Chapter 24: The Embroidered Flower Thief

  Jiangnan is a good place, it's said that Jiangnan has beautiful scenery. This time for Huamanlou's father's birthday, the 20-year-old Iron Shoe Thief case was solved.

  At night, Menghe's annual Lantern Festival. A few people stood on the Menghe Bridge, and Huamanlou couldn't help but ask: "It must be very beautiful now."

  Lü Xiao Feng lightly smiled and said: "Yes, just like the Milky Way."

  Jin Jiulian said: "Lu Xiaofeng, it's better to seize the day than wait for a good day. Let's gamble today!"

  Li Yunfei said: "Jin Caught Head, you still haven't fulfilled your debt from our bet."

  Jin Jiuling smiled and said: "Alright, let's bet on this. If I lose, I'll pay double compensation. If you lose, the stake from last time will be written off."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "Alright, what do you want to bet?"

  Jin Jiuling said: "Look at the river lanterns in this river, how many are there?"

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "How can we know this?"

  Jin Jiuling said: "I say that there are a total of one thousand eight hundred lanterns on the river, not one more, not one less."

  "You're so sure?"

  "Count and you will know."

  Lu Xiaofeng lowered his head to count the lanterns. By this time, Jin Jiuling had already quietly slipped away.

  At this time, Hua Manlou patted Lu Xiaofeng's shoulder and pointed to the distance. Jin Jiuling had already run far away. He saw Lu Xiaofeng looking at him and shouted: "Lu Xiaofeng, Li Yunfei, we will meet again!"

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "Hua Manlou, why didn't you tell me?"

  Hua Man Lou laughed and said: "Why should I tell you? We've been waiting for this day for a long time too!"

  Li Yunfei smiled and said: "I didn't expect him to fulfill the bet either. The two words 'official' are still acknowledging what they say."

  "Haha, Brother Li, Brother Hua, listen to me, this flower lamp is really hard to count."

  Li Yunfei smiled and said: "Lu Xiaofeng, where are you planning to go after releasing lanterns this time?"

  Lu Xiaofeng smiled and said: "Having solved a big case, let's take a few days off first."

  Li Yunfei said: "I want to stay in Jiangnan for a while, Hua Manlou is with you, you won't have any opinion about it, will you?"

  Hua Man Lou smiled and said: "Good, I'm welcome you to stay here. Lu Xiao Feng, how about you?"

  Lu Xiaofeng smiled and said: "I'm a rogue, have you ever heard of a rogue staying in one place for long?"

  Hua Man Lou smiled and didn't say anything.

  Time is like a galloping horse, rushing by quickly. Every day, I practice martial arts with Hua Man Lou and listen to her play the piano, time flies by very fast. Before long, half a year has passed, during which Li Yun Fei continuously breaks through the seventh layer of Ming Yu Gong. Hua Man Lou also actively helps out, fortunately, this Hua Man Lou's family is a wealthy one, whatever ginseng, deer antler, Tian Shan snow lotus, can all be obtained. Finally, on the day before Lu Xiao Feng sends news, Ming Yu Gong breaks through to the seventh layer.

  Lu Xiaofeng wrote a letter to Li Yunfei, telling him that a notorious thief known as the "Embroidered Flower Thief" had appeared in the jianghu and was causing quite a stir. Li Yunfei knew that this marked the beginning of the story.

  As expected, a voice came from the sound system: Story 2112 Embroidered Flower Thief has begun.

  At this time, Hua Manlou asked: "What did Lu Xiaofeng's letter say?"

  Li Yunfei looked at Lu Xiaofeng's letter and said: "Recently, a person who loves embroidery has committed dozens of major crimes."

  Hua Manlou smiled and said: "What crime can a person who loves embroidery commit?"

  Li Yunfei said, "Robbery and embroidery, loving to embroider blind men, two needles embroidered a blind man. Recently, two major cases, one of which was the robbery of 800,000 taels of silver from the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, and on the spot, 36 blind men were embroidered. Another case is even more outrageous, he robbed the inner warehouse of the Pingnan Wangfu, and on the spot, Jiang Chongwei was blinded."

  "Hua Man Lou said: 'Jiang Chong Wei, that's the one. The Thirteen Taibao who practices the Golden Bell Shield technique is invulnerable to swords and guns, with a pair of iron palms that can split stones and break through gold, and strike rocks into powder.'"

  Li Yunfei said, "That's right, so this time we won't be idle. Lu Xiaofeng asked us to go to Master Gualu first, and Master Gualu's vegetarian restaurant is a must-visit!"

  In the Zen room, incense is burning. Li Yunfei has arrived, and Hua Manlou has been waiting in meditation. To taste the vegetarian dish personally cooked by Master Kugua, one must not only bathe and burn incense but also be patient. Master Kugua does not easily cook, it requires the right person to come, and he must be in a good mood. Today's guests are quite suitable, besides Hua Manlou, there is also Huang Shan Gusong and Mu Dao Ren, who claims to be the first in Go, second in poetry and wine, and third in swordsmanship.

  These people are not ordinary guests, so Master Bitter Melon is particularly happy today. In the vast twilight, the pleasant evening bell finally rang out. When Huamanlou walked out, Gongsun and Mudaoren were already waiting for him in the courtyard. The evening breeze blew through the bamboo forest, and the summer heat had long been isolated from the red dust.

  Hua Manlou smiled and said: "It's really an honor for both of you seniors to wait here."

  Mudao Ren smiled. The Wudang elder, who had always been careless and sloppy in his appearance, surprisingly took off his tattered Taoist robe with a thousand stitches and put on a spotless blue linen shirt. Just to avoid being constrained by others, he was willing not to be the leader of Wudang. However, in order to taste the vegetarian dish of Master Suan Gua, he had no choice but to compromise a bit. Master Suan Gua's eccentric temper was well-known to everyone.

  In the Zen room, bamboo curtains hang low, and behind the bamboo curtains, you can already smell an indescribable fragrance that is enough to stimulate anyone's appetite.

  Gu Song sighed and said, "The bitter melon dish of General Su is indeed unparalleled in the world."

  Mudao Ren laughed and said, "He himself often says that his vegetarian dishes are so good that even a Bodhisattva would be tempted by the smell."

  Li Yunfei said: "I've been waiting for a long time for Master Bitter Melon's vegetarian dish."

  "What are we waiting for?"

  They lifted the bamboo curtain and walked in, suddenly stunned. The dishes were already on the table, and someone was sitting there, eating with gusto.

  The monk sighed and said: "This monk is biased."

  "He invited us, but let others come and eat first."

  Mokado said, "He must have us go and burn incense and take a bath, but this person seems to have just rolled out of the mud."

  The Master of Bitter Melon burst out laughing and said, "Indeed the monk is biased, but he's only biased towards one person. Your anger is useless."

  Mù Dào rén duì: "Nǐ wèi shén me duì tā piān xīn?"

  English Translation:

  "What makes you biased towards him?"

  The Bitter Melon Master said: "Because I met this person, even I am at a loss"

  Mudao Ren also laughed and said, "I don't blame you. Last time this guy secretly drank two jars of my 50-year-old daughter's red wine. I could only watch him with dry eyes!"

  Hua Manlou smiled bitterly and said, "Having met this person, even a Bodhisattva would be at a loss."

  Li Yunfei continued: "This person is shameless to the point of stealing even a thief's things, what can't he do?"

  This must be Lu Xiaofeng. He looked at the people who were talking about him and said, "You've all agreed on this, I'm just in time to enjoy a good meal. But Li Yunfei, when did I ever steal from a thief?"

  Li Yunfei smiled and said: "You dare say you've never stolen anything from Si Kong Zhai Xing?"

  Lu Xiaofeng smiled and said: "That old monkey is the world's number one thief, to be able to steal something from him, I'm still very proud of myself."

  Lu Xiaofeng finished speaking and continued eating his vegetarian dishes, a plate of vegetarian ham and a bowl of pan-fried tofu had already been emptied.

  Li Yunfei watched Lu Xiaofeng eat with relish and also sat down to eat, instantly devouring three pieces of vegetarian duck.

  Hua Manlou had just sat down beside Lu Xiaofeng when he furrowed his brow and said, "Lu Xiaofeng, you don't usually stink, but today you smell like you've just been pulled out of a muddy swamp."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "I haven't taken a bath for ten days."

  Li Yunfei laughed and said: "Ten days, I remember you can't stand not taking a bath for one day, what have you been busy with this time that you haven't taken a bath for ten days?"

  Lu Xiaofeng bitterly smiled and said: "I'm very busy!"

  Hua Manlou interrupted, "What's so urgent for you, what are you busy with?"

  Lu Xiaofeng explained: "Busy paying off gambling debts!"

  Li Yunfei said: "Gambling debt, who did you owe gambling debt?"

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "Apart from Si Kong Zhai Xing that bastard, who else."

  Li Yunfei asked: "How did you lose to him?"

  Lu Xiaofeng shook his head and said, "Last time he competed with me in a backflip contest, I beat him badly. This time he came to find me again and wanted to compete with me in a backflip contest, how could I not agree?"

  Li Yunfei said: "Of course you will agree!"

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "Who knows what this kid has been up to lately, he's done nothing but flipped 680 times in one hour. You tell me if it's worth risking his life or not."

  "What did you lose to him?"

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "We made a bet, if he loses, next time we meet, he has to kowtow to me and call me 'grandmaster'. If he wins, within ten days, I will dig 680 earthworms for him, one worm per mu of land."

  Everyone present burst out laughing, and Lu Xiaofeng now looked like a worm.