Chapter 16-Wrongly Suffered the Punishment
Chapter 16-Wrongly Suffered the Punishment
Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru walked into the hall. Before they even got close, they smelled a strong scent of agarwood.
The fragrance came from the furnace in the middle of the hall. The entire hall was very simple. Other than a divine table in the middle, on which were worshiped scriptures, memorial tablets, fruits, incense burner, and other items, a woman in a thin black dress was kneeling on a futon in front of the divine table and devoutly chanting scriptures. On both sides of her, there was a row of red-robed maidservants on the left and a row of blue-robed maidservants on the right. Looking at them, the beauty of the red-robed maidservants and the beauty of the blue-robed maidservants were dazzling.
Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru waited for the black-veiled woman to finish reciting the scriptures. The woman's slender waist slightly bent and she slowly stood up. Even this action was indescribably charming.
She turned her head around. On her delicate face, there was a pair of lustful eyes. When she spoke, it was as if she was about to move. Li Xiaoyao was stunned for a moment. She was clearly the woman from the inn last night!
Seeing Li Xiaoyao's unblinking gaze, Lin Yueru's brows furrowed, unable to hide her anger.
Li Xiaoyao stared at her, but she didn't seem to know him. She said softly,"I am Ji Sanniang, a widow waiting for death. May I know why the two of you are looking for me, a widow? Hmm?"
Li Xiaoyao knew that this woman who called herself Ji Sanniang was not a good person, but he was also a little dizzy from her seductive charm. He coughed hard and said,"Please…may I ask this big sister…"
Ji Sanniang chuckled, and the trembling of her slender waist was also fascinating. She said in a delicate voice,"Ah…Little hubby, you have such a sweet mouth. I'm old and ugly, so I'm very happy to hear you call me that. Can you call me big sister again?”
Her pleading made it seem as if she wanted to lean on him. Even Lin Yueru was a little stunned. She had never seen such a seductive woman who looked as if she had no bones.
Li Xiaoyao subconsciously took a step back and said,""Ahem, ahem, this, this isn't…Um, I have something to ask you.”
"What is it? I don't know anything. I can't answer your question. Don't be angry with me."”
Li Xiaoyao forced himself not to listen to her frivolous voice and said,""Cough! We were chasing after a female cat burglar last night, but we lost her when we were in the vicinity, so we came to see if we could find any clues.”
"Female Snitch?" Ji Sanniang pressed her plump chest with one hand, as if she was about to fall onto Li Xiaoyao, and said,"Oh…that's so scary. Could it be…Young Master, you think…the female cat burglar is hiding in my place? Aiyo, I have no one to rely on and am very scared. Young Master, please stay here and help me guard the door, okay? I'm just a woman. I can't do anything…"
"Ah, no, this isn't…" Li Xiaoyao quickly said,"It's not that the Snitch is here, it's just that it's flying over here." Last night, did Madam hear any unusual sounds outside the house?”
Ji Sanniang thought for a moment, and her flirtatious eyes came over again. She smiled and said,"Last night…? Ha, of course…"
"Then did Madam see anyone…jump into the courtyard from your roof?" Li Xiaoyao asked.”
Ji Sanniang's eyes were filled with worry, and she said to Li Xiaoyao in a resentful and somewhat infatuated manner,"On the night of the full moon, I stayed alone in the empty boudoir. Last night, I couldn't sleep alone. I hoped and hoped that a handsome gentleman would descend from the sky to accompany me.”
Li Xiaoyao's face turned red and he pretended to be angry."Madam! Please don't be so wild, I'm asking you, Snitch!”
"This…" Ji Sanniang smiled.
"Yes or no?"
"Sigh, no matter how ugly I am, I wouldn't hope for a cat burglar to jump down from my roof. Moreover, it's a female cat burglar…" Ji Sanniang said.
"So, you don't have it?" Li Xiaoyao said.”
Ji Sanniang moved lightly and approached him, saying,"Husband, if you want to catch the cat burglar so much, why don't you stay in this humble house tonight? Maybe…the cat burglar will pass by my roof again. Wouldn't I be able to catch him red-handed?”
"This…isn't appropriate…" Li Xiaoyao said.
Ji Sanniang really did walk up to Li Xiaoyao, and an unknown fragrance wafted into his nose. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the fabric of her clothes was so thin that it almost revealed the color of her skin, so white that it was dazzling.
Ji Sanniang approached Li Xiaoyao's face, and as she spoke, a sweet fragrance assailed her nostrils."I admire chivalrous men with a sense of justice the most…You want me to fulfill this small wish of mine, but you're not willing…?”
"I, I…I've already checked into an inn…" Li Xiaoyao said.
"Hehe…Little hubby, it's expensive to stay in an inn!" Ji Sanniang laughed. The public security in Yangzhou City is so bad. My house is so big, but there is no male owner. At night, I will be afraid!”
As she spoke, her voice trembled slightly, as if a little disturbance would scare her out of her wits. Li Xiaoyao said,"Yes…yes, big sister has no one to rely on, so it's really hard for her to live…"
Ji Sanniang grabbed Li Xiaoyao's hand and said,""Why don't you move here? Wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?”
"This…this…I'll think about it…"
Lin Yu 'eru couldn't take it anymore and said,""Hmph, a widow? Seducing a man in front of a memorial tablet like this, what kind of widow was she?”
"Hehe…Compared to a man and a woman who are alone, spending the night together, staying in an inn, and even sharing a room, I'm still a little shy!" Ji Sanniang smiled charmingly.”
" Who…Who are you talking about?!" Lin Yueru's face turned red.!”
"I'll talk to whoever answers," Ji Sanniang said with a smile.”
"Don't argue, let's talk it out…" Li Xiaoyao quickly said.
Lin Yueru was so angry that her entire body was trembling. She said,""Who has anything to say to this coquettish fox? Humph! If you like to hear her speak, you can stay and listen!”
Lin Yueru turned around and ran out. Li Xiaoyao panicked and shouted,""Yueru! Where are you going?"
"Oh…Little sister, you ran away in anger?" Ji Sanniang smiled from behind. Sister was teasing her. Why was she so stubborn?”
"Sorry to disturb you!" Li Xiaoyao said.”He chased after her and looked up. Lin Yueru had already run up the wall on the right side of the courtyard. With a few steps, she ran to the roof and ran away with her back facing Li Xiaoyao.
Li Xiaoyao chased after Lin Yueru on the ground. He raised his head and asked,""Yueru! Why are you climbing so high?"
"None of your business!" Lin Yueru said.
As he spoke, he ran faster and faster, leaping onto the Yangzhou city wall. Although Li Xiaoyao was not good at Lightness Skills, he had grasped some tricks after a few days of studying. He lowered his breath to his waist, and his feet were weak. He jumped up and also jumped onto the city wall. However, his feet could not coordinate for a moment. As soon as he stood on the city wall, his body swayed. He hurriedly waved his hands and shouted,"Hey, hey! Help!"
Lin Yu 'eru was shocked. She jumped forward and pulled him back.
Li Xiaoyao grabbed Lin Yueru and said with a smile,""You're still running?"
Lin Yueru's entire body trembled when he pulled her closer. Her face turned red, and she pushed Li Xiaoyao away."If I had known earlier, I would have killed you, you stinky brat!”
"What are you angry about?" Li Xiaoyao laughed.”
"Go and be with that shameless woman!" Lin Yueru said fiercely.”
"Eh?" Li Xiaoyao asked. How did this come about? How did I offend you?"
"Do you need me to say it?" Lin Yueru shouted. Do you have the nerve to ask me to make it clearer? You men are all the same. When you see a foxy woman, you seem to lose your soul and even forget who you are!”
"You mean that Ji Sanniang?" Li Xiaoyao asked. Am I bewitched? No, absolutely not! How could I be charmed by her? She's not as pretty as you."
Seeing Li Xiaoyao speak so decisively, Lin Yueru looked at him and said,""You…you love to lie. You clearly said that I'm ugly…"
"Don't keep bringing up this old score, alright?" Li Xiaoyao said. I really don't remember saying that you're ugly. You're really beautiful! That Ji Sanniang…I admit that she is a little feminine…"
"You really can't forget her," Lin Yueru shouted."You just like that seductive look!"”
"Don't listen to half of what I said. What I mean is that no matter how beautiful she is, I won't forget the real mission.”
"I think you've clearly seen Ji Sanniang and you've lost your mind…Eh?" Lin Yueru muttered.”
Lin Yueru lowered her body and pulled Li Xiaoyao down. Li Xiaoyao said,""What now?"
"Shh! Look." Lin Yueru gave him a look, and Li Xiaoyao followed her gaze. A black figure flashed from the well under the city wall. It was Ji Sanniang.
Ji Sanniang held a small cloth bag in her hand as she silently walked to the well. She looked around to make sure that there was no one around, then jumped into the well.
Shocked, Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru stuck their heads out, but after some thought, they were sure that Ji Sanniang didn't suddenly commit suicide by jumping into the well. She had a small cloth bag in her hand, which was definitely the reason why she jumped into the well.
"Look at how sneaky she is," Lin Yueru said."There must be something strange in this well!"”
Li Xiaoyao nodded. The two of them jumped down from the city wall at the same time and surrounded the well, carefully examining it.
Li Xiao Yao stuck his head out and said," Look, there are layers of ladders in this well. I don't think it's water down there. I'm afraid it's something else."”
"Let's go down and take a look!" Lin Yueru said.”
"If Ji Sanniang is really a cat burglar, we can catch her red-handed!”
With just the two of them, capturing Ji Sanniang was no problem.
With the plan set, the two of them climbed down one after the other. The well was wide enough to accommodate a large man, not to mention Ji Sanniang's slender body. It was simply too easy for her to enter and exit. Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru quickly slipped down the well. As expected, there was not even a drop of water. Instead, they found a wider hole at the bottom of the well.
The two of them walked into the passageway of the underground cave. The underground cave was very dry and airy, and the passageway was spotless, indicating that people often went in and out. At the end of the corridor, the room opened up. It was indeed a secret room.
In the room where a few oil lamps were lit, in addition to a dozen or so beautifully decorated big boxes, there were all kinds of gold, silver, and jewelry piled up on the ground. Under the light of the oil lamps, they emitted bursts of brilliant light, making it difficult for people to open their eyes. However, Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru knew that the gold and silver were not important, so they piled them on the ground casually. The important thing must be what was in the box.
The boxes were locked with heavy locks. Lin Yueru said in a low voice,""The Purple Gold Gourd that the Minister mentioned must be inside, but we can't open the chest.”
Li Xiao Yao grabbed the heavy lock and looked at it carefully. He felt a little helpless and said,"I personally chased him here, but…sigh!”
He tightened his grip, and the lock was broken with a crack.
"This lock is so fragile?" Lin Yueru was stunned.”
She personally pulled the lock of the other box and pulled it hard, but it didn't affect her at all. Looking closely at the broken lock in Li Xiaoyao's hand, it was also very heavy and couldn't be broken easily. Even Li Xiaoyao himself was baffled.
Lin Yueru looked at Li Xiaoyao, then at the lock, and said,""I've been wondering for the past two days why your qinggong suddenly became so good and your movements became several times faster. Your…your internal energy seems to be much stronger than before. Tell me, what's going on?"
"It's Ling Er, she…sigh!" Li Xiaoyao said.”
"Even if she gave you all her internal energy, you wouldn't have become so powerful overnight!”
"Let's not talk about this for now. Hurry up and find the Purple Gold Gourd." Li Xiaoyao said.”
He broke the iron locks one by one. The heavy locks on the boxes were broken or broken in his hands. The boxes were also easily opened. The things inside were all confusing. Some looked like water bottles, some were shoes and clothes, and so on. Li Xiaoyao was confused. He couldn't see the value of these things, but he didn't think too much about it. He just focused on finding the purple gold gourd.
In one of the boxes was indeed the small cloth bag that Ji Sanniang had carried when she entered. The two of them opened it and saw that it was indeed a gourd.
"Is this it?"
"Regardless, she wouldn't have jumped in with a gourd, right?”
"You're right…"
The two of them took the item, but Li Xiaoyao was still standing there, thinking about something.
"What's wrong?" Lin Yueru asked.”
"I keep feeling that…something is not right."”
" Let's go back and think about it slowly," Lin Yueru said." We'll return the lost item to the owner first and then we'll talk about it slowly."”
Li Xiaoyao thought that this was the only way, so he left the secret room with Lin Yueru one after the other. They walked through the corridor and climbed up the well wall. However, Li Xiaoyao felt that something was wrong along the way.
Why did Ji Sanniang disappear after entering the well? Was there another path at the bottom of the well? Would she be so careless?
All these doubts made Li Xiao Yao feel that it was a scheme.
As soon as Lin Yueru came out of the well, she immediately exclaimed. Li Xiaoyao heard her and quickly climbed up."What's wrong?"
When he saw it, he was stunned. A large number of officers surrounded the well, and there were even archers on the city walls. There were also officers with swords in their hands nearby.
One of them said,"Someone secretly reported that the female cat burglar was hiding stolen goods here. Take him down!"
Lin Yueru was about to retaliate when Li Xiaoyao quickly signaled with his eyes. Although it was easy for the two of them to escape, it would not be worth it if they became wanted criminals.
The two of them had their hands tied behind their backs. Under the escort of a large number of officials, they were escorted all the way to the yamen, attracting many curious passers-by.
Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru were escorted into the dark and narrow court. There were many bailiffs on both sides, and many torture instruments were displayed.
One of the bailiffs pushed Li Xiao Yao forward and said,""Kneel down!"
Li Xiaoyao was kicked to the ground. Perhaps because Lin Yueru was a woman, or perhaps because of other reasons, he did not dare to attack her and let her stand upright.
After a while, a man in the county magistrate's uniform and a private advisor dressed like a scholar went to the hall to handle a case. However, the county magistrate did not sit at the head of the table. Instead, he sat at the private advisor's seat beside him. After a while, someone slowly walked out. It was a dignified, fat man wearing a golden official robe.
The county magistrate and advisor cupped their hands at the same time and said respectfully,"Governor, please rise to your seat."
The fat man in the fifth grade official robe nodded and slowly sat on the seat of honor. He spoke slowly, slowly, as expected of an official. He said,"It's Yangzhou's great fortune that the cat burglar was caught. The emperor's power is boundless, and I am really indebted to him. The female cat burglar and her henchmen were caught red-handed and confessed!”
He must have already memorized these two lines of nonsensical prose. Lin Yueru was full of disdain for him and said,""Recruit what? We're not thieves!"
"Useless arguments are just sophistry," said the prefect."If you confess the truth, you can be dealt with lightly.”
"Why wouldn't I dare to tell the truth?" Lin Yueru sneered. My father is the Lord of the Lin Family Castle in Suzhou, who is also the current Alliance Master of the Southern Martial Arts World, Lin Tiannan. My uncle is the current Minister Liu of the imperial court!”
The prefect's eyes lit up. The prefect was a fifth-grade official, and the position he donated was one grade lower, called a fifth-grade official. The minister was at least a third rank, four ranks higher than him. He was already facing the emperor every day, and he could not afford to offend him.
The Governor of Yangzhou suddenly remembered that there was a Minister Liu in the imperial court. It was said that his brother-in-law was actually in the martial arts world. Fortunately, he did not commit any crimes against the government. Instead, he was very helpful to the local public order. That was why the Emperor did not ask him why he was associated with the folk knight-errant. He even liked it very much and had a stable official position.
If he were to curry favor with this powerful official, then it could be said that he would be able to climb up the tail of a horse in an instant and his future would be limitless.
The prefect was about to order Lin Yueru to be uncuffed and treat her politely. He slowly asked, but on second thought, he felt that something was wrong. Lin Yueru was caught red-handed. The female cat burglar had committed many crimes in the city. Such a big case could not be released just because he said so. Besides, if they let him go in court, it would inevitably be a false accusation. It would be better to use force first, after confirming her crime, then see if he wanted to use it to blackmail Minister Liu, or simply take the opportunity to completely reverse his reputation among the people and win the good name of sweeping away thieves.
How could Lin Yueru have thought that the prefect's mind was filled with calculations of fame and official positions? The warmth on the governor's face disappeared and turned into anger.""How dare you speak nonsense!”
The county magistrate and advisor did not have the intention of being a smooth talker like the prefect. When they heard Lin Yueru mention her family background, they also heard a little about it. However, the prefect actually showed his might to her. This was not like the prefect's usual style.
"Please calm down, my lord," the advisor hurriedly said."This flying…Miss spoke as if it were true." If what she said is true, then we really can't offend her.”
The prefect glared at him and secretly laughed at the magistrate and the advisor for being clueless and unable to climb to a high position in their lifetime. He said righteously,"Humph! How could the relatives of a high-ranking official of the court rob their families and fall into the Well of the Netherworld with their bodies of gold? My current emperor is wise, it is impossible for him to have such an official! This thief is full of nonsense, deceiving the emperor and despising the emperor. His crime is even heavier!”
The advisor and the county magistrate almost suspected that this prefect was someone else. How could such righteous words come out of his mouth?
However, the governor of Yangzhou also knew that if he didn't become enemies with Lin Yueru in the future, he must never provoke her again. At most, he could only pretend to scare her. If he really tortured her, it would be a fake reality and it would hinder his career.
The prefect turned to Li Xiaoyao and said," I heard that these cat burglars are all women. You're a man with a beard. Why are you traveling with female thieves?"”
Li Xiaoyao said,"I'm not a member of the Snitch Party. You should investigate this clearly!"”
The prefect turned a deaf ear and said,"Where are the thieves from?" Who's at home? What do you do for a living?"
" I'm from Yuhang County," Li Xiaoyao answered honestly." My parents died early and I have no siblings. I have an aunt who runs a small inn in my hometown to make a living…"
When the prefect heard this, he actually knocked on the wood and said,"Good! Men! Let's start with twenty big boards!"
Li Xiao Yao didn't expect that such an honest answer would result in a sentence of twenty strokes. He couldn't help but be shocked,"Hey, wait, I'm telling the truth…"
Two bailiffs stepped forward, grabbed a long wooden stick, and heavily hit Li Xiao Yao's butt. Li Xiaoyao wailed, but he naturally used his internal energy to resist. In fact, he did not feel any pain at all.
Lin Yueru looked back at him worriedly. She was so anxious that she couldn't say anything. Seeing her worried look, Li Xiaoyao was quite happy. This could be considered as making merry in the midst of hardship.
Li Xiaoyao still felt that it had gone by too quickly after the 20th board.
"Tell me the truth," the prefect said.”
Li Xiaoyao pretended to be sad and said,""Sir…Aiyo…We're really innocent!”
"Still not willing to confess? Hit me again!" The prefect knocked on the wooden door again, and the two bailiffs went forward and hit Li Xiaoyao's butt with their big sticks. Although Li Xiaoyao had internal energy to protect himself, he couldn't help but think," If an ordinary citizen was captured unjustly and the official could not get anything out of him, how many hits could he take? Wouldn't he be forced to confess? Thinking of this, he became even angrier at the officials.
After twenty strokes, the prefect asked again,"Will you confess?"”
"Sir, I'll confess, I'll confess the case." Li Xiaoyao smiled bitterly.”
"Humph," said the prefect,"the little thief is fierce and afraid of being beaten. Tell me!"
Li Xiaoyao said," We went to the bottom of the well because we saw the mistress of a family in the city jump into the well with this. We chased after her and found a secret room at the bottom of the well. We retrieved our friend's lost property and when we came out, we saw that you had surrounded us…"
"How dare you!" The prefect slammed the table. You still want to deny it?"
"Sir, if you give us a few days, I'll definitely be able to capture the whole party of cat burglars. What's the point of capturing us?" Li Xiao Yao shouted.”
"Your Excellency, this is a good idea. Let's make use of them." It would be best if they could catch them, but what if they couldn't? Then, they could be righteously convicted. What do you think?”
The prefect thought for a moment and then said,"This song is uncalled for. It has never happened before." But…um…"
The prefect thought about it carefully. If what Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru said was true, then he had arrested the wrong person and even caught Lin Yueru, a relative of the minister. It was a big mistake. If he allowed the real female cat burglar to do as he pleased, he would not be able to establish his prestige in the future.
If what Li Xiao Yao said was false and he was just lying to him, wouldn't he be laughed at if he let them go?
The prefect thought about it, and Huahua's stomach turned a thousand times, but he thought of a way to satisfy both sides. He said,"Alright, I'll believe you this time! You have two days to catch the female cat burglar!”
"Thank you, Mayor!" Li Xiaoyao was overjoyed.”
"However, this woman must stay first," the prefect said.”
"What…"
"If you dare to escape, I'll deal with her immediately!" The prefect sneered.”
"But…this…"
Lin Yueru didn't say anything. The prefect said,""The male thief will be released in court, and the female thief will be remanded.”
Li Xiaoyao's shackles were released, but when he saw Lin Yueru being dragged away, Li Xiaoyao quickly followed her. He followed her all the way to the prison cell and watched as she was locked up in this dark and damp place.
"Yueru…" Li Xiaoyao said.
"Hurry up and catch the thief. I'm fine," Lin Yueru said lightly.”
" But you're locked up in such a place…"
Lin Yueru rolled her eyes at him. If you capture that widow, you can prove my innocence. Why? Couldn't bear to do it? That's good. I'll just lock you up here and not disturb you.”
Li Xiao Yao didn't know whether to laugh or cry." What kind of situation is this?" he said." Alright, I'll go catch the real female cat burglar immediately. You'll have nothing to say."”
" It better be like this," Lin Yueru said." Otherwise…Otherwise, I won't talk to you for the rest of my life!"”
"You're here…" Li Xiaoyao was still worried.
"Hurry up and go!" Lin Yueru said. Don't be so wishy-washy. I'm not afraid of this kind of place at all!”
"Or should I rush back to Suzhou first and inform your father to invite some high-ranking officials to protect you?" Li Xiaoyao asked.”
"So you're saying that you can't bear to catch the female cat burglar?" Lin Yueru said angrily. Humph!"
"No, I'm just worried that you can't stand this place. If you want me to catch him first, then I'll catch him first."”
"Arrest isn't something you can just talk about," Lin Yueru said."If you want to arrest him, go!"”
After saying that, Lin Yueru turned her back to Li Xiaoyao and angrily ignored him.
Li Xiaoyao had no choice but to take another look at Lin Yueru's back before rushing to Ji Sanniang's house.
The sky was already dark. Li Xiaoyao used his lightness skill to run all the way and quickly arrived outside Ji Sanniang's mansion. He had planned to interrogate her after he caught her. He had to catch her first. However, when he thought of Lin Yueru being imprisoned, he no longer had the mood to show mercy to Ji Sanniang.
Li Xiaoyao searched the entire mansion, but he couldn't find Ji Sanniang at all.
Li Xiaoyao thought, This lady is extremely cunning. Yue Ru and I didn't see her after we went down the well. We should have known that this was her trick! Since she was so scheming, she couldn't possibly stay here obediently and wait for me to settle the accounts. But…in order to pin the crime on me and Yue Ru, she definitely won't commit any crimes. She must still be hiding here!”
Li Xiaoyao waited until it was late into the night. There was almost no human voice in the city. The maidservants were still patrolling around the mansion in twos and threes. Their cautious appearance made Li Xiaoyao believe that the maidservants in this mansion were definitely accomplices of the cat burglar.
Li Xiao Yao landed lightly in front of the hall. The door of the hall was wide open. With a glance, no one would suspect that there was something wrong here. However, Li Xiaoyao knew that Ji Sanniang was more scheming than most people. The more open the door was, the more careful he had to be.
When he turned around and saw the memorial tablet inside the door, Li Xiaoyao felt that something was wrong. He sneered and thought,"Heh, this Wifey is so coquettish, how could she sincerely worship her dead husband? Did she have a deceased husband?"
Li Xiaoyao strode forward and checked the tablet. There was nothing unusual on the entire table.
Li Xiaoyao bent down and tried to look under the divine table. When his knees touched the futon, he felt a little strange.
Li Xiaoyao lifted the praying mat to take a look, and his face immediately lit up with joy. There was indeed a small mechanism hidden within the praying mat. Usually, Ji Sanniang would pretend to be devout and kneel here to chant scriptures. If anything happened, she would just need to push her knee down and the mechanism would be opened.
Li Xiaoyao pressed the mechanism, and a slight sound came from behind the screen on the left. If it wasn't for the silence at this moment, such a slight sound of the mechanism moving would never be heard.
Li Xiao Yao walked around the screen. The wall behind the screen was slowly turning. After turning one round, the wall would return to its normal appearance. Li Xiao Yao quickly dashed into the secret door.
The walkway behind the wall was wide, and there was a light every ten steps on both sides. It was very warm and comfortable, and there was a faint fragrance of makeup.
Li Xiaoyao followed the fragrance and walked straight ahead. A door was carved with flowers and a green curtain hung from it. The mahogany table and chairs inside the door were also exquisitely carved. Elegant antiques and toys were everywhere. A few paintings of beautiful women hung on the wall filled the room with charm.
Ji Sanniang's figure was faintly discernible behind a carved screen. With her back facing Li Xiaoyao, Ji Sanniang raised her arm and rolled up her long hair. When she raised her hand, her entire sleeve fell down, revealing her snow-white arms.
Li Xiao Yao didn't dare to look any longer. It wasn't polite to enter a woman's room with disheveled clothes.
"Why don't you dare to come in?" Ji Sanniang asked with a smile.”
Li Xiaoyao thought to himself,'What do you mean guard against men and women? In order to save Sister Yue Ru, I have to be rude to her!”
Li Xiaoyao strode in and said," You are the female cat burglar. I already know. Follow me to the yamen!"”
Ji Sanniang smiled and slowly stood up. She said as she walked,"What do you want me to do with the real Snitch in jail?”
" Hmph, you're very cunning," Li Xiaoyao said angrily." I think you tricked Yue Ru and me into entering the well and then came out to inform the yamen to arrest us. Am I right?"”
"Ha…I'll inform the yamen to catch the thief and see who sneaked into my well. If he crawled out at night, I wonder what he would do to me."”
"You thief!" Li Xiaoyao said,"You're shouting to catch a thief! Quickly follow me to the yamen!"”
Li Xiaoyao stepped forward to grab Ji Sanniang, but Ji Sanniang didn't retreat. Instead, she came forward to meet him. Li Xiaoyao was so frightened that he took a big step back. Otherwise, he would have hugged her.
"Hey, didn't you want to catch me?" Ji Sanniang laughed. Come on, carry me over."
"You…Fine, don't think that I won't touch you!”
Li Xiaoyao was even more determined. If he continued to bicker with her about how a man and a woman could not interact properly, he would fall into her trap. Li Xiaoyao grabbed forward, but he missed. Ji Sanniang moved like lightning, moving a few steps away in the blink of an eye.
"Hehe…I, the Flying Cat Ji Sanniang, have never failed since my debut. That girl ruined my plans, so I have to get back at her. Tell me, what's wrong with me?"
"Right?" Li Xiaoyao said,"It's not based on your own words. Come with me to the yamen and explain it clearly!"”
With a backhand pull, he casually swung his sword. With a swoosh, Ji Sanniang dodged three consecutive slashes. Her movements were extremely agile. She was indeed worthy of the nickname "Flying Cat".
Ji Sanniang was sure that Li Xiaoyao was not bewitched by her seduction technique and sneered,"I can't go to the yamen, but you have to go to Yama's palace!”
"You want to silence me!"
"Hehehe…you're lucky to die under my skirt!”
Before Ji Sanniang could finish laughing, she raised her left hand and a silver light pierced towards Li Xiaoyao's forehead.
Li Xiao Yao waved his sword to block the object. It turned out to be a silver spike with a fishy smell. It was obvious that it had been fed with poison.
"The heart of a woman is the most poisonous. Let's see what else you have to say!" Li Xiaoyao said.”
Li Xiaoyao's long sword rushed forward, but Ji Sanniang's attack missed and she had already grabbed her short blade. The two of them exchanged a few moves, and after a few moves, Ji Sanniang was forced back. With a clang, it turned out that another hidden weapon had been deflected by Li Xiaoyao. Li Xiaoyao's sword technique did not even stop, and he was actually able to deflect her hidden weapon again, causing Ji Sanniang to be greatly shocked.
Ji Sanniang knew that she was no match for him, so rather than being stabbed and defeated, she might as well escape.
Li Xiaoyao thrust his sword forward, but Ji Sanniang suddenly threw away her dagger and stood still.
Li Xiaoyao's sword did not stab into her face. Instead, he placed the blade in front of her neck and said,"Why did you abandon your weapon?"
Ji Sanniang didn't care about the sword in front of her neck. She twisted her body and pretended to cry,"It hurts so much. You hit me so hard. You don't know how to be gentle with women at all…"
Li Xiaoyao's face was livid." Stop pretending. I'll hand you over to the yamen for punishment. You'll have a hard time!"”
His body flashed, and he grabbed Ji Sanniang's arm and twisted it behind her. Ji Sanniang had hidden the poison she had obtained from the Miao people in her arms. She had planned to pass it to Li Xiaoyao when he got close, but who knew that Li Xiaoyao was fine, while Ji Sanniang was shocked and could not figure out what was going on.
Li Xiaoyao himself did not know what was going on. In fact, when he met the little Miao girl at sea, he had let the Poison God in the little Miao girl suck his blood. The Poison God's saliva flowed into Li Xiaoyao's blood, causing Li Xiaoyao to produce an antidote that he did not even know about. The Miao girl's cultivation was one of the best in the Miao Territory, and her Poison God was even more powerful. Ordinary poison was completely useless against Li Xiaoyao.
Li Xiaoyao grabbed Ji Sanniang and left the underground secret room. He rushed to the yamen with his lightness skill and said to the bailiff,""I've caught the person. Quickly call the prefect to court!”
"Young hero, the prefect and the county magistrate have already gone to bed. They won't start work until tomorrow afternoon!"”
" I've already captured her," Li Xiaoyao said angrily." You have to release Yueru immediately!" Otherwise, if she runs away again, I won't care!”
" This…" the bailiff said helplessly." But the prefect and the county magistrate each have several concubines. They all live in different places. I don't know which concubine they are with tonight…"
" Then I'll hand the female thief over to you," Li Xiaoyao said." Let Yueru out first!"”
" No, I can't. Without orders from above…"
Li Xiaoyao was furious. At this moment, the advisor came to the yamen and saw Li Xiaoyao grabbing a pretty girl. He quickly said,"Young Master Li, did you catch him?"
"Tell your master to go to court immediately!" Li Xiaoyao said.”
"Yes, yes." For some reason, the advisor became very respectful and invited Li Xiaoyao to wait in the hall. Not long after, the prefect and county magistrate rushed over. They were even dressed in official robes, which made Li Xiaoyao feel a little surprised. It was impossible for these two to be concerned about official business at this late hour. Why were they still wearing official robes? They really had something to say. After entering the hall, Li Xiaoyao sent Ji Sanniang forward and said,"That's a real female Snitch, you see! Hurry up and release Yue Ru!"
The prefect said,"I didn't expect Young Hero Li to catch the person so quickly. Alas, I have already ordered people to summon a group of witnesses. Please wait a moment, Young Hero Li."”
Li Xiaoyao was slightly puzzled. Why did the prefect become so respectful? However, he didn't have time to think too much about it. He just wanted to end the matter here as soon as possible and bring Lin Yueru out.
Not long after, under the lead of the official, the innkeeper, the waiter, and the wealthy merchant rushed to the yamen and knelt in the hall for questioning.
The prefect asked the people who stayed at the inn last night whether this woman was there and other questions in an orderly manner. The shopkeeper and the wealthy merchants all answered in detail, completely proving that Ji Sanniang was involved in the case.
"Raise your head, women in front of the hall!" the prefect shouted. I have something to ask you."
Ji Sanniang remained silent. The prefect shouted again,"How dare you, cunning woman, why didn't you answer my question?”
"Are you talking to me?" Ji Sanniang asked with a smile. I thought you were singing!"
"How dare you look down on an official of the Imperial Court!" the prefect said.”
Ji Sanniang suddenly burst into laughter, her waist trembling. Her laughter made the governor of Yangzhou feel uncomfortable. He shouted,"Shut up! What are you laughing at?"
"I laughed at my own benevolence, but I was bitten by the dog I let loose." Ji Sanniang laughed.”
"What do you mean?"
Ji Sanniang said," One night, I snuck into Minister Wang's house and happened to bump into the third wife of the Wang family. She was doing something with a fat man in the back garden. Aiyo, after seeing her today, the person who stole his wife is actually sitting in the high hall asking questions."”
This private matter was brought up in public, and the prefect almost couldn't sit still on the spot. He shouted,"What…what nonsense are you spouting?”
"I'm angry that I didn't kill you in passing, but now you're a scourge!" Ji Sanniang laughed.”
"You…"
"My lord, don't lower yourself to this crazy woman's level. Let's begin the interrogation!"”
The prefect straightened his clothes and sat up straight. He took a breath and said,"I want to ask you, on the sixth of October last year, a vat of gold buried in the back garden of the Su Residence in the north of the city was replaced with a vat of feces and urine.”
"How could I remember that?" Ji Sanniang said indifferently.”
"If you don't confess, don't blame me for using torture on you!"”
"Old man Su buried a vat of gold, I thought he didn't want it anymore!" Ji Sanniang giggled.”
The governor snorted coldly and said,""Last year, on the 16th of December, five thousand taels of silver were stolen from the Li Ji Pawnshop at the city gate.”
Ji Sanniang still said righteously,"Isn't a pawnshop for people to borrow money? We're just borrowing some flowers. What's wrong with that?”
The prefect asked a few questions in a row, and Ji Sanniang knew that she couldn't escape. Although her words were frivolous, she confessed one by one.
"Shameless people," the prefect sighed,"there's really no saving them!"”
"Aiyo, we only took such a small thing," Ji Sanniang said with a smile. Sir, you stole an official position and stole someone else's wife. We still have to acknowledge you as our master. Compared to you, how would we dare to show our ugliness?”
The prefect was so angry that he almost couldn't speak. He said,"You, you…Good, very good. Since you've confessed, come! Take this female thief to prison!"
He slammed the table and quickly closed the case.
Seeing the female thief being escorted away by the bailiffs, Li Xiaoyao quickly asked,""Where's Yueru? Can we release her now?"
Behind the screen behind the prefect, Lin Yueru's beautiful figure floated out. Li Xiaoyao was stunned, not knowing how Lin Yueru had come out from there.
"You…"
"Let's go!" Lin Yueru said indifferently.
"How could you…" Li Xiaoyao said.
The prefect walked down from his seat and said respectfully,"Miss Lin, please take care. Do you need me to send someone to escort you?”
"No need!"
Lin Yueru pulled Li Xiaoyao and strode out of the dark yamen.
"Aren't you locked up in prison?" Li Xiaoyao asked. How could it be…"
"Hmph!" Lin Yueru said. With father and uncle as my backers, what can they do to me? He immediately invited me out. The prefect kept saying that he wanted me to say good things about him in front of uncle!”
"So that's how it is…" Li Xiaoyao said.
Lin Yueru glared at him." You're here so late. Have you been bewitched by that widow?" she asked.”
"How could that be?" Li Xiaoyao smiled bitterly. You're really thinking too much!"
"I'm just teasing you!" Lin Yueru smiled sweetly.”
The two of them returned to the inn. The shopkeeper and the others had also returned. The rich businessman had even packed his luggage and was ready to leave for Chang 'an immediately. Seeing the two of them return, the merchant said,""Thank you, little brother, for helping me find the Purple Gold Gourd.”
Li Xiao Yao replied casually. The shopkeeper also smiled fawningly and said,""Little brother, the injustice has finally been redressed!”
Lin Yueru didn't want to bother with them. Li Xiaoyao had an open-minded personality and didn't like to hold grudges. She asked the merchant,""Why are you rushing back?"
" Yes," the merchant said." I've stayed in Yangzhou for too long. Now that the cat burglar has fallen into the net, I can leave. It's better to leave as soon as possible."”
"I wish you a smooth journey."”
The merchant exchanged a few more pleasantries with Li Xiao Yao before leaving in a hurry.
Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru went back to their rooms and left for the southwest the next day.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。