A Pawn's Passage

Although Zhang Yuelu was not rich, she would not sell the Hall Master’s gift. Not to mention, the Hall Master was not just her boss. He was also an elder that she respected.

Seeing Qi Xuansu’s expression, Zhang Yuelu guessed what Qi Xuansu wanted to say. She did not know whether to laugh or cry. “You’re so money-minded! These two tickets are a gift from the Hall Master, so I can’t just sell them.”

“Right,” Qi Xuansu said sheepishly. “Where is the troupe? Is it in Xuan City?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “In Taishang Place.”

Qi Xuansu was startled. He did not expect the theater to be located in the best out of the 24 neighborhoods in Jade Capital. Qi Xuansu had always heard of Taishang Place but had never actually been there.

“Tomorrow happens to be October 15th, the Xiayuan Festival, which is the Water Celestial’s birthday.” Zhang Yuelu sized him up. “I will wait for you at the east gate of Taishang Place at dusk. Remember to wear something presentable.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What about Mu Jin?”

“Why did you mention her all of a sudden?” Zhang Yuelu was startled for a moment. But she quickly realized something. “Did she find trouble with you again?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I’m not complaining. I just don’t want things to get out of hand.”

Zhang Yuelu did not doubt Qi Xuansu. He could kill Desmond in a single strike without any fear, so he had no reason to be afraid of Mu Jin. In fact, Mu Jin was not wrong when she said that Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou were the same type of people. To a certain extent, they were indeed the same.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. “Leave this matter to me.”

“Alright.” Qi Xuansu agreed and took out another blank piece of paper to rewrite the report in a concise manner.

Zhang Yuelu stood up and reminded him. “Write it properly. I’ll check it later.”

“Yes, Deputy Hall Master,” Qi Xuansu answered in a bleak voice.

Zhang Yuelu turned around and went to the inner room of the main hall. She had a lot of things to handle as well.

Qi Xuansu spent most of the day rewriting the report. He handed it to Sun Yongfeng, asking the latter to help polish and revise it. In the meantime, he collected his 160 Taiping coins.

Normally, Daoist priests working in the Nine Halls would collect their salaries from Duzhi Hall. However, members of Tiangang Hall often traveled far and had uncertain schedules. Thus, they were an exception among the Nine Halls.

They did not need to go to Duzhi Hall to collect their salaries. Instead, Duzhi Hall would transfer the money to Tiangang Hall, and Tiangang Hall would distribute the money to its staff. However, the process for distributing the relocation allowance would take longer because it was a large sum. So Qi Xuansu would only get it next spring.

After Qi Xuansu left Yaoguang Pavilion, he met an unexpected person—Xu Kou.

The last time they met was on August 16th. In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-October. Two months had already passed since then, and Xu Kou was not as arrogant as last time. He even took the initiative to ask Qi Xuansu, “Is it convenient for us to talk?”

“Sure.” Qi Xuansu did not refuse.

The two men left Tiangang Hall together, hired an ox cart, and left Xuan City for Taiqing Square. On the way, Xu Kou asked about the details of the demon-slaying operation. Qi Xuansu did not hide anything from him and answered his questions earnestly.

There were many shops and restaurants in Taiqing Square, so Xu Kou found a relatively quiet restaurant for them. When they sat down, Xu Kou asked, “Can you drink?”

Qi Xuansu’s alcohol tolerance increased ever since he met Zhang Yuelu. He hesitated before saying, “A little.”

Xu Kou nodded and ordered two pints of cold wine.

“Sure thing!” The waiter quickly served the men.

Xu Kou and Qi Xuansu each had a jar. Xu Kou held the jar with both hands and took the initiative to apologize. “I asked you out this time to apologize for my past behavior. When I heard from Superintendent Lingquan that you killed the demon leader, I had to admit that I misjudged you based on your appearance.

“I no longer have any objections to your appointment as a deacon. The Deputy Hall Master also has a keen eye for people. She is definitely smarter than me.”

Qi Xuansu did not expect Xu Kou to be so straightforward. He waved his hand and said, “Brother Xu, don’t worry about it. After all, I was the one who provoked you that day, so we’re even.”

Xu Kou smiled. “I have been in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion for a long time. It’s the headquarters of the Taiping Sect, and there are many descendants of the Li family there. That family has an attitude problem that has been passed down from generation to generation.

“I have become accustomed to their attitude after so long. And I have to say, Brother Qi, your words that day give off the impression that you’re a part of the Li family.”

Qi Xuansu could not tell whether Xu Kou’s words were meant as a compliment or an insult, so he raised his jar and took a sip of wine.

Xu Kou continued, “I thought that you wouldn’t want to meet with me in private since I’ve provoked the Deputy Hall Master, and you’re her confidant.”

Qi Xuansu put down the wine jar. “The Deputy Hall Master is not a petty person.”

Xu Kou glanced at his broken hand that had healed. “I don’t know if she’s petty or not, but I must say that she is a ruthless character. She can’t be subdued by just anyone. Li Tianzhen lost fair and square back then.”

Qi Xuansu reminded. “The word ‘subdue’ is too condescending. The Daoist Order doesn’t condone such discrimination against women.”

“That’s true.” Xu Kou said, “When I was studying, I admired the Holy Xuan the most. Although he had his shortcomings, he brought great changes to the Daoist community, making it easier for those of us without a background to make a name for ourselves. Otherwise, people like us would just be slaves to the noble families for the rest of our lives.”

Qi Xuansu added, “The Holy Xuan also said that he did not finish the work he set out to do and that there was still room for change.”

Xu Kou laughed. “In any case, I liked the Holy Xuan and the Daoist Order more than the Emperor Gaozu and the Imperial Court. That was why I resigned from my post as a Green Phoenix Guard. But there was a rule in the Green Phoenix Guard that the only way to leave was as a corpse.

“The Green Phoenix Guard hunted me down and shot me with three arrows. One of them almost pierced my heart, but I didn’t die. Brother Qi, don’t you think I was quite tough to have survived that?”

“Indeed.” Qi Xuansu only gave a one-word answer.

Xu Kou continued, “But being resilient is one thing. I was also lucky enough to meet Sage Qingwei at that critical moment. He rescued me and brought me back to the Qizhou Daoist Mansion.

“With Sage Qingwei as my backer, the Green Phoenix Guard dared not find trouble with me anymore. Although the Daoist community doesn’t believe in slaves, I felt indebted to Sage Qingwei for saving my life. That’s why I have been giving it my all to repay his kindness over the years. I have never cared about my rank because it makes no difference to me.”

Qi Xuansu kept quiet.

Xu Kou looked at Qi Xuansu as he reflected on his past. “But after all these years, I think I have done enough. When my wife was on her deathbed, I was trailing the leader of the Qingping Society and didn’t even get to see her for the last time. I felt like I had repaid his kindness and that it was time to lead my own life. That was why I chose to leave the Qizhou Daoist Mansion and come to Tiangang Hall.

“Sage Qingwei didn’t make things difficult for me. He even gave me a recommendation, for which I am very grateful. When I was leaving, Li Tianzhen, Sage Qingwei’s descendant, came to me and asked me to relay a message to Deputy Hall Master Zhang that he would one day duel with her again.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Is this how you relay the message?”

The restaurant owner lit up some lanterns, so Xu Kou’s face was partially lit. Half of his face was still in the shadows as he spoke. “I have served Sage Qingwei for many years, but I dare not say that I understand him. But I’m familiar with the inexperienced Li Tianzhen. That is his message for Deputy Hall Master Zhang. What I didn’t know was how powerful a Banished Immortal could be. Deputy Hall Master Zhang broke my hand in a single move. Although it wasn’t a fight to the death, I must admit that I lost for a reason.”

Qi Xuansu shook his head, not quite understanding Li Tianzhen’s thought process.

Xu Kou turned to Qi Xuansu and said, “Now that I’ve relayed the message, my last errand for Sage Qingwei is finally over.”

Putting down the wine jar, Qi Xuansu smiled slightly and clarified, “I understand. Brother Xu, you want me to help you relay this to the Deputy Hall Master, right?”

Xu Kou acquiesced to it.

Qi Xuansu did not refuse either. He took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time. “I promise to relay your message, Brother Xu. If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave.”

Xu Kou thanked Qi Xuansu and watched the latter leave while he sat there and finished his drink.

After leaving the restaurant, Qi Xuansu looked around and saw that the lanterns in Taiqing Square were all lit up. Since he was here, he planned to buy some decent clothes.

In the past, Qi Xuansu did not need decent clothes since he was a traveling assassin. All he needed was a bamboo hat, which could not only cover his face but also protect him from the rain and sun. He also wore a short cloak to move around more easily. Most importantly, it was cheap, so even if it was damaged, he would not feel bad about it.

After returning to Jade Capital, he had thought about buying himself a decent set of casual attire. But he gave up on the idea after asking about the price since he had no need to socialize at the time.

Things were different now. Firstly, he had spare money on hand. Secondly, he had to look presentable to accompany Zhang Yuelu to the theater. Since a theater ticket cost 100 Taiping coins, it was evident that the audience would be either rich or noble. Qi Xuansu hoped to blend in with the crowd, so he did not want to stick out like a sore thumb wearing his cheap old clothes.

In cities outside the Jade Capital, even in the Imperial Capital, there were very few ready-made clothing shops. Most of them were tailor shops or fabric shops because most people bought fabrics and asked the women in the family to make their clothes. This was why women learned sewing before getting married. Otherwise, they would go to a tailor to have their clothes custom-made.

However, the Jade Capital operated differently. The Wanxiang Daoist Palace taught writing, painting, the use of firearms, identification of herbs, drawing talismans, brewing medicines, the principles of mechanisms, geography, astronomy, and other subjects. The only subject it did not teach was sewing.

Thus, few men and women in the Daoist community could make clothes. Since Jade Capital had a large population and tailoring alone could not meet the demand, ready-made clothing shops gained popularity.

Qi Xuansu planned to buy a set of everyday attire, which was different from the Daoist formal hechang. In fact, there were specific requirements for everyday attire, especially for different events like private meetings. These requirements were second only to the Daoist formal attire.

In any case, Qi Xuansu would soon be promoted to the sixth rank and an apprentice mage, so he had to look presentable.