A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu was a resolute person. After resting for a night at Bishan Temple, she set off the next morning. The group of sixty people was divided into two teams. Forty of them followed Zhang Yuelu to Wugeshanli, while the remaining twenty went to the Daxue Mountain Palace.

The climate in the Western Region was quite unpredictable. As the group departed from Bishan Temple, the sky remained overcast, with snowflakes swirling intermittently in the wind.

By noon, the weather took a turn for the better, with the sun breaking through the clouds. Advancing approximately 50 kilometers westward, they noticed a significant change in the landscape. The snow along the path had melted away, signaling their departure from the snowy region.

When they came to a high slope, everyone stopped and took a break. Zhang Yuelu took out her telescope, observed the terrain in the distance, and compared it with the map in her hand.

Qi Xuansu took out a piece of dried meat from his satchel, put it in his mouth, and chewed on it. Then he took another sip of cold water.

In this environment, dried meat and dry rations were no better than stones.

He still had a few Army Pills on him, but he did not want to waste so much money. Since they were not rushing to their destination, he preferred to use ordinary foods to restore his strength.

Martial Arts Practitioners were good at eating, and Diviners were good at sleeping.

Since Martial Arts Practitioners did not practice breathing exercises, they could not gain nourishment from the air like a Qi Refiner. Thus, they had to supplement their nutrients through food and medicine. They eat while training and recuperating.

A Martial Arts Practitioner could eat as much as a dozen ordinary portions. They were the only lineage that could not practice the Fasting Technique. This meant that poor people could not learn this lineage.

Diviners were good at sleeping. When a Diviner slept, his soul wandered, or he would be nourishing his Thoughts in his dreams. After falling asleep, his body was like a corpse. If a Diviner was seriously injured, he would usually choose to fall into deep sleep to recover from the injury. It was completely opposite from the Martial Arts Practitioner, who relied on eating to recuperate.

Rogue Cultivators combined the strengths and weaknesses of each lineage, so they were not as extreme in eating and sleeping. They would eat and sleep moderately.

Qi Xuansu swallowed the cold, dried meat with difficulty. Zhang Yuelu checked the terrain, put away the telescope and map, shook the reins of her horse, and continued forward.

Everyone followed. Forty horsemen rushed down the high slope, their cloaks fluttering in the wind, and their horses’ hooves made the ground rumble. The group rode for more than half an hour before crowds gradually became visible. It was no longer as desolate as before, and the roads were smoother.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu suddenly stopped her horse. Purple energy flashed in her eyes. Everyone, including Qi Xuansu, stopped their horses and was a little puzzled. Only Lingquanzi, who was also at the Guizhen stage, noticed something.

Not long after, a muscular man appeared in everyone’s field of vision, looking like he was running for his life. Just a moment later, a dozen more figures jumped out. These people did not ride horses but ran on foot.

The man who fled had the intention of diverting trouble, so he rushed toward them.

The people who were chasing this man were surprised and confused to see this group of more than forty people on horseback. They did not look like horse bandits or a merchant caravan.

But at this time, they did not care so much. After a slight hesitation, they rushed forward.

Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly. Zhou Bai, the most experienced one in the group, moved forward on horseback and shouted, “The Daoist Order’s Tiangang Hall is here on official business. Everyone, move aside!”

After Zhou Bai announced their purpose, the people on foot immediately stopped and dared not take another step forward.

The man who was running for his life could not stop on short notice. He had wanted to jump over the group. But when he heard they were from the Daoist Order, he slid and kneeled on the ground, leaving two plow marks about three meters long. He came to a stop right in front of Zhang Yuelu’s horse.

Although they were no longer within the territory of Xizhou, it was still within the jurisdiction of the Western Region Daoist Mansion, so no one dared to provoke the Daoist Order.

Zhang Yuelu leaned over slightly and glanced at the man. “The Daoist Order is not like the Imperial Court. We don’t like such formal kneeling.”

This person was a short old man with white hair. Even his beard and eyebrows were white. He also had a red patch on his nose. After hearing this, he said, “I have always admired the Daoist Order and couldn’t help myself.”

Zhang Yuelu’s face remained expressionless. “We are from Tiangang Hall, responsible for arresting and executing people. If you want to express your respect for the Daoist Order, you can go to the Ancestral Court. Of course, before you step foot into the Ancestral Court, you’ll have to get approval from Beichen Hall first.”

The man suddenly shivered and dared not speak.

Zhang Yuelu ordered, “Get up and speak.”

He climbed up from the ground, patted the soil on his knees, and saluted like a Daoist disciple. “I, Shangguan Dun, would like to pay my respects to Tiangang Hall—”

Qi Xuansu promptly reminded him. “Mage.”

Shangguan Dun trembled and continued, “Greetings to the Mage of the Tiangang Hall!”

He was yelling the last half of his sentence at the top of his lungs. This was so those who were chasing him could hear him clearly. Seeing a young mage from the Tiangang Hall, even a fool knew that Zhang Yuelu had some status or affiliation with a Sage or Great Sage. Thus, the people chasing him retreated, but they did not dare turn their backs on her.

Zhang Yuelu had no intention of stopping them and just waved her hand.

Someone shouted, and the people who had been chasing the man turned around and ran away, disappearing in an instant.

Seeing this scene, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. It was nice to enjoy the protection of a big backer like the Daoist Order. Bullying others from a position of power and being bullied were two completely different feelings.

Zhang Yuelu suddenly waved for Qi Xuansu to come over. “Deacon Qi.”

Qi Xuansu hurriedly rode forward.

Zhang Yuelu said softly, “We still need a guide, but I’m afraid this person will fool us. So you should go and test the waters.”

Qi Xuansu immediately understood Zhang Yuelu’s intention and whispered, “I didn’t expect you to know this slang.”

Zhang Yuelu retorted, “Not as well as you, though. Go on, then. We will wait for you in front. If he’s suitable for the job, bring him over. If not, there is no need to embarrass him.”

“Alright.” Qi Xuansu nodded.

Zhang Yuelu flicked her riding whip, bypassed Shangguan Dun, and continued forward. The rest of the group followed her, and their horses’ hooves made the ground rumble.

Only Qi Xuansu, who was still on his horse, and Shangguan Dun, who was standing on the ground, were left behind, staring at each other.

Qi Xuansu smiled. “Hewu, are you with a friend in Wugeshanli?”

Shangguan Dun’s expression stiffened. That was because Qi Xuansu knew the local street slang.

Hewu was a common greeting for fellow travelers, and “friend” meant local gangs. What Qi Xuansu wanted to know was whether Shangguan Dun was a local gangster in the Wugeshanli area.

Shangguan Dun thought that the young mage was clueless about the ways of the real world. However, this young man in front of him was obviously well-traveled and not easy to fool.

“I don’t have a big business, and I’m just a quack.” Shangguan Dun replied, “Forgive me for being blind, but please give me a sign.”

The man was asking for Qi Xuansu’s identity.

Qi Xuansu introduced himself. “I am a Daoist disciple working in Tiangang Hall. I often move around in the south, and I rarely come to this area.”

Shangguan Dun cupped his fists. “It turns out we’re fellow travelers in the south.”

Qi Xuansu responded, “Indeed.”

Shangguan Dun hesitated for a moment before he asked, “What do you need help with?”

Qi Xuansu said, “We’re looking for a group of aliens.”

Aliens meant foreigners who did not belong to the Great Xuan Dynasty.

Shangguan Dun looked hesitant and asked, “A grudge?”

He wanted to know if the foreigners were Qi Xuansu’s enemies.

Qi Xuansu replied, “They have killed 13 of our kind, so we must be rid of them.”

That meant Qi Xuansu’s group wanted to kill the foreigners, leaving no one alive.

Shangguan Dun suddenly asked, “The girl’s name?”

Qi Xuansu answered, “Mage Zhang.”

Shangguan Dun immediately understood Zhang Yuelu’s background and remarked, “No wonder. Bravo!”

“Bravo” was a term of acknowledgment for fellow seasoned travelers. Shangguan Dun implied that he acknowledged Qi Xuansu and would not underestimate or deceive the latter.

Qi Xuansu abandoned the street slang and spoke normally. “Brother, I’ll be straightforward with you. I have a favor to ask. If you’re willing to assist us, I’ll ensure you’re duly compensated.”

Shangguan Dun waved dismissively and said, “If it involves murder, count me out.”

Qi Xuansu clarified, “We’ll handle that part. Your role is merely to guide us. Regardless of the outcome, you’ll receive 200 Taiping coins. But if you’re successful, you’ll get an additional 300 Taiping coins.”

Shangguan Dun’s interest was piqued. “Wow, 500 Taiping coins? Now, that’s a deal.”

In the real world, survival was largely dependent on one’s financial resources. Fear was secondary to wealth.