#16 · 16 of 240
Chapter 16 Let them all go out, I will only talk to this young master!
The group of four left the inn and spent half an hour arriving in front of a restaurant.
This was the meeting point agreed upon by the Elder of Taiyi Sword Pool in his message.
The group entered the restaurant, scanned the room, and saw a beautiful woman, still charming, sitting quietly at a corner table.
She carried a long sword on her back, and her white robes fluttered.
Pei Qinghuan led the three to the table.
"Greetings, Sword Master, and Sword Crown."
The beautiful woman quickly stood up, looking respectfully at Pei Qinghuan and Fu Huaian.
Pei Qinghuan nodded without speaking.
They all sat around the table, Pei Qinghuan still in her cool demeanor, and she looked at the beautiful woman.
"Liu Elder, briefly tell me the information you know."
Liu Yuan nodded respectfully.
"The Flower Picking Thief is an outcast from a small School in Chu Province Jianghu; he was stripped of his cultivation and expelled from the Sect for humiliating female Disciples within the School."
"Later, I don't know what fortunate encounter he had, but he actually became a first-rank expert."
"The beginning of his rise to fame was when he returned to Chu Province and annihilated his former small Sect, and he repeatedly humiliated his former female Disciples and their Mistress, leading to them both committing suicide afterwards!"
Shen Jinyu was quite sensitive to the words 'Mistress' and couldn't help but look up at Fu Huaian.
Pei Qinghuan nodded gently, signaling her to continue.
"Recently, this thief, relying on his formidable cultivation, has committed multiple Flower Picking acts in Mu Province, the latest being taking the virgin Yin of a wealthy merchant's daughter in Changyan City."
"I've collected a portrait of him, but I don't know if it's accurate."
Liu Yuan reached into her bosom and took out a scroll.
Pei Qinghuan unrolled the scroll on the table, and everyone looked at it; the man in the painting had a tall and handsome figure.
He was only slightly less attractive than Fu Huaian, a rare handsome man.
Fu Huaian memorized the man's appearance and looked up at Liu Yuan.
"Liu Elder, do you have any current leads on him?"
Liu Yuan looked at Fu Huaian with eyes full of relief, pursed her red lips, and shook her head.
"After he committed that evil act, the City Lord's Mansion also sent people to apprehend him, but after several days, there's still no news of this thief."
"However, it can be confirmed that this thief is most likely still in the city, because Changyan City has long been under strict martial law; if he wants to leave the city, he can only force his way through the city gates or dig an underground tunnel."
"But with his cultivation, he can't accomplish such a feat."
Fu Huaian frowned in confusion.
"Changyan City is, after all, the largest city in Mu Province; is the City Lord's Mansion so incompetent that they can't even find a Flower Picking Thief within the city?"
Liu Yuan sighed.
"He is, after all, a first-rank expert, one of the top few people in Jianghu; Fu Sword Crown, you cannot view mundane matters with the perspective of us mountain folk."
Fu Huaian was slightly startled and nodded gently.
It seemed he had underestimated the top martial artists of Jianghu; they could indeed act with a certain degree of impunity down in the mundane world.
Everyone immediately fell silent, not knowing how to proceed without leads.
Fu Huaian thought for a moment and said to Pei Qinghuan:
"Master, let's go to that wealthy merchant's place and see the victimized woman, to see if we can get any clues."
Pei Qinghuan nodded gently.
Everyone left the restaurant, with Liu Yuan accompanying them.
The wealthy merchant's surname was Zhou, and it took another hour to reach the entrance of the Zhou Mansion.
Shen Jinyu and Qin Fengwu were quite tired, with a thin layer of sweat on their faces.
Fu Huaian felt distressed seeing them, but with a Flower Picking Thief lurking in the city, he couldn't rest assured leaving the two beautiful young women at the inn.
At the entrance of the Zhou Mansion, the vermillion gate was tightly shut.
Fu Huaian stepped forward and knocked on the door.
A moment later, a young, thin servant in gray clothes opened the door; he looked at the group of five with great curiosity.
The more he looked, the more surprised he became; these seemed to be noble people of considerable status.
Fu Huaian looked at him and smiled:
"We intend to meet your Zhou Miss; it's for the purpose of apprehending that Flower Picking Thief."
Upon hearing this, the gray-clad servant's expression immediately became enthusiastic.
He guessed that the people before him must be important officials from the City Lord's Mansion.
The gray-clad servant opened the gate, courteously stepped aside to lead the way, and guided Fu Huaian and his party into the Zhou Mansion.
As the gray-clad servant walked, he thought of the delicate and beautiful Young Miss in the mansion, and his heart ached, making it difficult to breathe!
The girl I've longed for day and night…
He secretly harbored hatred in his heart and prayed devoutly, "You must catch that damned Flower Picking Thief!"
After the gray-clad servant led Fu Huaian and the others to the reception hall, the Zhou Family Head soon rushed over.
The Zhou Family Head was corpulent, his breathing was short from running, and his face was covered in sweat.
He entered the reception hall and looked at Fu Huaian, who wore a sword, and Pei Qinghuan, who was dressed coolly; they looked like experts.
The Zhou Family Head's face lit up with joy, and he stepped forward with a beaming smile to bow.
"Greetings, esteemed sirs."
Fu Huaian looked up; the Zhou Family Head before him had the demeanor of a great unscrupulous merchant.
Fu Huaian looked at him and smiled:
"We are Jianghu heroes, not government officials."
"Upon hearing of your esteemed mansion's misfortune, we specifically came to gather clues, for the purpose of punishing evil and eliminating harm."
The Zhou Family Head's plump face froze, and he frowned, looking at the gray-clad servant behind him, thinking, "Why is he spouting nonsense?"
He had thought people from the City Lord's Mansion had arrived.
The gray-clad servant panicked, lowering his head, not daring to speak.
The Zhou Family Head looked at Fu Huaian, his smile returning.
"Zhou is grateful for the heroes' assistance; my Zhou Mansion has suffered such a calamity, and it is truly heartbreaking."
"Especially my daughter, who seems to be possessed, constantly thinking about that Flower Picking Thief."
"This makes me, as a father, quite distressed, unable to sleep night after night."
Fu Huaian had always been quite curious about this matter.
What methods did this Flower Picking Thief use to not only take her body but also capture her heart?
Fu Huaian thought, "Could it be that he possesses a special skill that I can't fathom?"
"Zhou Family Head, is it convenient to meet your daughter?"
The Zhou Family Head nodded repeatedly, holding up the hem of his long robe, panting as he led the way.
The group arrived at Miss Zhou's courtyard, and as they reached her boudoir, loud shouts came from inside.
"Get out of the way! I want to go out!"
"He's not a Flower Picking Thief; he's my destined husband!"
"Young Miss, the Master instructed us not to let you leave…"
The Zhou Family Head's face immediately darkened, and he looked at Fu Huaian behind him with an awkward smile.
He felt utterly humiliated; thinking of that damned Flower Picking Thief, he hated him even more, his teeth itching.
The Zhou Family Head suppressed his anger and pushed open the door.
He looked at his petite and pretty daughter inside, his face stern.
"Daughter, if you talk nonsense again, your father will ground you for a year!"
Fu Huaian glanced at him; he was still too doting.
What good would grounding do? Starve her for three to five days, and she'd behave…
The Zhou Miss was startled, scanning the large group of people who had entered.
Her gaze lingered on Fu Huaian's face for a moment, then she frowned and looked at her father.
"Father, why did you bring these people in!?"
The Zhou Family Head, feeling weary, took a few steps forward, looking at his daughter with distress.
"It's all for you!"
"These heroes are here to capture that thief and eliminate this menace!"
The Zhou Miss took two steps back, looking at everyone angrily.
"He's not a menace at all! All of you, get out!"
The Zhou Family Head almost fainted from anger!
Fu Huaian, however, did not indulge her; he stepped forward to stand before her, looking directly into her eyes.
"Miss Zhou, we are only here to ask some questions, and it's all for your own good."
The Zhou Miss looked up at Fu Huaian, paused for a moment, her expression softening considerably, then she shouted loudly at her father:
"Make them all leave! I'll only speak with this Young Master!"
Pei Qinghuan and her group's expressions changed; there was something wrong with this Zhou Miss!
Discussion0 comments
Comments load here at the chapter end.