Free Web NovelChapter 1141: Chapter 774: Prisoner_2
The man was tall, but very thin; his clothes hung loose over his body, and an odd wooden mask covered most of his face, almost wrapping his entire head.
Both of his wrists were shackled with chains, which were welded to the inner walls of the palanquin, and his waist was tightly bound with a binding belt, secured to the seat behind him.
His feet were even more horrifying, locked in place by a piece of jet-black wood like a stocks, and in the dim environment, the black wood emitted an eerie sheen.
Yang Xiao immediately realized that this piece of stocks was not ordinary; it was a Magic Artifact.
And anyone who could be bound by a Magic Artifact must be an Angel Envoy; this man was most likely a high-level Apostle.
But this was unrelated to Yang Xiao’s concerns; he was only interested in clues about the Ghost Lantern.
With limited movement, the imprisoned old man took the Ghost Lantern from Yang Xiao, examined it for a moment, and nodded involuntarily, "A fine piece, a Nether-level Magical Artifact; it should have illusion-breaking capabilities, but..."
"But what?" Yang Xiao whispered, eager to probe this old man’s depths.
The old man rubbed the lantern’s wooden handle with his calloused palm and shook his head, "But it is a broken piece. What a pity, this handle was reforged later; if the original could be found and restored by a master, this rarity would be unmatched."
These few words convinced Yang Xiao that he had met a highly knowledgeable person, whose insight surpassed even his Second Demon Uncle.
Yang Xiao urgently pressed, "Then, may I ask, senior, do you know which faction possesses the missing handle, or whose hands it is in?"
The old man in the palanquin paused silently, then shook his head decisively, "I don’t know."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao’s excitement quickly transformed into disappointment; all the information the old man provided was already known to him, making the trip seem futile.
Just as he intended to inquire about something else, the old man laboriously raised his hand and rang the bell hanging in the palanquin.
This marked the end of the questioning.
Yang Xiao reluctantly extended his hand, leaned forward to retrieve the Ghost Lantern from the old man’s grasp, and unintentionally their hands touched. Instantly, the old man’s body convulsed, and before Yang Xiao could react, he grabbed his wrist tightly.
The old man’s hands were unusually withered, the wrists mere skin and bones, the skin pale from years of confinement away from sunlight, yet his strength was surprisingly formidable, leaving Yang Xiao momentarily unable to break free.
"Let go!" Yang Xiao growled in a low voice, raising his other hand, ready to punch the old man’s wrist hard.
"I remember, I remember who has that handle!" the old man spoke hurriedly, as if he were a different person.
"Who?"
"I’ve forgotten... forgotten the person’s name; bear with me while I recall it, I can surely remember."
By now, unlocking sounds and the rattling of chains were heard outside the door; it would soon be opened.
"Brother, come next time, I will definitely have the answer for you, definitely!" After saying this the old man released his grip, and Yang Xiao immediately stepped back, watching him warily. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"Don’t mention this to them, I beg you." The old man clasped his hands together, looking somewhat pitiful.
The next moment, the iron door was opened, standing outside were three guards, including a one-armed master.
The one-armed master spoke first, rattling off a string of confusing Myanmar-Tai language. The person beside him translated, sharply questioning, "What happened? Why was there noise?"
By this time, the palanquin’s curtain was already drawn back, and everything inside was silent. "I just stumbled in front of the palanquin, and you don’t even put up more lanterns," Yang Xiao complained.
The one-armed master stared at Yang Xiao for a moment, then entered the door, lifted the curtain, ensured the old man inside the palanquin was fine, then waved his hand to let Yang Xiao leave.
Watching Yang Xiao depart, the one-armed master personally closed the iron door, binding it with chains and locks.
This person was too important, imprisoned by direct orders of the Dharma King; if anything went wrong, their fate would be a living hell—no, worse than death!
After the room returned to silence, the old man in the palanquin lay back against the chair, his hands trembling, his chest heaving, with hot tears streaming from his murky eyes beneath the mask:
"It really is it..."
...
Upon returning, the guide directly took Yang Xiao to another small courtyard, where Professor Cui and his party had already been escorted back to the previous hotel by the Magic Disciples; only Tai Wenqin awaited him.
To Yang Xiao’s surprise, not only was Tai Wenqin present in the courtyard but there were others, none of whom wore the white clothes of the Dharma Sect, and each had a mask on.
Everyone kept their distance, guarded, almost all of them lone wolves, and from their bearing, these guys were all skilled individuals.
Tai Wenqin and Yang Xiao left together, exiting the Dharma Sect’s site, and Yang Xiao asked about the identities of the others in the courtyard. Tai Wenqin replied that these people worked secretly for the Dharma Sect.
They were not Magic Disciples, many bore criminal records, some fled from abroad, but all relied on keeping things under wraps.
The Dharma Sect provided them shelter, under the condition that they handled some inconvenient public matters.
"These guys are mercenaries who value money over their lives, but their competence is not weak, at least at Fierce Grade level," Tai Wenqin explained quietly.
"So... you’re one of them, working for the Dharma Sect?" Yang Xiao remarked.
Upon hearing this, Tai Wenqin suddenly stopped, gazing into Yang Xiao’s eyes, "Why do you say that?"
"Simple, because you were present alongside them," Yang Xiao smiled, "Since you are all shadowy individuals, you should maintain discretion. There’s no reason for them to let you blend in."
After a few moments of silence, Tai Wenqin pulled out a mask from his chest, the same Ghost Face Mask seen in the courtyard, "Sorry, I didn’t mean to hide it from you all, but feared misunderstandings if disclosed. The Dharma Sect actively sought to recruit me long ago, and I couldn’t decline this time."
"To act as an informant against us?" Yang Xiao’s worst fear was confirmed.
"No, no, it has nothing to do with you all. For me, your importance surpasses everything, even my life; but I must survive on this land, and cannot antagonize them."
Tai Wenqin solemnly promised, "Trust me, I merely pretended to agree with them."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao chuckled, extended his hand, patted Tai Wenqin’s shoulder, and comforted him, "No need to be tense, we believe in your integrity; your assistance throughout has been noted."
The two returned to the hotel, and in his room, Yang Xiao met Professor Cui, unable to refrain from asking about the Dead Mouth Lama, whose previous behavior was too odd.
"The Dead Mouth Lama isn’t just one person, but a category. Their backgrounds are complex, yet almost all share a common identity." After a pause, Professor Cui lowered his voice, "Spirit Tester."
"Like you?" Yang Xiao was somewhat astonished.
"Indeed," Professor Cui nodded, "These individuals are all imprisoned, some detained for crimes to atone this way, but many more are kidnapped, tricked, or even smuggled here through the black market. Their backgrounds vary widely, and some even come from within our borders."
"But once they’re here, their pasts vanish utterly, because they will never escape for a lifetime."
"These people were once highly knowledgeable Spirit Testers, understanding Magic Artifacts far beyond ordinary Angel Envoys. And crucially, due to their captivity, even if they discover secrets, they cannot leak them, ensuring utmost safety, hence called Dead Mouth Lama."
"Conversing with them is like questioning the dead, and the dead never divulge secrets," Professor Cui sighed, perhaps reflecting on himself.
Listening to today’s bizarre conduct of the Dead Mouth Lama, Professor Cui also frowned.
"Could it be... he noticed something?" Yang Xiao speculated, yet back then he only revealed the Ghost Lantern, worried about potential trouble; he hadn’t even donned the Drama Robe.
