I became interested when I heard this. "Tell me more!"

Chen Shuyu said, "Although Tacheng is full of ancient pagodas, most of them don't have names. Only a few pagodas with special significance are named. The 'Twin Iron Pagodas in the South of the City' is one of them."

The Twin Iron Pagodas are about ten steps apart. The pagoda bodies are only about two meters high, but they are made of cast iron. They are very famous locally.

Back then, a wealthy merchant named Tang Hong was drinking with a friend at a tavern near the Twin Iron Pagodas when he suddenly became interested in seeing if a person could lift one of the iron pagodas.

The two even made a bet at the table.

At the time, everyone in the tavern thought the two were just drunk talking, but unexpectedly, Tang Hong really held a "Pagoda Lifting Competition" a few days later.

He sent word throughout the martial world that anyone who could lift the Twin Iron Pagodas and move them ten steps away would receive a nine-tiered golden pagoda weighing ten *jin* (approximately 11 pounds).

As soon as the news came out, it caused a sensation locally. Within a few days, it spread throughout the northern martial world, and some people were even fueling the flames, saying that anyone who could move the iron pagoda could call himself "Pagoda Lifting Heavenly King" in the martial world.

Martial artists seeking fame and fortune flocked to Tacheng, including some well-known figures in the martial arts world.

On the day of the competition, ten people tried to move the pagodas, one after another. The first nine either couldn't move the iron pagodas at all, or could only lift them slightly off the ground.

Only the tenth person managed to move the iron pagoda three steps, but he was seriously injured and vomited blood on the spot.

The "Pagoda Lifting Competition" lasted for seven days, and Tang Hong, at the suggestion of the onlookers, changed the lifting to pushing.

Finally, after the seventh day, a pair of brothers came. The two of them actually lifted the iron pagodas and walked more than ten steps.

However, when Tang Hong was preparing to present the golden pagoda, he found that the golden pagoda sealed in the box had disappeared. Only a tuft of golden monkey hair was left in the box.

That was the unique mark of the famous lone thief at the time, the Monkey King.

The golden pagoda was stolen, and Tang Hong was so angry that he vomited blood on the spot. The Pagoda Lifting Competition ended in failure.

Chen Shuyu stopped here. I asked, "Was there no follow-up to the Pagoda Lifting Competition?"

"Yes!" Chen Shuyu said, "On the second day after the Pagoda Lifting Competition, the brothers who lifted the iron pagoda were found dead, their bodies lying in the inn, but their heads were hung on the pagoda."

"On the third day, the body of the lone thief Monkey King was discovered. He had been stuffed alive into the bottom of the iron pagoda, and all the bones in his body had been crushed by external force, leaving only a grinning head exposed in the pagoda's opening."

"On the fourth day, Tang Hong was cut in half at the waist, and the two halves of his body were thrown under the two pagodas."

"In short, everyone who had touched the Twin Iron Pagodas at that time died tragically."

"For a time, the people of Tacheng were in a panic. Finally, at the suggestion of a Taoist priest, the whole city came out to worship the iron pagodas, and the incident was calmed down."

I nodded when I heard this. "Xiao Jiu, Xiao Qi, do you think that Tang Hong was a member of the Thief Sect?"

Jiang Jiuyuan said, "You can call me Jiang Jiuyuan, but don't call me Xiao Jiu! That's an internal name."

I said coldly, "Lin Zhao, throw her down. Order Lao Liu to slaughter the Dao Immortal Sect."

Jiang Jiuyuan exclaimed, "How can you be so domineering?"

I looked at Jiang Jiuyuan with killing intent in my eyes. "Listen carefully, I'm ordering you to come, not begging you to do things for me, and certainly not to let you show off in front of me."

"I don't need such subordinates! Lin Zhao, throw her out!"

Lin Zhao pulled the car door open with her right hand, and grabbed Jiang Jiuyuan's pulse with her left hand to throw her out. Xiao Qi quickly stopped her. "Sister Lin, don't do it yet! Let me talk to the hall master again! Let go first!"

I said in a deep voice, "What do you want to say? Think carefully before you speak! Otherwise, I'll throw you out with her."

"I, I..." Xiao Qi was obviously frightened by me, and stammered for a long time without saying a word.

Chen Shuyu stepped forward to persuade me, and I took the opportunity to let Lin Zhao close the car door.

Xiao Qi was so frightened that she didn't dare to speak, and Jiang Jiuyuan was so scared that she sat there crying.

In fact, I didn't intend to throw Jiang Jiuyuan down. I just wanted to give them a *xia ma wei* (a show of force/intimidating display).

Chen Shuyu comforted the two for a long time before Jiang Jiuyuan wiped away her tears and wanted to speak, but I waved my hand and said, "There's no need for apologies. I don't want to hear nonsense either. Just give me the important stuff."

Jiang Jiuyuan said, "Tang Hong's 'Pagoda Lifting Competition' is indeed a common trick used by the Thief Sect."

"They probably wanted something under the iron pagoda at the time, and they didn't have a good reason to move the iron pagoda in public, so they came up with the idea of the Pagoda Lifting Competition."

"According to the Thief Sect's style, they would have moved the pagoda away at that time, regardless of whether anyone could move the iron pagoda or not. As long as we find a reasonable excuse to set up some things near the target, we can use a sleight of hand to move things away in front of hundreds of people."

"I think that the pair of brothers who came out last should also be members of the Thief Sect. They moved a fake pagoda, and the real pagoda had already been moved away by someone else."

I said in a deep voice, "What you said makes sense. However, you've overlooked one problem. Since it was a setup, why create the illusion of the Monkey King stealing the golden pagoda? Isn't that just gilding the lily?"