Lu Xiaofeng brought Hua Manlou to the entrance of Yiqing Courtyard. Catching the chaotic scents wafting from within, Hua Manlou could not help pausing before the establishment.
"You rushed me all the way to the capital in such a flurry, even having me convert several hundred taels into hard silver, just to take me to a brothel?"
The corners of Lu Xiaofeng's mouth curled up. "Don't tell me you've actually been to a brothel before!"
Hua Manlou smiled faintly. "Naturally. As you know, some people prefer to discuss business in places like this."
Looking thoroughly unimpressed, Lu Xiaofeng said, "There are two eccentrics in the jianghu: one knows everything under the heavens, and the other knows every secret of the jianghu. Do you know who they are?"
"You mean Da Zhi and Da Tong?" Hua Manlou asked. "The two of them are here?"
"To find Da Zhi and Da Tong, you first have to find Grandpa Guisun," Lu Xiaofeng explained. "Only he can get in touch with them. This Grandpa Guisun spends money like water and frequents only the most extravagant places. He can never last more than a few days living like a lord before running out of funds, always ending up detained by brothels over unpaid bills, just waiting for people like us who need his help to come redeem him."
Hua Manlou froze for a moment, then gave a rueful laugh. "So you brought me here just to have me pay his ransom, didn't you?"
"Bingo!"
Without a shred of shame, Lu Xiaofeng led Hua Manlou inside. Up on the second floor, a wretched-looking little old man hung tied by ropes. Down below sat a beautiful woman on a chair, looking completely used to the sight.
At a single glance, Lu Xiaofeng recognized the old man as Grandpa Guisun, while the gorgeous woman beside him was Yiqing Courtyard's top courtesan, Ouyang Qing.
Having witnessed this scene many times before, he was hardly surprised. "How much silver does he owe you this time?" he asked.
"Five hundred taels," Ouyang Qing replied. "But this time, I don't want silver."
Lu Xiaofeng was taken aback. Ouyang Qing was famous for recognizing only money, not people. Whether princes, nobles, monks, or Taoist priests, as long as they paid, she would treat them as the most lovable people in the world.
Hearing that she did not even want silver, Lu Xiaofeng asked with a peculiar expression, "Then what do you want?"
With a mournful look, Ouyang Qing said, "I want him to take me to Da Zhi and Da Tong to ask about someone's whereabouts."
"Whom are you looking for?"
"A man named Qin Zheng."
"What do you want with him?"
"He is the only man I have ever loved in this world."
Lu Xiaofeng's eyes narrowed; he immediately realized she was lying.
How could any woman in this world possibly love Qin Zheng? This woman was definitely lying!
Moving like lightning, Lu Xiaofeng jabbed a finger into her acupoint, freezing the mournful expression on her face.
Immediately following that, Lu Xiaofeng leaped up to the second floor, untied the ropes binding Grandpa Guisun, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and bolted outside, calling out as he ran, "Hua Manlou, don't forget to pay the ransom!"
Hua Manlou did not know whether to laugh or cry. Leaving several banknotes behind, he followed Lu Xiaofeng and ran out of the city.
Before long, the three arrived in the outskirts.
Lu Xiaofeng set Grandpa Guisun down. "Take me to see Da Zhi and Da Tong. I have business with them."
Grandpa Guisun's stomach had been churning from all the bouncing along the way. After dry-heaving a few times, he said, "Fifty taels of silver per question. Do you have the money ready?"
Lu Xiaofeng patted Hua Manlou on the shoulder. "His name is Hua Manlou!"
Grandpa Guisun glanced at Hua Manlou in surprise, then led them to a cave. Telling them to wait outside, he went in alone.
A moment later, an aged voice rang out from within the cavern: "Whatever questions you wish to ask, toss the silver in first."
Lu Xiaofeng took the cloth sack from Hua Manlou, fished out an ingot of silver, and tossed it into the cave. "Why is Ouyang Qing looking for Qin Zheng?"
The person inside replied, "That is not a single question. Give another hundred taels of silver."
Consumed by curiosity, Lu Xiaofeng tossed in two more ingots. Only then did the voice inside say, "Ouyang Qing belongs to the Red Shoes, an organization made up entirely of women. Qin Zheng stabbed their leader, Madame Gongsun, and she wants revenge."
Lu Xiaofeng was startled. "Did Qin Zheng not pay?"
The person in the cave fell silent for a moment before continuing, "He stabbed her with a watermelon knife."
Lu Xiaofeng gave a dry cough. "Ahem. And here I thought he stabbed her with a sword... Why on earth would he go and stab Madame Gongsun?"
"Give me another hundred taels," the person in the cave said.
Lu Xiaofeng tossed in more silver, and only then did the person speak: "Madame Gongsun has another identity; in the jianghu, her moniker is Old Granny Xiong."
Lu Xiaofeng's expression shifted. "Old Granny Xiong, the one who sells sugar-roasted chestnuts? No wonder, then."
Seeing Hua Manlou's puzzled look, he explained, "Old Granny Xiong roams all over the jianghu, specializing in selling poisoned sugar-roasted chestnuts to randomly poison innocent people without any rhyme or reason. It's hardly surprising that Qin Zheng would deal with her."
The voice in the cave took on an odd tone: "That wasn't why. Qin Zheng claimed that by selling only sugar-roasted chestnuts and not salt-roasted chestnuts, she was clearly trying to stir up conflict between the sweet faction and the salty faction. So he stabbed her once with a poisoned watermelon knife. Madame Gongsun now lives in agonizing pain every day, unable to neutralize the poison despite consulting renowned physicians everywhere. That is why the women of the Red Shoes want to seek revenge on him."
Lu Xiaofeng's eyes went wide, his mouth agape, utterly speechless. "..."
It took a long while before Lu Xiaofeng could wrap his head around it. He tossed a few more silver ingots into the cave. "Was it Huo Xiu who stole Yan Tieshan's treasure?"
"I do not know. You may change the question."
Lu Xiaofeng frowned. "Then tell me, who in the jianghu can capture Huo Xiu?"
"There are quite a few who can kill him, but those who can capture him alive can be counted on one hand. Among them, you, Lu Xiaofeng, are the most likely to capture him."
Lu Xiaofeng paused briefly, knowing he would not be able to unravel the riddle in his heart through Da Zhi and Da Tong. "I have no more questions."
Hua Manlou suddenly spoke up: "Can Qin Zheng defeat Ye Gucheng?"
The cave remained silent for a long time before the voice sounded again: "Ten years ago, an eight-year-old Qin Zheng visited White Cloud City. No one knows what happened that day; all I know is that after he left, Ye Gucheng entered secluded cultivation for an entire year."
Hua Manlou waved his folding fan and asked, "Is Qin Zheng the Embroidery Bandit?"
"He is not."
Upon receiving a definitive answer, a smile appeared on Hua Manlou's face. Lu Xiaofeng asked with some bewilderment, "Why would you think he was the Embroidery Bandit?"
Hua Manlou replied, "I simply felt that he was fully capable of doing such a thing. As long as it's confirmed not to be him, these several hundred taels of silver were well spent."
After the two walked away side by side, Qin Zheng and Grandpa Guisun emerged from the cave.
Grandpa Guisun trembled all over. "Hero Qin, I truly know nothing about your affairs! Please, whatever you do, don't kill me to silence me!"
This Grandpa Guisun was none other than Da Zhi and Da Tong himself. Because he knew too much and feared being silenced, he had invented the figures of Da Zhi and Da Tong to shield himself from disaster.
Qin Zheng had found him before Lu Xiaofeng arrived and supervised his answers to Lu Xiaofeng's questions, which was why Lu Xiaofeng had been doomed to leave empty-handed.
Looking at Grandpa Guisun's terrified state, Qin Zheng smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. This hero isn't some sort of monster. Go spread a rumor for me across the jianghu: say that Chu Liuxiang wants to take a final disciple and is calling upon all members of the Thieves' Gate across the world to steal from Qingyi Tower. Whoever steals the most wealth from Qingyi Tower will be taken as his disciple."
Cold sweat immediately broke out across Grandpa Guisun's forehead. "..."
*And you say you're not a monster? Chu Liuxiang retired from the jianghu years ago, and you still have the nerve to frame him like this!*
Chapter 68