AT FIRST GLANCE, the house seemed much like any other. At most, the window paper was a little thicker, and the rafters a little lower, so that the interior was dim even in the daytime. Though the sun was still high, candles were already lit, creating a close and oppressive atmosphere. Other than that, the small house was fully furnished and looked quite new. Even the corners where the cabinets met the rugs were free of the fraying one would expect from long years of wear.
Cui Buqu gave his surroundings a quick scan before offering his assessment: "No one's ever lived here, have they?"
Feng Xiao smiled slightly. "They have, but this used to be a small house for maidservants. I had someone renovate it into a torture chamber for the Jiejian Bureau."
Faced with this naked threat, Cui Buqu said simply, "So the distinguished master means to torture me?"
Feng Xiao crouched so their eyes were level. "Look at yourself. Your reactions aren't anything like that of an ordinary, innocent citizen. How could I not suspect you?"
"Could you stop being so unreasonable?" asked Cui Buqu helplessly. "Are you saying if I cry and plead my innocence, you'd let me go? Even if Lady Qin had some connection to Zixia Monastery, that was a Zixia Monastery before my time. I've never met the woman! This distinguished master must have searched the monastery from floor to rafters. Tell me, did you discover anything suspicious?"
"There's a Baiyun Monastery in this city that receives far more worship than Zixia Monastery," said Feng Xiao. "Why not go there?"
"Better to lead a pack of chickens than trail after a phoenix," said Cui Buqu. "Zixia Monastery was rundown and neglected; there were a great many things to be managed. I knew if I could revive it, I'd end up calling the shots, which I much prefer to living under someone else's thumb. Surely that goes without saying?"
Feng Xiao shook his head. "That won't do. Two months ago, Linlang Pavilion announced they'd host an auction in Liugong City. You just happened to arrive at the exact same time. This in itself is suspicious. The Khotanese envoy is dead, and Lady Qin has vanished along with the treasure. It's likely the treasure is being passed from hand to hand and will eventually turn up in Liugong City. So why did you come here? For Lady Qin? Or the treasure? Where is it hidden? At Zixia Monastery, or at Linlang Pavilion's auction house?"
"I'm afraid I understand the distinguished master's words less and less."
"That's fine too," said Feng Xiao. "You can take your time pondering them here. Let me know once you understand."
"My health has always been poor," said Cui Buqu. "I fear I won't be able to endure any torture."
"Do you think physical pain is the worst suffering a person can experience?" The question was heavy with implication. Feng Xiao didn't wait for Cui Buqu's response but rose and departed.
Pei Jingzhe cast Cui Buqu a parting glance, then followed. In the blink of an eye, Cui Buqu was left alone.
The candles went out, the doors swung shut, and the window shutters came down, plunging the house into gloom. Whatever command Feng Xiao had issued, it ensured that each window was covered from the outside with layers of black netting that sealed out every last ray of light. The house drowned in darkness. Even the buzz of insects was stifled, let alone the footsteps of those outside.
The quiet of night was beloved of scholars for its ability to open the mind—but that kind of silence was a tranquil peace accompanied by the bright moonlight and the wind singing through the pines. When silence reached an extreme, as it now did, it would instead become something terrifying.
The moment the doors shut on Cui Buqu, the expression of helplessness and fury on his face was wiped clean, replaced with cool disdain. When the black netting descended over the windows, he let out a quiet snort of contempt.
He knew what Feng Xiao was trying to do.
Depriving someone of their sight and hearing would sink them into an intense silence and boredom. In such a state, one's thoughts inevitably spiraled into anxiety and confusion. Even if they shouted and screamed, they'd only hear echoes of their own voice. It was impossible to tell if it was noon or night. A day or two of this might be tolerable, but after four or five had passed—or even ten or fifteen—time would gradually lose meaning. In the end, a person subjected to such torture wouldn't know if they were dead or alive, whether they walked the mortal world or had descended into hell.
Under this kind of silent torment, even the toughest of men would find themselves weeping and begging for mercy.
Cui Buqu had seen it with his own eyes. There'd been a famed jianghu practitioner from the circles south of the Yangtze, an expert in wielding dual swords. He'd been held captive in such a house for half a month. When he at last emerged, his body was riddled with wounds—all carved by his own hand. Only through the pain of self-mutilation had he ascertained that he still lived. A method like this killed a man without drawing blood. The Jiejian Bureau had many such tricks up their sleeve. And now, one was being used on Cui Buqu.
Feng Xiao must have been confident. He was sure that however peculiar Cui Buqu might be, he couldn't withstand half a month in this house. Afterward, Cui Buqu would answer all his questions and the truth would become clear.
Cui Buqu picked up a reed cushion and searched the house. When he'd felt his way over to a pillar, he sat against it and crossed his legs. He knew nothing of martial arts, but he had learned some breathing exercises for maintaining good health. He closed his eyes and began to practice them now, looping through the techniques as he emptied his mind, isolating himself and discarding unnecessary thoughts.
Certain monks and Daoists had been known to meditate for dozens of days at a time, but those were experts who'd been thoroughly trained in the practice of nonattachment since childhood. It wasn't something the average monk could achieve, let alone common men who immersed themselves in the red dust of the secular world. Even Cui Buqu himself didn't know how long he could endure—but he did know Feng Xiao wouldn't let him off easily.
This wouldn't be the only trick the Jiejian Bureau would try.
***
"It's been three days, sir." Pei Jingzhe set a fresh cup of tea before Feng Xiao as he spoke.
"Mm? What's been three days?" Feng Xiao asked carelessly. His head was bowed as he read through the report he'd received from Qiemo.
"Abbot Cui has been in that house for three days," Pei Jingzhe reminded him. "He's not a martial artist. If he remains there much longer, I fear he won't come out unscathed."
"Your own hands have taken no few lives. Why do you suddenly feel pity for a Daoist priest?" Feng Xiao glanced up at Pei Jingzhe.
"This subordinate is just worried it'll set us back," said Pei Jingzhe indignantly. "If he's such a suspicious character, won't we lose an important lead if he dies?"
In lieu of answering, Feng Xiao passed over the letter he held.
Pei Jingzhe read it carefully. Stunned, he said, "So it really was the Jade of Heaven Lake! The king of Khotan truly spared no effort to please His Majesty. He must be desperate for us to send troops to repel the Göktürks."
"Yuchi Jinwu is dead, so his king will send a new envoy. But his murder must be thoroughly investigated, and the jade found."
Pei Jingzhe laughed. "If you crack the case, I fear you'll no longer be able to avoid the Princess of Xiang. Won't this affect your plans to leave the capital—"
Feng Xiao's gaze flicked toward him, and Pei Jingzhe almost bit his tongue. Schooling his face to seriousness, he said, "In this subordinate's estimation, Lady Qin's disappearance is connected to the jade. Find her, and we'll find the treasure."
The jade had disappeared outside the city. If the criminal had taken it, they had only two options: enter Liugong City, or flee to Qiemo.
But Qiemo was between here and Khotan, which would presumably mean heading back the way they'd come. The culprit couldn't hide in the wilderness with the treasure forever, so the most sensible course was to lie low inside Liugong City, sell it via Linlang Pavilion's auction, then disguise it and transport it out of the city on the main roads.
"Our investigation of Lady Qin turned up three leads," said Pei Jingzhe. "As of now, we've found nothing untoward about Yufo Temple; perhaps Lady Qin only frequented it to mislead us. I've taken people to investigate Zixia Monastery several times, but we've found nothing suspicious there either. All that remains is the family of the aunt Qin Miaoyu lived with before her marriage. This aunt's entire family moved to Jincheng. However, it seems that, half a month ago, their residence in Jincheng burned down. According to the reports, this autumn was particularly dry, turning everything into potential kindling. The children were careless when playing with fire, and her aunt's entire family of six all perished in the resulting conflagration. Coincidentally, this happened at the same time Yuchi Jinwu left Khotan and set out for the Central Plains."
He paused; when Feng Xiao said nothing, he pressed ahead. "I suspect 'Qin Miaoyu' was a fake identity from the beginning. She actively plotted to catch Yuchi Jinwu's eye here in Liugong City and travel with him back to Khotan, all with the goal of getting her hands on the Jade of Heaven Lake."
"She was Yuchi Jinwu's concubine for four or five years. How could she have known five years ago that the king of Khotan would send him to the Central Plains as an envoy?"
Pei Jingzhe started, realizing he'd made a mistake in his reasoning. "Could it be that the real Qin Miaoyu was replaced by an imposter when Yuchi Jinwu was selected as envoy?"
If someone wished to frame Great Sui for an envoy's death, the ideal course of action would be to murder Yuchi Jinwu within the guest complex the Sui dynasty had prepared for him in Daxing City, then abscond with the jade. This was the most effective way to sow discord between Great Sui and Khotan.
But to get to the capital, they would have to pass through Liugong City. And, as the most favored of Yuchi Jinwu's concubines, Lady Qin would inevitably come into contact with old acquaintances there. The original Lady Qin had lived with her aunt's family; they were the ones most likely to expose her. Thus they had to die.
Perhaps some change to the plan had forced Lady Qin to make her move outside the city instead. Or perhaps the murderer wasn't in league with Lady Qin at all. The case was complex and confusing; even Feng Xiao and Pei Jingzhe were unable to clear the surrounding fog.
"This subordinate has already instructed Magistrate Zhao as you asked to enforce a daily limit on the number of people entering and exiting the city. I'll personally lead some men there to inspect everything thoroughly—I can guarantee no one will smuggle anything out on our watch. However, the situation with Linlang Pavilion is a bit trickier."
Feng Xiao's brow creased slightly. "How so?"
"Behind Linlang Pavilion stands the Li clan of Longxi County and the Cui clan of Boling County." Pei Jingzhe's smile was strained. "Princess Leping is one of their backers as well. You know His Majesty has always felt guilt in regard to Princess Leping and indulges her whenever possible. I fear the culprit will take advantage of the princess's protection to hide the jade among the auctioned items and smuggle it out of the city in plain sight."
Feng Xiao rose to his feet and sneered. "So what if Princess Leping supports them? Even she must obey the tide and bow down to her father and brothers. When does Linlang Pavilion's auction begin?"
"Tomorrow," said Pei Jingzhe. "This subordinate has already sent men to keep watch. The moment anything suspicious appears at the auction, they'll make arrests."
"Yuchi Jinwu's entire party died outside the city. It's impossible that Linlang Pavilion hasn't heard of such a significant incident; they'll be on their guard. You—"
He was still speaking when a Jiejian Bureau attendant rushed inside.
"Sir! A fight broke out near Ruyi Tavern; a man is dead! Magistrate Zhao has already sent people over; he requests your lordship come take a look."
Under normal circumstances, a death in a street brawl was far beneath the notice of the Jiejian Bureau. If Magistrate Zhao came to them, it was likely because both the suspect and victim were people he couldn't afford to offend. Instead, he'd chosen to ask Feng Xiao, that mighty buddha, to oversee it.
"Mm, I'll go."
Pei Jingzhe leapt up after him. "Sir, please wait. What if Abbot Cui still refuses to talk? What should we do then?"
"Drug him with incense of helplessness. A small amount."
Shock and hesitation filled Pei Jingzhe's face. "What if his body can't take it—"
Feng Xiao's expression was cool, almost callous. "It doesn't matter if it cripples him," he said. "So long as he still breathes."