In other words, without the consent of both He Jiaqing and Li Banfeng, no one could open the storage locker, unless they got hold of Lu Xiaolan’s necklace.
Lu Dongjun believed Lu Xiaolan was telling the truth about this matter. She indeed possessed this magical treasure, and Lu Dongjun had tried it himself. He could transform into Lu Dongliang, and as long as the fake skin wasn’t torn off, the disguise was almost flawless.
Lu Dongjun said, "Then why didn’t you use your necklace to directly retrieve the Mysterious Red Life Lotus from the storage locker?"
Lu Xiaolan continued, "I thought about it, but He Jiaqing refused to return the necklace to me and even said he lost it.
"When I ambushed He Jiaqing, I snatched the necklace back. Just then, Li Banfeng called. His call hadn’t disconnected even when He Jiaqing pushed me away.
"I was terrified at the time. In my desperation, I tried to tap into He Jiaqing’s phone, hoping to attach a Favorable Wind Ear to it for myself. Unexpectedly, I ended up attaching the Favorable Wind Ear to Li Banfeng’s phone.
"Through his call, I heard some commotion and learned that He Jiaqing had gone to the hospital. He Haisheng also went there, and people from the Dark Star Bureau had found Li Banfeng.
"I know Li Banfeng isn’t in his right mind, and I also know he and He Jiaqing have a deep friendship. I took advantage of this to lure Li Banfeng to Medicine King Valley.
"I asked him to bring the Mysterious Red Life Lotus and then exchange me out of the House Spirit’s grasp, but I don’t know how he managed to escape from the He Family Old House.
"He must be a Cultivator, and a high-level one at that. The Mysterious Red Life Lotus is still in his possession. I don’t know where he has gone, but without a Guide Token, he definitely can’t get out of Medicine King Valley."
After hearing Lu Xiaolan’s story, Lu Dongjun’s expression turned grave.
"A storage locker in your school contains a magical treasure, and it can’t be opened?"
Lu Xiaolan nodded. "That supermarket is no ordinary place."
"Who exactly is this Li Banfeng? A Dark Star Bureau officer? Or a disciple of some gang?"
Lu Xiaolan shook her head. "He’s neither. He’s just an orphaned bastard!"
When saying the word "bastard," Lu Xiaolan ground her teeth fiercely.
Lu Dongjun frowned. "That, I don’t understand. If Li Banfeng isn’t from the Dark Star Bureau or any gang, where did he get a Guide Token? Without it, how did he buy a train ticket and board a train? How did he get to Medicine King Valley?
"Don’t tell me you bought the train ticket for him. You were trapped in the house and couldn’t contact anyone. How could you possibly have bought him a train ticket?"
Hearing this string of questions, Zhuo Yuling also grew worried. If the train ticket issue couldn’t be explained clearly, no one would believe Lu Xiaolan.
Lu Xiaolan explained, "The train ticket was purchased by He Jiaqing in advance. Why he bought a ticket for Li Banfeng, or why he bought it for that particular day, I don’t know either.
"I saw the ticket information on his phone, and that’s how I tricked Li Banfeng into getting on the train to Medicine King Valley."
Lu Dongjun just shook his head.
Lu Xiaolan looked at Lu Dongjun despairingly. "Uncle, you don’t believe me?"
"Xiao Lan, I will tell your father what you’ve said. As for whether he believes it or not, I can’t guarantee it. You should rest well for now." With that, Lu Dongjun stood up and left the cell.
Zhuo Yuling looked at Xiao Lan and sighed softly. "Xiao Lan, don’t be afraid. Your dad definitely won’t wrong you. Get some sleep. Mom will come see you again tomorrow."
Zhuo Yuling also left. Lu Xiaolan was still wrapped in the clothes Zhuo Yuling had given her.
Touching the clothes, she once again heard her mother’s voice: "Xiao Lan, don’t be afraid."
Clutching the clothes, Lu Xiaolan listened carefully. Soon, she heard her mother’s voice again: "Your father wants the Red Lotus. As long as he doesn’t find it, he definitely won’t lay a finger on you. He also doesn’t know if the Red Lotus is still on you.
"As long as I kill Li Banfeng first, your dad will never find the Red Lotus. Mom will definitely find a way to rescue you."
...
Detective Da Boyins arrived at Li Gou and walked along Paifang Street before entering Feng’s Grocery Store.
Shopkeeper Feng greeted him with a smile. "What would you like?"
Da Boyins lowered his voice. "I want to buy some Elixirs from you."
Shopkeeper Feng raised an eyebrow. "You’ve come to the wrong place. This is a grocery store."
Da Boyins smiled. "Zhang Liuge from Three Heroes Gang recommended I come here. He said the Elixirs here are of very fine quality."
Zhang Liuzi was a friend of Shopkeeper Feng and had indeed bought Elixirs from Feng’s Grocery Store before.
With this connection, Shopkeeper Feng no longer doubted. He handed over the front counter business to Chunsheng and led Da Boyins into the back room.
Once the tea was ready, Shopkeeper Feng asked, "I’m not sure which kind of Elixir you’re looking for?"
"Snake-Patterned Pill."
"How many would you like?"
"Could I see the quality first?"
Shopkeeper Feng produced a Snake-Patterned Pill. After examining it, Da Boyins nodded. "The quality is excellent. Name your price."
"Fifteen thousand apiece."
Da Boyins didn’t haggle. "Although it’s a bit expensive, the quality of the Elixirs is truly good. I’ll take them."
"How many would you like?"
"Twenty."
"Twenty Elixirs, that’s three hundred thousand. This is a big transaction," Shopkeeper Feng said, looking at the other party meaningfully.
Da Boyins pulled out a check from his pocket and wrote down the amount. "Have your clerk go to the Treasure Trove Bank to cash it. Once the money is here, I’ll take the Elixirs."
"Excellent!" Shopkeeper Feng passed the check to Chunsheng. In less than half an hour, Chunsheng returned with three hundred thousand Huan Country banknotes.
With cash in hand and the goods exchanged, Shopkeeper Feng found a wooden box, sealed the Elixirs inside, and handed it to Da Boyins.
Da Boyins was very satisfied and asked again, "I have a friend who also wants to buy some Mysterious Flame Pills. Do you have them in stock?"
Shopkeeper Feng nodded. "We do have Mysterious Flame Pills. How many does your friend want?"
Da Boyins held up two fingers. "Twenty as well."
Shopkeeper Feng’s brow furrowed slightly. "Twenty? Are you sure? A single Mysterious Flame Pill costs two hundred and fifty thousand."
Da Boyins smiled. "As long as the quality is good, I won’t haggle."
Shopkeeper Feng nodded. "Very well. We don’t have that many in stock right now, but I can make some inquiries for you."
"Very good. I’ll come back in a few days for your news."
Da Boyins left the grocery store. After taking a few steps, he met a Foreigner on the street.
Possibly seeing that Da Boyins was rather well-dressed, the Foreigner took the initiative to greet him. "Sir, this is my first time in Medicine King Valley. I want to buy some medicine. Do you know where I can find a medicine shop?"
Da Boyins looked the Foreigner up and down and smiled. "Medicine shops are everywhere in Medicine King Valley. What kind of medicine do you need?"
The Foreigner rolled up his sleeves. His arm was covered in dense rashes. "I’ve got a strange rash and don’t know what kind of medicine will work."
Da Boyins furrowed his brows, took two steps back, and pointed to the end of Paifang Street. "Andetang Pharmacy has a very skilled resident doctor. You should go see him."
"Thank you very much." The Foreigner doffed his hat in gratitude.
"You’re welcome." Da Boyins doffed his hat in return.