Who in the world does not know you?

Chapter 75 The Heavenly Mandate Mirror

Li Zigui understood Hu Youxuan's personality very well.

Although this famous thief in the martial arts world always gives people a cynical feeling, Hu Youxuan is actually a bold and meticulous person. Even if he knew he was going to die the next moment, his first reaction would not be fear, but whether his death was worth it.

Li Zigui rarely saw Hu Youxuan with a serious expression, but he saw it now.

"You are the current leader of the thieves, the patriarch of the thief world, and you can be said to have a hundred followers. Even if Shang Zhong was a senior figure in your thief world before, he has already retired from the trade. What kind of trouble could he possibly cause you?"

"No, not at all. Hongyi and I arrived in Xueling City the day before Shang Zhong's 80th birthday celebration. Shang Zhong used his savings to buy a property in Xueling City, and the number of house deeds was quite considerable, so the accommodations he arranged for us were quite luxurious. However, that night, he sent someone to invite me to see him, and he specifically emphasized that I should go alone. So I told Hongyi that Shang Zhong had something to discuss with me and that I should go alone, and that I should rest well in my room."

"But the girl in red was secretly following you the whole way, and you knew it, but you didn't say anything. Because if you didn't want her to follow you, you wouldn't have told her so much in detail. That girl is very curious, and she'll definitely be curious about why Shang Zhong asked to meet you alone."

Hu Youxuan did not respond directly to Li Zigui's blunt words, which can be regarded as an admission.

"Tsk, firstly, there's nothing shady between me and the monk, and secondly, for us thieves, being able to conceal our tracks is very important, so this just happens to give Red Robe a chance to hone her skills..."

Leng Honglou remained silent, simply sitting quietly beside Li Zigui, sipping her tea.

At least in Hu Youxuan's account so far, she has not heard the names of anyone who could pose a life-threatening threat to Li Hongyi, so she does not need to kill anyone for the time being.

"What confirmed my suspicion that Shang Zhong's 80th birthday celebration was not what it seemed, was that when I met Shang Zhong, there was another person with him. As soon as I entered the study, the young boy who led the way closed the door, and I had no idea beforehand that there would be a third person present..."

"In that case, it seems this person must need something from you."

"Li Zigui, how did you guess?"

"It's very simple. You claim to be the master thief, but unlike many江湖 (jianghu) organizations, you don't actually have a clear power structure internally. To put it simply, everyone fights their own battles. They only unite when you need them and obey your commands. In addition, Shang Zhong's secretive decision to send you alone proves that this person is definitely not a fellow thief who needs your help. Because if this person were also a thief, there would be no need for him to carry Hongyi, after all, she is your only apprentice and also a thief."

"Indeed."

After listening to Li Zigui's explanation, Leng Honglou, sitting beside him, nodded gently, acknowledging her husband's exceptional intelligence.

"If someone who isn't a thief is introduced to a more skilled thief in a secluded place by another thief, what other reason could it be besides needing something from you?"

"You're absolutely right. That man looked very mysterious, his whole body was covered in a large black robe, and he deliberately lowered his voice to disguise himself. He was obviously not a good person. He asked me for help because he wanted me to steal something for him."

"What kind of treasure requires your personal intervention, Master Thief? If such a treasure truly existed, you would have already made your move yourself."

"He asked me to go to Ningzhou Prefecture to steal something for him called the Heavenly Mandate Mirror."

"The Heavenly Mandate Mirror? What's that?"

He didn't say.

"Didn't you say?"

"Yes, he only said that this 'Treasure Mirror of Destiny' was in Ningzhou Prefecture and related to prison and divination. I asked him if this 'Treasure Mirror of Destiny' was a vase, jade pendant, or a book or painting, and he said he didn't know either. I helped him steal the 'Treasure Mirror of Destiny,' and his reward to me was the location of the tomb of the Jia Yizi couple from eight hundred years ago. This Jia Yizi couple were a famous pair of mechanics at the time, and many of their unique mechanical techniques were lost after their deaths. It is said that those lost mechanical techniques are hidden in their tomb."

"You didn't agree to his request, otherwise the woman in red who overheard your conversation outside the door wouldn't have gone to Ningzhou Prefecture alone. She must be very curious about what this so-called Destiny Mirror is."

"Without even specifying what it is, you expect me, the master thief, to do it myself? Don't I have any dignity? Besides, I actually already used Qimen Dunjia to roughly deduce the location of Jia Yizi's tomb, but I'm too old and lazy to go to such a cold and gloomy place. If Shang Zhong hadn't been smiling obsequiously beside me, I would have given that guy a good beating."

Recalling the scene at that time, Hu Youxuan still felt indignant.

Leng Honglou's focus, however, was on the names of the tomb's owners.

"Jia Yizi? What a strange name. Is it because it's related to mechanical arts that it was given such a nickname?"

"That's not true at all. It's said that this couple were foreign vagrants who couldn't speak Chinese when they first arrived in the Central Plains. They could only write two characters, '甲' and '乙', so they were called the '甲乙子夫妻' (Jia Yi Zi Couple)."

Are their middle and ring fingers the same length?

Faced with Leng Honglou's question, Hu Youxuan looked at Li Zigui with a puzzled expression.

"Why is your sister-in-law suddenly asking such a strange question?"

Li Zigui smiled and briefly recounted the events that had occurred at the Sihai Gambling House to Hu Youxuan, emphasizing that the manager and his assistant at the Sihai Gambling House had the same length middle and ring fingers.

"Not only that, my wife killed a drunkard who spoke rudely to me at the Golden Tooth Tea House before, and the constables from the government just brushed it off. Later, after the incident at the Four Seas Gambling House, I went with her to the yamen to see that man's body, and guess what? The middle and ring fingers on both of his hands were the same length."

"You suspect that these people are spies sent by the Southern Dynasty to the Central Plains? But if they are spies, they should be careful to conceal their identities. Whether they are making outrageous statements in public or running gambling dens and cheating, it is easy to cause trouble."

Li Zigui looked down at the warm tea leaves floating in his teacup. At his age, the greatest happiness was simply seeing patients, drinking tea, and spending his days with his family in peace.

"I think so too. And even if they are spies from an enemy country, shouldn't they be gathered in the capital? What are they doing in Xichuan Prefecture, which is a thousand miles away?"

"What do you think is the most famous thing about Xichuan Prefecture?"

"What is it?"

"It is you in this Crane Returns Tower."

Li Zigui neither confirmed nor denied this.

"Sister-in-law, you and your husband have such a good relationship, aren't you worried that perhaps spies from an enemy country are eyeing your Doctor Li?"

What's meant to happen will happen; worrying is useless.

Li Zigui understood this principle, and so did Leng Honglou.

So when she heard Hu Youxuan's question, she simply reached out and grasped the hilt of the soft sword at her waist, just like back then.

"With me by his side, I will protect him."