Immortalis

The Haunted Residence: Part Ten

Soon after, their suspicions were confirmed.

Although the deceased varied in wealth, around fifteen years ago when Prince Qi raised his army, these individuals had coincidentally prospered.

Even the poorest among the four, the butcher, had purchased property in Jingyang City. However, due to his gambling addiction, he quickly squandered his fortune and was forced to resume butchering pigs for a living.

As for the gentry who died two years ago, his ability to venture into business was entirely due to the wealth accumulated during those years. Yet even his later wife, Lady Li, had no idea where her husband’s money had come from.

“Since they kept this matter so secretive, there must be some unsavory details hidden within,” Yang Wujian remarked coldly. “Fifteen years ago, everyone’s lives were in chaos. Datong was undergoing upheaval, there were military rebellions among the populace, and even the martial world was troubled by the Longevity Palace incident. Yet these few individuals quietly amassed fortunes—doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

“Not particularly,” Zhou Huai replied, speaking with authority when it came to business matters. “Many people profit during turbulent times. Historically, whenever there’s war, there are those who hoard and resell grain at exorbitant prices. Moreover, chaos often breeds malevolent forces. When the world is unstable, more people turn to gods and buddhas for solace. If someone could monopolize a ‘divine’ trade during such times, one can only imagine how lucrative it would be.”

“Not only that,” Shen Qingshi added, “human life was as cheap as grass back then. Fifteen years ago, if someone suddenly vanished on the road, no one would suspect they had been captured to become ‘caged objects.’”

Having investigated the backgrounds of the four, Shen Qingshi now understood the cause and effect at play. Only two questions remained:

What was the connection between the Cage Play and Chang San the Heroine?

And why was the Tongueless Ghost now haunting Xue Mingchang?

“Fifteen years ago, these four made their fortunes through the Cage Play, yet the Tongueless Ghost case occurred ten years ago. There’s a five-year gap—what happened during that time?” Yang Wujian’s observation made the other two realize that whether it involved Chang San the Heroine or Xue Mingchang, their connection to the events must lie within that period.

Now that they had uncovered the Cage Play, prying the truth from Xue Mingchang would be far less challenging.

As dusk approached, the three returned to the Xue residence. From a distance, they saw One-Eyed Daoist distributing flatbreads to his young disciples. Though it was simple fare, the children were delighted, eagerly raising their hands for more after finishing what they had.

On the way back, Yang Wujian had coaxed Zhou Huai into buying three roasted chickens. Seeing the scene, he handed two directly to the children, smiling. “You’ve helped us—consider this your reward.”

“It seems you’ve made significant progress,” Baihe remarked, understanding the implication. “Master Xue just finished his evening meal and is in better spirits than earlier. If you have questions, now is the time to ask. I’d prefer the Tongueless Ghost doesn’t actually claim his life—it would ruin my reputation.”

Afterward, Yang Wujian first returned to the annex to set down the remaining roasted chicken before seeking out Xue Mingchang.

Despite Baihe’s assurance that he was in better spirits, days of sleeplessness and anxiety had drained Xue Mingchang completely. Though the sun had only just set, he seemed unable to keep his eyes open, relying solely on strong tea to stay alert.

He couldn’t sleep before, yet now he’s suddenly this exhausted? Yang Wujian found it strange, but there was no time to dwell on it. He cut straight to the point: “Master Xue, regarding the cause and effect that One-Eyed Daoist inquired about this morning—we’ve found the answers for you.”"What?"

Xue Mingchang's face changed: "What did you find out?"

Shen Qingshi expressionlessly placed the bone carving on the table: "Why don't you first tell us how much you know about the Cage Play?"

Xue Mingchang widened his eyes: "This thing... you..."

Zhou Huai snorted: "Hiding things even when death is at your doorstep—not even the Great Luo Immortals can save you! Or if you truly don't want to live, just keep lying to us now. In a few days, see how the Tongueless Ghost comes for your life."

The young master of White Rainbow Tower, accustomed to arrogance since childhood, couldn't possibly lose face before Xue Mingchang. His words left the man sighing in frustration for a while before he finally muttered: "You youngsters are reckless and come from the common folk—how could you understand how deep the waters run behind this Cage Play?"

Hearing this, Yang Wujian merely smiled: "Feel free to elaborate. I'd like to see how many laps I can swim in it."

Xue Mingchang shook his head: "Back when I hadn't even arrived in Jingyang, I'd already heard of the Cage Play. They say it's an esoteric art from the Northern Desert. Watching it can determine a person's life, death, wealth, and fortune—some can even predict official careers. Many officials who knew of this wanted to try it, but because the Cage Play troupe was elusive, they never got the chance."

"You mean the audience for this play consists of court officials?"

Even Shen Qingshi hadn't expected that the current patrons of the Cage Play were no longer Northern Desert people.

She frowned: "Is that why you didn't dare investigate further?"

Xue Mingchang pressed his temples as if suffering a headache, avoiding the question: "I've confirmed that those four were the original Cage Play troupe, but I still don't know why the Tongueless Ghost targeted them. Clearly, the woman in the desolate house was just passing through—how could she marry someone she'd only known for about a month, then die tragically and become the Tongueless Ghost..."

"What?"

This time, Xue Mingchang's casual remark made Yang Wujian and the other two widen their eyes in shock.

They simultaneously realized there had been a misconception in this matter.

All along, the Jianghu rumors about Chang Xiuyun's murder outside Jingyang City had consistently described her eloping with her lover to Jingyang City for a secret wedding, only to be tragically killed on their wedding night.

While this generally matched Xue Mingchang's account, Chang Xiuyun had an excellent reputation in the Jianghu—known as steady and upright. Her sudden elopement was bizarre enough, let alone with someone she'd known for less than half a year.

Only then did Yang Wujian belatedly realize they'd been misled by the Jade Pavilion's one-sided story, causing them to miss a crucial part of the case.

He asked: "Master Xue, it seems you've carefully investigated the events at the haunted house that day. Did you find out who the man was that died with Chang Xiuyun in that desolate house?"

By now, Xue Mingchang had thrown caution to the wind and stated bluntly: "His identity was extremely difficult to trace—there were no leads. It wasn't until this cold case was reopened that I accidentally heard someone had seen the ill-fated couple in the city back then. They didn't resemble husband and wife, but rather close friends. Lady Chang said she wouldn't stay here long—she planned to return after settling some matters. And the man beside her at the time... was a Northern Desert man."

"A Northern Desert man..."

Zhou Huai felt a chill run down his spine.The Cage Play originated from the Northern Desert. They had previously been unable to find any connection between Chang Xiuyun and the Cage Play. But if her so-called "lover" was from the Northern Desert, could it be that Chang Xiuyun had somehow learned of the Cage Play's existence through some opportunity?

Shen Qingshi asked, "Since you had heard of the Cage Play even before coming to Jingyang, do you know how it operated later? Was the Cage Play still being performed when Chang Xiuyun died? And who were its patrons at that time?"

This series of questions struck right at the heart of the matter.

Xue Mingchang seemed to have a splitting headache as he struggled to reply, "The Cage Play was always extremely secretive. I had people inquire about it while investigating the Tongueless Ghost, but those who had seen it were deeply reluctant to speak of it. As for the relatives and family members of those four men, they knew nothing about what they did outside. After all the investigation, all we could determine was that ten years ago, after the tragedy at the desolate house, those four never touched the Cage Play again."So it seems the only common interest connecting those four was the Cage Play," Yang Wujian clarified the clue. Then, he suddenly smiled, staring straight at the exhausted Xue Mingchang. "But there's still one question."

Yang Wujian narrowed his eyes. "Master Xue, what role did you play in all this?"

Before Xue Mingchang could speak, Shen Qingshi coldly stated, "Chang Xiuyun died because of the Cage Play, and that's why the Tongueless Ghost haunts those involved. Master Xue, if you truly knew nothing about the Cage Play, you wouldn't be in mortal danger now."

"I..." Xue Mingchang trembled all over. Seeing this, Zhou Huai immediately slammed the table and stood up, cursing loudly, "Well now, you're still hiding things? The One-Eyed Daoist said if we can't uncover the cause and effect, you'll die in seven days. And you still dare to conceal information?"

"I... you..." Provoked by Zhou Huai, perhaps because his nerves had been stretched too thin, Xue Mingchang's eyes rolled back and he fainted outright, causing Madam Xue to rush over and shoo them away.

The room instantly descended into chaos. Seeing that nothing more could be learned, Yang Wujian ignored the mess and slowly walked back to the annex with the other two.

"One thing still doesn't make sense," Zhou Huai mused, growing more confused. "Those four were just ordinary men—how could they have taken Chang Xiuyun's life? Chang San the Heroine was the third disciple under Lei Shuang, resourceful and highly skilled in martial arts. There's no way she could have been skinned and had her tongue cut out by those four."

"And what about her lover? They were both found wearing wedding attire, so how did he become just a friend, and a Northern Desert man at that..."

After a long silence, Shen Qingshi seemed to recall something and suddenly asked, "Was Chang Xiuyun well-regarded in the martial world?"

Yang Wujian chuckled. "Of course. Otherwise, why would Lei Shuang be so furious that even after her death, she had a memorial tablet erected? Everyone says Chang San the Heroine was righteous and hated evil intensely. Who would have thought she'd end up ruined by a man?"

"Hated evil intensely..." Shen Qingshi mulled over these words, gradually grasping a thread in the tangled web.

She murmured, "If the Cage Play had to operate in secrecy, it must have involved some unscrupulous deeds. If Chang Xiuyun hated evil intensely and coincidentally learned about it from a Northern Desert man who knew of the Cage Play, what do you think she would have done?"Yang Wujian and Zhou Huai exchanged a glance, immediately understanding: "Those in the martial world wouldn't report to the authorities—it must be someone intervening upon witnessing injustice."

The two had a sudden revelation.

How did Chang Xiuyun become involved with the Cage Play?

The answer was quite simple: Chang Xiuyun simply couldn't stand the Cage Play, so she directly took action.

She never expected this act would bring a fatal disaster upon herself.

Shen Qingshi added, "You said those four were no match for Chang Xiuyun, but what if someone hired assassins? Chang Xiuyun's death was gruesome, almost as if deliberately staged that way. If she belonged to a sect that forbids marriage, then perhaps both the bridal gown and the wedding chamber were merely the hired killers' way of humiliating her. After all, the man remains nameless and unknown, their relationship concealed, and the dead cannot speak..."

Hearing this, even Yang Wujian couldn't help but feel a chill: "If that's truly the case, it wouldn't be strange if Chang Xiuyun turned into an evil spirit after death..."

As they spoke, the three had reached the courtyard gate. Lifting their eyes, they caught sight of a distorted red shadow swiftly vanishing into the darkness.

Notably, the direction from which it came seemed to be from Yang Wujian's room.