A Pawn's Passage

At this moment, Qi Xuansu, who was responsible for recording the conversation between Ye Xiu and Zhang Yuelu, spoke up. “That’s not right.”

Ye Xiu turned to Qi Xuansu and asked, “What’s not right?”

Qi Xuansu set his brush down on the inkstone and said, “As far as I know, a group of cult demons from Xiping Prefecture held an ‘Eagle and Dog Slaughtering Assembly’ at Jiuwa Hill in January of this year. This was orchestrated by the Heavenly Court’s Feng Bo. Considering the preparation time, Feng Bo must have arrived in Xiping Prefecture as early as last year.

“In February, Feng Bo was active in Xiping Prefecture to establish branches of the Heavenly Court. By late February and early March, he appeared in Xijing Prefecture and caused trouble in Wuxu Palace. Then he was hunted down by my superior, Sage Lei, in March and April.

“For that reason, Sage Lei destroyed the newly established branches of the Heavenly Court in Xiping Prefecture, and Feng Bo barely managed to escape. It wasn’t until late May that Feng Bo appeared in Jinling Prefecture to abduct Sage Bai’s daughter, Bai Xiaojin.”

Ye Xiu’s expression changed.

Qi Xuansu continued, “These events can be further verified with records and witnesses. I was also one of the witnesses. So, I’d like to ask you, Beggar King, how did you conduct business with Feng Bo when he was not in Jinling Prefecture for at least six months? Was it the kind of business that could sustain you for three years? Or were you dealing with someone else?”

Ye Xiu fell silent again.

Mu Jin spoke. “Beggar King, let me remind you that the Daoist Order has soul-searching methods. There’s nothing we can’t uncover when such methods are used. However, soul-searching will damage the person. At best, you will be mentally impaired; at worst, you will become a lifeless husk of a human. Though this technique is restricted due to its cruelty, we may just make an exception if you persist in being obstinate and defiant.”

Ye Xiu’s eyes shifted.

In truth, Mu Jin could not actually use the soul-searching technique on Ye Xiu. She was merely bluffing.

Soul-searching was certainly effective, but it was also limited. It could only be used once with irreversible effects, but the information from such methods was not admissible as evidence.

In other words, soul-searching could be used for identifying enemies for personal vengeance where there was no need for evidence or formal records. However, in disputes where both sides had equal status and power, rules and evidence were necessary. In such cases, soul-searching had limited utility. Often, the real issue was not uncovering the truth but proving it.

Finally, Zhang Yuelu spoke. “As long as you cooperate with us, I can promise your life will be spared.”

Ye Xiu slowly replied, “There’s one thing you should know. I’m just an insignificant minion. The truth is that I only follow the orders given by those above me. I have no right to resist, let alone negotiate.”

Qi Xuansu pressed on. “We’re not asking whether you had a choice in the matter. We’re asking, who exactly are ‘those above you’ that you speak of?”

Ye Xiu was immediately stumped by the question.

This question was particularly hard to answer, not because he did not know, but because he could not and dared not say it, as revealing it would bring catastrophic destruction upon his family.

Qi Xuansu’s voice deepened. “Answer me!”

Mu Jin raised the whip again, pausing deliberately before striking. When Ye Xiu relaxed slightly after thinking that they were holding back, Mu Jin suddenly lashed down.

Ye Xiu felt a searing pain, like countless ants gnawing at his bones. Unable to endure it, he cried, “The Heavenly Court has so many other members aside from Feng Bo. Those above me are the people whom even they take orders from!”

Qi Xuansu questioned, “When you say members, are you referring to regular Heavenly Court members? Or do you mean the entirety of the Heavenly Court? If you mean regular members, their superiors are naturally Feng Bo, Marshal Wind, Marshal Thunder, and some other big shots. But if you mean the entirety of the Heavenly Court, including Feng Bo and the others, then who do those big shots take orders from?”

This time, Ye Xiu was not the only one whose expression changed. Even Mu Jin’s expression shifted slightly.

This was the very reason Li Mingcheng wanted to take Ye Xiu away.

Ye Xiu’s eyes became unfocused. He dared not respond.

Zhang Yuelu interjected, “You manage assets for a Sage, including the Snow Moon Villa and other businesses. You also mentioned you did this under orders, so was it this Sage who instructed you to do business with the Heavenly Court?”

Ye Xiu’s breathing became labored. “If you’re so great, go and ask that Sage!”

Without waiting for Zhang Yuelu’s command, Qi Xuansu quickly recorded everything. He stood up and handed it to Zhang Yuelu, who reviewed it carefully and instructed, “Show this to him. If he confirms it’s accurate, have him sign it.”

Qi Xuansu brought the document and cinnabar ink to Ye Xiu, holding it up for him to review page by page.

Ye Xiu, trembling slightly, either from the punishment or fear, kept silent.

Mu Jin took Ye Xiu’s hand, dipped it in the cinnabar, and pressed a bright red fingerprint onto the document.

......

Li Mingcheng entered Li Mingzhi’s office like a gust of cold wind.

Li Mingzhi was seated behind his desk, reading a document.

Since both were from the Li family and of equal rank and standing, they did not stand on formalities.

“Ye Xiu fell into Zhang Yuelu’s hands,” Li Mingcheng announced.

“Fell into Zhang Yuelu’s hands?” Li Mingzhi repeated it absently before registering the words. He abruptly looked up. “Who? Ye Xiu?!”

Li Mingcheng nodded. “That Beggar King, the local headman of Jinling Prefecture’s underworld. He’s known for his network of information and elusive nature. They say not even Heavenly Beings can find him when he hides. Yet Zhang Yuelu easily captured him without a warning. He’s utterly useless!”

Li Mingzhi could not sit still anymore and stood up.

“I wanted to take him out, but Zhang Yuelu pushed back. You know how it is—Lei Xiaohuan is in charge now, so we can’t do anything about her.” Li Mingcheng explained.

Li Mingzhi clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing the room. “Can’t we just send him to hell?”

Li Mingcheng shook his head. “The Spirit Guards from the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion only guard the perimeters of Zhenwu Temple. But the dungeon is under Tiangang Hall’s control, specifically those brought by Sage Cihang from the Western Region. They have no ties to Jiangnan or Jade Capital, so this is a tricky situation.”

“It must be done even if it’s tricky. Our elders sent us to Jiangnan to protect the family. You’re from Beichen Hall and have experience in such matters. Don’t you have another plan?” Li Mingzhi pressed.

Li Mingcheng hesitated briefly before saying, “There is one risky move left...”

The Deputy Beichen Hall Master walked to the door and instructed the guards. “Wait outside the outer hall. No one is allowed to enter.”

The guards outside complied and left.

After ensuring no one was around, Li Mingcheng set a privacy barrier and whispered, “Prison break.”

Li Mingzhi’s eyes widened, his face turning pale. “That’s a crime punishable by familial extermination!”

Li Mingcheng whispered, “Not us, of course. We’ll have them do it.”

“Will they go?” Li Mingzhi asked, skeptical.

“Ye Xiu knows far too much. If he spills everything, no one will walk away unscathed. They won’t have a choice but to get involved.”

Li Mingzhi pondered, feeling tempted. “And then?”

Li Mingcheng continued, “They can’t succeed alone, of course. So, we also need to come up with a plan to draw people away from the Zhenwu Temple. At the very least, Lei Xiaohuan and Pei Xiaolou mustn’t be in the vicinity.”

“Getting Lei Xiaohuan and Pei Xiaolou out won’t be difficult,” Li Mingzhi mused. “Have Shi Luosi request negotiations. That way, at least one of them will have to go. Then create some disturbances elsewhere to draw the other one away.”

Li Mingzhi paused. “The aftermath will be severe, surely alarming the Golden Tower Council. Sage Donghua and Sage Cihang are eager for an excuse to intervene on a larger scale. If such a major incident occurs, they will definitely exploit it and might even step in personally. It’ll be hard to contain the situation then.”

Li Mingcheng replied in a lowered voice, “We don’t want to escalate things, but they’ve already progressed out of our control. If Ye Xiu confesses, it’s not just about giving Sage Cihang and Sage Donghua an excuse to intervene. They will have a major breakthrough in the case, which will render all of our arrangements in Jade Capital useless.

“But there’s a flip side to everything. If we succeed, it may give Sage Cihang and Sage Donghua a reason to exploit the situation, but it will also suggest that the investigation is slow-moving. If so, we can still pressure Lei Xiaohuan and the team from Jade Capital, gradually limiting their power and eventually expelling them from Jinling. Sometimes, we must choose the lesser of two evils.”

Li Mingzhi looked pensive as he stared at Li Mingcheng. “This is a matter of life and death. It must be done cleanly, leaving no evidence. If there are no witnesses left alive, they won’t be able to connect it to us even if they exploit the situation.”

Li Mingcheng replied solemnly, “Of course.”

”They forced our hand, so we have no choice but to resort to this.” Li Mingzhi sighed deeply.