Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 322 Following the Smell
Han Ze was genuinely curious, as he was usually someone who couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Having been intimidated by Su Changying, they were silenced for a moment. But in the blink of an eye, they forgot about it again.

"Sister Zhao? Why are we heading east?"

Zhou Zhao pointed to the bloodstains on the ground left by the wheels, "The bloodstains go east, getting fainter and fainter, and gradually disappearing."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he looked up at Su Changying and asked, "Who was the first Northern Army brother to arrive at the crime scene? I have something to ask him."

Upon hearing this, Su Changying turned around and looked at the Northern Army soldiers who had cordoned off the alley with barricades. He called out loudly, "Cai Yan."

A soldier named Cai Yan's eyes flashed with surprise, then he excitedly trotted over, "General, how do you know my name?"

Earlier, Su Changying received the message and came to inquire about the case. He answered in detail, but he was too nervous at the time and forgot to say his name. Now he was standing there regretting it!
With so many people under Su Changying's command, who knows when she'll get another chance to shine?

As soon as Cai Yan said this, he regretted it, fearing that Su Changying would blame him, and his eyes became somewhat uneasy.

Su Changying glanced at him indifferently, "You are skilled with a halberd and have excellent hearing. Lord Zhou of the Court of Justice has something to ask you."

Cai Yan felt his heart pounding, and his gaze towards Su Changying was filled with excitement. General Su actually remembered him.

He thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhou Zhao, "Young Master Zhou, please ask whatever you wish."

Zhou Zhao didn't notice his furrowed brows. "You heard someone humming a tune and came over to check the situation. Did you hear the sound of wheels at the time?"

Cai Yan was taken aback.

“Based on the distance between the two marks left by the wheel, we can estimate the size of the wheel. This wheel is smaller than a horse-drawn carriage wheel, so it might be a handcart or a donkey cart or something similar,” Zhou Zhao added.

Cai Yan scratched his head, "It's nothing..."

He was halfway through his sentence when Su Changying, who was standing next to him, suddenly said, "Tell us everything, big or small, whether it's suspicious or not."

Cai Yan thought for a moment, then his expression suddenly changed. "General, it was a cart for emptying chamber pots. After I heard the melody, Chen Chao and I ran over first, me in front and him behind. We were wearing armor, and there was noise when we ran, but I definitely didn't hear the sound of the cart wheels running over us."

But when I got to this pool of blood, I caught a glimpse of a cart used for emptying chamber pots, passing by the alley entrance and heading north. I only saw a corner of the back of the cart.

When we patrol at night, we often encounter people emptying chamber pots. I recognize the man in this area; he's an old man with a mole on his right cheek and a slightly hunched back. Everyone calls him Uncle Alley.

As Cai Yan spoke, his face turned pale. He apologized to Su Changying, saying, "General, it was my fault for being blind to what was right under my nose."

Because he often encountered this truck that delivered night soil, it was like a tree on the street in Chang'an at night—he was used to it and never associated it with the murder.

At the time, he only caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye and hadn't had time to think about it in detail when the rest of his teammates arrived and started talking about the report.

Zhou Zhao and Su Changying exchanged a glance, then leaped onto the roof and quickly began to investigate.

Seeing this, Han Ze shouted, "Cai Yan, what are you standing there for? Quickly take us to find that so-called Alley Uncle."

"I'll go left, you go right..."

Zhou Zhao made a gesture to Su Changying, but suddenly felt a tightness around her waist. She was startled and nearly hit Su Changying on the head with the hand warmer she was holding.

"What are you doing?" Su Changying hugged Zhou Zhao tighter. "You're not fully recovered yet, don't use your lightness skill recklessly. Now that we have a goal, we'll find it sooner or later. Besides, isn't there Min Cangzhi?"

Zhou Zhao understood instantly.

She looked up at Su Changying. His jawline was exceptionally defined, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke, making Zhou Zhao inexplicably feel a little hot-faced.

She cleared her throat. "You certainly know how to use people."

Not only are they good at using people, but they're also incredibly stingy.

Min Zangzhi is a master perfumer with a sensitive nose that can distinguish various fragrances.

Of course, this time he'll have to "smell the stench to find the source".

Su Changying chuckled softly. Zhou Zhao felt his chest vibrate and dared not look at him. He looked up at the sky and was immediately stunned.

The sky was filled with stars, and she felt as if she could reach out and touch the flowing Milky Way.

As Zhou Zhao looked, he heard Su Changying say, "Hold on tight, I see!"

Zhou Zhao instantly perked up. She grabbed Su Changying's neck and looked down. Sure enough, she saw a small cart for emptying chamber pots parked in the corner of a dead-end alley.

Su Changying landed gently and put Zhou Zhao down.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves rang out not far away. Min Zangzhi led the Northern Army over at breakneck speed. He was pale and covered his mouth and nose. He glanced at the small cart used for emptying chamber pots and pans, then leaned against the wall and began to retch. As he vomited, he rummaged in his sleeve pocket and pulled out a sachet to cover his nose.

Zhou Zhao glanced at Min Cangzhi with schadenfreude, "Min Wenshu, why don't you smell this car to see if there's a bloody smell?"

Min Zangzhi didn't answer, but Han Ze, who was standing to the side, looked at him with bright eyes and said, "Brother Zangzhi, your nose is really amazing. It's even more amazing than the dog my father raised."

Once Min Zangzhi had recovered her senses, she glared at Han Ze through gritted teeth.

He added that he could follow the smell to find the cart that dumps night soil, and then bring the Northern Army over.

"If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute. Even the chickens and dogs in the city are lifted up; having you is enough."

Han Ze chuckled, "You think so too, right? But we're not in conflict, after all, I'm in the Northern Army, and Brother Cangzhi, you're in the Court of Justice. If you like being a dog, I can be a chicken."

Min Zangzhi looked at Han Ze as if he were an idiot. He was just wasting his breath talking to a brick wall. Really!
Hearing Min Cangzhi's defeat, Zhou Zhao felt a surge of satisfaction. She still remembered how he had caused Chu You to be injured and heartbroken.

However, she didn't actually intend to let Min Zangzhi go forward to check. That guy was unavailable, and it wouldn't be appropriate if something unexpected happened.

As Zhou Zhao pondered, the dagger slipped from her hand. She stepped forward, intending to lift the lid of the carriage, but before she could move, Su Changying pulled her back and flicked her long sword towards the lid.

Zhou Zhao's eyes flickered, and he said to Su Changying, "Choose the bottom."

Su Changying was taken aback. Following Zhou Zhao's instructions, she used her longsword to strike the bottom of the night-fragrant cart. With a crack, the bottom cover shattered into pieces, and the expected scene of foul water flowing out did not occur.

However, a bloodstained corpse fell down along with the broken bottom.

Su Changying's eyes turned cold as she looked on. "Keep searching. Don't let anyone escape!"