After Jiang Long and Luo Ma brought Zhu Ting back to Six Doors, the case made little progress.
Zhu Ting specifically demanded that Lu Xiaofeng handle the case and clear his name.
Besides Lu Xiaofeng, he would not say another word to anyone else!
This was clearly a sign of his distrust in the authorities.
Yet Jiang Long and Luo Ma could do nothing about it.
Zhu Ting was highly regarded and well-connected. With Zhou Ming's words backing him now, it was truly inappropriate to treat him harshly.
The two investigated from other angles, but found not a single clue.
In the blink of an eye, it was already the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.
After emerging from the Heavenly Prison once more, Jiang Long sighed and said, "Luo Ma, I think we should just go find Lu Xiaofeng."
Luo Ma immediately objected. "That won't do. We're Gold-Clad Constables of Six Doors. If we can't solve a case and have to ask someone from the martial world for help, wouldn't that disgrace Six Doors? If he solves it, he'll be stepping on the reputations of us two brothers to rise even higher!"
Jiang Long said helplessly, "At a time like this, you still care about that? Chief Constable gave us orders to solve the case within seven days. Three days have already passed. If we don't get any clues soon, these uniforms will be stripped right off us. What reputation or pride will we have left to care about?"
Seeing this, Luo Ma sighed. "Fine. But where is Lu Xiaofeng now?"
Pei Manor.
"Qianjin Pavilion..."
Lu Xiaofeng looked at the name inscribed above the pavilion. "Old Zhou, isn't that name a little too tacky?"
Zhou Ming flicked his fishing rod. "What's tacky about it? You're the one with the vulgar mind. This name has profound meaning—it carries my dream!"
"Hm?"
Hearing this, Lu Xiaofeng glanced around before his gaze settled on the fishing rod in Zhou Ming's hand. "Don't tell me you mean to catch a thousand catties of fish here?"
"That's right. What about it?"
"Hahahaha... Forgive my bluntness, but dreams and delusions are still different things!"
"Hmph! Even if I only catch one catty of fish a day, I need just three years to reach my goal. How is that a delusion?"
"Oh, so you meant the total added together. I thought you meant one fish... Still, even cumulatively, catching one catty every day would be difficult, wouldn't it? Three years... Thirty years sounds more like it!"
"Are you saying I can only catch tiny fish weighing one tael each day?"
"In truth, perhaps not even one tael... I remember coming to see you several times last year. I don't think I ever saw you catch anything. All I saw was you scattering fish food..."
Zhou Ming clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.
Well, Lu Xiaofeng. I originally planned to simply compete with you in solving the case and use my knowledge of the plot to win just once.
But now, that would be far from enough to ease the hatred in my heart!
This time, I must teach this bastard a lesson he will never forget!
Zhou Ming made up his mind inwardly.
But outwardly, he said, "So what? As long as I improve day by day, I will accomplish my goal sooner or later. Never mind thirty years—even sixty years would be fine. A person's dreams can never be extinguished!"
"..."
Lu Xiaofeng fell silent for a moment. "Old Zhou, since you said that so seriously, I really shouldn't... But using those words for fishing, especially coming from someone with fishing skills as terrible as yours... I really... can't help but laugh! Hahahahaha..."
"Brother Lu, what has made you laugh so happily?"
A refined gentleman in white approached at an unhurried pace and asked curiously.
"Oh, Old Hua, you're here too... Listen, just now..."
Lu Xiaofeng raised a hand in greeting and recounted what had just happened.
After hearing it, Hua Manlou could not help but smile as well.
"Hehe..."
"Damn it!"
Zhou Ming threw down his fishing rod. "Old Hua, you laughed just now, didn't you?"
"Well... I merely thought of something amusing..."
Wine and dishes were set out inside Qianjin Pavilion.
Zhou Ming said, "The reason Old Hua and I called you here this time was naturally not to celebrate the Lantern Festival with you. It was because something major happened recently."
He then briefly explained the case of the counterfeit banknotes.
Lu Xiaofeng listened while eating with great relish.
Before this, he had another nickname: Lu Three Eggs.
The three eggs referred to bastard, fool, and pauper.
This nickname had been given to Lu Xiaofeng by his friend, the master thief Sikong Zhaixing. The "fool" part did not quite suit him, but the other two descriptions were perfectly accurate.
Lu Xiaofeng was not poor, but he spent even more freely, so he was often a pauper.
And as a pauper, one could imagine what his usual three meals were like.
This table of food had been personally prepared by Zhou Ming's four maidservants. The cooking conditions were better than before, so naturally, the taste was better as well.
More than half the food and wine on the table ended up in Lu Xiaofeng's stomach.
"I understand now. You and Old Hua want me to help investigate the counterfeit banknote case? Fine. For the sake of today's meal, I agree."
Lu Xiaofeng agreed readily. The case was important and involved Hua Manlou and Zhu Ting. No matter how unreliable he usually seemed, he knew what mattered at a time like this.
Zhou Ming said, "That is only the first purpose. The second is that I want to use this matter to compete with you and see who can catch the mastermind behind the case first. Old Hua can serve as the witness."
Lu Xiaofeng laughed. "You want to compete with me in solving cases? Hahahaha, Old Zhou, don't tell me you think reading a few more case files has made you smarter?"
"Will you compete, then?"
"If it's a competition, there must be victory and defeat. What happens if we win? What happens if we lose?"
Zhou Ming said, "I fish every day and need earthworms for bait. If I win, you must dig up nine hundred and ninety-nine earthworms for me!"
Lu Xiaofeng said, "And what if I win?"
"If you win, we'll write off what happened before."
"What happened before? What are you talking about?"
"Hm?"
Zhou Ming glared at him. "At Xingyun Manor, you pretended to be drunk to get information out of me, then cursed me out. Have you forgotten? When we parted last time, I said I would make you pay!"
"Just that?"
Lu Xiaofeng was speechless. "Fine, you've held on to something like that for this long, but why insist on competing with me over it? Aren't you afraid people will say you're petty if word gets out?"
Zhou Ming said, "Indeed, I think so too. But if I don't take revenge for this, the resentment in my heart will not fade. After thinking it over, this was the result. If you win, I will naturally accept it wholeheartedly. But if you lose... don't blame me for making you repay everything with interest!"
"If that's the case..."
Lu Xiaofeng took a large gulp of wine and said, "I won't compete! If I win, nothing happens to you, but if I lose, I'll suffer a huge loss. Why should I enter such a competition? Don't worry, I'll help solve this case, but forget the competition."
"That is not up to you!"
Zhou Ming said, "Why don't you look at your arm?"
"Hm?"
Lu Xiaofeng pulled back his sleeve and saw a patch of crimson spreading across his arm and up to his upper arm.
"You... you poisoned me?!"
"That's right!"
Zhou Ming admitted it calmly. "It was in the food and wine on this table."
Lu Xiaofeng looked toward Hua Manlou in disbelief. "Old Hua, you joined forces with him to set me up?!"
Before you continue