A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu had not slept so deeply and comfortably in a long time.

He had a long and beautiful dream. In the dream, there were no dark mountains, strange black shadows, or things that he could not understand.

Qi Xuansu dreamed that he was taking a trip somewhere. It was a sunny day, with orioles flying and a gentle breeze carrying the faint scent of pear blossoms.

The white petals fluttered from the trees and paved the road as if it were snow.

The pear blossoms on both sides of the road were in full bloom, mixed with gorgeous peach blossoms that matched the hue of a faint blush.

The two of them were in no hurry, and they did not care where they were going.

They merely walked side by side, seeming like it would last forever.

Suddenly, the wind and clouds changed. A line of darkness from the horizon quickly spread over the sky. Thick, black clouds pressed down on the city as raindrops fell. The violent storm swept away the beautiful blossoms.

Qi Xuansu seemed to be stuck in a state between sleep and wakefulness, vaguely hearing the sound of thunder, wind, and rain.

Although the sound of rain was hypnotizing, making it easier to fall asleep, Qi Xuansu slowly woke up from his blissful dream amidst the rumbling thunder and fierce storm.

The first thing that caught his eye was the white gauze canopy above him.

That was when he realized he was lying on a large, intricately carved four-poster bed, with three sides covered in white gauze.

Qi Xuansu was stunned for a moment. He then quickly recalled that he and Zhang Yuelu had been drinking and talking all night long. In the end, none of them could withstand the effects of Dreaming Death and got completely drunk.

However, the last thing he remembered was sitting on the long bench in Zhang Yuelu’s study.

Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu could not help but turn around and look outside the bed.

This was obviously a bedroom, without bookshelves, desks, or chairs for entertaining guests. Instead, there was a matching dressing table, ebony-carved lattice cabinets, a small round table, and two ornamental stools.

There was a purple clay tea set on the table and a screen that separated the room, painted with landscapes and marked with poems by Daoist elders.

At this time, a woman was sitting in front of the dressing table, her black hair still cascading beautifully down her back, which happened to be facing Qi Xuansu.

This woman was none other than Zhang Yuelu.

Qi Xuansu figured that Zhang Yuelu had moved him from the bench outside to the bed. After all, Zhang Yuelu was only one step away from becoming a Heavenly Being, so she probably had sobered up sooner.

Zhang Yuelu caught sight of Qi Xuansu’s dazed expression in the mirror when she heard some sounds coming from behind. She turned around and said, “Tian Yuan, you’re awake.”

Qi Xuansu let out a low hum and asked, “How long have I been asleep?”

Zhang Yuelu glanced at her pocket watch and replied, “About 12 hours.”

Qi Xuansu sat up and found that his outer robe and shoes had been taken off, leaving only his inner garment.

He wore two layers in the summer weather because he was no longer afraid of the extreme heat after being in the Guizhen stage.

Heavenly Beings were impervious to extreme cold and heat, but the changes brought about by cultivation were not sudden. They were usually a slow and gradual accumulation.

This was like drinking the Dreaming Death. By right, only Heavenly Beings could drink this strong alcohol, but since they were in the high levels of the Guizhen stage, they could still handle it. They would just get drunk faster and take longer to sober up.

Moreover, it was only proper for Daoists to wear inner garments in addition to outer garments due to the influence of the fifth-generation Grand Master, requiring all Daoists to be meticulous in appearance at all times.

Qi Xuansu sighed. “Wow. This Dreaming Death is really something. I haven’t slept so well in a long time. What about you? How long have you slept for?”

Zhang Yuelu turned around to face Qi Xuansu with a big frown. “About 8 hours. You made me miss today’s meeting with the other Deputy Hall Masters!”

Qi Xuansu was startled. He probed cautiously, “Does that mean that our affair has been made public?”

Zhang Yuelu stared at Qi Xuansu with narrowed eyes. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re secretly happy about this?”

“Am I?” Qi Xuansu blinked innocently.

Zhang Yuelu merely glared at him.

Just as Qi Xuansu was starting to feel a little uneasy because of the intense glare, Zhang Yuelu suddenly laughed. “I’m just joking; there is no meeting. Sage Lei had already explained everyone’s tasks the day before yesterday. We mainly read the case files on our own lately.”

Having said this, Zhang Yuelu suddenly came to a realization. “Did Sage Lei already plan this with you in advance?”

Qi Xuansu would never admit that. He quickly waved his hands and laughed dryly. “How can Sage Lei pay attention to a small fart like me? It’s probably just a coincidence.”

Zhang Yuelu also felt that it was unlikely for a Sage to be so considerate toward Qi Xuansu, so she did not pursue the topic any further. She turned around to face the mirror and picked up the comb. “Don’t disturb me.”

Qi Xuansu got up from the bed, put on his shoes, and wore a middle coat. As soon as he cracked open a window, the strong wind outside rushed in and carried with it some large raindrops.

The weather in summer was like a temperamental toddler, changing at a moment’s notice. The sky was clear last night, but it was pouring and thundering at the moment.

Zhang Yuelu was about to comb her hair, but it was blown into a mess by the strong wind. She shot daggers at Qi Xuansu and complained. “Tian Yuan, are you doing this on purpose?!”

Qi Xuansu quickly closed the window. He scanned the room and saw his outer robe and belt hanging on the screen, so he went behind it to get dressed.

When he emerged from behind the screen, he had already put on his outer robe and was tying his belt. Zhang Yuelu had also pulled her loose black hair into a simple bun, about to secure it with a hairpin. After all, she was not a married woman, so there was no need for complicated hairstyles. She was relatively low-maintenance when it came to taking care of her hair.

At this moment, Mu Jin pushed the door open and walked into the bedroom. She happened to see this scene in front of her and was stunned once again.

Since Zhang Yuelu had always lived alone, and she often stayed up all night, she would mostly just take a nap on the chair whenever she felt tired.

As Zhang Yuelu’s personal secretary, Mu Jin also shouldered the responsibility of taking care of Zhang Yuelu’s daily life. So she could freely enter and leave Zhang Yuelu’s residence.

Mu Jin came to Zhang Yuelu’s study as usual but did not find her boss there, so she walked into the inner room.

As a result, Mu Jin witnessed Qi Xuansu tying his belt while Zhang Yuelu was combing her hair.

It looked as if they were a married couple who had just woken up and gotten dressed together.

That would be fine if they were husband and wife, but the key point was that they were not married yet!

Moreover, Qi Xuansu had indeed spent the night on Zhang Yuelu’s bed and had just gotten up.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were also taken aback. They were still immersed in the joy of meeting again after a long separation, so they were completely relaxed and failed to notice Mu Jin’s arrival, especially with the heavy storm outside.

Well, that was awkward.

Mu Jin looked at Zhang Yuelu, who was holding a hairpin, and then at Qi Xuansu, who was pressing his belt, and muttered, “I thought I was hallucinating. But you turned out to be real...”

Qi Xuansu regained his senses and quickly fastened his belt. He coughed lightly and said, “Long time no see.”

Mu Jin still could not help but ask, “Are you a human or a ghost?”

“A human, of course.” Qi Xuansu wanted to roll his eyes. “I didn’t die, and I’m back now.”

Mu Jin took a step back and almost hit the door. “Then...last night...you two...”

Qi Xuansu did not know how to answer her.

He did not care what others thought of him, and he did not have much reputation to speak of, but he had to consider Zhang Yuelu’s image. If word of this spread, he would not lose anything, but he had always wanted to marry Zhang Yuelu in an upright and dignified manner. He did not want to be bound to Zhang Yuelu through such despicable means.

Furthermore, Zhang Yuelu had many enemies who would gladly make a big fuss about this matter. If so, it would be quite detrimental to her future.

After all, the Daoist community was generally conservative about sexual relations, so it was best to tread lightly.

Zhang Yuelu also came to her senses. Although she was startled by Mu Jin’s unannounced arrival, she still had an air of unwavering authority. She inserted the hairpin into her bun and said calmly, “Tian Yuan has been away for nearly half a year, and a lot of things have happened since then. So we ended up talking all night.”

Mu Jin had disbelief written all over her face. Talking all night and ending up in bed?

She had expected such behavior from Qi Xuansu, but never would she have thought her boss would allow it.

Zhang Yuelu secretly regretted her decision to let Qi Xuansu sleep on the bed. If she had known Mu Jin would barge in like that, she would have just let Qi Xuansu sleep on the bench. She also berated herself for helping him to remove his outer robe and belt. With Qi Xuansu’s resilient physique akin to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner, sleeping with bulky clothes on the bench would not have made much of a difference.

She originally thought that she had a clear conscience since nothing happened between the two of them, but now it seemed that no one would believe her explanation, especially after seeing this scene.

Annoyed by her own misjudgment, Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to change the subject. “What’s the matter?”

Mu Jin took a deep breath to calm her emotions. She then presented an official note to Zhang Yuelu. “This is a letter from the Hall Master.”