Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 154 Preparing to Catch the Mole

As Zhou Zhao spoke, his expression was extremely complicated.

The wooden head carving around Sun Yang's neck suggests that he is either the real culprit behind the Yu Garden incident, or he has already experienced it and survived.

I just wonder if, among those who received the death invitation this time, there is anyone like her who can directly rely on martial arts to break the deadlock through violence.

"If we can confirm that one of the other six victims also had that wooden carving around his neck, then it proves that all the victims were people who received death invitations. Killing one person to leave the secret room is not the end of the killing spree, but only the beginning."

As soon as Zhou Zhao finished speaking, Su Changying and Min Zangzhi both fell silent.

After a while, Su Changying said, "Very likely."

As he spoke, his ears twitched. It was quiet outside the door and windows; no one was eavesdropping.

"As you said before, Lord Zhou, Qian Liu'er knew all along that he was going to kill someone, so after hearing about the method to destroy the evidence, he immediately paid the deposit. The wooden head carving they stole was not a talisman, but a deadly weapon."

The Yu Garden was destroyed by Zhou Zhao and Su Changying back then. Now, a new house has been built on that site, and it has a new owner.

Zhou Zhao nodded in agreement to Su Changying, "In any case, this case is at least not completely without clues. When we are looking for the deceased, we can take the wooden head carving from the Court of Justice to ask questions, which will give us another lead."

As she spoke, she looked at Min Cangzhi and said, "Min Wenshu, you are familiar with places of pleasure. Could you secretly inquire whether there are any Hu women who have been missing for several days and have been restless lately, or any Hu women with wooden carvings of human heads?"

Min Cangzhi immediately became furious and embarrassed, "How am I familiar with places of ill repute? Don't talk nonsense in front of Chu You."

He glared angrily at Zhou Zhao, "I just helped them write some little tunes and add some spices and stuff, how is that considered being familiar with places of pleasure?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he remembered that Zhou Zhao was a woman who could violently smash a secret room and directly smash any stumbling block in the way forward, and he immediately deflated. "I'll go ask her. Zhou Zhao, why don't you ask Su Changying to go? He's so good-looking, you don't even have to pay him, and he'll tell you everything he knows without hesitation."

Min Zangzhi realized that ever since he said he liked Chu You, Zhou Zhao had become much more critical and harsh towards him.

He used to be just a dispensable colleague.

Now they're choosing a brother-in-law...

After this self-consolation, Min Zangzhi's mood, which had plummeted to the depths of hell, soared back to the highest heavens.

He was feeling quite pleased with himself when he noticed Su Changying looking at him coldly. "Hmm?"

Min Zangzhi was speechless. If a monster like Su Changying went to a brothel, the brothel would turn into the Yellow Springs.

He turned his head away silently, covered his mouth and nose with his fan, opened the door, and went out first.

As soon as he stepped outside, his resentment vanished instantly, and he transformed back into the energetic and ready-to-criticize Young Master Min. "Your inkstone is quite nice. Send it to my residence later; I'll give it to my beloved."

Zhou Zhao followed behind him, watching Min Cangzhi's frivolous and dissolute manner as he waved his fan. She immediately felt that Chang Zuoping's mouth was attached to her face. She also wanted to say that you have disgraced the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

The shopkeeper was overjoyed. "A fine inkstone is a perfect match for a beautiful woman. The young lady praised by even Young Master Min must be stunningly beautiful and exceptionally talented."

Now it was Min Zangzhi's turn to be overjoyed. He picked up his fan and gently patted the shopkeeper on the head. "That's absolutely right!"

"What's wrong?" Su Changying stopped and asked when she saw Zhou Zhao not walking down.

"It's giving me goosebumps!" Zhou Zhao said truthfully.

Min Zangzhi seemed to have forgotten about the two of them, and walked out while waving her fan and singing in a low voice.

As soon as he left, the customers on the first floor immediately surrounded the shopkeeper, chattering and asking questions one after another, "What inkstone did Young Master Min buy? I want one exactly the same."

"I want one too!" "I want two, one for the teacher and one for myself."

The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, then said with difficulty, "There is only one of its kind in the world for Young Master Min. Our Manmo Shop has always been an honest business and cannot deceive you. Right now, we only have one that is almost identical. Although you can't tell the difference without looking closely, we cannot cheat you."

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

"We need the ones that are almost perfect too, hurry up and bring them!"

"It's also fortunate that we caught up with this Min Lang inkstone. If we don't buy it now, it will be too late once other refined people in Chang'an find out."

Zhou Zhao stood on the stairs, utterly dumbfounded.

"I suspect that Min Zangzhi paid someone to do this, or that Man Moji planted his own people in the crowd. Min Zangzhi didn't even look at that inkstone, so how did it become Min Lang's inkstone?"

Zhou Zhao suspected that Min Cangzhi would go out barefoot the next day, and an hour later, the streets of Chang'an were filled with barefoot people.

"Yajin" is basically an insult!
Hearing Zhou Zhao's mutterings, Su Changying chuckled, "If you're envious, young Master Zhou, I can buy a Zhou Zhao nail!"

Zhou Zhao burst out laughing, "Who wants to buy coffin nails!"

She smiled, feeling a warm breath approaching, and Su Changying suddenly lowered her voice and said, "They don't know each other."

Zhou Zhao was slightly taken aback, realizing the double meaning in Su Changying's words.

On the surface, he was saying that if the deceased in this case were indeed involved in the death invitation case, then they were indeed strangers to each other before that.

He was actually saying that the assassins and spies trained by Gongzi Yu did not know each other.

She had already guessed this, because Su Changying definitely didn't know the mastermind behind the Star-Picking Tower case who knew disguise. If he did, he would have given her a hint long ago. Besides, if she were a traitor plotting something big, she certainly wouldn't let all her informants know each other.

In that case, the government would arrest anyone who was arrested and take down the entire operation.

"Three quarters past midnight."

Zhou Zhao also lowered her voice to answer. She was facing the main entrance of Manmoji Restaurant, where Han Ze and Zhu Li were already waiting on either side.

She spoke with exceptional clarity and articulation, ensuring that both of them could understand what she was saying from her lip movements.

The two didn't say anything more, and taking advantage of the noise in the shop, they walked towards the door.

When Han Ze saw Zhou Zhao come out, he looked like a frightened little rabbit and rubbed his clothes. "Sister Zhao, we didn't find anyone suspicious. The murderer must have appeared near the pigsty as you said, but we couldn't find him."

Sister Zhao must be right. If she's wrong, then it must be Han Ze who's wrong.

Zhou Zhao looked deeply at Han Ze, "I remember it wasn't your head that was pecked back then, so it's normal that you didn't notice. After all, you don't know when Qian Liu'er went there or what he was dressed up as. You are very useful, so don't underestimate yourself."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he turned to look at Su Changying and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. “In that case, tonight’s affairs will depend entirely on the Northern Army brothers. I will return to the Court of Justice first. See you then. Do not let the news leak out.”

Su Changying nodded slightly, "Yes, Lord Zhou is incredibly insightful. Now that we know where they are, we're practically trapped. We've really gotten credit for this thanks to the Court of Justice."

Zhou Zhao felt a chill run down his spine.

It feels so familiar, like it just happened!

It must be that Min Zangzhi is too outrageous, affecting the feng shui of the Court of Justice and the Northern Army! She and Su Changying are even praising each other!