Xu Ziyan couldn’t dodge the slap as she had only just regained her balance and the girl’s cultivation base was obviously extremely high. With no experience in fighting, she could only stare as the hand was about to reach her face. The youth suddenly went forward and grabbed onto the girl’s wrist and then pulled her back. He smiled lightly at Xu Ziyan and then said to the girl: “It’s fine, Xi mei*.”

Once he finished speaking, he released her wrist and then left. The girl glared at Xu Ziyan with hatred. Just as she was about to leave, a youth around 12 years old b.u.mped into her and then quickly ran away.

“You’re courting death!”

The girl viciously kicked the boy with such strength that the youth was sprawled on the ground. The youth did not say anything and only bowed his head before running off.

The kick seemed to have calmed the girl’s anger. The girl didn’t looked at Xu Ziyan again and only raced forward toward her Lin gege**.

Xu Ziyan shook her head. She had no intention of causing trouble, in fact, she didn’t even have the power to be able to. She calmed her mood and summoned the courage to go from store to store, hoping to buy cheap alchemy and talisman materials.

She walked aimlessly around. She went into another shop. Just as she walked into the shop she heard a wail of surprise: “It’s you! You still dare come back? Fourth uncle, she was the one who stole my talisman!”

When Xu Ziyan heard this, she felt shock. She looked up in anger. The one who pointed at Xu Ziyan was actually the girl who’d tried to slap her earlier. There were even tear streaks on her face. Meanwhile, the person whom she’d called Lin gege was nowhere nearby.

“Fourth uncle, it’s her! She’s the one who stole my talisman!”

The middle-aged man who Xu Ziyan presumed to be the girl’s fourth uncle stared at Xu Ziyan suspiciously. Earlier, Xu Ziyan had felt at a loss when she saw the girl, but once she heard the words, her whole face turned red with anger as she said: “You lie! What things do you have are valuable enough that I would steal it?”

“You stole my talisman!” The girl angrily said.

“Xi mei, stop talking!” The fourth uncle scolded. He then turned towards Xu Ziyan with a solemn expression and said: “Miss, do you have anything you would like to explain?”

“Explain? Why do I need to explain?” Xu Ziyan felt wronged. She just barely contained herself from crying.

“Fourth uncle, as a thief, she’s clearly lying.” The girl gnashed her teeth.

“A thief? When did I steal your things?”

Xu Ziyan just arrived in the capital and everything was new to her. She walked for a day and didn’t even find the things that she needed. She felt both mentally and physically fatigued. Any now, she was even framed by others! Her suffering can’t even be imagined. However, she stubbornly contained her tears and didn’t cry.

“It’s you and a 12-year old thief! You purposefully b.u.mped into my Lin gege, and then that thief took the chance to steal the talisman that fourth uncle gave me…” As she spoke, the girl began crying.

Once the girl said this, Xu Ziyan immediately thought of the 12-year old youth that had b.u.mped into the girl and who had then been kicked by the girl. Once she thought up to this point she felt angry. She stared at the girl with a mocking smile. Once the fourth uncle saw Xu Ziyan’s expression, and the changes in her expression, he was 90% sure that Xu Ziyan didn’t have any relation to the event. However, when he saw Xi mei’s bitter expression, he felt painful as well. If the clan knew that she lost her talisman, they won’t forgive her. Not only that, he and her father were good friends. He sighed lightly in his heart. He then could only push this event onto the girl. Even though if he did this the girl would definitely die, however, it was better than having someone from his own clan die. Not only that, the girl’s clothes were simple, showing that she didn’t have any important background. Her cultivation was only at the first level of the Lingqi layer. Even if she died, it wouldn’t matter much. As he thought to this point, he coldly said: “Miss, you’d better give an explanation or else i’ll bring you to our clan’s court.”

“I never stole it. I’m not going.” Xu Ziyan’s felt depressed. With her experience at looking at eyes, she could tell that the fourth uncle was already planning to put the blame for this event on her head. However, she couldn’t do anything. With her cultivation base, if she did do something, she would definitely have died earlier.

“Alright.” Fourth uncle’s expression was cold. He quietly said: “Servants, come! Tie her up!”

Immediately, two people rushed forward from the side and tied up both her hands. It wasn’t that Xu Ziyan didn’t want to rebel, however, the fourth uncle released an oppressing aura that pressured her. She couldn’t move at all.

That Xi mei then walked forward and slapped Xu Ziyan’s face. She said viciously: “You thief! You won’t be able to escape!”

Xi Ziyan bit her lips to the point where it began bleeding. She stared at Xi mei without releasing her gaze.

“Send her to the court. “ Fourth uncle couldn’t said.

“What matter needs the clan’s court to go into action?”

A middle-aged man with a blue robe looked at fourth uncle in amus.e.m.e.nt.

“Second brother, why do you have time to come to my place?”

“It’s nothing. I was pa.s.sing by and so I came inside to take a look.”

“The little one greets senior.” Xi mei sheepishly said.

“Oh! It’s Xi mei! Why are you here? Where’s your Lin gege?” Second bo*** smiled.

“Lin gege went to catch a thief.”

“What thief?” Second bo said in shock.

“It’s this female thief’s accomplice.” Xi mei pointed at Xi Ziyan, “She and the thief worked together to steal my talisman. Lin gege went to catch the other thief.”

“You lost the talisman that I gave to this shop?” The man’s voice turned cold.

Xi mei’s face paled. She landed on her knees and kneeled. She lowered her head, not daring to say another word.

Second bo coldly snorted. He then turned to stare at Xu Ziyan. His gaze was sharp like knives, which made Xu Ziyan feel as though her skin was being torn off.

“You stole Xi mei’s talisman?”

“I didn’t steal it.” Xu Ziyan felt wronged as she stared at the man.

“Little girl, you probably don’t know the worth of talismans.” As he spoke, he took out a paper talisman. He put this in front of her and said, “This paper talisman is worth 500 silvers. The one she stole had 50 paper talismans. You should return it to me and I’ll let you off.”

As he finished speaking, an emotionless face stared at Xu Ziyan.

*mei – ‘younger sister’

**gege – ‘elder brother’

***bo – ‘elder brother of the father’