Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 35 Killed
A person entered the house, accompanied by footsteps.

It's not Madam Yun.

It is not any of the six members of the Six Clouds.

She was a servant.

This maid was Granny Jiang, who had led the way in welcoming Madam Yun. In this Gu family mansion, she was a manager or similar figure.

She was around fifty years old, dressed in an indigo cotton dress that had been washed until it was white. She had a round face with fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and her smile was very kind. When she greeted Madam Yun, even her voice was as gentle as warm yellow wine: "Madam, you must be tired from your journey. I have prepared some hot soup for you!"

But upon closer inspection, her hands, which were sticking out of her sleeves, had a thin layer of calluses on the base of her thumbs. Although her knuckles were rough, they were long and slender like bamboo branches, as if she had been holding a sword for many years.

As she entered the house, her skirt remained perfectly still, as if she were stepping on an invisible ruler, each step measured precisely.

Upon reaching her, the gentle smile in his eyes vanished completely, and he stared coldly at Lin Yuxian: "Fifth Miss, watch your words. The Gu family will not tolerate such idle gossip!"

Lin Yuxian was startled and quickly stood up: "I...I didn't..."

Zhan Zhao also stood up: "It was my rudeness, please don't blame Miss Lin, sir."

Upon hearing this, Granny Jiang turned her gaze to Zhan Zhao with a cold look.

The two looked at each other.

Seeing that Zhan Zhao's expression was calm, as if it were just an ordinary chat, Granny Jiang swallowed some of the words that were about to come out, and bowed slightly: "If Young Master Zhan needs anything, please don't hesitate to give the order. This old lady and Fifth Miss will take our leave now!"

Zhan Zhao said, "You're too kind, sir. It's I who have troubled you."

"Young master stay."

Grandma Jiang slowly turned around and walked out with an embarrassed Lin Yuxian.

Zhan Zhao stood up and watched the two figures disappear outside the door. Just as he was about to ponder the case, he saw Tang Lei swaying at the window again.

That enormous figure could only be one other person, but instead of coming in, it circled around and left.

'what? '

'Let's put that aside for now. Gu Lin wasn't adopted by Madam Yun, could it be...'

'Is he my biological son?'

If the other party doesn't interrupt immediately, Zhan Zhao won't easily believe it; there's no shortage of gossip in the martial arts world.

But considering Granny Jiang's nervous demeanor just now, combined with the previous suspicious points, the possibility has increased to 50%.

Yun Heming and his wife, Lady Gu, had no children, only seven disciples.

If the eldest disciple, Gu Lin, is not Gu Niangzi's adopted child, but her biological son, then his biological father is definitely not Yun Heming.

Otherwise, there would be no need to hide it, and he wouldn't have the surname Gu.

If that's really the case.

Does Yun Heming know?

They should know.

After all, the rumors had been circulating for more than once, and any man would inevitably investigate such a matter.

If it's true, the truth will eventually come out; there will always be clues to the experience of giving birth.

The reason why Yun Heming didn't react was because he loved his wife too much.

To save face, they were unwilling to reveal it and avoid being ridiculed by people in the underworld.

Or perhaps they were simply intimidated by Madam Yun's martial prowess and background, and simply dared not?

Furthermore, considering that Yun Heming believed that practicing the Six Lines Formless Sword Qi too forcefully would lead to qi deviation, yet he entrusted the manual to his eldest disciple Gu Lin early on, could it be that he was deliberately trying to harm him?
'Wow! There's so much inside information about local martial arts sects!'

'However, as an outsider, it's really inappropriate for me to inquire about such private matters before confirming my connection to the case…'

What started as inquiring about clues in the case has turned into a secret about an illegitimate child, making it difficult to delve deeper.

It's understandable that Grandma Jiang intervened, but we can't completely rule out the possibility that it was just a rumor and that the other party was overly anxious because they didn't want their family's reputation to be damaged.

Zhan Zhao remained calm and did not rush things.

After that, he spent most of his time practicing in his room, and when he went out occasionally, it was only during his three daily meals.

As everyone gathered and chatted, they kept an eye on the movements of the Six Doors.

The time limit is seven days.

What kind of reply will Su Wuqing give after seven days?

And just like that, four days passed in the blink of an eye.

With half the agreed-upon time having passed and no word coming from the Six Doors, Tang Lei cursed several times and frequently went out, preparing to file a complaint with the authorities.

Zhan Zhao observed everyone.

On the fifth night, just as he lay down, a figure flashed past the window, as elusive as a ghost.

Zhan Zhao rolled over and sat up, but simply sat upright on the edge of the bed. With a flick of his long, slender fingers, the sword hanging at the head of the bed seemed to be pulled into his hand by an invisible rope.

With his longsword in hand, he did not immediately make a move.

This is the Gu family mansion.

Not to mention that Madam Gu's martial arts skills were unfathomable, there were also servants such as Granny Jiang keeping watch in the courtyard, so there was no need for him, a guest, to take the initiative.

However, the next moment, a sharp cry of alarm rang out, as if someone had been taken hostage by a dark figure and was quickly moving away.

'Lin Yuxian's voice?' Zhan Zhao's face darkened, and he leaped out.

……

The winter night was as dark as ink.

It snowed again in the capital yesterday. The snowflakes fell softly and were swirled into fine silver mist by the strong wind.

A dark shadow swept across the continuous rooftops, its figure elusive, carrying a woman on its shoulder, her skirt fluttering in the wind like a butterfly with broken wings.

"Ugh... Ugh!!"

Lin Yuxian, who was wielding "Weaving Clouds," did not find herself beautiful at all. Her brows were filled with terror. However, after a rapid scream, she was silenced by a pressure point and could only helplessly sway with the other person's movements.

'Someone...save me!'

"Zheng!"

Just as despair began to surface in his eyes, a clear sword cry pierced the air, and a figure in azure blue stepped through the air from the eaves.

As Zhan Zhao's robes billowed, his sword had already cut off his path.

Almost simultaneously, nine cold glints flashed from the black-clad man's sleeve.

"Ding--"

Zhan Zhao's sword traced an arc of light like the bright moon.

The sword light seemed to have been waiting at the point where the hidden weapon would land, taking advantage of the situation to deflect all the sharp edges in the blink of an eye.

With a series of crisp sounds, all the hidden weapons were cut down, and the sword tip, like a snake flicking its tongue, suddenly jabbed towards the wrist of the man in black.

The opponent had hostages, so there were bound to be some reservations when making a move, but the sword was still as fast as lightning and full of power.

However, the man in black seemed to have no intention of fighting. The moment the hidden weapon was released, he withdrew his hand, leaving Lin Yuxian behind.

Zhan Zhao withdrew his sword, his figure as swift as a crane skimming over a cold pool, and reached out to accurately grab Lin Yuxian.

In the blink of an eye, the figure in black flew away and disappeared into the alleyway, vanishing into the darkness.

Zhan Zhao turned his sword, sheathed it with one hand, and then flicked his finger to strike out again.

The blade reflected the snow, illuminating Lin Yuxian's still-shaken face and her broken voice, uttered after her pressure points had been released: "Thank you... Young hero... Where is that thief?"

"This person has excellent lightness skills and has no intention of fighting, so he has already escaped!"

'However, this lightness skill is somewhat similar to...'

Zhan Zhao felt that the other party's lightness skill was very similar to the Cloud Crane Ascending to Immortality Step of Yunqi Manor, but he did not point it out directly. Instead, he asked in a deep voice, "Miss Lin, are you injured?"

Lin Yuxian regained her senses and shook her head: "He didn't hurt me, but if he really led me to the thieves' den, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

Zhan Zhao narrowed his eyes slightly: "I have a feeling that this person's purpose is probably not simple. Let's go back quickly. I'm worried that something might happen at the Gu family mansion."

"Good! Good!"

Lin Yuxian answered verbally, but her legs were clearly weak and her face was pale. She forced herself to use her inner energy to keep up with him.

This inevitably slows down the speed.

‘That’s all! ’

Zhan Zhao knew that if something had really happened, it probably already had, and he was also worried that the other party might turn around and kidnap Lin Yuxian again, so he slowed down.

Just as they returned halfway, a person came running towards them, his brows furrowed with anxiety. It was none other than "Xingyun" Chu Zhirou.

"Fifth Junior Sister! I'm so glad you're alright... I'm so glad you're alright..."

Seeing that Lin Yuxian was safe and sound, Chu Zhirou breathed a sigh of relief: "Sixth Junior Brother also came out to save you. We were both a step too late and had to search separately... Fortunately, Young Hero Zhan came to our rescue. We are extremely grateful!"

"You've all come out?"

Lin Yuxian's expression changed: "Don't do that! What if it's a diversionary tactic by thieves from the Six Doors? Besides, my master's wife is always practicing her internal energy at this time every night, so someone needs to protect her!"

"Don't worry! My little sister is guarding the gate of my master's wife. Her swordsmanship is the strongest, so she'll be fine!"

Chu Zhirou comforted him, "Before I came out, I also saw Third Senior Brother come out of his room..."

As they talked, their journey quickened. When they returned to the Gu family mansion, a woman in colorful clothes greeted them: "Fourth Senior Brother! Fifth Senior Sister! You're both alright! That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Brother Zhan!"

Seeing Lian Caiyun's heartfelt thanks to Zhan Zhao, Chu Zhirou's face stiffened.

How do you know that it was Zhan Zhao who saved that person?

Okay, he was the one who saved her.

But you should at least ask!

Putting aside the feeling of tightness in his chest, Zhan Zhao immediately asked, "Did nothing happen just now?"

"No……"

Lian Caiyun shook her head first, then realized something, and her pretty face changed slightly: "But just now, Third Senior Brother rushed to Master's Wife's room, looking flustered. I don't know what he said to Master's Wife, but Master's Wife asked me to come to the door to meet you when you came back. Could it be that..."

"go!"

The four hurried inside, and before they reached the front yard, they saw "Liuyun" Shen Lan stagger out, groaning, "Second Senior Brother! Second Senior Brother..."

"He's been murdered!"

(End of this chapter)