A Pawn's Passage

Bai Yingqiong sat behind the desk, propping her forehead with her hand, unable to conceal her fatigue.

First, the Zhenwu Temple caught on fire last night, so Bai Yingqiong had to direct the firefighting operations to stabilize the situation. She also had to prepare a report to her superiors to absolve herself of blame.

Then, she received a message from her master, Sage Cihang, who was far away in Jade Capital, informing her about the Cult of Fates and instructing her to discuss countermeasures with Zhang Yuelu.

Initially, Bai Yingqiong still harbored a glimmer of hope, but upon contacting Zhang Yuelu and learning that the water treatment plant had been targeted, flooded with so-called Gifts, she realized calamity had struck.

This was a catastrophe not only for Jinling City but also for her and the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. Mishandling the situation could lead to unimaginable disaster. By then, advancing her career was no longer an option. Instead, she would consider herself lucky if she could avoid being escorted to Jade Capital for punishment.

With her future on the line, Bai Yingqiong could not afford the slightest mistake. She stayed awake all night, discussing strategies with Zhang Yuelu, coordinating with various authorities, and overseeing operations.

After years of peace, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion had grown complacent and was ill-prepared for sudden crises. Bai Yingqiong had to personally intervene in numerous cases of mishandling and inefficiency because all matters fell to her, the Chief Deputy Mansion Master, when the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master and several Deputy Mansion Masters were absent.

Thus, the sheer mental and physical toll rivaled a life-and-death battle. Even as a Heavenly Being, she felt utterly drained.

Fortunately, Pei Xiaolou returned past midnight and took over some responsibilities, handling the aftermath of the fire at Zhenwu Temple.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu was still at the water treatment plant with the Tiangang Hall members, clearing out substantial quantities of Gifts.

However, Lei Xiaohuan and Li Tianlan were nowhere to be seen.

Lei Xiaohuan’s absence was understandable because she was most likely trapped.

But Li Tianlan was free as ever and still scheming behind the scenes.

Bai Yingqiong could not suppress her anger. At such a critical time, that old fox was still prioritizing factional struggles over national affairs.

Yet, she was powerless to do anything about it.

......

In a private room within the water treatment plant, Qi Xuansu sat there with his large sleeves rolled up to reveal his bare arms that had veins bulging all over. They resembled small green dragons coiling around his arms—a result of internal injuries from over-exertion. These were not mere surface wounds; even his regenerative abilities as a Martial Arts Practitioner could not heal them quickly.

Zhang Yuelu held a gourd of thick medicinal liquid from Huasheng Hall. She diluted the liquid with water and poured a little onto Qi Xuansu’s arm before gently wiping the substance back and forth with a handkerchief.

After repeating the process several times, the bulging veins subsided. Qi Xuansu tried clenching his fist. Apart from his recently reattached hand, he could now exert normal strength.

Zhang Yuelu poured out the last of the medicine, rubbed it on her hand, and patted Qi Xuansu’s arm. “Done.”

Qi Xuansu carefully observed the veins on his arm. The delight in his tone was childlike as he exclaimed, “Wow, it really works!”

“Of course.” Zhang Yuelu smiled, rolling down his sleeves and smoothing out the creases of the Taiyi Cloud Robe.

Frankly speaking, the Taiyi Cloud Robe seemed misused in Qi Xuansu’s hands. Among its successive wearers, Qi Xuansu was by far the least meticulous.

However, Qi Xuansu had single-handedly closed the main sluice gate, incurring these injuries in the line of duty. This feat impressed even the high-ranking Spirit Guard Xu, earning him newfound respect.

Just then, cheers erupted outside.

Moments later, Mu Jin pushed open the door, her excitement evident. “Deputy Hall Master, Spirit Guard Xu has captured and killed that giant black fish!”

The giant black fish was the same creature that had ambushed Qi Xuansu while he was closing the sluice gate. Once the Tiangang Hall reinforcements arrived, they followed Zhang Yuelu’s orders and began systematically clearing these monstrous fish from various reservoirs, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection tanks. Spirit Guard Xu personally handled the giant black fish.

Initially, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu each led a team to clear different areas. However, Qi Xuansu soon felt something amiss. Likely due to overexertion, his arms were sore and, more troublingly, weak, suggesting internal injuries.

Thus, Zhang Yuelu brought Qi Xuansu over to this private room for treatment, offering a brief respite amid the chaos.

However, the arrival of the giant third wheel that was Mu Jin effectively ended their short-lived moment of solitude.

Zhang Yuelu capped the gourd and walked out.

Mu Jin shot Qi Xuansu a glance, jealousy evident, before hurrying after Zhang Yuelu.

The Cult of Fates’ Gifts shared the same origins as the Huasheng Hall. Although the Cult of Fates regularly introduced new variants, the Daoist Order would intercept them and send samples to Huasheng Hall, which typically decoded them swiftly and developed antidotes. This was one of the key functions of Huasheng Hall’s regional branches.

This time was no different. In addition to killing the fish, Tiangang Hall also collected samples to send to the Huasheng Hall branch in Jinling Prefecture.

Qi Xuansu stood up and stepped outside.

A massive fish carcass lay in plain view not far from the main sluice gate and the reservoir, clearly slain by Spirit Guard Xu.

As Qi Xuansu approached, he overheard Zhang Yuelu saying, “Spirit Guard Xu, you mentioned that when you dived underwater, the Water Escape Method failed. I just tested it and found that the earth qi is in disarray, so using the Earth Escape Method will be perilous. If the method fails midway, one might end up buried alive. This makes the remaining Fire, Wood, and Metal Escape Methods unreliable too.

“Judging by the small to the large, if the Five Elements Escape Methods fail, it means the Five Elements are in chaos and the earth qi is out of control. Next would be a reversal of yin and yang. If the internal qi and external qi become isolated, I fear that both the rapid post talisman and the mother-child talisman will cease to function, turning Jinling into an isolated city. By then, communication with Jade Capital or nearby prefectures will be impossible, making the situation highly capricious.”

“The Cult of Fates is well-prepared this time. I’m afraid it’s far more than just spreading curses,” Spirit Guard Xu said, equally concerned.

Zhang Yuelu clenched her right fist and lightly punched her left palm. “This is expected. Last year, when the Daoist Order fought the Shamanistic Sect, the first thing they did was sever all communications. Sometimes, the simplest methods are the most reliable. Spirit Guard Xu—”

“Yes, Deputy Hall Master.” Spirit Guard Xu replied solemnly.

Zhang Yuelu ordered, “If the talismans fail, we’ll have no choice but to use messengers. Please make preparations. If it comes to that, I need you to leave Jinling immediately and head to Jiangning Prefecture or Qiantang Prefecture. The Daoist temples there are also equipped with rapid post talismans. It’s unlikely for communication in the entire Jiangnan region to be cut off.”

“What about you, Deputy Hall Master?” Spirit Guard Xu hesitated, as he had been assigned by Sage Cihang to protect Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu replied resolutely, “The situation has changed. I am now a Heavenly Being with a semi-immortal object. I may not be able to defeat another Heavenly Being, but I’m capable of self-defense.

“With our current situation, leaving the city may not be easy. Apart from me and a few Sages, only you have a good chance of getting out alive. The odds for anyone else are grim. We’ll have to look at the bigger picture. How can my survival be prioritized over the lives of millions in Jinling?”

Hearing this, Spirit Guard Xu no longer hesitated and nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yuelu waved her hand. “Everyone, back to your posts.”

Everyone acknowledged her command and dispersed.

Only Qi Xuansu remained standing in place.

As a superintendent of Ziwei Hall, Qi Xuansu had no role within Tiangang Hall. All he could do was wait for Zhang Yuelu to assign him a suitable task.

Zhang Yuelu turned to him and smiled. “You can stay with me.”

Qi Xuansu certainly had no objections.

In terms of cultivation level, rank, and even capabilities, Zhang Yuelu surpassed him by far, so it was only natural for the stronger partner to lead. This was simply the objective rule of the competent taking charge over the less capable.

It was no wonder Madam Qi teased Qi Xuansu that living off Zhang Yuelu would be the more realistic option for him.

Zhang Yuelu headed toward the ground level, with Qi Xuansu following closely behind.

The entire water treatment plant had been placed under strict lockdown, so the ground level was equally swarming with Spirit Guards.

Zhang Yuelu looked to the east but did not see the light of dawn. The faint sliver of light on the horizon that had been there earlier had vanished, and the entire sky had turned a dull gray.

“Whoa...” Qi Xuansu was taken aback.

Zhang Yuelu’s expression turned grave. “They’re altering the weather...This is far more than just spreading curses through the water supply. The Cult of Fates has vast ambitions. I’m afraid I have understated the situation when I reported it to my master earlier. I fear it may lead to a misjudgment on their part.”

As she spoke, Zhang Yuelu retrieved a mother-child talisman.

This time, the talisman’s projected screen displayed only chaotic, interwoven lines resembling rippling lake water, with no sign of anyone.

Qi Xuansu instinctively felt for the mother-child talisman he used to contact Madam Qi.

Just as Zhang Yuelu was about to dismiss the screen, a figure appeared. It was not Sage Cihang, but a young man with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and a blade of green foxtail grass between his teeth.

“Mage Zhang, Daoist Qi, it’s an honor to meet you,” the young man said while clasping his hands in greeting.

Qi Xuansu asked in a deep voice, “Who are you?”

The young man grinned, his smile was radiant, with a touch of naivety like that of a boy. “My name is Situ Xingluan, from the Cult of Fates.”