Chapter Thirty-One: Embroidery Needle

  Li Yunfei nodded and thought for a moment before asking: "Jin Dou, do you have any suspects now?"

  "Now I just know it's a woman."

  "Girl," asked Luk Siu-fung, "how did you know it was a girl?"

  Jin Jiuling said, "There is dust everywhere here, it's obvious that no one has lived here for a long time. There's nothing here that people need to use in their daily lives. But there is a mirror. Women indeed like to look at themselves in the mirror."

  Li Yunfei smiled and said: "It's not just women who like to look in the mirror, some men also like to look in the mirror. Disguise and makeover also require looking in the mirror."

  Jin Jiuling picked up the mirror on the desk in front of the window and said, "There is a handprint left on it with sweat marks, which was newly left. It's a woman's handprint."

  Li Yunfei said, "If I'm not mistaken, she was probably lying in bed just now. Someone just heard a woman's moan. It means that Miss Xue has just been taken away."

  Lu Xiaofeng sighed and said, "Actually, even if you didn't say anything, I could have guessed it. This person must have been in a hurry to take away Xue Bing, leaving behind so many clues."

  Li Yunfei looked at Jin Jiuling and asked: "When was Miss Xue taken away?"

  "Last night, when the sky was not completely dark yet."

  At that time, Lu Xiaofeng was on his way to Xiyuan to keep an appointment. The old woman who sold sugar-roasted chestnuts had not appeared yet. She might have taken Xue Bing away and then gone to Xiyuan. She was likely the one who rented this house.

  "This house was rented two months ago. The exact date is May 11th."

  Lü Xiao Feng's expression changed: "May 11th?"

  Jin Jiuling said: "The theft case in the Wang's mansion occurred on June 11th, and she came to rent this house just a month before the theft took place."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "It's also just three days before Jiang Chongwei's birthday!"

  Jin Jiuling said: "What does Jiang Chongwei's birthday have to do with this matter?"

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "On his birthday, Jiang Qingxia had specially come to wish him a happy birthday."

  Jin Jiuling's eyes sparkled as she thought for a moment before saying: "It was on that very day that she made a mold of the key to the Wangfu treasure vault."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "It's also to avoid making others suspect that she has something to do with this matter. So they waited a few more days before taking action."

  Li Yunfei interrupted: "Before doing such a big case, of course, we must have a very detailed plan. We also need to find a way to understand the environment of the Wang Mansion first. Only then can we take action without any mistakes."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "Right, she can't appear in that big bearded man's identity normally. So on the night of that day, we must prepare a hidden place to disguise ourselves."

  "This is just a great place."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "That's right, because this place is in a busy area. So it won't arouse suspicion!"

  "Looks like she's indeed very good at grasping other people's weaknesses."

  At this time, the person next to Jin Jiuling finally couldn't help but ask: "Is it true that the person who came to rent this house is actually the notorious 'Embroidered Flower Thief'?"

  Lü Xiao Feng said: "Now we can't completely confirm it yet, but at least we have 60-70% assurance."

  "More than 60%!" Jin Jiuling suddenly said.

  Li Yunfei asked: "How can you say that."

  Jin Jiuling said: "I dare say we now have at least a 90% chance."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "Why are you so certain?"

  "It's because of this thing." He pulled out a small red satin pouch from his sleeve and said, "I just found this under the dresser. Take a look at what's inside?" Inside the pouch was a pack of brand new embroidery needles.

  Li Yunfei said: "What does this embroidered needle prove? Which family doesn't have an embroidery needle?"

  Jin Jiuling said: "Ordinary embroidery needles can't explain anything, but this embroidery needle is made of hundred-refined gold steel and is different from ordinary needles."

  Li Yunfei smiled and stopped talking.

  Lü Xiaofeng asked: "Is there poison above?"

  Jin Jiuling shook his head and said, "No, she left those people alive perhaps to prove that she is not a woman, but a man with a big beard who can embroider flowers."

  "She didn't necessarily have to kill them."

  Jin Jiuling said: "You guys say she might be Jiang Qingxia?"

  Li Yunfei said: "This is impossible, I've seen her, she absolutely doesn't have such a high level of kung fu."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "That's right. We've fought before, Jiang Zixia's kung fu is not bad, but it's absolutely not as high as this level of martial arts."

  He continued: "Jiang Qingxia's only task was to go to the Wang Mansion to investigate on her behalf, and that's all."

  Jin Jiuling said: "You think Jiang Qingxia is her subordinate?" Lu Xiaofeng nodded.

  Jin Jiuling said: "Jiang Qingxia is already a famous person in the Jianghu, and she's very proud, how could she be willing to be controlled by her?"

  Lu Xiaofeng sighed, "Because she is far superior to Jiang Qingxia in every way. In my lifetime, I have never seen a woman with such high martial arts skills, so fierce and cunning."

  Jin Jiulian's expression changed suddenly, and he exclaimed in surprise: "You've already seen her?"

  Lu Xiaofeng bitterly smiled and said: "Not only have I seen her before, but I almost died at her hands."

  "Jin Jiuliang asked strangely: 'How did you see her?'"

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "I was originally substituting for a friend to go to Xiyuan for an appointment."

  Jin Jiuling asked: "A date? What kind of appointment is that?"

  Lu Xiaofeng sighed and said: "That was indeed a fatal appointment."

  Jin Jiuling said: "Who is the person your friend invited?"

  Lu Xiaofeng coldly said: "It's Madame Gongsun, Gongsun Lan."

  Jin Jiuling furrowed his brow and said, "I don't think I've ever heard of this name before."

  Lu Xiaofeng shook his head and said: "Because she was never a famous person, and she never wanted to be famous."

  Jin Jiulian was surprised and asked: "What kind of person is she?"

  "I don't know."

  Jin Jiulian found it even stranger and asked: "You've seen her before, why don't you know what kind of person she is?"

  Li Yunfei laughed and said: "Lu Xiaofeng bought two catties of fried chestnuts, if he eats just one, you won't be able to see him now."

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "Luckily Li Yunfei knocked away the chestnut in my hand, or I would have eaten it."

  "Grandma Bear's caramelized chestnuts!"

  Li Yunfei looked at Jin Jiuling with a puzzled expression. Jin Jiuling immediately understood what Li Yunfei meant and explained, "In the past two years, there have been cases of people dying on the road who didn't understand things. The bodies of those poisoned had sugar-roasted chestnuts scattered around them. And every time something happened, it was on a full moon night."

  Li Yunfei said: "Isn't tonight a full moon night?"

  Lu Xiaofeng nodded and said: "Not bad, tonight is the night of the full moon."

  Jin Jiulian said: "Two years ago, there was a new escort named Zhang Fang who died like this. He just said two more sentences before he died."

  "Which two sentences?"

  "He first said: 'Xiong Nainai's sugar-roasted chestnuts.' Jin Jiuling thought for a moment and said, 'The second sentence was when we asked him who Xiong Nainai was and why she wanted to harm him. Because every full moon night, she likes to kill people.'"

  Lu Xiaofeng let out a long sigh and said: "So she's not only a female butcher, but also the Peach Blossom Bee, the Five-Poisoned Maiden, and the Bear Lady."

  Jin Jiuling said: "Do you think Embroidered Flower Thief is also her?"

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "I didn't think of it at first, but several things put together. It's almost certain that she is the Embroidered Uniform Thief."

  "What things?" Jin Jiuling asked.

  "Firstly, I chased her to the street where Maiji Pastry is located before she slipped away. Now I understand why she wanted to escape in that direction. It's because she used to live on that street and was more familiar with its layout than I am. Secondly, the clothes in the wardrobe fit her perfectly, and judging from her voice, she's still young and can easily pass off as a beautiful young man without being recognized. Thirdly, although she disguised herself as an old woman, she was still wearing a pair of red shoes on her feet. The bright red satin even had an embroidered owl on it."

  Jin Jiuyi let out a long sigh and said, "Anyway, we now know who the Embroidered Flower Thief is. Unfortunately, we still can't find her, and there's no lead to follow."