A Pawn's Passage

If Qi Xuansu had to report to Jinling Prefecture, he was bound to meet Zhang Yuelu again. This was something he had been looking forward to for a long time. However, Zhang Yuelu would definitely ask him where he had been, what he had done, and why he had not contacted her during this time.

Qi Xuansu had two choices on how to approach this.

He could take the opportunity to confess his dual identity and tell her that he was actually Wei Wugui, who had fought with her in Jiangling Prefecture. However, Zhang Yuelu’s reaction was a coin toss—she may laugh it off or lose her temper.

That was why Qi Xuansu dared not make any optimistic estimates about this.

The second choice was to continue deceiving her by saying that he had been recovering from his injury during this period, which would explain the lack of communication. The downside of this plan was that there were too many loopholes, which made it difficult to justify. Zhang Yuelu would have asked why he was suddenly transferred to Ziwei Hall and promoted to a fifth-rank superintendent. She would also be curious as to how Qi Xuansu learned the same Tantai Fist Intention that she had seen Wei Wugui use.

Qi Xuansu thought about it over and over, but he still could not come up with the perfect solution. In the end, he decided to act according to the situation.

Before that, Qi Xuansu needed to make some preparations.

He had two spiritual objects on him at the moment—Lu Yunfeng’s jade pendant and the only cutlass he had left. The jade pendant was of no use to him, so he planned to sell it at a good price. Since he had obtained Lu Yunfeng’s jade pendant as a reward for winning consecutive battles, he could just sell it at Huasheng Hall without fear of being traced.

The only cutlass he had left was a decent weapon, but it was too big a target since he had used it to kill Wan Xiuwu and Su Ran. Thus, he had to get rid of it before returning to the Daoist Order. In fact, the safest way was to destroy it, but Qi Xuansu was reluctant to part with the money and decided he would sell it on the black market when he had the chance.

Early the next morning, Qi Xuansu went to the Huasheng Hall branch again.

At this time, there were already many customers in Huasheng Hall, drinking tea in the lobby while waiting.

As soon as Qi Xuansu entered the lobby, the female disciple behind the counter immediately recognized him and quickly went to the back hall to inform the superintendent.

Huasheng Hall branches had many high-rollers who would spend an exorbitant sum of money, so Qi Xuansu’s spending that day was not considered special. What made him memorable was that he dared to bet on the notorious Mystery Jars.

After a while, Su Yan appeared in front of Qi Xuansu like a gust of wind.

Qi Xuansu secretly cursed her. This cunning fox cheated my money!

At the same time, Su Yan cursed Qi Xuansu. This kid walked out with Huasheng Hall’s treasure. Even if it was a substandard treasure, it was a treasure nonetheless!

The two of them faced off for a moment, staring down at one another, each of them with their own thoughts.

After a while, Su Yan coughed lightly and broke the silence with a jab. “Did you come here to open more Mystery Jars?”

“No. I want to sell a spiritual object.” Qi Xuansu took out Lu Yunfeng’s jade pendant.

After Su Yan studied the jade pendant, her expression changed slightly. She scrutinized it again and asked, “Where did you get this from?”

At this moment, several customers who were drinking tea in the lobby stood up.

Qi Xuansu had a bad premonition, but he replied anyway. “I won it from a fight.”

One of the customers suddenly interrupted, “Ha! I’m afraid it was stolen!”

Qi Xuansu turned around to see the man who had been drinking tea leisurely earlier.

“And you are?” Qi Xuansu already had a guess.

The man smiled coldly. “I’m the butler of the Lu family, Lu Fu’an.”

While the man introduced himself, several more people stood behind him.

At this time, Qi Xuansu knew that Lu Yunfeng had framed him.

As expected, Lu Fu’an declared, “My young master lost a jade pendant worth 5,000 Taiping coins yesterday. He couldn’t find it anywhere and suspected that it was stolen, so the young master asked us to keep watch in various places. That way, we would know who the thief was once they sold the stolen pendant. The young master is right! We caught the thief red-handed!”

Su Yan did not jump to conclusions. Instead, she glanced at Qi Xuansu, waiting for his explanation.

Qi Xuansu did not defend himself. He stared at Lu Fu’an and scoffed. “Young Master Lu sure is dishonorable to resort to such despicable means.”

Lu Fu’an said expressionlessly, “Don’t waste your breath here. You can confess at the Lieutenant Colonel’s Office.”

Before Lu Fu’an finished speaking, they could already hear footsteps approaching Huasheng Hall.

Qi Xuansu was not frightened. He merely laughed. “So this is how you use the Green Phoenix Guards to do your dirty deeds, huh?”

A group of Green Phoenix Guards strode in, led by a senior major.

Lu Fu’an stretched out his hand and pointed at Qi Xuansu. “You’re here just in time. Quick, capture this thief who stole Young Master Lu’s jade pendant!”

The Green Phoenix Guards raised their firearms and aimed them at Qi Xuansu. The senior major looked solemn as he stated, “Thief, surrender now, or you will be held in contempt!”

The Green Phoenix Guards were not invincible, but most people in Jianghu were terrified of them, especially when a senior major accused them of something like that. If Qi Xuansu used his cultivation to resist an arrest, he would immediately be labeled as a rebel. If so, he would be a wanted criminal. The Green Phoenix Guards could then enlist the help of the Black Robes to encircle and suppress him. By then, even a Heavenly Being might not get away unscathed.

Qi Xuansu glanced at Su Yan, who still had a neutral attitude without any obvious tendencies.

However, Su Yan’s neutrality only fueled Lu Fu’an’s arrogance. The Lu family’s butler slapped his hand on the table and ordered, “Take him down!”

“I’d like to see who would dare touch me!” Qi Xuansu’s resounding voice echoed in the entire hall.

The senior major and Lu Fu’an were both shocked by Qi Xuansu’s reverberant voice, which was indicative of high cultivation.

Qi Xuansu looked at the senior major. “If someone from the Daoist Order commits a crime, the Imperial Court has no right to arrest and detain them. Order your people to retreat.”

After that, Qi Xuansu brandished his new Daoist insignia.

The senior major had not expected Qi Xuansu to be a fifth-rank Daoist priest. Seeing the insignia, he dared not cross the line because no matter the outcome, he would be dismissed from office. Thus, he waved his hand and instructed the Green Phoenix Guards, “Get back.”

The Green Phoenix Guards put away their firearms and retreated.

Lu Fu’an was not at all afraid. He narrowed his eyes and warned. “So, you’re a fifth-rank Daoist priest, huh? But it doesn’t matter. If the Green Phoenix Guards don’t dare to touch you, I will do the honors and beat you to death if you dare resist. I can handle the consequences!”

The people who came with Lu Fu’an had already filled the empty space left by the Green Phoenix Guards.

Su Yan frowned. How could a mere butler of the Lu family dare to openly kill a fifth-rank Daoist priest?

At this moment, Qi Xuansu took out the official letter from Ziwei Hall that was written on ivy paper. “I am the superintendent of Ziwei Hall, ordered by the Golden Tower Council to participate in the investigation of the Purple Immortal Mountain case. You can kill me now, but you and your backer will be held accountable afterward. I find it amazing that you said you can bear the consequences of beating me, a fifth-rank Daoist priest, to death without going through Fengxian Hall’s interrogation or Beichen Hall’s investigation. I wonder, who gave you such power?”

Lu Fu’an’s face turned pale.

The people he brought were also shocked.

The butler’s hand trembled as he pointed at Qi Xuansu. “Do you know that it’s a crime to impersonate a Daoist superintendent?!”

Qi Xuansu handed the official letter to Su Yan. “Superintendent Su can verify whether my identity is real. She’s from the Taiping Sect, so I’m sure she won’t be biased against you.”

Su Yan took the official letter and read it word by word. When she saw the final signature, she could not conceal her shocked expression.

Pei Xuanzhi—Sage Donghua.

Usually, the Deputy Hall Master appointed deacons while the Hall Master appointed superintendents. However, the Hall Master would usually appoint superintendents in the name of the hall. That way, the Hall Master would not be held responsible if anything were to go wrong. This was regarded as an unwritten rule among the Sages.

It was similar to when the Golden Tower Council made a decision. No specific person would be held accountable because it was a decision made after a proper discussion.

However, some promotions that were out of the ordinary and did not comply with the rules had to be vouched for by the Hall Master. This indicated the value of said person that would allow a Hall Master to take such risks.

“It’s real.” Su Yan returned the official letter to Qi Xuansu.

Lu Fu’an was quick-witted, immediately accusing Qi Xuansu. “Even if you are a superintendent of Ziwei Hall, stealing someone’s property is against the law!”

“I won’t bother proving my innocence or arguing with you. If you insist, get your master to report me to Fengxian Hall. If you don’t dare to take it public, then you’d best shut up.” Qi Xuansu had an aloof expression as he continued, “Besides, without the authorization of the Golden Tower Council, the local Daoist authorities are not qualified to arrest and detain Daoist priests from the Nine Halls.”

The entire outer hall suddenly fell silent.

In the end, Su Yan broke the silence. “Butler Lu, you are not a Daoist priest, and Superintendent Qi was personally appointed by Sage Donghua. Even if you want to file a lawsuit against him, your young master will have to come forward in person.”

Lu Fu’an had not read the official letter carefully, so when he heard Sage Donghua’s name, he was stunned.

Sage Donghua was one of the top three Omniscient Sages who was as famous as Sage Qingwei. He was in charge of Ziwei Hall, which was the head of the Nine Halls. Even the head of the Lu family was not qualified to compete with Sage Donghua.

A superintendent personally appointed by Sage Donghua would mean that Qi Xuansu was a confidant or junior of the Omniscient Sage.

Only then did Lu Fu’an realize that he had walked into a metal block. For a moment, he was at a loss for what to do. In the end, he reluctantly smiled and excused himself. “It’s just a misunderstanding. I must have made a mistake. This isn’t the jade pendant that my young master lost. My apologies, Superintendent Qi.”

After that, Lu Fu’an took out three large cash notes and presented them to Qi Xuansu respectfully, using both hands.

His attitude changed faster than one could flip a page.

Qi Xuansu put away his insignia and the official letter, but he did not take the three cash notes. Instead, he glared at the Lu family butler, who suddenly became ingratiating.

For the first time in his life, Qi Xuansu experienced what it was like to be in a position of power. Even without commanding any substantial authority, merely being associated with it felt intoxicating.