A Pawn's Passage

In truth, Qi Xuansu could have fired his gun earlier. His accuracy and speed were not much inferior to Yao Pei’s flying daggers. However, the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullets were far too expensive. Unless absolutely necessary, he had no intention of wasting his precious Taiping coins.

Initially, Qi Xuansu had no idea how much they actually cost. After all, the only Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet rounds he had ever used were given to him for free. He knew that the more common Grade-B Series Two Dragon Eye Bullet cost 10 Taiping coins per shot, so he assumed the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet might cost around 20 Taiping coins per shot.

With that assumption back then, he fired a shot at Yao Pei without hesitation just to test its power. Later, he inquired about the actual price, only to find out that Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet cost a staggering 50 Taiping coins per shot. Yao Pei had casually given him 20 bullets for free, which meant he gave him a gift worth 1,000 Taiping coins. It was only then that Qi Xuansu realized how generous his niece truly was.

Of course, there was another possibility. Since the Dragon Painting Pistol and the bullets that came with it were a gift to Yao Pei, she might not have even checked their value, so she would not feel the pain of spending her own money on them.

Regardless, Qi Xuansu could not afford to waste bullets. At the moment, he only had 100 Taiping coins in total. Firing once at Yao Pei and once at Qi Jianyuan had already cost him 100 Taiping coins. The thought alone was painful.

More importantly, given his current financial state, he could not afford to replenish them. Thus, each bullet used was one less bullet remaining. He had only 18 left, so he had to be extremely cautious in using them.

In a scenario like the one just now—where he was not launching a sneak attack or guaranteed to hit a vital point—a Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet would not have been enough to do any damage to a Heavenly Being, so firing was not necessary.

Qi Xuansu holstered his Dragon Painting Pistol and asked, “Should we inform Sage Sun?”

Yao Pei pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, we should inform him.”

Qi Xuansu asked again, “Since we have now confirmed Hu Jiaode as a suspect, should we just leave the rest to Sage Sun?”

Yao Pei shot him a glance. “How could you even think that?”

Qi Xuansu reasoned, “With Sage Sun’s level of cultivation, finding one person should be effortless, right?”

“It’s not that simple.” Yao Pei shook her head. “Sage Sun isn’t a Diviner, he can’t just sweep his Thoughts over the entire Wanxiang Daoist Palace and locate someone instantly. Even if he were a Diviner, the Wanxiang Daoist Palace is incredibly complex. There are countless layered formations, each interconnected and reinforcing the others.

“The Zhen Garden where we stay, the Dui Garden for high-ranking instructors, and the Kun Garden where the Deputy Palace Masters reside each have their own independent warding formation. There are also Gen Garden’s 99 archive towers, Qian Garden’s ceremonial halls, and Kan Garden’s lecture halls. Count them yourself. How many formations does that amount to? In the Upper Palace, flight is restricted. Even if a Diviner tried using mind projection, they could not extend too far from their physical bodies, much less peer inside warded formations.”

Qi Xuansu was momentarily stunned. “In that case, why didn’t you chase him earlier?”

Yao Pei countered, “Why didn’t you?”

Qi Xuansu answered frankly, “Hu Jiaode is far deadlier than Qi Jianyuan. He fights like a man with nothing to lose! If I recklessly pursued him, I’d be walking into a death trap. Even a Heavenly Being like you didn’t move, so why should I?”

Yao Pei explained, “Informing Sage Sun serves one major purpose—he can mobilize the Wanxiang Daoist Palace’s Spirit Guards to conduct a thorough sweep of the place. Since the compound is currently sealed, our target is like a fly trapped in a jar. We will find him eventually. But this doesn’t mean it will happen immediately. It will take some time.

“However, once this happens, everyone will realize that Qi Jianyuan’s death was suspicious. It will inevitably lead to the exposure of the Ziguang Society. There is no such thing as a perfectly kept secret. The only question is whether someone chooses to investigate it or not. If this matter escalates, those with an interest in the truth will not let it go. That is exactly what my master, Sage Donghua, does not want to see.”

Qi Xuansu raised an objection. “Qi Jianyuan’s sudden death has already caused an uproar. A Deputy Ziwei Hall Master dying inexplicably in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace will definitely attract attention. Do you honestly believe the fabricated ‘crime of passion’ will be enough to cover it up?”

Yao Pei replied calmly, “For now, at least, it is still under control. Since the Wanxiang Daoist Palace is completely sealed off, neither mother-child talismans nor regular rapid post talismans can transmit information. The only exception is the rapid post talisman in the Palace Master’s Office, which is currently under Sage Sun’s control.

“So far, Sage Sun has only reported the matter to three individuals—the Palace Master, my master Sage Donghua, and Qi Jiaozheng of the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion. These three are not the type to leak information. As a result, the outside world still has no clue about Qi Jianyuan’s death.”

Qi Xuansu frowned. “But the Wanxiang Daoist Palace won’t stay sealed forever.”

Yao Pei’s face remained eerily composed, almost cold. “As long as we eliminate every single cult member before the Wanxiang Daoist Palace reopens and secretly dispose of Pei Muyu, then publicly declare that he died from qi deviation, it won’t matter if others eventually find out about this. There will be no evidence, no loose ends, and no way to implicate the Quanzhen Sect. That will be enough.”

Qi Xuansu’s heart shuddered. At last, he understood. This was never about revenge. Yao Pei’s true goal was to tie up loose ends. No wonder she had said she wanted to personally catch the big fish.

Thinking it over, it all made sense. How could someone who practiced the Taishang Emotionless Sutra—a path of absolute detachment—be so desperate for vengeance? This was not even about avenging Qi Jianyuan. After all, he had already been avenged when the female instructor was killed.

Qi Xuansu could not help but reevaluate Yao Pei.

Zhang Yuelu might have had the vision and determination to reform the Daoist Order, but she was far from a traditional ‘good person.’ She was ruthless and calculating, even bordering on tyrannical. Her aloof and domineering nature made her notoriously difficult to deal with.

Li Changge was a master of manipulation and strategy, which was why he held such esteemed status within the Li family.

As the carefully nurtured successor of both the Yao and Pei families, Yao Pei could stand on equal footing with Zhang Yuelu and Li Changge. So how could she possibly be a naive girl?

Yao Pei appeared distant and indifferent, yet in truth, she was ruthless and cold. If Zhang Yuelu was thunder, then Yao Pei was the unseen wind—one yang, one yin.

Yao Pei sensed Qi Xuansu’s scrutinizing gaze and turned to meet it. “You seem surprised?”

Qi Xuansu steadied himself. “The Pei family...”

“Whether it’s the Daoist Order, the Quanzhen Sect, or the Pei family, none of them will tolerate a traitor like Pei Muyu. He deserves to die. Why are you struggling to see this for what it is?” Yao Pei scoffed.

Qi Xuansu replied, “Of course, I have no trouble understanding it. It’s just that...I have no family, so I can’t relate to what it feels like to execute one of your own.”

Yao Pei said indifferently, “Don’t worry. One day, you’ll get your chance—whether it’s the Zhang family or the Yao family.”

Qi Xuansu fell silent.

Yao Pei gave him a long, piercing look. “What do you think this is? Some child’s game? This is a zero-sum fight—either them or us. Live or die. Morality and rules are just for appearances. Behind the scenes are all blades and blood. A family, a clan, a sect, a religious order, or even an empire—all have their facade and core. The facade must be spotless, untouched by filth. The dirty work and things unfit for the public eye must be handled in the shadows. If one fails to contain it, the filth will stain the facade, which will be detrimental when scrutinized. Once placed on the scales, a feather-light offense can weigh down like a mountain. It won’t just crush a man to death. It will grind him into nothing.”

Qi Xuansu murmured, “The Quanzhen Sect’s facade...”

Yao Pei no longer looked at him. Instead, she gazed into the vast, endless night. “There’s a saying that a family’s legacy, sustained for centuries, is built on virtue. The greatest pursuit in this world is still the study of knowledge. I have to admit that Qing Xiao is an idealist and an exceptionally capable person. But she must never forget one thing—the position we hold today isn’t just from study and talent. It stands upon the accumulated virtue of an old and powerful family.”

The emotionless Yao Pei rarely spoke this much, so this was unprecedented for her. She continued, “Tian Yuan, although we only met at Wanxiang Daoist Palace, I’ve known about you for a long time. You could say that I’ve watched you climb step by step to where you are now. Do you know how many people envy the position you hold now?

“You and I are both carried by the current of a greater tide. That’s why we are where we are today. If we step out of that current, or worse, go against it—we will become nothing.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“Tian Yuan, you and I are already caught in the game, and we have no control over it. Though we are studying at the Wanxiang Daoist Upper Palace, we are not mere students who can indulge in the idealistic and flowery moral debates of scholars in their ivory towers.

“We must be like the yin-yang symbol of the Daoist Order, with one foot in the light, and one foot in the dark. Where there is shadow, there must be light; where there is light, there must be shadow.

“On one hand, we must uphold the hallowed laws of morality, while the other wields the bloodstained blade that knows no rules. So when the time comes, put away your overgrown, sentimental heart.”

Yao Pei’s tone was calm, but the cold edge within was unmistakable.

Qi Xuansu did not argue. He was never the sentimental type. Instead, he changed the topic. “Since you plan to eliminate all the Ziguang Society members in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, what’s our next step?”

“Hu Jiaode won’t escape. The flying daggers I embedded in him are not just blades. When necessary, they become my eyes.”

Yao Pei revealed why she had not pursued Hu Jiaode. “I’d rather see where he runs. More importantly, what other plans does the Ziguang Society have?”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What if he pulls the daggers out?”

“The daggers are not so easy to remove,” Yao Pei said indifferently. “If he wants to extract my blades, he’d best prepare to carve out his own flesh.”

With that, Yao Pei flicked her fingers. A dagger-shaped shard of glass materialized, reflecting Hu Jiaode’s profile. This must be the dagger embedded in his shoulder.

With another flick, a second identical shard emerged, this time showing the dagger lodged in Hu Jiaode’s back.

Flicking her fingers three times, she summoned images from every dagger except the one he had deflected. Now, she could finally view the situation from their perspective.

Hu Jiaode was moving rapidly, his surroundings shifting at dizzying speed. But with Yao Pei’s Heavenly Calculation, she could still decipher what was happening.

From the very start, Yao Pei never intended to kill Hu Jiaode. She wanted to lure out the entire nest of cultists. Letting Hu Jiaode escape meant he might seek out fellow Ziguang Society members still hidden within the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. This played right into her hands.

This should have been Qi Jianyuan’s responsibility. But now, Yao Pei had to clean up the mess.