41: Chapter 41 Qingyang County is to Hold a Poetry Festival! (Part 2)

"heart-breaking grass?"

Cai Wenjing could not help but look surprised.

She was not well-versed in pharmacology, so if Zhao Zilong hadn't spoken up, she truly wouldn't have known what it was.

Moreover, she had never even heard the name heart-breaking grass before.

Zhao Zilong pinched the withered heart-breaking grass in his hand and said slowly, "heart-breaking grass is highly toxic; when dissolved in water, its toxicity becomes even more potent."

"The poisoned victim will have patches of small blisters on their abdomen, their skin will turn a bruised black, their eyes will bulge, their lips will crack slightly, their ears will swell, their belly will distend, their anus will swell, their fingernails will turn a bruised black, and purple-black blood will flow from their ears, nose, and corners of their eyes..."

Cai Wenjing stared at Zhao Zilong in disbelief; everything Zhao Zilong described was exactly the same as when Wu He died.

It was even more detailed than what was recorded in the case file.

However, the reason Zhao Zilong knew all this wasn't because he was particularly brilliant, but rather because the original owner's family ran an apothecary shop. Zhao Zilong had learned from his father and naturally understood some things.

Furthermore, he had encountered someone poisoned by heart-breaking grass before.

The toxicity was too fierce; once poisoned, there was no way to save the victim.

The reason that person was poisoned was also unimaginable; just because, after the start of autumn, he went to the riverside to catch fish, and as a result, some heart-breaking grass leaves flew into the water he brought. After he drank it, he was poisoned and died.

It was just that the deceased was an ordinary farmer, and although his death was recorded, it did not cause much of an impact.

Zhao Zilong stood at the place where the heart-breaking grass grew, his gaze drifting toward the wooden pavilion on the riverbank.

This place was thirteen or fourteen meters away from the wooden pavilion—neither far nor near—and it was on a slight slope, a bit higher than the pavilion.

According to the records in the case file, it was windy that day, a southwesterly wind, which blew exactly from this spot toward the wooden pavilion.

The case file recorded that Wu He and his subordinates were playing chess in the wooden pavilion, and then suddenly, they were poisoned and died. Along with the person playing against him, another person watching the game also died in the same way.

The coroner only determined that the three of them died of poisoning, but what kind of poison it was was never discovered.

There was no way to investigate the person who administered the poison.

Some people suspected Chen Cang of poisoning them, but after questioning, many who came for the picnic could vouch for Chen Cang. At that time, Chen Cang and others had also drunk the tea that Wu He and his men drank.

Then, while Wu He and the others were playing chess, Chen Cang took the others to catch fish and prepare for the picnic.

Chen Cang never left those people's side for a single step, which the survivors could all attest to.

If it weren't for the fact that the two people accompanying Wu He were both dead, everyone might have even suspected that one of those two had poisoned the tea.

Because the poison couldn't be identified and the culprit couldn't be found, the case became a cold case and had just been left aside ever since.

Cai Wenjing had been here for a year and hadn't found anything either.

"What a brilliant method!"

A faint smile overflowed from the corners of Zhao Zilong's mouth; he truly admired the culprit's method.

Moreover, Zhao Zilong now admired himself as well.

He discovered that ever since he became a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, his brain had become exceptionally clear.

Things he couldn't remember before, or things he couldn't remember clearly, he could now recall.

Furthermore, things he had read or seen before, even if only once, he could now think through clearly.

More importantly, standing on the riverbank looking at the wooden pavilion, connecting it with the records in the case file, a scene of Wu He being poisoned in the wooden pavilion on the Qingyang River bank that day subconsciously emerged in Zhao Zilong's mind.

That day, Wu He was playing chess with his subordinates in the wooden pavilion when a gust of wind suddenly blew up, sweeping the withered heart-breaking grass over and into the tea that Wu He and his men were drinking.

Because the powder was fine, no one paid attention, so Wu He and his men didn't notice it either; thus, they drank the tea, and then the poison took effect and they died.

As for the culprit who designed all this, they had a perfect alibi.

As for whether this case was an accident, in Zhao Zilong's view, it was definitely not an accident; it was man-made, just designed extremely cleverly and brilliantly.

In Zhao Zilong's view, Chen Cang was the most suspicious.

Zhao Zilong suspected Chen Cang, definitely not just because it was Chen Cang who wanted to have the picnic that day; he suspected there were other reasons for Chen Cang.

Now, Zhao Zilong just needed to connect all these fragmented pieces of information to form a complete reasoning process.

Zhao Zilong frowned from time to time, looking lost in thought. Cai Wenjing didn't dare to disturb him, afraid of interrupting Zhao Zilong's train of thought.

After a long while, Zhao Zilong finally came back to his senses, and he said, "Deputy Director Cai, let's go back."

Cai Wenjing was slightly stunned. Going back already?

"Zhao Zilong, besides this heart-breaking grass, did you find anything else?" she asked.

Zhao Zilong said, "It's already enough."

Cai Wenjing was startled: "Does that mean you know who the culprit is?"

Zhao Zilong did not answer Cai Wenjing, but instead asked her, "Deputy Director Cai, why haven't I seen the Director recently?"

Cai Wenjing didn't know why Zhao Zilong would suddenly ask about Chen Cang, so she said, "The Director obtained some clues, and he has gone to capture an important figure among the Remnants of the Previous Dynasty. I'm afraid it will take some time before he can return."

"How long has he been gone?" Zhao Zilong asked.

Cai Wenjing didn't understand why Zhao Zilong was so concerned about Chen Cang's whereabouts, and she was slightly displeased: "Why are you asking about this?"

Zhao Zilong said, "There are some things that, with the Director not here, even if I found something, it wouldn't be easy to act. Deputy Director Cai, you should just tell me how long the Director has been gone."

Cai Wenjing said, "About six or seven days."

Zhao Zilong nodded. Perhaps it was his preconceived notion, but connecting it with some things, Zhao Zilong thought this was no coincidence; Chen Cang really had left at just the right time.

Zhao Zilong nodded: "Let's go back."

Cai Wenjing said unwillingly, "Zhao Zilong, can you tell me some information about the culprit in advance? I really want to know."

Zhao Zilong suddenly asked, "Deputy Director Cai, if you knew the opponent's fatal weakness, would you have a chance of winning in a fight against a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist?"

Cai Wenjing was stunned, not understanding why Zhao Zilong asked this.

However, after thinking about it, she replied, "At the very least, I could remain undefeated. If someone else were to help, I could take the opponent down."

Hearing Cai Wenjing say this, Zhao Zilong felt relieved.

Otherwise, if he knew who the culprit was but couldn't catch them, and even ended up being killed by the assassin, that would be troublesome.

"Zhao Zilong, are you really not going to tell me any information about the culprit?" Cai Wenjing huffed.

Zhao Zilong said, "The timing isn't right; it's useless to say anything now. But Deputy Director Cai, rest assured, it won't be long before I find the culprit and bring them to justice."

"Really?"

Cai Wenjing didn't doubt Zhao Zilong's ability, it was just that she had been investigating this case for a year without finding any information, and Zhao Zilong had only just seen the case file and already had information about the culprit today—it was indeed incredible.

She couldn't believe it.

Zhao Zilong didn't respond, just chuckled softly. He walked to his horse and rode away.

Watching the back of Zhao Zilong as he rode away, Cai Wenjing stomped her feet in anger.