Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 83 Encountering Danger in the Blood Pool

Qin Tianying's internal strength was too profound.

She, Su Changying, and Liu Huang are all too young; even if they were together, they wouldn't be a match for him.

Zhou Zhao pursed her lips tightly and remained silent, worried that if she cried out in pain, Su Changying would be unable to resist coming to her rescue.

If Su Changying comes to Tianying City in three years, why would he need to save Chen Qifu to become the head of Yaoguang Hall, or why would he need to win over Tianquan and Xu Yuan and form alliances? He could just draw his sword and start a chaotic massacre!

Why bother slowly charging from the outer city into the inner city? She could simply sneak in at midnight and behead Qin Tianying and the leaders of the Seven Inner Halls. Hang the wine flags at the city gate, and what insect would dare utter a sound?

Unfortunately, they arrived too early.

As Zhou Zhao thought about it, a metallic taste rose in his throat, and his shoulders and internal organs ached so much that tears welled up in his eyes.

She slightly raised her eyes and saw the long boots of Tianquan and Yuheng approaching. Zhou Zhao suddenly raised her hand and sprang up. The old man Tianquan gave her a complicated look, and with a slight turn of his hand, the green fish dagger was already in his sleeve pocket.

"Zhou Zhao, you have harmed so many brothers in Tianying City, you deserve to die. Do you think you can outmaneuver the city lord with your meager skills? Young man, don't think you're so great just because you have some ability."

As Tianquan spoke, he twisted Zhou Zhao's arm and put her hands behind her back.

Zhou Zhao took a deep breath, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.

Seeing Zhou Zhao endure the excruciating pain without uttering a sound, a hint of admiration flashed in Tianquan's eyes. He had also been attacked by Qin Tianying's move before, and had screamed in pain for three days. Yet this sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl in front of him was able to not utter a sound.

Regardless of whether she was a henchman of the imperial court.

As a member of the underworld, she was truly admirable for her toughness.

Qin Tianying glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, then looked away. He said coldly, "Kaiyang, you and Yaoguang go down the mountain to capture the mute man wearing a straw hat next to Zhou Zhao."

Su Changying tightened his grip on his sleeve, sheathed his longsword, and together with Kaiyang, cupped their hands in greeting and bowed, saying, "Yes."

After giving his instructions, Qin Tianying led the mechanic into the house, and Tianquan and Yuheng followed with Zhou Zhao.

After passing through the main hall, the group entered Qin Tianying's bedroom. Compared to the simplicity outside, the room was furnished with a bronze pine and crane incense burner, and the bed was covered with a fine brocade quilt embroidered with longevity patterns. Even the table next to it was decorated with extraordinary wolf-hair brushes and silk.

On the headboard was a pearl about the size of an egg.

Qin Tianying rubbed the pearl three and a half times to the left, then twice to the right, and then half a time to the left. Suddenly, a circular pit appeared at the foot of the bed.

Zhou Zhao bit her lip, trying to stay awake and memorize everything she saw.

Qin Tianying and the mechanic jumped down one after the other without hesitation. Yuheng and Tianquan exchanged a glance, then helped Zhou Zhao up and jumped down after them.

Upon landing, Zhou Zhao staggered a few steps and nearly lost his balance.

She glanced around and was shocked to find that Qin Tianying's bedroom was directly above the blood pool. The thought filled her with dread.

Luckily, they were fortunate that they didn't encounter Qin Tianying opening the mechanism and jumping down during their two visits to the cave, otherwise they would have run right into her.

As she was thinking, she suddenly felt another sharp pain in her shoulder. Qin Tianying's five fingers pinched the bloody hole he had previously created, and he twisted it hard. Zhou Zhao gasped, and the sweat on her forehead dripped into her eyelashes from the pain.

"Perfect timing! My blood pool needs a powerful sacrifice. Who could be more vigorous than these Legalist butchers? You agree, Zang Zang!"

When Qin Tianying said the last two words, he suddenly exerted force and pressed Zhou Zhao directly towards the blood pool.

Zhou Zhao was horrified! This was exactly what it meant to lift a rock only to drop it on one's own foot!

Last night, she and Liu Huang thought they had come up with a brilliant idea to poison Qin Tianying, so they poured some into this blood pool. They never expected that Zhou Zhao would be poisoned to death by her own actions! This is just too shameful!

Thinking this, she suddenly twisted and used all her strength to wrap herself around Qin Tianying, pulling the old man into the blood pool!

Even if Zhou Zhao dies, she will take Qin Tianying with her on her journey to the underworld!
Everyone was caught off guard by Zhou Zhao's sudden action. Yu Heng reached out to grab something, but grasped at nothing.

Zhou Zhao acted like a weight, pulling Qin Tianying down with all his might.

With everything in front of him turning blood red, Qin Tianying came to her senses and kicked Zhou Zhao hard. Then she floated upwards. Zhou Zhao groaned and slid a coffin nail out of his sleeve, then stabbed it into Qin Tianying's leg.

She used all her strength, but Qin Tianying was most likely skilled in external martial arts; once the coffin nail was driven in a third of the way, she couldn't push it any further.

Qin Tianying cried out in pain, slapped Zhou Zhao again, and then leaped up to the surface of the water.

Zhou Zhao was struck so hard that her strength was suddenly broken, and blood rushed in, causing her to cough uncontrollably. She couldn't hold it in any longer and tried to push herself up to float, but then she heard a snap and her feet were locked in place.

Her expression changed, and she felt the water ripple and spread.

Zhou Zhao bit her tongue to keep her mind clear. She was right; the seventh mechanism pillar was hidden in this pool of blood.

It seems her foot has touched the mechanism, and she's been locked up as a sacrifice. Now the mechanism pillar is about to rise.

As Zhou Zhao pondered, her eyes flickered, and she suddenly lost her strength. As if flowing with the waves, her hands and feet touched the mechanism pillar. Then, there were three more clicking sounds, and she was completely tied to the mechanism pillar, rising up with it.

Completely soaked, Qin Tianying was nowhere to be seen with her usual calm and collected demeanor.

His beard was plastered to his chin and dripping with water, and he had a bloody hole in his calf, making him look extremely disheveled.

Qin Tianying glared angrily at Zhou Zhao and raised his palm to strike her. Upon seeing this, Zhou Zhao thought to herself, "Oh no, could it be that Qin Tianying has killed her with one palm strike?"

No, it's not July 15th yet.

She thought to herself, then sneered, "You want to kill me? What, you have a better sacrifice? Don't tell me you only have those few crooks under your command? Pshaw, they wouldn't even make a sound if you threw them into the water. You think you can get divine favor and grant yourself immortality? Don't laugh your head off."

Qin Tianying's expression changed, and he stared intently at Zhou Zhao.

"You have some nerve. You better pray that your life is as tough as your mouth."

Zhou Zhao's voice was a little weak, but his spirit was not weak at all. "Don't worry, my life is much tougher than your old bones that are about to turn to dust! Be careful when you jump up later, don't turn yourself into pieces!"

Qin Tianying's face turned ashen. He didn't say anything more, lightly touched the ground with his feet, and flew back.

Upon seeing this, the mechanic looked up at the height, shook his head, and walked straight toward the exit of the stone wall.

Yuheng and Tianquan looked at each other, unsure of what to do. After thinking for a moment, they followed the mechanic.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent, leaving only Zhou Zhao near the blood pool.

She could clearly hear the dripping sound of her blood falling into the pool.

She let out a long sigh of relief, then belatedly realized that they hadn't been poisoned. Why was that? Ah Huang's medicine couldn't be wrong, so why was the poison gone? It was good that they weren't dead, but why?