Chapter 93: The Embroidery Bandit Strikes!

Lu Xiaofeng’s criticism was exceptionally gentle, and Gu Qing heard every word clearly.

“I never expected Lu Xiaofeng, who has always been lawless, would ever bow his head.”

Mu Dao Ren walked in from outside, heard Lu Xiaofeng’s words, and teased him.

“More friends mean more paths.”

Lu Xiaofeng chuckled from the side, chopsticks in hand, ready at once to eat the vegetarian meal.

“This entire table is what Mu Dao Ren exchanged for his own treasured items with Master Kugua.”

Gu Qing blocked his chopsticks and said coolly to Lu Xiaofeng: “Your Hongmen Banquet is over there.”

Recently, the Embroidery Bandit has been causing chaos; Jin Jiuling, the Six Shanmen ’s first legendary detective in three hundred years, is preparing to cry wolf and capture the Embroidery Bandit, and Master Kugua is Jin Jiuling’s senior brother.

Today’s banquet was specially arranged by Jin Jiuling for Lu Xiaofeng.

“What Hongmen Banquet?”

Lu Xiaofeng saw that another table was indeed serving vegetarian dishes, so he shifted his seat over and asked Mu Dao Ren: “What did you give up to make Master Kugua cook?”

Mu Dao Ren smiled and said: “More friends mean more paths. Mu Dao Ren gained a new friend—what’s a little sacrifice?” He did not say what he had given up.

Seeing Mu Dao Ren’s tight lips, Lu Xiaofeng did not press further, but Gu Qing’s mention of the Hongmen Banquet made him suspect the true motive behind the vegetarian meal.

Yet suspicion aside, the meal still had to be eaten.

While eating, Master Kugua suddenly brought up that although Gu Qing had resolved the Jin Peng Dynasty affair and Lu Xiaofeng enjoyed fame throughout the Jianghu, neither was currently the most prominent figure; right now, there was one man who stood out above all others.

“Is it Ximen Chuixue?”

Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Hua Manlou replied from beside him: “Ximen Chuixue has been with Sun Xiuqing of Emei for a long time and has not appeared in the Jianghu recently.”

Lu Xiaofeng exclaimed in surprise: “Together? How together?”

Hua Manlou calmly relayed what he knew: “On his way back to Emei from Shanxi, Du Gu Yihe was intercepted again by Ximen Chuixue; they clashed many times without killing each other. After their sword duel, something else happened—Sun, the Emei girl, left with him.”

Ximen Chuixue’s sword always drew blood; since his debut at fifteen, it had never changed. Though he slightly deviated under Gu Qing’s hand, that was because Gu Qing defied all norms—but for Du Gu Yihe to duel Ximen Chuixue and both walk away unharmed was extraordinary.

Remember, Ximen Chuixue’s sword techniques are lethal, merciless.

“I thought Ximen Chuixue was going to become a monk.”

Lu Xiaofeng was pleased for Ximen Chuixue, thought of Master Kugua’s mention of the most prominent figure, guessed Ye Gucheng and others, until Master Kugua revealed it was the man who blinded people with embroidery needles in the Jianghu.

He was a strange man who wore cotton robes in the height of summer and sported a full beard; he had committed many major crimes, most notably stealing eighteen hu of pearls from the Pingnan Prince’s mansion, seventy scrolls of calligraphy and paintings from Huayuxuan, eighty thousand taels of escort silver from Zhenyuan Escort Agency, and nine thousand taels of gold leaves from Jinsha River…

This Embroidery Bandit carried embroidery needles; anyone he encountered could not escape two stitches, and after those two stitches, they became blind.

Among those blinded were many people Lu Xiaofeng knew.

“So this is the Hongmen Banquet.”

Lu Xiaofeng finally understood what Gu Qing meant by Hongmen Banquet: “Jin Jiuling, as the Six Shanmen ’s top detective, must pursue this case; as his senior brother, you must find him help—and I am the most suitable person.”

“You’re wrong.”

Jin Jiuling walked in from outside and said: “I did not ask you for help.”

As the Six Shanmen ’s top detective, Jin Jiuling dressed extravagantly, holding a folding fan; upon entering, his opulent appearance resembled a young nobleman more than a detective.

Gu Qing watched Jin Jiuling enter, sizing him up; Jin Jiuling, as Chief Detective of the Six Shanmen , earned enormous bribes and a high salary, but he squandered recklessly and loved beauty, so over time, his expenses outstripped his income—behind the Embroidery Bandit case was Jin Jiuling’s hunger for money.

So Jin Jiuling stole vast sums of silver and framed Auntie Gongsun, hoping Lu Xiaofeng would capture Auntie Gongsun and close the case, while Jin Jiuling, besides pocketing the silver, could also prove his own cleverness.

“If you didn’t ask me for help, who did you ask?”

Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Sikong Zhaixing.”

Jin Jiuling said.

Lu Xiaofeng was already annoyed with Sikong Zhaixing; upon hearing the name, he immediately clashed with Jin Jiuling, and by the end of their quarrel, Lu Xiaofeng had vowed to take charge of the Embroidery Bandit case—but only after the shouting ended did he realize he had been provoked, and understood the meaning of the Hongmen Banquet.

Yet Lu Xiaofeng loved a good spectacle, so he took the red silk left at the crime scene and examined it closely under the lamp; the black peony embroidered upon it was exquisitely detailed.

“Dear nephew, bring that silk over so we can take a look.”

Shangguan Xue’er waved her hand.

Lu Xiaofeng ignored the little trickster Shangguan Xue’er, tucked the silk away, and said: “I’m keeping this silk—I’m going to find someone.”

Since this red silk was left by the killer, Lu Xiaofeng wanted to seek out Xue the Needle Master, the old woman, to see if she could spot any special clues in the silk.

Thinking of this, Lu Xiaofeng involuntarily thought of Xue Bing.

This time, Xue Bing would surely bite him a few times.

“Ah…”

Gu Qing sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“You won’t solve the case this way.”

Gu Qing said calmly.

Lu Xiaofeng became curious, recalling how in the Jin Peng Dynasty affair, he had failed to gather all clues before Shangguan Feiyan had boldly cracked the case—and that had been because Gu Qing had never followed Huoxiu’s plan, instead directly using the Soul-Transference Art to hypnotize Liu Yuhen.

Gu Qing trusted no one’s rumors; he trusted only what he uncovered himself.

“Do you have any clues?”

Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“I’ve already narrowed down the Embroidery Bandit’s range.”

Gu Qing rose calmly and said: “Once I’ve settled these two, I’ll go meet the Embroidery Bandit.”

Gu Qing despised Jin Jiuling most of all—he wanted to play a game with him.

“Settle them?”

Lu Xiaofeng looked at Shangguan Feiyan and Shangguan Xue’er—both were deadly tricksters; letting them loose, the Jianghu would be the one to worry.

“Since I brought them out safely, I will return them safely.”

Gu Qing rose and said.

If you bring someone out safely, you must return them safely…

Lu Xiaofeng nodded, watching Gu Qing lead Shangguan Feiyan and Shangguan Xue’er away.

“Is he that powerful?”

Jin Jiuling asked Lu Xiaofeng in a low voice; he knew little of Gu Qing, only that Huoxiu, Hu Tianqing, and others had all fallen to him—but Jin Jiuling had full confidence in his own plan.

“Very powerful.”

Lu Xiaofeng nodded, about to speak, when he heard the voice of Gu Song Jushi outside the meditation chamber.

“Next time we meet, I will defeat you!”

Gu Song Jushi, abandoning his lethargy, shouted fiercely at Gu Qing.

When facing Gu Qing, his moment of hesitation was whether to use his true skills—he had traveled the Jianghu with hidden agendas and concealed many techniques.

“Enemies defeated by me are never regarded as rivals.”

Gu Qing’s voice faded into the distance, still calm and composed: “I will give you time to catch up—until you can no longer see me.”

(End of Chapter)