Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 75 Appearance
"My master's wife is definitely not 'Zhong Kui'!"

"We cannot be instigated by the 'ghosts' and lose our composure, allowing them to succeed!"

The Gu family mansion was located on the banks of the Bian River in the inner city, not far from the headquarters of the Six Doors.

Along the way, Lian Caiyun calmed down. When they arrived at the residence, she went to the door first and said, "My master's wife is in seclusion and has been taken care of by Granny Jiang since we came to the capital. She is very protective of her master and can't stand seeing you all acting so aggressively. I'll knock on the door and explain things first, okay?"

After a pause, Lian Caiyun continued, "I will say what I have to say at the door, so you all don't need to worry."

Zhan Zhao gave Lian Caiyun an approving look.

Many unnecessary conflicts arise from concern leading to confusion and a lack of clear communication. Even Caiyun, the youngest member of the Qiyun group, is able to handle the situation calmly, demonstrating significant growth in the case.

She had even comforted me before, which prevented me from getting stuck in a rut.

"Go ahead!"

The higher-ups of the Six Doors exchanged glances, genuinely worried about collusion in testimonies. However, given Lian Caiyun's frankness, they couldn't directly refuse, so they could only keep a close eye on her.

When the servants opened the door, they saw a group of people standing outside. They went back inside to report, and Granny Jiang quickly came out, carrying a sword.

"Mother-in-law!"

Lian Caiyun stepped forward and briefly recounted the matter.

The degree of acceptance varies depending on the storyteller.

If the Six Doors had issued a sharp rebuke, the two sides would undoubtedly have been on the verge of conflict, but now that Lian Caiyun has stepped in, the atmosphere has eased considerably.

When the members of the Six Doors saw this person, they were all taken aback. After carefully examining him, Feng Buyu was the first to say, "Han...Han Xing...is that you?"

Grandma Jiang listened attentively, ignoring everything else.

'Is it really Jiang Hanxing?'

The elderly Xin Li, Leng Feng, and others looked at the man before them and couldn't help but sigh.

Don't let her current middle-aged appearance fool you; more than twenty years ago, she was a beautiful and charming female knight-errant known as "Jade Rakshasa."

She was originally a disciple of the Jiyue Sword Pavilion. Although the sect was small, its swordsmanship was exquisite, and it also possessed a treasured artifact called the Cold Jade Sword Soul.

Unfortunately, possessing such a treasure is a crime. At that time, Xiao Ji, the "Sword Fiend" among the Four Fiends of Evil Valley, coveted this treasure. In order to curry favor with Xiao Ji, some villains sneaked into the Sword Pavilion and took advantage of the fact that the entire sect was gathered to commit a heinous act, slaughtering all seventy-three people in the Jiyue Sword Pavilion in one night.

With the desperate protection of his fellow disciples, Jiang Hanxing broke through the encirclement alone. On the way, he encountered Gu Menglai. Gu Menglai learned of this and chased the villain all the way to the front of the Valley of Villains. He even fought a great battle with Xiao Ji, the "Sword Villain" who came out of the valley to meet him.

Gu Menglai broke through Xiao Ji's seventeen Burial Sword techniques in succession. Surrounded by demons, he forced Xiao Ji to swear an oath to seal his sword for ten years. With his last sword strike, he beheaded the villain who destroyed the Jiyue Sword Pavilion and left triumphantly.

After this battle, Gu Menglai became a renowned figure in the martial arts world, and Jiang Hanxing volunteered to become his servant, following Gu Menglai to repay this great kindness.

The Six Doors were also involved in this matter back then. After all, Evil Valley was also a mortal enemy of the Six Doors. Whether it was the previous generation of Four Great Constables or the encirclement and suppression organized by Su Wuqing when he first took office, the two sides were natural mortal enemies.

At first, the crowd simply couldn't connect the Jade Rakshasa of yesteryear with the kind-faced servant woman before them.

But immediately after hearing Lian Caiyun's words, Granny Jiang's face darkened, and she uttered only one word: "Get out!"

Right.

That is the Jade Rakshasa.

There was no point in reminiscing; Feng Buyu stated directly, "We... want to talk to... Madam Gu!"

Granny Jiang laughed angrily: "You actually think 'Zhong Kui' is an old lady? How absurd! What's there to say? Get out!"

Feng Buyu panicked: "Brother Gu..."

Granny Jiang was furious: "How dare you mention the old master? He has been missing for so long, and your Six Doors haven't been able to find a single clue. It's a wonder he saved you so many times back then!"

“Brother Gu has indeed saved us many times, and that’s why Old Master Pei trusts ‘Zhong Kui’ so much. But Old Master Pei never imagined that he would die at the hands of Brother Gu’s daughter…”

It was too difficult to communicate with Feng Buyu, so Xin Li stepped forward, his eyes reddening as he spoke, and called out loudly, "Madam Gu, please come out and see us!"

"you!"

Granny Jiang had already raised her sword, but Lian Caiyun took a deep breath and pressed down on her hand: "Granny, things really need to be clarified. We believe that Master's wife is definitely not 'Zhong Kui', and we cannot let her suffer an injustice!"

Lin Yuxian also stepped forward to persuade him, while Shen Lan seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Granny Jiang's expression changed several times before she finally gritted her teeth and said, "Just wait!"

After a short while, Madam Gu, her face veiled, emerged gracefully. Looking at the crowd gathered outside the mansion, where torches had already been erected, she said with utter indifference, "I've arrived."

Looking at each other, Zhou Wuxin, Zhao Wujiu, and the other relatively young constables felt nothing but wariness and hostility.

Feng Buyu, Xin Li, Leng Feng, and the others were deeply moved and speechless for a moment.

Of course, they were not missing Madam Gu herself, but rather the strongest member of the Six Doors, the Heart Swordsman who had once sheltered them from the storm.

To everyone's surprise, one day they actually came to arrest the other party's daughter.

Compared to this complicated situation, Madam Gu was quite decisive. After stepping forward and waiting for a while, seeing that the other party remained silent, she turned around and prepared to go back.

"Wait a minute!"

Xin Li took a deep breath and asked, "May I ask, Madam, where were you when Elder Yu Xuzi of the Qingcheng Sect disappeared on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month last year?"

Madam Gu replied, "The mountain villa."

Xin Li asked, "Are there any outsiders who can testify?"

Madam Gu shook her head slightly: "No."

"The third day of the third lunar month this year?"

"The mountain villa." ...

"June 15th this year?"

"Mountain Villa".

……

Xinli asked about the two more disappearances, and Madam Gu replied that she was at home both times, and that there were no witnesses.

"This September?"

This fourth incident didn't actually need to be asked; it happened right inside Yunqi Villa, but Xin Li still asked about it again.

This is a common interrogation technique used by the Six Doors. Although it is not as effective as the Six Hearts Clarity Technique, it can indeed make many guilty people look away and reveal their true intentions.

However, Madam Gu's expression was extremely calm, showing no sign of emotion whatsoever, even when she mentioned Yun Heming.

"But the martial arts techniques used on these missing people are suspected to be the Heart Sword Divine Technique!"

Therefore, Xin Li pointed out the flaw in the martial arts and then revealed the coincidences he had previously summarized: "The Six Doors now suspect that you are a major suspect in the crime!"

"Let go of your..."

Grandma Jiang's cheeks puffed out as she uttered a string of angry curses.

Madam Gu shook her head again: "I won't do these things."

Xin Li thought she was asking about motives, and coldly replied, "Because Yun Heming is a member of the 'Ten Directions Ghost Clan,' as are Yu Xuzi, Helian Jue, and Ye Canglang. They committed evil together in the past and then blackmailed each other afterward."

“Yun Heming was unwilling to continue being coerced, so he joined you in this self-inflicted injury scheme.”

"It seems like he has disappeared, but in reality he has just gone into hiding and will reappear when the time is right."

Madam Gu asked, "How do you explain your reappearance?"

"What's so hard to explain? Didn't you also take the First Hall Master and the Second Hall Master?"

Leng Feng continued, "When Yun Heming escapes with the two hall masters, he will become a hero for rescuing the famous constable and capturing 'Zhong Kui'! The prestige of the Jiangnan Hero will surely soar to new heights!"

This means that the "Zhong Kui Painting" case was actually a scheme orchestrated by Yun Heming and his wife, Madam Gu.

Madam Gu disguised herself as "Zhong Kui" and used the Heart Sword Divine Technique to kidnap people at the Four Directions Birthday Banquet.

To avoid suspicion, Yun Heming voluntarily became one of the victims, then engaged in a battle of wits with his wife, ultimately rescuing the two renowned constables, Su Wuqing and Li Wuxing, and thus bestowing favors upon the Six Doors.

Firstly, it can eliminate the former accomplices of the "Ten Directions Ghost Clan" and prevent the shameful past from being exposed;

Secondly, it allows the Jiangnan hero to become the one who solves the "Zhong Kui" problem, further enhancing his reputation.

Zhou Wuxin concluded, "And Elder Pei, because of your identity, chose to believe you without reservation, believing that there is also a 'ghost' within my Six Doors, which is why he assisted you in taking away the First Hall Master and the Second Hall Master!"

"Ever since Detective Zhan took over the case, you've been worried that Elder Pei would reveal 'Zhong Kui's' identity, causing your plan to fail, and ultimately..."

"You chose to kill Elder Pei!!"

Upon arriving here, the members of the Six Doors immediately became emotional, completely casting aside any lingering nostalgia they had felt earlier.

Gu Menglai is such a despicable person, I never expected her to have such a vile daughter and son-in-law.

Pei Handeng ended up like this precisely because he trusted the other party; they must never repeat the same mistake.

Granny Jiang was about to explode with rage, but Madam Gu shook her head: "It's already quite an achievement for Yun Heming to be a great hero of Jiangnan. He can't ask for more, and I won't do such a thing for him."

Leng Feng said in a deep voice, "Does Your Excellency mean to use marital discord as a reason for your argument?"

"It's not that Master's wife and Master have a bad relationship; they've never been close!"

Lian Caiyun quickly stepped forward and added, "Brother Zhan already knew!"

Leng Feng shook his head decisively: "You can know a person's face but not their heart, especially the feelings between husband and wife. What you disciples see is only the surface."

"you……"

Lian Caiyun paused for a moment.

She actually knew the truth about why her master married his wife back then, and she also knew that the relationship between her master and his wife was not genuine, and that it was not just a facade.

But this is something that should never be discussed in public.

However, if this old news isn't mentioned, it's really hard to prove that Madam Gu and Jiang Heming had no feelings for each other at all, and that it's impossible for them to go to such lengths for each other.

Therefore, the truth of the "Zhong Kui Picture" currently recognized by the Six Doors cannot be completely overturned.

Seeing Lian Caiyun hesitate, Granny Jiang drew her sword, and Madam Gu stood with her hands clasped, saying no more. Leng Feng and Xin Li turned around and bowed to Zhan Zhao, saying, "Please give the order, Detective Zhan!"

This time, facing the completely opposite expectations from the Six Doors and Yunqi Manor, Zhan Zhao looked directly at the Bian River: "Come out, I know you're listening!"

The night breeze suddenly froze.

A tall figure emerged from the night—

Her wide sleeves trailed like clouds, obscuring her figure, but her face gleamed with a cold light.

Moonlight streamed over the fang-like patterns, casting menacing shadows on the ground.

The mask was taken from the folk Zhong Kui Nuo mask, with wide-open, angry eyes, a red face, fangs, and a bristling beard.

A crack running diagonally across his forehead, stained with cinnabar, symbolizes the legend of Zhong Kui's death by striking a pillar.

Zhong Kui has appeared!
(End of this chapter)