A Pawn's Passage

Xu Feiying was efficient, tracking down the whereabouts of The Inn’s assassin in just a day and a half. In terms of informants, she was far superior to Song San and Wu Si. She even had connections within The Inn itself. Of course, Xu Feiying did not have hard evidence.

The assassin had not been too careful about covering his tracks, believing he had carried out the hit cleanly, leaving no trace. After all, the target was just a low-ranking assistant major, not worth getting worked up over.

Once Qi Xuansu received the news, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

In Qi Xuansu’s view, it could very well be a trap, but he did not care. After all, it was unlikely Gao Mingyin could hire a Wuliang-stage Heavenly Being to lie in ambush. After all, very few knew Qi Xuansu’s true strength. Zhao Fu’an knew, but he would not spread the word. On the contrary, he would keep it tightly under wraps to preserve his own dignity.

After nightfall, Qi Xuansu quietly left the Yuhuang Palace. Learning from his previous slip-up when Song San and Wu Si spotted him, he now took off to the skies so that the common folk and informants could not catch a glimpse of him.

According to Xu Feiying, the assassin was named Zhang Fakui, a Qi Refiner likely at the seventh level of the Guizhen stage—a tricky opponent. He was currently staying at an ordinary inn by Penglai Pool. Since the pool sat at the intersection of several districts, it made it easy for Zhang Fakui to escape through the water if anything went wrong. No doubt, Zhang Fakui was a true veteran of the underworld.

Around midnight, Zhang Fakui was not sleeping. He sat at the edge of his bed, holding a porcelain cup filled with strong baijiu.

He had caught wind of some rumors that he had crossed someone he should not have. The dead Green Phoenix Guard had been working for someone else—someone powerful enough to challenge Old Master Gao, and that someone was now furious. In a clash between giants, minions like him would get caught in the crossfire.

Another friend had tipped him off that someone was investigating him, which only fueled his suspicions.

At this moment, Zhang Fakui was debating whether to leave, but part of him was still unconcerned. His greatest confidence came from his cultivation. He was a Qi Refiner in the Divine Qi Realm, just two levels away from becoming a Xiaoyao-stage Heavenly Being. Thus, it would take a Heavenly Being or three Guizhen-stage Xiantian Beings to capture him. Even if that powerful someone wanted to vent their anger, would they really go to such lengths to deal with a small fry like him?

Just then, he heard a knock at the door.

Startled, Zhang Fakui immediately set down his wine cup and drew his weapon—a flying sword without a hilt. He asked warily, “Who is it?”

There was no reply. Instead, the entire door suddenly came hurtling straight toward him.

Zhang Fakui slashed the door in half with a single stroke, revealing the intruder’s figure—a young man with an overwhelming oppressive aura, dressed in casual robes that told nothing about his identity.

His first instinct was to flee by leaping out the west window and landing in Penglai Pool. However, Qi Xuansu had no intention of letting that happen. As Zhang Fakui leaped, Qi Xuansu grabbed his ankle midair and yanked him back.

Zhang Fakui was no flowerbed Daoist. He was a seasoned fighter, much like Qi Xuansu. The instant Qi Xuansu seized his ankle, Zhang Fakui’s short sword shot toward Qi Xuansu’s throat without hesitation.

Had their cultivation levels been equal, it might have been a proper fight. Unfortunately for Zhang Fakui, Qi Xuansu was a Heavenly Being.

With his right hand gripping Zhang Fakui’s ankle tightly, Qi Xuansu casually activated his Golden Body in his left hand to catch the flying sword.

The flying sword screeched and struggled desperately, cracks forming along its blade. Its sword qi pierced through Qi Xuansu’s golden fingers, countless golden flakes scattering like fireflies. The sword qi was sharp, splitting open the skin of Qi’s fingertips. Yet thanks to his body-regenerative abilities, the tiny wound healed before blood could even surface. This repeated several times, but the flying sword still failed to sever Qi Xuansu’s fingers.

Since the west window led to Penglai Pool, Qi Xuansu flung Zhang Fakui eastward, sending him crashing through the east wall and the guestroom across the corridor, before being hurled out into the street beyond.

Zhang Fakui hit the ground hard. As he tried to stand up, he saw the young man hovering in midair, looking down on him from above.

Despair washed over Zhang Fakui’s face as he muttered, “Heavenly Being...”

Qi Xuansu finally spoke. “On October 15th, during the Xiayuan Festival, you killed a Green Phoenix Guard assistant major named Wu Si.”

A wave of regret surged through Zhang Fakui’s heart. He was not sure if he regretted not heeding his friend’s warning to leave early or if he regretted accepting what had seemed like a trivial job. But as a seasoned fighter, Zhang Fakui did not let this regret slow him down. He quickly turned to flee without hesitation.

In places like Jade Capital, Imperial Capital, and Jinling Prefecture, Heavenly Beings were forbidden from flying freely. However, low-altitude gliding was not considered a violation. No matter how fast a Qi Refiner could run, they were no match for a Heavenly Being in flight. Qi Xuansu had learned that firsthand when he was hunted down by Feng Bo. Back then, he had only escaped by hiding in the river. That was why Qi Xuansu’s first move now was to push Zhang Fakui farther away from Penglai Pool.

More importantly, Qi Xuansu now far surpassed Feng Bo’s cultivation back then. If they were to fight again, he was confident he could win, just as Zhang Yuelu had once slain Marshal Thunder.

If Qi Xuansu were to fight Zhang Yuelu again, the outcome would be hard to predict, mainly because of her Amorphous Paper. With Zhang Yuelu’s semi-immortal object, Qi Xuansu’s chances of winning would be slightly lower. Against Yao Pei, his odds were worse still, as the Staff of Merit was even more powerful than the Amorphous Paper. Against Li Changge, Qi Xuansu was missing a piece of Xuan Jade, thus missing a large portion of the mystical abilities it could bring. Moreover, with the Li family’s wealth and lineage, no one would believe that Li Changge did not own at least one semi-immortal object.

In the end, Qi Xuansu’s advantage lay in experience, but his biggest weakness was simply being poor.

From this perspective, the Ruyi Leaderboard posted by the Qingping Society seemed rather fair. This order reflected more than just personal cultivation. In a way, it was also a ranking of family support. The Li family backed Li Changge completely, so he topped the list. The Yao family did the same for Yao Pei, though they were slightly weaker, placing her second. The Zhang family could match the Li family in influence, but they gave little support to Zhang Yuelu, hence why she ranked last among the three Daoist prodigies.

Qi Xuansu’s thoughts drifted slightly, but his hands did not hesitate for even a second. In the blink of an eye, he was behind Zhang Fakui, grabbing him squarely between the shoulder blades.

This time, Qi Xuansu used the Demonic Blade’s instinct to seize a vital node in the flow of Zhang Fakui’s innate qi. This node was not fixed; it constantly shifted with the movement of innate qi. Any attempt to observe and analyze it would take too long because by the time it was confirmed, it would have already moved. Only the instinct-driven Demonic Blade or the accurate calculation of the Heavenly Blade could land a hit on that node in such a fleeting moment.

This grasp was like cutting off a stream mid-flow. Zhang Fakui’s innate qi stagnated for an instant. Seizing that moment, Qi Xuansu subdued him.

Zhang Fakui could not move a muscle.

Qi Xuansu yanked him and followed up with a solid punch. Even without the Martial Arts Practitioner’s body spirit, Qi Xuansu’s punch was more than enough to take down Zhang Fakui.

Zhang Fakui’s body trembled, and his innate qi dissipated.

That was how Qi Xuansu had successfully captured Zhang Fakui.

Ke Qingqing and Xu Feiying had been waiting in the Yuhuang Palace. When they saw Qi Xuansu dragging the criminal like a sack of rice, they immediately approached. Qi Xuansu casually tossed Zhang Fakui forward and instructed, “Send him to the Nether Prison and interrogate him thoroughly. The Inn always keeps documents of these transactions, so find that written agreement.”

Ke Qingqing acknowledged the order and summoned the Spirit Guards to escort Zhang Fakui to the Nether Prison.

Xu Feiying was quietly stunned that a Daoist superintendent had such ruthless methods and was so well-versed in the ways of Jianghu. Qi Xuansu did not seem like a flowerbed Daoist or a pampered noble scion. With such grit and wildness, he was more like someone who had clawed his way up amidst thorns and weeds. She finally understood why Qi Xuansu could hold a high office at such a young age.

Qi Xuansu suddenly said, “Thank you for your assistance, Superintendent Xu. Once this matter is settled, I’ll submit a request for you to be granted a Daoist Kindred title of the seventh rank. Also, please be careful in the coming days. You’re welcome to stay here in the Yuhuang Palace if you wish.”

Xu Feiying smiled faintly. “Thank you, Mage Qi. But there’s no need for me to stay in the Yuhuang Palace. My family has lived in the capital for generations, serving in the Three Judicial Offices. While we may not be deeply rooted, we do have our share of relatives and old allies, so protecting myself won’t be an issue. Besides, Old Master Gao will be too busy dealing with you to spare time for people like me.”

Qi Xuansu did not press further. “Come to think of it, you’re a bit older than me, so I suppose there is no need for me to tell you how to stay safe. But if you run into trouble, don’t hesitate to come find me.”

Xu Feiying nodded and prepared to take her leave.

Just then, the Novice License hanging at Qi Xuansu’s waist lit up on its own. He casually opened it, revealing a projection of Zhang Yuelu before him.

Xu Feiying had done her homework on this Daoist superintendent. Rumor had it he shared an extraordinary bond with the famous Zhang Yuelu, having even visited her in Yunjin Mountain. He had also been summoned by Sage Cihang. All that was left was a formal meeting with the Heavenly Preceptor to solidify their marriage.

So even though it was improper, Xu Feiying could not help but steal a glance in their direction. She was stunned by the sight, thinking, So this is the legendary Zhang Yuelu?