger. 

"Nonsense! My father was with me the whole time."

Zhou Huailin glared at Zhou Huaihai, veins pulsing at his temples.

Zhou Huaihai ignored him and said to the magistrate, "Your Honor, I came to Qingquan Temple with my father today to listen to the Buddhist teachings. Since the incident on the street where he was angered to the point of vomiting blood, he has been unwell. Thanks to meditation and peace of mind, he’s been recovering."

After a pause, Zhou Huaihai turned around and glared at Zhou Huailin fiercely.

"But today, we encountered this scoundrel committing a crime. Though I have severed ties with him, he is still my blood. My father couldn’t handle the shock and is now resting in a meditation room."

The magistrate nodded. "Go bring him."

A bailiff left to retrieve Old Zhou, who soon arrived looking pale.

"Your Honor, when I first entered the temple, I did greet him, but after that, I went with Huaihai to listen to the teachings."

With that said, Old Zhou cast a furious glance at Zhou Huailin, his face filled with pain and disappointment.

"How could you do such a thing? If you needed money, why didn’t you tell me? Did you think I would just stand by and watch you starve?"

At this point, if he couldn’t see what was going on, he’d be a fool.

All his concern for father-son ties, and this is what he got...

With reddened eyes, Zhou Huailin glared at his father.

"Father, are you happy to see me framed?"

Old Zhou felt a dull pain in his chest. He closed his eyes and turned his head away.

Zhou Huaihai, however, shouted angrily, "There’s eyewitness and physical evidence, and you still deny it! I didn’t expect you to go so far as to destroy the flower shed just to sell flowers."

Last time, Zhou Qing had beaten him, and without enough evidence, he couldn't bring her to justice. He had to accept it.

But this time, let’s see how they wriggle out of it.

"Your Honor, please punish this criminal severely!"

With Zhou Huaihai leading the charge, the monks followed suit, shouting in anger.

"Punish the criminal!"

"Compensate for the damages!"

The abbot’s eyes, filled with anticipation, glimmered as he looked toward Zhou Qing.

Rejected marriage girl, it's your turn!

The magistrate glanced at Zhou Huailin. "Do you have anything to say?"

Before Zhou Huailin could speak, Zhou Qing stepped forward.

"Your Honor, I have something to say."

Here we go!

Zhou Huaihai immediately glared at her. "Caught in the act, and you still have the nerve to speak!"

Zhou Qing rolled her eyes coldly. "We’ll see who the real thief is!"

She turned and bowed to the magistrate. "I humbly request that Your Honor bring out the specially trained dog from the county office."

Zhou Huaihai instantly retorted, "There are eyewitnesses and physical evidence! No matter what you do, it won’t help!"

Ignoring him, Zhou Qing reached into Zhou Huailin’s pocket and pulled out a silk flower.

Zhou Huailin was stunned.

When did that flower get in his pocket?

Zhou Qing handed the flower to the magistrate.

"The scent of these silk flowers is unique. The trained dog from the county office will be able to tell who has been in close contact with my third uncle for an extended period. Passing by briefly won’t leave enough scent."

After speaking, Zhou Qing cast a cold glance at Zhou Huaihai and Old Zhou.

"Didn’t Zhou Bingde say he barely spoke to my third uncle? Sometimes, a dog's sense of smell is more trustworthy than a person’s words!"

Being addressed by his full name and compared to a dog, Old Zhou’s face turned ashen. He was so furious he almost couldn’t catch his breath.

The magistrate glanced at Zhou Huaihai and Zhou Bingde, then ordered, "Bring the dog!"