Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 40 A Rabbit Ear
Xu Lizhun would never forget this voice. He moved the dagger a little bit and poked his head out from behind Rong Wanyin, wanting to see her face.

In the dim light, Xu Lizhun discovered that the person he was holding hostage was actually the person who insulted him that day. It was such a great shame and humiliation that if he didn't take revenge now, when would he take revenge?

Xu Lizhun exclaimed in delight, "Hahahaha, it's you! What a narrow path for enemies! I won't be at a loss if I kill you today!"

Rong Wanyin didn't give him a chance to continue. As he moved the dagger away, she instantly elbowed him, striking him squarely on the nose. Xu Lizhun clutched his nose in pain. The dagger was released, and Rong Wanyin lifted her foot, the instep of her foot sweeping past her right ear and directly into Xu Lizhun's face. The blow sent Xu Lizhun stumbling back several steps, his face bruised and purple. It was a truly spectacular sight.

Rong Wanyin spun around, her arm tangling like a loach, wrapping around Xu Lizhun's. With a gentle tug, she dislodged the arm holding the dagger. The arm gave way, and the dagger fell to the ground. With another backhand, Rong Wanyin subdued him, forcing Xu Lizhun to his knees, his arms restrained and his back pinned by Rong Wanyin's feet. These moves were quick and decisive, leveraging force to leverage the opponent's momentum. A petite girl instantly subdued a powerful young man.

Su Zhan, Mo Yun and Chang Feng were stunned and secretly amazed: Is this Miss Rong so powerful?
Yan Mingzhang's face darkened as he nudged them both: "Why are you still standing there? Go tie him up!"

"Don't move, be quiet! You are too cruel to have killed so many people!" Mo Yun slapped him twice and tied him up like a dumpling.

"Killed many people? I didn't!" Xu Lizhun fell to his knees spinelessly, "Sir, I didn't kill anyone! It's unjust!"

"Didn't you kill Liu Meiqing? Tofu Xishi? And the other two?" Mo Yun was furious. Death was imminent, yet he still tried to argue!

"I... admit that I killed Liu Meiqing, but the others were really not killed by me!" Xu Lizhun was still crying out for injustice. His clothes were disheveled and his belt was tied in a messy knot.

"Wait a minute, he's not lying!" Yan Mingzhang suddenly stopped Mo Yun and pointed at the knot on Xu Lizhun's clothes and said, "A rabbit ear!"

"A rabbit ear?" Everyone was puzzled.

"Do you still remember the bow on the deceased's body?" Yan Mingzhang's breathing became heavier. He was wrong, completely wrong.

"I remember now, they are two symmetrical rabbit ears, the same as the ones I tied, and they are neat and tidy. This shows that the murderer is a serious person. Look at him, the way he tied his clothes is only one rabbit ear!" Rong Wanyin suddenly realized.

Xu Lizhun almost cried out: "It really wasn't me..."

He seemed to suddenly remember something: "It was him, it had to be him! He was the one who framed me! It was Ruwen! When we were drinking together today, I told him that if Xiao Qing'er came to see me and dared to say she didn't want to have anything to do with me, I would kill her. I was in a bad mood and drank a few more glasses. When I woke up, I actually killed Xiao Qing'er. I... I was just saying that out of anger..."

"Don't cry, tell me quickly." Mo Yun was very impatient and kicked Xu Lizhun.

"At that time, Ruwen said that he went to the toilet and found me murdered when he came back. It would be better to put the blame on the murderer of the previous murders. Xiao Qing'er happened to be wearing red-bottomed peony-embroidered shoes. He asked me to cut Xiao Qing'er with a dagger and then hang her at the gate of Yuexiang Tower. But, but, I was really too scared. The blood from Xiao Qing'er's face splashed on my hand. I was so scared that I ran away and even forgot to take the cart. Then I did as Ruwen taught me, took Xiao Qing'er's silver and hid in her room, thinking that when the situation died down, I would... run away... I really didn't lie!"

After listening to this, Yan Mingzhang fell into deep thought, and the clues in his mind finally became a string: "Because of you, the trial was not completed, so he went to slash Liu Meiqing's face again, but his shoes were lost, and the body couldn't be hung on the gate due to rigor mortis, and he couldn't even lie flat. The trial is not complete, he will continue! Next, who will be the next one?" "Showing up in public, unfaithful to one's husband, wearing red-bottomed peony embroidered shoes..." Rong Wanyin searched for someone the murderer might know.

"Xiuniang!" Yan Mingzhang and Rong Wanyin shouted in unison, "Quick! Go to Yuexianglou!"

Everyone figured out why there were still a series of footprints pacing around Liu Meiqing. It was because the murderer was waiting for Xiuniang! But because Xiuniang went to the nearby town to buy mountain products on the 15th of every month, she was away the last time and had escaped the murder! But not every time was so lucky!

Rong Wanyin jumped on her horse and headed straight for Yuexiang Tower. Only Xiuniang was in Yuexiang Tower at night!

"Mo Yun, let's catch up quickly! Changfeng, call more people and don't let him run away!" Yan Mingzhang also jumped on the horse and followed closely with Mo Yun.

----

"Crash" was the sound of wine jars breaking in the backyard.

"Who? Who's there?" Xiuniang, draped in a coat, held a kerosene lamp, the wind making the small flame flicker. Her voice seemed swallowed by the darkness, no echo, only the whistling of the night wind. It was so quiet...

Xiuniang walked into the yard and saw a wine jar in the yard was broken and the wine was spilled all over the floor. Xiuniang frowned slightly, feeling very distressed. All this wine was brewed by her own hands and it was almost time to serve it, but it broke at this moment.

Xiuniang turned to grab a broom and sweep up the debris when a hemp rope suddenly snarled around her neck. The sudden pain and suffocation nearly made her faint. She collapsed to the ground, struggling to pick up a shard of pottery and, with all her might, lashed at the hands that were strangling her. The rope loosened in the man's grip in pain, allowing Xiuniang to untie it from her neck and try to escape into the house.

But before she could even shout for help, someone grabbed her arm. She turned around and saw the man's face clearly in the mottled moonlight.

"It's you! Zhao Ruwen!" Xiuniang's eyes widened in surprise. "Why? We have no grudges against each other..."

"Who told you to be unfaithful to your husband? You're out in public every day, seducing men! I'm here to judge you!" Zhao Ruwen's grip tightened, his eyes bloodshot, almost insane. Suddenly, his tone softened, like coaxing a child, "Be good, don't move, that's perfect. Don't worry, it will be quick."

Zhao Ruwen pushed Xiuniang against the wall and strangled her slender neck with one hand. Her feet were almost off the ground. This man was actually born with supernatural strength: "If it weren't for that idiot, he would have messed up my sacrifice! Originally, I wanted to keep you on the first day, but now I'm still short of a sacrifice on the fifteenth."

Xiuniang was so frightened that she couldn't even scream, and just let the tears flow down her face.

The dagger was hanging high, and was about to pierce Xiuniang, but Xiuniang closed her eyes.

(End of this chapter)