Important Clue, Target Locked In [4 Updates, Please Subscribe]

Chapter 79 Important Clue, Target Locked In [Fourth Update, Please Subscribe]

"Chief, I have completed your instructions. I have thoroughly investigated each member of the clan on the list and made relevant records."

Inside the Zhongping Hall, after Zhou Chun finished investigating the last few people on his list, he brought all the investigation reports to report to the clan leader, Zhou Daoyi.

After hearing his words, Zhou Daoyi immediately looked at him and asked, "So, what have you found out? Do you have any suspects?"

"This junior is incompetent and did not perceive any problem with any of the clansmen's answers."

Zhou Chun lowered his head deeply and gave his answer.

He was telling the truth, and it was also a statement born of helplessness.

Because Zhou Jiahui's disappearance cannot be publicized, he cannot use this as the basis for his investigation, so he cannot speak freely about many things.

The information gathered in this way is naturally not very helpful for him.

Under such circumstances, he naturally dared not easily designate any clansman as a suspect, lest he cause some kind of misunderstanding.

"It seems you still have quite a few concerns."

Zhou Daoyi narrowed his eyes as he looked at Zhou Chun and uttered his thoughts.

Then he nodded slightly and said, "That's true. It's normal for you to have reservations since it's your first time dealing with this kind of thing, but I can't blame you for that."

Zhou Chun remained silent, which was tantamount to tacitly agreeing to this.

Zhou Daoyi then quickly added, "Then leave your investigation records behind; I will review them carefully when I have time."

After saying that, he looked at Zhou Chun with encouraging eyes and said, "Don't feel too much pressure. It might be a good thing that nothing was found. It might just mean that there are no traitors in the clan."

"Yes, I understand."

Zhou Chun nodded respectfully in response.

Seeing this, Zhou Daoyi waved his hand and said, "Then go back and rest for a day or two. I will arrange some things for you to do later."

"Yes, this junior will take his leave."

Zhou Chun responded and then left the "Zhongping Hall" and departed from Pagoda Peak.

However, after returning to his residence, Zhou Chun did not rest. Instead, he lay on the bed, repeatedly recalling the investigation and questions he had given to the various clansmen over the past few days.

Deep down, he still really wanted to find out the truth.

It wasn't just to avenge Zhou Jia Hui, the Nineteenth Aunt, but also to protect the secret of the "Touch of Despair".

Although it seems that he will not have the opportunity to return to Fangshi in the short term.

However, the "Touch of Despair," a poison that is now selling like hotcakes, is undoubtedly one of his "achievements."

If Ling Shou Zhai can maintain its market position and boost its performance by relying on this poison, it will be able to achieve great success.

Zhou Chun, the person who single-handedly promoted this matter, will definitely gain the favor and respect of the Zhou family cultivators and high-ranking members who benefited from it.

Therefore, Zhou Chun is definitely the person who least wants "Touch of Despair" to be copied.

But the truth is not so easy to find.

Zhou Chun lay in bed thinking for a long time, her head was spinning, but she still didn't have many clues.

At that moment, he sensed that the array outside the courtyard had been activated.

"Oh, it's Brother Yong. What brings you here?"

Outside the courtyard gate, after Zhou Chun clearly saw the appearance of the person knocking on the door, he immediately forced a smile and greeted the person with a smile.

But Zhou Zhengyong frowned slightly when he saw the forced smile on his face, and looked at him with concern, asking, "Thirteenth Brother, you look a little tired. Has something happened in the family? I heard you've been very busy lately?"

"It's nothing, Yong-ge, don't overthink it."

Zhou Chun smiled, but didn't want to say too much to Zhou Zhengyong, so he changed the subject and said, "Brother Yong, why don't you tell me about why you came to see me?"

Seeing this, Zhou Zhengyong seemed to have figured something out and didn't ask any more questions.

He simply nodded in agreement and said, "I came to see you today, Thirteenth Brother, for nothing major. It's just that after learning that your sister-in-law is pregnant, my parents-in-law came to visit her."

At this point, he looked at Zhou Chun with a pained expression and said, "Then, in order to entertain these two elders, I specially brought over some good things, so I would like to invite you, Thirteenth Brother, to come and have a taste."

After hearing his words, Zhou Chun was slightly surprised, then smiled sincerely and said to him, "Sister-in-law is pregnant? Congratulations, Brother Yong!"

"Hehehe, of course! Efficiency is our top priority when it comes to getting things done!"

Zhou Zhengyong smiled smugly, his face full of joy.

Zhou Chun was genuinely happy for him and immediately nodded, saying, "In that case, Brother Yong, please wait a moment. I'll pack up and go with you to see your wife."

After a short delay, Zhou Chun washed her face and tidied herself up before going to Zhou Zhengyong's home.

Upon arriving at Zhou Zhengyong's home, Zhou Chun first greeted Sun Lianzhong and his wife, who had come to visit, and then patted the storage bag at his waist, took out a brocade box, and handed it to Zhou Zhengyong's Daoist partner, Sun Yujiao.

With a smile, he said, "I was overjoyed to hear that you are pregnant, sister-in-law. There are seven jujubes in this box, which I am giving to you to help you recover. Please accept them."

Hearing his words, Sun Yujiao was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but look at her Daoist partner, Zhou Zhengyong.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Zhengyong immediately smiled and nodded, saying, "Since it's Thirteenth Brother's kind gesture, Yu Jiao, you should accept it."

Sun Yujiao no longer hesitated and immediately said with a smile, "Then I, sister-in-law, will thank Thirteenth Brother on behalf of the child in my womb."

After saying that, he took the brocade box, put it into his storage bag without even looking at it, and then invited Zhou Chun to sit down together.

Zhou Zhengyong really went to great lengths to entertain his parents-in-law, who rarely visited his home.

On the dining table, many of the ingredients were spiritual items containing pure spiritual energy, which were usually only used when the Zhou family held certain banquets.

Eating this meal might only have a slight effect on improving one's personal cultivation, but the taste and quality are certainly up to par.

Zhou Chun could tell that although Sun Lianzhong had complained about his son-in-law wasting money before the meal, he was clearly very happy and in a good mood while eating.

After the group finished cleaning up the food on the table, Zhou Zhengyong presented a pot of spiritual tea as if it were a treasure.

He took out two teacups, poured them into two cups of light green tea with a rich aroma, and respectfully handed the two cups to Mr. and Mrs. Sun Lianzhong, saying:

"Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, please try our Zhou family's specialty honey flower tea. This is a rare and precious tea that is almost extinct in the Zhou family. I went to great lengths to obtain a single pill from an elder to offer to you both!"

The couple, Sun Lianzhong and his wife, had been drawn to the fragrant tea. Upon hearing his words, they immediately turned their attention to him, their eyes filled with satisfaction.

She was clearly very satisfied with her son-in-law's filial piety.

"Hehehe, then we won't stand on ceremony."

Sun Lianzhong chuckled and immediately took the tea and sipped it.

Then he closed his eyes slightly and revealed an expression of extreme enjoyment.

After a while, he opened his eyes with a satisfied look and exclaimed, "Excellent tea! Truly excellent tea!"

After saying that, he couldn't help but take another sip.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Zhengyong also showed a happy smile.

He immediately fetched another teacup, poured a cup, and handed it to Zhou Chun, saying, "Thirteenth Brother, have a cup too. You probably haven't had this honey flower tea in a long time!"

"This aroma of tea..."

Zhou Chun stared blankly at the teacup Zhou Zhengyong handed her, not reaching out to take it. Instead, as if she had thought of something, she closed her eyes slightly and fell into deep thought.

This behavior puzzled Zhou Zhengyong greatly, and he immediately asked, "Thirteenth Brother, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with this tea?"

"No, it's not that there's anything wrong with the tea, it's just that I suddenly thought of something related to this honey flower tea."

Zhou Chun opened his eyes, shook his head slightly, then reached out and took the tea from Zhou Zhengyong's hand, taking a small sip.

It is indeed a fine tea!

This was the first time Zhou Chun had drunk "Honey Flower Tea" since he came to this world. The taste was indeed superb, much better than the other spiritual teas he had drunk before, and the effects were the same.

But now is not the time to enjoy tea.

After savoring the taste for a moment, Zhou Chun looked intently at Zhou Zhengyong and asked, "Brother Yong, where did you get this honey flower tea? I remember that since we split up the family, we haven't had any of it, right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengyong sighed softly, "Yes, without the Jade Spirit Bee and the Azure Tea Tree, our Zhou family simply can't make this Honey Flower Tea ourselves anymore. Only a very few elders in the family still have a little stock, which they're just keeping and unwilling to drink!"

At this point, he shamelessly revealed his weakness: "This honey flower tea today was only obtained after I relied on the influence of my father, who has been dead for many years, and also used the unborn child in Yu Jiao's womb to plead with Uncle Jiu for a long time!"

"You're such a thoughtful child!!"

Sun Lianzhong, who was standing to the side, was also moved after hearing Zhou Zhengyong's words, and his gaze toward his son-in-law was full of affection.

Zhou Chun, however, didn't care about that. After hearing Zhou Zhengyong's answer, he immediately looked thoughtful and muttered to himself, "So, even a family elder like Uncle Jiu wouldn't be able to drink a spiritual item like honey flower tea often these days!"

"How could I possibly drink it all the time!"

Zhou Zhengyong sighed and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "Let alone Uncle Jiu, I reckon even the clan leader and the Supreme Elders probably don't drink this honey flower tea often anymore. They'd probably only bring it out to enjoy with important guests or on their own birthdays!"

"Is that so?"

Zhou Chun muttered something to himself, then suddenly raised his head and bowed to Zhou Zhengyong, saying, "Brother Yong, please forgive me. I have important business to attend to with the clan leader, so please excuse me."

After saying this, he bowed to Mr. and Mrs. Sun and said, "Uncle Sun, Aunt Lin, please enjoy your meal. I'll take my leave now."

Without giving Zhou Zhengyong a chance to ask for a reason or try to persuade him to stay, Zhou Chun quickly left Zhou Zhengyong's house amidst the astonished and suspicious gazes of his family.

After staring blankly at his departing figure for a long while, Zhou Zhengyong finally came to his senses and hurriedly explained to Sun Lianzhong and his wife, "Father-in-law, please forgive me. My thirteenth brother has always been very steady, composed, and polite. This time, he must have really encountered some trouble. He certainly didn't mean to neglect you two!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Lianzhong immediately waved his hand and said, "Zhengyong, you don't need to say anything more. We all saw what happened just now. Nephew Zhengchun must really have something important to do, so let's not disturb him."

"I'm glad you understand, Father-in-law!"

Zhou Zhengyong breathed a sigh of relief, then hurriedly picked up the teapot again to refill the teacups for the two elders and began to serve them attentively.

After leaving Zhou Zhengyong's house, Zhou Chun immediately summoned his flying artifact and flew towards Pagoda Peak without delaying for even a moment.

Upon meeting the clan leader Zhou Daoyi inside the Zhongping Hall, he immediately bowed and said, "Clan leader, you are wise. I have just discovered an important clue and would like to ask you to enlighten me!"

"Oh, what do you want to ask?"

Zhou Daoyi looked at him with surprise, and was immediately drawn in by his words.

"This junior would like to ask the clan leader, given your and the Supreme Elder's status, are you still able to frequently enjoy such a spiritual tea as Honey Flower Tea?"

Zhou Chun looked at Zhou Daoyi with a serious expression and immediately asked the question that had been on his mind.

"That's definitely not possible. Even back in Feng Kingdom, the Supreme Elder and I could only get three to five bottles of tea pills each year. We had to give some of those as gifts to fellow Daoists we made outside the sect, give some to our juniors, and keep some to entertain other distinguished guests."

"If you really count it, the number of times I've been able to enjoy honey flower tea by myself is only a few times a year!"

Zhou Daoyi shook his head slightly and answered Zhou Chun's question in great detail.

Then, a look of doubt flashed in his eyes, and he looked at Zhou Chun with a puzzled expression, asking, "Zheng Chun, why are you suddenly asking this question? Is the important clue you discovered related to this honey flower tea?"

After hearing his answer, Zhou Chun became even more certain of her guess.

Upon hearing his question, Zhou Chun took a deep breath and said in a heavy tone, "Clan leader, I think I might know who betrayed the family secrets and who murdered Aunt Nineteen!"

"Who is it? Tell me who it is!"

Zhou Daoyi's face darkened, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he stared at Zhou Chun, asking in a deep voice for the man's name.

"Didn't the clan leader just ask me why I asked about honey flower tea?"

"Actually, there's something I forgot to mention in my previous investigation report. When I was having a question-and-answer session with Brother Qi in his study, I opened the teapot on his desk, and it faintly emitted the unique aroma of honey flower tea."

"It's just that I haven't had honey flower tea in so long that I didn't recognize it at the time. It was only thanks to Tenth Brother today, when I had a cup of honey flower tea at his place, that I remembered where the fragrance in Seventh Brother's teapot came from!"

"As you said yourself, Clan Chief, even back in Feng Kingdom, a Foundation Establishment cultivator like you from the Zhou family couldn't enjoy honey flower tea often. So now, after so much time has passed, how can Seventh Brother still enjoy honey flower tea alone in a place like the study? Where does his honey flower tea come from?"

"Furthermore, Seventh Brother happened to be out on the same day Nineteenth Aunt left the family. I dare not say that these two things are unrelated!"

"There's one more thing. I once happened to witness Seventh Brother coming out of the Spirit Beast Pavilion in the market. I also asked Sixteenth Uncle about it, and he can testify that Seventh Brother didn't visit our Spirit Beast Pavilion when he went to the market. I think that doesn't make sense!"

Zhou Chun looked at Zhou Daoyi with a solemn expression and spoke in a low voice about his findings and speculations.

Although he didn't say it explicitly, his words clearly indicated who that person was.

Now it remains to be seen how Zhou Daoyi will view his speculation.

(End of this chapter)