Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 119 Someone Wants Her Dead

"General Su, do you think that place is a bit strange?"

Zhou Zhao raised his hand and pointed to the mountains and forests opposite. There was no smoke from cooking fires or courtyards there, and it didn't seem special at all.

"There is a formation. The banyan tree serves as the base of the formation."

As Su Changying spoke, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He and Zhou Zhao exchanged a glance, both of them looking somewhat solemn.

Zhou Zhao lightly leaped down from the upright bamboo pole.

"This makes sense. Sun Yiyang is a famous scholar, and his home is always full of guests. If there were someone who understands the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams formation, they might be able to see the clues from a distance by the water. The Linjiang Tower cannot be left behind."

The Star-Picking Tower is a tavern, with diners coming and going like a tide. Sooner or later, someone with keen insight will discover something strange about the mountains and forests opposite. Therefore, the Star-Picking Tower cannot be built.

As Zhou Zhao spoke, a hint of indignation appeared in his eyes. Just because of this, they disregarded the lives of so many innocent people?
Su Changying nodded. "I will immediately summon the Northern Army to search the mountains, and we will cross the river to investigate."

As soon as Su Changying finished speaking, Zhou Zhao felt a chill beside her. She turned her head and saw Liu Huang standing there in a straw hat, looking sullen. "I want to go too. I've already checked the pastry you gave me, Zhao. It doesn't contain any poison that can kill someone directly, but it does contain a little bit of 'sheep-catching flower'."

"The sheep-loving flower?"

Zhou Zhao sneered, "The 'sheep-repelling flower' is poisonous and can slow people down. Doctors sometimes use it to relieve pain when removing arrows or cutting flesh. What about the dead chef? After your detailed examination, did you find anything suspicious?"

Now that Su Changying has gone to gather the Northern Army, only Zhou Zhao remains by the river. Liu Huang handles the situation with ease and without any sense of unease.

Liu Huang shook his head. Zhou Zhao had already conducted a preliminary examination of the deceased's body with him. Later, when Zhou Zhao went to investigate the case, the remaining, more thorough autopsy was completed by him and the old coroner from the Court of Justice.

"As before, it is confirmed that he drowned."

Zhou Zhao was not surprised. Her previous request for the wine master, dancers, musicians, cooks, and Du Ziteng from Zhaixing Tower to go to the Court of Justice was not without reason.

After all, the victims in the Zhaixinglou collapse case included the cook and the musician.

However, she had already asked around and found nothing strange. When the incident occurred at Zhaixing Tower, the cook was still preparing food and the musician was playing the zither.

Zhou Zhao pondered for a moment, then looked at Su Changying, who had just returned from gathering the Northern Army, and asked, "Did you find the chef's body?"

Su Changying paused slightly, then shook her head. "It wasn't me. The people I rescued were all alive. It must have been the Northern Army or the corpse retrievers."

Zhou Zhao's eyes flickered as he looked towards the opposite bank. "Let's go over and find out what's going on."

That darn God, He really does have all sorts of tricks up his sleeve!

She originally thought that without the premonition of a letter to her deceased wife, Su Changying did not arrange for the Northern Army to be on standby near the Zhaixing Tower because she felt uneasy. After the tower collapsed, she went back and forth many times to save people, and finally sank into the water after exhausting her strength.

Unexpectedly, someone worried that she wouldn't die, so they specially added "sheep-catching flowers" to the dessert.

Even though she was skilled in martial arts, if she took the drug without warning, and it took effect, causing her to become numb and unable to move in the water, wouldn't she just drown?

No wonder, she died, but Su Changying and Liu Huang did not.

Zhou Zhao thought about it and felt speechless.

She, a female official of the Court of Judicial Review, actually died from gluttony! This is absolutely intolerable! How utterly shameful!
The one who disgraced the Court of Justice was not Min Zangzhi, but Zhou Zhao!
Thinking this, Zhou Zhao pulled out her coffin nails, and with some resentment, she kicked the bamboo pole directly into the water, then lightly jumped down onto it.

Today's wind is blowing towards the other side.

Standing on the bamboo pole, Zhou Zhao glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw that Su Changying had already followed with Liu Huang. The water flowed downhill, and when the bamboo pole floated to the position directly opposite the formation, Zhou Zhao gently tapped the bamboo pole and flew out. Her feet lightly touched the water's surface, like a swift walking on water, and she landed on the opposite bank. "Young Master Zhou, what excellent lightness skill!"

Hearing Su Changying's praise, Zhou Zhao couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth, "I dare not, I am just the civil official who is best at flying."

As she spoke, she looked towards the water.

The Northern army moved quickly, and many boats had already begun crossing the water in this direction.

Zhou Zhao looked away, then pulled out her Green Fish Dagger from her sleeve. Su Changying and Liu Huang exchanged a glance, then drew their weapons as well, standing guard on either side of her.

There was a large persimmon tree growing there, and the persimmons on it were greenish and not yet fully ripe.

The three walked a short distance before Zhou Zhao, who was leading the way, stopped again. She took out a dagger and made a cut on a persimmon tree next to her.

"We've come all the way back."

No sooner had Zhou Zhao finished speaking than he heard a familiar exclamation behind him, "Then we've encountered a ghost wall!"

Zhou Zhao looked back and saw that the Northern Army soldiers on the ship had begun to disembark. The person who was making a fuss was none other than Han Ze.
Although he was wearing Northern Army armor, he still looked like a playboy with fair skin and rosy lips, especially his face, which appeared almost glowing white in comparison to the others. Unlike usual, however, his eyes were covered by a thin black veil, making him look incredibly strange.

"Han Ze, is there something wrong with your eyes?"

Han Ze choked up and almost burst into tears.

With the black veil in place, he became much bolder. "Sister Zhao, there are birds in the forest... I can't see those black sparrows because I'm wearing a black veil!"

Zhou Zhao shook his head speechlessly; his eyes showed no illness, but his heart was troubled.

Zhou Zhao ignored him and continued looking ahead. "It's not a ghost wall, it's a formation. Everyone stay close, we'll try to break the formation one more time."

Upon hearing this, Su Changying extended her long sword and stood in front of Zhou Zhao, saying, "Let me handle this one!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhao stepped back and stood beside Liu Huang, asking Su Changying to lead the way. He had previously led troops in battle and had studied battle formations extensively, but he didn't know if Su Changying still remembered them.

No one spoke again. The forest was dense, and small animals could dart out at any moment.

Everyone was armed and vigilantly watching their surroundings. Su Changying walked not very fast, but very resolutely.

Zhou Zhao calculated the time in his mind. This time, they had already traveled longer than the first time, but they hadn't returned to the persimmon tree, which meant that Su Changying was likely on the right track. After walking for a while longer, a huge banyan tree that blocked out the sky came into view.

The image of the large array based on banyan trees that Zhou Zhao had seen earlier instantly flashed into his mind.

Her fingers moved swiftly, finally settling on the southeast direction. At that moment, Su Changying also took a step and walked towards the southeast. Soon, they encountered a second, then a third banyan tree…

Su Changying changed her position every time she arrived at a banyan tree.

They continued until they reached a courtyard.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and standing in front of it, one could see the mess inside...

"It seems we're too late; the place is already deserted."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he walked in, holding the dagger. "There are no spider webs on the door, and the flowers and plants in the yard have been trimmed, which shows that people used to live here."

Upon entering, one's gaze is immediately drawn to the right side, where a massive martial arts arena stands.