A Pawn's Passage

The night sky gradually brightened, from pitch black to deep blue, and a faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the horizon.

With the longer summer days, it would not be long before the sky fully brightened.

At this moment, Jinling Prefecture was stiflingly hot, with no hint of wind. Some civilians had already risen early to draw water from the wells.

Not all residents of Jinling relied on water from the Qinhuai River or the Yangtze River. Many wells were scattered throughout the city, typically shared by a dozen households. People often queued for water, prompting some to fetch it early.

At the moment, a group of civilians gathered around a well, chatting animatedly. Curious latecomers approached, only to find a strange fish in the water being drawn. It was entirely black, with four limbs resembling those of a lizard, and its bumpy skin looked grotesque.

Just then, a Green Phoenix Guard arrived, with a saber at his waist and a small flag on his back. His appearance startled the crowd, who quickly dispersed.

The Green Phoenix Guard approached the well, glanced at the bucket, and shouted, “Some criminals have poisoned the city’s wells. By order of the County Magistrate, all wells are temporarily closed and may not be used!”

Jinling City was an administrative hub that served as a state city, a prefectural city, and a county seat. This meant that the County Office, Prefectural Office, Provincial Administrative Office, Governor’s Office, and Military Commissioner’s Office were all located within the same city.

The county magistrates of subordinate counties served like overworked maids, constantly scrambling to meet demands. Thus, most officials considered the position unbearably difficult and often referred to the job as a punishment for their past life’s wrongdoings.

When dealing with commoners, the County Office would take charge, so the Green Phoenix Guard relayed the County Magistrate’s orders.

The civilians were alarmed upon hearing this, whispering among themselves.

An elderly man stepped forward and asked, “Pardon me, sir, but when will we be able to use the water again? We can’t go without water forever. This is the only well we have, and the waterworks are far away.”

The Green Phoenix Guard replied, “The waterworks are also temporarily unusable. You can use it once the Daoists purify the water and give their approval.”

With that, the Green Phoenix Guard took out two official seals and affixed them over the well’s opening in the shape of an X. He also posted a notice on a nearby wall.

After completing this task, the Green Phoenix Guard hurried off in another direction.

The townsfolk gathered around the notice, and those who could read stepped forward to loudly recite its contents.

This was a merit of the current dynasty. The number of literate individuals had increased tenfold compared to the previous era. Most people could write their names and recognize ten digits, which was sufficient for daily life.

......

About an hour later, two sweat-drenched Daoist priests arrived, carrying satchels, wooden boxes, and a trunk on their backs. They paused to inspect the seals on the well and set down their items. They began removing talismans and various bottles from the boxes to prepare for dispelling the Cult of Fates’ curse.

The Daoist Order had long been enemies of the Cult of Fates, so they possessed many methods to counteract the cult’s schemes. This was part of the Daoist Order’s duties. Without such efforts, why should Daoists be respected, hold privileged positions, or wield great power? They were expected to protect peace in critical times.

However, after prolonged peace in Jinling, too many flowerbed Daoists emerged. Faced with sudden turmoil, chaos was inevitable. From high-ranking Daoists responsible for planning to low-ranking ones executing tasks, mistakes were common, and some took the opportunity to shirk duties.

......

For the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, the situation in the old city was manageable and relatively orderly, making it easy to assess the damage. The real challenge lay in the chaotic shantytowns. Besides the residents’ shady livelihoods, the terrain was also extremely complex. Even the police officers and Green Phoenix Guards, who interacted with all factions, struggled to grasp the full layout of the place.

The silver lining in Li Mingcheng’s decision to deploy a large number of Beichen Hall Spirit Guards to the shantytowns to capture the Beggar Gang was that they inadvertently helped stabilize the area, preventing the situation from spiraling into disaster.

Even so, the situation remained dire.

In a dilapidated shantytown on the outskirts of the city, a man was drawing water from a crude well that lacked even a pulley. He had to lift the bucket manually, a task requiring considerable strength. Yet, it was still less effort than fetching water from the Qinhuai River.

Since the well was so basic, even the government officials had overlooked its existence, leaving it without a seal.

Moments later, the man finally hoisted the bucket onto the edge of the well.

Suddenly, a winged, monstrous fish leaped out of the bucket and sank its teeth into the man’s shoulder.

The man screamed and yanked the fish off, only for its razor-sharp teeth to tear away a chunk of his flesh. Blackened blood immediately oozed from his wound.

......

Elsewhere in the old city, two soldiers were prying open the stone slabs covering the street’s sewerage system. Two Daoist priests stood nearby. Despite the early hour, the heat was already overwhelming. The flowerbed Daoist priests with lower cultivation levels were drenched in sweat as they fanned themselves with their sleeves.

One Daoist priest grumbled, “Oh, heavens! I’ve heard other regions are strengthening dikes against floods. But it’s such a stark contrast here, with no rain or wind! As if that’s not enough, the Zhenwu Temple even burned to the ground last night. Now, there are cult demons causing trouble this early in the morning. Ugh, is the world coming to an end?!”

The other Daoist priest whispered, “Shut your stupid mouth! It’s peaceful times, of course. If anyone hears you and more trouble arises today, you and I won’t be able to escape blame.”

The two soldiers whispered to each other. Though not official Black Robes, they were auxiliary forces tasked during wartime with transporting supplies, digging fortifications, and performing various chores.

In times of peace, their duties included clearing drains. Jinling City’s vast sewerage system, with its network of open and hidden drains, was mapped out and managed by the Warden’s Office.

Early that morning, even before dawn, they had been ordered to assist the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion in clearing the sewers.

According to regulations, the drains were to be cleaned annually and repaired every three years. They had just cleaned the sewers this year, so why did they have to do it again? This seemed like unnecessary trouble.

But they had no choice but to follow orders from above, having to struggle with the stinking drains early this morning.

One person whispered, “Old Xu, cleaning drains is one thing, but why does it involve those Daoists? Usually, they keep their shoes spotless and avoid these dirty chores. In the past, they stayed far away when we cleaned the drains. Why are they getting involved this time?”

Another replied weakly, “Probably the same as us—orders from above. Do you think they’d willingly supervise us while we do this?”

“Makes sense. But what are the higher-ups planning now? Is His Majesty coming to the Jinling Palace?” The first soldier speculated.

“Stop guessing and get to work. Once the sun is out, it’ll be unbearable!”

As they spoke, they finally pried open the heavy stone slab, revealing the underground drain. A wave of damp, sweltering air mixed with a foul stench wafted out.

Ignoring the stench, the two soldiers looked closely and gasped in shock.

They saw several strange fish swimming in the drain. These creatures had tentacles, but they were not squids.

Two Daoists stepped forward. Upon seeing the strange fish in the drain, their expressions turned grim.

......

Meanwhile, several people pushed open the heavy doors of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion’s warehouse at the Dinghuai Gate.

A Daoist superintendent strode into the warehouse, scanned his surroundings, and immediately cursed. “You idiots! Don’t we have Mini Dragon Pearls? Why aren’t you using them? Are you waiting for the warehouse to catch on fire?!”

The superintendent was not exaggerating. The summer heat was stifling, and the warehouse was packed with various goods. Entering the enclosed space felt like stepping into a steamer. With sweat pouring down, the superintendent was irritable, especially when he had just been reprimanded by the Deputy Mansion Master.

The deacon, scolded by the superintendent, immediately turned and berated his subordinates guarding the warehouse. “The warehouse regulations clearly state that the Mini Dragon Pearls must be activated all day. Who turned them off?”

The so-called Mini Dragon Pearls were replicas of the Dragon Pearls that were used to power flying ships. Though the replicas could not power flying ships, they could effectively reduce temperatures and had fireproof properties. However, they required a supply of Xuanhuang to function.

Another deacon interjected, “We’re running low on Xuanhuang this month.”

“Why are the Xuanhuang Division’s expenses always maxed out then? You people must be crazy for money!” The superintendent cursed again. “If you’re going to embezzle, why not just connect a pipe directly to the Zhenwu Lake and save on water costs while you’re at it?”

Feeling guilty, the deacon dared not retort. Instead, he turned to yell at his subordinates. “Why are you all still standing there? Hurry up and activate the Mini Dragon Pearls!”

A Daoist priest immediately went to activate the Mini Dragon Pearls.

The superintendent exhaled heavily and ordered, “Prepare the disaster relief supplies. It’s best if they’re not needed, but if they are, they must be ready to go immediately. I’m warning you all—if anything is short or missing, you should know what happens next. The investigation team is right here in Jinling.”

The two deacons nodded.

Noticing their usual dismissive attitudes, the superintendent raised his voice. “I’m serious this time! Don’t even think about skimping. Let me make it clear—this is a matter of life and death. If you can’t or won’t do it, say so now, and I’ll find someone else. Plenty of others will line up to replace you two!”

The two deacons immediately straightened their expressions and nodded timidly.

Similar scenes were unfolding throughout Jinling City. Except for the Black Robes, every available personnel had been mobilized.