Chapter 29: The Evidence Is as Solid as a Mountain

"What is the meaning of this, Manager Shen? We asked you for an explanation, so why did you send someone to buy medicinal herbs?" The young man watched Shen Xuan’s actions, questioning him sharply.

"Naturally, to gather evidence. What? Are you afraid?" Shen Xuan glanced at the young man, smiling with a provocative edge.

"I simply do not wish to waste everyone's time," the young man replied with a sneer.

"Rest assured, it won't take long. I will prove the innocence of Jun You Lai very soon." Shen Xuan’s smile was filled with hidden meaning, causing the young man to frown deeply.

*Could he have really seen through it? Impossible. This substance was provided by the Young Master. Aside from a few master physicians, no one in the world should be able to identify it. This Shen Xuan must be bluffing!* the young man muttered to himself.

After about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, Gu An trotted back, carrying a small package of herbs.

"Boss, here is what you asked for," Gu An said, breathless.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Gu," Shen Xuan said, taking the package.

Under the confused gaze of the crowd, Shen Xuan began grinding the herbs into powder, then combined them in specific ratios. He then proceeded with a series of actions that left everyone bewildered. Whether they were patrons or the young man himself, they could only watch, completely unable to comprehend what he was doing—except for An Miaoyu.

"My goodness! Master Shen actually knows how to refine medicine!" Watching Shen Xuan’s fluid, effortless movements, An Miaoyu was mesmerized, her clear, pure eyes filled with awe.

"Miss, what are you talking about? Is Master Shen doing something that impressive?" Xiao Ying asked, scratching her head, unable to understand her mistress's exaggerated reaction.

"Oh! You wouldn't understand even if I told you. You only need to know that even my grandfather would find this difficult to accomplish." An Miaoyu spoke while refusing to look away, her gaze locked onto every one of Shen Xuan’s movements.

"He’s that amazing?" Xiao Ying covered her mouth in surprise, knowing full well how skilled that old gentleman was. If even he found it difficult, then this was truly remarkable.

"So that’s how it’s done! Who knew these herbs could be processed this way? This trip was truly worth it!" An Miaoyu exclaimed. She wasn't just shocked that Shen Xuan could refine medicine; she was stunned that he could do so in such a crude environment. Furthermore, his technique for handling the herbs was something she had never heard of.

The young man felt a surge of irritation watching Shen Xuan. Just as he was about to interrupt, Shen Xuan stopped.

"Done! Here is the evidence!" Shen Xuan held up a small vial of transparent liquid for all to see.

"What is that? We waited so long just for you to tinker with that piece of junk?" a patron complained.

"Exactly! You expect us to believe this vial of mysterious liquid is evidence? Are you treating us like fools?" Another patron chimed in, looking extremely annoyed.

"Manager Shen! We expect an explanation," the young man said, his face hardening as he maintained his accusatory tone.

"That's right! We need an explanation!" The patrons began to echo his demand.

Shen Xuan raised his hand to quiet them. "Actually, solving this is simple. I could have just let you all into the kitchen to see if our ingredients are fresh."

When Shen Xuan said this, the crowd grew even more confused. *Yes, that is simple. Why did you make it so complicated?*

"Hah! That’s easy for you to say. Who knows if you’ve prepared a display for us, only to go back to selling rotten food once we’ve let our guard down?" the young man interjected before anyone else could speak.

The crowd turned to look at the young man, their eyes filled with suspicion.

"Why are you all looking at me? Did I say something wrong?" The young man panicked internally, but kept his face stern.

"Exactly! I did all these seemingly useless things just to shut certain people’s foul mouths," Shen Xuan said with a mocking smile. Without waiting for the young man to retort, he continued, "The liquid in my hand is called 'Qi-Holding Water.' It has an excellent effect on treating liver and kidney deficiency."

"However, it has another property: if sprayed onto food, it causes the food to emit a foul, acidic stench, making it completely inedible."

As he spoke, Shen Xuan took a skewer of meat and, under everyone's watchful eyes, sprinkled some of the Qi-Holding Water onto it. He then took the skewer the young man had claimed was rotten and addressed the crowd: "Is there any guest here willing to come up and taste these, to prove the innocence of Jun You Lai?"

"I'll do it!" A young student, driven by curiosity, raised his hand immediately.

"Then I thank you, brother," Shen Xuan said, bowing slightly.

Under the gaze of the crowd, the student stepped forward and, without hesitation, took a bite of both skewers.

"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey! It's disgusting, and the taste is identical to that 'rotten' food," the student said as he spat out the meat, confirming the crowd's suspicions.

"Wait! So Manager Shen was truly being framed by these people?" someone in the crowd whispered.

"These guys are absolutely despicable! How could they do such a thing?" another shouted.

"If anyone still has doubts, feel free to come up and taste for yourselves," Shen Xuan said, seizing the momentum.

Several others stepped forward and confirmed the student's findings. The patrons' gazes shifted toward the young man and his group, now filled with hostility.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the young man gritted his teeth and shouted, "Don't be fooled by this guy! It's just a bottle of medicine; for all we know, he concocted it himself. It proves nothing!"

"Since you claim we framed Jun You Lai, can you find that same liquid on your own people?"

The crowd turned back to Shen Xuan with renewed anticipation, hoping for a final, perfect explanation. Shen Xuan did not disappoint.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," he said, his expression grave. "Although this Qi-Holding Water is colorless, it adheres easily to the skin. Once it makes contact, the skin will turn a dark yellow, and it cannot be washed off for at least two hours."