Immortalis

Yin Residence 9

Placed on Xue Mingchang's desk was a pure white animal bone carving, about the size of a thumb. It was unclear what kind of bone it was carved from, but the craftsmanship was exquisite, clearly depicting pointed ears and sharp claws—resembling a white dog.

"So he wasn't investigating the case, but spent his days fondling this trinket instead?"

Zhou Huai's home was filled with such ornaments, but he remarked in surprise, "My house has nut carvings, but I've never seen such a small bone carving. It looks about the size of a copper coin."

"Perhaps it is a copper coin."

Shen Qingshi turned the bone carving over and discovered two tiny characters carved beneath the white dog's belly: "Account Cage." It didn’t seem like a craftsman's name at all.

Yang Wujian said, "It was made so small surely for portability. Moreover, this bone carving has been handled so often it’s taken on a jade-like sheen. It likely wasn’t meant to be displayed."

Zhou Huai was puzzled, "Then why was Xue Mingchang staring at this thing every night? And if this is a clue, why wouldn’t he say so?"

"There must be something strange about it. I’ve never heard of an 'Account Cage.' Have any of you?"

At Shen Qingshi’s question, the other two shook their heads, indicating that whether in the palace or the jianghu, "Account Cage" was not a common term.

If so, where did Xue Mingchang obtain it?

Asking Xue Mingchang directly would be the quickest way, but given how the One-Eyed Daoist had already pressured him to no avail—with Xue still refusing to reveal the object’s origins—further interrogation would likely be futile.

Considering this, Yang Wujian suggested, "Why don’t we take this and ask the relatives of the previous four victims? Perhaps this item came from them."

Time was of the essence. The three immediately left the Xue residence. Fortunately, the Tongueless Ghost’s vengeful killings were widely known in the area, so they had little trouble finding the wife of the second deceased gentry, Madame Li.

"This? I’m the one who gave it to the county magistrate."

Sure enough, Madame Li recognized the bone carving in Shen Qingshi’s hand at a glance, waving her handkerchief.

"Two years ago, after my husband was haunted by the Tongueless Ghost, he would hold this thing all day. At first, I thought it was just an exorcism charm and didn’t pay it much mind. After he passed, it was left in the room. Then one day, a new maid saw it and was so frightened she spilled tea everywhere. When I asked, I learned her mother was from the Northern Desert. In their culture, the White Dog is a spiritual beast guarding the 'Underground Heaven.' Unless one has divine connections, it’s absolutely forbidden to keep such an item at home. After that, I found it ominous. So when the county magistrate sent someone to inquire, I handed it over."

"White Dog?"

This reminded Shen Qingshi: the Northern Desert people originated from a harsh, sandy wasteland, worshipped the White Dog, and revered insects and beasts—once considered barbarians by those in the Central Plains.

But if this bone carving was indeed a White Dog, could "Account Cage" also be related to the Northern Desert?

Yang Wujian clearly had the same thought and asked, "Madam, have you heard of 'Account Cage'? These two characters are carved underneath."

"Account Cage?"After a long moment of thought, Lady Li shook her head: "I've never heard of such a thing. But last time, the maid mentioned that Northern Desert people rarely use White Dog as ornaments, because legend says White Dog can help one communicate with heaven, but if the person isn't chosen by heaven, they'll die a miserable death. At that time, I thought of my husband and angrily dismissed the maid. Later, I recalled that my husband did marry a Northern Desert woman in his early years, so perhaps this item came from that time."

"It seems we'll need to find someone from the Northern Desert to ask."

After leaving the residence, Zhou Huai was immediately eager to proceed, but this time, both Yang Wujian and Shen Qingshi hesitated.

Come to think of it, Baihe also has Northern Desert ancestry. Was his involvement this time merely a coincidence?

A cloud of suspicion rose in Yang Wujian's heart.

Simultaneously, Shen Qingshi recalled Cao Zhao's warning to her last night.

Though Datong has been established for thirty years, conflicts with the Northern Desert persist. Moreover, many Northern Desert people who surrendered to Datong back then have become officials. Though they don't hold significant power, they still govern various regions. Emperor Yongzhao intends to win them over but remains suspicious, which is why Cao Zhao said that anything involving the Northern Desert must be handled with extreme caution.

"What's wrong? Northern Desert people are everywhere in Jingyang City. What's so difficult about finding someone to ask?"

Unaware of their internal conflicts, Zhou Huai urged them on. The three soon found a tavern in the bustling market, ordered a large pot of kumis, and struck up a conversation with the Northern Desert wine seller.

Having traveled the martial world for years, Yang Wujian naturally didn't get straight to the point. He first asked: "Speaking of which, shopkeeper, have you heard about that new martial arts sect that emerged outside Jingyang City in recent years? They say it's quite influential."

The shopkeeper laughed: "How could I not know? Thousand Cliffs Fortress even came here to recruit disciples. But they say their leader's methods aren't proper - they usually operate brothels and gambling dens. Only a few fort masters stay in Jingyang, teaching crude martial arts. That's why they only have numbers but can't compete with the established sects."

"Shopkeeper, you seem quite knowledgeable about martial world affairs. Have you heard about that mansion outside the city? They say a female martial artist died there long ago, and quite tragically?"

Yang Wujian gradually steered toward the main topic.

Hearing this, the wine seller replied without hesitation: "You must be passing through, not knowing about that mansion? Before the Tongueless Ghost appeared there, Jingyang City was peaceful. At its worst, there were just more beggars on the streets, but they'd leave after some time. Even petty theft was rare."

"But we heard yesterday that even the county magistrate got entangled this time. He found a great immortal, and when asking about grievances, the Tongueless Ghost actually spoke."

"The Tongueless Ghost can speak without a tongue?"

"That great immortal is quite capable. He got answers with just one question."

Yang Wujian had been laying bait along the way. Seeing his target hooked, he finally whispered: "They said the Tongueless Ghost only spoke two words: Cage Play."

Instantly, the shopkeeper's expression changed. Yang Wujian, surprised by their luck, feigned astonishment: "Shopkeeper, you know about this?"

"The Tongueless Ghost really said that?"

The shopkeeper turned pale: "Cage Play is all from the Northern Xiang era. Who would dare do such things now? Aren't they afraid of execution?"

"Execution?"

Shen Qingshi sensed something wrong: "Isn't it just a play? Why would it mean execution?"The innkeeper lowered his voice: "You don't know this, but the Cage Play is no ordinary magic show. Rumor has it, it involves speaking Jackals, Wolves, Tigers, and Leopards. In the Northern Desert, only nobles can afford to watch the Cage Play."

"Then do you know exactly how the Cage Play is performed?"

"All I know is that it doesn't require a large troupe—three or four people are enough. When watching the play, they set up a tent covering what appear to be cages. Only those holding the White Dog token are welcomed inside. From outside, you can only see flames in the tent, but nothing else."

Zhou Huai had already been frightened enough to start counting his prayer beads, but upon hearing this, he found nothing particularly mysterious about it. Puzzled, he asked: "It doesn't sound that strange. Then why did you say it's punishable by beheading?"

The innkeeper smiled bitterly: "That was during the Northern Xiang era. When Datong was established, many returned to the Northern Desert, and only then did rumors leak out. They say the Cage Play involved Northern Desert nobles paying high prices to have commoners captured and forced to consume some kind of heaven-reaching drug. If successful, the person would transform into a wild beast capable of human speech, confined to cages, and would utter heavenly secrets they had glimpsed... Such things would naturally be punishable by beheading under Datong rule."

"Then why is the Cage Play so secretive that many people don't even know about it?"

"It's all thirty-year-old history. Few Northern Desert people remaining here know about it, and it's not exactly good news. After all, most of those captured for the Cage Play back then were Central Plains people... Northern Desert folk all know that unless chosen by heaven, those who attempt to reach heaven will die horribly. Those people didn't end well."

After speaking, the innkeeper shook his head and walked away, leaving the three with even deeper confusion.

Regardless, these were all events from thirty years ago.

In other words, the Cage Play should no longer exist in Datong.

But why did the deceased gentry from two years ago still possess that token?

Could it be that the Cage Play hasn't completely disappeared from the Central Plains?

After leaving the tavern, Yang Wujian remained perplexed: "The Cage Play, the Tongueless Ghost—what connection is there between them? And how did Chang San the Heroine get involved with Northern Desert people?"

Meanwhile, Zhou Huai pondered for a moment before suddenly saying: "Earlier he mentioned that the Cage Play only requires three or four people, one tent, and a few cages to perform. Yet only nobles could afford it. Doesn't that mean once established, it becomes an extremely profitable business?"

Hearing this, both Yang Wujian and Shen Qingshi were taken aback, then remembered that Zhou Huai was, after all, Zhou Jinglei's son. Zhou Jinglei had been investing in shops everywhere these years, amassing considerable wealth. Having grown up in that environment, Zhou Huai naturally possessed strong business acumen.

Zhou Huai continued: "When you live near mountains, you live off the mountains; when you live near water, you live off the water. Jingyang is located on the essential route northward through the pass. Those who've long resided here inevitably interact with people beyond the pass. Isn't it natural they'd want to do business with them?"

"Not bad, young master."

Yang Wujian couldn't help but laugh, following this line of thought.

"Though Northern Xiang has fallen, there are still a hundred thousand Northern Desert people in the Central Plains. They inherently believe in such supernatural matters. Where there's business opportunity, someone will inevitably pursue it. However, all four deceased were Central Plains people. Even if they heard about the Cage Play and sought wealth through risk, they might not understand its intricacies."Shen Qingshi pondered for a moment: "But nearly all the Northern Desert nobles who understood its intricacies have already left the pass. Those remaining here have only heard rumors and never witnessed a genuine Cage Play. In that case, how the Cage Play should be performed no longer matters. As Zhou Huai said, if someone wants to stage it, they only need a black tent and a few cages. The rest is just..."

Suddenly, Shen Qingshi's voice cut off abruptly. The three exchanged glances, almost simultaneously realizing the crucial point.

The biggest selling point of the Cage Play was its claim to reach the heavens.

The Northern Desert people believed in ghosts and deities, but there was a saying: "Unless chosen by heaven, attempting to reach the heavens would inevitably lead to a gruesome death."

Unwilling to gamble with their own lives, the Northern Desert nobles would capture people from the Central Plains to suffer this tragic fate, allowing themselves to glimpse a thread of heavenly secrets.

Now, the true nature of the so-called heaven-reaching elixir remained unclear. Regardless, for the Cage Play to succeed, besides the black tent and cages, two more things were needed:

One person who desired to reach the heavens.

And one person destined to die a gruesome death.

Understanding this, Yang Wujian let out a cold laugh: "It seems we still need to investigate the backgrounds of these four individuals. If our suspicions are correct, then we've found the reason why Old Master Xue dared not speak of the Cage Play even at death's door."

He chuckled darkly: "If this thing truly still exists, then those willing to spend fortunes to witness it must be powerful figures whom Master Xue couldn't afford to offend. It appears we might have stumbled into serious trouble once again."