Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 185 The Living
For a moment, Dai Changsheng wondered if Zhou Zhao had kicked off his ear instead of his hair on the football field.

Otherwise, he wouldn't understand a single thing she was saying.

"What did you say? How could my younger brother be the murderer of Wu Heng? He and Wu Heng were best friends. If it weren't for my brother, Shenxiao would never have become the number one in Chang'an. My younger brother was Wu Heng's mentor!"

As he spoke, he looked over at Dai Changming, only to see that Dai Changming's expression was extremely unpleasant.

Dai Changsheng's heart skipped a beat, but he still looked at Zhou Zhao, "Lord Zhou, the Court of Justice must have evidence to arrest people."

Zhou Zhao walked over to Dai Changming, grabbed his arm, and looked at the scars on his arm.

Although the scar has faded considerably, it still looks quite noticeable because of his dark skin, appearing as thin strands.

“These are scratches. Before you killed Wu Heng, you fought with him. He dug his fingernails into your arm and tore off your flesh.”

Dai Changming tried to pull his hand back, but Zhou Zhao's slender fingers, though seemingly weak, gripped his hand like iron clamps. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move it an inch.

"I do not know what you're talking about."

Dai Changming looked at Zhou Zhao angrily, his face blank.

Zhou Zhao waved the red string-bound money for buying lives near Dai Changming's nose. "Your brother just confirmed that you minted coins without permission, used living people for burial, and even dared to use this private money as money to buy lives!"

Dai Changsheng's mind went blank, and he looked at Zhou Zhao in disbelief.

"What live sacrifice, what money to buy life? You didn't mention that just now. I only said that my younger brother arranged for my father's burial. Changming?"

Dai Changming noticed Dai Changsheng's gaze and immediately struggled to his feet. "Brother, save me! Don't listen to this Zhou woman's nonsense. What live burial and money to buy life? It's all utter rubbish. I don't even know what she's talking about."

Zhou Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Looks like I really have to dig up your ancestral graves. Whether there were any living people buried alive, we'll know once we dig them up and take a look, won't we?"

The Dai brothers both froze, looking at Zhou Zhao in disbelief. "What?"

Zhou Zhao looked at the two of them coldly, "Since this involves a murder case, the Court of Justice is certainly authorized to conduct an burial."

Dai Changsheng was now furious. "Zhou Zhao, I'm going to report you to His Majesty! If you dare to touch my family's ancestral graves..."

Zhou Zhao interrupted Dai Changsheng, "Go ahead and go. Let's see if you see His Majesty first, or if I dig up the tomb first. When the bodies buried with him are found, I'll be reprimanded by His Majesty, and you... well, you won't get away with it either."

Dai Changsheng felt as if his lungs were about to explode. He pointed at Zhou Zhao, his hand trembling uncontrollably.

"Zhou Zhao! You scoundrel! What kind of person did that barbarian Li Youdao raise!"

Zhou Zhao didn't take it seriously. She quietly watched Dai Changming being captured by Su Changying.

"Back then, you were young and reckless. Seeing the chaos in the court, the craftsmen and their families, bound by industry rules, kept quiet and took private money to buy their lives. Now, this is irrefutable evidence. You know perfectly well what's inside the tomb, and you can't deny it."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he walked up to Dai Changming. "Moreover, even if I don't open the tomb, there's a living witness outside of it. How Wu Heng was dismembered and how he was stuffed into those six spheres—heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know, and the craftsman who did it also knows." Dai Changming's pupils suddenly contracted, and he stared intently into Zhou Zhao's eyes. His expression became exceptionally eerie, and the ferocity in his eyes almost swallowed people whole.

"After Shenxiao disbanded, the six balls fell into the hands of the former Cuju team members. After Wu Heng passed away, who went to Duobaoge to ask for the six balls? If I were to investigate, whose name would I hear? You never dreamed that three years later, there would still be a fool like Ji Yun who would spend a lot of money to ask for the balls."

And unlike some people who treat the ball like a precious treasure, he actually kicks it!

No one could have imagined that he would choose so coincidentally, picking Wu Heng's head. And no one could have imagined that someone like me would kick his head open!

Dai Changming struggled frantically, but Su Changying pressed him down hard, slamming his face into the ground and instantly deforming it.

"What living witness outside the tomb? If there is such a person, then find him and let him identify me as the murderer! You can't find him because there is no such person at all!"

Despite the intense pain, Dai Changming glared fiercely at Zhou Zhao.

Zhou Zhao looked at Dai Changming as if he were an idiot. "Of course there is such a person, and I know where he is. Wu Heng broke his leg there, didn't he?"

Zhou Zhao suddenly leaned over and chuckled softly at Dai Changming.

“Once you’ve minted private currency, how can you resist minting it a second time? Even if you have such a skilled skinner and have kept him hidden for over ten years, you can’t just use it once. Why is that? Of course, it’s because a leopard can’t change its spots.”

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he straightened up and said coldly, "Dai Changming is suspected of killing Wu Heng. Now I'm taking him back to the Court of Justice. General Su, take Ju Niang to the outskirts of the capital and have her go to the manor where Shenxiao trains so she can recognize people."

By now, Wu Heng's wife, Wang, and Manager She of Duobao Pavilion should have arrived. Once everyone is there, the truth will come to light.

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he reached out to grab Dai Changming, but Jing Yi suddenly spoke up, "Let me do it."

Zhou Zhao glanced at him and nodded.

Jing Yi grabbed Dai Changming from Su Changying's hands and looked at Dai Changsheng. "Lord Dai also needs to go to the Court of Justice to submit a supplementary statement. I will not arrest you then, and I presume you will not run away."

Zhou Zhao exchanged a glance with Su Changying, then tiptoed towards the Court of Justice.

……

The Northern Army moved quickly; before lunchtime, Su Changying led in Ju Niang, whose eyes were red from crying.

Behind her followed a middle-aged man with a full beard. Because he had not seen the sun for many years, his skin looked pale, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging and clearly visible.

The interrogation room was packed with people this time; everyone connected to the case was there.

The bearded man knelt down with a thud as soon as he entered the room.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Zhou Zhao, "This humble one is Chen Tao, greetings to the esteemed officials of the Court of Judicial Review. Your Honors, I can testify that it was Dai Changming who killed Wu Heng. Furthermore, it was he who instructed me to dismember him and hide the body in the sphere. Before that, he also killed three other people, and their bodies were burned in the furnace."

However, the human skin was still intact; I used bamboo as the skeleton to make figurines.