Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 144 Changying's Monologue
Su Changying drew his longsword instantly, his sword intent filled with killing intent, and swiftly slashed towards the cleaver.

The newcomer felt a numbness in his hand and took three steps back before regaining his footing. "Good lad, you've made your grandfather lose face. So what if you're the Marquis of Lu? You came here and immediately became a captain in charge of curfew. I thought you were all show and no substance and wanted to give you a try, but you made your grandfather look like a spineless coward."

"Again!" The speaker was not tall, but very burly, looking like a heavy coffin lid.

As he spoke, he brought down his second blade.

The man was carrying a horse-slaying saber, and his martial arts style was characterized by its bold and powerful movements. Such people often rely on strength to win and therefore do not pay much attention to details.

found it!
Su Changying calmly swung her second sword, this time with remarkable lightness, like a nimble snake, directly darting in front of the newcomer. The man cried out, his hand wielding the broadsword froze, staring in disbelief at the sword tip appearing before his chest, his eyes instantly lighting up.

He tossed the broadsword aside to his attendant, then brushed aside Su Changying's sword and, without a word, hooked his arm around Su Changying's shoulder.

"Brother Su, I heard that you have already defeated all the Northern Army in just a few days. Our Northern Army has a total of six captains from the general down. The other four were beaten to a pulp by you. Hehe, today it's my turn, Old Peng. I won't be crying for my parents or calling for my brother."

Su Changying looked at Captain Peng expressionlessly, "Peng Chuxiu? Just call me Su Changying."

Although Peng Chuxiu was as strong and robust as an ape, his name was incredibly delicate. "Don't laugh at me for being called Chuxiu. My brother is called Cunxiu! My mother gave birth to the three of us siblings. My brother and I are both big and strong, but she left all the cleverness to our little sister! Our little sister is truly very pretty!"

As Peng Chuxiu spoke, he gestured with his empty hand to demonstrate the move he had just used. "I always felt that this move had a flaw, but I could never find it. How did you manage to twist and turn left and right and stab me in the heart just now?"

Seeing his seriousness, Su Changying took his hand and moved it down half an inch. "When you made your move, the movement was too large, leaving your defenses open. Although it was only for a moment, your chest area was exposed, giving your opponent an opportunity to attack. Moving it down a little will break the defense."

Peng Chuxiu was instantly excited. He took the large cleaver from his attendant and used the modified movements of Su Changying to slash a third time.

But the moment he made his move, Su Changying's longsword still reached his chest.

He stared wide-eyed at Su Changying, "Didn't you say it would be fine once you changed it? How come I still lost?"

Su Changying watched as his eyelashes fluttered slightly. "Because your opponent is me."

Peng Chuxiu was taken aback, then put his hands on his hips and burst into laughter. He walked over and patted Su Changying's shoulder a few times, saying loudly, "From now on, you're my little brother. If those four dare to bully you, I'll beat them to a pulp with you."

Su Changying's eyes flickered as she looked at Peng Chuxiu, "Besides my team, is there anyone else in the Northern Army who can disregard the curfew at night?"

Peng Chuxiu shook his head. "We Northern Army soldiers are all warriors, no different from wild beasts. We all just mark our territory to piss. If anyone recklessly violates our boundaries, we'll beat them senseless. What, has someone else broken the curfew?"

Peng Chuxiu's eyes widened. "Don't give them any face, just arrest them! They're just trying to bully you because you're a young and inexperienced kid!"

Su Changying shook her head. "No."

Zhou Zhao always investigated cases in the middle of the night. One moment they would be looking across the river from the old site of Linjiang Tower, and the next, those people would get wind of it and move away overnight, disappearing without a trace as they went down the mountain. He had no idea that such a place existed on the other side, and he certainly didn't inform anyone.

He could sense that since arriving in Chang'an, Yin Yan had rarely been able to keep up with him.

Because he was either investigating a case with Zhou Zhao or leading the Northern Army on a patrol of the city, it was difficult for her to get close to him in either case.

At the time, he didn't sense anyone watching them, so there must have been a traitor among him and Zhou Zhao who leaked the information. There might be one in the Court of Justice, or definitely one in the Northern Army. Otherwise, why didn't anyone notice when those people came down the mountain and carried away valuables? Someone must have done something to help them.

If what Peng Chuxiu said is true, then the mole in the Northern Army was his subordinate and was involved in the Linjianglou case.

Thinking it over, Su Changying clasped his hands in a fist salute to Peng Chuxiu and said, "Brother Peng, I have important matters to attend to. I'll invite you for drinks another day."

Peng Chuxiu laughed heartily, clearly not one to mince words. He shook his arms and legs, "I just got back, I'm covered in dirt. I'll come back tomorrow to learn kung fu from you, I'll go back and think about it."

Su Changying nodded, thinking to himself that no matter how much Peng Chuxiu pondered, she was no match for him.

He thought to himself and walked alone toward his small courtyard.

Besides the lieutenant as commander, the Northern Army had six colonels under his command, each with their own duties. The camp had arranged a small courtyard for each of the six as their residence, but they all had homes in Chang'an City, so only Su Changying was currently living here.

The room was very simple, and Su Changying did not add anything after arriving.

He walked to the window and looked into the distance, where he could see the eaves of the Tingwei Temple.

His emotions were far from as calm as they appeared on the surface.

Su Changying thought about it and smiled self-deprecatingly, but when she thought of Zhou Zhao, she felt her heart was full.

He did lose his memory, but not as he told Zhou Zhao, that he was already in Zhang Ran's spy camp when he regained his memories.

In his memory, he was the seventh child. He grew up with his adoptive father, and their loyalty was to Prince Yu. He also had a younger brother, whose blindness was caused by him. Once, he was injured and poisoned, and his brother sucked out the poison, saving his life, but leaving his brother blind.

His greatest task was to take over Su Changying's identity and become the commander of the Northern Army.

Su Changying sorted through her memories, her gaze unusually deep.

He used to firmly believe this.

Su Changying thought to himself, then pressed his hand against the red dot on his arm. But he always felt that there was one most important person in his life he could never forget.

He still remembers the heart-wrenching feeling he had when he first tracked his target, Zhou Zhao. It was as if a pair of large hands were gripping his heart tightly, swelling it up as if it were about to burst at any moment.

What I once firmly believed crumbled in that instant.

He dared not hope that he was Su Changying.

But he knew his memory was definitely faulty; his adoptive father had been deceiving him all along. What he didn't realize was that the weakness he thought his adoptive father held in his hands, the younger brother he loved and felt guilty towards, was also a deception.

He was originally Gongzi Yu.

Here's the update I missed yesterday.