Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 57 Strange Mission
Xu Qifang winked at Zhou Zhao and gave him a charming smile.

She deftly pulled a parchment from her sleeve and spread it on the long table.

“There is a large mansion to the east of Bei’an County. The task we seven have to do is very simple: bring back something from this mansion.”

Zhou Zhao listened and leaned over to take a look. The parchment scroll contained a simple map of a house.

"Legend has it that the owner of this house was a recluse from the previous dynasty who was skilled in mechanical arts. Therefore, this mansion is full of traps and cannot be entered by ordinary people. However, you are all skilled people personally selected by the hall masters. You are all very capable and will be safe."

“I’ve already done a preliminary reconnaissance, and what we’re looking for is hidden here.”

As Xu Qifang spoke, she confidently pointed to the very center of the parchment scroll, where she had placed a red dot with cinnabar.

"As you can all see, this is an ordinary martial arts arena. There is a mechanism here that requires six people to trigger it simultaneously in six different locations in order to break it. These six locations are clearly marked by me."

“We took the item quietly and brought it back to Tianying City, and that was the end of it.”

She briefly explained the task, then obediently shrank back to Ye Xuan's side and remained silent.

Ye Xuan stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces. "You are all trusted confidants of your respective hall masters. Some are his disciples, and some are the designated next hall masters. This task may seem simple, but it is actually a test from the seven inner halls. I urge you all to take it seriously and not fail."

"The Seven Inner Halls?" The boy with the little tiger teeth couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his eyes sparkling.

The others also changed color and became serious.

Zhou Zhao was also shocked. Was this not Ye Xuan's arrangement, but a mission from the Inner Seven Halls?

If it's as simple as just retrieving something, why do the four outer halls each need to select people to cooperate?
Xu Qifang had figured everything out clearly, even knowing how to solve the mechanisms. Why would Ye Xuan tell Ye Bai that Xuanwu Hall had no one more suitable than Zhou Zhao for such a simple task?

There must be something fishy about this trip.

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment, then looked at everyone and saw that they were all beaming with joy, almost unable to contain their excitement, and seemed to have no suspicions whatsoever.

Ye Xuan nodded and stroked his beard. "That's right. If the mission is completed well, it's not impossible to be directly selected into the Inner Seven Halls. It's getting late. Qi Fang led the way earlier; she's most familiar with the terrain and mechanisms."

"You will follow her instructions for this mission. We old folks will prepare a celebratory banquet and wait for your return."

Xu Qifang clasped his hands in a fist salute to the four hall masters, and took out a black cloth strip to blindfold himself.

Seeing this, Zhou Zhao followed her example and tied up the black cloth strip.

This time, we didn't take the same route we came by.

They didn't go up the steps, but instead kept moving through the passageway. No one spoke; apart from the occasional popping of torches, the only sounds were the footsteps and breathing of the group.

Without turning back, Zhou Zhao sensed that the terrain was beginning to change after walking for a short while.

Although it wasn't obvious, she was certain they were climbing a hill.

Suddenly, the air became fresh, and Zhou Zhao could even feel the night breeze blowing through her hair. She could smell the fresh scent of the wilderness and forest.

Zhou Zhao pursed his lips. They left the city!
These underground caves and passageways aren't just in Ye Xuan's mansion; they're hidden beneath Tianying City! Are they only on the Xuanwu Gate side, or are they also underground in other branches? Or perhaps, are they all underground in Tianying City?

Zhou Zhao felt a chill run down his spine as he thought about it.

The Coffin Cave, the Six Paths Heavenly Book, and this underground passage—what secrets does Tianying City hold?
“You can take it off now.” Zhou Zhao heard Xu Qifang’s voice and removed the black cloth covering her eyes. She guessed correctly; they had already left Tianying City and could see the closed city gates of Tianying City not far away when they turned around.

The seven of them stood in the dark wilderness, as insignificant as ants.

Ye Bai, who was supposed to lead the way, wasn't there. Zhou Zhao turned her head to the side, and Liu Huang stood right next to her like a shadow.

A warmth spread through her heart, and out of the corner of her eye, she sensed a fleeting presence in the jungle.

"Who!" Xu Qifang looked sharply in that direction, and a sparrow was startled and flew away at her shout.

Xu Qifang breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked at everyone. "Let's go! We shouldn't delay any longer, or we'll miss the opportunity."

Timing? What timing?
Zhou Zhao keenly sensed something was amiss. Ye Bai had previously said that Ye Xuan would return at Hai Shi (9-11 PM), and the impatient guy in the underground cave was also asking about some time.

Is this task also related to timing?

Before she could think it over, Xu Qifang had already taken a deep breath and, without saying a word, used her lightness skill to speed away.

Zhou Zhao grabbed Liu Huang's hand and quickly followed.

……

Beian County belonged to Dai Prefecture and was the closest small town in the Dai Kingdom to Tianying City.

The city walls here are not high, and most of them are made of loess. It is already late, and many of the soldiers guarding the city are dozing off.

The seven people did not linger. They found a gap and climbed over the city wall, then headed straight to the east. Before long, they saw a secluded mansion with the words "Xu Residence" written on it.

There is a large river in front of this house, and a locust tree and a willow tree are planted on the riverbank. Because they are so close together, they look as if they are intertwined, which looks a bit eerie.

The gate was wide open, and the courtyard was pitch black, without a single spark.

Zhou Zhao stopped at the door. She and Liu Huang exchanged a glance, both of them looking serious.

They smelled the all-too-familiar stench of blood, a stench so strong it was almost impossible to mask.

"Xu Qifang, I feel something's not right. I'm afraid it might be a trap. Should we still go in?"

The person who spoke was the scholar holding the book. He looked warily toward the door, but it was early July, the moonlight was dim, and without any lights, he could not see anything at all. Instead, the shadowy figures made him feel uneasy.

"Of course we have to go in. In the eyes of ordinary people, we people from Tianying City are like demons and monsters. Why would we be afraid of ghosts? If you're timid, I can carry you. Anyway, I'm going. This is a mission from the Inner Seven Halls."

When the boy with tiger teeth mentioned the Inner Seven Halls, his voice couldn't help but become a few decibels louder.

A struggle flashed in the scholar's eyes. He took a step forward and rushed in before the others. Just as he entered, he suddenly cried out!

"Ghost! Ghost! Ghost..."

Zhou Zhao and Liu Huang exchanged a glance, then lightly leaped into the courtyard.

Directly opposite, there was a bronze cauldron, and on top of it were three bloody heads...