Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 110 Now, when they see monks, they all feel that they resemble him somewhat.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A rapid knocking sounded at the door. Zhan Zhao opened his eyes, got up, and dressed.

He didn't go to sleep until after 4 a.m. last night, and it's only been a little over an hour, but he has already fully recovered and there is no trace of fatigue between his brows.

A commotion came from another room, clearly indicating that Jie Xian had also been alerted.

The old monk clearly didn't have that much energy, so Zhan Zhao whispered, "Brother, sleep a little longer. I'll go check on the person outside."

"Thank you, junior brother."

A weary voice came from inside.

Zhan Zhao arrived at the door, opened it, and found that it was the steward of the Pang family. The steward first apologized and bowed, saying, "I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest, Master!"

Then, quite urgently, he said, "Master, please invite the master."

"What's the matter?"

"People from the Six Doors have arrived!"

Zhan Zhao understood.

As expected, the news from inside the Pang family's residence alarmed the Six Doors.

Because Su Wuqing, like herself, knew that Pang Ji appeared wise on the surface but was actually ambitious and far from being a good person.

Since the Six Doors paid extra attention to the Pang family, upon learning of the death within, they immediately sent people to the door.

Who is the team leader?

"Li Wuxing".

Upon entering the main hall, the most eye-catching figure is none other than Detective Li.

Li Wuxing was tall and imposing, the tallest and most robust of the Four Great Constables.

But unlike Tang Lei, who relied solely on his physique to intimidate others after physical training, the oppressive aura emanating from him was not the brute force of an ordinary martial artist, but a deep and powerful aura without sharp edges.

Sitting upright in the hall at this moment, Pang Yu's face became solemn, and Pang Xu felt uneasy, as if his whole body was oppressed.

Only Pang Ji calmly sipped his tea.

'This sense of oppression seems to be a variant of a esoteric spiritual technique.'

'No torture...no torture...can this effect be achieved without using torture?'

After making a quick assessment, Zhan Zhao paused slightly and took a deep breath.

The time has come to showcase my disguise skills.

"The master has arrived!"

Seeing him enter the hall with a flourish of his monk's sleeves, his otherworldly face as clear as the moon shining on frost, Pang Ji hurriedly rose to greet him: "This is Master Jiese of the Great Xiangguo Temple, whose Buddhist teachings are profound and whose martial arts are superb. Last night, we were all thanks to Master Jiese for protecting our mansion!"

Li Wuxing scrutinized him, but clearly did not recognize him. He stood up, bowed, and said, "Li greets the master."

Zhan Zhao was completely relieved. With the application of the Six Hearts Clarity Technique, his tone became gentler, and his words fell like pearls on a jade plate, sounding even more warm and gentle: "Greetings, Constable Li."

After Pang Ji invited him to sit down, he solemnly said, "Detective Li has come because of last night's bloody case. The deceased was a special person, and I dare not act on my own initiative."

Zhan Zhao said, "The deceased was Dingchen, a monk from our temple. I was just about to report to the temple to investigate the cause and effect, and I dare not trouble the Six Doors."

This is what someone in his position should say.

Whenever a disciple of a martial arts sect gets into trouble, the solution is always sought internally: find the culprit, clean up the sect if necessary, and minimize the damage if possible.

Since no one has died, there's no reason to go to the Six Doors (a government agency).

The reason why smaller sects fear the Six Doors is because with the establishment of the Four Halls, this imperial law enforcement agency has truly extended its reach into the Jianghu (martial arts world).

There's no need to judge who's right and who's wrong.

In this era, there is no right or wrong.

Because the Six Doors represent not only the boundaries of the law, but also the struggle between the imperial court and the martial arts world, two ecological niches.

The government wanted to bring the martial arts world under its control, believing that heroes would break the law with their martial arts, while the martial arts world was unwilling to be restrained, believing that righteous people in the martial arts world would serve as a deterrent to corrupt officials.

Amidst the tug-of-war, the Six Doors, a entity that embodies both the halls of power and the spirit of the martial arts world, serves as a barometer of the situation.

Pang Ji was well aware of this, so he brought out this master to let the Great Xiangguo Temple fight against the Six Doors.

"However, this case occurred at the Pang residence, not at your temple."

As expected, Li Wuxing immediately took a high-level approach when he spoke: "As the Imperial Tutor, the safety of Lord Pang is a matter of great importance to the nation and its people. How can we be careless? Although the deceased was a monk from your temple, the matter is of great significance. Our Six Doors must shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting the safety of the Pang family!"

Pang Ji was prepared for this: "Master Jie Se's martial arts are superb, and everyone in the manor trusts him. With him here, he can definitely protect the Pang family."

As she spoke, she looked at her second son.

Pang Xu realized what was happening and quickly interjected, "I'd also like to become a disciple of Master Abstinence from Lust!"

Pangji smiled and nodded.

In fact, if his second son could become a disciple of a high-ranking monk from the Great Xiangguo Temple, as long as he didn't become a monk, he wouldn't refuse. Being able to have in-depth dealings with this royal temple that opened its doors to the country would be entirely beneficial to the Pang family.

Moreover, given the current distinction between close and distant relationships, he hoped that Li Wuxing would refuse to accept this and would instead have a demonstration on the spot, sparring with this young high monk.

"I see."

However, Li Wuxing, though seemingly rough, was not reckless at all. He simply brushed it off with a single sentence, then looked around and asked, "Where is Master Luo?"

Pang Ji remained calm: "What business does Constable Li have with my brother-in-law?"

Li Wuxing said, "Although the deceased was a monk from the Daxiangguo Temple, he was also a close follower of Master Luo. If we want to find out the details of the case, how could he not be there?"

Pang Ji shook his head and sighed softly: "My brother-in-law usually values ​​this close attendant the most. Now that he has suddenly suffered a calamity, how can he sleep soundly? If Constable Li wishes to visit, he may choose another day..."

"I'm afraid that won't work!"

Li Wuxing clapped his hands: "Bring the person up."

Two constables from Zhenyue Hall entered, flanking a large, fat figure whose oily face was filled with fear.

"Luo Fu?"

The Pang family was taken aback. This man was the steward of the Luo household. When Luo Shijun sent someone to deliver a message, he was often the one who ran the errand, which showed how much he trusted him.

How dare the Six Doors...

However, Li Wuxing then revealed the reason: "On our way to the mansion, we encountered this man galloping on horseback, injuring several passersby. Just as we were about to detain him, he revealed the terrible news that happened at the Luo residence this morning."

"Bad news?"

"Sun Tao, the leader of the Five Lakes Sect, died in front of the Tianxiang Tower in the Luo Residence!"

"What!!"

……

soon.

Exhausted, Luo Shijun appeared in the hall, looking at the steward of the manor and his most trusted right-hand man, his face ashen: "Why is Sect Leader Sun in front of Tianxiang Tower?"

Manager Luo Fu trembled all over: "Reporting to the master, I don't know anything about it. This morning, when the servants were sweeping, they saw a figure in front of Tianxiang Tower and then discovered that terrible corpse."

Luo Shijun asked, "How is it scary?"

Manager Luo's teeth chattered: "His chest... he has a flower stuck in his chest!"

Luo Shijun's expression changed drastically, and the expressions of everyone in the Pang household also became extremely ugly.

Has the Xiyan Flower killed someone again?
Pang Xu said in a hoarse voice, "The master is right. The murderer didn't just want to kill one person. There's already a second victim so quickly!"

"Oh? I didn't expect the master to have foreseen this?"

Li Wuxing glanced at Zhan Zhao, who was deep in thought, and said in a deep voice, "The Five Lakes Gate manages the private canal transport on the Bian River. It is known as 'the gathering of boats from the five lakes and the confluence of guests from all over the world.' Although it is not that exaggerated, it does have hundreds of boats."

"However, this sect, driven by greed, has committed numerous illegal acts, including secretly sinking ships and disposing of corpses. Our Six Doors has already verified many of their crimes and will summon Sun Tao soon..." "Unexpectedly, this man died at the Luo residence. This case is of great importance and must be investigated!"

Pang Ji fell silent for a moment.

In the case of Xi Yanhua, there are now two victims.

The first one is Dingchen, a monk from Daxiangguo Temple.

Because the abstinence master was present and had been entrusted by the Pang family, the situation could be suppressed.

But then the second Five Lakes Sect Master, Sun Tao, appeared.

It's not just a matter between the Pang family and the Xiangguo Temple; the involvement of the Six Doors is indeed perfectly legitimate.

Subconsciously, Pang Ji glanced at Zhan Zhao and gave him a meaningful look.

Zhan Zhaoping's calm gaze also fell upon them.

The two sides looked at each other, and Zhan Zhao stood up and put his palms together: "Gentlemen, do not worry. This humble monk will work with the Six Doors to thoroughly investigate this case, clarify the cause and effect, uphold the law, and put people's minds at ease."

Pang Ji: "..."

That's not what I meant!

It's also because he's usually too virtuous that the master misunderstood him.

Hyun's timing this time was terrible...

Now that things had come to this, the Six Doors couldn't stop them. Pang Ji didn't waste any more words and stood up, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Master."

'what? '

Li Wuxing had initially thought this would be another difficult contest, but the process turned out to be quite easy. He also vaguely sensed that this monk from Daxiangguo Temple was not on the same side as the Pang family, so he immediately changed his attitude: "Master, please!"

"please!"

Zhan Zhao nodded slightly and then approached the distraught Luo Shijun: "Benefactor Luo, please lead the way."

Luo Shijun's expression was uncertain, but he finally took a deep breath and said, "Let's go!"

Everyone filed out.

"exhibition……"

Pang Wen and his group of constables waited in front of the Pang residence but did not go inside. When they saw the Second Hall Master walking side by side with a familiar figure, they were overjoyed and went to greet him.

But upon closer inspection, he silently swallowed the title: 'This high monk's physique is quite similar to Zhan Shenbu's, but unfortunately it's not him.'

Only after the Zhong Kui painting was completed did the people inside the Six Doors learn of the harrowing period that everyone had gone through.

Even knowing that the bigger picture was more important, and even knowing that this was the most rational arrangement, some people couldn't help but have reservations about Su Wuqing's plan, and others were saddened by Pei Handeng's self-sacrifice.

But no matter who it is, their attitude towards one person is absolutely consistent.

Zhan Shenbu!
After all, without Zhan Zhao's calm suppression, and with Han Zhaoye's constant instigation, they and Yunqi Manor would definitely have broken out into a bloody battle, inevitably resulting in casualties.

The key point is that such casualties were not sacrifices made for justice and fairness.

Once the truth comes out, looking back, how utterly worthless it all seems.
Therefore, the one who deserves the greatest credit for surviving a brother who shares life and death with you is the one who survived.

The debt of gratitude owed to Detective Zhan can never be repaid!
Not only are they grateful, but the Six Doors also miss the style of the time when Zhan Shenbu led the team.

All rules of the underworld and court regulations take a backseat when it comes to investigating a case.

Overcoming all obstacles along the way!
Pointing straight to the truth!

So many memories linger that even now, when I see a monk, I feel he bears a resemblance to him…

Pang Wen reminisced as he mounted his horse.

destination--

The Luo family villa in the outskirts of Beijing.

Previously, Luo Shijun held his birthday banquet at his mansion in the inner city of the capital.

Land is incredibly valuable, and a four-courtyard house occupying five acres is already quite an achievement.

The villa in the suburbs of Beijing covers an even larger area, nearly thirty acres, and has all four scenic features: rocks, waterside pavilions, flower gardens, and a library.

From afar, one can see a tall building rising from the ground in the center of the villa.

The most magnificent building of this era in history was the Xichun Pavilion of Longde Palace during the reign of Emperor Huizong. It was 70 meters high and 72 meters long and wide. It appeared to have four stories on the outside, but actually had seven stories inside. It adopted a double-eaved design with a total of five eaves.

Of course, a complex of buildings of that scale could not possibly be owned by a private residence.

Once everyone entered the villa and arrived at Tianxiang Tower, they were amazed by the building.

Its seven-tiered eaves are like knives, resembling a pagoda, yet it is more extravagant and bizarre than a Buddhist pagoda.

The vermilion pillars are wrapped with gold thread, and copper bells hang from the eaves. Each of the first six floors has colorful gauze curtains hanging under the eaves, each with a different color.

A spring breeze stirred, and the sound of the bells, unlike the serene chanting of Buddhist scriptures, sounded more like a woman's soft laughter.

The curtains fluttered, and upstairs, it seemed as if there were flowing garments and a subtle fragrance.

The name "Heavenly Fragrance" is truly well-deserved.

But the place that usually receives distinguished guests from all directions is now surrounded by the guards of the Luo family.

They were surrounded by layers of people, all looking tense as they stared at something covered by a white cloth in the middle.

Zhan Zhao and Li Wuxing came forward. The latter stretched out his large, cushion-like hand and lifted the white cloth, revealing a hideous corpse.

Sun Tao, the leader of the Five Lakes Sect, also known as the "Overturning River Dragon".

Zhan Zhao met this person twice.

The first time was at Luo Shijun's birthday banquet, when Sun Tao, along with Ma Xingyun, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of the Flying Horse Escort Agency, and Wang Qingshan, the old immortal of the Golden Saber Sect, joined forces to help Luo Shijun.

The second incident occurred when the dungeon of the Six Doors caught fire. Sun Tao, along with disciples of the Five Lakes Sect and a group of patrolling soldiers who were fighting the fire, arrived in front of the main office, claiming that he would help put out the fire. Clearly, he was taking the opportunity to cause trouble.

As a result, after Zhan Zhao intervened, Sun Tao left defiantly.

The third one is this corpse in front of me.

Sun Tao lay supine on the bluestone slab, his face pale and lifeless.

There were no visible wounds on his body, except for the striking crimson flower on his chest—

The petals unfolded, the stamens drooped, like a drop of congealed blood and tears, the flower stem deeply embedded in the heart, the surrounding clothes soaked with dark red bloodstains.

Li Wuxing carefully lifted the white sheet, scrutinizing the scene calmly for a moment before taking out a pair of deerskin gloves used for autopsies from his pocket. His voice was deep and authoritative: "The autopsy of this case will be handled by the Six Doors."

Luo Shijun opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Zhan Zhao had already taken a step back: "Please!"

To be honest, Zhan Zhao considered himself to have some talent for solving cases, but he also had a flaw—

He doesn't perform autopsies.

The earliest instance was in front of Yunqi Manor when Zhan Zhao claimed to possess superb autopsy skills and offered to perform an autopsy on Gu Lin. This was actually a test after he had become suspicious.

If Pei Handeng really wanted him to examine it, he wouldn't know where to begin.

After all, in ancient times, autopsies could not be performed simply by reading the contents of "The Washing Away of Wrongs".

Those are books for people involved in criminal cases. If you try to apply them blindly, you will only make mistakes. In fact, "The Washing Away of Wrongs" was limited by the times and already had many errors.

As for the autopsy techniques of later generations, they not only required many instruments, but also involved dissecting the corpse, which was obviously a taboo in ancient times and was regarded as an insult to the corpse.

Therefore, when it comes to autopsies, Zhan Zhao only knows theory and has mastered many theoretical skills, but lacks practical experience.

Fortunately, Li Wuxing stepped in at this moment.

After meticulously completing the autopsy, the head of Zhenyue Hall slowly spoke, succinctly stating, "Sun Tao's cause of death is not what it appears to be—"

"He was already dead before this flower pierced his chest!"

(End of this chapter)