A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu and Li Qingnu looked at each other.

Li Qingnu casually took out an embroidered round fan. Although she was a courtesan, her demeanor was as dignified and elegant as that of a nobleman’s daughter. There was also a hint of shyness, which made her seem like a weak woman in need of protection.

Zhang Yuelu waved the folding fan to disperse the surrounding smoke.

Li Qingnu suddenly stated, “Zhang is a common last name in Shangqing Prefecture, unlike the Tantai name. But I heard that there is a famous Madam Tantai in the Zhang family. I wonder if you are related to that Madam Tantai.”

Qi Xuansu, who was about to drink tea, immediately pricked up his ears.

This Madam Tantai was his ultimate adversary for this trip, so he naturally paid more attention to her name.

It was not surprising that Madam Tantai was famous. The Zhang family was a prestigious family with many rules. Only a few women who married into the family were known by their maiden names. Madam Tantai even wanted her daughter to follow her last name, which was not something ordinary women would do.

Even though Zhang Yuelu’s father was only from a small branch of the Zhang family, the matter of Zhang Yuelu’s naming escalated to the main branch. Even Zhang Yuyue’s father and uncles were unable to suppress it, so they had to trouble the Heavenly Preceptor. This indicated how powerful Madam Tantai was.

In the end, the Heavenly Preceptor decided that Zhang Yuelu would bear the Zhang family name. He even named Zhang Yuelu after the constellation and allowed her to become a disciple of Sage Cihang, who was the second most powerful person in the Zhengyi Sect. Sage Cihang was equal in status to Sage Qingwei of the Taiping Sect and Sage Donghua of the Quanzhen Sect.

As a result, everyone was envious of Zhang Yuelu for being Sage Cihang’s disciple, as this allowed Zhang Yuelu to move to Jade Capital early. At that age, Zhang Yuyue and other members of the Zhang family were still training in the local Daoist mansion.

Judging from this, it could be seen how resourceful Madam Tantai was. She relied on her own efforts to build a smooth path for her daughter, making her daughter’s starting point no less than the children from the main branch of the Zhang family. To put it bluntly, Madam Tantai gained volumes without forking out much.

Qi Xuansu had to admit that he was not as capable as Madam Tantai.

The Heavenly Preceptor had no children of his own, but he had many nephews and disciples. That old man once joked with Sage Cihang in private that he was fortunate she had not married one of his nephews. Otherwise, he would have a headache if Sage Cihang were to be in charge of the internal affairs of the Dazhen Mansion.

Zhang Yuelu had inherited her mother’s capabilities and temperament. Fortunately for Qi Xuansu, her father was calm and not as aggressive as her mother.

On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu’s father had a complicated status in the family. In her words, her father dared to fight for what he believed in, but he always lost. Even so, he would keep fighting anyway.

In any case, Zhang Yuelu’s father was much better than Dong Baijing, who surrendered without a fight.

Qi Xuansu had no grudges against Dong Baijing, but he knew that was not who he aspired to be.

He was sometimes afraid of Zhang Yuelu, not because of her combat skills, but because he felt guilty about hiding his identity from her. He always made poor decisions, like joining the Qingping Society and bribing Sun Yongfeng. His resume as a seventh-rank Daoist priest was blank, and his behavior was inappropriate. He had no confidence because he was not an upstanding man.

However, Dong Baijing was different. Dong Baijing did not do anything wrong, but he always bowed to Zhang Yuyue willingly. Of course, Qi Xuansu would have no opinion if Dong Baijing did it out of love.

That was why Madam Tantai was famous, not only in the Zhang family, but also in Jade Capital. Even the Hall Masters of Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall have heard of Madam Tantai.

Therefore, Li Qingnu’s words were not surprising.

Zhang Yuelu explained, “The Tantai family name originated from the Confucian Savants and has spread over the years, so there’s more than one family with that name.”

Li Qingnu covered her mouth with a round fan and chuckled. “I see. I thought you were Madam Tantai’s child.”

Qi Xuansu clicked his tongue.

Although Zhang Yuelu’s disguise was perfect, she was still not a real man. So there was probably a flaw somewhere that Li Qingnu had caught on to.

Zhang Yuelu lightly kicked Qi Xuansu, who picked up the teacup and asked, “It’s not poisonous, right?”

Li Qingnu smiled. “Sir, you can rest assured. As you mentioned, villas are profitable businesses. We want to make more money, so why would we poison you? By the way, what is your last name?”

Qi Xuansu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and replied, “Qi.”

“Young Master Qi.” Li Qingnu added, “I have been in this business for many years and have met countless people, but never have I seen people like you—and your friend here—visiting villas in this manner.”

Zhang Yuelu simply stopped pretending. “Fine! How could you tell that I’m a girl? I’m really curious.”

Li Qingnu pointed at Zhang Yuelu’s earlobes. “Generally speaking, men from the Central Plains don’t have the habit of getting their ears pierced.”

Zhang Yuelu’s face stiffened, and she subconsciously touched her earlobe. Although she rarely wore earrings, her mother had her ears pierced when she was a child.

Qi Xuansu sighed. “Even the most careful of people can still make mistakes.”

Zhang Yuelu glared at Qi Xuansu, spat out a whistle-looking object, and spoke in her original voice. “In that case, let’s be straightforward with each other. Miss Li, what is your purpose for coming to Shangqing Prefecture?”

Qi Xuansu curled his lips. Zhang Yuelu started working in Beichen Hall before she was transferred to Tiangang Hall. That was why she had developed this habit of being suspicious of everyone.

It was hard to say whether this habit was good or bad. Qi Xuansu was once the subject of her suspicion, and he almost exposed his secret. Only the heavens knew how Zhang Yuelu could become suspicious of Qi Xuansu’s past experience based on a thin file. That was why Qi Xuansu was always vigilant around Zhang Yuelu, as he was afraid she would discover something wrong about him. If his identity was exposed, he would be doomed.

It would be even more tiring for Qi Xuansu to keep his guard up if he married Zhang Yuelu one day. That was why Qi Xuansu only had two choices: stay away from Zhang Yuelu or leave the Qingping Society as soon as possible.

Li Qingnu asked, “Miss Tantai, are you questioning me? It isn’t a secret that Shangqing Prefecture is my hometown. Is it wrong for me to visit some relatives?”

“But do you even have relatives to visit?” Zhang Yuelu pressed on. “Miss Li, you just said that your father was convicted of a crime, your mother died of illness, and your family property was confiscated. You had no choice but to live on the streets and engage in this ‘lowly’ job, which showed just how desperate you were. If you had any relatives or friends in Shangqing Prefecture, why didn’t you seek refuge from them back then? If so, what kind of relatives are you visiting now for the New Year?”

Qi Xuansu interjected, “Perhaps Miss Li’s relatives and friends sold her to the villa when they saw how helpless she was. After Miss Li became famous, she didn’t hold a grudge and visited them every year to thank them for giving her the opportunity to become the Finest Courtesan. That’ll be a touching story.”

Zhang Yuelu laughed. “Young Master Qi, your sarcasm is definitely comparable to those from the Li family.”

“Young Master Tantai, you flatter me,” Qi Xuansu quipped.

Li Qingnu did not expect these two to bicker in front of her, leaving her speechless.

Zhang Yuelu stopped laughing. “Miss Li, you have a high level of cultivation yet still choose to stay in the villa. It’s obvious that you don’t have any relatives or friends in Shangqing Prefecture, but why do you come here every year using that as an excuse? What’s your motive? Please, enlighten me.”

Shangqing Prefecture was Zhengyi Sect’s territory, so Zhang Yuelu was emboldened.

Li Qingnu murmured, “Miss Tantai, what will you do if I refuse to tell you?”

Zhang Yuelu threatened. “What can I do? You’re the cash cow of the Li family. As the saying goes, disrupting one’s wealth is akin to killing one’s family. All I can do is report this matter to Dazhen Mansion and ask the Heavenly Preceptor to preside over the situation.”

Li Qingnu suddenly scoffed. “Miss Tantai, or should I say, Miss Zhang? Your reputation indeed precedes you. I have long heard of your duel with Young Master Li in Jade Capital. Now that I have the chance to meet you, I agree that your fame is well-deserved.”

Zhang Yuelu was not surprised that Li Qingnu could guess her true identity, especially after the latter had already seen through her disguise as a man. “Miss Li, since you recognized me, shouldn’t you answer my question?”

Li Qingnu looked between the two people before her. “I can answer your question, but I have one condition. If you refuse this condition, then I won’t say a word, even if you kill me.”

“What’s your condition?” Zhang Yuelu asked.

Li Qingnu’s gaze fell on Qi Xuansu. “Mage Zhang is too powerful, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold my ground. I’ll get in trouble if I spill everything. So as a compromise, I will talk to Young Master Qi alone. Whether you get your answer depends on Young Master Qi’s abilities. What do you think, Mage Zhang?”

Zhang Yuelu frowned. She turned to Qi Xuansu and vaguely felt something fishy about this arrangement. But she could not pinpoint what was wrong.

Did Li Qingnu and Qi Xuansu know each other? It did not seem like it. Zhang Yuelu studied behavioral observation when she was in Beichen Hall, so based on her observation, Qi Xuansu’s and Li Qingnu’s subtle movements and reactions indicated that it was indeed their first time seeing each other.

Moreover, this visit to the villa was Zhang Yuelu’s impromptu decision. It would be impossible to predict it in advance unless there was another master who used a divination technique like the Purple Star Astrology.

This meant that Li Qingnu’s request to talk to Qi Xuansu alone was just a last-minute suggestion, rather than a premeditated plan.

Qi Xuansu did not delve so deeply into the situation. He just felt that Li Qingnu was looking down on him. But that was expected because he was indeed far inferior to Zhang Yuelu.

He dared not make a decision, so he turned to Zhang Yuelu and waited for his boss to give the order.

Zhang Yuelu collected her thoughts and agreed. “Tian Yuan, in that case, you should have a good chat with Miss Li.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Where?”

Zhang Yuelu took out Qi Xuansu’s pistol from her magical receptacle and handed it to him. She said solemnly, “Right here. I’ll wait for you outside. Be careful.”