Chapter 543: Deceit and Intrigue

“Did the rope bells ring?”

“Yes, they did,” the guard recalled. “When Wu Bogang called me over, the rope bells outside, inside the courtyard, and in the house were all ringing. They only stopped after a while. Old Wu said something was looking for Mr. Cheng.”

“What was it?”

“Old Wu didn’t say,” the guard added. “The red lantern in that bottle kept glowing. It was still lit the last time I saw it today; it never went out.”

Fu Shanyue immediately said, “The Three Powers Suspended Bell Formation? Cheng Yu’s enemies are invisible, so it must be some kind of malevolent spirit.” This formation is used to detect enemy movements.

“Look at that bottle.”

Fu Shanyue instructed Commander Lu, who immediately rushed out. He didn’t dare make the two important figures wait long. About fifteen minutes later, he returned with a wooden box. He opened it, revealing the transparent bottle, but its body was covered in cracks, clearly broken.

“It was like this when they found it,” Commander Lu emphasized.

Bai Ziqi carefully examined the bottle, even relighting a platinum candle, plucking the lamp spirit from it, and tossing it inside. The lamp spirit, which had been so powerful by the lake, went silent and extinguished upon entering the bottle. Wisps of smoke drifted out of the bottle, as if guided by an invisible force. With a soft “pop,” the bottle shattered into countless glass fragments, scattering across the tabletop. The small house that had been inside the bottle vanished rapidly into the air like fine sand blown away by the wind, the moment it touched the outside world. Only the bottle fragments remained on the table.

Bai Ziqi sighed softly. “What a shame, it’s broken just like that.”

Fu Shanyue asked curiously, “What was this?”

“This place is a self-contained entity that instinctively resists the lamp spirit’s entry,” Bai Ziqi said, putting away his candle. “In this form, the lamp spirit is most gentle and harmless. It shouldn’t be rejected anywhere except places of void or evil.”

He Lingchuan had seen the lamp spirit’s violent side, but it seemed to be gentle and refined most of the time. This also matched its role in the Star-Picking Tower.

“Considering what Xue San said—that Cheng Yu was unconscious, the cork could only be removed when the lamp was dim, and the rope bell formation rang once—this bottle was likely a…” Bai Ziqi thought cautiously, “dreamscape?”

Fu Shanyue found it strange. “I heard dreamscapes form spontaneously. How could one be man-made?” When many living beings gather, their daily thoughts and nightly dreams naturally form a dreamscape.

“Dreamscapes vary in form, some large, some small; some are growing, others are fading,” Bai Ziqi explained. “Some villages that were originally prosperous had thriving dreamscapes. Later, as the population dwindled or wars became frequent, and fewer people survived, the dreamscapes weakened. By the time only three or five living people remained in a village, that dreamscape would cease to exist.”

He pointed to the glass fragments on the table. “This should be a decaying dreamscape. Cheng Yu used a special method to seal it off, preventing anything else from entering. When a crisis arose, his spirit could hide inside to escape danger.”

This was He Lingchuan’s first time seeing such a dreamscape in a bottle, but combining it with the past remarks of the grotesque head nightmare, he also felt Bai Ziqi’s explanation made a lot of sense. Knowledge about dreamscapes was very obscure. The Metropolitan Envoy just knew more than ordinary people.

Bai Ziqi slowly said, “Dreamscape bottles are not easy to obtain. What I’m curious about is why Cheng Yu prepared such an unusual item beforehand. Did he believe he might face a spirit attack?”

He Lingchuan felt his heart quicken by two beats. He was close; his guess was very close. Cheng Yu must have been extremely cautious in his dealings with the Hundred-Faced Nightmare. He clearly knew the monster’s power. Although there was certainly a contract between them, he still prepared a refuge for himself. After all, if a monster capable of overthrowing a monarch suddenly turned hostile, Cheng Yu would likely be unable to withstand its moves.

The guard added, “On the first night I took over, Mr. Cheng’s chest was stained with blood, possibly from him spitting it out, and his face was as ghastly as a dead man’s.”

Bai Ziqi then pressed for the specific date. The guard truthfully provided it. He Lingchuan knew immediately that something was seriously wrong. Sure enough, Bai Ziqi’s gaze swept to him the next second:

“Cheng Yu was injured, and Wu Kai took him back to the Cen Residence using the Ficus Cavern. He Xiao—” He looked at He Lingchuan, his voice gentle: “That night, Cheng Yu failed to ambush you, fled to the Cen Residence, and then used the dreamscape in the bottle. The strangest thing is that the rope bells rang, and something truly pursued him, trying to take his life! Do you have any inside information to share?”

He Lingchuan sensed the hidden sharpness in his gentle tone but feigned bewilderment. “Share what?”

“What was that invisible but present entity that pursued Cheng Yu that night?”

“How would I know?” He Lingchuan said, feigning confusion. “I’m not skilled in these supernatural arts. Besides, what does Cheng’s ordeal have to do with the Cen Boqing case? Other than him being hired to ambush me.”

“Exactly,” Fu Shanyue interjected. “This man failed; why is my special envoy being interrogated instead?” His tone rose sharply. In Lingxu City, he would never speak to the Metropolitan Envoy like this, but here in Baishajue, he had the advantage as the local authority. Even a powerful dragon doesn’t suppress a local snake. Bai Ziqi’s temper was surprisingly good, showing no offense. “Cen Boqing chose to take Cheng Yu with him even during his final escape, which shows how much he valued him. How could such a suspect be a nobody?”

“Before his capture, Cheng Yu fled for his life but didn’t use very powerful spells, which is inconsistent with his cultivation level,” he continued. “This shows that even with the dreamscape, the severe spirit injury he sustained over ten days ago hadn’t healed. He Xiao, did you send whatever was pursuing him?”

He Lingchuan gave a wry smile. “That entity could even force a great spellcaster to hide and seal himself within a dreamscape. With that kind of skill, it must be renowned throughout Beijia, right? If it could also take orders from me, Cheng Yu would definitely know my name.”

Each profession has its specialization. Only spellcasters can perform their tasks; even Bai Ziqi couldn’t. To corner a great spellcaster to such an extent in their own field, it would likely have to be another practitioner. Indeed, as He Lingchuan said, how could someone with such ability be unknown? Even if others hadn’t heard, how could Cheng Yu not know? While "sweeping monks" exist, they are rare. Apart from various second or third-generation elites, most people’s status and reputation in this world ultimately align with their abilities. With such powerful spellcraft, how likely is it that the practitioner would be obscure?

Of course, He Lingchuan knew this answer wouldn’t satisfy Bai Ziqi, so he added, “However, I do recall one detail.”

Bai Ziqi’s attention was immediately drawn. “Please tell me.”

“When I pursued him to the inn, Cheng Yu’s trap activated, and purple malevolent fire consumed the entire building.” He Lingchuan frowned. “But I remember there was a square table in the middle of his room, and on it was a very sinister-looking wood carving with incense offered before it. The moment I touched the carving, it broke into several pieces.”

“I’m guessing, purely guessing here, that if that wood carving was the malevolent spirit’s golden effigy invited by Cheng Yu, but then he set fire to it, that entity must have felt immense resentment.”

“That’s why it went back to seek revenge!” Fu Shanyue snapped his fingers. “Ultimately, what could deal with Cheng Yu was something he himself invited. This deduction is very logical.”

He Lingchuan continued, “Cheng Yu clearly knew what that thing was and how powerful it was, which is why he prepared the dreamscape beforehand.”

Bai Ziqi, however, asked him, “You didn’t bring the wood carving out?”

“I wanted to, but Commander Fan was right behind me, swinging his axe. My life was at stake; how would I have time for that?”

Bai Ziqi quietly watched the two men. He Lingchuan looked straight ahead, while Fu Shanyue simply met his gaze. After a long silence, Bai Ziqi finally said softly, “It doesn’t matter. Cheng Yu will wake up tomorrow anyway. We can hear what he has to say then.”

He Lingchuan and Fu Shanyue cursed internally: *Then why were you so eager to interrogate everyone tonight? What was the point?* However, Fu Shanyue had to casually spread his hands, feigning indifference.

Bai Ziqi looked out the window. “It will be dawn in about another hour. We’ve been at this for most of the night. How about we go back, wash up, and rest, then re-interrogate Wu Kai tomorrow afternoon?”

Fu Shanyue yawned. “Excellent!”

Both parties started to leave, parting ways at the county office entrance. Bai Ziqi watched Fu Shanyue and He Lingchuan ride their mounts and trot away, the smile slowly fading from his face. Fan Sheng only then arrived at the county office entrance, saying awkwardly, “Envoy Bai, just now, Lady Cen…” Bai Ziqi cut him off.

“Come with me.”

Fan Sheng followed him back into the county office and into Cheng Yu’s secluded room. The room had no windows, and two guards stood by the door.

“If I’m not mistaken, he might encounter some ‘unforeseen events’ tonight,” Bai Ziqi said, pointing at Cheng Yu. “From this moment, you are to guard him here until his interrogation tomorrow afternoon.”

Fan Sheng quickly replied, “Yes,” and then added, “Where will these unforeseen events come from? I’ll go eliminate them!”

Bai Ziqi smiled. “No need. Allow me to test him.”

Fan Sheng wasn’t foolish; he quickly understood. “Envoy Bai intends to use this man as bait?”

Bai Ziqi nodded. “Just a small theory; it’s worth verifying.”

Fan Sheng followed him inside, unable to resist asking, “What if nothing unforeseen happens?”

“Either he’s innocent,” Bai Ziqi smiled again, “or he’s actually more troublesome to deal with.”

Leaving the county office, He Lingchuan took a deep breath. This water-bound city’s August evening breeze was laden with damp moisture. The day had been so eventful that even he, a person full of energy, felt exhausted. One unexpected event after another had kept him overwhelmed.

As he rode through the deserted streets, he asked Fu Shanyue, “Why is everyone so afraid of Lady Cen?” The Grand Minister of Agriculture was indeed highly powerful, a figure revered by minor officials and commoners alike, perhaps even commanding some respect from the Scarlet Yan monarch. But what about Bai Ziqi? He was the Metropolitan Envoy, serving the gods! And Fan Sheng could command troops near the imperial capital, enjoying the Demon Emperor’s deep trust. Why did these two also look so helpless when facing Lady Cen?

Fu Shanyue scratched his neck. “Yao Xingning showed outstanding talent from a young age, cultivated diligently, and joined the military early. Her military achievements far surpassed her husband’s. She happens to be the Sixtieth Female General of our Beijia Kingdom, though a general of miscellaneous rank. Of course, that’s not the main point—”