Name of the case: The Strange Case of the Imperial Palace
Case Number: None
Name of suspect: XXX
Time of occurrence: unknown
Source: "Qingyang County Chronicles"
Qingyang City is adjacent to the Yangtze River in the west and Qingyang Mountain in the east, with developed water and land transportation and a prosperous market.In history, there was a chaotic period when an exiled emperor established his capital here and renamed Qingyang City as Dijing, and his military strength once expanded to the two lakes, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Guizhou. The dynasty lasted for four generations. Ten years. It is said that the imperial palace at that time was built in the Chaotiankou area of today's Qingyang City. The ancient building complex covering an area of thousands of square meters, I once saw it in an old photo of the Republic of China, was very majestic.It's a pity that it was destroyed by a fire during the "Cultural Revolution". What I can see today are only a few giant dragons carved in stone on the ruins, and the thrilling stories about this dynasty recorded in the county annals. Wangjiang Tower is not the largest restaurant in the Imperial Capital, but it is the busiest place.Because when you come here, you can not only taste the good food and wine, but also listen to Mr. Shu's storytelling.Of course, there are storytellers in other places, but he is definitely not Mei Shouzhu, the most famous "quick-talking scholar" in the imperial capital. Mei Shouzhu's storytelling is different from others, what he tells are new people and new things, anecdotes that happened in this dynasty, in the streets and alleys.Such a story is certainly more attractive than those old shadows of history. At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn this year, there was a little bit of coolness between heaven and earth, but the atmosphere in Wangjiang Tower was always hot.When every corner of the restaurant is full of people, it's time for "Quick Mouth Scholar" Mei Shouzhu to appear. Today, as usual, his ten-year-old apprentice, Guai'er, came out first, covered the storytelling table lightly with a big red cloth, served a cup of hot tea, and then stood upright by the side, respectfully inviting the master to come out. Mei Shouzhu didn't appear on the stage, but the sound of "cough--" came first.As a result, the lively and noisy restaurant suddenly became quiet. A long gown that has been washed white, a folding fan that never changes in all seasons, and a hale and hearty old man. This is Mei Shouzhu, the "quick-talking scholar". Old Mr. Mei stood in front of the stage, glanced at him, closed his folding fan, and said in a loud voice: "Guys, there is a strange case in the capital recently, do you know about it?" Everyone in the audience shook their heads again and again. Mr. Mei smiled slightly, and said: "Well, today I will tell you about a public case of 'a young and strong man died strangely, and the famous arresters in the imperial capital were helpless'. This case is still a secret of the government and has never been publicized. It was only through the efforts of two tigers that I found out from my friends on the errand. It is deduced into a book here to satisfy everyone's ears." Before he finished speaking, someone applauded again and again, urging: "Speak quickly! Speak quickly!" Old Mr. Mei was a little proud, cleared his throat and continued: "It is said that on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in this dynasty, on the Dragon Boat Festival this year, there was an old man named Lei Laoqi at the foot of Leigong Mountain in the northern suburbs of the Imperial Capital. I fetched water from the Leigong River for my wife to cook zongzi for eating. Who would have thought that a bucket of water was brought home, but my wife scolded me." The little apprentice sitting at the bottom obediently asked, "Okay, why did his wife scold him?" Mei Shouzhu went on to say: "It turns out that the old woman thought the water he brought back was not clean. Not only was there faint blood streaks floating on the surface of the water, but it also had a bloody smell. Lei Laoqi went back to the river to fetch water, thinking to himself: Damn it, why does such a good river have a bloody smell? I wandered along the river and searched upstream. Within ten steps, I saw a gleaming white thing among the reeds, which was very eye-catching. Look, my God—” Having said this, Mei Shouzhu suddenly stopped, picked up the teacup and drank it unhurriedly.Guai Geer hastily held up a tea tray and walked down the stage. The audience in the audience all understood that this was a common trick used by quick-talking scholars to ask for rewards, and they were both angry and funny.Helpless, curiosity has been aroused, so I obediently took out more or less copper coins and threw them in the tea tray, all craned their necks to listen to the following. The obedient child walked up to the master with a tea tray full of rewards, Mei Shouzhu squeezed the mustache at the corner of his mouth, smiled slightly, and continued in a loud voice with vigor: "Mentors, do you know what Lei Laoqi saw in the reeds? It turned out to be a naked corpse that glistened in white." "Naked corpse?" Everyone's eyes widened. "Please guess, what was Lei Laoqi's first reaction when he saw the corpse?" Mei Shouzhu deliberately puts on a trick. A potbellied guy sitting at the front guessed: "He must be timid and fainted from fright." Mei Shouzhu took a sip of tea, shook his head, smiled but did not answer. Another man guessed: "He must have turned around and ran away, so hurry up and report to the police." Mei Shouzhu still shook his head, smiled and said, "Lao Qi Lei's first reaction was to pee in his crotch." The audience roared with laughter. After the laughter, Mei Shouzhu went on to say: "After the government received the news, they quickly sent officials to the scene. The deceased was a young man with a handsome appearance and a strong body. The night before and the middle of the night. The identity of the deceased was quickly found out, and he was Yuan Wuji, the son of Lord Shang Shuyuan of the Ministry of War." Everyone was taken aback. Yuan Wuji is not an unknown person in the imperial capital. Not only is his family powerful and handsome, he is also very good at fist and kick. He once subdued a tiger with one hand at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, and his reputation spread far and wide.No one knows his name, how could he be naked in the wilderness? Mei Shouzhu seemed to see through everyone's thoughts, and said: "Maybe only the murderer will know the reason." "So, who is the murderer?" someone asked. "The case has not been solved yet, and the murderer is still at large. The yamen servants couldn't find any clues from the scene, and the officials reported it layer by layer, and it was passed to the court, alarming the emperor. Now, the case falls to Lu Tianshen, the head of the government office in the imperial capital. hands, the emperor ordered him to solve the case within a time limit." The obedient child said in surprise: "This Lu Tianchen, but that Lu Tianchen, Uncle Lu who has been on the job for more than 20 years, solved countless cases, came and went without a trace, and is known as the number one arrester in China?" "Exactly." Everyone in the audience breathed a sigh of relief and said hello one after another. Mei Shouzhu smiled coldly, shook his head and sighed: "There are no absolutes in the world, and there are times when the gods are not good. Even the famous Lu gods couldn't help frowning when they received this case." Someone asked: "Why is this?" Mei Shouzhu said: "Guest officials don't know something, according to the old man's investigation, since April this year, there have been frequent murders in various parts of the imperial capital. After death, they all died in the wilderness. Among the dead were wealthy officials and ordinary people, there were martial arts tycoons and romantic heroes. In addition to Yuan Wuji, there have been 18 murders. The holy land of the imperial capital, at the foot of the emperor, in March Within the period, eighteen bizarre murders occurred in a row. This is something that has never happened in this dynasty since the founding of the emperor Taizu. The emperor was shocked when he heard this Everyone is in danger, the people's hearts are in turmoil, and the country is endangered. On the one hand, they ordered the imperial government to arrest the murderer and solve the case within a time limit. However, it is rumored that today, although Lu Butou and his gang of brothers are busy, they are blind It was a waste of effort to light the lamp, and I didn’t even see the shadow of the murderer. In the past, the imperial capital was a god arrester, but now he is helpless and helpless, and he can no longer be a god.” "Oh—" Hearing this, everyone in the audience finally understood the ins and outs, but they couldn't let go of the hanging one. Mei Shouzhu picked up the teacup and said: "This public case has come to an end for the time being. As for the future, I will explain it to you in detail after I go to inquire again." Mei Shouzhu asked his disciples to pack up the reward money and gear, bowed to the audience, and was about to leave, when someone shouted: "Mr. Mei, please stay." Mei Shouzhu was startled, looked up, and suddenly saw three people standing up from the audience.The leader is over forty years old, with thick eyebrows, tiger eyes, square nose, wide mouth, black face, and a beard under his forehead, but the roots are straight like steel needles.On the lower left is a young man, about twenty years old, with sword eyebrows and starry eyes, a long sword hanging from his waist, and a frosty face; on the lower right is a big man with a beard and a face like copper, with round eyes.Although the three of them were dressed in long gowns and common clothes, their eyes were like lightning and their temperament was extraordinary. Mei Shouzhu didn't dare to be negligent, she hurriedly cupped her hands to greet her, and said, "What advice do the three officials have?" The middle-aged man walked over, took out a piece of silver, pressed it on the table, and said, "This is my wish." Mei Shouzhu was overwhelmed by the flattery, and hurriedly said: "Don't dare! The little old man is ashamed! I am ashamed!" The middle-aged man said: "I want to block something with this ingot of silver." Mei Shouzhu was startled, and said, "I don't know what the guest wants to block?" The middle-aged man said coldly: "Your mouth." After speaking, he walked out without looking at him again. The young man and the bearded man took a look at Mei Shouzhu and followed them out. Mei Shouzhu stood there in a daze, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. He stretched out his hand to get the silver, but he couldn't pick it up. It turned out that the middle-aged man pressed the silver ingot lightly, and embedded the silver ingot on the table.Mei Shouzhu's expression changed, and he was sweating profusely. The obedient child muttered: "Master, who is this person? He is so rude!" Mei Shouzhu stared blankly at the backs of the three leaving, and after a long while, he sighed and said, "If the teacher guessed correctly, he is Lu Tianchen." Mei Shouzhu, a quick-talking scholar, did not guess wrong. The middle-aged man who embeds the silver ingot on the table with a light touch is indeed Lu Tianshen, the head arrester of the imperial government government who is known as the number one arrester in China. According to legend, there are currently two masters of martial arts in the imperial capital. One is the swordsman Gao Jie.Lu Tian Shen made a special fine steel flying chain, the chain was seven feet long and weighed fifty-three catties.As soon as the flying chain came out, the ghosts and ghosts were unpredictable, and everyone in Wulin Xiaoxiao was frightened by the news, and he bowed his head and caught him. The bearded man who followed Lu Tianshen to the right was Du Wu, a well-known hot-handed catcher in the Imperial Capital Yamen. The cold-faced young man on the left of Lu Tianchen is Lu Tianchen's adopted son, Lu Yifei, the little god of the imperial capital.At the age of four, he practiced martial arts with his adoptive father, and at the age of seven he became the disciple of Tianshan Weixia, the number one swordsmanship master in the contemporary era.After ten years of painstaking practice, at the age of seventeen, Yicheng went down the mountain to work as a servant in the government office of the imperial capital. He wields a three-foot-seven-inch-long wind-like sword, which is rare to meet.In just three or four years, he repeatedly solved strange cases, achieved success as a young man, became famous in the imperial capital, and became Lu Tianchen's most capable assistant. However, as Mei Shouzhu said, there are no absolutes in the world, and the gods also frown sometimes.The eighteen serial murders that have shocked the government and the public right now have stumped the three master crime-solvers in the imperial capital. Lu Tianshen has sent all the arresting officers in the yamen to investigate everywhere. He also brought Lu Yifei and Du Wu in casual clothes all day long, haunting the streets and alleys, teahouses and restaurants, hoping to find out some clues.But time passed day by day, but the case did not make any progress. And the most terrible thing is that there are various indications that this series of murders has not stopped so far, and the corpses of naked young men with a sword piercing their hearts may still be found in various parts of the imperial capital at any time. On the way back to the yamen, none of the three of them spoke, their hearts were unusually heavy. The sun is setting, and a fruitless day is about to pass. Lu Tianchen looked at the sky, sighed and said, "Fei'er, it's getting late, let's go home for dinner first." He looked at Du Wu. Since he started investigating this serial murder case together with him, this steely man had obviously lost a lot of weight, whether he ate well or slept well.This is a good brother who fought side by side with him through life and death. He patted him on the shoulder and said: "Old Wu, today is Jian Jia's birthday, I specially asked her to cook some delicious dishes, let's go over and have a drink together!" Du Wu chuckled, and said, "Okay, I'm always thinking about that fine old wine you have collected, Nurhong." Green hills, flowing water, huts. No one would have thought that Lu Tianchen, the head arrester of the imperial capital's government, who is well-known all over the world, would actually live by the most remote and quiet Yuquan Lake in the imperial capital.Perhaps only those who have seen through the prosperity of the city and the vicissitudes of life will like such a quiet paradise; perhaps only those who are extremely lonely in their hearts can endure this boundless loneliness. Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei, and Du Wu walked into the hut, and a delicious smell wafted in the wind. The small table in the center of the room was already filled with sumptuous meals, meat and vegetables, steaming hot. Hearing the sound of footsteps, a girl of eighteen or nineteen years old with a bright smile on her face greeted her, and shouted happily: "Father, Uncle Du, Brother Yifei, you are back!" This girl is Lu Jianjia, Lu Tianchen's favorite. Food is good food, wine is good wine.After drinking for three rounds, the atmosphere on the table became cheerful and lively. After dinner, Lu Tianshen and Du Wu played chess in the courtyard under the lamp, while Lu Jianjia cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen. Lu Yifei walked into the kitchen and said, "Sister Jia, let me wash the dishes for you!" Lu Jianjia shook her head with a smile and said, "No need, brother Yifei, I can do it myself." Lu Yifei said again: "Then let me pour water for you." Lu Jianjia said: "No need, you've been tired all day, go back to your room and rest early." Lu Yifei said: "I, I can't sleep." Lu Jianjia asked, "Why?" Lu Yifei muttered, but couldn't speak. Lu Jianjia couldn't help but turned her head and gave him a strange look, but saw that he was standing behind her, looking at her affectionately.Her face suddenly turned red. Lu Yifei stammered: "Sister Jia, I, I..." Lu Jianjia lowered her head, while washing the dishes absently, she asked, "Brother Yifei, what do you want?" Lu Yifei hesitated for a long time before making up his mind. He plucked up his courage and said with a blushing face, "Sister Jia, today is your birthday. I, I have a gift for you." He took out a gift from his close-fitting pocket. The crystal clear jade pendant was handed to her. Lu Jianjia hastily wiped off the water stains on his hands, took a look, and couldn't help showing joy in his eyes. Lu Yifei said: "This jade pendant is an ancestral item of our family. It was left to me by my biological parents when they were alive. Now I give it to you. I hope you like it!" Lu Jianjia held the jade pendant in her palm, her cheeks flushed, she smiled shyly, and said, "As long as it is something you give me, I like it!" Lu Yifei was full of joy, wanted to talk to her a few more words, but was afraid that Du Wu would make fun of him if he saw him, so he had no choice but to hold back a thousand words in his heart, and reluctantly walked out of the kitchen. Holding the jade pendant in her hand, Lu Jianjia looked at it over and over with a sweet heart, and suddenly found a line of small characters engraved on the back of the jade pendant. When she took it under the lamp and looked at it, it turned out that it was the words "Fate and Three Lives". The sun is rising, and the morning breeze blowing from the mountains is showing a hint of coolness, as if to tell people that the footsteps of autumn are getting closer.When Lu Tianshen and Lu Yifei went out, Lu Jianjia specially added an extra dress for them. When the father and son came to the yamen, they saw a lot of people around the door from a distance.The two were startled and approached quickly. Du Wu was waiting for them with a group of police officers. Lu Tianshen asked: "Old Fifth, what's the matter?" Du Wudao: "Brother, another death has been committed. Another male body was found under the Ding'an Bridge in the west of the city. He was naked and killed with a sword. The method of crime was exactly the same as that of the previous 18 murders." Lu Yifei hurriedly asked, "Where's the corpse?" A policeman replied: "We knew that Lord Lu would definitely go to the scene for an autopsy, so we didn't dare to move the body. We just left some brothers behind to seal off the scene. I'll report back immediately." Lu Tian Shen nodded and said: "Very good!" His eyes turned to Lu Yifei and Du Wu: "Let's go and have a look!" Ding'an Bridge is located on the Ding'an River in the west of the city, about ten miles away.The three of them rode away, and it was time for a stick of incense. The entire Ding'an Bridge has been surrounded by police officers, and no one is allowed to enter within a hundred steps.A policeman came up to meet him and shouted, "Master Lu, the three of you are here!" Before Lu Tianchen got off his horse, he asked, "Where's the corpse?" The policeman replied: "Under the bridge." Lu Tian said in a deep voice, "Lead the way." The policeman led the three of them down the Ding'an Bridge.Because it is early autumn, the water of Ding'an River is not too deep.The corpse was lying under the third pier, the lower body was soaked in the muddy river water, the upper body was resting on the weeds by the river, and there was a puddle of solidified blood on the ground. The condition of the deceased was exactly the same as that of the 18 corpses previously discovered.Judging from the degree of coagulation of the blood, the time of death should be in the second half of last night.Other than that, no other clues could be found at the scene. Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei, and Du Wu looked at each other, frowning, without saying a word. The hearts of the three people were heavier than when they found any corpse in the past, because they all knew the man lying under the pier, not only did they know him, but they even had some friendship with him. This person's name is Xu Menghen, the only son of Xu Youzhen, the head of the Liuhe Sect of the imperial martial arts family.With his martial arts, looking at the martial arts world, there are almost no people who can pierce his heart with a sword so cleanly.If it must be said that there is, there is only one. That is himself. A romantic man with unlimited glory like him is rare, of course he would not stab himself in the chest.So, who was it that killed him? Looking at Xu Menghen's corpse, Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei and Du Wu's moods were no longer heavy or sad, but fear, a mysterious and indescribable fear that came from the deepest part of their hearts.It seemed that the invisible murderer hiding around them was far more cunning, powerful, and terrifying than they had imagined.Competing against such an opponent, no one can guarantee whether the corpse lying on the roadside river beach under the bridge at the top of the mountain tomorrow morning will be his own. A chill rose from the soles of everyone's feet. After a long time, Du Wu called a policeman beside him and said: "Go to Liuhemen immediately and tell them that something happened to Xu Menghen at Ding'an Bridge." "Yes!" The policeman agreed and walked away quickly. "Wait!" Lu Tianchen suddenly stopped him, looked at Du Wu, and said, "Old Wu, Liuhemen has a good relationship with us. I'm afraid I have to trouble you to go to Mr. Xu Youzhen's side." Du Wu nodded and said, "I understand." He got on his horse and galloped away. Lu Tianchen searched carefully around the corpse again, not letting go of a single weed or footprint, but he still didn't find any clues.He looked a little disappointed.Perhaps, this is not the scene of the crime at all, but the murderer killed someone and left the body here casually. So, where is the first crime scene?Why did the murderer choose all young and middle-aged men to kill him?Why... why... Maybe there are too many "whys" that can't be properly explained. He walked up the Ding'an Bridge, walked to the middle, looked up into the distance, and meditated deeply. Knowing that his adoptive father had finished checking, Lu Yifei waved to the arresters and said, "Send the body back to Liuhemen first." "Yes!" Four arresters rushed down the bridge and started to carry Xu Menghen's body. "Ouch!" Suddenly, a policeman jumped up and shouted. Lu Yifei was startled, and said, "What's wrong?" The policeman's face changed, and he tremblingly said: "He, he still has a pulse! He, he seems to be, still alive!" Liuhemen Xu Mansion is located on Huangshu Street, with high walls and thick tiles, it is of extraordinary style. When Xu Menghen was carried home, he still had a pulse. Although the pulse was weak and breathless, he was not dead after all. Being alive is the greatest hope for the people of Liuhemen, and the most important clue for Lu Tianchen. Xu Menghen had just taken the Shaolin Resurrection Pill treasured by Lu Tianshen, a pale color gradually appeared on his pale and bloodless face. When Mrs. Xu saw her son's sudden accident, life and death were uncertain, she was heartbroken and fainted several times.Fortunately, her daughter-in-law Xiao Yu'er, who had never married, was supporting her, so that no accident would happen. Xiao Yuer is the daughter of Xiao Dahai, the head of Jiangnan Xingyi Sect, and Xu Menghen's fiancée. Jiangnan Xingyimen and Dijing Liuhemen were originally enemies for generations, but in the generation of Xu Menghen and Xiao Yuer, this pair of Jianghu heroes and martial arts jade girls fell in love at first sight and fell in love with each other.Now the two finally broke through many obstacles and went through all kinds of hardships to get the chance to come together. They have already set a wedding date and are planning to visit the church on the third day of next month to get married, but they did not expect that Xu Menghen would encounter such misfortune on the eve of their marriage. At this time, Xiao Yu'er could only suppress the infinite pain in her heart, and while comforting her mother-in-law, she kept turning her head away and quietly wiped her tears. After half an hour, a rosy color finally appeared on Xu Menghen's face. Mr. Xu bowed to Lu Tianshen and the three of them to the ground, and said in a mournful voice: "The little dog has suffered misfortune. If the three of you hadn't helped in time, I'm afraid that he would have already been in hell. The kindness you have given to rebuilding the dog, I will never forget it." Lu Tianshen hastily returned the gift and said: "Mr. Xu, please don't be polite. Emergency rescue in the martial arts is a common thing. Besides, it is my dereliction of duty that caused the young master to encounter an accident. I am really ashamed." Mrs. Xu hurried forward and asked, "How is my son?" Mr. Xu let out a long sigh, his face full of grief, and said: "My life is saved, but it's hard to say when I will wake up." Xiao Yu'er stepped forward and said: "You two old people, don't be in a hurry, I have already sent people to Qingxu Temple in Dongling Mountain to invite Taoist Priest Wuji." Taoist Priest Wuji of Qingxu Temple in Dongling Mountain is a famous doctor in the imperial capital, but his temper is a little weird. It is difficult for ordinary people not only to ask him not to move, but even to meet him.Mrs. Xu is a pilgrim of the Taoist Temple, and she has sent a lot of incense in the Taoist temple for a year, and she has some connections with Taoist Priest Wuji. As soon as the Taoist priest heard Mrs. Xu's invitation, he rushed to Liuhemen very quickly. He looked at Young Master Xu's injury, took his pulse again, sighed, shook his head, nodded again, walked around in thought for a while with his head down, and then said: "The other party's attack is vicious, and the young master can save his life, thanks to his own strong martial arts." , with strong qi to protect the body; second, he took the divine pill in time to protect the primordial spirit; third, thanks to the fact that he has something different from ordinary people." Everyone asked: "What is different from ordinary people?" Daoist Wuji pointed to Xu Menghen's wound and said: "The opponent's sword move is vicious. Although it only stabs out with one sword, it wants to pierce his heart. Generally speaking, the heart of ordinary people is a little bit to the left of the chest, but Young Master Xu However, his heart is different from ordinary people, it grows on the right side. So although the opponent's sword passed through the chest, it didn't hit Young Master Xu's heart." Mr. Xu held his hand and said anxiously: "Then the dog..." Daoist Wuji shook his head lightly, and said: "Although Young Master Ling has saved his life, due to the serious injury and the excessive blood loss, it may be difficult to wake up for a while. Pindao here has a nine-turn Da Huan Dan, you should pry open his teeth first and feed him. Pindao will prescribe two more prescriptions, and let him recuperate slowly to see the effect. As for when he will recover, it depends on Mr. Ling's fortune." Sending Taoist Priest Wuji away, Mrs. Xu returned to the room, suddenly grabbed Xiao Yu'er, gritted her teeth and said angrily: "Bitch! You bitch! You're the one who killed my Meng'er! You're the one who killed my Meng'er! Said, Liuhemen and Jiangnan Xingyimen have been enemies for generations, and they are irreconcilable. How can people from Xingyimen marry to our Liuhemen willingly? So, so you came to be a spy... You are a murderer! You It's the murderer..." Xiao Yu'er's face was pale, and her thin body swayed a few times, almost falling down.She shook her head helplessly, suppressing tears, and said timidly: "No, no...I'm not..." "You, you still dare to quibble!" Mrs. Xu was so distressed and furious that she raised her right hand and said "ba, ba" twice, and two bright red palm prints were printed on Xiao Yu'er's face. Xiao Yu'er looked at Xu Menghen who was lying on the bed sadly, gritted her silver teeth, and tried her best not to cry out. Seeing that Lu Tianchen and others were present, Mr. Xu couldn't help being a little embarrassed, glared at his wife, and said angrily: "Presumptuous! What time is it, and you are still making noise here! I've already been lying on the bed, and I still don't like it." Isn't it enough? Oh, what a misfortune! Misfortune!" When Mrs. Xu saw that the old man was angry, she didn't dare to say anything again. Mr. Xu said: "Don't stand here and make a fool of yourself, go and see Meng'er!" Mrs. Xu left angrily. With tears in her eyes, Xiao Yu'er lowered her head, and just about to back off, Lu Tianshen said suddenly: "Old hero Xu, I have a few words to ask your daughter-in-law, is it convenient or not?" Mr. Xu said: "Master Lu, you don't have to be polite, just ask her if you have anything to say." Lu Tianshen called Xiao Yu'er out of the door, and said, "Miss Xiao, no one would have expected such a thing to happen to Young Master Xu. But since the thing has already happened, we must find out the truth. If there is any disrespect in this arrest, please Forgive me more." Xiao Yuer nodded. Lu Tianchen stared at her and asked, "Where were you in the middle of the night last night?" Xiao Yu'er was startled, and blushed and said, "Did Catcher Lu suspect me?" Lu Tian said solemnly: "This arrest did not say that. Please answer my question just now." Xiao Yuer said: "I stayed at Liuhemen last night and didn't go anywhere." Lu Tianshen asked: "Who can prove it?" Xiao Yu'er said: "There are a few servant girls who are always by my side." Lu Tian said in a deep voice, "Very good!" Then he asked, "Was Master Xu at home last night?" Xiao Yu'er said: "No. After dinner, he said that he was a little upset and wanted to go out for a walk alone. As a result, he didn't come back all night, and this morning..." As she spoke, her eye circles turned red again . Lu Tianshen asked: "Do you know where he went last night?" Xiao Yuer shook her head and said, "I don't know, and he didn't say either." Lu Tianshen thought for a while, and then asked, "Has he acted abnormally lately?" Xiao Yuer said: "No." Lu Tian smiled apologetically, and said, "I'm done asking, thank you Miss Xiao." When Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei and Du Wu were saying goodbye, Mr. Xu personally sent the three of them out of the gate. Lu Tianshen said: "Don't worry, Mr. Xu. It's auspicious, and Young Master Xu will recover. If he wakes up, please inform us. If you want to catch the murderer, you must ask the young master to help you." Mr. Xu said: "Definitely! Definitely!" On the way back, Du Wu frowned and said, "Could it be that Xiao Yu'er is the murderer of Xu Menghen as Madam Xu said?" Lu Yifei slowed down the speed of his horse and reasoned: "I don't think it is possible. There are four reasons. First, with Xiao Yu'er's martial arts, it is impossible to stab Xu Menghen's chest so cleanly." Second, everyone knows that Liuhemen and Jiangnan Xingyimen are feuds. If something like this happened to Xu Menghen, she must be the first person to be suspected. If this is the case, she will kill Xu Menghen Since Dongchuang was not in a hurry to escape from Liuhemen after the Dongchuang incident, she is the stupidest murderer in the world; thirdly, her feelings for Xu Menghen are completely sincere, not like hypocrisy; fourthly, it is also the most important To point out, the murder of Xu Menghen is obviously related to the previous 18 homicides, and the murderer should be the same person. If Xiao Yuer had a reason to kill Xu Menghen, then why would she have any reason to kill other people? So I don’t think Xiao Yuer It may be the murderer who murdered Xu Menghen. Yifu, what do you think?" Lu Tian sank his horse's hooves and looked into the distance.After a long time, he said: "All of this can only be understood when Xu Menghen wakes up. Now, it is too early to draw any conclusions." Who is the murderer?Who is the real murderer behind this serial murder case?Why did the murderer single out the handsome young man?What is the truth behind this series of murderous strange cases?The answer seems to be within reach.Xu Menghen has become the only "key" that can solve this mystery now. Half a month passed in anxiety, and Xu Menghen was still unconscious.But fortunately, in the past half a month, no naked man's body was found anywhere in the imperial capital. People in Yamen are more concerned about Xu Menghen's injury than people in Liuhemen, and they are more worried and anxious than them.Every day, the imperial government government sent people to Liuhemen to inquire about Xu Menghen's injury. After Xu Menghen's meticulous treatment by Taoist Wuji and the careful care of his family, Xu Menghen's condition has improved significantly, and his pulse and heartbeat have returned to normal.It seemed that it was only a matter of time before he fully woke up. In the afternoon, Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei and Du Wu searched for clues in various parts of the imperial capital separately.In the evening, we met at Wangjiang Tower, drinking tea and listening to the story of Mei Shouzhu, a fast-talking scholar, while discussing the case. After Mei Shouzhu, a quick-talking scholar, saw Lu Tianshen sitting here, he didn't dare to neglect him, so he hurriedly bowed his hands and saluted him.Then, he closed the folding fan, patted it on the stage, and said in a loud voice: "Guest officials, do you know that a few months ago, a huge and strange event happened in the palace?" The people who were drinking tea and drinking under the stage looked at each other in blank dismay when he asked, and then shook their heads, expressing that they didn't know anything.Lu Yifei couldn't help laughing and said, "I don't know what this quick-talking scholar is going to show off." I just heard Mei Shouzhu say: "A few months ago, the current emperor suddenly decreed to abolish the empress. The former empress is now being tortured in the cold palace. This incident caused a sensation in the court. Have you never heard of it?" A little wind?" "No, no." Someone shook his head and shouted. The obedient boy asked the master in a crisp voice from the side: "Good empress, why did the emperor suddenly depose her?" Mei Shouzhu said: "The reason is actually very simple, it's just that the empress can't give birth to a son for the emperor." The obedient girl asked again: "The emperor abolished the old empress, and he has not heard that a new empress has been elected, so there is no empress in the harem?" Mei Shouzhu took a look at his apprentice, seemed to dislike him for being talkative, and teased, "That's right. But you don't have to worry about salty carrots, you won't be able to take the throne of the empress, unless you can give birth to a son for the emperor." Fat boy." The audience suddenly burst into laughter. Mei Shouzhu paused, and said: "Okay, gentlemen! Let's not gossip, let's first use this anecdote from the dynasty to lead a conversation about whether to stay in the palace or not. Please listen to the old man and tell me slowly. Tea!" The last two words were directed at his apprentice obediently. Guaiguai was very clever, and immediately filled the cup of tea for Master. Mei Shouzhu took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, and said: "Everyone knows that the emperor has three palaces, six courtyards and seventy-two concubines. In fact, no one can count how many beauties there are in the harem. Choose beautiful women, enrich the harem, and please the emperor. Year after year, the old people have not left, and the new ones come again. Some people say that there are three thousand powder and dai in the emperor's harem. It is true. The bed the emperor sleeps on is called the dragon bed, and the emperor wears The clothes are called dragon robes, and similarly, sleeping with the emperor and his concubines cannot be called sleeping, it must be called Xingxing." He looked at everyone, and then said: "The emperor's good luck is also specially arranged by the eunuch in the respect room. Every night, the eunuch will use a jade plate to hold some ivory plaques engraved with the names of concubines and nobles, and kneel down to present to the emperor. For them to choose. After the emperor selected the object, the eunuch immediately went to inform the summoned concubine to bathe and apply incense. After finishing, she was naked, and the eunuch wrapped her in a blanket and carried her to the emperor's dragon bed. " The audience in the audience were all fascinated, and someone asked: "Why do concubines want to see the emperor naked?" Mei Shouzhu said: "This can prevent people with bad intentions from assassinating the emperor. Of course, if it is the emperor's favorite concubine, sometimes it is possible that the emperor will drive him to her residence and spend the night together, but such cases are very rare." Obediently asked: "Then what does it mean to stay or not?" Mei Shouzhu said: "After the dragon and the phoenix have sex all night, the next morning, the deacon eunuch will wrap the concubine who was lucky to be passed by the emperor with a blanket according to the original method. Before sending it back, he will ask the emperor whether he will stay or not. If the emperor says Stay, the eunuch on duty will write it down in the notebook. Of course, the emperor will say no to stay most of the time. If not, then the matter is even simpler. The deacon eunuch pressed a certain acupuncture point on the back of the concubine's buttock with his finger , let the semen injected by the emperor into the body of the concubine flow out, and it will be over." The listeners in the audience couldn't get enough of it, and someone asked with a smile, "What acupuncture point did the eunuch press?" Mei Shouzhu said with a smile: "I don't know about this old man. If you are interested in this man, you might as well ask the father-in-law in the respect room." Everyone in the audience burst into laughter again. It was getting late, and when he left the restaurant, Du Wu laughed and said, "This quick-talking scholar speaks really interestingly." Lu Tianchen frowned, and said with a sneer: "It's nonsense, it's not credible." In the early morning of the next day, when the sky was low and the clouds were falling, someone suddenly came to report: "Something happened to Liuhemen again!" The three of Lu Tianshen were shocked, and hurried to Liuhemen on horseback.When I came to Xu's mansion, I saw elegiac couplets hanging high and white flags hanging down, creating a sad and solemn atmosphere. They guessed that something happened to Xu Menghen, their hearts were shocked, and they hurried inside.The lobby of Xu Mansion has been changed into a mourning hall. A cypress coffin is placed horizontally in the center of the mourning hall. Mr. Xu and Mrs. Xu are sitting in front of the coffin weeping. Just as Lu Tianshen was about to speak, Mr. Xu came up to him, grabbed his hand, and said with tears in his eyes, "Captain Lu, our Yu'er..." The three of them had a big accident, and they asked in unison, "Did something happen to Miss Xiao?" Mr. Xu said: "Yes, something happened to Yu'er. Since Meng'er fell into a coma, Yu'er stayed by his side day and night and took good care of him. Who knows, when Meng'er gradually improved and hoped to recover, Yu'er, her, But she..." Lu Yifei asked, "Miss Xiao, what happened to her?" 徐老爷子道：“据玉儿身边的丫头讲，昨晚玉儿照例守护在梦儿身边。时至半夜，忽然一位神秘的黑衣蒙面人破窗而入，欲杀梦儿。玉儿奋力保护，与其交手，无奈对方武功极高，玉儿不是对手。就在对方挺剑欲刺梦儿之时，玉儿不顾一切扑过去，用自己瘦弱的身躯护住了梦儿。等老夫听到打斗声赶到时，神秘黑衣人已跃窗而逃。玉儿倒在血泊之中，再也没有醒来……” 陆天沉皱眉道：“我们可以看看肖姑娘的遗体吗？” 徐老爷子没有说话，只是含泪点了点头。 陆一飞和杜五轻轻抬开尚未合拢的棺材盖，肖玉儿正安详地躺在棺材里。剑伤赫然印在胸口，一剑穿心，干净利索。 陆一飞“呀”地叫出声来。 杜五惊道：“难道昨晚那神秘黑衣人，就是连环夺命案的凶手？” 陆一飞点头道：“完全有可能。” 正在这时，忽听内屋传来一声怪叫，接着便是“叭”的一声，似乎是花瓶陶瓷一类的器皿被打碎了。 陆一飞吃了一惊，可侧耳细听，却又再听不到任何声音。 徐老爷子看出他心中疑惑，忙尴尬地道：“那是犬子他……” 陆天沉一怔，忙问：“徐少爷他醒过来了？” 徐老爷子目光一暗，与夫人对望一眼，面露难色，长叹一声，道：“经此一闹，小犬醒倒是醒了，只不过……” 陆一飞忙问：“只不过怎样？” 徐老爷子眼中闪过一丝痛楚，欲言又止，叹口气说：“此事一言难尽，老夫带三位一看便知。” 陆天沉三人疑惑地随他步入内屋，来到徐梦痕的住处，房门已被一把大锁从外面锁住。三人不由得大吃一惊。 徐老爷子命人将铁锁打开，推门而入，忽然一只花瓶横飞过来，若不是徐老爷子人老身手不老，闪避得快，只怕已被砸得头破血流了。 扔花瓶的人，正是徐少爷。众人定睛一看，只见他衣衫不整，披头散发，满脸污秽，神情木讷，正手舞足蹈地在屋子里走来走去，嘴里还喋喋不休，念念有词。 仔细一听，他说的是：“……啊，仙女姐姐！我看见仙女姐姐了！多漂亮的仙女姐姐……”忽又话音一转，惊叫道：“啊，你、你是谁？别过来！别、别杀我！别杀我！” 他越说越激动，越说越惊恐，最后竟忽然举起一把凳子，砸向门口。 徐老爷子急忙退出房间，关上房门。 众人暗暗心惊，陆天沉急问：“徐少爷他……” 徐老夫人又伤心落泪道：“他一醒转过来，就变成了这样……早上我们请无极道长来看过，道长说他身心受创，惊恐过度，一时恢复不了，暂时精神错乱，神志失常……” 陆天沉三人明白过来，顿觉心中一沉：糟糕，徐梦痕疯了！ 世事变幻，鬼神难料。 坐在望江楼喝茶休息时，陆天沉、陆一飞和杜五这三位帝京府衙的高手眉头紧皱，心事重重，谁也不愿开口说话。 喝过两壶茶，杜五忽然道：“你们有无感觉到，今日望江楼似乎与平日有些不同。” 陆一飞喝口茶说：“只不过少了一个人罢了。” 杜五四下看看，问：“少了什么人？” 陆一飞道：“快嘴书生梅瘦竹。” 杜五点头道：“正是，我说这酒楼怎么如此清静了呢，原来是少了那家伙在此聒噪。” 正说着，梅瘦竹的小徒弟乖乖儿忽然慌慌张张地跑进来：“诸位爷，不好了不好了！我见太阳都晒屁股了师父却还没起来，便去敲他的房门。敲了半天没人应，我趴到窗台上一瞧，天哪……” 杜五急得直跺脚，催促道：“我的小祖宗，你倒是拣要紧的说呀。你师父他到底怎么了？” 乖乖儿浑身颤抖，声音也哆哆嗦嗦地：“我师父他、他……被人、被人杀死了！” “什么？”酒楼里的人一听这话，全都呆住了。 有几位胆小的没能控制住自己，手一哆嗦，把酒杯摔在地上了。 陆天沉心中一惊，但神色未变，起身问：“张掌柜，梅瘦竹住在何处？” 张掌柜也懵了，哆嗦道：“他、他借居在小店后面的一间偏房里。” 陆天沉道：“带路！” 张掌柜战战兢兢地带着他们穿过大堂，拐过几道弯，来到梅瘦竹的住处。隔窗一瞧，梅瘦竹正横躺在自己的床榻上，身上斜盖着一条被子，鲜血染红了床单和被褥。 陆一飞急忙一脚蹬开房门，一探梅瘦竹的鼻息，显然已断气多时。揭开被褥，一股浓重的血腥味扑鼻而来。从未见过如此血腥场面的张掌柜忍不住弯下腰去，把昨晚吃下去的饭菜都呕吐出来了。 梅瘦竹全身上下，只穿一件内衫，显然是于睡梦中被杀。 陆一飞用剑尖轻轻挑开他染满鲜血的衣衫，伤口赫然出现。陆天沉、陆一飞和杜五三人脸色齐变。 伤在胸口，一剑穿心，干净利索。 月光如水，溪流无声。 吃罢晚饭，陆一飞独自一人坐在屋后山坡下的小溪边，把困扰自己的众多疑点翻来覆去地思考着。 正在百思不解之时，一双温柔的纤手悄悄蒙上了他的眼睛。他轻轻捉住那双温软的手儿，心中立即涌起一股柔情蜜意。 他轻轻问道：“葭妹，你怎么来了？” 陆蒹葭调皮地在溪水中投了一块石子，溅起一串清凉的水珠落在他身上、脸上，宛如情人的眼泪，那么调皮而又那么令人心醉。 她倚在他身边坐下来，莞尔一笑：“一飞哥，我知道你为什么烦恼。连环命案的事，我已听杜五叔说了。你把你心中的疑惑告诉我，也许我可以帮你想办法解决。” 陆一飞看她一眼，苦笑道：“连义父也一筹莫展，你会有什么办法？” 陆蒹葭嘟起小嘴：“你小看人？你没说出来，怎么知道我没办法呢？” 陆一飞无奈地叹口气，道：“那好吧，我把我的想法告诉你。你知道吗，我们今天去六合门，发现徐梦痕疯了。徐老夫人说已请清虚观无极道长诊断过，说是精神错乱，一时好不了。” 陆蒹葭扭头看着他问：“这难道也有什么不妥吗？” 陆一飞道：“可是我已派人到东灵山清虚观问过，守门的小道士说，最近皇上肾病复又加重，再三下旨请无极道长去宫里给他治病。无极道长嫌麻烦，正装病在床，已三天未出过门呢。” 陆蒹葭柳眉轻皱，思索道：“这么说来，是徐老夫人说谎骗你们了？” 陆一飞道：“我也是这么认为。但她为什么这样呢？” 陆蒹葭道：“如果我没有猜错，一定是徐梦痕清醒过来之后，知道官府的人一定会来向他调查情况，他不想将真实情况告诉你们，但你们于他有恩，又不便当面拒绝。” 陆一飞道：“可是，他为什么如此呢？如果他将掌握的线索告诉我们，官府很快就可以抓到凶手，帮他报一剑之仇和杀妻之恨。” 陆蒹葭沉思着说：“也许他正是不想让你们帮他，才不惜装疯骗人。” 陆一飞大为奇怪，道：“这又是为什么呢？” 陆蒹葭道：“个中原因其实很简单。武林人士最讲究血债血偿，快意恩仇。六合门是武林中有名有望的大门派，而徐梦痕也是武林成名高手。六合门连连出事，威风扫地，若还要靠官府的人来帮他们报仇雪恨，那——” 陆一飞经她点拨，恍然大悟，接口道：“你的意思是说，徐梦痕装疯卖傻，隐瞒线索，只是为了不让官府插手，他要自己亲自追凶，手刃仇人，一来报仇雪耻，二来借机重振六合门在武林中的威名。” 陆蒹葭点了点头，又补充道：“而且肖玉儿死在六合门，他若不拿到凶手的人头，江南形意门的人会善罢甘休吗？” 陆一飞忍不住赞道：“葭妹，果然是虎父无犬女。你的心思如此缜密，推理如此精确，不到衙门做捕快实在太可惜了。” 陆蒹葭有几分得意地说：“我若去做捕快，你和爹这两大神捕还不都得回家种地呀！” 陆一飞忍不住哈哈大笑起来，拿起放在草地上的长剑，起身道：“葭妹，谢谢你提醒了我。你快回屋里去，我要出去一趟。” 陆蒹葭关切地问：“这么晚了，你还要去哪里？” 陆一飞道：“如果你说得没错，那么徐梦痕很快就有行动，他一定会出来寻找仇人。到目前只有他一个人与凶手交过手并且还活着，所以有关凶手的情况，也只有他最清楚。我只要一路跟着他，就不难找到杀人凶手。” 陆蒹葭笑道：“哈，你果然聪明多了。不过徐梦痕武功超群，而且那神秘黑衣人也不好惹，你可要小心。” 陆一飞拍拍手中长剑，笑笑道：“你放心，我手中这把如风剑也还从未遇到过对手。我走了，如果义父问起我，你替我说一声。” 陆蒹葭点点头，显得有些不舍，道：“我知道了。你要早去早回！” 风云变幻，月亮已悄然隐入云层，地面逐渐变得模糊起来。 陆一飞已在六合门大门前的柳树梢头隐匿了一个多时辰。他不知道自己还要等多久，也不知道这样等下去会不会有结果。他只知道，自己必须这样等下去。 人生就是这样，有些事你可以做也可以不做，而有些事，你却必须去做。 等人的时候，时间总似乎过得太慢，尤其是在等一个你根本不知道他到底会不会出现的人。 夜凉如水，三更鼓响。徐府那两扇紧闭的大门忽然“吱嘎”一声轻轻打开一条缝，一条人影从门内闪身出来。白衣飘扬，玉树临风，正是帝京第一少徐梦痕。 陆一飞急忙屏住呼吸。 徐梦痕四下望望，随即展开轻功，如飞而去。 陆一飞知他武功高强，听觉灵敏，不敢跟得太紧，与其保持着相当距离。 夜深人静，街灯已熄。街上绝无行人，只有徐梦痕与陆一飞如一阵风一样，一前一后相继从街上飘荡而过，了无痕迹。 徐梦痕横穿三条街道，来到一条小巷里，在一爿小店前停住脚步。 陆一飞也急忙止步藏身，悄悄抬头一看那间店铺的招牌，竟是“笑婆婆绞面店”。这是一间专为街市上小媳妇、大姑娘绞面毛、穿耳环、去皱纹、化装易容的普通小店。这样的小店在街市上随处可见，从事这种营生的多为上了年纪的婆婆婶婶。而据陆一飞所知，笑婆婆绞面店是同行中手艺最高生意最好的。但他却实在猜不透，徐梦痕堂堂一个大男人，跑到这种地方来做什么呢？ 正暗自疑惑，徐梦痕上前拍响了绞面店的大门。拍了十余下，门没开，一旁的窗户却打开了半边，一个睡眼惺忪的老妇人探出头来，一边打着呵欠一边嘟囔道：“谁呀？三更半夜的！” 徐梦痕忙施礼道：“婆婆，在下深夜来访，是想请婆婆做一桩生意。” 笑婆婆脸上却一点儿笑容也没有，一副老气横秋的样子，满脸不高兴地摆摆手，道：“太晚了，明天再来吧。” 徐梦痕道：“在下实在是有急事在身，不得不深夜打扰婆婆清梦。”他掏出一锭银子托在掌心，“这点心意，请婆婆笑纳。” 笑婆婆一见这锭银子少说也有十余两，立刻没有了一丝睡意，忙不迭地道：“好说好说，公子这桩生意，老身做了。” 笑婆婆将徐梦痕迎进店，复又关上门。 陆一飞又悄悄靠近一些，隐身于墙角一隅，耐心等候徐梦痕出来。 只一炷香的功夫，绞面店的门又开了，不见徐梦痕出来，却从里面走出一位蓝袍人物，面相俊朗，身负长剑，犹似一位意气风发的书生。 蓝袍书生出门之后，向东而去。 陆一飞眉头轻皱，暗自纳闷，为何不见徐梦痕出来呢？待看清那蓝袍书生的轻功路数时，忽然醒悟过来，这蓝袍书生不正是徐梦痕易容而成的吗？心中意念一转，人已飞身向前，无声无息地跟上了“蓝袍书生”。 “蓝袍书生”徐梦痕身轻如燕，健步如飞，越行越疾，向着东直门方向掠去。 陆一飞不远不近，紧随其后。 徐梦痕很快便来到了东直门外的香花街。 香花街似乎永远是帝京里最热闹最繁华的街道，不论白天还是黑夜。因为这条街道两边，各开着十八家妓院。 在这些妓院之中，最有名的是胭脂楼。在这条街上，最红的姑娘便是胭脂楼的红胭脂。 陆一飞看见徐梦痕迈步走进了胭脂楼，不由得目瞪口呆。他做梦也没有想到，未婚妻肖玉儿尸骨未寒大仇未报，这位徐少爷居然就来香花街寻花问柳。 陆一飞见他半夜出门，化装易容，行踪诡秘，原本以为他是为追凶，所以一路跟踪，却不想他是为狎妓而来，不由得大感失望。 可转念一想，莫非徐梦痕所追踪的杀人凶手与胭脂楼有关联？想罢，觉得既然追踪到此，进去看看也无妨，便硬着头皮走进去。 胭脂楼很大，姑娘也很多。陆一飞找了一个无人注意的角落坐下来，一群打扮得花枝招展浓香扑鼻的姑娘立即像发现猎物一般紧紧围住了他。 陆一飞是第一次来这种烟花之地，尽管极力装成老手，还是不免脸红耳赤，坐立不安。他一面手忙脚乱地应付着姑娘们的挑逗，一面用眼角余光注意着徐梦痕的动向。 只见这位蓝袍书生装扮的徐大少爷大马金刀地往大堂中央一坐，那满脸脂粉唇似猪血的老鸨就满脸媚笑地迎了上去，嗲声嗲气地说：“哎哟，大爷，我瞧您怎么这么面生呢，是头一回来胭脂楼吧？大爷贵姓呀？” 徐梦痕随口应道：“免贵姓王。” 老鸨立即将半个香喷喷的身子倚在他身上，媚声娇气地道：“哟，原来是王公子呀。既然王公子是头一次来咱们这胭脂楼，那我就先给您介绍几个好姑娘……” 徐梦痕摆手道：“本公子不要别人。” 老鸨一脸媚态：“哎呀，王公子不要别人，难道是看上了我这个做妈妈的不成！” 徐梦痕故意从头到脚打量她一遍，笑笑道：“在下的眼光还不至于如此差劲。今天在下专为红胭脂而来。” 老鸨一怔，道：“哎呀，王公子，您真是不凑巧。我们胭脂姑娘今晚已被人包下了。” 徐梦痕问：“别人出多少银子？” 老鸨道：“纹银五十两。” 徐梦痕掏出一张银票放在桌子上，道：“我出一百两行不行？” 老鸨面露喜色，却故作为难地道：“这个……实在叫我为难，因为包她的那位大爷大有来头……” 徐梦痕连眉头也没抬一下，又掏出一张银票，道：“如果我出二百两呢？” 老鸨见好就收，急忙收起桌上的银票道：“公子勿怒，胭脂姑娘的确已被人包了，不过刚才是被别人包了，而现在却是叫王公子您包了。您跟着我上楼去，看我怎样把那个寒酸家伙从胭脂姑娘的床上扔出去。” 徐梦痕眉头一松，点头道：“很好，事成之后，重重有赏。” 见他已随老鸨上楼，陆一飞便问身边的姑娘道：“谁住在胭脂姑娘的隔壁？” 一个姑娘回答道：“是玲珑姑娘。” 陆一飞道：“你去把她叫过来。” 姑娘有点不高兴。陆一飞问道：“有没有办法把那个男人从玲珑姑娘的床上赶下去？” 那姑娘道：“只有一个办法。” 陆一飞问：“什么办法？” 姑娘道：“用银子把他砸跑。” 陆一飞忍不住哈哈大笑起来，道：“你告诉我她在哪个房间，我这就去用银子砸那个男人。” 那姑娘翘着小嘴道：“二楼左手边最后一个房间。不过，如果你的银子砸不跑那个男人，你可以去三楼右手边的第三个房间。” 陆一飞问：“为什么？” 姑娘吃吃地笑道：“因为那是我的房间。” 陆一飞看了她一眼，忽然觉得有点喜欢这个小姑娘了。 他蹬上二楼，很快就找到了。房门被人从里面闩住了，不过这难不住他。 房间里看上去布置得很精致，但床上却显得有些凌乱，一个全身赤裸肥胖男人正一边扯着一位十八九岁的小姑娘的裙子，一边气喘吁吁地把她往床上压去。 小姑娘一边流泪一边拼命挣扎，但却无济于事，在这铁塔似的大汉面前，她就像一只可怜的小鸡，只有任其蹂躏，任其宰割的份。 陆一飞看了，感到就像吞了一只苍蝇一样恶心。他冲上去，很快就把那欲火焚身嘴脸丑陋的家伙从小姑娘的床上赶了下来，他用的是拳头。然后，他点了他身上的几处穴位，把他就像扔一只死鸡一样塞进了小姑
Qingyang City is adjacent to the Yangtze River in the west and Qingyang Mountain in the east, with developed water and land transportation and a prosperous market.In history, there was a chaotic period when an exiled emperor established his capital here and renamed Qingyang City as Dijing, and his military strength once expanded to the two lakes, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Guizhou. The dynasty lasted for four generations. Ten years. It is said that the imperial palace at that time was built in the Chaotiankou area of today's Qingyang City. The ancient building complex covering an area of thousands of square meters, I once saw it in an old photo of the Republic of China, was very majestic.It's a pity that it was destroyed by a fire during the "Cultural Revolution". What I can see today are only a few giant dragons carved in stone on the ruins, and the thrilling stories about this dynasty recorded in the county annals. Wangjiang Tower is not the largest restaurant in the Imperial Capital, but it is the busiest place.Because when you come here, you can not only taste the good food and wine, but also listen to Mr. Shu's storytelling.Of course, there are storytellers in other places, but he is definitely not Mei Shouzhu, the most famous "quick-talking scholar" in the imperial capital. Mei Shouzhu's storytelling is different from others, what he tells are new people and new things, anecdotes that happened in this dynasty, in the streets and alleys.Such a story is certainly more attractive than those old shadows of history. At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn this year, there was a little bit of coolness between heaven and earth, but the atmosphere in Wangjiang Tower was always hot.When every corner of the restaurant is full of people, it's time for "Quick Mouth Scholar" Mei Shouzhu to appear. Today, as usual, his ten-year-old apprentice, Guai'er, came out first, covered the storytelling table lightly with a big red cloth, served a cup of hot tea, and then stood upright by the side, respectfully inviting the master to come out. Mei Shouzhu didn't appear on the stage, but the sound of "cough--" came first.As a result, the lively and noisy restaurant suddenly became quiet. A long gown that has been washed white, a folding fan that never changes in all seasons, and a hale and hearty old man. This is Mei Shouzhu, the "quick-talking scholar". Old Mr. Mei stood in front of the stage, glanced at him, closed his folding fan, and said in a loud voice: "Guys, there is a strange case in the capital recently, do you know about it?" Everyone in the audience shook their heads again and again. Mr. Mei smiled slightly, and said: "Well, today I will tell you about a public case of 'a young and strong man died strangely, and the famous arresters in the imperial capital were helpless'. This case is still a secret of the government and has never been publicized. It was only through the efforts of two tigers that I found out from my friends on the errand. It is deduced into a book here to satisfy everyone's ears." Before he finished speaking, someone applauded again and again, urging: "Speak quickly! Speak quickly!" Old Mr. Mei was a little proud, cleared his throat and continued: "It is said that on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in this dynasty, on the Dragon Boat Festival this year, there was an old man named Lei Laoqi at the foot of Leigong Mountain in the northern suburbs of the Imperial Capital. I fetched water from the Leigong River for my wife to cook zongzi for eating. Who would have thought that a bucket of water was brought home, but my wife scolded me." The little apprentice sitting at the bottom obediently asked, "Okay, why did his wife scold him?" Mei Shouzhu went on to say: "It turns out that the old woman thought the water he brought back was not clean. Not only was there faint blood streaks floating on the surface of the water, but it also had a bloody smell. Lei Laoqi went back to the river to fetch water, thinking to himself: Damn it, why does such a good river have a bloody smell? I wandered along the river and searched upstream. Within ten steps, I saw a gleaming white thing among the reeds, which was very eye-catching. Look, my God—” Having said this, Mei Shouzhu suddenly stopped, picked up the teacup and drank it unhurriedly.Guai Geer hastily held up a tea tray and walked down the stage. The audience in the audience all understood that this was a common trick used by quick-talking scholars to ask for rewards, and they were both angry and funny.Helpless, curiosity has been aroused, so I obediently took out more or less copper coins and threw them in the tea tray, all craned their necks to listen to the following. The obedient child walked up to the master with a tea tray full of rewards, Mei Shouzhu squeezed the mustache at the corner of his mouth, smiled slightly, and continued in a loud voice with vigor: "Mentors, do you know what Lei Laoqi saw in the reeds? It turned out to be a naked corpse that glistened in white." "Naked corpse?" Everyone's eyes widened. "Please guess, what was Lei Laoqi's first reaction when he saw the corpse?" Mei Shouzhu deliberately puts on a trick. A potbellied guy sitting at the front guessed: "He must be timid and fainted from fright." Mei Shouzhu took a sip of tea, shook his head, smiled but did not answer. Another man guessed: "He must have turned around and ran away, so hurry up and report to the police." Mei Shouzhu still shook his head, smiled and said, "Lao Qi Lei's first reaction was to pee in his crotch." The audience roared with laughter. After the laughter, Mei Shouzhu went on to say: "After the government received the news, they quickly sent officials to the scene. The deceased was a young man with a handsome appearance and a strong body. The night before and the middle of the night. The identity of the deceased was quickly found out, and he was Yuan Wuji, the son of Lord Shang Shuyuan of the Ministry of War." Everyone was taken aback. Yuan Wuji is not an unknown person in the imperial capital. Not only is his family powerful and handsome, he is also very good at fist and kick. He once subdued a tiger with one hand at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, and his reputation spread far and wide.No one knows his name, how could he be naked in the wilderness? Mei Shouzhu seemed to see through everyone's thoughts, and said: "Maybe only the murderer will know the reason." "So, who is the murderer?" someone asked. "The case has not been solved yet, and the murderer is still at large. The yamen servants couldn't find any clues from the scene, and the officials reported it layer by layer, and it was passed to the court, alarming the emperor. Now, the case falls to Lu Tianshen, the head of the government office in the imperial capital. hands, the emperor ordered him to solve the case within a time limit." The obedient child said in surprise: "This Lu Tianchen, but that Lu Tianchen, Uncle Lu who has been on the job for more than 20 years, solved countless cases, came and went without a trace, and is known as the number one arrester in China?" "Exactly." Everyone in the audience breathed a sigh of relief and said hello one after another. Mei Shouzhu smiled coldly, shook his head and sighed: "There are no absolutes in the world, and there are times when the gods are not good. Even the famous Lu gods couldn't help frowning when they received this case." Someone asked: "Why is this?" Mei Shouzhu said: "Guest officials don't know something, according to the old man's investigation, since April this year, there have been frequent murders in various parts of the imperial capital. After death, they all died in the wilderness. Among the dead were wealthy officials and ordinary people, there were martial arts tycoons and romantic heroes. In addition to Yuan Wuji, there have been 18 murders. The holy land of the imperial capital, at the foot of the emperor, in March Within the period, eighteen bizarre murders occurred in a row. This is something that has never happened in this dynasty since the founding of the emperor Taizu. The emperor was shocked when he heard this Everyone is in danger, the people's hearts are in turmoil, and the country is endangered. On the one hand, they ordered the imperial government to arrest the murderer and solve the case within a time limit. However, it is rumored that today, although Lu Butou and his gang of brothers are busy, they are blind It was a waste of effort to light the lamp, and I didn’t even see the shadow of the murderer. In the past, the imperial capital was a god arrester, but now he is helpless and helpless, and he can no longer be a god.” "Oh—" Hearing this, everyone in the audience finally understood the ins and outs, but they couldn't let go of the hanging one. Mei Shouzhu picked up the teacup and said: "This public case has come to an end for the time being. As for the future, I will explain it to you in detail after I go to inquire again." Mei Shouzhu asked his disciples to pack up the reward money and gear, bowed to the audience, and was about to leave, when someone shouted: "Mr. Mei, please stay." Mei Shouzhu was startled, looked up, and suddenly saw three people standing up from the audience.The leader is over forty years old, with thick eyebrows, tiger eyes, square nose, wide mouth, black face, and a beard under his forehead, but the roots are straight like steel needles.On the lower left is a young man, about twenty years old, with sword eyebrows and starry eyes, a long sword hanging from his waist, and a frosty face; on the lower right is a big man with a beard and a face like copper, with round eyes.Although the three of them were dressed in long gowns and common clothes, their eyes were like lightning and their temperament was extraordinary. Mei Shouzhu didn't dare to be negligent, she hurriedly cupped her hands to greet her, and said, "What advice do the three officials have?" The middle-aged man walked over, took out a piece of silver, pressed it on the table, and said, "This is my wish." Mei Shouzhu was overwhelmed by the flattery, and hurriedly said: "Don't dare! The little old man is ashamed! I am ashamed!" The middle-aged man said: "I want to block something with this ingot of silver." Mei Shouzhu was startled, and said, "I don't know what the guest wants to block?" The middle-aged man said coldly: "Your mouth." After speaking, he walked out without looking at him again. The young man and the bearded man took a look at Mei Shouzhu and followed them out. Mei Shouzhu stood there in a daze, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. He stretched out his hand to get the silver, but he couldn't pick it up. It turned out that the middle-aged man pressed the silver ingot lightly, and embedded the silver ingot on the table.Mei Shouzhu's expression changed, and he was sweating profusely. The obedient child muttered: "Master, who is this person? He is so rude!" Mei Shouzhu stared blankly at the backs of the three leaving, and after a long while, he sighed and said, "If the teacher guessed correctly, he is Lu Tianchen." Mei Shouzhu, a quick-talking scholar, did not guess wrong. The middle-aged man who embeds the silver ingot on the table with a light touch is indeed Lu Tianshen, the head arrester of the imperial government government who is known as the number one arrester in China. According to legend, there are currently two masters of martial arts in the imperial capital. One is the swordsman Gao Jie.Lu Tian Shen made a special fine steel flying chain, the chain was seven feet long and weighed fifty-three catties.As soon as the flying chain came out, the ghosts and ghosts were unpredictable, and everyone in Wulin Xiaoxiao was frightened by the news, and he bowed his head and caught him. The bearded man who followed Lu Tianshen to the right was Du Wu, a well-known hot-handed catcher in the Imperial Capital Yamen. The cold-faced young man on the left of Lu Tianchen is Lu Tianchen's adopted son, Lu Yifei, the little god of the imperial capital.At the age of four, he practiced martial arts with his adoptive father, and at the age of seven he became the disciple of Tianshan Weixia, the number one swordsmanship master in the contemporary era.After ten years of painstaking practice, at the age of seventeen, Yicheng went down the mountain to work as a servant in the government office of the imperial capital. He wields a three-foot-seven-inch-long wind-like sword, which is rare to meet.In just three or four years, he repeatedly solved strange cases, achieved success as a young man, became famous in the imperial capital, and became Lu Tianchen's most capable assistant. However, as Mei Shouzhu said, there are no absolutes in the world, and the gods also frown sometimes.The eighteen serial murders that have shocked the government and the public right now have stumped the three master crime-solvers in the imperial capital. Lu Tianshen has sent all the arresting officers in the yamen to investigate everywhere. He also brought Lu Yifei and Du Wu in casual clothes all day long, haunting the streets and alleys, teahouses and restaurants, hoping to find out some clues.But time passed day by day, but the case did not make any progress. And the most terrible thing is that there are various indications that this series of murders has not stopped so far, and the corpses of naked young men with a sword piercing their hearts may still be found in various parts of the imperial capital at any time. On the way back to the yamen, none of the three of them spoke, their hearts were unusually heavy. The sun is setting, and a fruitless day is about to pass. Lu Tianchen looked at the sky, sighed and said, "Fei'er, it's getting late, let's go home for dinner first." He looked at Du Wu. Since he started investigating this serial murder case together with him, this steely man had obviously lost a lot of weight, whether he ate well or slept well.This is a good brother who fought side by side with him through life and death. He patted him on the shoulder and said: "Old Wu, today is Jian Jia's birthday, I specially asked her to cook some delicious dishes, let's go over and have a drink together!" Du Wu chuckled, and said, "Okay, I'm always thinking about that fine old wine you have collected, Nurhong." Green hills, flowing water, huts. No one would have thought that Lu Tianchen, the head arrester of the imperial capital's government, who is well-known all over the world, would actually live by the most remote and quiet Yuquan Lake in the imperial capital.Perhaps only those who have seen through the prosperity of the city and the vicissitudes of life will like such a quiet paradise; perhaps only those who are extremely lonely in their hearts can endure this boundless loneliness. Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei, and Du Wu walked into the hut, and a delicious smell wafted in the wind. The small table in the center of the room was already filled with sumptuous meals, meat and vegetables, steaming hot. Hearing the sound of footsteps, a girl of eighteen or nineteen years old with a bright smile on her face greeted her, and shouted happily: "Father, Uncle Du, Brother Yifei, you are back!" This girl is Lu Jianjia, Lu Tianchen's favorite. Food is good food, wine is good wine.After drinking for three rounds, the atmosphere on the table became cheerful and lively. After dinner, Lu Tianshen and Du Wu played chess in the courtyard under the lamp, while Lu Jianjia cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen. Lu Yifei walked into the kitchen and said, "Sister Jia, let me wash the dishes for you!" Lu Jianjia shook her head with a smile and said, "No need, brother Yifei, I can do it myself." Lu Yifei said again: "Then let me pour water for you." Lu Jianjia said: "No need, you've been tired all day, go back to your room and rest early." Lu Yifei said: "I, I can't sleep." Lu Jianjia asked, "Why?" Lu Yifei muttered, but couldn't speak. Lu Jianjia couldn't help but turned her head and gave him a strange look, but saw that he was standing behind her, looking at her affectionately.Her face suddenly turned red. Lu Yifei stammered: "Sister Jia, I, I..." Lu Jianjia lowered her head, while washing the dishes absently, she asked, "Brother Yifei, what do you want?" Lu Yifei hesitated for a long time before making up his mind. He plucked up his courage and said with a blushing face, "Sister Jia, today is your birthday. I, I have a gift for you." He took out a gift from his close-fitting pocket. The crystal clear jade pendant was handed to her. Lu Jianjia hastily wiped off the water stains on his hands, took a look, and couldn't help showing joy in his eyes. Lu Yifei said: "This jade pendant is an ancestral item of our family. It was left to me by my biological parents when they were alive. Now I give it to you. I hope you like it!" Lu Jianjia held the jade pendant in her palm, her cheeks flushed, she smiled shyly, and said, "As long as it is something you give me, I like it!" Lu Yifei was full of joy, wanted to talk to her a few more words, but was afraid that Du Wu would make fun of him if he saw him, so he had no choice but to hold back a thousand words in his heart, and reluctantly walked out of the kitchen. Holding the jade pendant in her hand, Lu Jianjia looked at it over and over with a sweet heart, and suddenly found a line of small characters engraved on the back of the jade pendant. When she took it under the lamp and looked at it, it turned out that it was the words "Fate and Three Lives". The sun is rising, and the morning breeze blowing from the mountains is showing a hint of coolness, as if to tell people that the footsteps of autumn are getting closer.When Lu Tianshen and Lu Yifei went out, Lu Jianjia specially added an extra dress for them. When the father and son came to the yamen, they saw a lot of people around the door from a distance.The two were startled and approached quickly. Du Wu was waiting for them with a group of police officers. Lu Tianshen asked: "Old Fifth, what's the matter?" Du Wudao: "Brother, another death has been committed. Another male body was found under the Ding'an Bridge in the west of the city. He was naked and killed with a sword. The method of crime was exactly the same as that of the previous 18 murders." Lu Yifei hurriedly asked, "Where's the corpse?" A policeman replied: "We knew that Lord Lu would definitely go to the scene for an autopsy, so we didn't dare to move the body. We just left some brothers behind to seal off the scene. I'll report back immediately." Lu Tian Shen nodded and said: "Very good!" His eyes turned to Lu Yifei and Du Wu: "Let's go and have a look!" Ding'an Bridge is located on the Ding'an River in the west of the city, about ten miles away.The three of them rode away, and it was time for a stick of incense. The entire Ding'an Bridge has been surrounded by police officers, and no one is allowed to enter within a hundred steps.A policeman came up to meet him and shouted, "Master Lu, the three of you are here!" Before Lu Tianchen got off his horse, he asked, "Where's the corpse?" The policeman replied: "Under the bridge." Lu Tian said in a deep voice, "Lead the way." The policeman led the three of them down the Ding'an Bridge.Because it is early autumn, the water of Ding'an River is not too deep.The corpse was lying under the third pier, the lower body was soaked in the muddy river water, the upper body was resting on the weeds by the river, and there was a puddle of solidified blood on the ground. The condition of the deceased was exactly the same as that of the 18 corpses previously discovered.Judging from the degree of coagulation of the blood, the time of death should be in the second half of last night.Other than that, no other clues could be found at the scene. Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei, and Du Wu looked at each other, frowning, without saying a word. The hearts of the three people were heavier than when they found any corpse in the past, because they all knew the man lying under the pier, not only did they know him, but they even had some friendship with him. This person's name is Xu Menghen, the only son of Xu Youzhen, the head of the Liuhe Sect of the imperial martial arts family.With his martial arts, looking at the martial arts world, there are almost no people who can pierce his heart with a sword so cleanly.If it must be said that there is, there is only one. That is himself. A romantic man with unlimited glory like him is rare, of course he would not stab himself in the chest.So, who was it that killed him? Looking at Xu Menghen's corpse, Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei and Du Wu's moods were no longer heavy or sad, but fear, a mysterious and indescribable fear that came from the deepest part of their hearts.It seemed that the invisible murderer hiding around them was far more cunning, powerful, and terrifying than they had imagined.Competing against such an opponent, no one can guarantee whether the corpse lying on the roadside river beach under the bridge at the top of the mountain tomorrow morning will be his own. A chill rose from the soles of everyone's feet. After a long time, Du Wu called a policeman beside him and said: "Go to Liuhemen immediately and tell them that something happened to Xu Menghen at Ding'an Bridge." "Yes!" The policeman agreed and walked away quickly. "Wait!" Lu Tianchen suddenly stopped him, looked at Du Wu, and said, "Old Wu, Liuhemen has a good relationship with us. I'm afraid I have to trouble you to go to Mr. Xu Youzhen's side." Du Wu nodded and said, "I understand." He got on his horse and galloped away. Lu Tianchen searched carefully around the corpse again, not letting go of a single weed or footprint, but he still didn't find any clues.He looked a little disappointed.Perhaps, this is not the scene of the crime at all, but the murderer killed someone and left the body here casually. So, where is the first crime scene?Why did the murderer choose all young and middle-aged men to kill him?Why... why... Maybe there are too many "whys" that can't be properly explained. He walked up the Ding'an Bridge, walked to the middle, looked up into the distance, and meditated deeply. Knowing that his adoptive father had finished checking, Lu Yifei waved to the arresters and said, "Send the body back to Liuhemen first." "Yes!" Four arresters rushed down the bridge and started to carry Xu Menghen's body. "Ouch!" Suddenly, a policeman jumped up and shouted. Lu Yifei was startled, and said, "What's wrong?" The policeman's face changed, and he tremblingly said: "He, he still has a pulse! He, he seems to be, still alive!" Liuhemen Xu Mansion is located on Huangshu Street, with high walls and thick tiles, it is of extraordinary style. When Xu Menghen was carried home, he still had a pulse. Although the pulse was weak and breathless, he was not dead after all. Being alive is the greatest hope for the people of Liuhemen, and the most important clue for Lu Tianchen. Xu Menghen had just taken the Shaolin Resurrection Pill treasured by Lu Tianshen, a pale color gradually appeared on his pale and bloodless face. When Mrs. Xu saw her son's sudden accident, life and death were uncertain, she was heartbroken and fainted several times.Fortunately, her daughter-in-law Xiao Yu'er, who had never married, was supporting her, so that no accident would happen. Xiao Yuer is the daughter of Xiao Dahai, the head of Jiangnan Xingyi Sect, and Xu Menghen's fiancée. Jiangnan Xingyimen and Dijing Liuhemen were originally enemies for generations, but in the generation of Xu Menghen and Xiao Yuer, this pair of Jianghu heroes and martial arts jade girls fell in love at first sight and fell in love with each other.Now the two finally broke through many obstacles and went through all kinds of hardships to get the chance to come together. They have already set a wedding date and are planning to visit the church on the third day of next month to get married, but they did not expect that Xu Menghen would encounter such misfortune on the eve of their marriage. At this time, Xiao Yu'er could only suppress the infinite pain in her heart, and while comforting her mother-in-law, she kept turning her head away and quietly wiped her tears. After half an hour, a rosy color finally appeared on Xu Menghen's face. Mr. Xu bowed to Lu Tianshen and the three of them to the ground, and said in a mournful voice: "The little dog has suffered misfortune. If the three of you hadn't helped in time, I'm afraid that he would have already been in hell. The kindness you have given to rebuilding the dog, I will never forget it." Lu Tianshen hastily returned the gift and said: "Mr. Xu, please don't be polite. Emergency rescue in the martial arts is a common thing. Besides, it is my dereliction of duty that caused the young master to encounter an accident. I am really ashamed." Mrs. Xu hurried forward and asked, "How is my son?" Mr. Xu let out a long sigh, his face full of grief, and said: "My life is saved, but it's hard to say when I will wake up." Xiao Yu'er stepped forward and said: "You two old people, don't be in a hurry, I have already sent people to Qingxu Temple in Dongling Mountain to invite Taoist Priest Wuji." Taoist Priest Wuji of Qingxu Temple in Dongling Mountain is a famous doctor in the imperial capital, but his temper is a little weird. It is difficult for ordinary people not only to ask him not to move, but even to meet him.Mrs. Xu is a pilgrim of the Taoist Temple, and she has sent a lot of incense in the Taoist temple for a year, and she has some connections with Taoist Priest Wuji. As soon as the Taoist priest heard Mrs. Xu's invitation, he rushed to Liuhemen very quickly. He looked at Young Master Xu's injury, took his pulse again, sighed, shook his head, nodded again, walked around in thought for a while with his head down, and then said: "The other party's attack is vicious, and the young master can save his life, thanks to his own strong martial arts." , with strong qi to protect the body; second, he took the divine pill in time to protect the primordial spirit; third, thanks to the fact that he has something different from ordinary people." Everyone asked: "What is different from ordinary people?" Daoist Wuji pointed to Xu Menghen's wound and said: "The opponent's sword move is vicious. Although it only stabs out with one sword, it wants to pierce his heart. Generally speaking, the heart of ordinary people is a little bit to the left of the chest, but Young Master Xu However, his heart is different from ordinary people, it grows on the right side. So although the opponent's sword passed through the chest, it didn't hit Young Master Xu's heart." Mr. Xu held his hand and said anxiously: "Then the dog..." Daoist Wuji shook his head lightly, and said: "Although Young Master Ling has saved his life, due to the serious injury and the excessive blood loss, it may be difficult to wake up for a while. Pindao here has a nine-turn Da Huan Dan, you should pry open his teeth first and feed him. Pindao will prescribe two more prescriptions, and let him recuperate slowly to see the effect. As for when he will recover, it depends on Mr. Ling's fortune." Sending Taoist Priest Wuji away, Mrs. Xu returned to the room, suddenly grabbed Xiao Yu'er, gritted her teeth and said angrily: "Bitch! You bitch! You're the one who killed my Meng'er! You're the one who killed my Meng'er! Said, Liuhemen and Jiangnan Xingyimen have been enemies for generations, and they are irreconcilable. How can people from Xingyimen marry to our Liuhemen willingly? So, so you came to be a spy... You are a murderer! You It's the murderer..." Xiao Yu'er's face was pale, and her thin body swayed a few times, almost falling down.She shook her head helplessly, suppressing tears, and said timidly: "No, no...I'm not..." "You, you still dare to quibble!" Mrs. Xu was so distressed and furious that she raised her right hand and said "ba, ba" twice, and two bright red palm prints were printed on Xiao Yu'er's face. Xiao Yu'er looked at Xu Menghen who was lying on the bed sadly, gritted her silver teeth, and tried her best not to cry out. Seeing that Lu Tianchen and others were present, Mr. Xu couldn't help being a little embarrassed, glared at his wife, and said angrily: "Presumptuous! What time is it, and you are still making noise here! I've already been lying on the bed, and I still don't like it." Isn't it enough? Oh, what a misfortune! Misfortune!" When Mrs. Xu saw that the old man was angry, she didn't dare to say anything again. Mr. Xu said: "Don't stand here and make a fool of yourself, go and see Meng'er!" Mrs. Xu left angrily. With tears in her eyes, Xiao Yu'er lowered her head, and just about to back off, Lu Tianshen said suddenly: "Old hero Xu, I have a few words to ask your daughter-in-law, is it convenient or not?" Mr. Xu said: "Master Lu, you don't have to be polite, just ask her if you have anything to say." Lu Tianshen called Xiao Yu'er out of the door, and said, "Miss Xiao, no one would have expected such a thing to happen to Young Master Xu. But since the thing has already happened, we must find out the truth. If there is any disrespect in this arrest, please Forgive me more." Xiao Yuer nodded. Lu Tianchen stared at her and asked, "Where were you in the middle of the night last night?" Xiao Yu'er was startled, and blushed and said, "Did Catcher Lu suspect me?" Lu Tian said solemnly: "This arrest did not say that. Please answer my question just now." Xiao Yuer said: "I stayed at Liuhemen last night and didn't go anywhere." Lu Tianshen asked: "Who can prove it?" Xiao Yu'er said: "There are a few servant girls who are always by my side." Lu Tian said in a deep voice, "Very good!" Then he asked, "Was Master Xu at home last night?" Xiao Yu'er said: "No. After dinner, he said that he was a little upset and wanted to go out for a walk alone. As a result, he didn't come back all night, and this morning..." As she spoke, her eye circles turned red again . Lu Tianshen asked: "Do you know where he went last night?" Xiao Yuer shook her head and said, "I don't know, and he didn't say either." Lu Tianshen thought for a while, and then asked, "Has he acted abnormally lately?" Xiao Yuer said: "No." Lu Tian smiled apologetically, and said, "I'm done asking, thank you Miss Xiao." When Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei and Du Wu were saying goodbye, Mr. Xu personally sent the three of them out of the gate. Lu Tianshen said: "Don't worry, Mr. Xu. It's auspicious, and Young Master Xu will recover. If he wakes up, please inform us. If you want to catch the murderer, you must ask the young master to help you." Mr. Xu said: "Definitely! Definitely!" On the way back, Du Wu frowned and said, "Could it be that Xiao Yu'er is the murderer of Xu Menghen as Madam Xu said?" Lu Yifei slowed down the speed of his horse and reasoned: "I don't think it is possible. There are four reasons. First, with Xiao Yu'er's martial arts, it is impossible to stab Xu Menghen's chest so cleanly." Second, everyone knows that Liuhemen and Jiangnan Xingyimen are feuds. If something like this happened to Xu Menghen, she must be the first person to be suspected. If this is the case, she will kill Xu Menghen Since Dongchuang was not in a hurry to escape from Liuhemen after the Dongchuang incident, she is the stupidest murderer in the world; thirdly, her feelings for Xu Menghen are completely sincere, not like hypocrisy; fourthly, it is also the most important To point out, the murder of Xu Menghen is obviously related to the previous 18 homicides, and the murderer should be the same person. If Xiao Yuer had a reason to kill Xu Menghen, then why would she have any reason to kill other people? So I don’t think Xiao Yuer It may be the murderer who murdered Xu Menghen. Yifu, what do you think?" Lu Tian sank his horse's hooves and looked into the distance.After a long time, he said: "All of this can only be understood when Xu Menghen wakes up. Now, it is too early to draw any conclusions." Who is the murderer?Who is the real murderer behind this serial murder case?Why did the murderer single out the handsome young man?What is the truth behind this series of murderous strange cases?The answer seems to be within reach.Xu Menghen has become the only "key" that can solve this mystery now. Half a month passed in anxiety, and Xu Menghen was still unconscious.But fortunately, in the past half a month, no naked man's body was found anywhere in the imperial capital. People in Yamen are more concerned about Xu Menghen's injury than people in Liuhemen, and they are more worried and anxious than them.Every day, the imperial government government sent people to Liuhemen to inquire about Xu Menghen's injury. After Xu Menghen's meticulous treatment by Taoist Wuji and the careful care of his family, Xu Menghen's condition has improved significantly, and his pulse and heartbeat have returned to normal.It seemed that it was only a matter of time before he fully woke up. In the afternoon, Lu Tianshen, Lu Yifei and Du Wu searched for clues in various parts of the imperial capital separately.In the evening, we met at Wangjiang Tower, drinking tea and listening to the story of Mei Shouzhu, a fast-talking scholar, while discussing the case. After Mei Shouzhu, a quick-talking scholar, saw Lu Tianshen sitting here, he didn't dare to neglect him, so he hurriedly bowed his hands and saluted him.Then, he closed the folding fan, patted it on the stage, and said in a loud voice: "Guest officials, do you know that a few months ago, a huge and strange event happened in the palace?" The people who were drinking tea and drinking under the stage looked at each other in blank dismay when he asked, and then shook their heads, expressing that they didn't know anything.Lu Yifei couldn't help laughing and said, "I don't know what this quick-talking scholar is going to show off." I just heard Mei Shouzhu say: "A few months ago, the current emperor suddenly decreed to abolish the empress. The former empress is now being tortured in the cold palace. This incident caused a sensation in the court. Have you never heard of it?" A little wind?" "No, no." Someone shook his head and shouted. The obedient boy asked the master in a crisp voice from the side: "Good empress, why did the emperor suddenly depose her?" Mei Shouzhu said: "The reason is actually very simple, it's just that the empress can't give birth to a son for the emperor." The obedient girl asked again: "The emperor abolished the old empress, and he has not heard that a new empress has been elected, so there is no empress in the harem?" Mei Shouzhu took a look at his apprentice, seemed to dislike him for being talkative, and teased, "That's right. But you don't have to worry about salty carrots, you won't be able to take the throne of the empress, unless you can give birth to a son for the emperor." Fat boy." The audience suddenly burst into laughter. Mei Shouzhu paused, and said: "Okay, gentlemen! Let's not gossip, let's first use this anecdote from the dynasty to lead a conversation about whether to stay in the palace or not. Please listen to the old man and tell me slowly. Tea!" The last two words were directed at his apprentice obediently. Guaiguai was very clever, and immediately filled the cup of tea for Master. Mei Shouzhu took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, and said: "Everyone knows that the emperor has three palaces, six courtyards and seventy-two concubines. In fact, no one can count how many beauties there are in the harem. Choose beautiful women, enrich the harem, and please the emperor. Year after year, the old people have not left, and the new ones come again. Some people say that there are three thousand powder and dai in the emperor's harem. It is true. The bed the emperor sleeps on is called the dragon bed, and the emperor wears The clothes are called dragon robes, and similarly, sleeping with the emperor and his concubines cannot be called sleeping, it must be called Xingxing." He looked at everyone, and then said: "The emperor's good luck is also specially arranged by the eunuch in the respect room. Every night, the eunuch will use a jade plate to hold some ivory plaques engraved with the names of concubines and nobles, and kneel down to present to the emperor. For them to choose. After the emperor selected the object, the eunuch immediately went to inform the summoned concubine to bathe and apply incense. After finishing, she was naked, and the eunuch wrapped her in a blanket and carried her to the emperor's dragon bed. " The audience in the audience were all fascinated, and someone asked: "Why do concubines want to see the emperor naked?" Mei Shouzhu said: "This can prevent people with bad intentions from assassinating the emperor. Of course, if it is the emperor's favorite concubine, sometimes it is possible that the emperor will drive him to her residence and spend the night together, but such cases are very rare." Obediently asked: "Then what does it mean to stay or not?" Mei Shouzhu said: "After the dragon and the phoenix have sex all night, the next morning, the deacon eunuch will wrap the concubine who was lucky to be passed by the emperor with a blanket according to the original method. Before sending it back, he will ask the emperor whether he will stay or not. If the emperor says Stay, the eunuch on duty will write it down in the notebook. Of course, the emperor will say no to stay most of the time. If not, then the matter is even simpler. The deacon eunuch pressed a certain acupuncture point on the back of the concubine's buttock with his finger , let the semen injected by the emperor into the body of the concubine flow out, and it will be over." The listeners in the audience couldn't get enough of it, and someone asked with a smile, "What acupuncture point did the eunuch press?" Mei Shouzhu said with a smile: "I don't know about this old man. If you are interested in this man, you might as well ask the father-in-law in the respect room." Everyone in the audience burst into laughter again. It was getting late, and when he left the restaurant, Du Wu laughed and said, "This quick-talking scholar speaks really interestingly." Lu Tianchen frowned, and said with a sneer: "It's nonsense, it's not credible." In the early morning of the next day, when the sky was low and the clouds were falling, someone suddenly came to report: "Something happened to Liuhemen again!" The three of Lu Tianshen were shocked, and hurried to Liuhemen on horseback.When I came to Xu's mansion, I saw elegiac couplets hanging high and white flags hanging down, creating a sad and solemn atmosphere. They guessed that something happened to Xu Menghen, their hearts were shocked, and they hurried inside.The lobby of Xu Mansion has been changed into a mourning hall. A cypress coffin is placed horizontally in the center of the mourning hall. Mr. Xu and Mrs. Xu are sitting in front of the coffin weeping. Just as Lu Tianshen was about to speak, Mr. Xu came up to him, grabbed his hand, and said with tears in his eyes, "Captain Lu, our Yu'er..." The three of them had a big accident, and they asked in unison, "Did something happen to Miss Xiao?" Mr. Xu said: "Yes, something happened to Yu'er. Since Meng'er fell into a coma, Yu'er stayed by his side day and night and took good care of him. Who knows, when Meng'er gradually improved and hoped to recover, Yu'er, her, But she..." Lu Yifei asked, "Miss Xiao, what happened to her?" 徐老爷子道：“据玉儿身边的丫头讲，昨晚玉儿照例守护在梦儿身边。时至半夜，忽然一位神秘的黑衣蒙面人破窗而入，欲杀梦儿。玉儿奋力保护，与其交手，无奈对方武功极高，玉儿不是对手。就在对方挺剑欲刺梦儿之时，玉儿不顾一切扑过去，用自己瘦弱的身躯护住了梦儿。等老夫听到打斗声赶到时，神秘黑衣人已跃窗而逃。玉儿倒在血泊之中，再也没有醒来……” 陆天沉皱眉道：“我们可以看看肖姑娘的遗体吗？” 徐老爷子没有说话，只是含泪点了点头。 陆一飞和杜五轻轻抬开尚未合拢的棺材盖，肖玉儿正安详地躺在棺材里。剑伤赫然印在胸口，一剑穿心，干净利索。 陆一飞“呀”地叫出声来。 杜五惊道：“难道昨晚那神秘黑衣人，就是连环夺命案的凶手？” 陆一飞点头道：“完全有可能。” 正在这时，忽听内屋传来一声怪叫，接着便是“叭”的一声，似乎是花瓶陶瓷一类的器皿被打碎了。 陆一飞吃了一惊，可侧耳细听，却又再听不到任何声音。 徐老爷子看出他心中疑惑，忙尴尬地道：“那是犬子他……” 陆天沉一怔，忙问：“徐少爷他醒过来了？” 徐老爷子目光一暗，与夫人对望一眼，面露难色，长叹一声，道：“经此一闹，小犬醒倒是醒了，只不过……” 陆一飞忙问：“只不过怎样？” 徐老爷子眼中闪过一丝痛楚，欲言又止，叹口气说：“此事一言难尽，老夫带三位一看便知。” 陆天沉三人疑惑地随他步入内屋，来到徐梦痕的住处，房门已被一把大锁从外面锁住。三人不由得大吃一惊。 徐老爷子命人将铁锁打开，推门而入，忽然一只花瓶横飞过来，若不是徐老爷子人老身手不老，闪避得快，只怕已被砸得头破血流了。 扔花瓶的人，正是徐少爷。众人定睛一看，只见他衣衫不整，披头散发，满脸污秽，神情木讷，正手舞足蹈地在屋子里走来走去，嘴里还喋喋不休，念念有词。 仔细一听，他说的是：“……啊，仙女姐姐！我看见仙女姐姐了！多漂亮的仙女姐姐……”忽又话音一转，惊叫道：“啊，你、你是谁？别过来！别、别杀我！别杀我！” 他越说越激动，越说越惊恐，最后竟忽然举起一把凳子，砸向门口。 徐老爷子急忙退出房间，关上房门。 众人暗暗心惊，陆天沉急问：“徐少爷他……” 徐老夫人又伤心落泪道：“他一醒转过来，就变成了这样……早上我们请无极道长来看过，道长说他身心受创，惊恐过度，一时恢复不了，暂时精神错乱，神志失常……” 陆天沉三人明白过来，顿觉心中一沉：糟糕，徐梦痕疯了！ 世事变幻，鬼神难料。 坐在望江楼喝茶休息时，陆天沉、陆一飞和杜五这三位帝京府衙的高手眉头紧皱，心事重重，谁也不愿开口说话。 喝过两壶茶，杜五忽然道：“你们有无感觉到，今日望江楼似乎与平日有些不同。” 陆一飞喝口茶说：“只不过少了一个人罢了。” 杜五四下看看，问：“少了什么人？” 陆一飞道：“快嘴书生梅瘦竹。” 杜五点头道：“正是，我说这酒楼怎么如此清静了呢，原来是少了那家伙在此聒噪。” 正说着，梅瘦竹的小徒弟乖乖儿忽然慌慌张张地跑进来：“诸位爷，不好了不好了！我见太阳都晒屁股了师父却还没起来，便去敲他的房门。敲了半天没人应，我趴到窗台上一瞧，天哪……” 杜五急得直跺脚，催促道：“我的小祖宗，你倒是拣要紧的说呀。你师父他到底怎么了？” 乖乖儿浑身颤抖，声音也哆哆嗦嗦地：“我师父他、他……被人、被人杀死了！” “什么？”酒楼里的人一听这话，全都呆住了。 有几位胆小的没能控制住自己，手一哆嗦，把酒杯摔在地上了。 陆天沉心中一惊，但神色未变，起身问：“张掌柜，梅瘦竹住在何处？” 张掌柜也懵了，哆嗦道：“他、他借居在小店后面的一间偏房里。” 陆天沉道：“带路！” 张掌柜战战兢兢地带着他们穿过大堂，拐过几道弯，来到梅瘦竹的住处。隔窗一瞧，梅瘦竹正横躺在自己的床榻上，身上斜盖着一条被子，鲜血染红了床单和被褥。 陆一飞急忙一脚蹬开房门，一探梅瘦竹的鼻息，显然已断气多时。揭开被褥，一股浓重的血腥味扑鼻而来。从未见过如此血腥场面的张掌柜忍不住弯下腰去，把昨晚吃下去的饭菜都呕吐出来了。 梅瘦竹全身上下，只穿一件内衫，显然是于睡梦中被杀。 陆一飞用剑尖轻轻挑开他染满鲜血的衣衫，伤口赫然出现。陆天沉、陆一飞和杜五三人脸色齐变。 伤在胸口，一剑穿心，干净利索。 月光如水，溪流无声。 吃罢晚饭，陆一飞独自一人坐在屋后山坡下的小溪边，把困扰自己的众多疑点翻来覆去地思考着。 正在百思不解之时，一双温柔的纤手悄悄蒙上了他的眼睛。他轻轻捉住那双温软的手儿，心中立即涌起一股柔情蜜意。 他轻轻问道：“葭妹，你怎么来了？” 陆蒹葭调皮地在溪水中投了一块石子，溅起一串清凉的水珠落在他身上、脸上，宛如情人的眼泪，那么调皮而又那么令人心醉。 她倚在他身边坐下来，莞尔一笑：“一飞哥，我知道你为什么烦恼。连环命案的事，我已听杜五叔说了。你把你心中的疑惑告诉我，也许我可以帮你想办法解决。” 陆一飞看她一眼，苦笑道：“连义父也一筹莫展，你会有什么办法？” 陆蒹葭嘟起小嘴：“你小看人？你没说出来，怎么知道我没办法呢？” 陆一飞无奈地叹口气，道：“那好吧，我把我的想法告诉你。你知道吗，我们今天去六合门，发现徐梦痕疯了。徐老夫人说已请清虚观无极道长诊断过，说是精神错乱，一时好不了。” 陆蒹葭扭头看着他问：“这难道也有什么不妥吗？” 陆一飞道：“可是我已派人到东灵山清虚观问过，守门的小道士说，最近皇上肾病复又加重，再三下旨请无极道长去宫里给他治病。无极道长嫌麻烦，正装病在床，已三天未出过门呢。” 陆蒹葭柳眉轻皱，思索道：“这么说来，是徐老夫人说谎骗你们了？” 陆一飞道：“我也是这么认为。但她为什么这样呢？” 陆蒹葭道：“如果我没有猜错，一定是徐梦痕清醒过来之后，知道官府的人一定会来向他调查情况，他不想将真实情况告诉你们，但你们于他有恩，又不便当面拒绝。” 陆一飞道：“可是，他为什么如此呢？如果他将掌握的线索告诉我们，官府很快就可以抓到凶手，帮他报一剑之仇和杀妻之恨。” 陆蒹葭沉思着说：“也许他正是不想让你们帮他，才不惜装疯骗人。” 陆一飞大为奇怪，道：“这又是为什么呢？” 陆蒹葭道：“个中原因其实很简单。武林人士最讲究血债血偿，快意恩仇。六合门是武林中有名有望的大门派，而徐梦痕也是武林成名高手。六合门连连出事，威风扫地，若还要靠官府的人来帮他们报仇雪恨，那——” 陆一飞经她点拨，恍然大悟，接口道：“你的意思是说，徐梦痕装疯卖傻，隐瞒线索，只是为了不让官府插手，他要自己亲自追凶，手刃仇人，一来报仇雪耻，二来借机重振六合门在武林中的威名。” 陆蒹葭点了点头，又补充道：“而且肖玉儿死在六合门，他若不拿到凶手的人头，江南形意门的人会善罢甘休吗？” 陆一飞忍不住赞道：“葭妹，果然是虎父无犬女。你的心思如此缜密，推理如此精确，不到衙门做捕快实在太可惜了。” 陆蒹葭有几分得意地说：“我若去做捕快，你和爹这两大神捕还不都得回家种地呀！” 陆一飞忍不住哈哈大笑起来，拿起放在草地上的长剑，起身道：“葭妹，谢谢你提醒了我。你快回屋里去，我要出去一趟。” 陆蒹葭关切地问：“这么晚了，你还要去哪里？” 陆一飞道：“如果你说得没错，那么徐梦痕很快就有行动，他一定会出来寻找仇人。到目前只有他一个人与凶手交过手并且还活着，所以有关凶手的情况，也只有他最清楚。我只要一路跟着他，就不难找到杀人凶手。” 陆蒹葭笑道：“哈，你果然聪明多了。不过徐梦痕武功超群，而且那神秘黑衣人也不好惹，你可要小心。” 陆一飞拍拍手中长剑，笑笑道：“你放心，我手中这把如风剑也还从未遇到过对手。我走了，如果义父问起我，你替我说一声。” 陆蒹葭点点头，显得有些不舍，道：“我知道了。你要早去早回！” 风云变幻，月亮已悄然隐入云层，地面逐渐变得模糊起来。 陆一飞已在六合门大门前的柳树梢头隐匿了一个多时辰。他不知道自己还要等多久，也不知道这样等下去会不会有结果。他只知道，自己必须这样等下去。 人生就是这样，有些事你可以做也可以不做，而有些事，你却必须去做。 等人的时候，时间总似乎过得太慢，尤其是在等一个你根本不知道他到底会不会出现的人。 夜凉如水，三更鼓响。徐府那两扇紧闭的大门忽然“吱嘎”一声轻轻打开一条缝，一条人影从门内闪身出来。白衣飘扬，玉树临风，正是帝京第一少徐梦痕。 陆一飞急忙屏住呼吸。 徐梦痕四下望望，随即展开轻功，如飞而去。 陆一飞知他武功高强，听觉灵敏，不敢跟得太紧，与其保持着相当距离。 夜深人静，街灯已熄。街上绝无行人，只有徐梦痕与陆一飞如一阵风一样，一前一后相继从街上飘荡而过，了无痕迹。 徐梦痕横穿三条街道，来到一条小巷里，在一爿小店前停住脚步。 陆一飞也急忙止步藏身，悄悄抬头一看那间店铺的招牌，竟是“笑婆婆绞面店”。这是一间专为街市上小媳妇、大姑娘绞面毛、穿耳环、去皱纹、化装易容的普通小店。这样的小店在街市上随处可见，从事这种营生的多为上了年纪的婆婆婶婶。而据陆一飞所知，笑婆婆绞面店是同行中手艺最高生意最好的。但他却实在猜不透，徐梦痕堂堂一个大男人，跑到这种地方来做什么呢？ 正暗自疑惑，徐梦痕上前拍响了绞面店的大门。拍了十余下，门没开，一旁的窗户却打开了半边，一个睡眼惺忪的老妇人探出头来，一边打着呵欠一边嘟囔道：“谁呀？三更半夜的！” 徐梦痕忙施礼道：“婆婆，在下深夜来访，是想请婆婆做一桩生意。” 笑婆婆脸上却一点儿笑容也没有，一副老气横秋的样子，满脸不高兴地摆摆手，道：“太晚了，明天再来吧。” 徐梦痕道：“在下实在是有急事在身，不得不深夜打扰婆婆清梦。”他掏出一锭银子托在掌心，“这点心意，请婆婆笑纳。” 笑婆婆一见这锭银子少说也有十余两，立刻没有了一丝睡意，忙不迭地道：“好说好说，公子这桩生意，老身做了。” 笑婆婆将徐梦痕迎进店，复又关上门。 陆一飞又悄悄靠近一些，隐身于墙角一隅，耐心等候徐梦痕出来。 只一炷香的功夫，绞面店的门又开了，不见徐梦痕出来，却从里面走出一位蓝袍人物，面相俊朗，身负长剑，犹似一位意气风发的书生。 蓝袍书生出门之后，向东而去。 陆一飞眉头轻皱，暗自纳闷，为何不见徐梦痕出来呢？待看清那蓝袍书生的轻功路数时，忽然醒悟过来，这蓝袍书生不正是徐梦痕易容而成的吗？心中意念一转，人已飞身向前，无声无息地跟上了“蓝袍书生”。 “蓝袍书生”徐梦痕身轻如燕，健步如飞，越行越疾，向着东直门方向掠去。 陆一飞不远不近，紧随其后。 徐梦痕很快便来到了东直门外的香花街。 香花街似乎永远是帝京里最热闹最繁华的街道，不论白天还是黑夜。因为这条街道两边，各开着十八家妓院。 在这些妓院之中，最有名的是胭脂楼。在这条街上，最红的姑娘便是胭脂楼的红胭脂。 陆一飞看见徐梦痕迈步走进了胭脂楼，不由得目瞪口呆。他做梦也没有想到，未婚妻肖玉儿尸骨未寒大仇未报，这位徐少爷居然就来香花街寻花问柳。 陆一飞见他半夜出门，化装易容，行踪诡秘，原本以为他是为追凶，所以一路跟踪，却不想他是为狎妓而来，不由得大感失望。 可转念一想，莫非徐梦痕所追踪的杀人凶手与胭脂楼有关联？想罢，觉得既然追踪到此，进去看看也无妨，便硬着头皮走进去。 胭脂楼很大，姑娘也很多。陆一飞找了一个无人注意的角落坐下来，一群打扮得花枝招展浓香扑鼻的姑娘立即像发现猎物一般紧紧围住了他。 陆一飞是第一次来这种烟花之地，尽管极力装成老手，还是不免脸红耳赤，坐立不安。他一面手忙脚乱地应付着姑娘们的挑逗，一面用眼角余光注意着徐梦痕的动向。 只见这位蓝袍书生装扮的徐大少爷大马金刀地往大堂中央一坐，那满脸脂粉唇似猪血的老鸨就满脸媚笑地迎了上去，嗲声嗲气地说：“哎哟，大爷，我瞧您怎么这么面生呢，是头一回来胭脂楼吧？大爷贵姓呀？” 徐梦痕随口应道：“免贵姓王。” 老鸨立即将半个香喷喷的身子倚在他身上，媚声娇气地道：“哟，原来是王公子呀。既然王公子是头一次来咱们这胭脂楼，那我就先给您介绍几个好姑娘……” 徐梦痕摆手道：“本公子不要别人。” 老鸨一脸媚态：“哎呀，王公子不要别人，难道是看上了我这个做妈妈的不成！” 徐梦痕故意从头到脚打量她一遍，笑笑道：“在下的眼光还不至于如此差劲。今天在下专为红胭脂而来。” 老鸨一怔，道：“哎呀，王公子，您真是不凑巧。我们胭脂姑娘今晚已被人包下了。” 徐梦痕问：“别人出多少银子？” 老鸨道：“纹银五十两。” 徐梦痕掏出一张银票放在桌子上，道：“我出一百两行不行？” 老鸨面露喜色，却故作为难地道：“这个……实在叫我为难，因为包她的那位大爷大有来头……” 徐梦痕连眉头也没抬一下，又掏出一张银票，道：“如果我出二百两呢？” 老鸨见好就收，急忙收起桌上的银票道：“公子勿怒，胭脂姑娘的确已被人包了，不过刚才是被别人包了，而现在却是叫王公子您包了。您跟着我上楼去，看我怎样把那个寒酸家伙从胭脂姑娘的床上扔出去。” 徐梦痕眉头一松，点头道：“很好，事成之后，重重有赏。” 见他已随老鸨上楼，陆一飞便问身边的姑娘道：“谁住在胭脂姑娘的隔壁？” 一个姑娘回答道：“是玲珑姑娘。” 陆一飞道：“你去把她叫过来。” 姑娘有点不高兴。陆一飞问道：“有没有办法把那个男人从玲珑姑娘的床上赶下去？” 那姑娘道：“只有一个办法。” 陆一飞问：“什么办法？” 姑娘道：“用银子把他砸跑。” 陆一飞忍不住哈哈大笑起来，道：“你告诉我她在哪个房间，我这就去用银子砸那个男人。” 那姑娘翘着小嘴道：“二楼左手边最后一个房间。不过，如果你的银子砸不跑那个男人，你可以去三楼右手边的第三个房间。” 陆一飞问：“为什么？” 姑娘吃吃地笑道：“因为那是我的房间。” 陆一飞看了她一眼，忽然觉得有点喜欢这个小姑娘了。 他蹬上二楼，很快就找到了。房门被人从里面闩住了，不过这难不住他。 房间里看上去布置得很精致，但床上却显得有些凌乱，一个全身赤裸肥胖男人正一边扯着一位十八九岁的小姑娘的裙子，一边气喘吁吁地把她往床上压去。 小姑娘一边流泪一边拼命挣扎，但却无济于事，在这铁塔似的大汉面前，她就像一只可怜的小鸡，只有任其蹂躏，任其宰割的份。 陆一飞看了，感到就像吞了一只苍蝇一样恶心。他冲上去，很快就把那欲火焚身嘴脸丑陋的家伙从小姑娘的床上赶了下来，他用的是拳头。然后，他点了他身上的几处穴位，把他就像扔一只死鸡一样塞进了小姑