A Pawn's Passage

The night was getting darker, and it was still pouring outside.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu woke up at the same time. They had good hearing and could hear a slight rustling of footsteps approaching the dilapidated temple.

Qi Xuansu’s heart trembled as he turned to Zhang Yuelu. “Those people have bad intentions. Do you think that the demons from the Lingshan Witch Cult came to take revenge?”

Zhang Yuelu put her finger to her lips and whispered, “Tian Yuan, keep quiet for now.”

Qi Xuansu nodded.

The two stood up slowly. Zhang Yuelu had already taken out the Amorphous Paper while Qi Xuansu held his short sword, Qing Yuan, on his waist.

After a while, an aged voice came from outside the temple. “Is the Deputy Hall Master Zhang of Tiangang Hall in the temple? Deputy Hall Master Zhang, we have something to ask you. Please show yourself.”

Zhang Yuelu’s expression changed slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Qi Xuansu asked, “Which friend is visiting in the dead of night?”

The next moment, the door of the ancient temple collapsed, revealing seven people lined up outside the temple, holding kerosene lamps from the Western Continent. They looked fearless in the wind and rain.

After this group of people pushed down the temple door, they simultaneously shined the kerosene lamps in their hands on Qi Xuansu’s face, momentarily dazzling the latter.

Since the group of people was hidden in the darkness behind the lights, it was difficult for Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu to make out their faces. However, it was clear that this group was hostile.

The leader of the group sounded old. “Mage Zhang, please come out.”

The others also chimed in, requesting the same thing.

Their voices spread into the forest, vibrating the beams of the dilapidated temple. The dust on the beams fell, and the roof tiles rattled slightly. It was obvious that those people had a high cultivation level.

Zhang Yuelu slowly took a step forward and asked, “Who are you, and what do you want from me?”

She spoke in a normal volume, but her voice stood out among the others. Her voice traveled further compared with the other seven people who deliberately spoke loudly, indicating that Zhang Yuelu’s cultivation level was higher than theirs.

At this moment, someone shined a kerosene lamp on Zhang Yuelu’s face and took out a portrait for comparison. He shouted, “That’s Zhang Yuelu!”

Zhang Yuelu immediately knew that these people were targeting her. She had many enemies, but they had no chance to target her because she lived in the Jade Capital. In the past, she only traveled out of the Jade Capital with an entourage or by flying ship. This time, by traveling with Qi Xuansu using the land route, Zhang Yuelu inadvertently provided her enemies with the opportunity to ambush her.

She knew she had made a mistake by choosing this route, and she felt guilty for dragging Qi Xuansu down with her. Realizing her mistake, she whispered to Qi Xuansu, “Tian Yuan, leave these people to me. You should find an opportunity to escape.”

Zhang Yuelu was afraid that Qi Xuansu would not leave because he did not want to be seen as a coward, so she added, “Don’t worry about me and run. I have a way to save myself.”

Hearing this, Qi Xuansu had a feeling of déjà vu. This scene was similar to the time he and his master were ambushed on their way back to the Jade Capital. His master had also shouted at him to run first. To this day, his master’s thunderous roar still echoes in his ears.

At that time, Qi Xuansu was so frightened that he subconsciously followed his master’s instructions and fled the scene. But in the end, he still did not manage to escape and was stabbed by the assassin.

Would he run away this time and leave Zhang Yuelu alone?

Qi Xuansu felt a tightness in his chest as he deliberated for a moment. He felt suffocated, and his heart began to ache.

For some reason, he felt like shouting to vent his frustration. However, Madam Qi had taught him to always remain calm, especially when he was infuriated. So Qi Xuansu suppressed his impulse and shook his head firmly.

Zhang Yuelu was vexed because she did not expect the usually obedient Qi Xuansu to foolishly disobey her command at such a critical moment. However, she secretly felt elated that he did not abandon her in the face of danger. Since they went through hardships together, they could be considered close friends, right?

The seven people threw their kerosene lamps in different directions. Some of the lamps landed on the ground, while others hung on the beams. It was just enough light to illuminate the dilapidated temple.

At this time, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu could clearly see their enemies, wearing black robber masks with everything but their eyes covered. This was a common disguise for assassins.

Another common disguise was clay face masks like Xie Qiuniang’s. Veiled hats or half-covered face masks only added to the mystery.

The leader of the group mocked. “What a lovely pair of fateful Mandarin ducks. I’m surprised you two didn’t fly away on your own in the face of disaster.”

Another person added, “It’s good to have a companion on the road to hell. That way, they won’t feel lonely.”

The third person laughed. “How touching! But what a pity.”

Zhang Yuelu’s face was expressionless. A purple energy flashed in her eyes as she identified the lineages of the seven people. At the same time, she informed Qi Xuansu about her findings.

Qi Xuansu carefully weighed the pros and cons between them and their enemy.

The Confucian lineages were rarely seen in public, so most people came from a Daoist or Buddhist background, with Daoist lineages as the majority.

There was a Diviner among the seven people. Although they could not see his true appearance, his hands that were exposed outside his robe were as white as a corpse’s. His exposed eyes were sunken and dark, looking eerie and terrifying.

The Diviner had excessive yin energy, which indicated that he practiced various heretical techniques. This kind of opponent was hard to guard against, as they often had surprising tricks. A talisman weapon did not pose a great threat, but it was difficult to defeat a Diviner from a distance.

The leader of the group was a Qi Refiner. In normal circumstances, Banished Immortals were the most powerful Daoist lineage, followed by Qi Refiners. Just as a Shaman’s strength was closely related to the amount of incense power, the combat strength of a Qi Refiner was connected to the amount of Taiping coins.

A Qi Refiner in the Xiantian-Being stage could inflict serious damage on their opponent with a flying sword of excellent quality. Since most excellent quality flying swords were expensive, ordinary people could not afford one. Thus, most people would have no hope of owning a top-quality flying sword.

The remaining five people were Martial Arts Practitioners, Bhikkhus, and Rogue Cultivators. There were no Shamans or Brahmas among them.

These seven people seemed to know that Zhang Yuelu was a tough opponent. Seeing that Zhang Yuelu was unfazed by their mocking words, they glanced at each other.

One person said, “Brother, isn’t it a pity to just kill this girl? Let’s have some fun with her before finishing her off.”

Then he looked at Qi Xuansu and added, “You haven’t seen Mage Zhang’s body yet, have you? You should thank us, then. We’ll give you an unforgettable memory today!”

Another person laughed. “That’s a good idea! These two little mandarin ducks are still fledglings that have yet to experience copulation. We should teach them the way.”

These people wanted to provoke Zhang Yuelu because if she lost her composure, their chances of winning would increase by 10%.

Qi Xuansu clearly sensed a rare killing aura from Zhang Yuelu at that moment.

She turned to look at the two people who spoke and threatened. “I probably won’t be able to escape today, but I can certainly drag a few people down to hell with me. Since you two like to talk so much, I’ve decided to make you two my entertainment during that boring journey to hell.”

The two men’s expressions under their masks fell. If Zhang Yuelu really wanted to fight to the death, then it was likely that they would not get away from this unscathed.

Qi Xuansu’s gaze quickly swept over the two people.

One was a Martial Arts Practitioner, and the other was a Bhikku.

The Bhikkhu was a 2.5-meter-tall, burly man wearing black armor, like a wall of human flesh. Through the gaps in the black armor, Qi Xuansu could vaguely see the faint golden color of his skin, which was a unique trait of Buddhist disciples.

Qi Xuansu was unsure what type of black armor that Bhikkhu was wearing. However, it was unlikely for this black armor to be in the treasure category because it was rare for a Xiantian Being to obtain treasures.

The Martial Arts Practitioner was a lean, ordinary-looking man. This was the norm for Martial Arts Practitioners because they spent most of their money on food or medicine and did not care much about external objects. In other words, their body was their best weapon.

At this moment, the leading Qi Refiner shouted, “Take care of that pretty boy first!”

The Bhikkhu gritted his teeth and charged at Qi Xuansu.

This Bhikkhu was a burly man, so with the armor, his figure was even more towering. At this moment, he strode forward with an unstoppable momentum, looking like a giant coming at Qi Xuansu.

The Martial Arts Practitioner followed closely behind.

Qi Xuansu faced the Bhikkhu without the intention of avoiding him. The Bhikkhu’s punch met Qi Xuansu’s palm with the clang of metal and stone colliding.

The Bhikkhu was startled and thought that Qi Xuansu was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage.

Just as the Bhikkhu was lost in thought, Qi Xuansu had already pulled out the Divine Dragon Pistol and shot him in the chest.

At such a close distance, the firepower was unstoppable, shattering the Bhikkhu’s armor and making him stagger back. Blood was flowing from his chest, and he had lost the strength to fight.

The Martial Arts Practitioner behind the Bhikkhu rushed forward and punched Qi Xuansu, aiming at the latter’s vitals. At the same time, the Martial Arts Practitioner kept changing his position to confuse Qi Xuansu while unleashing multiple punches.

However, Qi Xuansu had already expected it. He leaped back and avoided the punches. At the same time, he reached for his waist belt and raised his hand.

With a glint of cold light, the Martial Arts Practitioner felt a chill on his face and a burning pain in his neck. The Martial Arts Practitioner stretched out his hand and covered his neck, only to find his palm covered in blood.

Qi Xuansu had thrown a knife at him.