Chapter 26: The Interrogation

The Bewildering Incense was incredibly potent. Refined using a secret technique from the Sanxuan Sect, it was colorless, scentless, and nearly impossible to detect. As the smoke quietly drifted in, the breathing inside the room began to change, growing heavier and more rapid. Before long, faint moans could be heard. Barely perceptible at first, they slowly turned lingering, soft, and filled with longing. Anyone listening would feel a ripple in their chest. But Liu Xiaolou and Wei Hongqing, standing outside the room, weren’t in the mood for ripples. They waited patiently, saying nothing. A few more moments passed. When the sounds from inside became more urgent, almost continuous, Wei Hongqing finally rolled to his feet and reached for the door. There was a sharp *snap* as the wooden latch broke clean in two. Wei Hongqing shoved the door open, and Liu Xiaolou reached in with one hand, catching the broken pieces of the latch and setting them aside. The main room and the east wing were empty. Only the west wing held any signs of life. And they were anything but quiet. Liu Xiaolou drew the Three-Mystery Sword and carefully lifted the curtain of the west room. On the bed, a woman was twisting and writhing like a snake. Wei Hongqing murmured, “That’s his lover.” They quickly subdued the woman, then stepped back outside and searched the other rooms. But Lu Zi’an was nowhere to be found. Wei Hongqing walked out into the courtyard and gave a low, birdlike call—“gu gu.” Before long, Zuo Gaofeng, Tan Bajhang, and Xishan Hermit arrived. Though Wei Hongqing had sealed the woman’s meridians, her body still twisted and moaned on the bed. Zuo Gaofeng and Xishan Hermit couldn’t help but swallow hard as they looked on. “What’s going on here?” they asked. Wei Hongqing grinned. “We gave her a little something.” Tan Bajhang said with a smirk, “If you like, I’ll keep watch while Brother Zuo and the Hermit take a turn?” Zuo Gaofeng and Xishan Hermit were clearly tempted, itching to give it a try. Wei Hongqing snapped at them. “Cut it out! Is this really the time to be thinking about that? Get moving. Search the place again. Lu Zi’an isn’t here, but see if you can find any trace of where he might’ve gone.” The five of them swept through the property once more. This time, each of them turned up something; sure enough, there were men’s clothes and personal items scattered throughout the house. Wei Hongqing grinned. “I’ve been watching this woman for days. She’s always sneaking around. I knew something was off. Xiaolou, how much longer until the drug wears off?” “Maybe a quarter of an hour," Liu Xiaolou replied. "Once it wears off, she’ll wake up on her own.” Wei Hongqing shook his head. “We can’t wait that long.” “Then just splash her awake,” Liu Xiaolou said. Zuo Gaofeng brought in a bucket of water. He paused for a moment, looking down at the woman on the bed with a hint of regret, admiring the way she looked. But in the end, he poured it. With a loud *splash*, the bed was soaked through. Tan Bajhang and Xishan Hermit stepped outside, taking positions at opposite ends of the courtyard to keep watch and make sure no one approached. The woman slowly came to. Her whole body was drenched, but she couldn’t move. Limp and powerless, she curled up on the bed, shaking with a mix of fear and fury. Wei Hongqing dragged over an embroidered stool and sat at the edge of the bed. He stared into her eyes for a long moment before speaking. “You know what we’re after,” he said quietly. “I’m going to unblock your meridians now. Don’t scream. Don’t even think about sending a message to anyone. If you do, I’ll snap one of your toes right off. Understand?” He reached out and grabbed her left foot, gently pinching one of her toes. “Such a pretty foot... I’d hate to mess it up.” His grip tightened gradually. Fear flared in the woman’s eyes, and she let out a muffled whimper, panicked and desperate. He stopped just short of going further, keeping the pressure steady. “If you agree with what I’m saying, nod your head.” The woman nodded furiously. “Good.” he channeled a small surge of his true qi through her toe, breaking the block on her speech acupoint. She gagged and coughed once, then finally caught her breath, staring at him. The anger in her eyes was gone, completely replaced by fear. "I don’t know how much you understand," Wei Hongqing said calmly, "but Lu Zi’an has gotten himself into something very serious. That said, I believe a man’s crimes shouldn’t involve his wife or family, and you’re not even married to him. So really, this has nothing to do with you. Don’t you think?” The woman trembled and answered in a shaky voice, “Yes...” He went on, “Of course, that depends on one thing. I need you to tell me where he is. If you do, I promise I won’t lay a finger on you.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “What did he do?” “I don’t have time to explain,” Wei Hongqing replied. “And honestly, it’s better if you don’t know. It doesn’t concern you. Just tell me.... where is he?” She shook her head. “I don’t know...” Wei Hongqing frowned. “There’s still dirty dishes in the basket by your kitchen. Nine days ago, you bought a jar of Bamboo Leaf Green wine from Hongji Restaurant in the market. You went back yesterday and bought another jar. But I just searched your whole place and didn’t find a single jar of wine. Five days ago, you bought two cured pork strips at the Yangliu Bay Market . Four days ago, a pig’s head. Three days ago, a lamb leg. And every day, you catch three fish from the river. You expect me to believe you're eating all that by yourself?” Tears streamed down her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must be mistaken.” He sighed and glanced at Zuo Gaofeng. Zuo Gaofeng gave a nasty grin. Liu Xiaolou turned away. “I’ll keep watch outside.” Out in the courtyard, Liu Xiaolou took a long breath. The cold breeze brushed past as he tried to clear his thoughts. But just as he was starting to focus, a muffled scream burst from inside the house. It was low and hoarse, the kind of sound that came from deep within the lungs, but as if the airway had been blocked, it couldn’t escape and explode inward instead. Xishan Hermit poked his head out from atop the west wall of the courtyard and looked down at Liu Xiaolou. Liu Xiaolou gave him a hand signal: all clear. The man nodded and disappeared again. Liu Xiaolou stepped out of the courtyard and wandered along the outer wall. From a distance, he spotted a figure crouched beneath the canopy of a large tree: it was Tan Bajhang. Realizing that Liu Xiaolou had seen through his hiding spot at a glance, Tan Bajhang shifted to the right, tucking himself into the shadows more securely. This time, he was completely hidden. After circling the courtyard once, Liu Xiaolou finally began to sort out his thoughts. That uneasiness he'd been feeling.... it wasn’t really uneasiness. It was envy. Envy of whom? Of that inner-sect female disciple from Tianmu Mountain; the one Wei Hongqing never talked about in detail? She was the key figure in all this, and Wei had always been vague when it came to her. But Tan Bajhang seemed to have heard a few things and had passed some of it on to Liu Xiaolou. A widow. Ten years older. If it were him... would he be able to accept that? He kept turning it over in his mind but found no answer. Maybe you only make a real choice when the moment actually comes. As a rogue cultivator from Wulong Mountain, it was almost instinct.... this admiration for the orthodox sects, this craving to rise above his station. When he climbed back into the courtyard, he saw Zuo Gaofeng opening the door and going to fetch more water. He shook his head at Liu Xiaolou and said, “She’s stubborn as hell. Getting her to talk is like pulling teeth." Liu Xiaolou stepped inside. The woman had already passed out. Zuo Gaofeng poured another bucket of cold water straight over her, drenching her completely. She jolted and came to with a gasp. She bore no visible injuries, but with Wei Hongqing and Zuo Gaofeng, that didn’t mean much. They had their ways of leaving no marks, but making someone feel like they’d gone through heaven and hell. Zuo Gaofeng grabbed her by the hair and yanked her upright. She dropped to her knees beside the bed, body bowed, too weak to lift her torso. Cold water dripped steadily from her hair, spattering onto the floor. Liu Xiaolou watched the water pooling under the bed, trickling slowly toward the cracks along the base of the wall. He pointed under the bed. “Something’s off.”