The moment before the arrow was shot, Lin Sui'an saw the black-clothed killer hiding behind the roof, and deliberately left a loophole to let him escape smoothly. After chasing her for half a street, she was a little disappointed to be honest. After all, the last person she chased and beat up was Yun Zhongyue, a leader among escapees. Not to mention the weird and unpredictable Lotus Walk, she only relied on her tricky escape route. , it’s enough to cause a headache.
But although the man in black in front of him can jump between rooftops, his legs and feet are obviously not sharp enough. This is probably because he has a bloated body, short hands and short legs, especially a huge fat butt that makes his whole body heavy. The body was shaky.
With Lin Sui'an's speed, she could catch up with this person in minutes, but not only was she not in a hurry, she also pretended to be chasing hard, shouting "Stop! Don't run if you have the guts!" from time to time to heighten the tension. atmosphere. After all, the ultimate goal of "snatching the grass and frightening the snake" is not the "grass", but the "snake". She wants to see who has spent so much effort spreading the rumor that "the ferocious beast looks like a willow". If she is lucky, the killer in front of her will Maybe it could lead her to the base of the rumors.
If you are lucky and the rumor monger is connected with the real murderer, you can rescue Zhong Xue in one fell swoop!
Jin Ruo caught up and immediately understood Lin Sui'an's intention. Instead of climbing to the roof to pursue her like her, he hid in the crowd and even smeared plant ash on his face to disguise himself. The two of them cooperated tacitly, one in the open and the other in the dark. In the open, Lin Sui'an gradually opened the distance from the killer, and in the dark, Jin Ruo gradually closed the distance.
The killer was obviously not stupid. At first, he seemed to be planning to use his speed to get rid of Lin Sui'an. Later, he changed his strategy and jumped off the roof and got into the narrow alleys of Nanshi, trying to confuse Lin Sui'an with the terrain. Lin Sui'an got what she wanted. She chased down several alleys and gradually slowed down. Taking advantage of the killer's sharp turn, she turned into the alley in the opposite direction. Jin Ruo, who was hiding in the dark, immediately took over and followed quietly. thereafter.
Lin Sui'an was very confident in Jin Ruo's tracking skills and stayed far behind. After a few turns, he lost track of him. He simply gave up the pursuit and walked out in a crowded alley. He looked around and walked to In front of a biscuit stall, I bought a biscuit to fill my stomach, took off Qian Jing from my waist and shook it.
The owner of the cake stall looked at her as if she was a fool. Lin Sui'an was a little embarrassed. It seemed that he had not found the right person. He sat on the steps of the house on the street with his robe lifted up. His buttocks just touched the ground. The waiter selling fried fruits opposite him He ran over in a flash, bowed to Lin Sui'an, and whispered, "Thousands of mountains and rivers are always filled with love."
Lin Sui'an breathed a sigh of relief: "Take a flower and smile to purify the world."
"I have met the Lord of Qianjing." The waiter clasped his fists, "I wonder what the Lord of Qianjing has given me?"
Lin Sui'an: "The young master will have news later, please pay attention."
The waiter nodded repeatedly and stepped back.
Lin Sui'an was chewing Hu biscuits and looking around, and realized that he had actually been here before. Across the alley was the Wang's Food Store where he had buns for lunch. Sitting here, he could see the second floor of the food store in the distance. Along this street Keep going forward in the alley, and you will reach the inner curved gate of Hongqiaofang.
It's almost Youzheng, the sun has set over the mountains, and the twilight is low. Every house in Hongzhuangfang hangs high lights, and the red lights are like clouds. A steady stream of carriages pours into the inner curved gate. I don't know if they are elegant literati in white or wealthy people. merchants, or Persian merchants covered in gold and silver, preparing to attend the carnival banquet after dark.
A grocer carrying a load hurriedly walked out of Neiqumen against the flow of people. He stood at the entrance of the alley and wiped his sweat. Then he hurried out of the alley carrying a pole and happened to pass by the fried fruit stall opposite. The waiter at the fried fruit stall suddenly shouted loudly, "Roasted chestnuts, hot roasted chestnuts, fragrant roasted chestnuts, the last pot is here, they are sold cheap, they are sold cheap, I will regret it for half a year if I miss it today!"
Lin Sui'an stuffed the remaining biscuits into his mouth, stood up and patted the dirt on his butt, then walked to the fried fruit stall and said, "Here's a pound."
The waiter neatly packed a large paper bag of roasted chestnuts, which seemed to weigh at least four or five kilograms. "Thank you for your patronage, ten cents."
Lin Sui'an was stunned and whispered, "Shouldn't the information given to me be free?"
"Information is naturally free, and this is money for speculation."
"..."
No wonder Dongdu Jingmen is so poor. This business is like a robbery. It's a shame if they can have repeat customers.
Lin Sui'an reluctantly paid ten cents, and the waiter presented him with roasted chestnuts. There was a line of small words written on the edge of the paper bag: [Hao Liu's family is surrounded, come quickly].
"Sir, please go ahead and come back if it tastes delicious," the waiter said happily.
Lin Sui'an had an impression of Hao Liu's family. The last time he went to Fan Ba's family, he passed by in a carriage. It was located on the south side of the main street of Hongqiaofang, still some distance away from Fan Ba's family. It was also a large house with a tall tower standing at the door. There is a string of red bamboo lanterns hanging on the pillar, with the seven words "good scenery, good water, good wind and moon" written on it.
According to the location in his memory, Lin Sui'an carried roasted chestnuts and blended into the flow of people entering Hongqiaofang. He originally thought that she would be a bit conspicuous as a girl, but he never thought that after entering Neiqumen, he realized that she was too narrow-minded. In addition to men, there are also many women playing in the square. They are dressed in elegant and luxurious clothes. Some are walking, some are riding horses, and some are riding cars. The majority are riding horses, with the power fence on their heads raised high, revealing their perfect beauty. Wear good makeup, hold a riding crop, and walk on the street as if there is no one around. The man on the street had a calm expression, obviously he was used to this situation.
As he walked, Lin Sui'an felt something was wrong. There were fewer and fewer men in front of him and more and more women. When he arrived at the door of Hao Liu's house, there were only women and no men. The guests at the door of Hao Liu's house were several handsome young men.
Lin Sui'an: "..."
Hey Hey hey! It's not what she thinks, is it?
"This way, this way, this way!" Jin Ruo poked his head out from the shadow in the corner and waved to her.
Lin Sui'an looked around awkwardly and ducked over, "Is there really anyone inside?"
"I stared at him climbing in from the back wall," Jin Ruodao said, "There are more than a dozen brothers surrounding him. The killer must have never come out again!"
Lin Sui'an: "Then what are you waiting for? Let's go in and explore together."
Jin Ruo looked a little embarrassed, "Hao Liu's house is not an ordinary brothel, which usually only accepts women. It would be too conspicuous for us to go in, and it would arouse suspicion."
Lin Sui'an turned around and took another look. The young gentlemen greeting guests at the door were exquisitely made up, with red lips and white teeth, and smiling faces. "...How about pretending to be those gentlemen?"
"Those husbands are all thin-skinned and tender-bodied, but all the brothers in my family are thick and dark-skinned," Jin Ruo muttered, "If the surname is Hua, there's still a possibility -"
Lin Sui'an: "..."
The situation was slightly beyond her expectation. If it was an ordinary house, she would have rushed in and destroyed it single-handedly, but the Hao Liu family looked at at least five courtyards with countless large and small rooms, plus the small restaurant and female guests inside, it must be a mixed bag of dragons and snakes. , if Zhong Xue is really here, it will be like finding a needle in a haystack, getting twice the result with half the effort. Moreover, it would be even worse if someone accidentally hurts other innocent people.
The only plan for now is to be more cautious and sneak into the investigation first to find out the truth.
"Your brothers who lead the Jingmen will guard all exits. If the killer appears just now, capture him in one fell swoop." Lin Sui'an whispered, "I'll go in and take a look."
Jin Ruo held her elbow and said earnestly, "Keep your heart and don't be blinded by wild flowers."
Lin Sui'an: "..."
"Don't eat or drink. If you really can't control it, think about the flowers at home. They are much prettier than the ones here."
Lin Sui'an almost stuffed the whole bag of roasted chestnuts into Jin Ruo's mouth.
Since she wanted to sneak into the investigation, she had to put on some disguise after all (the killer had met her after all), and time was running out. Lin Sui'an had no other choice. He went to the shoe and hat store next door and bought a power fence to cover his face, and then She followed the crowd and mingled inside, but as soon as she reached the door, she was stopped by the young man who greeted her and asked her for a flower sign. Lin Sui'an glanced at the bamboo stick handed out by the girl next to him. It used meticulous brushwork to depict the patterns of vegetation and the seal of the Hao Liu family. It was obviously a specially made invitation.
Lin Sui'an naturally didn't have such a thing, but she had another thing, which must have the same popular effect. She took out a piece from her waist and patted it into the hand of the young man who welcomed the guest.
Gold leaves, Hua's specialty, are rich in gold and shine with the light of evil extravagance.
The young man's hand that received the gold leaf was trembling a little. He tilted his head to observe Lin Sui'an, as if he was trying to see through the power barrier what the origin of such a generous person was.
"I just arrived in Dongdu today. I've heard about the Hao Liu family, so I came here to take a look. I hope it's convenient for you." Lin Sui'an calmly stuffed two more gold leaves into his hand, "It's just a common thing. Just treat it as a greeting gift for Mr. Xiao, and I hope Mr. Xiao will not dislike it."
The young man retracted his fingers, and three golden leaves slipped silently into his cuffs. He said with a smile, "I will lead the way for the girl. Please come in."
As expected, the kryptonian gold was looking at him, and lo and behold, in just two sentences, a tour guide came to the door.
Lin Sui'an nodded: "I wonder what I call the young man?"
"Girl, just call me Manqi."
Manqi looks about the same age as Muxia. In terms of appearance alone, he is slightly inferior to Muxia. His face is covered with a thick layer of powder, and his blush is as red and bright as highlighter. He is about the same height as Lin Sui'an. , because he deliberately arched his back, he felt a little short. His steps were light and soft, neither fast nor slow. He held his arms, and his two big sleeves were swinging gently by his side. For some reason, Lin Sui'an suddenly felt that he This walking posture looks familiar, as if I have seen it on someone before.
Hao Liu's house is bigger than Lin Sui'an imagined. The fifth is the courtyard, and the first is the front hall. It is surrounded by corridors on all sides. There is an eight-pillar pavilion in the center. The curtains and bamboo curtains are rolled up high. The men wearing futou were playing and singing in the hall. Lin Sui'an couldn't understand the babbling, but he felt that the guqin owned by the c man was quite meaningful and must be expensive. Girls gathered around in twos and threes, leaning against the red pillars of the cloister, sitting on the floor with their feet raised, or discussing in low voices. At the beginning of the lanterns, the pool hidden under the corridor is filled with white mist, the shadows of flowers are swaying, and the fragrance is lingering. The overall atmosphere is more elegant and pure than Fan Bajia, probably to cater to the consumption preferences of the main customers.
Walking inside is the back hall, with four flower doors marked "plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum". From here on, the flow of passengers becomes scattered, and each hall must have different emphasis.
"Each of the plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum gardens has its owner. The owner of the plum garden is good at poetry, the owner of the orchid garden is good at painting, the owner of the bamboo garden is good at playing the piano, and the owner of the chrysanthemum garden is good at wind and moon." Manqi invited Lin Sui'an to the resting pavilion and served tea. "I wonder which garden the girl would like to go to more?"
Poetry, painting, and piano are easy to understand, but what the hell is this "Feng Yue"?
Lin Sui'an asked tentatively, "The so-called Fengyue is——"
Through the thick layer of makeup, Man Qi's face naturally remained unchanged, but his ears were red. His eyes were like water, and he whispered, "The so-called wind and moon are boundless, and the beauty in the world is not enough for outsiders to understand."
Good guy! Lin Sui'an was so excited that he had goosebumps all over his body. He looked around at the gate of Juyuan several times with eager eyes. Finally, he suppressed his eagerness and cleared his throat and said, "I wonder what the owner of these four gardens looks like. "
A hint of disdain flashed across Man Qi's face, "The Hao Liu family is the leader of the Hongqiaofang brothel in Dongdu. Those who can get into this place are second only in appearance and figure, but in talent, education and art." Fundamentally, I see that the girl has an extraordinary temperament, and she is definitely not a common person who only cares about appearance——"
"No, no, I'm just a layman, just trying to show off." Lin Sui'an waved his hands repeatedly.
Man Qi choked, "Although the owners of the Four Gardens are not outstanding in appearance, their temperament is outstanding, especially the owner of the Juyuan Garden, whose figure is soft and graceful, which can be called -" As she spoke, Yingying looked at Lin Sui'an, " In fact, Man Qi fell in love with the girl at first sight. If she doesn’t give up, Man Qi is willing to be her subordinate—"
"I like those with a strong figure, especially those with thick waists and strong buttocks. I wonder if there are any?"
Man Qi choked hard on his saliva, and the corners of his mouth were deflated. He looked at his slender waist with great sadness, and whispered, "How come the girl's preferences are so different?"
Lin Sui'an: "I've heard that the Hao Liu family is full of flowers and competing for beauty. You can't even satisfy such a small request like mine, right?"
Man Qi hesitated for a long time and sighed, "Hao Liuye has been retired for many years, and Liuye never accepts female guests."
The brothels of this era all used the name of oiran or madam as their signboard, so it was not difficult to judge that Hao Liu was the head of the place, and from what Man Qi meant, his figure was quite similar to that of the killer.
"Very good!" Lin Sui'an was overjoyed, "I like this kind of aloof person to lead the way quickly."
Man Qi glanced at Lin Sui'an sadly again, "Young lady, do you want to stop considering me?"
Lin Sui'an took out a purse full of gold leaves and threw it to Man Qi, imitating Hua Yitang's casual tone and said, "Let's go!"
Man Qi was so dazzled by the gold leaves that he beamed, and the powder from the corners of his eyes fell. He turned around and said, "Girl, please come this way."
It turns out that there is a small flower gate next to the flower gate of the chrysanthemum garden, hidden among the layers of trees, with an inconspicuous little lantern hanging, reflecting the name of the flower gate: Liuyuan. Lin Sui Anxin said that it was fortunate that she had more foresight, otherwise she would not have been able to find such a hidden location.
Two attendants in black were guarding the door, and they were very puzzled when they saw Man Qi.
"Sixth Master has a distinguished guest tonight. I told you not to accept others." When he saw Lin Sui'an's figure, he was even more surprised, "Why is it still a female guest? Man Qi, are you looking for a fight?!"
Man Qi lowered his head, "This girl came here because of her reputation, and she hopes that the two eldest brothers will show their respect -"
"No, no, no! If Master Six finds out, he will skin us!"
"Well, if that's the case, let's forget it." Lin Sui'an patted Man Qi's shoulder lightly and was about to leave. Just when the two attendants relaxed, he suddenly flew out of the power fence and knocked them unconscious. Man Qi's eyes widened and he was about to scream, but Lin Sui'an covered his mouth.
"Little Prince, please lead the way, otherwise -" Lin Sui'an bared his teeth, "Hey hey hey!"
Man Qi nodded desperately, tears overflowing uncontrollably from his eyes, with ravine-like tear marks on his face. Lin Sui'an pressed him and staggered forward. After passing through the flower gate, his eyes suddenly opened up, and there was another rather strange place. The secluded garden has three halls in the east, south and north directions, separated by flower beds and shrubs. There were lights on in the east and south rooms, while the north room was dark. In this garden, you can't hear the sound of silk and bamboo outside, and you can't see any guests. It's as if there is an invisible barrier here, blocking all the noise outside.
The hairs on Lin Sui'an's back stood up, and her intuition told her that she was in the right place.
She knocked Manqi unconscious with her backhand, held her breath, walked lightly, and quickly walked to the outside of the east hall. She put her ear to the window and listened. Although the lights were on in the room, there was no sound. Lin Sui'an walked through the bushes again, moved outside the main hall on the south side, and squatted down.
This time, she heard a sound.
Two men were talking, one with a deeper voice, as if he was deliberately suppressing his voice.
"Can this thing really make people... gifted?"
The other had a high-pitched voice, as if a rope was hanging from his throat, making his voice high-pitched and high-pitched.
"Mr. Lang is already gifted. If he has the help of this thing, he will definitely be able to soar into the sky and become one person below ten thousand people."
"It's just this price. Can you be more accommodating?"
"Oh, Lang Jun is a man who wants to do big things. Compared with Lang Jun's great career in the future, why does this small amount of money matter?"
"Master Liu, you also know my situation. If I become something big in the future, I will never forget Master Liu's great kindness. However, everyone is in trouble. I hope Master Liu can lend a helping hand and help me."
"Oh, that's all. I also have a secret book that I have treasured for many years. If you study it together, you will get twice the result with half the effort." A figure was reflected in the window. He stood up and swayed in front of the candlelight. Lin Sui'an's eyes lit up. She could clearly see that the figure had a thick waist and heavy hips, and he looked like the killer from before. He immediately kicked the door open and shouted, "Hey! I finally caught you!"
The two people in the room changed their colors in shock. In the flash of lightning, a fat body rolled over like a hammer. Lin Sui'an swung a punch unceremoniously, hitting him in the stomach. There was a bang, and the man was like a huge giant. The ball fell to the ground and bounced twice. He spit out a mouthful of blood and all the flesh in his body became loose.
Lin Sui'an's eyes turned to another person, who was wearing ill-fitting shorts and his handsome facial features were distorted due to excessive fear.
"Lin, Lin Sui'an, why are you here?!"
Lin Sui'an's eyes widened: "Su Yiyun?":,,
