Chapter 774 The Thief in the Inn

That day, a gust of wind whistled past, and the portrait of Linglong on Xiyu's desk in the Prime Minister's Mansion was blown up by the wind.

The paper of the portrait was extremely hard, and it fluttered in the wind, but it was never damaged.

The portrait was like a light leaf, rising and falling in the wind, floating towards the distance.

It floated through the bustling streets, through the quiet alleys, and finally came to a quiet forest.

The portrait slowly fell in the woods and hung on a low-hanging branch.

The sunlight sprinkled on the portrait through the gaps in the leaves, as if it was covered with a layer of mysterious brilliance.

In this forest, birds sang happily on the branches, and small animals shuttled and played in the grass.

The sudden appearance of the portrait brought a hint of unusual breath to this quiet forest.

The wind gradually subsided, and the portrait hung there quietly, waiting to be discovered.

It seemed to carry an important mission, and perhaps it would inadvertently change someone's fate.

On this day, a farmer named Ren Dabai walked into the woods with a hoe on his shoulder, looking tired.

He planned to take a short break here to relieve the hard work.

When he put down the hoe and prepared to find a comfortable place to sit down, his eyes were suddenly attracted by the portrait on the branch not far away.

Ren Dabai's eyes widened instantly, and the whole person stared at the portrait blankly as if he was cast into a spell.

"This... How come the girl in this portrait looks so much like my daughter who has been dead for many years?" Ren Dabai was full of shock and confusion.

He slowly approached the portrait, stretched out his slightly trembling hand, and gently touched the face in the portrait.

His eyes revealed endless longing and sadness.

"My daughter, you have been away from me for so many years, and I miss you all the time. Why does this girl look so much like you? Is it God's arrangement?" Ren Dabai's eyes gradually became moist, and tears rolled in his eyes.

His face showed an obsessed look, as if he was watching his daughter reappear in front of him.

"What is going on? Who is this girl? Why does she look so much like my daughter?" Ren Dabai's heart was full of questions, and he decided to find out the origin of this portrait.

That day, Xiyu was riding on a tall horse, ready to go to Fang County.

He was thinking about Fang County, especially Ouyang Lian, who he had appointed but had never seen.

"This time when I inspect Fang County, I must take a good look at what kind of person Ouyang Lian is."

The horse galloped, raising clouds of dust.

Xiyu straightened his back, sat steadily on the horse, and looked straight ahead.

Xiyu stepped into Fang County, looking at the bustling streets, and felt a little emotional.

He led the horse and found an inn and walked in.

He handed the horse to the waiter and solemnly instructed: "Feed the horse well." The waiter nodded in response.

Xiyu found a quiet place to sit down. The inn was full of people, and there were many people eating, and the seats were almost full.

While Xiyu was thinking quietly, a person came to him.

This man had an elegant face and wise eyes. He asked politely, "Brother, can I sit opposite you? I really can't find a seat."

Xiyu nodded slightly and agreed, "Please sit down."

At this time, Xiyu didn't know that the man in front of him was Ouyang Lian, whom he came to see this time.

After Ouyang Lian sat down, he smiled and nodded to Xiyu to thank him.

He looked at Xiyu, and secretly guessed the other party's identity in his heart.

And Xiyu was immersed in his own thoughts, completely unaware that the coincidence of fate was about to unfold in this small inn.

"My purse was stolen! That's all my belongings!"

There was an uproar in the inn, and everyone's eyes were all cast on the person who shouted.

I saw a middle-aged man with a face full of anxiety and anger. He shouted loudly and looked around eagerly.

The shouts of the middle-aged man echoed in the inn, and the tense atmosphere spread, as if a storm was about to sweep the entire inn.

In the inn, the originally lively atmosphere was instantly broken by this shout.

Everyone's eyes were cast on the middle-aged man and the young man who was identified.

The middle-aged man was full of anger, pointed his finger at the young man at the next table, and said loudly: "It's you! My purse was stolen. I just saw you sneaking around me. You are the thief."

His eyes were burning with anger, as if he wanted to eat the young man alive.

When the young man heard it, his face immediately turned red. He stood up angrily and retorted loudly: "You are talking nonsense! Why do you wrong me? I didn't steal your purse at all."

Xiyu and Ouyang Lian were also attracted by this sudden quarrel.

Xiyu frowned slightly and observed the reactions of the two calmly.

Ouyang Lian showed a thoughtful expression, as if analyzing the truth of the matter.

The atmosphere in the inn became more and more tense.

The middle-aged man blushed and excitedly asked for a body search.

"You must be searched, otherwise how can you prove your innocence?"

The young man's eyes widened with anger, and he objected strongly: "Why do you have to search me? You are slandering me!" His face was full of anger and unwillingness.

Just when the two sides were deadlocked, the shopkeeper hurried over.

He frowned and asked with a puzzled look on his face: "What's going on?"

The middle-aged man immediately pointed at the young man and said anxiously: "Shopkeeper, my purse was stolen, and I suspect he did it."

The young man responded without showing any weakness: "He is a psychopath, and he wronged me for no reason."

The shopkeeper looked at the middle-aged man and then at the young man, not knowing what to do for a moment.

His eyes showed embarrassment, and he was thinking about how to resolve the dispute.

The other diners in the inn also whispered to each other, discussing the right and wrong of the matter.

The middle-aged man glared at the young man and said in a tough tone: "In this case, I will report to the authorities! I want to see what the government says. Do you have the courage to go with me?"

The young man's face became even uglier, and he said with his neck stiff: "The matter has nothing to do with me, why should I go? If you want to report to the authorities, report to the authorities, I am not afraid."

The atmosphere in the inn became more and more tense, and everyone was waiting for further developments.

The shopkeeper sighed helplessly, not knowing how to persuade the two.

Xi Yu and Ouyang Lian looked at each other, and saw the same judgment in each other's eyes.

Their eyes were fixed on the young man, whose eyes flickered and revealed his guilty conscience.

The middle-aged man became more and more anxious, and he shouted to the people around him: "Look, I didn't wrongly accuse anyone! I dare to guarantee with my life that it was definitely this young man who stole my purse."

His voice was a little hoarse due to excitement, and his face was full of grief and indignation.

Xi Yu frowned slightly, and had some guesses in his mind.

Others in the inn also talked about it. Some began to doubt the young man, and some thought the middle-aged man was too arbitrary.

The young man looked even more flustered under the gaze of everyone. He stammered: "No... It's not me, you can't wrongly accuse a good person."

At this tense moment, Ouyang Lian slowly stood up.

He was tall and straight, and his temperament was elegant, which instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Ouyang Lian cleared his throat and asked calmly: "Don't argue with each other, tell me who you are?"

The middle-aged man hurriedly replied: "I am a resident nearby, and I make a living by doing some small business. I came to the inn to eat today, but I didn't expect my wallet to be stolen."

The young man said reluctantly: "I am also a resident nearby. He wronged me for no reason. I am so wronged."

Ouyang Lian nodded slightly, looking at them thoughtfully, and he had some calculations in his mind.

Xi Yu quietly observed Ouyang Lian's actions on the side, full of expectations for his handling method.

Ouyang Lian stared at the young man with a sharp gaze, and said in a serious tone: "Why are you so afraid of a body search? If you really didn't steal, you can prove your innocence in this way."

The young man's face instantly became uglier, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by stubbornness.

He stiffened his neck and said loudly: "I didn't steal! Does that person have to search someone just because he wrongly accused them? This is too unjust."

Ouyang Lian looked at the young man's reaction, and his doubts in his heart became even stronger.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and continued: "If you are really innocent, why do you resist the search so much? This will only make people more suspicious of you."

"I just don't want to be wronged. Why should he search me?" Although his voice was tough, he couldn't hide his inner uneasiness.

Ouyang Lian frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up and he thought of an idea.

He looked at the young man again and said firmly: "If the search proves that you didn't steal, I am willing to take all the responsibility. You can do whatever you want."

When these words came out, the whole audience was shocked.

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes full of disbelief.

Ouyang Lian's decision was too bold, and people had to admire his courage and responsibility.

The middle-aged man didn't expect Ouyang Lian to say this. He was stunned for a moment, and then his face was full of gratitude.

"Sir, you really touched me. If it is proven that this kid didn't steal, I am willing to kneel down and apologize to him."

The young man had a complicated expression on his face.

Ouyang Lian looked at the young man's reaction and became more certain of his guess.

He smiled slightly and said, "What do you think? What reason do you have to refuse the body search now?"

The young man's face turned pale, his lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't say a word.

In the inn, everyone's eyes were focused on the young man like a spotlight.

The guests shouted: "Yes, body search! If you don't allow the body search, it proves that you have something to hide."

Their faces were full of indignation, and they wanted to seek justice for the middle-aged man.

Ouyang Lian put his hands behind his back, his posture was as straight as a pine tree.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, stared at the young man sharply, and his tone was calm but oppressive.

"What else do you have to say now? Although you have a point, others cannot search you at will, but now that this elder brother and I have made a promise, what reason do you have to resist?"

The young man's face became paler and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The atmosphere in the inn was extremely tense, as if a string was about to break.

Xi Yu sat aside, quietly observing all this, with admiration for Ouyang Lian in his eyes.

Under the strong pressure of the crowd, the young man's face became extremely ugly.

His eyes were full of helplessness.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, slowly stood up, and said in a low voice: "Search."

The middle-aged man stepped forward impatiently, his hands trembling slightly, and began to search him.

After a while, the middle-aged man found the money bag from the young man's body.

He held the money bag tightly and asked the young man with cold eyes: "Is there anything else you want to say now?"

The young man's body shook violently, and his face instantly turned pale as a sheet.

Ouyang Lian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the money bag was found.

Others in the inn accused the young man one after another, their words full of anger and contempt.

"He is indeed a thief, he is so heartless!"

"You're young and don't learn well, and you actually do such sneaky things."

"This kind of person should be sent to the government to receive the punishment he deserves."

The accusations in the inn stopped abruptly, and everyone's eyes focused on the young man again.

The young man was soon replaced by a desperate determination.

He straightened up and said loudly: "This purse is mine, why do you say I stole it?"

He knew the excuse was far-fetched, but he had no choice but to stick to it.

The middle-aged man's face turned red with anger, and he pointed angrily at the young man and said, "You're talking nonsense! This is obviously my purse, how could it be yours?"

Ouyang Lian carefully observed the young man's expression.

"You said this purse is yours, but do you have any evidence?"

The young man's eyes flickered, and he stammered: "I...I always carry this money bag with me."

The middle-aged man was shaking with anger. His eyes widened, he pointed angrily at the young man, and loudly accused: "You thief, you are talking nonsense! You stole my wallet and you dare to claim it is yours. There is no justice." ”

Everyone in the inn also shook their heads, expressing their shame at the young man's behavior.

"This person is too rogue. He didn't admit it even after he was found out."

"It's just that it's really shameful to cheat after stealing something."

Everyone was talking about it, but there seemed to be no better way to solve this problem.

The young man's face turned green and white, and there was a hint of panic in his eyes, but he still pretended to be calm and said: "I'm not cheating, I'm telling the truth. This purse is mine."

Ouyang Lian frowned slightly. He looked at the young man and thought about how to solve this problem.

Xi Yu sat quietly aside, observing all this with interest. He wanted to see how Ouyang Lian would handle this difficult situation.

Ouyang Lian's eyes revealed a gleam of wisdom, and he said calmly: "This is easy to handle. Let me first ask you two about your specific occupations."

The middle-aged man replied without hesitation: "I am a cow-killer."

The young man seemed a little hesitant. He hesitated and said: "I...I don't have any legitimate occupation."

Ouyang Lian nodded slightly, and then said: "Now neither of you are allowed to open the wallet and write down the amount of currency in it on paper. Please bring the shopkeeper over with paper and pen."

The middle-aged man immediately nodded to cooperate. He confidently picked up a pen and paper and began to carefully recall and write down the amount of currency in the wallet.

But the young man seemed very flustered, his hands were trembling slightly, and he didn't dare to write.

But under the gaze of everyone, he had to bite the bullet and write on paper.

For a while, everyone's eyes were fixed on the two answers.

When Ouyang Lian asked people to pour out the currencies in the wallet and check them one by one, the scene was silent.

But both of them answered incorrectly.

The young man's face showed a burst of joy, as if he felt that he had grasped a life-saving straw.

His eyes flashed with pride, thinking that he couldn't easily identify himself as a thief now.

Ouyang Lian frowned slightly, turned to the middle-aged man, and asked seriously: "What's going on?"

The middle-aged man suddenly realized it and said hurriedly: "Oh, I remembered that I spent some currency to buy something in the morning, so the amount in the wallet is wrong."

The young man immediately accused him: "You are talking nonsense! This money bag is not yours at all."

Not to be outdone, the middle-aged man replied: "You didn't answer either, right? Why do you say this is not mine?"

The young man had a look of disdain on his face.

He folded his hands in front of his chest and said in a disdainful tone: "I have never counted money, and I generally don't remember it, so why is it strange that I can't remember it?"

There was a trace of provocation in his eyes, as if he was declaring his innocence to everyone.

The middle-aged man's face turned red with anger. He pointed at the young man and said loudly: "You are obviously quibbling! Who doesn't remember how much money is in his wallet? You just stole my wallet."

While everyone was arguing, Ouyang Lian suddenly said: "The shopkeeper, bring a basin of water."

Although the shopkeeper was full of doubts and didn't know what Ouyang Lian meant by this, he quickly ordered the waiter to bring a basin of water and did so seriously.

After a while, a basin of water was placed in front of everyone.

Ouyang even asked people to put the currency into the water. Everyone looked at each other and didn't understand what he was doing.

The young man's face showed a trace of nervousness, while the middle-aged man's face was full of confusion.

Ouyang Lian looked at everyone's curious expressions, smiled slightly, and said: "Don't be anxious yet, I will explain to everyone later."

Xi Yu also looked at the basin of water with interest, and he already understood Ouyang Lian's intention.

Time passed by, and everyone was waiting anxiously.

Ouyang Lian stared at the basin.

After a while, he nodded with satisfaction, and then asked someone to take the currency out of the water.

Then, he called over a few onlookers and asked them to take a closer look at the currency.

Then, Ouyang Lian asked: "Did you see any changes in the water?"

Everyone came closer to observe, with puzzled expressions on their faces.

Some shook their heads, indicating that they did not see anything unusual; others frowned and thought hard. (End of this chapter)