Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 29 Come forward
"When I solved the locked-room mystery and exposed the murderer, the reaction from everyone at the manor was completely different."

"Now you've elevated me to such a high position, suddenly turning me into a martial arts master?"

Zhan Zhao chuckled to himself.

On one side are inexperienced newcomers, and on the other side are constables from Zhenyue Hall personally led by the Four Great Constables.

When tensions are high between the two sides, it goes without saying who the people of Yunqi Manor will side with.

But basic judgment is still necessary.

Unfortunately, everyone who remained at the manor at the time, except for one person, thought Zhan Zhao's story was a fantasy.

Some even believed that he deliberately slandered the constables of the Six Doors in order to gain fame.

That's not just bias, that's prejudice.

After Zhan Zhao defeated the constables from the Six Doors, the attitude of everyone in the manor changed once again.

His expression showed a mixture of regret and pride, so he just stood there, staring blankly.

However, Zhan Zhao was too lazy to pay attention to it at that time, so he simply sheathed his sword and left with the monk Chiyuan.

Throughout this entire process, Shen Lan, the "Flowing Clouds" expert, and Lin Yuxian, the "Weaving Clouds" expert, were not present.

They followed the famous constable Li Wuxing to the outskirts of the manor to search for their missing master, Yun Heming.

So, in this encounter, Zhan Zhao recognized both of them, but neither of them knew that the young monk before them, with his otherworldly demeanor and air of a virtuous and eminent monk, was the very person who had come to seek their help.

It's a long story. After Shen Lan finished her accusations, she looked over expectantly and said, "I hope my little master can introduce me!"

Zhan Zhao had already made up his mind, and casually asked about the situation: "You look travel-worn, have you not been in the capital for long?"

Shen Lan's eyes were bloodshot, and he knew he looked haggard. He nodded with a wry smile and said, "We only arrived in the capital this morning. We dared not delay and came to your temple immediately."

Zhan Zhao continued, "How did you come to know about the conflict between our temple and the Six Doors?"

He asked Guo Huaiji to make contact because he was worried that Yunqi Villa would be attacked and killed, and that there would be no witnesses to solve the case, but he did not allow the two sides to make contact beforehand.

Therefore, Shen Lan and Lin Yuxian's visit to Daxiangguo Temple was Yunqi Manor's own idea.

Our understanding of the current situation of the Six Doors also comes from their intelligence.

As expected, Shen Lan explained, "When we checked into the inn, we heard a guest describe how Zhao Wujiu, a famous constable from the Six Doors, tried to protect a villain who committed a crime at the Xiangguo Temple. Fortunately, Master Zhan intervened and defeated him, which is why we came here."

'oh? ’

Zhan Zhao's eyes flickered slightly.

That's not right.

The prestige of the Six Doors has certainly been damaged to some extent by recent events.

However, if anyone in the capital dares to discuss this matter in public, then they are disregarding the imperial law enforcement agencies.

Even if you want to catch crickets, you have to do it secretly!

It seems that the turmoil within the Six Doors is still ongoing. Su Wuqing appears to be trying to rectify the sect's conduct, but unfortunately, the results have been minimal.

Regarding the matter of Feng Buyu, the deputy head of Xuanji Hall, Zen Master Chihong has already informed him, but only Su Wuqing was informed, and it is unknown how the other party handled it.

Getting back to the point, having understood the basic situation, if it were just a problem for Yunqi Manor itself, he wouldn't bother to intervene again. But since it involved the important case of Zhong Kui's painting, even if the other party didn't come to Zhan Zhao, Zhan Zhao would have to go looking for them. This was a perfect opportunity to step forward, so he directly said, "I am the person you are looking for."

"what?"

For a moment, Shen Lan thought she had misheard: "Little Master...you are the Swordsman Zhan, the Defeater of Famous Constables?"

Zhan Zhao said, "I dare not accept the title of great hero. It was just a matter of chance that I happened to be involved."

"My second senior brother and the others did say that Zhan Zhao was very young and inexperienced, which is why I didn't believe them at the time..."

'But...but isn't she too young?'

"Besides, Zhan Zhao has only been at the Great Xiangguo Temple for a month at most, how come he seems like a monk who grew up in the temple?"

Shen Lan was full of doubts, but dared not deny it directly.

Having already offended them once before, the resort sent the two people who had no prior conflict with each other, just to prevent the other party from getting angry.

Of course, it would be best if the junior sister stepped forward, since the only person who believed in Zhan Zhao was the junior sister Lian Caiyun, but her master's wife rejected her.

After calming himself down, Shen Lan decided to believe it for the time being. In any case, his fellow disciples had seen the real person and would know the truth at a glance. He cupped his hands and said, "We hope that Hero Zhan will stand up for us!"

Zhan Zhao was somewhat exasperated. Why did he always have to correct how others addressed him, yet they insisted on calling him that? He could only ignore it and asked, "Who came to your manor? Is Madam Yun feeling any better?"

Madam Yun is the wife of Yun Heming, the "Great Hero of Jiangnan," and the mistress of Yunqi Manor. After Yun Heming disappeared, it is said that she took charge of the affairs inside and outside the manor and stabilized the situation.

If it weren't for the subsequent murder of Gu Lin, the eldest disciple of the Seven Clouds, and Madam Yun's subsequent disappearance due to the series of blows, the manor wouldn't have fallen into chaos.

"Master's wife is here! All of us from Qi... Liu Yun are here!"

Shen Lan hurriedly spoke, a hint of pain showing in her voice when she mentioned Liu Yun.

"They're all here?"

Zhan Zhao didn't share any camaraderie with the other side and didn't feel anything about Qi Yun missing one, but he was somewhat surprised that the other side had mobilized all of them.

With the death of Qi Yun, the leader of "Qi Yun," only Liu Yun will arrive now, led by Madam Yun. Is it possible that all the elite disciples have gone to the capital? With only some servants and outer disciples left, it will be very difficult to defend Yunqi Manor.

It should be noted that this was a first-rate property, capable of serving as a summer resort even in the picturesque Jiangnan region.

Isn't Madam Yun afraid that when she returns, she will find that her family's business has been taken over and her family has been usurped?

Shen Lan pursed his lips and said in a deep voice, "Master's whereabouts are still unknown, and the murderer who killed Senior Brother is still at large. When Master's wife took us out of the manor, she said that if this trip was not successful, we would never go back, and we would just pretend that we had no home!"

"I see."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Zhao felt a sense of admiration.

This saying is somewhat similar to the idea that "if people are saved but land is lost, both people and land will be preserved."

Clearly, Madam Yun realized that if they could not restore the prestige of the manor when her husband Yun Heming was missing and her eldest disciple was dead, then they would not be able to protect this foundation.

So he led his disciples directly to the capital to seek justice.

Where are they now?

"He's heading towards the Six Doors!"

"Then let's go too!"

Lin Yuxian was originally there to cover for her senior brother and ensure their escape route, but her senior brother returned with that little monk, leaving her dumbfounded: "Third Senior Brother?"

Shen Lan's expression was also a bit strange. He coughed lightly and said, "We are so lucky! The first person we met upon entering the temple was Master Zhan! Master Zhan, this is my fifth junior sister, 'Weaving Clouds' Lin Yuxian."

Zhan Zhao nodded: "Miss Lin."

"He truly is the hero my little sister described!"

Lin Yuxian hadn't seen his face clearly before, but now that she looked closely, her eyes lit up, and she immediately realized it was true. Then, full of regret, she said, "Hey! Why did you really become a nun?"

"Fifth Junior Sister!"

Shen Lan was startled and quickly said, "Hero Zhan, my sister is just being straightforward and has no other intentions..."

"Miss Caiyun?"

Upon hearing Lin Yuxian mention her younger sister, Zhan Zhao pictured a smiling face in his mind. His tone softened, and he dismissed the idea of ​​her becoming a nun: "Let's go."

The three entered through the back gate of the temple. This time, there was no need to hide. All the monks and novices they passed stopped and bowed to Zhan Zhao, ignoring the two strangers, Shen Lan and Lin Yuxian, behind him.

'What high prestige!'

'Has he really only been at Daxiangguo Temple for a month?'

Shen Lan remained skeptical, but in her heart, she was already extremely eager to know if this person was indeed the great hero Zhan.

Just outside the temple gate, a magnificent panorama unfolded before my eyes on Zhuquemen Street—

Carriages and horses rolled over the bluestone slabs, the shouts of peddlers and the bells of foreign merchants intertwined, and a few steps further, one was swept forward by the surging crowd. In the midst of the brushing of clothes, even Shen Lan's sword almost collided with the flower seller's basket.

Zhan Zhao quite liked the lively atmosphere. He toured the temple when he first arrived in the capital, and then visited the Xiangguo Temple.

Now, a month has passed since I left the temple. Stepping outside again feels like returning from the secluded world to the mundane, with my six senses and six orifices becoming lively again.

He strolled leisurely along the way, yet his pace was extremely fast. When he reached the east gate of Zhuque Gate, the noise of the city suddenly receded like the tide, and the alleyway was so quiet that only the soft sound of the scabbard and waist token clashing could be heard.

More than ten constables stood with their hands on their swords, their hawk-like eyes sweeping over every passerby, turning the warm post-snow sunshine into a frosty sight.

"This is a restricted area of ​​the Six Doors; all who come here must stop!"

Through the bodies of the people blocking the way, Zhan Zhao looked towards the government office in the distance: "The Six Doors headquarters is just ahead, and there are people confronting each other in front of the gate."

"They must be from my Yunqi Manor!"

Shen Lan and Lin Yuxian's expressions changed immediately: "The constables are guarding the alley entrance, are we going to resort to force directly?"

Both men had their hands on their sword sheaths, a movement that prompted the constables in front of the alley to quickly draw their swords and shout sternly, "Who are you, daring to storm the Six Doors headquarters? Do you know what your crime is?"

Shen Lan glared angrily, but her hand, which was about to draw her sword, froze.

There was no sound of fighting inside. Should we lead our junior sister in and charge in now?
Not to mention that these constables had a deep and imposing aura, and it was clear at a glance that they were quite skilled. Under such a siege, one's two fists could not fight against four hands, and the outcome was still uncertain.

A direct confrontation with the constables in the capital would be a price that even if Master and Senior Brother were still alive, let alone the current Yunqi Manor, they probably couldn't afford!

Seeing the two sides locked in a stalemate, staring intently at each other, Zhan Zhao observed for a moment and then took out a jade mirror.

"this!!"

The head constable, looking at the two characters "Wu Jiu" on it, initially disbelievingly exclaimed, "This is the Fourth Master's jade tablet! How could you..."

Then it dawned on me: "You are..."

Zhan Zhaoping said calmly, "We are here to resolve issues, not to create new conflicts. Please step aside."

The constable's expression changed several times, but he finally waved his hand. Under the shocked gazes of Shen Lan and Lin Yuxian, the constables sheathed their swords and retreated to both sides.

Zhan Zhao put away the jade mirror.

"Let's go! Let's go over there!"

　Thank you to reader "Jiang Qingfeng" for the generous donation! Thank you for your trust and support. More chapters will be added later!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)