A Pawn's Passage

For Heavenly Beings, flying from the Ghost Pass to Difei Mountain did not take long. Along the way, they only needed to pass through Xijing Prefecture.

Since Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei were still in the Xiaoyao stage, long-distance and sustained flight was difficult for them, so they needed short breaks along the way to catch their breath.

Thus, the two descended outside a county town under Xijing Prefecture’s jurisdiction, intending to rest for a few hours.

Xijing Prefecture covered a vast territory and consisted of 18 counties, each with numerous towns and villages. There was no need to pass through the prefectural capital where Wuxu Palace was located to reach Difei Mountain.

As they approached the city gate, they noticed a group of Green Phoenix Guards, seemingly waiting for someone.

Upon spotting them, the Green Phoenix Guards’ expressions lit up with excitement.

The leading officer—a major of the Green Phoenix Guards—stepped forward enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear. “Mage, we’ve only reported the case this morning, yet you’ve already arrived by the afternoon. Two at once, no less! What remarkable speed!”

Since Yao Pei and Qi Xuansu were still wearing their formal Daoist attire with the Novice License hanging from their waists, anyone could tell that they were fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters.

Puzzled, Qi Xuansu frowned and inquired, “What exactly has happened here? We are just passing through on our way to Difei Mountain’s Chongyang Palace of Immortality. ”

The smile on the Green Phoenix Guard Major’s face froze instantly. He thought to himself, No wonder...I was wondering why these Mages had suddenly become so proactive, not only arriving so quickly but also in a pair. It turns out it’s all just a coincidence!

Yet, since he could not ignore the question of a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, he quickly restrained his thoughts and answered honestly, “Mage, we have encountered a bizarre case. Someone infiltrated our Major’s Office at night and hung a severed head on a flagpole at the training grounds. When we cut down the flagpole to retrieve the head, we discovered that it belonged to the abbot of the local Daoist temple. Since this matter concerns the Daoist Order, we reported it accordingly. The higher-ups informed us that a Mage would be sent to handle the matter, which was why we mistook you for the assigned investigators.”

Yao Pei suddenly spoke. “Since this involves the murder of a Daoist abbot, we cannot simply ignore it. Lead us to the bodies.”

The Green Phoenix Guard Major was overjoyed. “Yes, Mage!”

Under the commander’s guidance, Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei arrived at the morgue, where four corpses were placed. Among them, one body was already decapitated, while the other three remained intact.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Why are there four bodies?”

The major replied, “Aside from the abbot, three others from the Daoist temple were also killed in their sleep. However, their heads were not severed.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “How can you be sure that all four were killed during the night?”

The major hesitated for a moment before answering, “To be frank with you, we went out for a drink with Abbot Wu the night he was killed. The next morning, we found his severed head hanging on the training ground’s flagpole. This can only mean that he was killed overnight.”

As the two conversed, Yao Pei had already approached the corpses. At some point, her eyes had turned completely white, her gaze so sharp it seemed as though it could see through the decaying flesh and peer into the organs.

A moment later, Yao Pei’s eyes returned to normal. She said, “Abbot Wu’s heart was ruptured by an invisible shockwave from a distance. The technique is incredibly precise. If an ordinary coroner were to examine the body, they wouldn’t be able to detect it unless they cut open the chest and removed the heart for inspection.”

Qi Xuansu asked directly, “Was this done by a secret society?”

Yao Pei shook her head. “I can’t say for certain. However, the technique used doesn’t seem to match the usual methods of the Lingshan Witch Cult or the Cult of Fates. The Ziguang Society typically favors silent assassinations, so they wouldn’t hang a severed head on a flagpole to provoke the Daoist Order.”

Qi Xuansu suggested, “Is it possible the Ziguang Society killed them, then the Lingshan Witch Cult hung the head on the flagpole?”

Yao Pei did not respond. She simply gave Qi Xuansu the same look of disdain as she had when he misread the Jianxiu Mountain Master.

Qi Xuansu coughed awkwardly. “I’m just joking.”

Yao Pei ignored Qi Xuansu and continued, “Whoever did this is far beneath Zhang Wuhen, and much weaker than Master Yin. With our combined strength, this shouldn’t be too difficult to handle.”

Qi Xuansu laughed dryly. “How many in the world can actually compare to those two anyway?”

As they spoke, another Green Phoenix Guard rushed over to report, “A disturbance has broken out at Taiping Inn. A group of drunkards is causing trouble, and the local cadets are unable to control them. They’ve requested our assistance.”

Qi Xuansu scoffed. “They killed someone yet chose not to flee? I’d like to see who these people are. Lead the way, Major.”

Hearing this, the Green Phoenix Guard Major’s confidence surged. He quickly gathered his men and led the two Mages toward Taiping Inn.

When they arrived outside the Taiping Inn, they saw that the inn’s staff and manager had already fled. They were now standing nervously on the streets, unwilling to go back inside.

Upon seeing Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei, their faces brightened with relief. After all, the Taiping Inn was owned by the Daoist Order. To them, the arrival of two Mages was like seeing their own kin.

The innkeeper hurried forward, exclaiming, “Mages, you’ve finally arrived! Please uphold justice for us!”

Qi Xuansu looked up toward the second floor and asked, “What exactly happened?”

The innkeeper spoke with a pained expression. “Mages, please help us! A group of Jianghu ruffians decided to discuss business in our inn. But for some reason, an argument broke out, and they started fighting. Their cultivation is formidable, so we couldn’t do anything against them and had to flee.”

As he spoke, Yao Pei had already stepped into the inn’s first floor.

Seeing this, Qi Xuansu followed her inside.

The major and the innkeeper, emboldened by the presence of two Mages, trailed closely behind.

Just as Yao Pei ascended the stairs to the second floor, a figure came hurtling toward her.

She remained expressionless and merely flicked her sleeves, unleashing a surge of true essence to catch the flying person in midair. With another casual wave, she flung them effortlessly to the side.

Qi Xuansu saw everything clearly from behind.

At that moment, only one man remained seated upstairs. He was tall and burly, with sharp eyebrows and a fierce gaze, dressed in simple clothes made of rough fabric. In front of him were several emptied wine jars, suggesting he had been drinking heavily.

Around him stood a group of armed men, eyes full of hostility and vigilance. Their encirclement had a noticeable gap, clearly left by the one who had just been sent flying toward Yao Pei.

The burly man guffawed. “How dare you pathetic lot find trouble with me?!”

However, his gaze soon locked onto Yao Pei. That earlier throw had been infused with a hidden force, capable of sending an opponent tumbling uncontrollably upon impact. Yet, this seemingly frail woman had effortlessly neutralized it, indicating that she was a force to be reckoned with.

Standing firm, Yao Pei remained emotionless as she declared, “Causing a disturbance in public and destroying an establishment of the Daoist Order warrants three months of forced labor and full compensation for all damages. Should you refuse to admit guilt and openly defy us, you will be charged with contempt against the Daoist Order.”

Only now did the standing men realize Yao Pei’s presence. As they turned their heads and caught sight of the Novice License hanging from Yao Pei’s and Qi Xuansu’s waists, their faces turned deathly pale.

One of them stammered in disbelief, “The D-Daoist O-Order...”

Before he could finish speaking, the group abandoned their encirclement of the burly man and retreated toward the windows in panic.

One of them muttered uncontrollably, “W-We’re in serious trouble...we’ve provoked the Daoist dogs!”

Qi Xuansu frowned slightly. This insulting term sat uncomfortably with him. As someone from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, he would never deny his affiliation to the Daoist Order, even if he harbored discontent toward some corrupt members.

Yao Pei remained unfazed, simply turning to the burly man and asking, “Were you the one who killed the abbot of the local Daoist temple?”

“You mean that scoundrel, Wu Yonggui?” The burly man was completely unafraid. “That bastard not only amassed wealth unscrupulously but also lured female worshippers to cooperate with him under the guise of Daoist bed chamber arts while he engaged in depraved acts. As far as I know, more than one woman came to offer incense at the Daoist temple, only to be imprisoned and forced to be his plaything. He even made them dress as Daoist priestesses to deceive outsiders.

“Last night, I went to that temple and caught him in the act again. This time, he was enacting a ‘one dragon, two phoenixes’ scene. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and lopped off his head. I hung this lecher’s head on the flagpole at the Green Phoenix Guards’ training grounds to serve as a warning to those blind fools. Maybe then they will start doing their job properly.”

“I see.” Yao Pei nodded. “Indeed, this man deserved death. However, it was not your place to execute him. You should have handed him over to the Daoist Order for a proper trial.”

The man sneered. “Your Daoist Order did nothing about it. I’m merely ridding the world of evil. So how am I wrong?”

Qi Xuansu felt a chill in his heart, but he remained silent.

This reminded him of his own grudge against Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli—cases where the Daoist Order failed him, forcing him to take matters into his own hands. In truth, Qi Xuansu was no different from him. Thus, he had no grounds to condemn this burly man.

After all, one should not be a hypocrite.

However, Yao Pei was not wrong either. The Daoist Order would never tolerate such vigilantism. If everyone acted as they pleased, there would be no need for governance.

Instead of answering the man’s retort, Yao Pei turned her gaze to the other group and asked, “Who are you people?”

The group exchanged glances but remained silent.

Yao Pei was not bothered. She turned back to the burly man and said, “Upholding justice and acting as a hero are plots that belong in novels. I never expected to witness it firsthand. To be frank, I care little for morality, right or wrong. I care only for societal order.

“Political attacks between the Daoist sects are carried out in secrecy, with great care to leave no evidence. No one dares to openly violate the rules. Even when crimes are committed, perpetrators would rather destroy all proof than be caught. If you had simply killed him and fled, I might not have pursued the matter.

“But you didn’t just kill him. You made a spectacle of it. Whether your goal was to warn others or proclaim justice, you undermined the authority of the Daoist Order. If we let this go, others will eventually follow your example. As you should know, the world does not respect virtue; it fears power. The rules that the Daoist Order painstakingly established will crumble.

“Justice is subjective. Everyone has their own opinions on what justice is. Was the Lord Buddha’s definition of justice the same as the Primordial Daoist Ancestor’s? Who truly has the right to determine what is just? Law does not exist to uphold justice, nor can it even guarantee fairness. The law exists to maintain order.

“Perhaps you’re morally right. But you have undermined the authority of the Daoist Order and disrupted harmony. That means I must remove you to restore order. Unless, of course, you are like the Ancient Immortals, backed by the Buddhist Sect and safe from the reach of Daoist law.”

Qi Xuansu suddenly had a strange realization. Though Yao Pei appeared to be addressing the burly man, her speech felt as if it was meant for him.