Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 345 Repaying Debts: Yan Junyu
"Who is Abang?"

As Zhou Zhao spoke, his ears twitched, and he listened to the noise coming from in front of the Zhou residence's gate, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

Yan Junyu blinked. "He's a corpse retriever. I heard he's more beautiful than the most beautiful courtesan in Chang'an, and is known as Xie Sanlang, the Water Lily. I heard his younger sister was a concubine in a wealthy family, but she was poisoned and turned into a toad."

Perhaps realizing that his words were ambiguous, Yan Junyu shook his head. "No, it's that his face is covered in pustules, like a toad."

Xie Sanlang didn't know how he used it, but he managed to transfer the poison from his sister to himself.

From then on, there was no more Xie Sanlang, the lotus in the water, only Xie Abang, the toad at the bottom of the well.

Yan Junyu suddenly became angry as he said this.

“I asked around on the way here, and I heard that Abang only came after receiving such a huge gold coin from me.”

This was said with gritted teeth.

Zhou Zhao saw right through his thoughts, "Don't tell me you've taken in someone the size of a fingernail and are now risking your life for them!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Junyu deflated like a punctured balloon, shaking his head. "I don't even have one the size of a fingernail!"

Zhou Zhao was speechless.

Back in Tianying City, she had already witnessed that Yan Junyu was a capable fighter but naive and inexperienced in the ways of the world; in other words, he was easily fooled and foolish.

Her gaze shifted, and she said, "You came because of Yuheng?"

Yan Junyu suddenly looked up, a flash of sadness crossing his eyes, and then gave Zhou Zhao a thumbs up. "Sister Zhao, you are truly amazing! Our Nanyang Yan Clan stands by the sword. As the enforcer of this generation, besides making my aunt confess her crimes, I must also make compensation to her."

She killed her fiancé in Chang'an back then, so we owe her a debt.

I've come to Chang'an to pay off my debts!

So not only did they not get any gold, they also had to pay with their lives.

As he spoke, he noticed Zhou Zhao's hostile gaze, his body trembled, and he immediately waved his hand, "I didn't know he was going to kill Ah Huang. How could I possibly beat him! One slap from him and I'd be nothing but brains!"

Zhou Zhao disagreed. Ah Huang's advantage lay in his strength, but Yan Junyu was a martial artist whose swordsmanship had been honed since childhood. If they were to truly fight, Yan Junyu might not be a match for Ah Huang. However, he had indeed recognized the man and fled immediately.

Yan Junyu indeed harbored no hostility towards them.

"The family that my aunt was betrothed to was surnamed Chen, and his name was Chen Jun. His father, Chen Ao, was the Junshu official under the Grand Minister of Agriculture."

I came to pay off my debt, and he asked me to help them obtain a treasure tonight and kill three people as well.

The original explanation was that the mansion had many servants and retainers, and there was a curfew at night, so it was not advisable to wander around on the streets.

We will follow Abang upstream from the East River, pass through the bottom of the wall and enter the lake, and then wait for the right moment to intercept you after you have obtained the treasure.

However, later, something unexpected happened, and when it was time to take action, they were told that there was no one left in the mansion, so they simply climbed over the wall and entered.

I didn't even know it was the princess's residence, let alone who I was supposed to kill. I followed the orders of the leader of the sixteen men in black, whose name was Tianyi.

Tianyi told us that you were on the lake, so sixteen of them went to besiege you by boat. While you were fighting, Abang and I sneaked to the side of the boat, waiting for an opportunity to kill you and steal your treasure.

I stayed submerged underwater, where the water was all crimson blood. I couldn't see your faces because I was hiding underwater.

"Abang and I haven't even made a move yet, who knew you guys would be so quick, killing all sixteen people..." Zhou Zhao listened attentively. Yan Junyu's words explained why there was a powerful "water ghost" at the scene. The princess had hidden the things at the bottom of the lake, and only she, Su Changying, and Ahuang knew about it.

It turned out that they planned to sneak into the princess's residence by waterway.

Yan Junyu said, scratching his head.

He should have realized it sooner. This way of killing people as easily as slicing melons is exactly what the three great killing gods he had seen in Tianying City had.
"After I came out, I realized that it was the princess's residence! Anyone who opposes Sister Zhao must be a bad person! Now I'm the only survivor, and I'm afraid I'll be hunted down to the ends of the earth."

Zhou Zhao glanced at Yan Junyu indifferently; the boy's eyes were full of excitement and eagerness.

As a member of the martial arts world, he was naturally not afraid of being hunted down.

He came here today only because he was afraid that she would find out about him and he would have a hard time explaining himself, so he took the initiative to come to her door.

"Is there anything wrong with the Chen family?"

Yan Junyu shook his head. "I don't know either! Chen Ao was the transport official, responsible for transporting money and grain from prefectures and other places. He was once attacked by bandits while passing through Nanyang, and my grandfather rescued him. It was through this connection that the marriage alliance came about later."

Otherwise, why would officials like them be willing to marry roughnecks like us?

Although in the end his aunt disliked her husband Chen Jun for being ugly, killed him, and fled to Tianying City to indulge in debauchery and flirt with handsome men... he eventually became the master of Yuheng Hall.

It's all a debt of sin!
"Besides those sixteen men in black, did you send any other men?"

Yan Junyu shook his head, "I don't know either! I only did it to pay off Chen Ao's debts..."

Zhou Zhao looked at the self-righteous fool in front of him and waved his hand speechlessly, "Don't go looking for Chen Ao anymore. Just pretend you're dead. You're just a nobody, no one will hunt you down. If they do, remember to leave clues before you die."

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment and earnestly instructed, "Write the murderer's name directly. Don't be like those idiots who write the murderer's name as... the murderer died before they even wrote it down."

"Sister Zhao, I always feel like you're calling me an idiot."

Zhou Zhao chuckled, "Calling you an idiot isn't an insult, it's just the truth."

Yan Junyu let out a wail and clutched his head.

He was clearly the most impartial and powerful enforcer of family law in the Yan family, so why was he so stupid!
But he dared not say it, after all, the woman in front of him was the one who had taken down Tianying City!

Zhou Zhao reached out and patted Yan Junyu's head. "If you think of anything or discover anything, tell me immediately."

As she spoke, her ears twitched slightly; it was almost time.

Yan Junyu nodded emphatically, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhou Zhao, and then lightly leaped away, disappearing from the spot in an instant.

Zhou Zhao's eyes flashed, and he headed straight for Zhou Buhai's study in the main courtyard.

Yan Junyu had delayed her quite a bit of time. Now the entire Zhou residence was completely quiet, and even the servants had turned off the lights and gone to bed.

Zhou Zhao took light steps, shrinking his pace to an inch, and arrived at his destination in an instant.

The room was lit by a dim yellow light. Zhou Buhai hung up the cloak in his hand. Hearing the door open, he turned around abruptly and saw Zhou Zhao standing in front of the door with his arms crossed.

"Ah Zhao, what brings you here?"

Zhou Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Greetings, Your Majesty. Whose lion doesn't have a tail?"