A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu came to Yong’an Palace, showed their documents, went through the relevant procedures, and checked in smoothly.

The Daoist Order had clear guidelines regarding the treatment of Daoist priests according to their ranks. Zhang Yuelu was a fourth-rank Daoist priest, so she was given a suite consisting of a living room, a study, and a bedroom. Qi Xuansu could only enjoy the treatment of a seventh-rank priest and was given only one bedroom equipped with a table and a chair for writing.

Seeing that it was still early, Qi Xuansu went to Zhang Yuelu’s room. The receptionist at Yong’an Palace knew that they were traveling together and arranged for their rooms to be closer.

Zhang Yuelu was reading in the study when she heard Qi Xuansu knocking on the door, so she stood up and let him in.

Back when they were on their mission to the Western Region, Qi Xuansu thought that a man and a woman should not be seen alone in a room at night. However, he no longer cared about such social standards.

Qi Xuansu sat down on the chair and glanced at the cover of the book that was placed upside down on the desk. “The Demon Sword Path? Is that the latest novel?”

“No, it’s an old book from last year,” Zhang Yuelu replied. “I bought it a long time ago but never had time to read it. It’s been collecting dust in my magical receptacle. It’s about a sword cultivator that fell into the demon’s path because of a witch.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What’s a sword cultivator?”

“Probably someone who only uses a sword to fight and levels up by defeating someone from a higher level,” Zhang Yuelu explained.

Qi Xuansu inquired, “In that case, are there also spear cultivators or gun cultivators?”

“No.” Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him.

Qi Xuansu added, “If there is, I want to become a gun cultivator. A gun’s range is much farther than any other weapon. It’s more lethal too.”

“Stop dreaming and just be the Rogue Cultivator that you are.” Zhang Yuelu chuckled.

Qi Xuansu stopped joking and suggested, “Since we have nothing to do, why don’t we play the Holy Xuan Cards?”

Zhang Yuelu put away the book and took out a stack of Holy Xuan Cards from her magical receptacle. She placed it on the desk and spread it into a fan shape. “Do you want to make bets?”

“Sure, one Taiping coin.” Qi Xuansu felt generous.

“Alright.” Zhang Yuelu used the Ancient Immortals set of cards.

To be on the safe side, Qi Xuansu chose to use the Daoist set of cards, which he was most familiar with.

They played three rounds, and Qi Xuansu made a small fortune with the Daoist set of cards. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door outside.

Qi Xuansu stood up and went to open the front door. The person standing outside was the superintendent of Yong’an Palace, who had arranged the rooms for them. The superintendent was startled to see Qi Xuansu in Zhang Yuelu’s room.

After seeing the Holy Xuan Cards on the table, the superintendent smiled and said, “You like to play the Holy Xuan Cards as well. It really is the best way to pass the time during the long night.”

The Holy Xuan Cards were only popular within the Daoist community. Outside the Daoist community, games like Go, chess, and dice games were more popular.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Superintendent Tang, what’s the matter?”

The man at the door was Tang Yongde from the Shuzhou Tang family.

Tang Yongde slapped his forehead. “Oh, right. It’s great since you’re also here, Deacon Qi. I do have something to ask of you and Deputy Hall Master Zhang.”

“What’s going on?” Zhang Yuelu asked as she stood up.

Tang Yongde cut to the chase. “A murder case has just been reported. I suspect that it involves demons from the secret society. It just so happens that you’re both from Tiangang Hall, so you should be very experienced in dealing with these demons. That’s why I’m here to ask for your help to solve the case.”

Zhang Yuelu looked solemn and immediately put away the Holy Xuan Cards. “Lead the way.”

Tang Yongde nodded and walked in front. Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu picked up their cloaks and followed behind.

The murder did not happen in Yong’an Palace. It was no wonder that Zhang Yuelu did not sense anything unusual. The three of them left Yong’an Palace and boarded a carriage.

On the way to the crime scene, Zhang Yuelu inquired more about the case. “When did the murder happen?”

Tang Yongde replied, “The body was found during the fourth quarter of the Hour of the Rooster.”

The Chinese Zodiac Time consisted of twelve hours a day, with each hour corresponding to a specific Chinese Zodiac animal. This differed from the 24-hour timekeeping method used on the Western Continent. The first Zodiac hour was the Rat, from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Next was the Hour of the Ox, from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., followed by the Hour of the Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig at two consecutive hours each.

Each of the twelve Zodiac hours was subdivided into eight quarters, and each quarter was equivalent to 15 minutes in the 24-hour Western timekeeping method. Thus, the fourth quarter of the Hour of the Rooster was 6:00 p.m.

Zhang Yuelu opened her pocket watch and took a look. Tianji Hall’s pocket watch used the Chinese Zodiac Time.

It was already the end of Hour of the Rooster, which meant that it had been almost an hour since the murder. It took about an hour from discovering the body to asking them for help, so there should be no delays in between.

Zhang Yuelu asked again, “Do you know the identity of the deceased?”

“His name is Mason, a merchant who has been traveling to Baidi City for many years. Although he is not a Daoist disciple, he has a close relationship with the Daoist Order.” Tang Yongde replied.

Qi Xuansu patted his forehead and said, “He’s a merchant who deals with Shibo Hall. Is this case related to money or some kind of major commodity?”

Tang Yongde smiled bitterly but did not say anything. It was clear that he was also suspicious of this. After all, money was a strong motivator for some to commit murder.

Zhang Yuelu probed. “Who are the people involved in this case?”

Tang Yongde replied, “Two deacons from Yong’an Palace and a few other merchants, who are some of Mason’s friends and fellow townspeople.”

The superintended hesitantly added, “Deputy Hall Master Zhang, these merchants aren’t from the Daoist community and don’t follow our rules, so they usually like to have some fun at night. It just so happens that there is a famous villa in the city.”

The so-called villa was actually an upscale brothel. Ordinary brothels usually occupied one building, but this villa was almost as large as the mansions of officials and wealthy merchants.

It was a paradise inside, with large and lavish courtyards. The courtesans there were beautiful with voluptuous figures. There were also female escorts who were proficient in poetry and music. Besides the courtesans and escorts, there were also musicians, tailors, craftsmen, and servants. One could find everything they would need in this villa, so most wealthy young men liked to stay there for prolonged periods. Some even ended up spending all their family fortune.

The villa was divided into many smaller individual courtyards. Many of the rich and noble would rent these courtyards as a short getaway from reality.

Zhang Yuelu, who was from Beichen Hall, questioned out of habit. “Why were the two deacons at the villa?”

Tang Yongde remained silent with a complicated expression.

Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu understood what was going on and did not pursue this matter. She continued, “How do you know if the murder is associated with demons?”

Tang Yongde felt a little awkward as he hesitantly explained, “B-Because that merchant died while doing it—”

Before Zhang Yuelu could react, Qi Xuansu blurted out. “He died in the saddle?”

Tang Yongde nodded.

Dying in the saddle meant sudden death during sexual intercourse or coital death.

Zhang Yuelu’s face turned a little stiff.

“Death like this is mostly caused by excessive sexual indulgence when yang energy is deficient. But this merchant has been busy with business recently and has not been with any woman for more than a month. He’s also physically strong, comparable to a Baodan-stage Houtian Being. So this shouldn’t happen to him. That’s why his death seems strange.” Tang Yongde elaborated.

Qi Xuansu nodded and fell into deep thought.

The carriage slowly came to a stop. The villa that Tang Yongde mentioned was not very far from Yong’an Palace. It was located in the southwest corner of Baidi City. Although it was impossible to see the whole facade at night, it was illuminated by countless red lanterns.

Qi Xuansu was amazed by what he saw. No wonder it was called a villa. This brothel was basically a converted mansion.

The trio did not go through the main entrance but entered the villa through a side door under the guidance of Tang Yongde. This was so that they would not attract attention. The side door was also closest to the crime scene.

They walked through the corridor and passed the main hall. After many turns, they finally came to an individual courtyard.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they could see a beautiful garden with flowers, trees, and well-trimmed grass. There was no trace of debauchery. It was actually quite peaceful, like the secluded residence of a scholar.

This was Qi Xuansu’s first visit to a villa. He could not help but secretly marvel at the nice landscape. He thought, This doesn’t look like a brothel at all!

At this time, there were already many Spirit Guards stationed in the courtyard. All of them were in armor and armed with weapons. They had sealed off the courtyard, not allowing anyone to enter or leave at will without Tang Yongde’s permission.

Seeing the trio, the Spirit Guards saluted them.

Tang Yongde explained to Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, “Baidi City is not under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court, so there are no Green Phoenix Guards here, only the Spirit Guards from the Daoist Order.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded and walked toward the main hall of the courtyard.

The main hall was brightly lit and as warm as spring. At a glance, Qi Xuansu saw a few Daoist priests wearing hechangs and more than a dozen men dressed like wealthy merchants.