A Pawn's Passage

Since Zhang Yuelu had gone into the woods when Wei Wugui was chasing her earlier, she was now quite familiar with the terrain. She ran straight toward the small pool, still stringing along Wei Wugui like a kite.

Thus, he kept bumping into the branches of trees. Although it did not hurt him, it was still quite embarrassing to be repeatedly slapped in the face by the tree branches. It made Qi Xuansu wonder if Zhang Yuelu did this as revenge for the Bliss Needle.

After a while, Qi Xuansu decided to get down on his own. He reached out to grab the trunk of a big tree as an anchor and jumped from branch to branch, struggling to catch up with Zhang Yuelu. That way, he would not have to be dragged around, bumping into every tree in his path.

When Qi Xuansu finally caught up to her, they ran side by side. Zhang Yuelu acted as if she had done nothing wrong. She calmly retracted her paper rope and asked casually, “How’s your injury?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I won’t die for the time being, but that old man seems to be a Heavenly Being.”

“It’s not surprising. If they didn’t have a Heavenly Being as a backup, they wouldn’t have been so confident in this siege to silence me. But I’m very curious as to who gave the Yuan family the courage to do this.” Zhang Yuelu pondered aloud.

Qi Xuansu took a deep breath to adjust his qi. He casually said, “The Li family.”

“How do you know?” Zhang Yuelu could not hide her surprise.

Qi Xuansu answered truthfully, “It’s just my guess. There are only a handful of people in the Daoist Order with such a powerful background. Mage Zhang, you’re from the Zhang family, so I assume your family won’t try to kill you in this manner. Although there are too many factions in the Quanzhen Sect to completely rule out their involvement, they would be low on the suspect list because the Earthly Preceptor values you. That leaves us with only one option—the Li family of the Taiping Sect. Even if this isn’t the Li family’s direct instruction, this is inseparable from them.”

Zhang Yuelu felt a little disappointed. She muttered, “That makes sense, but we shouldn’t come to a conclusion without evidence...”

At this moment, they heard frenzied footsteps from far behind, so they tacitly stopped talking and ran as fast as they could.

Along the way, Qi Xuansu did not notice any trace of Bu Yue and Liu Hu.

Not long after, they could finally see the small pool in front of them. They came to an abrupt stop and looked up. The old man who injured Qi Xuansu was standing above the waterfall with his hands behind his back, looking at them below with a smirk.

Seeing how that old man could arrive before them, they could confirm that he was undoubtedly a Heavenly Being.

Zhang Yuelu whispered, “If you and I join forces, we might stand a chance to get out alive.”

Qi Xuansu did not deny Zhang Yuelu’s statement. After all, Zhang Yuelu was not far from the Heavenly Being threshold, and he was a capable fighter.

He pointed behind them and reminded her. “There are still hundreds of people behind us. They’re the ones with the strength in numbers here.”

“Then what do you think we should do?” Zhang Yuelu asked with a frown.

Qi Xuansu pondered. “I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that the Heavenly Being is not out to kill us. Otherwise, with his cultivation level, he could have ambushed me with a lethal strike. He wouldn’t have just wounded me. We both know that he has the power to kill me immediately.”

Zhang Yuelu’s eyes flickered. “You’re right. There is something fishy about this.”

Qi Xuansu suggested, “Let’s run in another direction.”

Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before following his advice. They turned around and ran northwest.

As expected, the old man remained standing at the top of the waterfall with his hands behind his back, making no move to stop them. He only watched them leave, which was strange behavior of an enemy.

The two of them ran wildly, leaving the dense forest and turning into a mountain road. They were gradually running toward higher ground.

The people behind them knew that they could not allow Zhang Yuelu to return to Jade Capital alive. Otherwise, they would be arrested. So they chased after Zhang Yuelu closely while shouting.

Although they were certainly not as fast as Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu was injured, so his speed was slightly slower. Zhang Yuelu decided to stick with him and slowed down as well.

Not long after, they could see mist all around them, indicating that they were on a high elevation. Ahead of them was a bottomless abyss filled with fog and a naturally formed stone bridge that was broken in the middle.

This gap of about 10 meters was nothing for Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, so they easily jumped over it.

After crossing the bridge, Zhang Yuelu signaled for them to stop and hide.

Qi Xuansu immediately understood what Zhang Yuelu was going to do.

Back when he was chasing Zhang Yuelu in the forest, she pulled the same trick on him by ambushing him. It was clear that she planned to do the same with their pursuers.

As expected, a group of people caught up to them.

Since this mountain road was long and narrow, the pursuers moved at different speeds and gradually distanced themselves from each other.

Five of the most elite fighters caught up first, also unhindered by the broken stone bridge. Without stopping, they jumped over the 10-meter gap, planning to chase after Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu.

Without Zhang Yuelu’s instruction, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu made a move at the same time.

When the five elite fighters were in mid-air and unable to turn or dodge, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu knocked them all off the cliff. Since those people were not Heavenly Beings like that old man, they could not fly. Their screams of terror gradually dissipated as they fell deeper into the abyss, quickly disappearing into the thick fog.

The two of them were not in a hurry to leave. They stayed there and waited until the second batch of people arrived. This time, there were more than a dozen people. This group was also more cautious, looking around before jumping over one by one.

After about half of the people jumped across the broken bridge, Qi Xuansu suddenly let out a roar that reverberated in the valley. Two people who were in mid-air lost their concentration and fell into the abyss below, screaming in unison.

Their screams quickly faded as they disappeared into the fog.

The few people who landed on the other side of the bridge felt their bodies sway. They were also distracted by the sudden roar.

At the same time, Zhang Yuelu appeared, sweeping her paper rope at them, making them lose their balance and fall backward down the cliff. Their horrifying screams echoed in the abyss, scaring everyone who had not yet crossed the bridge. Those people could not help but take a few steps back, fearing for their lives.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu remained standing on the other side of the bridge, acting like they were the protectors of this side of the mountain.

After a long stalemate, those people gradually came to their senses. They took out their crossbows, guns, flying swords, concealed weapons, and other objects, aiming at Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu.

Seeing this scene, the pair quickly left.

Their pursuers were afraid of another ambush, so they dared not rush forward and waited in place until the third batch of pursuers arrived. That was when they decided to cross the bridge. However, by then, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had already fled far enough.

This abyss was actually the boundary between two mountains.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu went up the mountain from one side and crossed the abyss. After that, it was a downward slope.

While they ran for their lives, Zhang Yuelu asked, “What is your relationship with Pei Xiaolou?”

Qi Xuansu kept silent, thinking Zhang Yuelu was fishing for information.

Zhang Yuelu asked again, “You and Pei Xiaolou arrived in Jiangling Prefecture one after another. Is it related to the major Jiangnan case?”

That was when Qi Xuansu found out that Pei Xiaolou had also come to Jiangling Prefecture. However, if Pei Xiaolou were here, why did he not help them? Was he also held back by the enemy?

Since the mastermind could send a Heavenly Being to support Yuan Shangdao, they could also send a Heavenly Being to hinder Pei Xiaolou.

But why did the Heavenly Being wait until the last minute to take action, and why did he hold back? His attitude was truly puzzling.

This whole situation was just as foggy and mysterious as their current surroundings.

......

After Zhang Yuelu left, Pei Xiaolou also excused himself. However, he stayed in the city.

Shortly after Pei Xiaolou left, two old men came to the main building of the Taiping Inn and went to the private room on the third floor to meet with Yuan Chongzong and Yuan Shangdao.

Not long after, one of the old men and Yuan Shangdao hurriedly left Taiping Inn to gather an army.

Another old man went to the Yuan Residence with Yuan Chongzong.

The Yuan Residence was a typical Jiangnan-style mansion, with beautiful landscapes, water features, and pavilions. It did not seem luxurious or grand at first glance, but those who knew what to look for could see extravagance in the details. For example, the red sandalwood furniture in the living room and the polished marble floor with inlaid jasper.

The pair of carved red sandalwood armchairs in the center of the living room were each occupied by an old man.

Yuan Chongzong sat on the chair on the left, while another old man with white hair sat on the chair on the right. However, compared to the elegant Yuan Chongzong, this old man was taller and more rugged, like a well-traveled powerful swordsman.

Yuan Chongzong looked worried. “If we fail—”

The white-haired old man said calmly, “Brother Yuan, why are you still doubtful at this time? That’s a secret letter from Old Master Jin, sent using the rapid post talisman and stamped with his private seal. You’ve verified it yourself. Since he arranged this, it’s a done deal.”

“I’m not doubtful. I just feel uneasy.” Yuan Chongzong took a deep breath.

The white-haired old man remarked, “It is impossible to achieve great things without risk.”

“What about afterward?” Yuan Chongzong asked.

The white-haired old man reached out for the gaiwan, took a sip of tea, and murmured, “Afterward, everything will end here, of course.”