Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 328 My Murder Was All Your Fault
Zhou Zhao had no doubt about Su Changying's abilities.

However, since the murderer has not yet been caught, she will not be able to sleep at all even if she goes back.

Lin Liniang was indeed very favored. Her residence was the closest to the main courtyard. Several plum trees were planted in the courtyard, and the sound of flowing water could be heard. As soon as you entered the door, you could smell a faint medicinal scent.

The person guarding the gate was none other than Aunt Xi.

Given the commotion caused by the master, how could the servants not know? As soon as Aunt Xi saw Zhou Zhao and the other two enter, she knelt down and prostrated herself on the ground.

"Do you have a portrait of Bai Li at home? Especially for his birthday banquet?"

Aunt Xi was startled and looked up hesitantly.

"Although Imperial Censor Lin told Li Niang to break off all ties with Bai Li, I know she must still be hiding something. Bring the portrait here."

Aunt Xi's pupils contracted sharply. She instinctively covered the area where her heart was, looking at Zhou Zhao in disbelief. "Does Your Excellency possess the extraordinary ability to read minds?"

Even though she hadn't said a word, Zhou Zhao already knew why she was hesitating.

He is simply not a human being!
As she spoke, she didn't dare wait for Zhou Zhao's reply and hurriedly went into the house. She had two maids carry out a small box, which, when opened, was filled with scrolls of paintings. Aunt Xi picked up the longest one and unfolded it in front of Zhou Zhao.

"My lord, this is the birthday painting you requested. It was painted last year, when my daughter had just married into the family. At that time, Mr. Bai was favored by His Majesty and was riding high. His birthday banquet was attended by many important figures from Chang'an."

Zhou Zhao looked closely and realized that the painting was almost identical to the mule's birthday picture they had seen before, except that it was much more normal.

Bai Li was dressed elegantly, holding a jade flute in his hand. He looked like a handsome young man. Among the guests, there were several familiar faces they had met before.

"Load the stuff up, let's go. The sooner the better. We need to arrest them, the sooner the better."

Seeing that Zhou Zhao had no intention of leaving, Su Changying shook his head helplessly. He looked at Aunt Xi, who was somewhat trembling with fear, and asked, "Do you have a hand warmer?"

Aunt Xi was taken aback for a moment, but quickly came to her senses. She jogged into the house, took out a hand warmer, and handed it to Su Changying.

Su Changying took it and put it in Zhou Zhao's hand, saying, "I will send someone to return it tomorrow. Thank you."

……

"General, we've checked every household in the northern route, and no one has seen Bai Li..."

“An old woman on the south road kindly took him in and even cooked him a bowl of noodle soup. Bai Li left him some money and then left. No one has seen him since…”

"No one has seen the western route..."

“Someone on the east road heard suspicious footsteps and saw someone who looked like the alley elder, but then they disappeared.”

Su Changying listened to the report from the Northern Army soldiers, her brows furrowed. "Zhaozhao, we've searched the entire area, but we haven't found Bai Li. The gates of this neighborhood are locked, and the streets are full of our people. Bai Li has nowhere to hide."

Zhou Zhao remained silent, lost in thought.

Bai Li has no martial arts skills; he can't fly or disappear into the ground.
“Either someone helped him, or he hid somewhere we didn’t expect,” Zhou Zhao said, stroking the hand warmer in his hand and looking at Su Changying. “If you were him, where would you hide to avoid the search?”

Su Changying's eyes flickered. What if it were him?
"Come with me!" Su Changying said, and in one swift motion, he mounted his horse. He bent down and pulled Zhou Zhao onto the horse, letting her sit sideways in front of him. Then, they galloped back to the alley where they had previously discovered Meng Yannian's body.

That night, the carriage was still leaning against the wall, all alone in the shadows.

Uncle Xiang has been taken to the Court of Justice to give his statement. Ah Chan is bedridden and unable to get up, so the gate to the courtyard is left open.

Su Changying dismounted and drew her long sword from her waist. "If it were me, I would hide in the most dangerous place."

As he spoke, he took a step forward and thrust his long sword fiercely towards the carriage. Min Zangzhi, who had followed on horseback, watched his actions in horror, then covered his mouth and nose, and couldn't help but shout, "No way! Is there really someone hiding in that place?"

That was a night-fragrant carriage. The inner compartment had already been damaged by Su Changying's sword. Where could people hide now?

Min Zangzhi felt his stomach churning just thinking about it.

He looked at Zhou Zhao with a deathly pale face, and seeing that her expression had not changed at all, he was terrified.

Is that human being?
No wonder they were able to become court historians so quickly, and Su Changying was able to take full control of the Northern Army so quickly; they are simply inhuman!
The murderer would hide in a car full of night-scented cigarettes... Is that something a human could even imagine?

Min Cangzhi turned his head away, not daring to look. He only heard a loud bang, followed by a muffled groan. When he turned back, he saw Su Changying standing in the middle of the alley, with a boy dressed in coarse linen clothes under his feet.

The longsword in his hand plunged directly into the young man's right shoulder, and a bloodstained dagger lay scattered not far from the young man.

The suffocating smell filled the entire alley.

Min Cangzhi stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Su Changying had indeed guessed correctly. After escaping, Bai Li returned to the Night Fragrance Carriage and waited for dawn.

Riding on horseback, Zhou Zhao quietly observed everything in the alley. "Bai Li, you really are good at playing the 'blind spot' trick. Why did you kill them? They had no grudge against you."

Upon hearing Zhou Zhao's voice, Bai Li abruptly raised his head, staring intently at Zhou Zhao before speaking in a sinister tone.

"Lord Zhou, shouldn't you be asking yourself this question? You were the one who told me that castration could save me from the death penalty. If it weren't for you, how could I have become this inhuman and ghostly state... I didn't kill them; I just didn't want them to suffer, so I sent them on their way."

They were all my honored guests, dressed in fine clothes and looking very respectable, just like before.

This is the time they most want to return to in their midnight dreams. I am not killing people; I am helping them escape their suffering and make their dreams come true.

If we must blame someone for their deaths, then it should be you, Lord Zhou, who should be blamed.

As Bai Li spoke, her expression suddenly twisted as if she had just thought of something. "Zhou Zhao, you don't recognize me, do you?"

"We were both prisoners in the Court of Judicial Review back then, do you remember? This world is truly laughable. In just a few months, I've lost everything, while you've become an official in the Court of Judicial Review... Lord Zhou, you wouldn't be so unwilling to acknowledge an old friend, would you?"

Zhou Zhao dismounted.

Holding the hand warmer, she walked towards Bai Li without avoiding his gaze.

"How could I not remember? After all, cowards like you are not common. I have a good memory, and even though I feel you don't deserve to be remembered, I can't help it, I still remember you well. Blaming heaven and earth but not yourself, you have a certain ability to talk to yourself."