Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 1 Detective Lu Xiaofeng
"Everyone, have you ever heard of... the Four Heroes of the Capital?"

Snapped!
Eye-catching table slamming.

The storyteller looked at the guests below with a mysterious expression and said, "The so-called Four Heroes of the Capital are actually the Four Young Heroes of the Capital. They refer to four young but accomplished young heroes. It's just that the name is a bit difficult to pronounce, so as time went by, it became the Four Heroes of the Capital!"

"The first of the four young heroes is Shangguan Hai, the owner of the No. 1 Manor under Heaven. The No. 1 Manor under Heaven recruits the world's most talented people, among whom are countless talented and exceptional individuals. Young Hero Shangguan himself is also a man of great talent and brilliance, with a heroic appearance!
He became a disciple of the renowned Grandmaster Wuhen, and has now reached the Xiantian realm. His skill of "Flowers Raining Down Gold" is unrivaled!

"The second one should be the seventh son of the Hua family, Hua Manlou. He was murdered by a villain when he was young and lost his sight, but his heart is as bright as the moon. He is blind in sight but not in heart. Everyone who has seen him praises his elegance.

His ability to identify a location by sound has reached perfection. Even ordinary people with clear eyesight are sometimes not as good as him. His cultivation is also at the Xiantian realm, and his unique skill of flowing clouds and flying sleeves is well-known in the world!

"The third one is Lu Xiaofeng, the man with four eyebrows. I'm afraid everyone here knows him better than I do. He's a carefree person, loves making friends, and doesn't care about status. One day he can discuss martial arts with a noble family, and the next day he can toast with a peddler. The whole capital is filled with his friends!

His cultivation at the Xiantian realm is truly remarkable, and his Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens Lightness Skill is also world-class. However, what the world knows more about him is his two 'Telepathic Finger' that can block any attack..."

"As for the fourth of the Four Young Heroes of the Capital, it's Young Hero Zhou Ming. He became a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect when he was young, and has been training for ten years. He's also a young hero..."

Speaking of the last one, the storyteller suddenly changed the subject and talked about the stories of these four young heroes as rumored in the martial arts world.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

On the second floor of the inn, Lu Xiaofeng closed the window and was overjoyed.

"This storyteller is also funny. When he mentioned the first three, he mentioned their status, martial arts realm, and famous skills, but when he mentioned the last one, he only said that he had studied for ten years?

Hahahaha... Tell me, how did you manage to become one of the Four Heroes of the Capital, on par with the three of us?"

There were two people sitting next to the table.

A man dressed simply, his eyes looking straight ahead but dull, his temperament as gentle as jade, a model of a gentleman.

It was Hua Manlou of the Hua family, one of the four heroes of the capital mentioned by the storyteller.

The other person, wearing a black robe with gold patterns, seemed low-key and reserved, but in fact he was rich and powerful, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He was a young man.

This is the young hero Zhou Ming, who was described by the storyteller in just two short sentences.

Hearing this, Zhou Ming was not annoyed at all. Instead, he said proudly, "My adoptive father is the current Grand Tutor, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, the Minister of Personnel, the Minister of Justice, and the Marquis of Wenxi! His Majesty relies on him, and he is a pillar of the country! What, do you have any objections?"

"Depend on!"

Lu Xiaofeng said unhappily, "Is it so great to have a good father? Besides, he's your adoptive father, not your biological father!"

"My adoptive father has no other children, so I will be his father in his old age. I'm not his biological father, but I'm better than him!"

"you……"

Lu Xiaofeng was about to say something more when Hua Manlou coughed and said, "Alright, Brother Lu, if you continue, today's matter will be difficult to handle."

Lu Xiaofeng paused for a moment and swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

Seeing this, Zhou Ming's eyes lit up and he smiled, "I was wondering why a poor guy like you would spend money to treat me to a meal. So you have something to ask for? Considering we've known each other for a few months and this is your first time treating me to a meal, tell me what it is."

Lu Xiaofeng sat back at the table somewhat awkwardly and said, "Have you ever heard of the Plum Blossom Thief?"

"The Plum Blossom Bandit?" Zhou Ming's eyes flickered as he said, "I've heard of him. He was a master in the martial arts world many years ago. He was greedy and lustful, often robbing wealthy families and harming decent women. However, his martial arts were so powerful that no one could capture him... But later, as his reputation grew, he gradually disappeared and went into hiding."

Lu Xiaofeng nodded. "However, recently, the Plum Blossom Bandit has reappeared and caused trouble again. A friend of mine asked me for help to find out the true identity of the Plum Blossom Bandit.

Such evil people who once caused disturbances in the martial arts world are all being watched by the Huolong Villa, the Shenhou Mansion and the Liushenmen. There should be relevant files in the Ministry of Justice.

I would like to ask you to find this file and lend it to me."

Zhou Ming clapped his hands. "The storyteller said you have friends all over the capital, but I think that's an understatement. You should have friends all over the world. I haven't heard of the Plum Blossom Bandits. It seems the place where the incident happened is far away from the capital, yet you still have friends who ask you for help?"

"Haha, we only met once before..." "My adoptive father is the Minister of Justice, and the Plum Blossom Thief didn't involve any secrets. It's easy for me to find this file."

"So, you agreed?"

"of course not!"

Zhou Ming changed the subject and sneered, "You were being sarcastic just now, and you were even complaining that I could only rely on my father's power. Now you want to ask me for help? Are you dreaming?"

"Hey! How can you be so stingy, you grown man? I spoke too quickly. I apologize..."

"You don't have to apologize. I don't take those words to heart. But if you want my help, you have to do me a favor."

"What's the deal?"

Zhou Ming took out a scroll and said, "You have something to talk to me about, and I also have something to talk to you about. Of the four young heroes of the capital, I'm the only one who hasn't achieved anything. If that gets out, it won't sound good. So, I'm going to write a novel to spread my fame."

"You wrote a novel? What kind? Is it something like Journey to the West or Investiture of the Gods? Ever since those two books became popular, the market has been flooded with books like that."

"Of course not."

Zhou Mingdao said: "The novels I write are about various ingenious strategies to solve cases, so they can be called detective novels."

"Detective novel? Interesting?" Lu Xiaofeng became interested. He always liked to explore all kinds of strange things and pursue the truth.

"But I haven't decided on a name for the protagonist of my novel yet. If you're willing to help, could you lend me your name so I can be the protagonist of my book?"

"The protagonist?" Lu Xiaofeng's eyes flashed with vigilance. "You won't write nonsense in the book and slander my reputation, right?"

"Am I that kind of person?"

Zhou Ming glared at him and said, "The protagonist of my book always likes to study all kinds of strange things, pursue the truth, punish evil and uphold justice. He is a very good person!"

"That's good...and why does it sound so much like a description of me?"

Lu Xiaofeng said while stroking his mustache.

Even Hua Manlou shook his head when he heard this.

"One day, the protagonist was out for a stroll with his childhood sweetheart when he stumbled upon two black-clad warriors. He felt suspicious and secretly followed them, only to discover they were blackmailing a wealthy businessman.

He was about to stop them when he was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head. While he was still dazed, someone fed him a pill. When he woke up, he found himself rejuvenated, turning into a child of seven or eight years old.

"Hmm? Rejuvenation? The beginning of your story is quite interesting."

"Later, in order to track down the two black-clad warriors, the protagonist changed his name and lived in the home of his childhood sweetheart. While helping his childhood sweetheart's father, a police captain, solve cases, he also investigated the black-clad warriors. However, he was unexpectedly drawn into a larger conflict..."

"It's quite interesting."

Lu Xiaofeng nodded: "What's the name of your story?"

"If you agree, how about calling it 'Famous Detective Lu Xiaofeng'?"

"Okay, as long as you promise not to deliberately slander me in your book in the future, I can lend you this name." Lu Xiaofeng agreed readily.

Zhou Ming smiled and said, "Don't worry. I have another character in this book. He's young, but his family is as wealthy as a country. So, I need you to help me persuade that other person..."

As he spoke, his eyes turned to the other person next to him.

Hua Manlou: “???”

(End of this chapter)