83 Framed?

I looked at the crowd that had formed around me as a angry, but sketchy looking male glared at the bag in my hands. I knew that I couldn't escape this easily as they've already recognized my face.

"Hand over my bag you thief! Don't think you can escape! You better spit out who was your accomplice or don't even think about leaving!" the sketchy looking male roared in anger.

I could hear the crowd mutter as the circle tightened. Some cultivators even prepared their weapons as they glared at me vigilantly. I knew this was a setup, but did others really think it would be that easy to frame me?

I calmed myself as I questioned the sketchy looking male with a curious tone, "Is this really your bag?"

The sketchy looking male's eyes shifted around as he answered, "Of course it is! Now hand it over!"

I smiled as I responded, "If this is really your bag, then you should know what is inside right?"

The sketchy looking male's face froze for a bit before he responded, "What? Trying to change the topic?! It's my bag, why should I tell everyone what treasures I keep in it! Hand it over now you thief, and I may request that you may have an intact body when handled by the punishment corps."

The crowd seemed to agree with this remark as more malicious slander was thrown my way; however, not long after, a announcement caused the crowd to scatter.

"The punishment corps is here!"

One side of the crowd parted, allowing a small team of cultivators dressed in black robes to stroll in. A small insignia of some sort of cross was imprinted on the chest of the robes of each member of the team. Many standing in the crowd instantly scurried off as if they were afraid of trouble while the remaining backed off further into the distance. The group professionally surrounded both the sketchy guy and me. A fierce look appeared on the member leading the group as he stepped up and questioned, "So, I heard there was a thief?"

The sketchy looking guy nodded frantically as he claimed, "Senior, he is the one! The bag in his hand is mine."

"Oh?" the fierce looking man glanced over at the bag in my hand before he sneered and questioned, "Where did you get this bag from with your Orange Grade cultivation, where did you get such a high grade bag?"

Sweat broke out on the sketchy looking guy's face before he replied while stuttering, "I-I got it as a reward for completing a mission."

"Oh? And which mission offers such a high tier reward?" the fierce looking male pressed on as he directed a glare at the sketchy looking guy, hoping for the truth.

"T-that, it was the-," the sketchy looking guy tried to reply, but was interrupted.

"75% as donations and you can consider it done," the fierce looking guy said with a sneer as he blew on one of his fingers with a blue glow on its surface.

The sketchy looking guy's face contorted into an ugly frown, but in the end, he gritted his teeth as he nodded his head. The fierce looking guy then looked over at me with a sneer before stating, "Thief, how dare you steal under the punishment corp's jurisdiction. Do you think we do not exist? Now hand over the bad and gratefully accept your punishment, and I may provide you an early death!"

I could not help but curse these guys. What punishment corps? Isn't this just an extortion corps?! Unfortunately, you've bumped into this young master. Nobody extorts anything from me.

I innocently replied, "This senior. I must apologize for your time and inconvenience for such a trivial matter. I can firmly conclude that what this man is saying is a lie."

"Oh? Still denying when the evidence is at hand? What is that bag in your hands then?" the leader growled as he slowly walked up to me with a smirk.

I played on as I claimed, "Oh? This bag? If senior is interested in this bag, then this junior is willing to offer the bag to senior."

The leader froze in place as he looked at me queerly. Then as if he understood, he gave a brilliant smile before it growled, "Oh? Did you think it would be that easy to escape your crimes?"

I then innocently replied, "Ah? What crimes? I committed no crime, senior!"

The leader then frowned as if he understood that he was played as a blue Qi surfaced on his body. He then laughed as he said, "Oh? Dare to play with this one. It seems that I will have to give you a lesson on the punishment corps that you will remember till your death that will be very soon."

I knew it was time to finish this so I hurriedly said, "No senior, please do not misunderstand. Perhaps, you will understand everything once you look at the contents of the bag."

I then tossed the bag over to the leader as he swiftly caught it while giving me a glare. Then, I can see him inserting some Qi to browse the content inside the bag. Not long after, his face froze in shock before an ugly expressions surfaced on his face. He then signaled one of the members of the team over before whispering in his ear. The member then nodded with a snicker as he swiftly went up to me, before pulling a metal stick. Green qi was then inserted in the metal stick which the member then waved around my body as if scanning for something. Not long after, he turned to the leader before shaking his head.

An evil smile then surfaced on the leader's face before he stated in an ominous voice, "Dare to use this one as a chess piece? Hahaha! This shall be the first time and the last! Men, take him back!"

The members of the group then glided over to the sketchy looking male before locking him up with some sort of chain. The sketchy looking male froze in shock before he yelled in terror, "S-senior! What is the meaning of this? He's the thief, not me!"

"What is the meaning of this? Perhaps, it should be me that is asking that question! What is the meaning of calling me over when the target is someone with an empty bag!?" the leader howled in anger.

"I-Impossible! I made sure to check after I took it from- No! Senior! It must be him! he must have hidden-" the sketchy male tried to retort, but was interrupted.

"Hah! We already checked all of his body. There was no hidden spacial storage devices on his body, so where can he hide the stuff," the male who scanned me stated.

"Hear that? Perhaps you don't want to admit why you would dare to trouble me now, but after I bring you back for some tea, I am sure you will understand how nice the punishment corps is. You will be willing to tells us over the cup of tea soon! Men, let's go!" the leader commanded as he stomped away in anger while the sketchy looking guy howled in agony, struggling to get away but to no avail.

Heh. Dare to take treasures that have already landed in my hands. Dream on! I looked at minor addition of 5 bottles of Qi recovery pills and some spirit stones in my {Spacial Storage} skill. I managed to take it out of the storage pouch and store it into my inventory without anyone noticing as the transition was fast enough due to not being required to put the items in the hole of the pouch.

I then looked in the direction that the shadow dashed away to. I was glad I made the decision to tag the shadow when he bumped into me. I smiled giddily before heading towards the direction the tracker pointed me towards. Heh, with my {Hunter's Mark} on, do you think you can escape?