Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 113 So that's what happened
"Second Master, this is the corpse specimen."

Li Wuxing took the body from the old coroner of the Six Doors.

Compared to his previous autopsy findings, the old coroner provided new clues.

Sun Tao showed signs of being restrained before his death.

He was acupunctured, and due to poor blood circulation, the distribution of blood stasis after his death was different from that of a normal corpse.

Even Li Wuxing couldn't distinguish this feature. Only those in the Six Doors who had witnessed countless battles between martial arts masters could have accumulated such amazing skills through generations of experience.

After reading it, Li Wuxing had a plan in mind, but on the surface he just shook his head: "This doesn't prove anything. Since the murderer can kill with flowers, his martial arts must be much better than Sun Tao's. Acupressure binding is also common practice."

Luo Shijun nodded in agreement: "Yes! Yes!"

Zhan Zhao observed and, having confirmed that the lingering sense of threat had disappeared and that the Six Doors were temporarily safe, said, "The case is of great importance. This humble monk must first return to the Great Xiangguo Temple to report the murder of Ding Chen of the Fourth Academy. Farewell."

"Please proceed, Master."

Li Wuxing didn't take it to heart. The other person was a high-ranking monk from Daxiangguo Temple, and it was impossible for him to stay at the scene of the murder forever. It was only natural for him to leave.

"Please take care, Master!"

Luo Shijun, on the contrary, was reluctant to part.

Compared to the hateful Six Doors detectives, who are aggressive and always investigating this and that,

This Buddhist monk was much more approachable. Although he inquired about the case of Dingchen's death, he couldn't get any answers and gave up, and it seems that the matter was eventually dropped.

If only things were like that.

After Zhan Zhao left Tianxiang Tower, the servants of the Luo family specially brought a carriage and quickly and steadily took him back to the Daxiangguo Temple in the inner city.

Upon entering the temple, he returned to the monks' quarters and saw Gu Lin emerge with his sword.

"Senior brother! I was just about to come looking for you!"

Gu Lin asked with concern, "I heard something happened at the Pang residence?"

Zhan Zhao nodded: "The martial world is dangerous. Another person has been murdered. This time it was the monk Dingchen, who was in contact with the monk with bad karma..."

He briefly explained the situation and concluded, "I now suspect that Sun Tao's death is the key to this case. While Luo Shijun and the Six Doors are focusing their attention on Tianxiang Tower, I want to go directly to Sun Tao's Wuhu Gate to investigate and find out the clues!"

Gu Lin immediately said, "I'll go with my senior brother!"

"go!"

Zhan Zhao did not refuse.

the goal--

Wuhumen Headquarters!

Despite being called the headquarters, it was actually just a dock. Wuhumen was known as "a gathering place for boats from five lakes and a place where guests from all over the world come together." If it really did occupy the Bianhe River dock, then it was indeed worthy of the name.

After all, the reason why the Song Dynasty chose Kaifeng as its capital instead of Chang'an or Luoyang was because Guanzhong had been overdeveloped by the Tang Dynasty and was no longer suitable for a large population to live in. Luoyang was located on the upper reaches of the Yellow River, and the river channel was seriously silted up, requiring huge investments in its management. Kaifeng, on the other hand, relied on the Grand Canal and could transport grain directly from Jiangnan at a lower cost.

Therefore, Kaifeng's water transport is extremely developed, and today there are two particularly bustling wharves.

First, there is the Rainbow Bridge Wharf, located at the confluence of the Bian River and the Wuzhang River, which can accommodate more than 100 grain transport boats with a capacity of over 200 shi (a unit of weight).

First, the Zhouqiao Night Market Wharf unloaded goods day and night, forming a floating market.

It is said that these two wharves alone handle millions of shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain transported annually, with more than 500 ships passing through each day.

The headquarters of Wuhumen was located at Hongqiao Wharf. When the two arrived, they were greeted by a bustling scene.

Everywhere you look, there are laborers carrying sacks, talkative brokers, and shopkeepers carrying food boxes moving between planks.

While Wuhumen was backed by the Luo family mansion, it could not be said to have monopolized the local freight transport, but it still wielded considerable power.

Without needing to ask any further questions, they quickly located the dock just from the way they were addressed and the service they received.

But once you get close, you find that it's not orderly at all, but rather a chaotic mess of arguments.

"The goods have been sitting in the warehouse for two days! If we don't act soon, the Six Doors' dog noses will be sniffing us out!"

"I'm anxious too, but now that the sect leader has been killed and Master Luo hasn't given any instructions, how are we supposed to deliver the goods?"

The two deputy sect leaders were banging on the table inside the cabin.

One of them, Zhao San, nicknamed "Iron Paddle," was dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes, covered in fishy smells, clearly a low-level boatman.
Another one, Qian Jingchuan, nicknamed "Abacus Snake," was slow, deliberate, and composed.

The two of them were at odds, and the seven or eight managers below them were also arguing amongst themselves.

Some people pointed their fingers at each other and cursed, some took off their outer garments to reveal old knife scars, and some simply packed up their valuables.

Zhan Zhao and Gu Lin exchanged a glance.

What kind of martial arts sect is this?
They were clearly a mob trapped on a sinking, wrecked ship.

But it's actually normal.

The Five Lakes Sect was founded by Sun Tao himself. It has only grown and developed in the last few years, let alone been passed down through generations.

The organization was haphazard, relying entirely on prestige; it was truly a makeshift team.

The two deputy sect leaders on the left and right are followed by a group of managers, most of whom are people who rose from the ranks of the canal transport industry. Each of them leads a group of brothers who are impressed by Sun Tao's abilities and connections and obey his orders.

Now that Sun Tao is dead, this group of people naturally think of two paths—

Either he could rise to the top, take Sun Tao's original position, become Luo Shijun's confidant, and live a life of luxury, even spending the night at Tianxianglou;
Either divide the assets and get your share, or let someone else take advantage of you.

There are many such small gangs in the martial arts world. When the leader dies suddenly, the gang instantly falls apart. Of course, if Sun Tao, as the leader, had a long-term vision, he should have cultivated a successor. And Luo Shijun, not wanting the canal transport power he had built to disappear directly, would choose a successor to support him from behind and first stabilize the Five Lakes Sect on the surface.

But he was currently engaged in a fierce power struggle with the Six Doors, and had no time to care about the fate of the Five Lakes Sect. Thus, this was the scene that appeared before Zhan Zhao and Gu Lin.

Gu Lin listened intently for a moment, then pointed to Qian Jingchuan, the "Abacus Snake," implying that this person should know quite a lot and they could start by getting to him.

Zhan Zhao shook his head slightly, pointed behind him, and slipped inside.

The two quickly arrived at the warehouse.

There were only two guards here, fast asleep in broad daylight, covered with straw hats, oblivious to the dawn.

Gu Lin was cautious. He reached out and pressed the pressure points on the two men, making them sleep even more soundly, before speaking in a low voice: "Senior brother, shouldn't we ask the deputy sect leader first?"

"No need."

Zhan Zhao shook his head: "Sun Tao has only been dead for less than a day, and the Five Lakes Sect is already in such a mess. There isn't even a nominal leader. It's clear that he didn't cultivate any trusted confidants to succeed him. Those two people seem to be deputy sect leaders, but they probably know only limited things. It would be better if we investigated first and then interrogated them."

"What you say makes sense, senior brother."

Gu Lin nodded in agreement, then asked, "What about Sun Tao's family?"

Zhan Zhao said, "According to Luo Shijun, Sun Tao is not married, but he has taken a fancy to the Twelve Beauties of Tianxiang and is having an affair with them."

"This……"

Gu Lin was puzzled: "Sun Tao has no family and doesn't cultivate any trusted successors. Isn't he afraid that if something happens to him, the Wuhu Sect's hard-earned foundation will be lost?"

"Drink today, for tomorrow we die," is the motto of many江湖客 (jianghu ke, a term referring to people who live a life of leisure and indulgence). Of course, there's another possibility—

Zhan Zhao said, "Sun Tao has a wife and children, but he hides it very well. It seems he has committed many illegal acts and is afraid of implicating his family."

The two were discussing when they entered the depths of the warehouse.

Zhan Zhao said directly, "Let me see if there are any prohibited items. That man was worried that the Six Doors would come looking for him, so he was obviously a little guilty. Go and find the hidden compartments."

"it is good!"

Gu Lin was indeed skilled in mechanical arts, but his knowledge was only superficial compared to other miscellaneous subjects.

Fortunately, when choosing the Lotus Heart Treasure Mirror, I specifically chose the chapter on mechanisms and hidden weapons, which broadened my knowledge and also helped me improve.

Zhan Zhao is currently focused on the art of disguise and has no time to spare for anything else. Bringing this junior brother along is just what he needs.

The two of them split up.

Zhan Zhao lingered in front of the shelves and discovered that the warehouse mainly stored two types of goods—

First, there is the rice from Jiangnan, which is a necessary commodity. The capital city relies on rice from Jiangnan for its supply; otherwise, it would not be able to sustain the livelihood of a million people.

Another one is fur.

Mainly mink and deer fur.

If the judgment is correct, many of them originated from Liaodong.

This is a highly profitable business, generally difficult for ordinary people to engage in. It is only carried out by authorized merchants in Hebei's border markets. Once the resale is successful, the profit is often ten times the original price.

With such profits, some people were naturally tempted to take risks. The imperial court investigated many times, but some transport workers still took it for granted.

'These are the things we can't let the Six Doors find out.'

'But the quantity isn't large; if we were to pinpoint a serious crime, it would be difficult to do so...'

Just as he was pondering, Gu Lin rushed over: "Senior brother! I found the hidden compartment!"

The two arrived at a corner of the warehouse and found a hidden compartment that was quite spacious, containing several large boxes.

But upon opening it, what appeared before them was not gold and silver jewelry, but something very strange.

"Mandala, pump, water bag..."

"These are for the patrol soldiers to put out fires, aren't they?"

Why was it hidden in a secret compartment?

Gu Lin was completely baffled, even thinking that he had found a fake hidden compartment filled with nothing of value.

"No! This discovery is crucial! These items were put into storage at the end of October last year..."

Zhan Zhao picked up an account book from the box and flipped through it. After seeing the date of entry into the warehouse, his eyes lit up: "Don't you think it looks very familiar? We saw it together that night in front of the Six Doors headquarters!"

After being reminded, Gu Lin remembered: "Was it the night of the prison riot? The dungeon was on fire, and Sun Tao led a group of Five Lakes Sect members and patrol soldiers to put out the fire. They seemed to be helping, but they were actually causing trouble. They were carrying these fire extinguishing tools at the time?"

It's no wonder he didn't realize it at the time; back then, he was still "Zhong Kui," captured and held in the hands of this senior brother.

But what does that mean?

"Based on the date of receipt, Sun Tao had prepared these fire extinguishers well in advance..."

Zhan Zhao recalled Luo Shijun's reaction: "In the two cases of Xi Yanhua's murders, Luo Shijun was extremely shocked by Ding Chen's death, but his reaction to Sun Tao's death was very indifferent."

“He was clearly Sun Tao’s confidant, but upon seeing Sun Tao’s death, he even felt a sense of relief.”

"Afterwards, Li Wuxing examined the body and determined that Sun Tao should have died first. The primary crime scene was not in front of Tianxiang Tower. The body was moved by someone. Before his death, he was bound. Luo Shijun became extremely nervous and wanted to take a risk and kill him to silence him!"

The truth, which had been shrouded in mystery, finally came to light after seeing what was before him. Zhan Zhao smiled and said, "So that's how it is!"

(End of this chapter)