The main hall of Jade Pavilion was steeped in tension. Ouyang Xueqing shot Fang Ming a sharp glance. She knew well that all the clues now pointed to Ge Daquan, whose suspicion was no less significant than Yuan Minsheng's.
However, much like Yuan's situation, there was still no direct evidence to arrest Ge Daquan.
"How could those gold pieces have ended up inside the Pixiu statue?" Ouyang wondered, her skepticism clear.
"I didn't steal the gold!" Ge Daquan's voice rose in protest. "I have no idea why the gold ended up inside the Pixiu. If you think I stole it, bring out concrete proof!"
Fang Ming smirked. "Don't worry, the evidence will come."
Ge's defensive reaction didn't surprise Fang Ming. If Ouyang hadn't shattered the Pixiu earlier, finding the evidence would have been much simpler. But now, things had become more complicated.
"Cai Wenli, how much do you know about Pixiu statues?" Fang Ming asked.
"They're said to attract wealth, swallowing fortune from all directions while letting none escape," Cai answered cautiously. Though unsure why Fang was asking, Cai remained respectful, as Fang had helped recover the stolen gold.
"Exactly," Fang said with a faint smile. "A dream for many merchants, isn't it?"
Cai felt slightly embarrassed. "It's just a symbolic belief. In business, trust is what really matters."
"Indeed, trust is key," Fang agreed, then added with a cryptic smile, "But are you aware of another saying about Pixiu?"
"Another saying? No, I've never heard of it."
"A Pixiu without an open mouth swallows its master's wealth."
Fang's words struck a nerve. He glanced meaningfully at Ge Daquan, whose face turned visibly pale.
"What does that mean?" Cai asked, his voice laced with unease.
"It means," Fang explained, "that this Pixiu wasn't swallowing wealth from outside, but from your own reserves."
"That's enough!" Ouyang Xueqing interrupted, her voice firm. She was growing increasingly impatient with Fang's words. "Are you trying to say the Pixiu swallowed the gold all by itself? That's ridiculous! It's just a lifeless object."
"That's nonsense!" Ge Daquan chimed in, mockery evident in his tone. "If Pixiu statues worked like that, who would dare keep one in their shop? And why haven't we heard of other shopkeepers losing their wealth?"
"A normal Pixiu wouldn't," Fang replied coolly. "But this Pixiu was blinded and its mouth sealed. Naturally, it would act abnormally."
Fang's gaze turned icy as he continued, "You cleaned the Pixiu every day, didn't you? But not just to maintain it. You used a cloth tainted with 'Heavenly Marrow Blood.' That blood is impure and repulsive to sacred objects like Pixiu. By using it, you blinded its eyes and sealed its judgment."
He paused to let his words sink in before delivering the clincher: "That cloth should still be around. If we send it for testing, I'm sure we'll find traces of blood."
Ge Daquan's face turned ashen. A police officer nearby, curious about the term, muttered, "What's 'Heavenly Marrow Blood'? I've never heard of it."
A knowledgeable colleague answered, "It's an old term for menstrual blood."
"What the—?!" The officer recoiled in shock. "Using that to clean a statue?! Gross!"
Fang smirked and turned to the officer. "How would you react if someone used that to wipe your mouth every day?"
"I'd beat them black and blue!" the officer blurted reflexively, earning a scolding glare from Ouyang.
Fang nodded, satisfied. "If humans would react that way, what about a sacred creature like the Pixiu? It retaliated by taking what it saw fit. And when Ge planned to remove the statue, he likely intended to take the gold with it. Unfortunately for him, Cai Wenli returned earlier than expected, disrupting the plan."
The mounting pressure cracked Ge's composure. Suddenly, Yuan Minsheng spoke up. "I remember now! A few days ago, Ge mentioned knowing a 'master' who could 'reconsecrate' the Pixiu. There were witnesses!"
Two staff members quickly corroborated his account. "Yes, three days ago, we heard him say the same thing to Yuan."
Ge's complexion grew paler by the second. All evidence was pointing at him.
"This is absurd!" Ge barked, grasping at straws. "Pixiu swallowing gold? We live in the age of science—who would believe such nonsense?"
But the others exchanged knowing looks. Ge's history of insisting on the Pixiu's significance and his overreaction to moving it only made his current denial seem more suspicious.
"Unbelievable! I trusted you, and this is how you repay me?!" Cai Wenli erupted in anger.
Ge's face briefly betrayed guilt before hardening with resolve. He knew his game was up but refused to admit to theft outright. "This is nonsense. No court would believe such evidence."
"You're right," Fang replied, his tone calm but cutting. "Courts won't recognize this. That's why you think you'll get away with it."
Fang's expression turned serious. "But there's one thing the person who advised you about Pixiu didn't tell you: sacred creatures should never be desecrated."
Ge visibly flinched. Fang's voice dropped lower. "Since you started using that cloth, hasn't your family faced any... unusual hardships? For instance, a family member with gallstones?"
"How... how do you know that?" Ge stammered, his voice trembling.
His daughter, only twelve years old, had been diagnosed with gallstones—a condition almost unheard of in children her age. Despite three surgeries in the past six months, the problem kept recurring, leaving doctors baffled and Ge desperate.
"This is the price of your actions," Fang said coldly. "The Pixiu retaliates by inflicting harm on your family. What you've done is unforgivable."
At that moment, Ge crumpled to the ground, kneeling before Fang.
"Master, please... save my daughter! She's innocent! I'll confess to everything—just don't let her suffer because of my sins!"
Ge sobbed uncontrollably as he spilled the entire truth. Financial ruin had driven him to desperate measures. Upon hearing of Pixiu legends in his rural hometown, he concocted a plan to exploit the sacred beast for his gain.
But as Ge wept, begging for mercy, Fang's expression remained unmoved. "You worried for your own child. Did you think about what would happen to Yuan Minsheng's daughter if your false accusations ruined her father?"
Fang pointed to Yuan's little girl, who stood nearby, clutching her finger nervously.
"Your actions condemned others, and now you face the consequences. I cannot help you. This is your punishment."
Ge collapsed in defeat, his face pale as a ghost. The onlookers felt a pang of sympathy—not for Ge, but for his innocent daughter.