Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 52 The Five Elements Lack Metal
The old master stroked his beard with satisfaction.

The remaining arm was bulging, with veins standing out, and the power it contained seemed about to burst forth.

Zhou Zhao couldn't help but gasp in amazement. If this old man had been punched by Huang Sanbai and Zhang Miaoshou, it probably would have cracked their skulls open.

Seeing that the old master intended to see them off, the three chieftains bowed and left, sweating profusely. As soon as they stepped outside, a wave of heat hit them, as if trying to drain them dry.

Huang Sanbai glared fiercely at Zhang Miaoshou, then strode away without saying a word.

Zhang Miaoshou sneered as she watched his retreating figure, "He's about to die, what's there to be proud of? He might not even see the sun rise tomorrow."

As he spoke, he looked at Cheng Yuyuan and Zhou Zhao with a complicated expression, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two of them, "It seems that the position of hall master is rightfully yours. Our Heavenly Maiden did not obtain the treasure of Yuyang; it was all taken by the Dai Army. If it were you, Tian Dou, you would certainly not have let such a great opportunity slip by."

As Zhang Miaoshou finished speaking, her gaze hardened, and a hint of apology appeared on her face.

"But in the end, it is true that we violated the rules of the hall first and should not have touched your goods. I recently acquired a box of very valuable jewelry and ornaments. In the entire Tianying City, only Chief Cheng would be able to wear them properly. I will have someone deliver them to you in a little while as an apology."

"We, the Heavenly Maidens, are of the same spirit and share the same breath. We watch over and help each other; we are brothers and sisters."

Cheng Yuyuan glanced at Zhou Zhao, and seeing that she did not object, her displeasure softened a bit. She said without ceremony, "Then I will accept it."

Zhang Miaoshou secretly clenched his fist. This time, he had truly lost both his wife and his army!

Cheng Yuyuan always maintained the airs of a noble lady from a prominent family, never stooping to scheming, and even when seeking a living, she would only openly steal! He originally thought that Cheng Yuyuan was straightforward and not good at arguing, and if he pinned the identity of the spy on her, he would still have a chance to turn the tables.

Not only did Ke Cheng Yu Yuan strike first, but she also sowed discord between him and Huang San Bai. She even learned to flatter and sow discord in front of the old leader, making the other two strongholds look like idiots and stinking dogs.

The fact that the old master put Cheng Yuyuan in charge means that the overall situation is settled and that Tian Dou has won!
This kind of ruthless and unscrupulous wind was clearly blown by the strategist named Zhou Zhao beside me!
This girl looks so young and innocent, but she actually has a bewitching aura!

Zhang Miaoshou thought for a moment, then his eyes flickered, and he said to Zhou Zhao, "Miss Zhou has become the disciple of the old hall master, and will be the young master of our Xuanwu Hall from now on. I have prepared some small gifts..."

Trying to sow discord, huh? He can do that too!

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Zhou Zhao looking at him with bright eyes. She said without any politeness, "Thank you so much! There's something that has been bothering me for a long time. My father has embezzled a lot of money. The bed I have at home is made of wood on the outside, but it's made of gold on the inside."

"When I was born, the fortune teller calculated that I lacked the element of metal in my Five Elements and needed to supplement it later in life. But now that I've come to Tianying City, the metal I had supplemented is now severely lacking again! I haven't been able to sleep for several nights in a row!"

Zhang Miaoshou stared in disbelief, his earlier smugness from his mischief frozen on his face.

You motherfucker!

Look at you, your complexion is rosy, you're so energetic, you look like you could take down a tiger with your bare hands, you don't look like you haven't slept for several nights!

I'm lacking the element of metal in my Five Elements! Every pore of my body is lacking the element of metal, otherwise how could I do those swindling and cheating things?

"Oh! It's not okay? If it's not okay, then forget it."

Cheng Yuyuan, who was standing to the side, understood what was going on and smiled at Zhou Zhao, "Congratulations, Miss Zhou, on finding a famous teacher. I can't afford a golden bed, but I did happen to get a golden jade crown, which I will send directly to the hall master's mansion in a while."

Zhang Miaoshou wanted to sow discord between her and Zhou Zhao.

He didn't know that her life belonged to Zhou Zhao.

As Cheng Yuyuan spoke, she gave Zhang Miaoshou a meaningful look. Zhang Miaoshou gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Why not! I don't have a golden bed, but I have gold!" As he spoke, he practically glided away as if he had oil on his feet.

After Zhang Miaoshou had walked away, Zhou Zhao asked Cheng Yuyuan in a low voice as they walked, "Did the old master ever take on any disciples or recruit anyone into his household?"

Cheng Yuyuan shook her head. "No, this is the first time."

As if remembering something, she hesitated and said, "Didn't I tell you before that the old leader had a daughter who was about the same age as me, and that's why he treated me differently? Actually, when I first became the leader of the Heavenly Struggle Village, the old leader intended to take me in as his goddaughter the moment he saw me."

"But he gave up later, I guess because he found out I don't know martial arts."

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "If we're talking about taking people into the household, only Zhang Miaoshou has ever sent him beauties. But the head of the hall isn't a lecherous man, and it was only that one time."

Zhou Zhao nodded, not disappointed.

She looked ahead and saw that the area in front of Tiandou Village was bustling with activity. Han Dashan was standing on the drum platform, his face so red that it looked like it could bleed!
"Dashan! Teach this arrogant brat a lesson! He's gone too far, not even drawing his sword!"

"Exactly! If a feather fan can slap you like that, then you're not even as good as a chicken!"

Han Dashan was filled with shame and indignation. The louder he had mocked Zhu Wu when Zhou Zhao was picking on the flag, the louder the mockery he heard now was.

It's true what they say, retribution may be delayed, it's just that the time hasn't come yet!

Zhou Zhao's heart stirred. Together with Cheng Yuyuan, they parted the crowd and walked to the edge of the arena. Upon closer inspection, they saw a tall, thin young man standing opposite Han Dashan. His hair was tied up with a black cloth, and he carried a bundle on his back and had a long sword hanging at his waist.

In his hand, he held a feather fan.

Min Zangzhi's fans in the capital were incredibly ornate, gleaming with a luster. But this one looked as if it had just been pulled from a chicken's rear end. If it fell during a fight, you could just roll it up and use it as a shuttlecock for a child!

Who else could be holding that low-class feather fan but Qianmian!

Zhou Zhao couldn't help but smile as she looked at him. He really was here to be her fanboy, even preparing a feather fan!

Han Dashan spotted Zhou Zhao in the audience and his eyes lit up instantly. A timely help! What does "a timely help" mean?

He quickly put down his weapon and excitedly shouted, "Chief! Third Master! Sister Zhao!"

That cry of "Sister Zhao" echoed through the air, and Zhou Zhao heard countless plea for help in it!

She found it amusing, and with a light leap, she stepped onto the ring. "How about I have a match with you? If I win, you'll stay by my side from now on, okay?"

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he stared at Qianmian's face for a moment and clicked his tongue twice.

Han Dashan was overjoyed and wanted nothing more than to kowtow to Zhou Zhao, at least he had saved face! But when he saw Zhou Zhao's shrewd expression, Han Dashan's eyes darted around, and he suddenly realized what was going on!

He cleared his throat and said in a loud voice, "Follow our Sister Zhao, and you'll live the high life!"

Upon hearing this, none of the brothers dared to disobey, and they all shouted loudly, "Follow Sister Zhao, and you'll live the high life!"

Hearing the overwhelming shouts, Zhou Zhao almost choked on her own saliva. It wasn't that she just wanted to tease her senior and recruit a fan-wielding follower! Why did Han Dashan act like a female bully forcibly taking a man from the common people?
As she was thinking, she saw Qianmian rushing over with gritted teeth. This time, he didn't use the feather fan, but instead suddenly drew his sword and stabbed it towards Zhou Zhao's chest.

Looking at her, he could tell that she was genuinely angry and embarrassed. Zhou Zhao thought of how angry she looked when she was stabbed while playing Zhu Li in Chang'an. He couldn't help but sigh that, in terms of acting, she was far inferior to Qianmian!
As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise, and meticulous work is meticulous work.