Lu Xiaofeng was a man with four eyebrows, naturally insatiably curious, and thoroughly fond of meddling in other people's business.
Today, he had inadvertently discovered that someone actually dared to impersonate Ximen Chuixue—and not just one, but more than twenty impostors had cropped up all at once!
His interest was piqued immediately. Tracking down Longmen Inn, where these impostors had gathered, he strode right inside.
The waiter stopped him with an outstretched arm and gave an apologetic smile. "Honored guest, our inn is charging an entrance fee today. That will be one hundred taels of silver, if you please!"
Lu Xiaofeng was taken aback and said incredulously, "That expensive?"
The waiter wore a sincere expression. "Our humble establishment conducts honest business, treating young and old alike without deceit!"
Helpless, Lu Xiaofeng pulled out a banknote, handed it over, and found an empty seat at random to sit down.
By now, the inn was already packed to the brim.
Looking toward the very front, he saw more than twenty swordsmen dressed in white robes and holding longswords seated in the front rows, an aura of aloof detachment radiating from each of them.
Had he not personally known the real Ximen Chuixue, he surely would have been fooled by one of them into believing Ximen Chuixue was truly among their ranks...
Before long, the innkeeper came to the railing on the second floor and announced, "Today, more than twenty Heroes Ximen have gathered together, gracing our humble establishment with immense honor!
"However, among the esteemed Heroes Ximen, only one can be the genuine article after all. Therefore, our humble establishment has specially invited the foremost divine constable of the Six Doors—Hero Qin Zheng! He has come to distinguish who among you is the true Ximen Chuixue!"
The crowd below burst into applause in unison. Amid the clapping, Qin Zheng strode out slowly. He raised a hand and pressed it down, and the applause below ceased at once.
Looking at the righteous-looking Qin Zheng, Lu Xiaofeng was slightly stunned. "Wait. Isn't the foremost divine constable of the Six Doors Jin Jiuling?"
Qin Zheng glanced at him indifferently and said, "Jin Jiuling's Six Doors is state-run. My Six Doors is privately run. They have nothing to do with each other."
"Privately run?"
Lu Xiaofeng froze for a moment, then suddenly realized what he had just heard and cried out in shock, "Since when can the Six Doors be privately run? Are you planning to rebel?"
Qin Zheng waved his hand dismissively. "Trifles like that aren't worth mentioning. What matters most today is distinguishing which of these men is the true Ximen Chuixue!"
Lu Xiaofeng was utterly bewildered. "..."
What did he mean by trifles? Rebelling against the imperial court was infinitely more serious than impersonating Ximen Chuixue!
Qin Zheng looked down, casting his gaze over the twenty-odd Ximen Chuixues present, and spoke: "Each of you claims to be Ximen Chuixue. But do you know the origin of this name?"
Several of them spoke up one after another, explaining the origins of their names.
"The name Ximen Chuixue—Blowing Snow—is merely a misconception in the jianghu! What I blow from my sword is blood, not snow. Therefore, my name is actually Ximen Chuixue—Blowing Blood!"
"My family's surname is Xi! Every winter at our Wanmei Villa, heavy snow falls, which is an absolute nuisance to sweep. So my father named me Ximei Chuixue, hoping for the good omen that the wind would blow the snow away!"
"This humble one has the compound surname Ximen-Chuixue! When traveling the jianghu, I only use my surname and have never given my personal name before anyone!"
Lu Xiaofeng listened in dumbfounded disbelief, almost unable to take the name Ximen Chuixue seriously anymore. His brow furrowed tightly; he felt there was something far from simple behind all this.
Who on earth was targeting Ximen Chuixue, and what was their objective?
Qin Zheng listened patiently until they finished. Suddenly, his expression grew stern, and he said coldly, "None of you is Ximen Chuixue! If I am not mistaken, the real Ximen Chuixue has also come to this inn today, hiding among us right here!"
As his words fell, everyone glanced left and right, searching for traces of Ximen Chuixue.
Just as everyone was growing suspicious and looking around warily, Qin Zheng suddenly pointed at a pastry vendor near the doorway: "You are the real Ximen Flatbread!"
Lu Xiaofeng completely lost his composure on the spot. "Where did a 'Ximen Flatbread' come from?! Weren't we looking for Ximen Chuixue just a second ago?!"
They watched as Qin Zheng leaped down from the upper floor, picked up a pastry from the vendor's stall, and took a bite. With a look of pure bliss, he said, "Crisp, fragrant, soft, and glutinous—truly a pastry crafted by Ximen Flatbread! If I ever wish to taste such delicious pastries again, where should I go to buy them?"
The vendor replied, "West Gate, White Tiger Avenue! The very first shop from the south is the Ximen Flatbread Shop, where you can purchase authentic pastries made by Ximen Flatbread. First come, first served—twenty percent off during our grand opening!"
Immediately following that, several people dashed outside, shouting as they ran, "Hurry and queue up! If we get there late, they'll be sold out!"
A few jianghu figures exchanged glances. One of them said, "Why don't we go buy some too? These pastries look pretty good. I'll take some back for my mother and son to try."
His companions nodded right away, stood up, and headed outside.
Watching the patrons leave the inn in wave after wave, Lu Xiaofeng went entirely numb. "Wait, you're all just leaving? Finding out who Ximen Chuixue is doesn't matter anymore?!
"You all paid a hundred taels of silver for admission!"
With a look of deep sympathy, Qin Zheng said, "Do you think there's a possibility that you were the only one who actually paid?"
Lu Xiaofeng suddenly realized Qin Zheng was standing right beside him, and a violent jolt ran through him.
When had Qin Zheng come over? What brilliant lightness skill—he hadn't sensed a thing!
Sensing no malice from Qin Zheng, he let out a sigh of relief and asked in utter bewilderment, "What on earth is going on here?"
With an air of supreme righteousness, Qin Zheng said, "Since you have asked in all sincerity, let me part the clouds and dispel your doubts.
"A few days ago, I opened a pastry shop opposite Longmen Inn called Ximen Flatbread. To make a name for it, I specifically hired more than twenty people to impersonate Ximen Chuixue and draw a crowd to watch the spectacle."
Lu Xiaofeng was in complete disarray, before saying between laughter and tears, "If Ximen Chuixue ever finds out about this, he'll definitely come and kill you..."
Qin Zheng waved his hand nonchalantly. "No need to worry. The storefront I rented is Hua Manlou's personal property. When signing the lease, I added a memorandum clause: if the shop is smashed up by people from the jianghu, he will compensate me in full.
"To avoid trouble, I also specifically found a man named Lu Xiaofeng to serve as the shopkeeper. Even if Ximen Chuixue truly wants to kill someone, it won't fall on my head."
Cold sweat broke out on Lu Xiaofeng's forehead in an instant. His eyes widened, and he pointed at Qin Zheng as if he had seen a ghost. "You... Where did I ever offend you that you'd set me up like this?!"
Qin Zheng sighed with deep feeling. "In this life, a person has to have some hobbies. Just as you enjoy meddling in others' business, I enjoy solving cases and watching a good show.
"Since I haven't gotten in the way of your meddling, you ought to respect my hobbies too."
Lu Xiaofeng gave a bitter laugh. "I'm afraid this hobby of yours is a bit hard on friends. Alas, consider it my rotten luck!"
A brilliant smile appeared on Qin Zheng's face. "Seeing how amusing you are, I'll treat you to drinks. I run this inn too; today, the wine and meat are all on the house."
With that, he waved his hand, had the staff bring out all the house specialty dishes, and began drinking with Lu Xiaofeng.
After turning to the second page of the Heavenly Tome, Qin Zheng had sensed the existence of this new world.
Because he had mastered the Heavenly Dao, everything in the Tianlong world was within his grasp; a single thought could dictate the workings of the world. Thus, he had chosen to enter a new world to continue his cultivation.
This time, the technique he comprehended was named Parting the Clouds to See the Sun. As long as he unraveled various mysteries of the jianghu, his cultivation would increase.
Yet after entering this world, he discovered that there was no one he was familiar with in the jianghu. Only a few names, such as Daoist Mu of Wudang, sounded vaguely familiar, so his cultivation progress had been exceedingly slow.
It was not until ten years ago, when Ye Gucheng became renowned across the realm with his Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens and figures like Hua Manlou and Ximen Chuixue gradually made their appearances, that Qin Zheng was finally overjoyed.
What this world lacked least were strange cases and unsolved mysteries—his cultivation progress finally had a path forward!
Seeing Qin Zheng smiling so happily, Lu Xiaofeng paused with his winecup in hand and asked, "What's got you so happy?"
Qin Zheng replied casually, "Nothing much. The day before yesterday, I received word that Hua Manlou met a woman named Shangguan Feiyan and quickly fell in love with her. I suspect he might be caught in someone's scheme, so I was just wondering when to go watch the show."
Lu Xiaofeng's eyes went wide. "How can you laugh at something like that?! Hurry and expose that woman!" Saying so, he was about to get up and go find Hua Manlou.
Qin Zheng pressed down on his shoulder and said, "As expected of Lu Xiaofeng, the meddler—can't sit still already, can you? Hua Manlou has grown to this age without ever being close to a woman. Don't go spoiling his good fortune. What if he's beating them at their own game?"
Lu Xiaofeng pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up, his face full of suspicion. "You didn't hire that woman, did you?"
Qin Zheng was momentarily taken aback, then his eyes lit up. "Right! Why didn't I think of doing it that way?!"
Hearing this, Lu Xiaofeng's face instantly filled with dread. It was over—he seemed to have inadvertently unleashed a terrifying demon!
Chapter 62