readsfreenovel Chapter 229 The Iron-Shoeed Thief!
Chapter 229 The Iron-Shoeed Thief!
Upon hearing Hua Ruling's exclamation, everyone's hearts skipped a beat. Had something happened?
Among them, Hua Manlou's reaction was the quickest.
He swayed, and everyone only saw a blur before their eyes.
The next instant, all that could be seen was that figure in white robes, flying straight towards the secret chamber.
Seeing that Hua Manlou had gone inside, the rest of the group also gathered their qi and leaped forward, closely following behind.
Let's see if there's anything we can do to help.
After passing through the corridor of the secret room, the group arrived at a spacious room filled with cabinets.
Looking around, the items displayed on those cabinets are all rare and priceless treasures that are hard to find elsewhere.
Hua Ruling stood blankly in front of a cabinet, her face filled with disbelief.
Seeing this, Hua Manlou walked lightly to him and asked softly with concern in his voice.
"Father, what's wrong? What happened?"
"It's gone! The national treasure of the Han Hai Kingdom, the Han Hai Jade Buddha, has disappeared!"
Hua Ruling's words immediately caused a huge uproar.
"what!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Wasn't the Iron-Shoes Thief just acting? How come the treasure really is missing?
This made things much more complicated, and everyone started to make their own plans.
If we can really get our hands on the Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean, then we should return it to the Hua family...
With trembling hands, Hua Ruling slowly picked up a slip of paper from the table where the Hanhai Jade Buddha had been placed.
Upon seeing this, everyone rushed forward, their eyes all focused on the note.
On the note, the handwriting was elegant and flowing, written in a free and unrestrained style.
"I have long heard that your esteemed family's Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean is a rare treasure of the world. Today, I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to handle and admire it for several days. I am extremely honored."
The name of Master Hua is known throughout the Ming Dynasty; he certainly wouldn't be so easily angered as to harm himself in vain!
The note was signed in bold six characters: “Bai Yutang, the Saint of Thieves, bows respectfully.”
"Amitabha Buddha, the thief of the White Jade Soup?"
Master Kuzhi looked surprised, frowned slightly, then turned to look at Jin Jiuling and said in a deep voice.
"I didn't expect this person to reappear in the martial arts world? Rumor has it that he has been missing for two and a half years. It seems that the Six Doors will be busy again!"
"Somewhat something is wrong."
Jin Jiuling frowned, sensing that something was amiss.
As the head constable of the Six Doors, he was naturally very familiar with the files of the Thief Saint.
According to his analysis, this "Master Thief Bai Yutang" sounds like someone with quite a reputation.
However, they are probably the kind of people whose reputation exceeds their abilities.
The number of treasures he actually stole was very small.
Moreover, in most cases, he eventually returned those items to their owners intact.
In the many major cases in the martial arts world, he was merely a scapegoat, taking the blame for others.
That's why the Six Doors hadn't really taken him seriously before; otherwise, they would have arrested him long ago.
"What's wrong?"
Xue Muhua added fuel to the fire, "This master thief dares to steal right under Chief Jin's nose; he truly doesn't take Chief Jin seriously."
Upon hearing this, Jin Jiuling's eyes flashed with a cold light. Although he still felt that something was wrong, things had come to this point, and these minor details were no longer important.
Now that there is a written note as proof, I must show my stance as a member of the Six Doors.
With this thought in mind, Jin Jiuling clasped his hands in a fist and made a firm promise to Hua Ruling.
"Don't worry, Master Hua. This Bai Yutang dared to steal the Hanhai Jade Buddha right in front of me, Jin Jiuling. He obviously doesn't take me seriously!"
I will rush back to the Six Doors first thing tomorrow morning, gather manpower, and this time I will definitely bring this man to justice! Even the Heavenly King himself couldn't protect him! That's what I, Jin Jiuling, say!
Hua Ruling nodded, then solemnly said, "Captain Jin, I'm entrusting this matter to you. This Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean is extremely important."
This could even affect diplomatic relations between the Ming Dynasty and the Han Sea, so please be sure to retrieve it as soon as possible.
"Don't worry, Master Hua!"
Jin Jiuling patted his chest and said, "I will send a message by carrier pigeon and have the Six Doors find this person's whereabouts."
.........
Afterwards, Hua Ruling found an excuse to send Hua Manlou away, and then gathered everyone together again.
Doctor Xue broke the silence first, asking, "Master Hua, what exactly is going on? The script didn't mention anything about losing something."
"Ugh....."
Hua Ruling sighed deeply, her face filled with confusion.
"I have no idea what happened. I only thought of checking the location of the Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean on a whim, but who would have thought it would actually disappear without a trace!"
Seeing this, Doctor Xue felt that Hua Ruling didn't seem to be acting, and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Could it really be that the Thief Saint stole it?"
"That should be the case."
Master Kuzhi clasped his hands together, closed his eyes slightly, and analyzed softly: "Leaving a note at the scene is a common tactic used by people who are extremely confident in their thieving skills, just like Chu Liuxiang, who is known as the King of Thieves."
"I just don't know how this Jade Soup suddenly appeared here."
When Zen Master Kuzhi got to this last point, his brows furrowed and his eyes were full of doubt.
Everyone had their own thoughts racing.
"perhaps……"
Shan Tianxie suddenly broke the silence, "Is he planning to compete with the Iron-Shoe Bandit?"
"Let's have a showdown?"
Master Kuzhi looked puzzled, put his hands together, bowed slightly, and asked,
"What does this mean? Please explain in detail, Young Master Shan."
Dan Tianxie smiled lightly, walked around with his hands behind his back, and began to speak eloquently.
"What the Zen Master doesn't know is that these legendary thieves have always been proud of their thieving skills and feel that their profession is more technical."
Therefore, competitions are held from time to time, just like martial arts masters vying for the position of martial arts leader, and the winner can become famous.
This is precisely why titles such as "King of Thieves," "Saint of Thieves," and "Four Great Thieves of Jiangnan" came into being.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and continued, "These titles, some of them are bestowed upon me by fellow martial artists out of respect for my abilities, as a sign of respect."
However, some of them actually won by standing out from many experts through a series of competitions.
In my opinion, the Iron-Shoeed Thief may not have participated in that competition for the title of King of Thieves back then.
Bai Yutang, the "Master Thief," felt a pang of regret that he hadn't had the chance to spar with such a formidable opponent, and a sense of urgency lingered within him.
Therefore, upon hearing that the Iron-Shoe Thief had appeared at the Hua family's residence, he wanted to take this opportunity to have a remote duel and test his skills.
Meanwhile, Bai Zhantang, far away at Tongfu Inn, was sneezing incessantly. There were just too many people talking about him these past two days.
........
"In that case, it's not entirely impossible."
Jin Jiuling's lips curled into a cold smile, a smile that revealed a hint of sternness and confidence.
"These thieves, all they do is organize these strange and unusual competitions all day long."
Hmph, but this suits me just fine. With the year-end approaching, I still need to accumulate some achievements.
I never expected Bai Yutang to show up at my door like this, saving me the trouble of searching for him everywhere.
"Captain Jin, I'm counting on you for everything."
Hua Ruling's eyes were full of expectation as she cupped her hands in a fist salute and addressed Jin Jiuling.
"Don't worry, Master Hua. I have already sent a message by carrier pigeon. I believe that with the strength of the Six Doors, it won't be long before the intelligence arrives."
"That would be perfect."
Hua Ruling nodded slightly, forcing a smile onto her face.
"I wonder if this performance helped Young Master Hua completely overcome his inner demons? Just now, Young Master Hua still seemed to have some doubts..."
Master Kuzhi changed the subject, turning his gaze to Hua Ruling, his words tinged with concern.
"Well..."
Hua Ruling stroked his beard, pondered for a long time, and then slowly spoke.
"Qi Tong's condition should be much better, and his emotions have calmed down considerably. However, it will probably take some time before he can fully recover."
"That's good, that's good. At least our efforts weren't in vain."
Master Kuzhi clasped his hands together, nodded slightly, and looked around. Suddenly, he frowned and asked a question.
"By the way, where's Lu Xiaofeng? Why didn't he come? You know, how can we solve a case without Lu Xiaofeng?"
Only then did everyone realize that Lu Xiaofeng was not there, so they all turned their attention to Hua Ruling.
Hua Ruling sighed softly, gently stroking his beard, and said with a slightly apologetic expression.
"Master Lu has already gone to rest. Earlier, when he disguised himself as the Iron-Shoeed Thief and fought with Seven Children..."
He took a full hit from the Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve, and although he avoided a fatal blow, he still suffered some minor injuries.
"Amitabha."
Master Kuzhi clasped his hands together and muttered incantations, "Lu Xiaofeng risked his life and was willing to be injured in order to help Young Master Hua get rid of his inner demons. Such a chivalrous act truly earns my deepest admiration!"
"Yeah, indeed."
Hua Ruling casually replied that the Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean had been stolen, and he had no interest in discussing the matter in depth at the moment.
Hua Ruling then waved her hand, her expression showing some fatigue.
"You've been busy all night, everyone should go back to your rooms and rest early. There's a birthday banquet to take care of tomorrow."
Seeing this, everyone realized that Hua Ruling was upset and confused, so they all tactfully bowed and took their leave, going back to their rooms to rest.
Just as Shan Tianxie was walking out, he was unexpectedly bumped on the shoulder by Doctor Xue.
He subconsciously turned his head to look, and saw that Xue Muhua had not stopped walking. Just as they passed each other, Xue Muhua lowered his voice and said behind him, "I'll be waiting for you in the back garden in a quarter of an hour."
After saying that, he left quickly without waiting for Shan Tianxie's reaction.
As Shan Tianxie watched Doctor Xue's retreating figure, a profound and unfathomable smile slowly appeared on his lips.
The fox's tail has finally been revealed, you Iron-Shoe Thief!
At this moment, he was already 70-80% certain that Xue Muhua was actually the Iron Shoes Thief in disguise!
As for the real Xue Muhua, he either met a tragic end or was delayed by some means used by the Iron Shoe Bandit.
After all, normally tomorrow would be Hua Ruling's real birthday banquet.
But going alone? I should still make some preparations...
..........
Fifteen minutes later, in the back garden of the Hua residence.
Dan Tianxie arrived as promised, and looking up, he saw that Doctor Xue was already standing there quietly.
Its figure seemed to blend into the night, clearly indicating that it had been waiting there for a long time.
Dan Tianxie smiled faintly and spoke first.
"Dr. Xue, it's so late at night and the dew is so heavy. Why didn't you rest in your room? Why did you call me here?"
Dan Tianxie went straight to the point, his gaze fixed intently on Doctor Xue.
"Of course, there are important matters to discuss."
Xue Muhua responded, but his voice, compared to its gentle tone during the day, had undergone a subtle change.
His voice became hoarse and dark, as if it had been sanded, exuding a mysterious quality that sent a chill down one's spine.
Is this still the same Dr. Xue who always helps people and saves lives? Why does he sound like a villain?
"Oh?"
A hint of interest flashed in Shan Tianxie's eyes as he looked at Xue Muhua with great interest.
The smile on his lips grew more pronounced, carrying a hint of something unfathomable.
"I wonder what could be so urgent that you have to talk about it so late at night? I just have a feeling that meeting in the middle of the night isn't going to be a good thing."
"Hand over the Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean!!!"
As Doctor Xue spoke, he suddenly raised his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he pierced straight at Shan Tianxie.
"Ok?"
Dan Tianxie frowned slightly, feigning a look of confusion on his face.
"What do you mean by that, Doctor Xue? Wasn't the Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean stolen by the Thief Saint? What does that have to do with me?"
As he spoke, he crossed his arms, leaned back slightly, and adopted an indifferent demeanor.
"Stop pretending!"
With an expression that suggested he had already seen through everything, Doctor Xue said in a deep voice,
"Young Master Shan, you weren't actually from Bliss Valley, were you? No, perhaps it would be more appropriate to call you the Saint of Thieves!"
His words were full of certainty, as if he had already figured out Shan Tianxie's identity.
"Holy Thief?"
Dan Tianxie's eyebrows suddenly twitched, as if he had heard some huge joke, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Doctor Xue, are you saying I'm the Saint of Thieves?"
"good."
Doctor Xue looked certain, his expression full of confidence, and then began to analyze the situation with great conviction.
"Just now, when you were speculating about the reasons why the Thief Saint stole the Jade Buddha of the Vast Sea, your reasoning was clear and logical, just as if you had witnessed it with your own eyes."
"If it weren't for the Thief Saint himself, how could he know the reasons behind it so clearly?"
"Furthermore, when Lu Xiaofeng disguised himself as the Iron-Shoe Bandit and dealt with the crowd, you were nowhere to be found."
"You must have taken advantage of this opportunity to sneak into the secret chamber unnoticed and steal the Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean, right?"
Upon hearing this, Shan Tianxie felt that what he said made a lot of sense, and I was speechless for a moment.
At this moment, Shan Tianxie's silence was undoubtedly seen by Doctor Xue as an admission of guilt, further confirming his judgment.
"Well? My analysis, which has been meticulous and logical, is so thorough that you can't deny it in the slightest!"
Doctor Xue raised his head, his face full of pride.