A Pawn's Passage

Invigorated by a new lead, Zhang Yuelu stood up. “Let’s not worry about the various wells for now. There are three key water sources—the Yangtze River outside the city, Zhenwu Lake within the city, and the Qinhuai River running through the city.”

Qi Xuansu followed Zhang Yuelu’s thinking and added, “Zhenwu Lake is impossible, as it’s located in the heart of Daoist territory. Even if they were trying to hide in plain sight, it’s not feasible, especially with so many people firefighting at the moment.

“As for the Yangtze River, it’s currently the summer flood season. The water flow is at its peak, so it can self-purify with the surging currents. Moreover, this year’s heavy rainfall has even raised the risk of flooding, with various regions preparing for evacuation. The river’s flow is at its highest in a decade, making any tampering impossible in a short timeframe. That leaves the Qinhuai River their likeliest target.”

Zhang Yuelu retrieved a map of Jinling Prefecture from her magical receptacle and spread it out. “For water supply, springs or wells would be ideal. However, as the second-largest city after the Imperial Capital, Jinling Prefecture has a population of several million. Thus, the demand for water is immense, so springs and wells alone won’t suffice. The Qinhuai River, running through the inner and outer cities, has significant flow and decent self-purification ability, making it the second-best water source after the Yangtze River.”

Due to Feng Bo’s pursuit, Qi Xuansu had recently visited the Qinhuai River. Looking at the map, he quickly grasped the situation.

The Qinhuai River was indeed an excellent location to tamper with the water supply.

Both the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court would typically station personnel to protect the water sources. Under normal circumstances, there would be no opportunity to act.

However, Jinling Prefecture was currently at its most vulnerable. The Governor, Chief Admiral, Chief Military Officer, and the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master were all out of town. Moreover, the recent fire had drawn most of the authorities’ attention, including the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion’s Spirit Guard, Green Phoenix Guard, and the Warden’s Office.

There could not be a more opportune time to act.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Should we report this to the Golden Tower Council?”

Zhang Yuelu was silent for a moment before responding, “Where’s the evidence?”

Qi Xuansu was rendered speechless.

They could not possibly report mere speculation to the Golden Tower Council, hoping it would lead to a resolution.

After all, their speculation was based on assumptions, stemming from Zhang Yuelu’s intuition and concerns. It was not that the speculation was invalid. If it came from the Grand Master or a high-ranking Great Sage, it might suffice. But the two of them were too insignificant.

Zhang Yuelu explained further, “Don’t forget that we’re both involved in this mess. Everyone, from the three Deputy Grand Masters to the various Hall Masters and Mansion Masters, knows where we stand. The same words will carry different weights depending on who says them.

“If it were an outsider with no significant vested interests expressing concern for Jinling Prefecture’s safety, they would be seen as impartial.

“We are both caught in this vortex, so if we raise concerns about Jinling Prefecture’s safety now—especially with Zhenwu Temple just reduced to ashes—how would others perceive it? They wouldn’t think we genuinely care about Jinling Prefecture’s safety. They’d assume we’re diverting attention, shirking responsibility, or harboring ulterior motives.”

Qi Xuansu fell silent.

He understood Zhang Yuelu’s point.

After a long pause, Qi Xuansu mused, “Because we’re embroiled in the struggle between the factions, everyone sees us as partisan. To them, everything we do is for factional gain, not for the Daoist Order or the people. What we do right is seen as a publicity stunt to gain rapport. As a result, we will face more obstruction instead of support. No matter what we say, the higher-ups won’t listen. Even if they do, it’ll devolve into infighting. Is that what you mean?”

Zhang Yuelu silently nodded.

Qi Xuansu sighed. “So all we can do is watch helplessly.”

“We can still try to stop them with our own strength,” Zhang Yuelu said, her gaze resolute. “I can’t officially report this to the Golden Tower Council, but I can privately notify my master to make preparations. If our speculation unfortunately proves true, at least the Daoist Order won’t be caught off guard and can respond immediately.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “That’s all we can do.”

Zhang Yuelu pointed at the map. “Let’s go here first.”

Qi Xuansu followed her gaze and saw a few small words marked where her finger was pointing—Water Treatment Plant.

Such a place would not be marked on an ordinary map. Only specialized maps like Zhang Yuelu’s would include it.

The water treatment plant belonged to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. It was a semi-underground facility and the largest water purification plant in Jinling Prefecture.

In theory, river water should be relatively clean. However, with too many upstream residents, the water quality gradually deteriorated. Algae and various parasites grew exponentially, making direct consumption dangerous and prone to numerous illnesses.

The Daoist Order established many plants for water purification. The treatment process consisted mainly of three steps: sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. These required the construction of sedimentation tanks, filtration wells, disinfection tanks, and water channels, which took up considerable space. Since water source safety was paramount, these locations were not marked on regular maps and were overseen by dedicated personnel.

Undoubtedly, targeting this site would be far more efficient.

Zhang Yuelu did not have any concrete leads but thought from the perspective of the Cult of Fates. If she were one of them, she would most likely sabotage this location.

Qi Xuansu had no objections. He asked, “How many people should we take?”

“Just the two of us,” Zhang Yuelu stated as she put away the map. “A larger group will be too conspicuous, alerting the enemy. The two of us can easily move around covertly, but we should inform the others so that they can back us up when necessary.”

Qi Xuansu nodded and began checking his gear.

His Divine Dragon Pistol was eaten by Marshal Tianpeng, and he had used up all the Dragon Eye and Phoenix Eye Series ammunition.

Although Qi Xuansu had picked up a Sun-Shooting Rifle, he had already depleted its ammunition and had no spares. So he tossed it over to a Spirit Guard.

At the moment, Qi Xuansu was left with the Flying Shadow, Qing Yuan, the replica of the Nine Yang Fiery Dome, and four Bliss Needles.

Zhang Yuelu was far better equipped than Qi Xuansu, with her Amorphous Paper, Taiyi Cloud Robe, and newly-attained Azure Thunderbolt.

Zhang Yuelu’s equipment and cultivation level far surpassed that of her predecessor, Su Yunxuan, who was the first-generation Sage Cihang.

On the other hand, Qi Xuansu was unequivocally under-equipped and underpowered compared to Great Sage Yan Feiqing in his youth, not to mention the Holy Xuan.

The two were currently in a secluded pavilion near Zhenwu Lake, with a clear view of Zhenwu Temple. Zhang Yuelu pondered for a moment before removing the Taiyi Cloud Robe, revealing her original attire.

She handed the robe to Qi Xuansu and said, “I don’t have the authority to give this to you, so I’m temporarily loaning it to you.”

Qi Xuansu waved his hand in refusal. “I have the physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner, so I’m more resilient than you. Even though you’re a Heavenly being, you might not be as sturdy as me. You should keep wearing it for added protection.”

Zhang Yuelu did not bother arguing with him. She merely commanded, “Stop whining and wear it, now!”

In terms of resilience, Zhang Yuelu’s Five Elements Qi Shield would have remained intact even if Qi Xuansu were to be beaten to death. As a Xiaoyao-stage Heavenly Being at the Five Elements Origin Realm of Banished Immortals, Zhang Yuelu was far better than an incomplete Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner like Qi Xuansu.

The Five Elements Origin Realm was originally achieved after one became an Earthly Immortal. However, the Holy Xuan borrowed this name to classify Banished Immortals in the Xiaoyao stage. This showcased the transcendence of Heavenly Immortals over Earthly Immortals.

Thus, for Zhang Yuelu, the Taiyi Cloud Robe had little practical use at the moment.

Qi Xuansu was not a henpecked man. He resolutely refused. “I remember the fifth-generation Grand Master once banned men from wearing women’s clothing. I intend to follow the rule of our ancestors and refuse to wear this feminine robe.”

To be fair, the Taiyi Cloud Robe had been passed down through generations of the Cihang lineage, which had always been led by women. Thus, Qi Xuansu’s claim that the robe was women’s clothing was not entirely baseless.

“This is just like a wide-sleeved hechang. There’s no distinction between men and women!” Zhang Yuelu frowned, shaking the Taiyi Cloud Robe.

Qi Xuansu pointed to the sash.

One end of the sash was secured to the chest strap, draped over the shoulder, and coiled around the arm. When standing, the sash naturally hung down; when moving, they swayed gracefully like willow branches in the wind. This was also the key to the Taiyi Cloud Robe’s flight function.

Generally, married women used shorter sashes, while unmarried women used longer ones. The sash on the Taiyi Cloud Robe was over 3 meters in length. This led to an unwritten rule in the Cihang lineage. Once the Sage was married, the Taiyi Cloud Robe had to be passed on to an unmarried disciple.

While the current Sage Cihang was still unmarried, her advanced cultivation rendered such trinkets unnecessary, so she passed the robe to Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu was momentarily speechless.

She was not unreasonable, nor would she resort to tantrums.

In the end, Zhang Yuelu compromised. “Fine. Just use the sash as a belt. It’ll allow you to fly.”

As she spoke, she took the sash off from the Taiyi Cloud Robe.

With Zhang Yuelu compromising to this extent, Qi Xuansu could not refuse any longer. He took the Taiyi Cloud Robe without the sash and put it on.

Clothes make the man, as gold adorns the Buddha. The pure white hechang, unstained by dust, emanated clouds, making Qi Xuansu appear ethereal.

Zhang Yuelu gestured for Qi Xuansu to stretch out his arms. She then personally tied a sash that was as thin as cicada wings around his waist.

This looked somewhat incongruous on Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu whispered, “Isn’t this weird?”

Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes. “Then do you want it wrapped around your arm?”

Qi Xuansu shuddered at the thought of looking like a Buddhist deity and said, “Never mind, it’s tidier around the waist. It’s also more convenient to move around in.”

With that, Qi Xuansu decisively strapped Qing Yuan and Flying Shadow to his waist, one on each side. He also hung his bell-looking Nine Yang Fiery Dome Replica on his waist and brought along his satchel and pouch. Since he was already odd-looking, he might as well go all out.