Ma Yongcheng’s pupil shrunk. He was sure that when he entered the house with Xie Ziyuan and others earlier, they hadn’t smelled this box. Otherwise, Xie Ziyuan or his other two companions would have reminded him.
It was also impossible such a putrid scent evaded his sense of smell.
Someone must have placed this box, planting fake evidence when they were trying to find Lu Qingtang and the kids.
"Impossible, how can there be such a box here?" Ma Yongcheng was angry and indignant. He suddenly leaped toward Zhao Chunmei, catching the latter off guard.
However, the bear beastman seemed to have prepared for his reaction. He stood in front of Zhao Chunmei, shoving her away. His body collided with Ma Yongcheng’s, creating a loud collision.
The bear beastman nearly stumbled, and he hurriedly stabilized himself. Meanwhile, Ma Yongcheng was standing straight in his spot, glaring at him.
Zhao Chunmei already retreated to the crowd, standing with them for a greater sense of security. Of course, she didn’t forget to curse Ma Yongcheng, "You wretched dog, just as insidious as that vixen. No wonder the two of you are a pair. You actually want to destroy the evidence!"
She turned to Lu Qingtang, her eyes gleaming with malice. "This box... you all already smelled it, right?"
The beastmen around her slowly distanced themselves from her, this madwoman! Only she dared to grab the box filled with rotten meat like that. Isn’t she afraid she might get infected?
They also couldn’t stand the smell, nearly vomiting.
"Lu Qingtang, this is the evidence you are asking for. Do you still have anything to say to defend yourself?" Zhao Chunmei yelled loudly.
"This box isn’t mine." Lu Qingtang narrowed her eyes.
Leng Chuan already dragged the enraged Ma Yongcheng back to their side, and now the latter was supporting his wife. His brain turned, trying to search a way out of this.
If only these people were honest, it would have been easy to prove Lu Qingtang’s innocence, but they were absolutely despicable!
"You are still trying to deny it?" Zhao Chunmei sneered.
"We also entered the house earlier. Why didn’t we smell it? How would we be sure that it wasn’t you planting fake evidence?" Leng Chuan sharply refuted. He already gave the well-behaved kids to Lin Yu’an, who was grabbing their hand each.
The bear beastman moved beside Zhao Chunmei. "It’s because we dug it from the ground. If you put such a thing in the soil, the smell will naturally be gone."
Zhao Chunmei rubbed her hand on the outer part of the wooden box. She raised her hand for all the beastmen to see. "See, there is soil on my hand."
"Do you have anything else to say?" She lifted her eyebrows at Leng Chuan pridefully.
"We do." Xie Ziyuan, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly opened his mouth, startling everyone. His tone had a touch of arrogance.
The beastmen couldn’t help but do a double take on him. As if they had just noticed he was there the whole time.
Originally, he didn’t plan to be involved in such a complicated drama. However, that ghostly woman insisted that he should take action, so he had no choice but to intervene.
Otherwise... he pursed his lips unhappily. She definitely would poke him to death! He did it for the sake of his own peace, of course.
"Oh, what is it?" Zhao Chummei subconsciously became more restrained around this silver wolf beastman. "Do tell us."
Xie Ziyuan had changed his own face into more ordinary looking, the kind that would blend in the crowd more easily. Hence, he was the least conspicuous among the four.
People would instinctively ignore him. Only when they took a closer look would they be surprised. Of course, changing a face alone wouldn’t achieve such an effect. He also used his space power.
It worked the same way as how people couldn’t see ghosts but sometimes ghosts could see people. The ghosts essentially existed in another dimension. He wasn’t a ghost, so the effect was less, but it was satisfying enough.
"Do all the beastmen present here?" He asked expressionlessly.
Zhao Chunmei was taken aback. "Why is there a need for all beastmen to be present–"
Xie Ziyuan cut her off, a little impatient. "If you dare, call everyone. We don’t know if someone is sneaking around doing malicious things."
He swept his gaze on the crowd of beastmen. Most of them evaded his eyes. Some did it out of guilt while others simply found him too intimidating.
She wasn’t the decision maker, so she didn’t know what to do for a moment. In such a situation, a pawn would usually seek help from the person who used them. However...
"Call everyone here." Elder Peng decided.
"But–" the bear beastman’s words were stuck in his throat when he saw Elder Peng’s gaze.
As such, everyone was called to the scene, grumbling and putting on an annoyed look. Still, they behaved when they arrived at Ma Yongcheng’s house.
"We already called everyone here. What else do you want?" The bear beastman narrowed his eyes. His voice was full of mockery. "You aren’t trying to delay the time, are you? It’s no use. That dog and his wife will be punished anyway."
No one would punish innocent kids, but it didn’t mean they would take them in either. In such a situation where everyone was evacuating, they might abandon kids who had no guardians. Especially hot potatoes like the criminal’s kids.
"Not everyone is here." Xie Ziyuan’s voice was calm. It somehow also calmed down Ma Yongcheng’s temper.
In a more restrained voice, he glanced at the strange look on Zhao Chunmei and the bear beastman’s stunned look, which was so fleeting that one might not have caught it.
He seemed to understand something. "Not everyone is here? Then, we should go find them."
"They should still be in a building not far from here. I have memorized their faces. They are the only beastmen who haven’t come here." Xie Ziyuan said coldly.
"Where are they now? We will find them, Master Xie!" Leng Chuan immediately seized the opportunity.
Xie Ziyuan said something. Ma Yongcheng and Leng Chuan immediately ran to the place according to Xie Ziyuan’s pointer.