Chapter 132: Nightmare Bringer

Chapter 132: Nightmare Bringer

Several Daoist priests were sitting there. Upon seeing Tang Yongde, they stood up one after another and greeted him.

Tang Yongde introduced his companions. “This is Deputy Hall Master Zhang and Deacon Qi from Tiangang Hall. They happen to be in the city, so I invited them to help solve this case. Please listen to their orders.”

When the group of Daoist priests heard that Zhang Yuelu was a Deputy Hall Master, they saluted her respectfully, with a look of awe on their faces.

Zhang Yuelu waved her hand, indicating that there was no need for courtesy. She asked directly, “Where is the body?”

A Daoist priest replied, “In the guest room at the back.”

Tang Yongde motioned for him to lead the way. They left the main hall, passed through a corridor, and came to a guest room with two armored Spirit Guards in front of the door.

Superintendent Tang Yongde ordered the Spirit Guards to open the door and then turned to Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu. “I’ll leave it to you, Deputy Hall Master Zhang and Deacon Qi.”

This room was different from ordinary rooms. The first thing that caught their eye was the various red and pink gauze hanging from the beams, covering the huge bed, which could accommodate four or five people. That was where the victim, Mason, died.

Zhang Yuelu was not used to the strong and pungent scent of perfume in the room, so she covered her nose. Considering that the merchant died in the saddle, she simply stood at the door and did not rush over to see the body. That was because she was not a professional coroner. In any case, she was still relatively conservative and a virgin.

Qi Xuansu also smelled the strong and strange fragrance that affected him. He immediately used his qi to settle his nerves and commented, “It seems like there’s an aphrodisiac added to the incense in this room.”

He walked to the bedside, lifted the gauze, and looked toward the bed.

Lying on the bed was a naked male corpse that looked about forty years old. His lower body was a mess, and there was a look of pleasure on his face.

Qi Xuansu was used to seeing dead people, so he did not feel squeamish. He inspected the corpse briefly and found no external injuries. The corpse’s skin, bones, and meridians were intact. There were no signs of poisoning or shattered internal organs.

If he was not poisoned by an untraceable substance, then this man most likely had a sudden death.

However, Tang Yongde mentioned that the dead merchant, who was as strong as a Baodan-stage cultivator, had not been with a woman for a long time. The merchant was in his prime and a fit traveler, not a frail scholar who spent all day in his study. So how could he have a sudden death? It was hard to believe, akin to a great master’s cultivation level being downgraded due to a slight misalignment during cultivation.

Qi Xuansu told Zhang Yuelu about his findings and added, “It would be great if we had a Diviner in the Dream Entering Realm. That way, they could recall the earth’s qi to find out what happened.”

Zhang Yuelu said from a distance, “If it’s the Nightmare Bringer Method, then the person who performs the spell does not have to be here. If so, the Earth Qi Recalling Technique won’t work either.”

The Nightmare Bringer Method was infamous. Throughout all dynasties, the major witchcraft cases in the palaces implicating thousands of people were not actually related to the Wu witchcraft. Instead, it referred to the Daoist Nightmare Bringer Method.

Zhang Yuelu sighed softly. “It’s a pity that Superintendent Lingquan is not here. Otherwise, we can rely on his Soul Recalling Technique to find some clues.”

Qi Xuansu reminded. “Well, we didn’t come to Baidi City with the intention to solve a murder case. What we need to know now is what the spellcaster used for this Nightmare Bringer Technique. Is it his birth date, hair, nails, or blood?”

Zhang Yuelu muttered, “It’s almost impossible for the two of us to determine this.”

Qi Xuansu thought about it for a while before he asked, “Why don’t we use another approach? Who was sleeping with this merchant when he died?”

Tang Yongde hurriedly answered, “A courtesan from this villa.”

Zhang Yuelu was puzzled, so Qi Xuansu explained, “Generally, upscale brothels like this will have courtesans and escorts. Courtesans provide entertainment with their artistic talents as well as their bodies, while escorts only provide entertainment with their artistic talents.”

She glanced at Qi Xuansu with a half-smile. “You’re quite familiar with these, huh?”

Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. “I’ve only ever heard of this. I can’t afford such entertainment anyway.”

“Can’t afford it?” Zhang Yuelu’s tone suddenly turned gentle.

Qi Xuansu realized that he had a slip of the tongue and quickly changed his tune. “I can certainly afford it with all the money I have now. I just don’t have such interests. Shall we continue with the investigation?”

Tang Yongde kept his gaze down and did not intervene in their bickering.

Zhang Yuelu no longer dwelled on the matter. “Let’s meet that courtesan.”

Judging by the size of this villa, it was clear that there would be more than one manager, and they would likely have a strong background. The courtesans were the cash cows in this business, so if the courtesans wanted to retire, they would have to pay at least thousands of Taiping coins each.

Without definite evidence, Tang Yongde would not be able to do anything to the courtesans involved in this matter, so he just kept them isolated in a room under temporary house arrest.

Tang Yongde led Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu through a long corridor with tall red lanterns on both sides. In the night, all one could see were red and black. After turning a few corners, they could hear women's laughter. Tang Yongde approached the door, where there were two Spirit Guards and two female Daoist priests.

Superintendent Tang Yongde signaled the two ladies to open the door. A red light filled the room, which had a large screen blocking the back. The floor was covered with a thick carpet. Although it was winter, the room was as warm as spring.

The tables and chairs were all made of fine mahogany. The porcelain, calligraphy, and paintings were all genuine pieces from famous artists. This resembled the room of a noble young lady.

Qi Xuansu did not know how this room compared to Zhang Yuelu’s, but it was certainly much better than his residence in Haichan Place. He could not help but sigh as he thought, No wonder people laugh at the poor but never at prostitutes.