Chapter 59: The Black Wind Twin Killers

Yuexiang Tower is a refined and elegant little pavilion. Unlike the grand Green Tower, it appears more compact and delicate, perfectly mirroring the charm of Lady Yuexiang, the reigning courtesan.

Lady Yuexiang is sweet-faced, with delicate features and a petite, adorable appearance that makes her a great favorite among the rough-and-ready men of the Spring Breeze Hall in the Seven Stars Tower. Moreover, she is exceptionally skilled in both the zither and dance, which is why Brother Feng frequently leads everyone here on official field assignments.

"In such freezing weather, that thief certainly has it rough!"

Song Chaoxian, Brother Feng’s long-time sworn brother, followed Brother Feng’s lead in all things.

"Who knows what the scoundrel stole to incur the imperial court's wrath, forcing even us from the Seven Stars Tower to hunt him down?"

Though everyone was out slacking off, the case could not be neglected, and they still needed to have a thorough discussion during their leisure time!

However, today Brother Feng was clearly not in the right state of mind; his mind was probably filled entirely with thoughts of his courtesan lover!

Gao Wu sipped his wine with great satisfaction. On second thought, his present life seemed pretty good. Before his transmigration, he had achieved nothing; forget about slacking off and sipping small cups of wine, he used to be rushed off his feet every day, making barely any money while enduring constant scoldings from his boss.

His current boss actually led everyone in slacking off. Such a boss was truly wonderful, and one should not let him be troubled by domestic affairs.

Therefore, Gao Wu suggested, "Why don't you just bring that courtesan home? A long pain is worse than a short one. The worst that can happen is getting beaten by your sister-in-law!"

Hiss. Cheng Qingfeng felt a sudden ache in his teeth. "What kind of ghost idea is that? Your sister-in-law would beat someone to death!"

Well, then there was nothing to be done. Being unable to beat a woman was truly a tragic state of affairs.

The hour was still early, and Yuexiang had not yet come out to entertain guests. Instead, several dancing girls were performing on the stage!

Nearby, a group of scholars had gathered at a neighboring table. One of them suddenly stood up, shaking his head and swaying as he recited, "A lone stranger in a strange land, every festive day I miss my kin all the more!"

"Fellow students, I am homesick!"

"This poem has already spread throughout the capital over the past few days. You don't need to bring it out to show off... to manifest your holiness before others!"

His fellow students clearly showed no mercy to this scholar, immediately exposing the fact that the poem was not of his own making, which provoked roaring laughter from the others.

The operatives of the Seven Stars Tower hailed from all corners of the country and various martial sects. Although they were not scholars, they could still understand a simple line of poetry like this.

"Every festive day I miss my kin all the more! What a fine poem. When I go back and read it to Xiaowan, it will surely..."

Brother Feng, you are truly beyond saving!

Xiaowan must be that courtesan lover of his.

"It is a pity there is only half a poem. The person who wrote this is truly detestable!"

Brother Feng repeatedly read the line of poem to ensure he could commit it to memory, while simultaneously feeling unsatisfied and desperate to obtain the complete piece.

Gao Wu thought to himself, *‘The complete poem does exist, but it is somewhat untimely. Better not to say it!’*

The scholars at the neighboring table also overheard Brother Feng's complaints. One of them actually stood up and bowed, saying, "Brother, these half-lines are enough to achieve legendary status. It is better not to force the creation of the other half."

"Such a wonderful poem, yet only half exists—is that not a pity?" How could Song Chaoxian allow anyone to talk down to his Brother Feng? He immediately rose and retorted.

The poem was indeed evocative, and coupled with the festive season, it fit the mood perfectly. For a time, not only the table of scholars and Gao Wu's group were discussing it, but other guests as well began chanting it aloud.

Passing the time at Yuexiang Tower until the end of their shift, the group still did not get to see Yuexiang emerge. According to her little maid, Yuexiang had contracted a mild cold and was indisposed to receive guests.

Yet their day spent lingering at Yuexiang Tower was not entirely wasted. By the time they departed, the group had basically figured out the ins and outs of the imperial palace burglary case.

On the first day of the lunar new year, someone had taken advantage of lax palace security to sneak into the inner sanctum. While it remained unknown what secret treasure had been stolen, the intruder had offended the reigning Empress Dowager, who was none other than Hua Ruxue, holder of the number one spot on the Beauty Ranking.

Ever since she ascended the Beauty Ranking, Hua Ruxue had remained firmly at the top. Even after being summoned into the palace, she never dropped off the list.

The rumor was that after Hua Ruxue entered the palace, the aging emperor had grown impotent and had never actually consummated their marriage.

Upon her ascension to the throne, the Empress Dowager honored Hua Ruxue and elevated her to a position of great prestige, but the consequence was that she could no longer leave the palace!

This time, not only had the thief stolen a secret treasure, but they had also gravely offended the Empress Dowager, sending the Empress into a towering rage.

The commander of the imperial guards had been temporarily suspended pending investigation on account of this incident, and Lord Cao of the Seven Stars Tower had also been chewed out mercilessly!

With patrons coming and going in a chaotic stream, Yuexiang Tower was a hotbed of gossip. Combined with the deliberate probing and guiding by the Seven Stars Tower operatives, the group was at least no longer completely in the dark as they had been that morning when the mission was first assigned.

Upon returning home, Gao Wu learned that it was not only their Spring Breeze Hall hunting down the thief; the Fierce Phoenix Hall had received the exact same assignment, and perhaps the entire Seven Stars Tower was investigating the matter.

"Do you have any news?"

Zhao Liying glanced at Gao Wu. "You didn't spend another whole day wandering around brothels with them, did you?"

"No, don't talk nonsense!"

They say a woman's sixth sense is accurate, and indeed there was some truth to it.

"There are two thieves. The three of us suspect they are the Black Wind Twins—the Copper Corpse Chen Xuanfeng and the Iron Corpse Mei Chaofeng!"

Liu Yifei did not make things difficult for Gao Wu and directly shared the results of their investigation.

"Oh? You've already locked onto the target?"

"Mm, we have a lead. We plan to go capture them tonight!" Zhou Zhiruo's gaze was cold and resolute, determined to succeed in tonight's operation.

If they could capture the Black Wind Twins and perform a great service, it would greatly benefit them in contending for a quota to enter the secret realm.

"Then I'll go with you tonight to look out for one another!"

Gao Wu was worried that the three women might act rashly out of a desire for quick success and walk right into an ambush.

The Black Wind Twins were disciples of the Eastern Heretic, Huang Yaoshi. After stealing half of the Nine Yin Manual, they fled Peach Blossom Island and wandered the pugilist world.

They killed the innocent indiscriminately and used living humans to practice the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, employing such cruel methods that their mere name struck terror into people's hearts.

While investigating within the palace, Zhou Zhiruo had discovered familiar traces of martial arts techniques, which, combined with the palace residents' descriptions of the male-female duo of thieves, led her to deduce that the culprits were none other than the Black Wind Twins.

Viewed in this light, Huang Yaoshi leaving Peach Blossom Island was likely not only to search for his daughter but also to hunt down the Black Wind Twins and purge the sect of their presence.

Since the matter involved the Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi, it was bound to be somewhat thorny.

No one could be certain whether capturing the Black Wind Twins would inadvertently offend Huang Yaoshi.

However, this was not the time to overthink things. Capturing these two and exchanging them for merit was the most urgent priority for them all.

That night, all four set out directly for the hideout of the Black Wind Twins.

Deep within the imperial palace, Empress Dowager Hua Ruxue gazed listlessly at the faint crescent moon hanging in the sky, her eyes misty.

Although she had suffered a fright over the past couple of days, it had also reignited her previously dormant heart.

Countless thoughts swirled in her mind as she pondered how to broach the subject and persuade the Empress to let her out of the palace to play.

"How is the Empress Dowager feeling today?"

Hearing the Empress's voice, Hua Ruxue felt a stir in her heart. Rallying her spirits, she thought, *‘The opportunity has come!’*

Putting on a weak and listless expression, however, Hua Ruxue kept her head lowered. "My entire body aches, and I lack all energy, yet I cannot pinpoint where it hurts."

"What do the imperial physicians say?"

Yuchun, the maid of Empress Dowager Hua Ruxue, was extremely sharp-witted. Having long since grasped Hua Ruxue's intentions, she dutifully replied, "The physicians say the Empress Dowager suffered excessive fright, damaging her peace of mind. She must find a way to dispel the melancholy pent up in her heart."

"I see..." The Empress drew out her syllables. "Imperial Mother should rest for now; We shall arrange to have Imperial Mother's melancholy removed at once!"