A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu asked, “Where shall we eat?”

“I haven’t been back to the Jade Capital for many years, so I’m no longer familiar with the places here. You can decide where to go, but please don’t choose anything too expensive. I’m short on money.” Qi Xuansu, influenced by Madam Qi, never had the habit of spending too much, even on someone as charming as Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu smiled. “We’ll split the bill. I can’t possibly take advantage of you.”

Qi Xuansu touched his satchel and said, “Even if we split the bill, let’s not be too extravagant. We should really follow the Daoist teachings to be frugal.”

For a moment, Zhang Yuelu forgot her original intention. “You’re such a miser! You won’t be able to woo a lady if you keep this up. Well, I want to feast today.”

Qi Xuansu was not as stingy as Madam Qi. When he heard Zhang Yuelu say this, he opened his mouth but could not come up with a rebuttal.

Even though Zhang Yuelu said she wanted to feast, she brought Qi Xuansu to a secluded small restaurant that looked very affordable.

She said, “I used to come to this restaurant often. The food is decent, and the prices are reasonable.”

Just as they were speaking, the restaurant owner came over to greet them. “Miss Tantai, it’s been a while since your last visit!”

Zhang Yuelu usually used her alternative name, Tantai Chu, when she was not working. It was not a name she made up just for Qi Xuansu.

She brushed it over, saying nonchalantly, “I’ve been practicing the fasting technique, so I’ve been coming less often.”

“What a pity.” The restaurant owner was an ordinary Daoist believer. In the Jade Capital, apart from second-rank and third-rank Daoist masters, there were countless Xiantian beings all over the city, so practicing the fasting technique was not particularly strange.

Qi Xuansu did not speak because he was silently estimating Zhang Yuelu’s cultivation level. He figured that she was at the Yuxu stage at the very least. At her age, she should be a fifth-rank Daoist priest with limitless potential.

Zhang Yuelu found a clean table and sat down, saying to the owner, “We’ll get two large bowls.”

“Coming right up!” The owner responded and turned to the kitchen.

Before long, the owner returned with a tray containing two bowls of beef noodles.

Qi Xuansu was stunned for a moment before he asked, “You used to come here often?”

Zhang Yuelu nodded. “What, you don’t like this kind of food?”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “No, I do. When I’m out traveling, I’ve slept under the stars and eaten dry rations that were as hard as rocks. Of course, I’d like beef noodles. It’s just that I didn’t expect you to like such simple food.”

“What do you think I would like, then?” Zhang Yuelu sat across from Qi Xuansu. She picked up a pair of chopsticks and said, “Even princesses have to eat food.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Well, there are different grades of food. I thought you were the type who appreciates fine cuisine and is knowledgeable about seasonal delicacies, various culinary techniques, and fancy utensils. You look like the type who will enjoy food while reciting poetry.”

Zhang Yuelu could not help but laugh. “You think too highly of me. I do want to be refined, but unfortunately, I lack the knowledge and background.”

“In that case, we can consider ourselves kindred spirits.” Qi Xuansu chuckled.

Zhang Yuelu sighed. “I’m also poor. Although I receive a monthly stipend and live in Taishang Place, socializing in Jade Capital can be costly. Entertaining colleagues can be a heavy burden. If we went to the Phoenix Tower for a meal, it would cost at least one Taiping coin. But over here, a bowl of noodles is just 10 ruyi. It’s evident which is more affordable.”

Qi Xuansu lightly tapped the table. “My thoughts exactly!”

Zhang Yuelu was slightly surprised.

Qi Xuansu paused for a moment, then continued, “It’s hard to meet someone who understands my pain like you do. I, too, have been tormented because I’m poor. In this day and age, money makes the world go round. No one wants to be friends with a poor person.”

Zhang Yuelu was amused by Qi Xuansu’s remarks and momentarily forgot her initial motives.

When Zhang Yuelu first arrived in Jade Capital, she had contact with several so-called “young talents” from work. Most of these men were scions from prominent families. Although they looked polite on the surface, they were in fact hungry wolves who regarded Zhang Yuelu as a piece of meat waiting to be devoured. They only cared about defeating their peers to enjoy the spoils, without considering whether the “meat” was willing.

Zhang Yuelu was displeased by this and seriously humiliated one of those scions. After that incident, she gradually distanced herself from them and became bolder.

On the contrary, Zhang Yuelu liked Qi Xuansu’s temperament. She did not see Qi Xuansu as a dangerous person. Instead, she found him interesting and compatible with her. Although his background was suspicious, she did not think it was a major problem. It would not hurt her to be friends with him and share a drink on occasion.

Qi Xuansu, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

He had managed to muddle through this, but he still needed to find a way to get rid of this lady. Although she was pretty and an overall pleasant person to be around, she was too dangerous for him. He did not know what flaws he had exposed to attract her attention. So it was not advisable to have too much contact with her.

Qi Xuansu was unaware of what Zhang Yuelu was thinking at the moment. If he knew, he would lament how he was outsmarted and his actions backfired.

At this moment, three young people stood on the third pedestal below the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, in the center of Taiqing Square. They were dressed in ordinary clothes and were leaning against the railing.

These three individuals were of respectable status because they were able to go onto the third pedestal. Each pedestal was ten meters tall, so the third pedestal was about thirty meters above ground. Standing there, they could look out to the entire Taiqing Square. Thus, it was a popular attraction. However, the second and third pedestals were not open to the public. Ordinary people could only walk around the first pedestal.

One of the young women asked, “Did you really see Zhang Yuelu coming this way?”

Another man holding a monocular replied, “Absolutely certain.”

The young woman scoffed. “Isn’t that Banished Immortal supposed to be busy with her duties as the Deputy Hall Master? How does she have time to stroll around Taiqing Square?”

The young man who spoke earlier smiled and said, “I suggest you hold your tongue. This time, the Great Sage Lunzhi has personally appointed her as the Deputy Hall Master. Two out of the three Deputy Grand Masters have high hopes for her, so her future is truly boundless. We may even have to bow to her in the future.”

The woman scowled. “If I meet her in person, I will have to address her as the Deputy Hall Master.”

The other man, who had not spoken, finally said something. “In my opinion, Miss Zhang isn’t arrogant. She’s just peculiar.”

The woman was curious. “What do you mean?”

This man was Lu Shuihan, a direct descendant of the Taiping Sect’s Lu family. His two companions were also outstanding individuals among their peers. The woman was called Bai Yuru, and the man was named Zhao Huang.

Lu Shuihan was currently a fifth-rank prospective mage, while Bai Yuru and Zhao Huang were sixth-rank apprentice mages. The three of them had some small “misunderstandings” with Zhang Yuelu in the past.

“She’s just an interesting character.” Lu Shuihan said casually, “I’ve encountered many proud ladies, those who held their heads high and looked down upon others who were just slightly inferior to themselves. Zhang Yuelu is different from those women. She’s quite unpredictable. She treats those who respect her with courtesy, even if they’re beggars, but she distances herself from those who don’t, regardless of rank.”

Zhao Huang added, “A few years ago, a scion from the Li family met Zhang Yuelu at the Ancestral Court and hoped to marry her. But he somehow ended up offending her, so she challenged him to a duel. The two fought openly with many witnesses, and surprisingly, the young master from the Li family lost. He gracefully accepted his defeat and left the Ancestral Court immediately. To this day, he has never returned.”

“I know about this. His name is Li Tianzhen. He’s a distant descendant of the Holy Xuan. Although he’s not a direct descendant of the Holy Xuan, Li Tianzhen is still a direct descendant of Li Donghuang. The Holy Xuan and Li Donghuang were brothers from the same lineage anyway.”

Lu Shuihan leaned against the railing and gazed at the bustling square below. “I’ve heard that the Imperial Preceptor and Sage Qingwei are fond of Li Tianzhen. The fact that Zhang Yuelu could humiliate Li Tianzhen like this and still maintain her position speaks volumes about her confidence.”

Bai Yuru sighed helplessly. “Well, some people are just lucky to capture the attention of the earthly preceptor and the heavenly preceptor. Who would dare provoke that jinx?”

Just then, Zhao Huang, who was holding the monocular, suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t that Zhang Yuelu?!”

“Where?” Bai Yuru immediately looked around.

Zhao Huang gave the monocular to Bai Yuru and pointed in a direction.

Bai Yuru took the monocular and looked through it. She said in surprise, “It really is Zhang Yuelu! But who’s that guy with her?”

Zhao Huang shook his head. “I don’t recognize him. He must be a newcomer.”

Even the experienced Lu Shuihan was somewhat surprised. “Could it be someone from the Dazhen Mansion?”

“I don’t think so.” Bai Yuru stared fixedly through the monocular. “He looks more like Zhang Yuelu’s little lover.”

“That’s a possibility.” Zhao Huang chuckled. “A woman like Zhang Yuelu is too dominant. Ordinary men can’t subdue her. She even defeated Li Tianzhen to the point that he had to retreat. Who else would dare seek trouble by pursuing her? She has no choice but to keep a boy toy.”

Bai Yuru continued to peer through the monocular with her right eye and laughed.

Just then, Zhang Yuelu suddenly sensed something and turned her head sharply, looking straight at Bai Yuru through the monocular.

At that instant, Bai Yuru screamed in pain, feeling as if her right eye was burning. The monocular she held fell to the ground with a clang.

...

“What’s wrong?”

Qi Xuansu noticed that Zhang Yuelu, who was walking alongside him, suddenly stopped, so he stopped as well. Following Zhang Yuelu’s gaze, he only saw the tall and majestic statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

After a moment, Zhang Yuelu withdrew her gaze and smiled. “It’s nothing.”

Then she continued walking.

However, Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a faint chill in his spine for no apparent reason.