Interrogation

The Bewitching Incense was extremely potent, refined through a secret art unique to the Three Xuan Sect. It was colorless and odorless, its presence almost impossible to detect.

As the smoke quietly seeped inside, the breathing from the room began to change, gradually growing heavy and rapid.

Before long, a few nearly imperceptible moans began to rise, twisting and plaintive, tender and lingering, enough to stir anyone's heart.

But Liu Xiaolou and Wei Hongqing outside had no mind for such stirrings. They patiently continued waiting. After a while, when the sounds grew ever more urgent and nearly ran together, Wei Hongqing finally flipped down and reached out to push the door.

With a snap, the latch broke. The door was swiftly shoved open, and Liu Xiaolou reached forward, catching both broken halves of the latch and setting them aside.

There was no one in either the main house or the eastern wing. Only the western wing occasionally gave off restless noises.

Liu Xiaolou drew the Three Xuan Sword and carefully lifted the curtain to the western wing. There was a woman on the bed, writhing like a snake.

Wei Hongqing said softly, "His lover."

After subduing the woman first, the two went out and searched the other rooms, but found no sign of Lu Zi'an.

Wei Hongqing came into the courtyard and made a cooing sound. Before long, Zuo Gaofeng, Tan Bazhang, and the Western Mountain Hermit arrived.

The woman on the bed had had her Meridians sealed by Wei Hongqing, yet her body still writhed as she moaned. Zuo Gaofeng and the Western Mountain Hermit swallowed several times and both asked, "What happened?"

Wei Hongqing smiled. "Gave her a little medicine."

Tan Bazhang said, "How about I stand watch for Brother Zuo and the Hermit?"

Zuo Gaofeng and the Western Mountain Hermit were immediately tempted, eager to give it a try.

Wei Hongqing barked, "Get lost! At a time like this, you're still thinking about that? Get moving and search again. Lu Zi'an isn't here—see if you can find any trace of him."

The five searched the place again, and each of them found something. There were indeed men's clothes and belongings in this residence!

Wei Hongqing said happily, "I've been watching this woman for days. I always saw her acting sneaky. Just as expected! Xiaolou, how much longer will the drug last?"

Liu Xiaolou said, "About a quarter of an hour. Once it wears off, she'll wake up on her own."

Wei Hongqing shook his head. "We can't wait that long."

Liu Xiaolou replied, "Then splash her awake with water."

Zuo Gaofeng brought in a bucket of water. He looked regretfully at the woman's expression on the bed, then finally splashed it over her.

With a splash, the entire bed was soaked through.

Tan Bazhang and the Western Mountain Hermit went outside, each taking a position beyond the courtyard—one east, one west—to ensure no one disturbed them.

The woman gradually woke up. She was drenched from head to toe, yet unable to move. Weak and limp, she curled into a ball on the bed, both shocked and furious.

Wei Hongqing pulled over an embroidered stool and sat beside the bed. He stared fixedly into the woman's eyes for a long while before saying, "You should know what we want to do. I'll release your acupoints now, but don't scream. Don't dream of sending anyone a warning, either. Otherwise, I'll immediately break one of your toes. All right?"

As he spoke, he grabbed the woman's left foot and pinched one of her toes. "Such pretty feet. I really would hate to do it..."

As his fingers tightened, terror appeared in the woman's eyes. She grew so frantic that she could only whimper, "Mmph, mmph!"

Wei Hongqing stopped at the right moment. His fingers did not release her, maintaining the same pressure. "If you agree to my proposal, nod your head."

The woman nodded desperately.

"Very good." Wei Hongqing sent a thread of true essence into her body, rushing upward from her toes and breaking open the acupoint that had sealed her mouth. The woman dry-heaved before finally catching her breath and looking at Wei Hongqing. The anger in her eyes had vanished without a trace, leaving only fear.

Wei Hongqing said, "I don't know whether you're aware that Lu Zi'an has caused a calamity big enough to topple the heavens. But in my view, guilt should not extend to wives and children. Much less should it implicate you, since you are not even husband and wife. Wouldn't you say so?"

The woman trembled all over and replied in a shaking voice, "Yes..."

Wei Hongqing continued, "Of course, there is one condition. I need you to tell me where he is. I can guarantee that if you tell us, I won't touch so much as a single toe of yours."

The woman asked through tears, "What exactly has he done?"

Wei Hongqing said, "I have no time to explain it all to you. It is better if you don't know; it has nothing to do with you. Just tell me, where is he?"

The woman shook her head. "I don't know either..."

Wei Hongqing frowned. "There are still unwashed bowls and chopsticks in the food basket by your kitchen. Nine days ago, you went to Hongji Restaurant in the market and bought a jar of Bamboo Leaf Green. Yesterday, you bought another jar. Yet I just searched your entire residence and saw no wine jars. Five days ago, you bought two strips of cured meat at the Yangliu Bay market. Four days ago, you bought a pig's head. Three days ago, a leg of lamb. Besides that, you catch three fish from the river every day. Can you finish all that by yourself?"

Tears streamed down the woman's face. "I don't know what you're talking about. You must have seen wrong."

Wei Hongqing sighed and looked at Zuo Gaofeng. Zuo Gaofeng gave a vicious grin, while Liu Xiaolou turned around. "I'll stand watch outside."

Standing in the courtyard, Liu Xiaolou drew a deep breath. With the faint breeze blowing past, he wanted to sort through his thoughts, only for a miserable scream from inside to abruptly cut him off. It was low and muffled, bursting from the depths of the lungs, yet as though the airway had been blocked, leaving it to explode within the chest.

The Western Mountain Hermit poked his head over the western wall of the courtyard and looked at Liu Xiaolou. Liu Xiaolou gestured to him that everything was fine, and he ducked back down.

Liu Xiaolou stepped out through the courtyard gate and strolled along the courtyard wall for a circuit. From afar, he spotted a figure hidden beneath the crown of a large tree. It was Tan Bazhang.

Tan Bazhang realized Liu Xiaolou had seen through his hiding place at a glance, so he shrank farther to the right. This time, he was hidden tight as a drum, impossible to make out.

After circling the residence once, Liu Xiaolou managed to straighten out part of his thoughts. His unease was not truly unease at all, but envy. Envy born of that Tianmu Mountain inner disciple whom Wei Hongqing had always been unwilling to discuss? Wei Hongqing had always spoken vaguely about this crucial figure, but Tan Bazhang seemed to have heard something about her and had told Liu Xiaolou.

She was a widow, ten years older than him. If it were him, could he accept that?

No matter how he turned it over in his mind, Liu Xiaolou could not figure it out. Perhaps only when the matter truly came before him would he make his choice. As a Wulong Mountain rogue cultivator, admiration for the great orthodox sects and the yearning to turn one's life around were simply instincts.

When he climbed back into the residence, he saw Zuo Gaofeng pushing open the door and going to fetch more water. Zuo Gaofeng shook his head at Liu Xiaolou. "This woman's mouth is harder than iron. Difficult to pry open."

When Liu Xiaolou entered to take a look, the woman had already fainted. Zuo Gaofeng poured another bucket of cold water over her, drenching her completely. She jolted and woke again.

There were no wounds on her body, but with Wei Hongqing and Zuo Gaofeng's methods, they could still make someone wish for life while longing for death without leaving a single injury.

Zuo Gaofeng grabbed her hair and dragged her up. She knelt beside the bed, bent over, unable to straighten her waist. Cold water trickled from the ends of her hair and dripped onto the floor...

Liu Xiaolou watched the water gather beneath the bed and flow into the crack at the base of the wall.

He pointed beneath the bed. "Something's wrong."