Chapter 437: This Has Gone Too Far

The breathing of the four Canal Worker players instantly turned incredibly rapid.

They had indeed kept the Divine Realm Communication Channel dialog box open the entire time.

And they had seen Yang Ling's private message the very first moment.

To them, the content of this private message was undoubtedly like a depth charge!

Its power could pierce straight through to the deepest depths of their souls!

Never mind whether the dungeon matter was reliable or not. If it was, then after tonight they would gain a huge windfall!

Just the part about one thousand taels of silver per person was already an astronomical sum beyond their wildest imagination!

A single Spirit Nurturing Pill only cost five hundred taels of silver. One thousand taels could buy twenty Spirit Nurturing Pills!

That was equivalent to ten thousand points of Martial Arts Proficiency!

This could instantly raise their Martial Arts Technique cultivation by more than an entire realm!

But... could they trust this person before them?

After all, they had done something less than honorable. If they spoke up, would they be thrown into the sea on the spot to feed the fish?

This caused them to not respond to Yang Ling immediately.

Yang Ling did not mind. He still had a second private message he had not sent.

[Yang Ling (Private Chat): The benefits I just mentioned will only go to the player who confesses first. If none of you four choose to confess, I will find another excuse to throw you into the sea to feed the fish. None of you are innocent.]

The moment this private message appeared, the four players immediately grew anxious.

One of them instantly spoke up: "Chief Constable Yang..."

The other three scrambled to speak, but they were already a step too late.

Yang Ling signaled them to shut up, only allowing the one who confessed first to speak.

The faces of these three players instantly turned deathly pale.

"Chief Constable Yang, this is a misunderstanding. I only stepped forward to identify Lu Xiangdi and the others after accepting three hundred taels of silver from someone."

"I had no idea this matter would become so serious. At the time, the other party only said they wanted to prank Lu Xiangdi and his group, to take them down a peg. At most, just give them a beating."

"I had no idea the Ironclad Department wanted to throw them into the sea to feed the fish!"

"Even less did I know that Lu Xiangdi and the others were already Ironclads under your command."

After this person finished speaking, he immediately pulled out three carefully preserved silver notes from his waist.

Each one had a face value of one hundred taels, two hundred taels total.

The atmosphere at the scene instantly became incredibly subtle.

Everyone's eyes showed slight astonishment, carrying a trace of confusion.

How was it that the moment Yang Ling appeared, this witness changed his testimony and even admitted to taking money?

Monk Mingfa and the others' expressions shifted slightly, their eyes somewhat flickering.

Nangong Linghe frowned slightly. Originally this was just a conflict between Canal Workers, but these Canal Workers held Ironclad status, and the nature of the matter instantly changed.

Wei Xing's face turned ashen, and she signaled to her subordinates.

Immediately, Ironclads untied Lu Xiangdi and the others.

"How strange. Yang Ling didn't say a single word, so how did that Canal Worker change his testimony?"

"This is getting interesting..."

The crowd grew increasingly curious.

But it was already certain that Lu Xiangdi and these Ironclads-cum-Canal Workers were not thieves.

Then how had the items been found on them?

As that Canal Worker player defected, the remaining three knew it was unwise to keep insisting, and they each produced three hundred taels of silver notes from their waists, admitting they had come forward to testify for money.

But they all insisted that they had no idea things would turn out this way, nor did they know Lu Xiangdi and the others held Ironclad status.

Just then, a Canal Worker with a deathly pale face suddenly dropped to his knees:

"Chief Constable Yang, I was the one who told them to give false testimony. It's mainly because I already had a feud with Lu Xiangdi and his group, so I used this opportunity to teach them a lesson."

"I also didn't know they were Ironclads. If I had known, I wouldn't have dared even if I'd eaten a leopard's gall."

Yang Ling's eyes narrowed slightly.

This fellow was not a player, but a Divine Realm Native, a true Canal Worker.

Divine Realm Natives cooperating with players, this was an old technique of the Immortal God Sect.

He had probably already guessed some of the key points involved.

Just then, Nangong Linghe suddenly laughed:

"Since it's a misunderstanding, then let these five Water Transport Guild disciples be handed over to your Ironclad Department for handling.

This sort of thing isn't exactly rare within the Water Transport Guild. To compete for certain benefits, similar incidents do indeed occur."

"Supervisor Nangong, we haven't yet figured out how those Foundation Consolidation Pills and Spirit Nurturing Pills ended up on Lu Xiangdi and the others. This matter cannot be concluded so easily."

Yang Ling said calmly: "Someone wanted to use this opportunity to frame Ironclads of the Ironclad Department. This is a serious crime.

I have reason to suspect that there are Rong Tribe Spies within the Water Transport Guild trying to stir up trouble and affect the Fire Flood Dragon Island trip."

Wei Xing's expression changed drastically, and she coldly shouted:

"Chief Constable Yang, do not make baseless speculations about such matters. Take your subordinates and leave first. I will handle the follow-up matters."

"You've already been used as a blade by someone, and you still want to handle the follow-up matters? Director Wei, I don't trust your ability."

Yang Ling laughed: "This case involves my subordinates, so naturally it will be handled by our First Division of the Public Security Department."

Wei Xing's eyes were practically shooting fire, but she was very restrained, quickly walking to Yang Ling's side and lowering her voice:

"Investigate all you want, but do not drag the Water Transport Guild into this, and do not pin labels on the Guild!"

Yang Ling ignored her, only looking at the Canal Worker kneeling on the ground:

"You spent one thousand two hundred taels of silver to take Lu Xiangdi and his group down a peg? I'll tentatively believe that. Then how did you get those rare exotic herbs, Foundation Consolidation Pills, and Spirit Nurturing Pills onto Lu Xiangdi and the others?"

This Canal Worker looked bewildered:

"I'm not clear on that either. Maybe they really did steal them..."

Lu Xiangdi and the other three all looked at this Canal Worker, shocked and furious.

"That's right, they only admitted to giving false testimony. Maybe those items really were stolen by these four?"

"And it just had to be such a coincidence?"

"Yang Ling, you need to produce evidence proving the items were not stolen by them."

"Yes, otherwise we definitely won't be convinced."

Quite a few Sixth-Rank onlookers began to speak up.

"Director Wei, earlier did Ironclads really find the items on them?"

Yang Ling smiled faintly.

Wei Xing thought for a moment, her eyes shifting slightly:

"It was Supervisor Nangong who brought people to search them and found the items."

"But it was in front of us."

Yang Ling nodded thoughtfully, then cleared his throat and looked at the crowd:

"The matter is already crystal clear. Obviously Supervisor Nangong brought his subordinates to frame the Ironclads under my command."

"So I have reason to suspect that Supervisor Nangong is a Rong Tribe Spy."

Having said that, he ordered Lu Xiangdi and the others:

"Take Nangong Linghe into custody."

Lu Xiangdi and the others gasped sharply.

This Nangong Linghe was a renowned Fifth-Rank master, a Lesser Master!

"Might as well keep kneeling..."

Lu Xiangdi muttered inwardly, then steeled himself and walked toward Nangong Linghe.

The Canal Workers present changed expressions drastically, looking at each other, unsure how to respond to such a scene.

The Sixth-Rank experts from all sides were also dumbfounded, never expecting this Yang Ling would dare aim his spearhead at a Fifth-Rank master of the Water Transport Guild!

The two young men in the distance exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of astonishment in each other's eyes.

The matter, it seemed, was blowing further and further out of proportion...

Nangong Linghe stared at Yang Ling, and Yang Ling stared back at him.

The two locked eyes across the distance for a while. When Lu Xiangdi and the others arrived close range, Nangong Linghe suddenly looked toward a subordinate beside him:

"Did any of you just now tamper with something, framing Lu Xiangdi and his group?"

A Seventh-Rank expert from the Water Transport Guild stepped forward, his face full of guilt:

"Supervisor Nangong, it was this subordinate being petty. Because Lu Xiangdi and his group had earlier offended my men, I wanted to teach them a lesson.

I never expected they would be Ironclads of the Ironclad Department and that the matter would blow up so much. This subordinate is willing to accept punishment."

At this point, the matter was already very clear. The suspicion on Lu Xiangdi and his group was thoroughly eliminated.

This matter had turned into internal strife within the Water Transport Guild.