The Gallant and the Governor Ximen Qing

  Ximen Qing and the teacher didn't know what was happening, but they saw the owner of the Lion's Building outside the door, his face twisted with rage, scolding the trembling servants: "This roasted whole sheep that was already prepared, was placed in the back kitchen, how could it be lost?! I think you've eaten too much shit!"

  "Boss, with just one turn of the body, a whole roasted sheep disappeared... " The apprentice looked wronged: "Seven or eight cooks in the back kitchen, plus the apprentices who came and went to serve dishes, no one saw what happened."

  "Fart! How is this possible? You must have stolen it!" The host was furious, but suddenly saw Ximen Qing: "County Master, look at these thieves, they are lawless! What can a humble person present to the county master?"

  "Hold on a minute!" Ximen Qing signaled to the landlord to calm down: "In my opinion, this matter is somewhat suspicious."

  No matter how you think about it, it's impossible for the fellow to be so bold as to collude with others to hide a whole roasted sheep and embarrass his boss. This thing is probably done by someone else.

  Listening to that fellow's description, in just this one turn of the head, the whole roasted sheep was gone. This skill is almost on a par with Drumming Up a Storm!

  "County Magistrate, sir, I am innocent!" The shopkeeper's mouth twitched and he almost cried.

  "Take this official to the back kitchen and have a look!" Ximen Qing suddenly became interested, perhaps his own pig's trotter aura had attracted some good fellow?

  From my own experience playing RPG games, at this critical moment, I should add some party members for myself!

  Moreover, Ximen Qing had a strong premonition that this person could play an extremely important role!

  The kitchen is not inside the building, but rather has a courtyard and the Lion Building is connected to it. The courtyard is enclosed, where you can see waiters taking dishes in and out, coming and going constantly.

  Even if this thief has great abilities, it is impossible for him to mix in with these people and escape under the watchful eyes of everyone.

  What's more, there is also a big whole roasted sheep hidden!

  So Ximen Qing was certain that this thief was still hiding in the rear kitchen, but in a place where everyone would least expect.

  "Tell the cooks to stop serving for now." Ximen Qing directed, "Surround the back kitchen door. The ones cooking inside don't need to stop, I'll go take a look."

  "Good! Whatever County Magistrate says, you'll do!" Although he didn't understand Ximen Qing's idea, the owner of Lion's Pavilion readily agreed.

  "County Master, what does this mean?" The teacher who was watching from the side with some confusion asked directly.

  "There's only one truth, I already know where the whole roasted lamb has been hidden. Master, you come with me to find it." Ximen Qing smiled and led the way to the back kitchen, while the master followed closely behind him with great curiosity.

  Soon, under the host's command, the partners stopped passing dishes and gradually gathered at the door.

  "Not even a single mouse should be let out!"

  In the back kitchen, there were still many cooks busy at work, with large pots and ladles flying about, their oily faces as red as Dongpo pork.

  Ximen Qing took a glance and nodded secretly: with a big head and thick neck, this cook would be a rascal in any era.

  On the table in the middle, a big empty plate was eye-catching, compared to the previous plate that had been filled with roasted whole lamb.

  "Master, where do you think the thief will be?" Ximen Qing asked, fiddling with the sheep fat white jade pendant at his waist.

  "The adults are foolish, but since they've stolen something, of course they'd run far away." The master replied.

  Ximen Qing burst out laughing: "That's just an ordinary thief. The kind with exceptional skills will hide in the most dangerous, and also the least expected places, waiting for others to let their guard down before making a run for it."

  "I think this thief is very clever and hasn't left this room at all." Ximen Qing stood by the empty plate, pointing upwards with his hand.

  The master looked in the direction of Ximen Qing's finger and was shocked to discover that on top of the beam of the house, a dead sheep's head was exposed. It turned out that someone had somehow manipulated the whole roasted sheep from the large plate below to the top of the beam, where it was neatly placed!

  The roof can be said to be the blind spot of everyone, busy cooks and partners have turned over the back kitchen, but no one thought of raising their heads to take a look.

  Just as the master was surprised, a thin figure flew down from the beam of a nearby house: "You have some eyesight!"

  It seems like there are three or four cotton flowers tied under his feet, and he lands silently! His lightness skill is quite good! Ximen Qing feels that his guess was not wrong at all, this guy is an expert! An expert among the flying thieves!

  Look at his appearance, a thief's brow and rat's eyes! A person like this who doesn't do some thieving or swindling is simply going against the natural order of things!

  "You scoundrel! How dare you! Come and register your name!" Ximen Qing asked loudly, his feet planted firmly on the ground.

  "What other name is there for someone like me?" The man's voice was somewhat strange, seemingly a fake tone, sharp and piercing to the ear: "I didn't expect that in this small Qinghe County, apart from the tiger-beating hero, you, the county magistrate, also understand some of the ways of the Jianghu."

  "Now that I've been found, I won't play with you guys anymore." The man raised his hand, successfully drawing the attention of the people in the house, and then quickly dodged between Ximen Qing and the teacher, rushing towards the door.

  The guys, including the owner of Lion's Building, tried their best to stop him, but he seemed to have applied oil on his body and slipped through the crowd. By the time Ximen Qing and the teacher rushed out, he had already climbed over the wall and laughed loudly: "Your sheep fat jade pendant is not bad, just give it to me."

  Ximen Qing's face changed color, and he reached into his waist to feel around. Sure enough, that scoundrel had just walked by his side and snatched his sheep fat white jade pendant.

  About this piece of sheep fat jade pendant, Ximen Qing has always had a strange feeling, although it is hung on the waist, but always feels that thing is part of his own body, so often plays with it non-stop, never lets others touch it.

  "The mountain doesn't move, but the water does. See you later, gentlemen!" The man proudly showed off the sheep fat white jade pendant in his hand, with a showy expression.

  "Thief!" Ximen Qing cried out in a loud voice: "That jade pendant is something I always carry with me, if you're willing to return it to me, I'll give you 100 taels of silver as a reward!"

  That person's body, which was originally about to turn around, paused for a moment: "How did you know my name!"

  As expected, this guy is indeed Shi Qian! A real talent! Stealing treasures and setting fires with ease, isn't it just a piece of cake for him? Among the Water Margin characters, Shi Qian is the one who leaves the deepest impression on people.

  You must behave yourself for your brother's sake!

  "Wealth is like dirt to me, if I want money, I'll just go take it from someone else's house." Shi Qian's voice was still a bit shrill: "Today, I'm taking a liking to this jade pendant of yours. Since you know the name of a certain family, I'll return it to you when I get bored with it."

  As she spoke, Yueniang casually used force to play with the sheep fat jade pendant, her eyes looking at Ximen Qing, with an expression of "I'm just playing, what can you do to me".

  But then something happened that no one present could have imagined.

  That was when Shi Qian's hair stood on end, and he let out a loud shriek, sending the sheep fat jade pendant flying far away. At the same time, his foot slipped, and he tumbled over the wall of the courtyard.

  Ximen Qing's sharp eyes saw that the sheep fat jade pendant in the air was still shining brightly... just like an LED light bulb.

  Is this guy electrocuted?

  "Hold him down!" Ximen Qing gave the order, and over a dozen hands simultaneously pressed down on Shi Yan's body, which had been electrocuted into a daze, while the owner of the Lion's Building even went up to kick him twice.

  That piece of sheep fat jade pendant happened to be hanging on a tree in the courtyard.

  "Don't hit him!" Ximen Qing stopped more punches and kicks, carefully approaching the sheep fat jade pendant, now the light had dimmed.

  He carefully touched it with his fingertips, without any unusual feeling. Ximen Qing gently took the sheep fat jade pendant from the tree and held it in his palm again, and that blood-and-flesh connection feeling appeared once more.

  "What the heck is going on? Is this sheep fat jade pendant something you brought with you when you crossed over? There's at least one LED light bulb inside, or is it a solar battery?"

  "Sir, the thief has been caught. Shall we bring him back to the yamen?" The teacher looked at County Magistrate with utmost admiration: "What was that move you used just now? It's so sharp!"

  "Hmm... just a small trick." Ximen Qing casually deceived: "Learned from Wu Daoguan, it's not effective when it's lost. You few, bring Shi Yan over."

  When Shi Yun was brought before Ximen Qing, he still looked dumbfounded and his hair stood on end like a chicken coop: "You... you have a strange jade pendant! Using this trick to capture me is not heroic!"

  Ximen Qing burst out laughing and said: "Who told you to be so itchy-handed, coming to steal my things? I'm not some kind of hero or good fellow, but now that I've caught you, what do you have to say for yourself?"

  "There's no prison in this world that can hold me!"

  "I believe." Ximen Qing said with a smile: "You help me do one thing, and I'll let you go, how about that?"

  "You're quite straightforward, not like ordinary officials. I'll agree to it." Shi Qian thought for a moment, his eyes rolling around: "However, you have to tell me what's going on with that piece of sheep fat white jade pendant!"

  "Good!" Ximen Qing signaled to his partners to release Shi Yan:"It's settled then."

  The owner of the Lion Building saw that things were also considered to be over, and hurriedly called someone to bring a ladder over, wanting to go to the back kitchen roof to take down the whole roasted sheep, Zhu Zhixian was still waiting to eat!

  "Let me handle it." Shi Qian said with a smile: "Do we need a ladder for such a small thing?"

  "Alright." Ximen Qing smiled and said: "Shi Yan, you go take down the whole roasted sheep, this will also settle your theft case."

  "I wasn't hungry, I was just joking with them," said Shi Qian, and with a flash of his body he went into the kitchen. Before long, several cries of surprise came from inside, and by the time Ximen Qing and Master Wu arrived, the whole roasted sheep had been put back on the large plate.

  Look again and move both hands, without even touching a single drop of oil, indeed a master of this skill!

  The kitchen was busy as usual again...

  "This is how it is." Ximen Qing whispered his thoughts into Shi Yan's ear: "I'm just afraid you're not capable enough, if you can't do it then don't force yourself."

  As expected, Shi Qian sneered with a disdainful expression: "Can't even handle such a small matter?"

  "It's actually that tiger-beating hero, I still hope you can help introduce me. To be honest, the reason I came to Qinghe County this time is to meet the tiger-beating hero."

  "I just forgot to tell you." Ximen Qing smiled: "This matter has a great relationship with Wu Song."