Immortalis

Yin Residence Twelve

When Yang Wujian said he wouldn't stand on ceremony with Xue Mingchang, he truly meant it.

Returning to the Xue residence where Xue Mingchang had already retired for the night, Yang Wujian barged straight in, sweeping aside the servants guarding the door with one palm before kicking the door open.

With Zhaoming Division members flanking him, if this was about borrowing authority from the mighty, he had chosen the largest and fiercest tiger to borrow from.

Madam Xue leaped from the bed in terror, frantically calling for servants to apprehend the intruders. But how could those ordinary servants be a match for Shen Qingshi and Zhou Huai? They were sent flying within moments. Yang Wujian stormed into the room, lighting a candle with a humorless smile before seating himself before Xue Mingchang and his wife.

Madam Xue shrieked, "What are you doing? The master just managed to sleep for an hour after taking One-Eyed Daoist's sedative!"

"Madam Xue, I must ask you to step aside for now. There are matters we need to clarify immediately with your husband."

Yang Wujian had at least shown some final courtesy by not bringing Zhou Huai and Shen Qingshi into the room with him. Seeing his formidable martial skills, Madam Xue, though pale with fury, quickly threw on her outer garment and left the chamber.

"Magistrate Xue, I know you're exhausted, but you can't sleep now. After all, Tongueless Ghost just visited our courtyard tonight. I believe it probably has something to tell us."

Noting Xue Mingchang's ashen complexion, Yang Wujian pulled his chair closer.

"We never understood why Tongueless Ghost would target you, but now it appears Magistrate Xue might know very well what connection you have with that Yin Residence and the Cage Play."

Xue Mingchang trembled for a long while, eventually unable to support himself upright and slumping against the bed. "I... I'm feeling dizzy now..."

"Then how about I say something to sober you up?"

Yang Wujian sneered, "For instance, shortly after you assumed your post in Jingyang, many people went missing in Jingyang City - mostly orphaned beggars. Some probably even reported to the authorities, but our esteemed Magistrate Xue completely ignored the matter, resulting in children's bones piling up like small mountains, something even the citizens of Jingyang remain unaware of."

"How... how do you know..."

Xue Mingchang shook like a sieve, barely able to meet their gaze.

If Yang Wujian had been uncertain before, he now understood completely.

He smiled coldly, "You didn't dare investigate the Cage Play not just because many nobles had been its patrons, but because you actually knew some inside information about it from the beginning. At the very least, you should have been well aware that the Cage Play requires sacrificing innocents to complete - and coincidentally, under your watch, many overlooked poor people went missing."

At this point, the chattering of Xue Mingchang's teeth became clearly audible.

Seeing this, Yang Wujian suddenly slammed his palm on the bed and barked, "I don't care what official you are! With so many dead, do you think this can be swept under the rug if you don't confess everything now? Aren't you afraid I'll find someone powerful enough to investigate officials - say, the Zhaoming Division?"

Hearing this, Shen Qingshi standing at the doorway sharply lifted her gaze.

Though she knew Yang Wujian was meticulous and had likely guessed her identity to some extent, it now appeared this man might have known from the very beginning...Sure enough, the moment the renowned Zhaoming Division was mentioned, Xue Mingchang's face instantly paled. He hastily explained, "I truly had no idea! During those two years, someone secretly delivered silver to my residence, only saying it concerned the Cage Play and instructing me not to interfere with street affairs. After all, if the performances were disrupted, someone would hold me accountable."

"Secret silver deliveries? You didn’t know it was these four at the time?"

"No, of course not! Otherwise, when Tongueless Ghost showed up at my door, I would have immediately recognized them. They kept this matter extremely well-hidden. It wasn’t until this time, when Li delivered the White Dog bone carving to me, that I…"

"Enough nonsense. What did they mean by 'holding you accountable'?"

"I inquired during my investigation. Around the time I received the silver, it seemed they had a powerful patron with immense influence. That’s why all four of them coincidentally told their families they might come into a windfall. For this reason, they were often away from home during that period, doing who knows what outside."

A powerful patron…

Could it be a high-ranking official from the court?

This patron specifically requested to watch their performances, which is why they concentrated on abductions in the streets during that time. And to prevent Xue Mingchang from interfering, they preemptively bribed him with silver as a warning?

Shen Qingshi frowned at this thought.

Yang Wujian pressed further, "What else are you hiding? You’d better confess everything now, or I can’t guarantee what will happen the next time I come for you."

Tortured for too long by Tongueless Ghost, Xue Mingchang was on the verge of collapse, sitting disheveled on his bed with a mournful expression.

"I really only uncovered a little… If there’s anything else, it’s that about a year after they boasted about making a fortune, not only did they fail to get rich, but each of them lost a sum of money for various reasons. Some claimed they were robbed by bandits, others said they accidentally dropped their funds into a river. In short, they all ended up short of money, which led to some gossip within their families."

"Wait… lost money? That must have been the payment for hiring an assassin!"

Zhou Huai immediately caught on, exclaiming, "They really did pay to have Chang Xiuyun killed! That remote house was never her bridal chamber! But why did all four of them choose to have her die there? Their entire Cage Play equipment was stored in that very place, unless…"

"Unless the location was chosen by the assassin."

Shen Qingshi tossed out this remark while crossing her arms, already stepping out of the room.

Life Harvesting and Dismemberment, children, wild beasts…

Many pieces were gradually connecting in her mind.

She glanced toward the long-darkened guest room nearby, intending to verify her suspicions, but before she could take a step, Yang Wujian grabbed her arm from behind.

"Young Master Shen, if you want to investigate the hired assassin, we’ll need to go to the Ghost Market. Those people operate at night and pack up before dawn. Now is the perfect time to go. Besides, we have Xue Mingchang backing us."

Yang Wujian’s grip was firm, and Shen Qingshi seemed to sense something. She asked softly, "I’ve been meaning to ask—do you two really not know each other?"

Yang Wujian ignored the question and simply asked, "Shall we go?"

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Qingshi finally nodded. The three of them then left the Xue residence and headed toward the northern part of Jingyang City.

It was said that two days’ journey north of Jingyang City lay the Thousand Cliffs Fortress, which was why Jingyang’s Ghost Market was also located near the northern gate.After all, Xue Mingchang had served as county magistrate here for twelve years. Under Yang Wujian's coercion and inducements, he quickly revealed that the third tavern by the north gate didn't open during the day—only at night. If one knocked three heavy, three light, and one heavy rap at the door, someone would open it to welcome guests.

"This old fox is cunning. He even knows about the Ghost Market, yet he can't uncover the Cage Play that might cost him his official hat."

Arriving at the door, Yang Wujian sneered and reached out to knock.

Sure enough, after seven raps, a man dressed entirely in black opened the door. Zhou Huai handed him a tael of silver, and the three were promptly let in.

The small tavern had no customers. The proprietor behind the counter was a woman, her face powdered stark white. Seeing the three, she cooed delicately, "Young masters, what would you like to drink? We have all kinds of fine wine here. As long as you have enough silver, we'll surely let you drink to your heart's content."

"What's the best wine you have here? Tell us about it."

Yang Wujian placed another five taels of silver on the counter. "We'll ask first, then drink."

The woman took the silver, propping her chin on her hand as she looked at him. "Young master wants to ask about our best wine, but that wine is anything but ordinary. To drink it, I'm afraid your heart, liver, and lungs would all burn with agony."

Yang Wujian said, "You don't even know how great my appetite is. How can you be sure I can't handle it?"

At this point, the woman finally grew serious. "Young master, you're truly persistent. But if you really want to find that White-faced Guest, you'll have to wait. He has no master and his whereabouts are unpredictable. But if you suit his taste, he might even help you without asking for a single tael of silver."

"Without payment?"

Yang Wujian frowned.

He knew the rules of the Ghost Market. Even martial artists couldn't kill indiscriminately without leaving behind future troubles. That's why most who took jobs in this black market were wretched souls forced into it by circumstances.

How could someone not want silver at all?

Could it be they enjoyed killing?

Suddenly, Yang Wujian thought of the death scene Chang Xiuyun had been arranged in.

If it were just about silencing someone, there would be no need to go to such extremes. His heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Who has he killed before? I need to know how skilled he is, right?"

The woman pursed her lips in a smile and turned over her pale, delicate palm. Yang Wujian directly took out thirty taels this time. He saw her fingers, painted with bright red nail polish, curl slightly. "Come closer, and I'll tell you."

Yang Wujian leaned in, and her voice, barely louder than a breath, drilled into his ear.

"If you suit his taste, even skinning and tongue-cutting are just trivialities to him. Young master is a smart man. Asking more might mean you're looking to cause trouble for me."

A chill ran through Yang Wujian's heart.

So, Chang Xiuyun's death was actually the work of the Ghost Market.

But he had never heard of this person's name before. Logically, anyone capable of reducing Chang Xiuyun to that state should have some reputation in the martial world, right?

The woman smiled at Yang Wujian again. "We have our rules, young master. With money, you can drink good wine, but you can't buy more words from me."

"Thank you."

Knowing the Ghost Market's waters ran deep, Yang Wujian didn't want to provoke trouble unnecessarily. Having obtained what he wanted, he prepared to leave. But just as they reached the door, the woman suddenly called out to him.

"However, since you three young masters came with sincerity and didn't get to drink, I'll give you two more sentences. Perhaps it's something you'd want to know."

Her cat-like eyes stared unblinkingly."The White-faced Guest is hard to find, but there are other skilled individuals in Jingyang City. He operates with less ostentation, and his scenes aren't as blood-soaked. Sometimes, that might actually make things easier to resolve."

Shen Qingshi narrowed his eyes: "Who are you talking about?"

The woman laughed again: "His specialty is administering slow-acting poison. Often, by the time the prey realizes it, it's already too late."

As she spoke, she suddenly let out a strange cry resembling a crane's call, then covered one of her eyes with her hand.