A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu did not inform Bai Yingqiong directly. Instead, she passed the message to Mu Jin, instructing her to relay the message only if Bai Yingqiong asked. If not, there was no need to mention it.

Mu Jin could not help but ask, “What about the investigation? Are we just going to leave it at that?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “Brothers may quarrel among themselves, but they stand together against outsiders. If it boils down to it, I’d rather let the Daoist traitors go for now and focus on saving Jinling.”

Mu Jin fell silent and said no more.

Priorities must be set. If Zhang Yuelu’s suspicions were correct, Jinling Prefecture’s safety was more critical than the investigation.

After giving her instructions, Zhang Yuelu nodded slightly toward Qi Xuansu, who was waiting nearby. “Let’s go.”

Before Qi Xuansu could respond, Zhang Yuelu leaped into the air.

Qi Xuansu channeled his innate qi into the Taiyi Cloud Robe and felt an uplifting force at his waist. The robe emitted clouds, making his body feel as light as a feather and lifting him effortlessly.

Admittedly, if the sash was secured to the chest strap and draped over the shoulders, coiling around the arms, the generated lift would evenly support the entire body. Now that Qi Xuansu had it tied around his waist, his center of gravity was somewhat off, making him wobbly. Clearly, the sash design was not just for aesthetics but had practical reasons.

Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was not far from a Heavenly Being. Though inexperienced in airborne movement, his brief moments of hovering helped him to quickly find a stable posture. With a single thought, he began gliding forward.

By now, it was dark out. Even though Jinling Prefecture had no curfew, few people were outdoors. Using the cover of darkness, the two flew across half the city before descending near a bustling long street.

This street was none other than the famous Ten Miles of Qinhuai, built along both banks of the Qinhuai River, with centuries of history. The water purification plant could not be far from the river, so the two were adjacent to each other.

Legend had it that the Qinhuai River was excavated during the time of the First Emperor. It had two sources—the eastern source in Ronghua Mountain and the southern source in Shuilu Mountain. The two streams converged in Jiangning Prefecture to form the main river, which flowed toward Jinling Prefecture.

At Tongji Gate, the river split into two branches. One branch—the Ten Miles of Qinhuai—entered the city through the East Water Gate, flowed past the southern old city, and exited through the West Water Gate. The other branch ran outside the city walls, serving as a moat, reuniting with the Ten Miles of Qinhuai near the West Water Gate before merging into the Yangtze River at the Sancha River.

The banks of the Ten Miles of Qinhuai were the most prosperous areas of Jinling Prefecture, teeming with merchants and bustling marketplaces. The river separated the northern bank, home to the Jiangnan Examination Hall, from the southern bank, where famous courtesans gathered.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were on the southern bank. Even in the dead of night, the area was lively, with bright lanterns and throngs of people.

The two walked side by side. Once they crossed this bustling street, they would reach the water treatment plant.

The surroundings were adorned with hanging lanterns, accompanied by the sounds of zithers and flutes, flickering with moving shadows.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu walked through, appearing out of place amidst the revelry.

Qi Xuansu concealed the natural cloud aura of his Taiyi Cloud Robe and suppressed his killing aura to appear inconspicuous. Zhang Yuelu still wore her Daoist attire, but her hairpin had broken during an earlier fight, leaving her long black hair cascading freely and partially obscuring her face, making her less noticeable.

The two deliberately walked in the shadows beyond the lanterns’ reach, using the darkness of the night to conceal themselves.

Zhang Yuelu was momentarily lost in thought, her mind drifting from the investigation and secret societies to the man walking beside her.

The flickering light fell on Qi Xuansu’s face, casting it in alternating light and shadow. Like him, he was neither entirely bright nor wholly dark, but a mixture of both.

If not for her, Qi Xuansu probably would not have involved himself in any of this.

Many believed he was with her out of vanity, seeking to gain something from her. But upon reflection, what had Qi Xuansu truly gained? Nothing.

If anything, he had almost lost his life for her.

If he did not care about her, he would have looked out for himself by now. He would not have returned to the dungeon after escaping, nor would he have come to the water treatment plant at this moment instead of helping out at the Zhenwu Temple like the many others.

In some ways, Qi Xuansu had always been pursuing her, wanting to build his own family, rather than seeking to bring peace to the world.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuelu could not help but hum the tune that Qi Xuansu and Madam Qi liked. While Zhang Yuelu was not well-versed in music, she was on key, unlike a certain someone.

Though her voice was soft, it lingered around them, reaching Qi Xuansu’s ears.

After walking for a while, Zhang Yuelu suddenly noticed that Qi Xuansu was still looking straight ahead, but his lips were moving slightly, as if silently humming along.

Zhang Yuelu could not help but smile. She did not point it out and continued humming, feeling inexplicably at ease.

Whether the world was in chaos or shrouded in gloom, she knew she would not be walking alone.

The two walked across the bustling, prosperous street and arrived at a desolate place.

Zhang Yuelu raised her hand and pointed. “That’s the water treatment plant.”

Qi Xuansu followed her finger and saw a temple-like building in the shadows. It had high walls and a black roof, with its doors tightly shut. Four large red lanterns hung under the eaves of the main entrance, inscribed with the words, “Peace to the World.” The lantern light illuminated only a few meters in front of the door, leaving the rest in darkness.

From afar, it resembled a black beast baring its bloody maw.

“Why is it a Buddhist temple?” Qi Xuansu could not help but ask.

Zhang Yuelu replied, “It’s not unusual to see Buddhist temples in Jinling Prefecture. In comparison, Daoist temples are rarer. Back when the Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Order broke ties, the Daoists seized and repurposed many Buddhist temples. Some were turned into Daoist temples, while others were dismantled or repurposed. This water treatment plant was converted from one such temple.”

“How do we get in?” Qi Xuansu asked again.

Zhang Yuelu pondered briefly before deciding. “We’ll sneak in. If we’re wrong, we can just leave and act as if nothing happened. If we’re right, at least we won’t alert the enemy.”

Qi Xuansu had no objections. He looked around briefly and headed straight for a nearby alley.

Zhang Yuelu followed behind Qi Xuansu.

In such matters, Qi Xuansu was far more experienced than Zhang Yuelu.

Entering the dark alley lit only by moonlight, Qi Xuansu noticed a blind spot and leaped over the wall.

Zhang Yuelu followed closely behind.

Inside, what should have been an enclosed courtyard had many structures demolished, merging the courtyard with the outer yard into one large open space.

Looking around, they saw a desolate scene with overgrown weeds. Being summer, the grass near the walls was nearly waist-high, making it a good place to conceal themselves.

Zhang Yuelu explained, “The main facilities of the water treatment plant are underground. The above-ground structures are just a cover. To passersby, it looks like an abandoned temple.”

Qi Xuansu nodded and asked, “How do we get to the underground part?”

Zhang Yuelu activated her Immortal Eye of Providence, her eyes swirling with purple energy. With it, she could see an invisible blood-red stream appear, winding like a path stretching far into the distance.

“Follow me,” Zhang Yuelu said, walking along the blood-red stream. Qi Xuansu followed closely behind her.

After several twists and turns, they arrived at a side hall, which concealed the entrance to the underground section.

Pushing open the ajar door, Zhang Yuelu paused and looked down, spotting a large patch of wet stains.

Qi Xuansu sniffed the air and scrunched his nose. “Ugh! It smells like corpse-dissolving liquid.”

The so-called “corpse-dissolving liquid” was infamous in Jianghu. Any corpse or living person splashed with this liquid would dissolve into a puddle in no time. Even bones and clothing would be melted down like wax. While not hard to obtain, it was expensive. Someone as broke as Qi Xuansu had only heard of it but never used it.

Zhang Yuelu stepped over the threshold and twisted the tip of her shoe on the floor. As expected, the floor beneath felt uneven. It was likely corroded, making the originally smooth surface resemble sand flattened by rain.

Judging by the size of the stains, a considerable number of bodies had been dissolved here.

It was no wonder the place was so eerily quiet.

Zhang Yuelu whispered, “It looks like we’ve hit the target.”

Qi Xuansu immediately drew the Flying Shadow from his waist.