Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 104 The Pang Family Murder Case
'Luo Shijun is back.'

My heart is filled with anger and resentment...

Did Pangi upset him?

Familiar footsteps reached his ears. Zhan Zhao maintained his meditative posture, while a figure appeared in his mind, approaching this place.

Finally, after passing the door, I went into the house next door.

Even though Luo Shijun was a close relative of Madam Pang, he stayed in a guest room, not in the inner quarters.

Thanks to Pang Lingyi's clever arrangement, it happened to be right next to the two eminent monks of Daxiangguo Temple.

Therefore, Zhan Zhao sat upright indoors, openly and honestly listening to the other party's movements.

Then Luo Shijun stormed into the house and slammed the door shut.

The attendant, however, sat cross-legged with the brocade box beside him, eyes closed in meditation, not even rising to greet him.

Luo Shijun's eyes widened immediately, and he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "This is not my residence. Outsiders are watching. Can't you even put on a show?"

The attendant opened his eyes and glanced at him indifferently: "If I were you, I would be more worried about being overheard. It would be better to communicate secretly."

Luo Shijun paused for a moment.

The attendant added, "Oh, I forgot, you don't!"

Luo Shijun was furious.

Pang Ji looked down on him because of his background and family, but now this guy actually dares to look down on him because of his martial arts skills.

But the fact that he could become a powerful figure in the capital ultimately revealed his character. When he was furious to the extreme, he suddenly calmed down and said in a deep voice, "Stop it. Xiyan Flower can no longer be sold in the Pang residence!"

"Ok?"

The attendant's expression changed.

Even with the disguise mask on, one could still see the sharp glint in his eyes as he transmitted his voice, "This is different from what you said before!"

"You said that the current Junior Tutor Pang Ji trusts you greatly and will definitely help recommend Xi Yan Qi Jiu (a product name) to the noble ladies of various households. We can achieve twice the result with half the effort and make Xi Yan Gao (another product name) famous in the capital!"

"Even if that person catches up with us, once the first batch of ointment is sold, he'll be helpless and will have no choice but to help us continue selling Xiyan flowers!"

Luo Shijun didn't answer. He didn't know how to use telepathy, and he couldn't answer telepathically anyway. He walked directly towards the bed.

The attendant slowly rose and, without making any move, blocked their path.

Luo Shijun remained unfazed, pointing to the next room with a cold smile on his face, but his tone was gentle: "The two eminent monks living next door are from the Daxiangguo Temple. I had a great deal of insight from listening to their sermon today. It's a pity it's too late, otherwise I would really like to visit them and ask them for their guidance on Buddhism!"

The attendant froze.

Luo Shijun reached out and gently pushed the attendant away. He walked to the bedside, began to undress, and finally said calmly, "Sleep! Don't forget that there's still that thing we haven't done!"

The attendant stood there for a moment, then slowly sat back down, his hand on the brocade box, veins bulging.

Zhan Zhao heard everything that happened next door.

Even if the content of the audio transmission cannot be heard, the emotional fluctuations of both parties are very clear.

Not to mention Luo Shijun, even his attendant saw through it all.

'These two aren't in a superior-subordinate relationship, nor are they collaborators; it's more like a power struggle, a situation where they haven't fully adjusted to each other yet.'

'Then why come to the Pang residence? Aren't you afraid something might happen?'

Zhan Zhao's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.

According to Pang Lingyi, this person, suspected to be a monk burdened with karmic debts, has been hiding in Luo Shijun's Tianxiang Tower for some time.

Logically, Luo Shijun must have either bribed the other party or cooperated with them to appear at Madam Pang's birthday banquet.

But now, the relationship between the two is more like a pure transaction.

As a result, when Luo Shijun mentioned that the promotion of Xiyan Flower was not going smoothly, his attendants were about to lash out.

This shows that...

This follower, who appeared to be a monk burdened with negative karma, was extremely anxious about the progress of the Xiyan Flower project.

Luo Shijun, however, was more cunning. He appeared calm on the surface, but was actually very anxious inside.

Otherwise, with such an unstable person by his side, wouldn't he be afraid that something might happen at his sister's birthday banquet, ruining his relationship with the Pang family?
As I was pondering this, footsteps approached again.

A maid walked steadily towards the door, and when she reached the door of the next room, she raised her hand and knocked lightly: "Master Luo? Master Luo?"

Luo Shijun was pretending to be asleep, but he was actually filled with resentment and couldn't sleep at all. Upon hearing this, he immediately sat up: "Who is it?"

After saying this, he instructed his attendant: "Go and take a look."

When an outsider was present, the attendant did not disobey orders. He got up, went to the door, and said softly, "My master is asleep. May I ask what brings you here, young lady?"

"This servant has been presumptuous and disturbed the master's peaceful sleep."

The maidservant gave a slight bow, a reserved smile playing on her lips: "This servant has come on the orders of the young lady of the Huyan household to inquire about Xiyan's matter. I wonder if it is permissible..."

The implication is that although I've disturbed your rest, you'd better get up and talk.

The attendant's eyes lit up when he heard the name Xi Yanhua, and he was about to open the door when Luo Shijun's voice came from inside: "I'm tired. You go with this young lady. Answer Hu Yan's questions truthfully."

The maid's face darkened slightly, clearly showing her displeasure.

What is the status of the Huyan family?
Iron Whip King!
A divine weapon bestowed by the late emperor!

Such a noble lady would certainly not come to see a man in person, so she sent a maid to inquire.

What is Luo Shijun's identity?
A family in decline.

Those present were either scholars who had passed the imperial examinations or nobles. If Luo Shijun hadn't been backed by the Pang family, he wouldn't have been qualified to attend this meeting at all!

It's incredibly inconsiderate of them to send their subordinates to deal with someone like that.

However, considering that the other party possessed a legendary rare flower, and that the maids had been discussing it amongst themselves after she returned home, which led to this trip, she suppressed her displeasure and curtsied, saying, "I apologize for disturbing you, sir. Please, sir, follow me."

"Yes!"

The attendants followed the maid, and their footsteps faded into the distance.

'Those women still fell for Xiyanhua.'

Looks like we need to act quickly.

Zhan Zhao was not surprised, but this strengthened his resolve to take action.

The subtle fluctuations of true energy transmitted through his voice just now confirmed to him that this follower must be from the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Judging from this person's current behavior, his single-minded promotion of Xiyan Flower and his willingness to join forces with a notorious figure like Luo Shijun make him highly likely to be a disgrace to Buddhism.

So why are you hesitating?
Take it directly back to Daxiangguo Temple and clean house!

However, only about fifteen minutes later, the sound of the door opening next door was heard, and footsteps came from this direction.

Finally, when they arrived outside, Luo Shijun's voice came through: "Are the two masters resting peacefully?"

Jie Xian was already asleep. He was quite old and his martial arts skills were not low, but he seemed to have suffered some hidden injuries in his early years. At present, he was just a relatively healthy old man, unlike Zhan Zhao who could stay up all night with great energy.

However, the temple had given him instructions before he arrived, instructing him to fully cooperate with this fellow disciple who was abstaining from lust. Therefore, Jie Xian straightened up from the bed in the inner room, looking at the person in question.

Zhan Zhao patted his senior brother's hand, signaling him to lie down, and then went to the outer room and opened the door.

"I have met the Master of Abstinence from Lust!"

Luo Shijun hurriedly bowed, his gaze falling on Zhan Zhao's face, and then he paused, stunned.

He knew his sister was a Buddhist, so he wasn't surprised that she had invited high-ranking monks to her birthday banquet. His attention hadn't been on the two monks at all.

Meeting him alone at this time, I never expected him to be such a handsome monk.

But then suddenly he felt that the monk in front of him looked vaguely familiar.

For a moment I couldn't remember where I had seen it before.

'what? '

'Have I ever seen a monk like this? Someone who looks like this would definitely leave a deep impression…'

Luo Shijun blinked, trying hard to recall.

However, having encountered so many people from all walks of life, including hundreds of monks, he became confused after careful consideration. He could only shake his head slightly, clear his mind, and bow to the high monk before him with his palms together, saying, "I apologize for disturbing you, Master!"

Zhan Zhao lowered his voice: "Brother Jie Xian has already rested. If Benefactor Luo has anything to do, you may visit your room?"

"No, no!"

Luo Shijun quickly waved his hand: "How could I dare to ask the master to move? I just have trouble sleeping, so I'll just say a few words in the outer room..."

Zhan Zhao nodded slightly and stepped aside, saying, "Please." Luo Shijun walked in, carrying a box at his waist—the brocade box containing the Xi Yan Flower.

Seeing Zhan Zhao's gaze fall upon him, he grinned and said, "Please excuse my poor appearance, Master. I dare not leave this treasure for even a moment now, and I can't even sleep peacefully!"

Zhan Zhaoping said calmly, "One should dwell nowhere, yet let one's mind arise."

Luo Shijun looked puzzled: "I don't understand, I hope the master can enlighten me!"

Zhan Zhao clasped his hands together: "Let your mind be as it may, but do not dwell on your appearance."

Luo Shijun still didn't understand: "Please enlighten me, Master!"

Zhan Zhao said, "Enter all forms, and depart from all forms."

Luo Shijun: "..."

You must be a riddle solver, right?
In fact, Zhan Zhao couldn't explain it very clearly either.

He has some understanding of Buddhism, having heard many Buddhist stories and gained his own insights.

But if you ask him to speak eloquently and fluently like those eminent monks, he obviously can't do it.

Fortunately, within the circle of powerful and influential people in the capital, it's quite easy to become a highly virtuous monk.

He used to think that one had to be proficient in all kinds of Buddhist scriptures and classics and be able to quote Buddhist doctrines at will in order to play the role of a virtuous and eminent monk.

It has now been discovered that as long as one puts on a kasaya (Buddhist robe), puts on a Dharma name, and then recites the Heart Sutra in a melodious and rhythmic manner, no one will doubt him.

The problem is that, strictly speaking, Luo Shijun is not part of the circle of powerful and influential people.

He was full of bandit-like airs and clearly didn't know the unspoken understanding among the powerful and wealthy. He insisted on getting to the bottom of things, so Zhan Zhao could only keep up the mystery with him.

Luo Shijun had started the conversation, but after being ridiculed several times, he was somewhat annoyed. He then seized the opportunity to say, "Anyway, I know that this Xiyan Flower represents trouble. This has given me a thought: what if I were to give this flower to you, Master?"

Zhan Zhao extended his hand: "Okay."

Luo Shijun: "..."

You're not playing by the rules. Shouldn't you refuse?
Zhan Zhao said, "If I can help Benefactor Luo get rid of the root of her troubles, this humble monk will gladly accept it."

"Master, you are truly a great monk!"

Luo Shijun handed the box forward, but just as it was about to reach Zhan Zhao's hand, he feinted and pulled it back abruptly, saying with a wry smile, "But I am just an ordinary person, and I am reluctant to part with it. However, thanks to the master's enlightenment, my worries have dissipated considerably."

He was extremely thick-skinned and didn't feel embarrassed at all. He took the opportunity to promise, "Once I have made the Youthful Complexion Cream, I will definitely give it to you, Master, to thank you for your guidance today!"

Zhan Zhao said calmly, "All forms and appearances are illusions."

Luo Shijun was not surprised by this answer: "I was being too attached to appearances!"

In truth, he sneered inwardly.

He had seen too many monks who said one thing and did another.

With the ethereal beauty of the abstinence master before him, he couldn't believe that the man didn't wish to remain in this moment forever.

Zhan Zhao, on the other hand, saw a frog at the bottom of a well.

Given the opponent's level of martial arts, they probably don't even know that although martial artists cannot achieve eternal youth, as long as they advance to the Martial Arts Grandmaster level before the age of fifty, they can lock in their vital energy to the greatest extent.

Basically, before death, all bodily functions can remain at their peak.

This also includes appearance.

Therefore, the most common appearance of a grandmaster is that of a middle-aged person. In fact, the person may be nearly a hundred years old, but still look like he is in his forties or fifties.

He is 34 years away from turning 50.

The old wine master judged that he should be able to roam the world before the age of twenty-five, which should be the time to advance to the Grandmaster realm. Now Zhan Zhao is confident that he can do it even earlier, so he can naturally maintain his youthful appearance.

and so.

Selling him about appearance anxiety?

It's a big joke.

Of course, Luo Shijun thought he had seen through Zhan Zhao's needs, so he deliberately didn't expose him.

Zhan Zhao didn't expose the other person, and the two chatted in hushed tones.

During this time, the footsteps of the attendants returned to the next room, and not long after, a different maid came to knock on the door: "I am here on the orders of the young lady of the Prince's Mansion to pay my respects to Master Luo!"

Although the Prince's Mansion does not have the divine weapons bestowed by the late emperor like Huyan, Prime Minister Wang has already entered the two mansions and served as a councilor of state affairs. In the future, he will probably become Prime Minister Wang and the head of all officials.

Therefore, in terms of family background, the Huyan family was undoubtedly a first-class family, but in terms of actual power and influence, the Wangfu (Prince's Mansion) was far superior.

Luo Shijun was inside Zhan Zhao's room and could not answer, so his attendant went with the Wang family's maid.

When the attendants returned, they were invited again.

Four waves, before and after.

I'm really busy.

Luo Shijun had obviously heard the commotion next door. He chuckled twice, looking utterly annoyed: "Now you understand why I came here so late at night, right? It's really bothering me!"

'Isn't this exactly what you wanted? To promote Xiyan Flower using the Pang family's birthday banquet?'

Looking at the hypocritical face before him, Zhan Zhao clasped his hands together again: "Those who are concerned will be burdened, while those who are not concerned will be unaffected. If Benefactor Luo does not trouble himself, he will have no worries and can find peace."

Luo Shijun's face stiffened, a vague sense of unease creeping over him, as if his deepest secrets had been exposed. Yet, a feeling of peace also arose within him as he reflected, "Yes? Why did I have to do all this? Wouldn't it be better to live a peaceful life?"

'No! I won't have peace of mind if I don't do it! I must do it!'

His mindset was immediately crushed, replaced by a ruthless edge.

Zhan Zhao stared at this person.

It's also a form of emotional comfort.

Like Madam Pang, at least for a period of time, one can regain a normal mind and not be tempted by external things.

People like Luo Shijun, after a moment of hesitation, immediately decided to go down a dead-end path.

You could say he's stubborn and inflexible, but you could also say he's resolute and unaffected by external factors. Once he's decided on the path he wants to take, he'll stick to it no matter what, good or bad.

'Well! '

Luo Shijun suddenly felt he couldn't stay any longer. This monk looked young, but he was indeed a highly virtuous monk. He had managed to soften Luo Shijun's heart with just a few words.

It's so seductive.

But he shifted his position, then sat back down and continued chatting.

'what? '

Zhan Zhao's heart skipped a beat.

If the other party's sudden visit was merely to avoid the questions posed by those powerful young ladies, it could be somewhat plausible.

After all, promotion and hype are essential. The more you want to sell a lot, the more you need to use scarcity marketing. This kind of strategy has existed throughout history.

But Luo Shijun's current demeanor doesn't seem like a simple publicity stunt; it suggests he might be deliberately avoiding the issue.

Since the other party wanted to put on an act, Zhan Zhao played along, silently listening to the sounds coming and going outside.

After going out four times in a row, the attendant returned, and even his footsteps were much heavier.

There was no more noise from next door, but the sound of the night watchman's drum could be heard from afar. It was already past midnight when Luo Shijun finally got up and said, "I must go back now. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Master. I will definitely visit your temple to offer incense and fulfill my vow in the future!"

Before Zhan Zhao could speak, his expression suddenly changed slightly, and he took a step forward.

Luo Shijun only felt a blur before his eyes, and then the person disappeared. The door opened, and he didn't know when he had walked out.

At the same time, accompanied by a slight whooshing sound, a ghostly figure also left from the next room.

Even with Zhan Zhao's current mastery of the Divine Wandering Steps, he could only see a blurry silhouette of the other person before it vanished into the darkness in the blink of an eye.

Zhan Zhao glanced into the room and his gaze immediately sharpened.

After waiting a moment, Luo Shijun, realizing what was happening, rushed out to his wide-open doorway. He stared in disbelief as he looked inside, and upon closer inspection, exclaimed, "This...this is impossible!!"

The attendant lowered his head, half of his disguise mask hanging askew on his astonished young face, like a faded monk's robe.

He had stopped breathing, and a flower was stuck in the space between his heart and chest.

Crimson drops of blood rolled down the petals, making this strange flower, which had attracted much attention tonight, appear extremely eerie.

Heart's blood, staining the face of the past.

(End of this chapter)