Chapter 9: Unmasking the Traitor

When he shouted like that, everyone was stunned; they could not believe that Uncle Gen, who had been with the Huo family for decades, would actually poison Huo Yuanjia

That's right

Indeed, it is fortunate that Fifth Senior Brother returned just in time; if it weren't for him, we would still be in the dark now

Indeed, let's see if those little Japanese will still dare to act arrogantly in the future

Ah Xiang had already run to the door and, in just a few steps, exited the Jingwu Gate. Only then did the others react and follow him out.

Nong Jinsun thought for a moment: "Uncle Gen has been with the Huo family for decades; he may not have made significant contributions, but he has certainly endured hardships. Let's proceed with this plan."

Huo Ting'en also reacted at this moment: "No way, how could crocodile meat be toxic"

Chen Zhen invited a Western physician to accompany him to the grave of Huo Yuanjia

Xinhang did not expect Ah Xiang to take action inside Jingwu Gate, but he was not afraid. He raised his hands to block and planned to counterattack, yet he did not anticipate that Ah Xiang had trained in martial arts for many years with Huo Yuanjia, and his skills were not something that Xinhang, with his limited abilities, could withstand.

Xin Han casually said while shoveling food into his mouth as if he were indifferent

"Ah Xiang, go to the kitchen and see if there is any poison or rat poison, hurry up and check," he said angrily, pointing at Ah Xiang who was working nearby.

Thank you, thank you. Uncle Gen left Jingwumen with tears in his eyes, and the crowd sighed in unison, not expecting that the truth behind the master's defeat and death was actually like this

Seeing that no one was speaking, Xin Han suddenly stood up and said, "Uncle Gen is of advanced age, and I cannot bear to watch him die."

Uncle Gen is not the true mastermind behind the scenes; the real culprits are Axiang and the Japanese. He was merely used in this situation, and had he known it would lead to the master's death, he would not have acted in this manner

A few days after Huo Yuanjia's burial, who knows what state he has decomposed into; such a challenging experience is something Xin Han does not wish to undergo

Xin Han secretly felt disdain in his heart; Uncle Gen was clearly feeling guilty as a thief.

I believe that since this involves Uncle Gen at this moment, in order to prove his innocence, it would be advisable to test the crocodile meat to see if there is indeed any poison in it

Originally, Uncle Gen hated Xin Han to the core; if it weren't for this newcomer, he wouldn't have been exposed. However, at this moment, Xin Han is instead pleading for him, and he feels an overwhelming sense of shame

As expected, as soon as Nong Jinsun's voice fell, all the disciples turned their gaze towards this side

I believe that what the junior brother said makes sense; this is reverse thinking. Since everyone can eat together without any issues, then the toxic substances must be something that only the master can come into contact with. Senior brother, Uncle Nong, you might want to think carefully about what is something that only the master consumes.

They said those drugs would not kill Master Huo. Had I known it would come to this, I would rather let my son die than let Master Huo die. At this moment, Uncle Gen was in tears, and everyone could see that he was truly remorseful.

Do you still remember that the master spent a month in quiet recuperation to compete with Akutagawa, during which he did not go out for social engagements

Only Old Fourth Huo ate it himself... By the way, Old Fourth Huo has asthma, and Tian Gen asked someone to buy crocodile meat from Nanyang for him to treat his asthma; that was the only thing he ate himself

Chen Zhen looked at Xin Han and secretly nodded. This junior apprentice was loyal and righteous, respected his teacher and valued the way, and his character was indeed rare. If he knew Xin Han's true thoughts at this moment, he would surely kick him half to death and then expel him from the sect.

Thank you, Senior Sister. Aware of the current difficult situation, Xinhan did not force himself to endure and sat down with the support of Xiaohui

Chen Zhen and Huo Ting'en nodded in agreement; regarding Uncle Gen's handling, this is the best approach

With a shout from Xinhan, everyone turned to look at the door. Uncle Gen also noticed that Axiang was about to run away and, in a moment of panic, blurted out: "Axiang, you beast, it was you who made me poison Master Huo."

"It's nothing, thank you, Senior Sister." Xin Han struggled to get up, but unfortunately, A Xiang was quite forceful. After several attempts, he could only keep twisting and turning, yet he could not stand up.

While he was speaking, he kept an eye on Uncle Gen and Ah Xiang at the corners of his eyes. When he finished speaking, he indeed saw the expressions of both men change dramatically

"You are now the master of the Jingwu School, you can handle it as you see fit," Nong Jinsun sighed.

Xin Han nodded slightly to everyone and continued, "What I mean is that if Master were aware from beyond the grave, he would not want us to make things difficult for Uncle Gen. However, even so, Uncle Gen cannot continue at Jingwu Gate. I think it would be better to let him return to his hometown and wait until we capture A Xiang to avenge Master."

Chen Zhen said this to acknowledge Xin Han's identity at Jingwu Gate, and also because he found his words very reasonable, thus standing up to support him

"Junior Brother, are you alright!" A gentle voice sounded, and when Xin Han turned around, he saw that he was caught by Senior Sister Xiao Hui, and at that moment, he was being held in an extremely close position by her.

"If you have anything to say, just speak up," said Huoting En, as Chen Zhen also nodded to Xin Han.

Uncle Gen immediately interjected when A Xiang spoke, saying: "Exactly, kid, don’t think that just because Ting En has taken you in, you are truly Master Huo's disciple. Be careful with your words."

Huo Ting'en and Nong Jinsun arrived in time, but they could not stop Chen Zhen's determination to uncover the truth. In the face of the Western doctors' refusal to perform an autopsy, Chen Zhen personally took the scalpel to extract Huo Yuanjia's liver.

While everyone was talking, Ah Xiang quietly circled behind the crowd, hurriedly passing through the back of the dining table towards the door, only to be intercepted by Xin Han, who had been watching him for some time.

The cause of Huo Yuanjia's death has been determined, and many disciples have rallied, for their master did not fall to the Japanese, but was instead secretly harmed by others. For Chen Zhen, the hero who uncovered the truth, his prestige at Jingwu School is unmatched, even surpassing that of the current head, Huo Ting'en

Upon hearing this, Uncle Gen's face instantly turned pale, devoid of any color, yet he still managed to scold, "You little brat, what are you saying? Do I need to prove my innocence? Nong Jinsun, are you all suspecting me?"

By this time, the sky had darkened. After Xin Han helped everyone lift up the coffin of Huo Yuanjia, he respectfully bowed three times to this master, who was famous yet lacked substance, but whom he held in great esteem in his heart, and then he retreated towards the crowd.

Since the master eats with everyone, there should be no problem with the food. Therefore, let us consider the opposite: what is it that only the master himself eats at Jingwumen

Before long, Chen Zhen and the others returned one after another. Nong Jinsun anxiously asked, "How is it? Did Axiang get caught?"

No matter how I think about it, I cannot understand how the master could be poisoned

Chen Zhen and Huo Ting'en exchanged a glance and shook their heads in disappointment

Nong Jinsun thought for a moment and finally grasped the key to the matter

Nong Jinsun pondered for a moment and suddenly said: "The one who poisoned must be an insider from Jingwumen."

"Exactly, I need to make a trip to Dr. Smith's. I will bring the crocodile meat, which will serve as evidence to prove Uncle Gen's innocence," Chen Zhen said, glancing at the pale-faced Uncle Gen before turning to Huo Ting'en and Nong Jinsun.

After examination by Western physicians, it was confirmed that Huo Yuanjia indeed died from poisoning, a result that the disciples of Jingwu School could hardly believe.

"I was wrong, you all kill me to avenge Master Huo." Uncle Gen buried his head in the ground and began to cry bitterly

Although I managed to block the punch from above, my shoulder was instantly struck by a palm, and immediately after, my abdomen was kicked. I fell backward, initially thinking I would hit the ground, but unexpectedly, I landed in a place as soft as cotton

After the opening of the hall, a strong stench of decay wafted in, causing everyone to instinctively cover their mouths and noses. Xin Han, hiding at the back, had already stuffed two pieces of cloth into his nose, yet Chen Zhen showed no signs of discomfort.

Uncle Gen suddenly knelt down before everyone: "It is all my fault. My son committed murder in Shandong. Ah Xiang and the Japanese agreed to release my son and also gave me a lot of silver dollars, which is why I was tempted"

At this moment, Xiao Hui's face was flushed with embarrassment. Fortunately, she knew that Xin Han did not intend to be frivolous. Shyly, she said, "Junior Brother, you have just been injured and cannot exert yourself. Let me help you sit down first, and I will get some medicine for your wounds in a moment"

Xin Han listened from the side and couldn't help but shake his head. He said that this statement was quite reasonable; the poisoning of Huo Yuanjia must have been carried out by someone from within. However, such matters are only suitable for discreet investigation. To speak of it openly would only cause the members of Jingwu Gate to be anxious and suspicious of one another

Huo Ting'en felt somewhat uncomfortable listening to these discussions, which was not entirely his fault. With Huo Yuanjia just having passed away, as the heir, he needed to enhance his own prestige. However, he was unaware that his father had been poisoned to death, and it would only be when Chen Zhen returned that the cause of death would be confirmed. This made him begin to doubt his own abilities.

Huo Ting'en looked at Nong Jinsun, momentarily at a loss for what to do. Since he could remember, there had always been Uncle Gen in his family, who cared for him as if he were his own grandson. To say that he would kill Uncle Gen to honor his father, he truly could not bring himself to utter those words

Ah, you are truly confused. How can one trust the words of the Japanese? And as for Ah Xiang, Old Master Huo really has poor judgment to have raised such an ingrate. Nong Jinsun slammed the table in extreme anger; he and Huo Yuanjia were childhood friends, their bond deeper than that of biological brothers

Several disciples were discussing the poisoning of Huo Yuanjia at the dining table, which also led Nong Jinsun and Huo Ting'en to fall into deep thought

Continuing to lose his temper, Uncle Gen ignored Xiaohui's advice and ordered the other disciples to check the kitchen. He stated that Master Huo had grown up eating the meals he prepared, and that it was outrageous for anyone to doubt him. He insisted that if his innocence was not proven, he would not rest in peace.

"How can you do this? After all, you have been with the Huo family for decades... You..." Nong Jinsun trembled with anger.

Xin Han learned that Chen Zhen had defeated Akutagawa Ryuichi, which confirmed that Akutagawa was not a match for Huo Yuanjia at all. This led him to doubt the circumstances surrounding Huo Yuanjia's death, prompting him to decide to open the coffin for an autopsy

His remarks angered the elder in Jingwumen, Uncle Gen, who was responsible for cooking. He threw aside his apron, his face filled with indignation: "Everything eaten in Jingwumen has passed through me; are you doubting me?"

It is quite easy for someone to be poisoned when the master is out socializing so much

Only after hearing these words did Uncle He finally calm down, and he expressed great dissatisfaction at Nong Jinsun's unexpected suspicion of him

Xin Han, holding his nose at the back, struggled to suppress his nausea. Although he felt that Chen Zhen's methods were somewhat extreme, he could not help but admit that Huo Yuanjia had indeed taken on a good disciple

What does the test mean? Houghton did not understand what Xinhán meant by the test

Until Chen Zhen appeared and said: "The master always eats with us. If the dishes you cook poison the master, everyone will be poisoned."

"You are just a newcomer, don't speak nonsense. We at Jingwumen are all our own people, there are no traitors among us. If we are to talk about traitors, I think the most suspicious one is you." Ah Xiang suddenly stood up and accused Xin Han, leaving others unclear about what was happening.

"A chemical test is a chemical examination that can quickly prove whether food is toxic or not." At this moment, Chen Zhen's face was serious as he put down his chopsticks and stood up

Subsequently, Nong Jinsun questioned Xiao Hui about Huo Yuanjia's daily life and dietary habits like a detective, which led Huo Ting'en to believe that he was suspecting Xiao Hui. However, Nong Jinsun shook his head to indicate that this was not the case

Chen Zhen instantly confirmed his suspicions; it seemed that Uncle Gen was indeed the one who had poisoned, but he did not expect that Ah Xiang would be the instigator. Seeing Ah Xiang drive off Xin Han and attempt to flee, he leaped over the dining table and chased towards the door.

Did I not say that the master would not be so easily killed by the little Japanese?

Brother Axiang, where are you in such a hurry to go?

"Xin Han, just say what you want to say directly." At this moment, Nong Jinsun had a very good impression of Xin Han. As soon as Xin Han arrived, he generously offered a large sum of tuition, showed great respect for Huo Yuanjia, and uncovered the conspiracy behind Huo Yuanjia's murder. Therefore, he regarded this young man with a new perspective.

You are seeking death! Ah Xiang, enraged and humiliated by Xin Han exposing his whereabouts, threw a punch directly at Xin Han.