Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 115 Not Low, But High

Zhou Zhao's eyes lit up instantly.

That's right, that's it.

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment, then lightly leaped over the wall of the Court of Justice. The Northern Army soldiers on night patrol saw a dark figure flash by, immediately drew their swords, and shouted, "Who is it! The curfew cannot be violated!"

Su Changying landed lightly on the ground and took out a token.

The Northern Army night patrolman immediately cupped his hands in greeting, "Captain Su."

Su Changying nodded slightly and sped away without saying anything more.

Among the Northern Army soldiers on night patrol, a small-faced man couldn't help but speak up, "Is this the young Marquis Lu, Commandant Su? He doesn't look like a warrior; he's even more impressive than Zidu and Song Yu."

Zidu was a military general of the State of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period, while Song Yu was a poet from the State of Chu during the Warring States Period. Both were handsome and talented, and were the "husbands" that all the young ladies in the world cherished.

The squad leader spat at the soldier, "His face is the most mediocre thing about our young Marquis Lu. You're too young to have seen it, but when he was fifteen, he rode into the enemy camp alone, cut down the battle flag and took the head. Everyone who saw it said that our Great Qi has sent down a general, and that we have a war god to protect the country for thirty years."

The soldier's eyes sparkled, and after a moment's realization, he turned to the sergeant and asked, "You saw it with your own eyes?"

The squad leader snorted; he'd never seen a fart before.

If he had fought victorious battles alongside Su Changying in the past, would he now be leading ten rascals as night watchmen? Of course, he had never seen that before.

"I was fortunate enough to see it, and I will never forget it."

As he spoke, he glared at his ten young subordinates, "Let's go! Keep a serious night patrol! Today, Zhu Li and the others followed Captain Su to rescue people in the East River, and they really made a name for themselves. If you don't perform well, do you want to remain single?"

The soldiers instantly perked up, and the platoon leader breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Although it's not the first time I've done something so boastful, it still makes me feel ashamed.

Zhou Zhao and Su Changying were unaware of the scene that had unfolded in front of the Court of Justice. They sped along and soon arrived at the ruins of the East Water Star-Picking Tower. There were still traces of a sacrificial ceremony on the ground, suggesting that local people or relatives of the victims had come here.

Zhou Zhao noticed this and slowed down.

The Star-Picking Tower had completely sunk into the water, with scattered pieces of wooden planks floating on the surface of the river. It was pitch black all around, without a single spark of light.

Because the building was tilted to one side, the foundation was exposed, and the pitted and uneven ground looked like a mass grave.

"Zhou Zhao, here are torches."

Hearing Su Changying's voice, Zhou Zhao took the torch from his hand and began to search the area carefully. Su Changying followed beside Zhou Zhao and watched her walk with uneven steps, her gaze particularly earnest.

The moonlight shone on her, making her appear incredibly sacred.

Even now, Su Changying still feels lightheaded. Is that wonderful young Lady Zhou really his betrothed?
Fate treated him too generously, making him feel somewhat unreal.

“There seems to be nothing wrong with this piece of land, and we haven’t found any underground tunnels or secret rooms or anything that could be hidden from the light of day.”

Zhou Zhao nodded in agreement after hearing Su Changying's words, "The foundation of Zhaixing Tower has just been rebuilt. If there were a secret room underneath, Chu Hang and the others would have discovered it long ago. I looked at the soil, and it is no different from the soil in other places along the riverbank."

After Zhou Zhao finished speaking, he pondered for a moment.

"But if there's nothing wrong with the land itself, then what is the problem?"

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment, then looked up at the sky. She stretched out her hand and gestured in the air a few times, "The Star-Picking Tower is about this tall."

"What if the problem isn't with the underground, but with the height? We don't want a high-rise building to be built in this place in Dongshui."

Upon hearing this, Su Changying looked around and noticed two long bamboo poles lying to the side. "These must have been left behind by Zhu Li and the others when they rescued people during the day. Since you think there's something wrong with the height, let's stand on that high place."

Zhou Zhao's eyes lit up. He joined the two bamboo poles together, nailed the joint with his own coffin nails, and then handed them to Su Changying. "General Su, thank you for your trouble."

Su Changying nodded, picked up the bamboo pole, and stuck it into the ground.

The two men's "flagpole" was exceptionally crudely made, swaying precariously in the night wind as if it might topple over at any moment. Anyone else would have surely shouted, "A wise man doesn't stand under a dangerous wall," and avoided it.

However, Zhou Zhao and Su Changying were skilled in martial arts and were not afraid at all.

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and gently perched on the bamboo pole like a swallow.

Without hesitation, Su Changying floated up as well, like a weightless ghost.

The two looked closely and fell silent instantly.

All that could be seen to the east was pitch black, with only the shimmering water and the menacing forests visible.

"I forgot it's nighttime."

Zhou Zhao looked a little embarrassed, and Su Changying couldn't help but chuckle as she saw her unprecedented awkwardness.

His voice was deep and echoed in the empty night air, "I've forgotten too."

He did whatever Zhou Zhao told him to do, without paying any attention to these things.

The two exchanged a glance and then gently floated down.

As soon as she landed, Su Changying raised her hand and struck the bamboo pole with a palm, knocking it to the ground. Then she pulled out the coffin nail and returned it to Zhou Zhao.

Seeing him looking at the coffin nail, Zhou Zhao explained, "Since the Shanming Changyang case, I have stopped using a sword and started using coffin nails instead. This kind of weapon is very rare. The fact that the murderer was able to drive a coffin nail into the princess's forehead shows that he had mastered its use."

"The more I use it, the better I understand this murder weapon, and it also makes it easier to find other people who use coffin nails."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he looked at Su Changying and asked, "Did the Marquis of Lu mention that he wanted to reinstate you as the heir apparent?"

As they talked, the two slowly walked towards the Court of Justice. It was late at night, and they couldn't see clearly enough to verify whether Zhou Zhao's idea was correct. They could only wait until the next morning to check.

Su Changying shook her head. "No. Everything in this mansion is unfamiliar to me. I used to have a dog? As soon as I entered, it wagged its tail at me. The people in the mansion said its name was Shanlai, and it was my dog ​​from before."

Zhou Zhao sighed, "Yes. After you disappeared, I went to the Marquis of Lu's residence to retrieve it."

"But it didn't want to come with me. I guess it wanted to wait for you to come back at home, so I didn't force it. Shanlai was someone you picked up from the battlefield. At that time, its leg was injured and it was limping."

“It was a valley, so you named it Shanlai.”

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Zhou Zhao immediately changed the subject, "Speaking of which, you still haven't told me what your official position is in the Northern Army."

"The captain's main job is to patrol at night and arrest bandits and criminals. In fact, he is quite compatible with Lord Zhou. I'm afraid we'll be investigating cases together every day from now on."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhao clicked his tongue in astonishment.

In the capital, if you see a military officer but don't know his rank, just address him as "General."

However, there are many differences between the two "generals". The Northern Army is commanded by a lieutenant, who has various subordinate officers and several captains who perform their duties and act on behalf of the lieutenant.

Su Changying, as a captain, is far superior to a lowly clerk like her.

Seeing Zhou Zhao's envious gaze, Su Changying couldn't help but find it amusing. "Young Master Zhou will catch up soon. After all, I was only one step away from becoming the city lord in Tianying City. Didn't you also rise from an unknown newcomer to the top?"

Zhou Zhao raised his chin. "You do have some insight! Just wait and see."