https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-308-Su-Shaoying-and-Xue-Bing-Join-Forces/12536521/
Chapter 307: Xue Bing's Anxiety
Chapter 307: Xue Bing's Anxiety
Jin Jiuling and Lu Shaohua left and made their way to the cabin that had been prepared.
Inside the cabin lay six or seven sets of clothing, a messy bed, a packet of embroidery needles that Jin Jiuling had hidden beforehand, and...
Xue Bing's lightweight and thin white garment!
One could say that aside from Xue Bing's white clothes, which Jin Jiuling had brought, everything else had been meticulously prepared by her in advance.
The house rented on May 11th, the young man who had fronted the deal, the moans of a woman inside, and the Snake King's brothers' investigation...
Only Jin Jiuling and Lu Shaohua were truly privy to the full story, so they were unconcerned about others accidentally exposing anything, and there was no way for Lu Xiaofeng to detect any flaws from the rest.
Thus, when Lu Xiaofeng escaped from the candied chestnuts sold by Granny Bear, who was actually Granny Gongsun in disguise, and then fought a big battle with her, eventually chasing her all the way here only to lose her trail, he was led to this place by one of the Snake King's brothers.
Xue Bing's clothes...
The messy bed...
The embroidery needles under the wardrobe...
The missing Granny Gongsun...
Lu Xiaofeng was almost certain that Granny Gongsun was the Embroidery Thief.
At the same time, he also confirmed a clue—that Granny Gongsun must have a similar hideout in Nanhai.
Nanhai was not far from Yangcheng, and it was also the location of the Southern Huayu Pavilion.
Thus, Lu Xiaofeng, guessing that Granny Gongsun would take Xue Bing to Nanhai, prepared to rush there with Jin Jiuling.
Lu Shaohua immediately sent a pigeon post to Meng Wei, the head of the Liuxianmen clan in Nanhai, who was also Jin Jiuling's old subordinate, asking him to investigate beforehand.
However, Lu Xiaofeng intended to visit someone before leaving.
"There's one more thing I can't let go of," Lu Xiaofeng said in a deep voice.
Jin Jiuling smiled and said, "I knew you'd want to go see the Snake King, but I wonder if he'll agree to meet with me as a friend?"
Then, they discovered the Snake King's corpse in the small tower.
The tower was unlit, and a red satin ribbon was tied around the Snake King's neck.
Lu Xiaofeng's expression turned grim, but a flash of shock and doubt crossed his eyes.
Lu Xiaofeng had discovered the secret of the lamp.
The Snake King and Granny Gongsun had planned to meet at dusk, but he had died before the sky turned dark.
At the same time, he was also certain that the Snake King hadn't been killed by Granny Gongsun because the two red satin ribbons tied to her dagger had been snapped in half by his fingers!
Lu Xiaofeng's mind was in turmoil.
On the one hand, he was furious about the Snake King's death because he truly considered the Snake King a friend.
On the other hand, he also sensed that he had fallen into a massive conspiracy, and this plot might very well be targeting him!
The murderer wanted him to suspect Granny Gongsun.
Following the murderer's intended line of thinking would lead to the conclusion that Granny Gongsun was innocent.
But if Granny Gongsun was innocent...
Lu Xiaofeng thought of the red satin, Sikong Zhaixing, and Jiang Qingxia...
All the clues pointed to the Red Shoes, but everything was too smooth, as if it were the murderer's deliberate guidance.
Lu Xiaofeng's mind was in disarray, but he forced himself to calm down and put on a show of sorrow and anger.
While he had not yet suspected Jin Jiuling, he guessed that the Snake King had likely been working for her because, aside from the palace steward, it would be difficult for others to obtain the Pingnan Palace patrol schedule within such a short time.
However, Jin Jiuling acted as if she had never met the Snake King.
Thus, Lu Xiaofeng subconsciously refrained from expressing his suspicions in front of Jin Jiuling.
"Let's go now!" Lu Xiaofeng said coldly.
"Okay!" Jin Jiuling nodded and left the Snake King's tower with Lu Xiaofeng. They saw Lu Shaohua standing at the door, signaling to them.
"I'll arrange for a carriage. Wait for me."
Jin Jiuling instructed Lu Xiaofeng and then pulled Lu Shaohua aside.
"Something's happened!"
"What is it?"
"The small courtyard is on fire!"
"What?"
"Xue Bing struggled and knocked over the candlestick, setting the house ablaze.
"Yes," Lu Shaohua replied.
"And Xue Bing?"
"Dead. Her body was burned beyond recognition," Lu Shaohua said in a low voice. "Her pressure points hadn't been fully released yet."
Jin Jiuling took a deep breath. "I underestimated her."
"Boss..."
"Dispose of the body," Jin Jiuling said calmly. "Arrange for a carriage. I'm going to Nanhai with Lu Xiaofeng."
"Yes!"
...
Upon returning to the palace, Jin Jiuling saw Su Shaoying and Shi Xiuxue chatting.
"Where's Hua Manlou?" Jin Jiuling asked.
"He's accompanying the young prince, admiring the calligraphy and paintings," Shi Xiuxue replied.
Jin Jiuling smiled. "It seems he's even more suited to be the chief steward of Pingnan Palace than I am."
"But the young prince said it was you who recommended Hua Manlou, and that he has a deep understanding of poetry, calligraphy, and paintings," Su Shaoying said.
"Am I wrong?" Jin Jiuling asked, her expression unchanged. She then turned to Shi Xiuxue and smiled faintly. "Well, I apologize to Miss Shi."
"That's not necessary," Shi Xiuxue said, looking at Jin Jiuling meaningfully. "It would be best if you stayed away from Hua Manlou and Lu Xiaofeng from now on."
Jin Jiuling couldn't help but laugh, then turned to Su Shaoying. "I'm going to Nanhai with Lu Xiaofeng. Are you coming?"
Su Shaoying looked at Shi Xiuxue, who nodded. "Of course, why wouldn't I? Has Lu Xiaofeng found a clue?"
Jin Jiuling nodded. "Lu Xiaofeng is in a hurry and wants to leave now. We'll wait for you at the east gate when the sun rises."
"Alright!" Su Shaoying nodded and quietly watched as Jin Jiuling left before turning back to her room with Shi Xiuxue.
Inside the room, a woman lay quietly on the bed, looking at Su Shaoying and Shi Xiuxue with confused eyes.
Su Shaoying casually released Xue Bing's pressure points.
Xue Bing sat up. "Jin Jiuling is the Embroidery Thief. Why don't you expose him?"
"Where's the evidence?" Su Shaoying asked.
"He killed the Snake King and tried to force himself on me," Xue Bing said.
"Evidence?" Su Shaoying asked again.
"I saw it with my own eyes!" Xue Bing exclaimed.
"What if Jin Jiuling denies it?" Su Shaoying smiled.
Xue Bing was stunned for a moment before realizing what Su Shaoying meant. "Then what do we do?"
"We leave it to Lu Xiaofeng, of course," Su Shaoying said seriously. "He will do his best to find the real murderer to save you."
"But..." Xue Bing said anxiously, "Jin Jiuling is leading Lu Xiaofeng to go after Granny Gongsun!"
"It doesn't matter," Su Shaoying waved her hand dismissively. "You need to have faith in him. Even if he kills Granny Gongsun, he'll realize his mistake and eventually find Jin Jiuling."
Xue Bing was speechless. The problem was that she didn't want Lu Xiaofeng and Granny Gongsun to come face to face!
"He left you alone before, trusted the Snake King without knowing his true character, which led to you being tricked by the Snake King, and almost killed by Jin Jiuling. Don't you hate him?" Su Shaoying teased.
"Of course, I hate him!" Xue Bing gritted her teeth. "If I see him again, I'll bite him to death!"
In truth, Xue Bing didn't hate Lu Xiaofeng. Although he had almost caused her death at Jin Jiuling's hands, the fault lay with the Snake King and Jin Jiuling, not Lu Xiaofeng.
Lu Xiaofeng was still the same man with a chivalrous heart and a love for making friends.
However, it would be a lie to say that Xue Bing wasn't angry with Lu Xiaofeng. It was only natural for her to feel that way, so when she said she wanted to bite him to death, she wasn't entirely joking.
"In that case, isn't it interesting to make Lu Xiaofeng worry and fret over you? Let's see how far he's willing to go for you. Will he be heartbroken and desperate, unable to eat or drink?" Su Shaoying smiled. "Why are you in such a hurry?"
Su Shaoying looked at Xue Bing with great interest and asked playfully, "Unless... you're also a member of the Red Shoes?"
(End of Chapter)
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