Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 169 A Key

Is it true that a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime?
Could Zhang Ran be referring to Princess Changyang?

She was murdered at Shanming Villa because she possessed a "precious treasure".
Regardless, Zhang Ran must have known many secrets, but now he is dead.

Her and Su Changying's earlier conjectures also vanished with Zhang Ran's death, and the clues they had finally found were now lost again.

"The filial son returns the courtesy! Incense is offered..."

Outside the mourning hall, the sound of chanting mournful names could be heard, signaling that people had come to pay their respects after receiving the news.

Madam Zhang stood up, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes instantly reddening. "Someone has arrived. As Madam Zhang, I should go back and give him a proper send-off. You helped clear my son's name, so I owe you one. I don't like owing favors. Here's a key, it's in the house directly opposite Shanming Villa in Wujin Lane."

As Madam Zhang spoke, before Zhou Zhao could speak, she handed over the bronze key and placed it directly into Zhou Zhao's hand.

Her hands were icy cold and calloused, but they were incredibly strong.

As Madam Zhang spoke, she walked towards the door, but when she reached the door, she turned back to look at Zhou Zhao.

"Young Master Zhou, please don't come again. I will take my good-for-nothing sons back to our hometown to escort the coffin and observe the mourning period. They don't have the ability to hold their heads high and be superior to others. They'd be better off returning to their hometown and living as wealthy old men. If you ever go to Pei County, you must try my soup noodles. I'll put dandelion in them."

Zhou Zhao was taken aback. Madam Zhang had already strode out, leaving not even a trace of her back.

She felt the coldness in her hands, exchanged a glance with Su Changying, and the two quietly left the Zhang residence, returning to the entrance of Wujin Alley.

Before we knew it, the sky gradually darkened, and Wujin Alley was pitch black.

The Northern Army had long since withdrawn, leaving the place deserted. The only sounds were the cawing of crows and the faint footsteps of Zhou Zhao and Su Changying.

"Could the body have been disguised?"

With Su Changying, a master of disguise, present, Zhou Zhao immediately asked a question.

Su Changying shook her head. "It shouldn't be. Disguise is like a painted skin. The painted skin is only for a moment, and the rest depends on the performance of the living person. A corpse will constantly change, but a painted mask will not. Sooner or later, it will become unfitting and full of flaws."

“Once Zhang Ran dies, you and A Huang will definitely go to pay your respects. I believe no corpse will escape your discerning eyes.”

Zhou Zhao chuckled to himself.

"Where did General Su learn his coaxing skills? They're nowhere near as effective as your beauty."

Su Changying was taken aback, pondering Zhou Zhao's words, and his ears immediately turned slightly red. He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment.

“With Zhang Ran dead, our trail went cold again. Isn’t that strange? We only pointed the finger at Zhang Ran after we accidentally saw the screen at Shanming Villa. Even if there were spies around us at the time, or even if we were spies, there wouldn’t have been enough time to notify someone to kill Zhang Ran immediately.”

Upon hearing Su Changying's words, Zhou Zhao immediately shifted his attention.

That's exactly right. In order to find Zhang Ran immediately, she didn't even ride a horse, but used her lightness skill to fly directly over the roof.

Not to boast, but in the entire Chang'an, if we only talk about lightness skills, there are very few people who can surpass her and Su Changying.

The informant who was watching Su Changying has now been exposed and imprisoned in the Court of Justice.

According to Madam Zhang, Zhang Ran had fallen seriously ill three days prior, and several imperial physicians testified to this, with many eyes watching the entire process of his death.

She frowned as she thought about it, then turned to look at Su Changying.

"If death from illness is inevitable, have you ever considered whether someone caused his death, or whether he himself wanted to die from illness?"

After all, the timing was far too coincidental.

Back then, she and Su Changying returned to Chang'an from Tianying City to report back to Zhang Ran. At that time, he was still a lively and energetic old man.

Before Zhou Zhao could receive a response from Su Changying, he had already arrived at the residence that Madam Zhang had mentioned. The steps in front of the residence were covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. Spiderwebs hung on the door plaque, and a nest of magpies, of unknown origin, had built its nest under the eaves.

The weeds on the courtyard wall grew very tall, indicating that no one had been here for a long time.

Zhou Zhao and Su Changying exchanged a glance, and then both of them lightly leaped over the wall.

"After the incident at Shanming Villa, we investigated the families in this alley. I remember the family across the street was surnamed Ding, and they were merchants from the south. They didn't live here often, only staying for a short time when they came to Chang'an to do business."

The courtyard wasn't very large, but it was quite exquisite, originally complete with a small bridge, flowing water, and rockery.

But after so many years without anyone around, the stream has become stinky, and the little bridge is almost rotten.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the bushes. Zhou Zhao's eyes flickered, and the coffin nail in his hand flew out.

"Screech!" A scream rang out.

Zhou Zhao approached and parted the grass to take a look, and saw a huge, fat rat lying on the ground.

She frowned and looked into the distance, where there was a very noticeable small building in the courtyard.

"Go over there," Zhou Zhao said, lightly touching the ground, and in the blink of an eye, he was already close by. The doors and windows of the small building were all closed, and a brass lock hung on the door.

Zhou Zhao looked at it and took out the copper key that Madam Zhang had given her from his sleeve pocket.

The lock was a bit rusty, and the key was a little difficult to open. Zhou Zhao spent some time before finally opening the brass lock. "It seems like no one has been here for a long time."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he pushed the door open with a snap.

The moment the moonlight shone into the room, even Zhou Zhao couldn't help but gasp and take a step back.

There, sitting at a table in the room, was a person.

Su Changying stepped in front of Zhou Zhao and thrust her longsword at the man, but stopped just before reaching him. "Zhou Zhao, this is a wooden carving. If I'm not mistaken, it should be a statue of Princess Changyang."

Zhou Zhao was taken aback upon hearing this. She took out a tinderbox and lit the lamp in the room.

The small building instantly brightened up.

Zhou Zhao looked closely and saw that there was indeed a human-shaped wooden sculpture on the table. The sculpture was lifelike and looked eight or nine parts like Princess Changyang when she was alive. Around the sculpture, there were wood shavings that had not been cleaned up.

A thick layer of dust had accumulated on the sawdust.

"It should have been carved here by Zhang Ran... after the Shanming Changyang case. However, he hasn't come here in the last year or two."

After the crime occurred, the entire alley was searched, but none of these items were found.

It was probably after rumors of ghosts spread in the alley that Zhang Ran occupied the house and carved a statue of Princess Changyang there.

"Zhou Zhao, look at that screen."

Zhou Zhao followed Su Changying's gaze and saw a screen in the corner of the room. The screen was almost identical to the one in the library of Shanming Villa. In the middle was Princess Changyang, but the left side was Zhang Ran, and the right side was a little girl.

Although she was younger, Zhou Zhao was still able to confirm the girl's identity.

"It's Zhang Ran and Zhang Ruoqing..."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, the saying suddenly came to mind: "You can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't measure the sea with a bucket."

Zhang Ran is truly a crazy man who loves but cannot have the one he desires.