Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 352 A Special Survivor

Gong Ling covered her mouth, took several steps back, and almost fell to the ground.

After a long pause, he finally recovered. "Does Lord Zhou mean that someone kidnapped A-Huan last night to steal the seal, and then killed him to silence him after getting the item? Does this humble servant know who that person was?"

Zhou Zhao shook his head. "It's still unclear at the moment."

As she spoke, she moved closer to the corpse on the bed.

Although Ah Huang was not present, she could still conduct a preliminary autopsy.

"There's only one fatal wound, in the chest. It was a sword wound that killed me instantly. Do you see the pink powder on the wound?"

Zhou Zhao turned his head to look at Su Changying, raised his hand and pointed to the wound on his chest, where there were scattered pink powders on the dark bloodstains.

Su Changying nodded. "This pink powder proves that the murderer is the same person from last night. He threw away pink pills, which didn't distinguish between friend and foe. They got on his sleeves and longsword, and then transferred to the victim."

"Only two people live in the courtyard. One is Master Gong, the seal maker, who must know where the extra pair of bronze lions are; the other is his apprentice, who is not yet allowed to enter the Prince's residence and has not yet completed his apprenticeship..."

If you were a murderer desperately needing a seal to cover your tracks, who would you choose to take hostage?

Upon hearing Zhou Zhao's question, Su Changying replied without hesitation, "Choose Master Gong. After obtaining the goods, silence both of them."

"If I were him, I would have done the same."

Gong Ling, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but shiver as she listened.

No, you two are an official from the Court of Justice and a commander of the Northern Army, do you even know what you're saying?

Why are the thoughts of the two of you even more ruthless than those of the murderer?

Gong Ling covered his mouth and couldn't help but take a few steps back, tripping over the incense burner near the door. But he didn't stop until his back was pressed against the wall, only then did he feel a little safe.

Zhou Zhao noticed his movements and his eyes fell on the incense burner.

No wonder they didn't notice the smell of blood when they entered the courtyard. Firstly, her attention was entirely focused on Gong Ling, and secondly, the murderer had placed an incense burner at the door to mask the smell inside the house.

"We're just putting ourselves in the killer's shoes. Don't panic. We won't kill you to silence you, and we've even sent people to protect you, haven't we?"

Gong Ling was still somewhat apprehensive. Protect him? That silly old man who called crickets "straw mats"?

"So isn't it strange? Why did the murderer go to such lengths, choosing Gong Huan instead of silencing Master Gong, and only killing Gong Huan? He had no reason to go to such lengths unless he had a compelling reason to do so."

What we can be certain of is that the murderer was very familiar with Master Gong, and even knew that Gong Huan also knew where Yu Pin was hidden.

I previously thought Gong Huan was an inside man, but now that I've seen his body, it's clear he wasn't.

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he looked Gong Ling up and down, making the old man look like a frightened bird, wishing he could flap his wings and fly away immediately.

Perhaps it's because this old man is unyielding in the face of power?

Zhou Zhao curled his lip. "Obviously, you have many misunderstandings about yourself."

As soon as she gave her number, the old man answered her questions without reservation, even taking her directly to get the seal. This showed that he had too much bloodshed in the past and had lost the desire to resist powerful customers.

If someone held a sword to his neck, he would obey without hesitation.

Gong Ling dared not speak. He glanced at Gong Huan's corpse on the bed, then turned his head away, his eyes reddening.

Zhou Zhao looked at him thoughtfully. So what was so special about Gong Ling? This old man was quite strong and tall. Upon closer inspection, he had striking features, but his nose was red and looked somewhat like a garlic bulb.

There are many craftsmen in the Shaofu (Imperial Household Department), so what makes Gong Ling special?
"In Chang'an, is there anyone who particularly admires your craftsmanship?" Zhou Zhao asked. "Do you know who His Majesty bestowed your lion emblem upon?"

Gong Ling hesitated for a moment before saying, "There are two large bronze lions in the Third Prince's residence, which are my masterpieces; the carved birdcage in the Marquis of Huaiyang's residence is also my work; I made a set of twelve seals for the Prime Minister, which I heard were given to his students."

"Of course, if Prefect Han didn't value my skills, he wouldn't have asked me to carve the bronze lion seal."

He thought for a moment and then said, "Actually, there is another person, Zhou Yan, the elder brother of Lord Zhou, who once asked me to build a mechanical bronze tower."

Zhou Zhao's eyes widened in surprise, "A mechanical bronze tower?"

Gong Ling nodded, "Yes, but unfortunately, while we were still discussing the blueprints, he... and the tower was never built. At the time, Lord Zhou said he wanted to give it to his newlywed wife, Chu You..."

"So it was before the Shanming Changyang case, how long before that?"

Gong Ling thought for a moment and said, "It should be half a year. I remember he came to find me in winter. So it was delayed for a while because of the New Year. Then Lord Zhou was busy with his work, and the mechanism was very complicated, requiring many delicate copper parts, which was a very difficult task."

So we discussed it many times, but in the end we still didn't finalize the draft..."

Zhou Zhao was momentarily stunned. "Do you have that blueprint?"

Gong Ling nodded and jogged into the room where the treasure was hidden. He then took out a piece of silk. Zhou Zhao opened it and saw that it was indeed a picture of the mechanical bronze tower. She could even see that the elegant handwriting on it was from Zhou Yan.

"Master, could you please give this to me?"

"I am unworthy of being called a master by Lord Zhou. This old man is now advanced in years and his eyesight is failing, so he can no longer create such exquisite things. It is best to return it to its rightful owner."

Zhou Zhao tucked the silk into his pocket.

Her brows furrowed even more.

At first glance, the design of the bronze pagoda doesn't seem particularly special, suggesting that Zhou Yan, the older brother, genuinely wanted to win Chu You's favor. Although he wasn't particularly warm or affectionate, he was very sincere and loved those around him wholeheartedly.

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment, then shook his head and turned his attention back to the case.

“The seal was bestowed by the emperor, and not everyone would carry it with them. My father’s seal, for example, was always kept in his study. But the murderer always carried it with him.”

That's why she asked Gong Ling if there was anyone who particularly appreciated his craftsmanship.

So, is this the reason why Gong Ling survived?
It's too weak.

If their previous assumptions are correct, the murderer is a high-ranking official who is decisive and ruthless.

His ruthless killing of Zhou Yan, his subsequent murder for treasure tonight, and his killing of Gong Huan demonstrate his cruelty. Would such a person spare a craftsman's life in an emergency simply because he admires the craftsman's creation?

As soon as he escaped, he noticed that the tail of the seal had fallen off. With his abilities, it wasn't hard for him to guess that she and Su Changying would immediately go to the palace to deliver the secret and report on what happened that night.

His Majesty will surely avoid any unforeseen complications and immediately investigate those eight bronze lions.

Time is too tight.

"Is there anyone close to Gong Huan who knows where your things are hidden?"

Gong Ling shook her head. "Gong Huan hasn't finished his apprenticeship yet. I only let him take on some small jobs to practice, all under my supervision. He won't tell anyone. He's usually quiet and doesn't have any friends."