A Sword of Frost

Chapter 40: One hundred secrets and one sparse

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The Xu family already had a good fortune when they moved to Wangxing City. The common people said that it was the capital they saved when they were shopkeepers, but now it seems that this experience of doing business in the streets may not be true.

Yun Yifeng was suspicious: "Could it be a group of Jiangyang thieves? They started their business by killing people and extorting goods, and then moved their family to a place where no one knew them, and started a new life with a new look?"

If this is the case, then everyone guessed earlier that Shiba Villa will eventually be ransacked by the government, and Xu Qiuping will starve to death on the street because of this, crying and looking for food, which can be matched.

There is no past, falling from the sky. Seventeen years ago, when the five brothers of the Xu family first came to Wangxing City, they were all single. They only said that they were too busy to have a family before. It is still unknown whether the wife gave birth to a child to cover up certain facts, so she did not hesitate to cut her heart and completely cut off from the past.

Ji Yanran knocked on the table: "We can only find four insiders so far."

Mrs. Xu was over-stimulated and became delirious due to illness. Xu Qiusheng lay paralyzed on the bed, his eyes were like dead fish, all he knew was that he was yelling for food. Xu Qiuyi was squatting in the prison, knowing that there was no way out, and she was afraid that she would not confess. The remaining one, Xu Qiuping, was clear-headed, but he was too clear-headed, posing as an old-fashioned fried dough stick in the business field, clenching his teeth tightly.

"Seeing that the four brothers have been killed, Xu Qiuping is still pretending and refuses to tell the truth." Yun Yifeng speculated, "Could he also have thought of the so-called 'wow crying for food', which actually refers to the government After learning about the crimes of the year, he must have ordered the house raid, so he refused to let go? After all, as long as he doesn’t tell, at least in the current situation, Zhang Guhe can’t do anything to Shiba Villa.”

Ji Yanran stared at him for a while, then suddenly asked: "Is there any poison that can make people lose their appetite after taking it? But it can't be tested with silver needles, it's better to have an antidote."

"Poison?" Yun Yifeng thought for a moment, "You want to deceive Xu Qiuping and force him to speak up?"

Ji Yanran nodded: "You and I can't stay in Wangxing City all the time and pin all our hopes on Xu Qiuping's self-awareness. It's just right now, and no one can tell what the fifth nursery rhyme means, so let's just make it far-fetched. , making him unable to eat, and making him aware of the imminent danger."

Yun Yifeng said straightforwardly: "Yes."

Because the nursery rhyme is related to food, and shopkeeper Xu Er's gluttony, so the whole Xu family is very careful about Xu Qiuping's diet. Not only the fixed amount, but also the servants have to test the poison three times, and you can eat it after an hour if you have nothing to do. Even if the food is cold and then hot and then cold, it must be absolutely safe. But in Yun Yifeng's eyes, these are not problems.

He took out a red porcelain bottle from the cabinet: "After taking it, you will be gassy and pantothenic the next day, and you will lose your appetite. There is also an antidote. After the servants who test dishes return to the house at night, they can find a way to pour it into the tea."

Ji Yanran stretched out her hand to catch it, but the opponent deftly dodged it, so she took the finger-pull tiger amulet wisely, and said with a headache: "Don't break it, let alone throw it on the ground."

Yun Yifeng smiled: "Let Xing'er do the poisoning and detoxification, and treat it as the new clothes of Xie Wangye's five rooms."

They are sorted by color and material and hung neatly. They are also equipped with corresponding pendants, belts and folding fans. Even if you wear one a day, you can change it for at least a year. The ironing was elegant and crisp, and the scent of flowers was refreshing. In the afternoon, Ling Xing'er stood at the door and said "wow" from the bottom of her heart.

"I don't even have so many new clothes." She gritted her teeth sadly and enviously.

Yun Yifeng coaxed her: "Let Qingyue take you to buy it next time."

"But I never like to wear those colorful skirts." Ling Xing'er tugged at her sleeves, thinking that it didn't seem necessary, so she took the porcelain bottle from him, "Then I'll go to work."

When I met Ji Yanran when I was going down the stairs, I suddenly remembered something, so I reminded him again: "My lord, the door master is going to take a medicinal bath tonight, you have to watch him closely."

Ji Yanran was puzzled: "Watch closely?"

"That's right, the medicine is uncomfortable to soak in. The sect master often steals and cheats, and we all have a headache." Ling Xing'er said seriously, "Senior Brother Qingyue was guarding it before, but now that he is not here, only It's up to the prince."

Her posture was dignified and graceful, as if she was talking to a friend, and she didn't regard the other party as a high-ranking military prince at all. The voice is crisp and tender, like a handful of wet lotus roots, revealing the delicate and sweetness unique to girls. So Ji Yanran also smiled and said: "Okay, I will write it down."

After Ling Xing'er thanked her, she briskly ran out of the inn all the way. Ji Yanran went upstairs and knocked on Yun Yifeng's door, and asked calmly, "When do you take a bath at night? Let me take a look."

Cloud Gate Master was taken aback when he heard that: "Huh?"

Eighteen Villas.

The kitchen was busy preparing dinner. Since Xu Qiuping came home, his three meals were a fixed bowl of vegetables, rice and soup. The official guards surrounded the small courtyard so airtight that not even a fly could fly in. Ling Xing'er stood under the tree and curled her lips. The master of the sect sent herself to do things, so why didn't Master Zhang be notified in advance to dismiss these black-faced gods For some, he really thought that he was already as powerful as Senior Brother Qingyue.

Although she has the status of a disciple of the Fengyumen, she can walk freely in the villa, but she is absolutely forbidden to enter the kitchen. And if the food is ready and sent out, it may be more difficult to find an opportunity to poison along the way. Seeing that the time has passed bit by bit, Ling Xing'er took a deep breath and planned to go to the backyard to try her luck.

But before she could turn around, a little girl suddenly came running not far away, wearing a water-red jacket, with a dusty face and dirty body, with two lines of tears hanging down her cheeks.

"Stop!" The officers and soldiers blocked her and asked sharply, "Who are you?"

"I... I want to find my mother." The little girl was taken aback, and when she saw the knife shining in front of her, she became more frightened and cried out at the top of her throat. At this moment of turmoil, not to mention a little girl appearing for no reason, even if a dog appears for no reason, everyone will be more cautious, not to mention that this girl is making a fuss, which is annoying... her voice is extremely ear-piercing.

The officers and guards gritted their teeth in secret, and brought people over to see what happened. The momentary relaxation of guard gave Ling Xing'er a chance. She dodged quickly, almost in the blink of an eye, and sneaked into the kitchen.

A servant outside recognized the little girl, hurried over to pick her up, and explained that she was the daughter of Aunt Zhong, who was helping the cook, and that she came to find her because she was playing and fell injured.

After hearing that she was from the Xu family, and then seeing that she had indeed broken her knee and was bleeding, the guards didn't pursue the matter any further, and only ordered the servants to take her to bandage her, and the matter was over.

An hour later, the food was sent to Xu Qiuping's courtyard.

Ling Xing'er hid in the dark, and didn't go back to report until she stared at him and ate half a bowl of vegetables and rice.

Inside the inn, Yun Yifeng returned the menu card to Xiaoer: "Let's add another bowl of soup, I don't need anything else for now."

Ji Yanran sat opposite, holding a teacup in one hand: "You have such a good appetite?"

Yun Yifeng said: "Yes."

Yun Yifeng said again: "I'm too full to take a bath."

"It's okay." Ji Yanran mixed the noodles for him, "Just wait a few hours longer if you're full. It's never too late to soak when your stomach is full."

Yun Yifeng looked out the window, but did not listen.

Ji Yanran continued to speak slowly: "Miss Xing'er entrusted this matter to me... Hey, she's back."

Yun Yifeng turned her head, and sure enough, she saw Ling Xing'er standing at the top of the stairs with her hips akimbo, with a look of hatred on her face.

I know that every time I take a medicinal bath, I can come up with a basket of excuses, and there is only this table left on the whole floor. Do you still want to eat until tomorrow morning

Ji Yanran promptly explained: "I'm trying my best to persuade you."

Yun Yifeng put on the majesty of the sect master: "How is the matter going?"

"Everything is going well, Xu Qiuping has finished his meal." Ling Xing'er said, "I also poured the antidote into the teapots of the three servants who tasted the food, and watched them drink it with my own eyes."

Yun Yifeng nodded in approval: "Good job."

Ji Yanran greeted with a smile: "Miss Xing'er has worked hard, let's sit down and have a cup of tea together. By the way, teach me how to persuade Master Yunmen to take a bath?"

Yun Yifeng: "..."

"Brother in Fengyumen, this kind of thing was done by the senior brother. He is very capable." Ling Xing'er sat at the table, "For example, this afternoon, the kitchen of the Xu family was surrounded by officers and soldiers for several floors. If you can’t complete the task, but if it’s Senior Brother Qingyue, he will definitely be able to figure out a way.”

The corner of Ji Yanran's mouth twitched: "Didn't you also get involved in the end?"

"That's different. At that time, a little girl fell and hurt herself, and she ran to the kitchen crying to find her mother, so I sneaked in." Ling Xing'er complained, "Otherwise, there is really no other way."

She is innocent by nature, and wanted to take this opportunity to act coquettishly, to blame the sect master for not saying hello to Master Zhang in advance, which made her spend a lot of effort, but Yun Yifeng heard something strange from it: "Wow, I ran to the kitchen crying and asked Looking for a mother?"

"That's right." Ling Xing'er thought for a while, "It seems to be Aunt Zhong's daughter."

Yun Yifeng frowned, vaguely aware of something.

The last one is young, is it crying and looking for food, or... looking for a mother

If you really analyze it word by word, it is obvious that the latter is more in line with common sense. Isn't it a matter of course that the little baby is crying to find his mother

"Let's go!" Before he had time to explain, he dragged Ji Yanran and ran downstairs, "Let's go to Shiba Villa!"

Ling Xing'er only felt a flash in front of her eyes, and when she looked again, there was no one at the table, only a bowl of soup that had just been served, still steaming.

But the Xu family was already in chaos.

Xu Qiuping lay stiffly on the bed, with his eyes wide open and breathless. On his wrists, there were a pair of wounds the size of sesame seeds, and the blood was coagulated into black.

"My lord, Master Yunmen." The housekeeper knelt down and cried, "Fifth shopkeeper... he left."

It is said that in the evening, a servant entered the room to clean up the dishes, but when he opened the door, he saw Xu Qiuping lying upright by the table, his whole arm was black, and when the doctor arrived, he was already unable to recover.

"It was injured by a poisonous snake." Yun Yifeng said after checking, "The red spider snake in the Western Regions is three inches red and has a cockscomb on its head. Immediately order everyone to check the residence carefully, and don't let it hurt anyone again."

The housekeeper's face turned pale when he heard it, and he responded repeatedly, but he didn't care about crying anymore, and ran out to give instructions.

Yun Yifeng glanced at Ji Yanran and sighed: "It's still a step too late."

"Being able to release the snake secretly means that the murderer is in the villa." Ji Yanran picked up the food box on the table, "The little girl who suddenly ran into the kitchen crying today is really strange, go and see?"