A Pawn's Passage

After leaving Li Ruoshui’s office, Shi Bingyun returned to her own and spent nearly half an hour in long-distance communication with her senior sister, Sage Cihang, using a linked mother-child talisman. Only then did Shi Bingyun summon Qi Xuansu.

Unaware of what had transpired, Qi Xuansu arrived at Shi Bingyun’s office, ready to report about Gao Mingyin’s cause of death. However, Shi Bingyun waved her hand. “That can wait. I summoned you here for something else.”

Thanks to Madam Qi’s teachings, Qi Xuansu was adept at reading expressions. He immediately noticed that Shi Bingyun was visibly displeased, barely suppressing her anger.

He asked, “Has someone questioned the case? Was it the Mansion Master?”

“Good guess.” Shi Bingyun gave a cold snort. “It started with Gao Mingyin’s case, but now it’s your case too.”

“My case?” Qi Xuansu was puzzled. “I handled the Gao Mingyin case, so of course it’s mine.”

Shi Bingyun corrected him. “Not a case you’re handling. It’s a case about you. Look at this first.”

With that, she pushed the official letter toward Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu took the letter and skimmed through it quickly. His expression changed at once. “Monk Yan Xiu? I never went looking for him, and now he’s come after me instead.”

“You know him?” Shi Bingyun asked, mildly surprised.

Qi Xuansu briefly explained what had happened at Yishan City’s Yulan Temple. “Though he’s a Buddhist monk, he’s evil at heart. I’ve long intended to take revenge, but the man is elusive, and I haven’t had the time to track him down. I never imagined it would lead to trouble today.”

Shi Bingyun replied, “Don’t be too quick to regret. First, give me the full truth—what exactly is going on with what’s written in this letter? The Daoist Relations Department has no right to arrest you, of course. But since they’ve issued an official communication, we must respond formally.”

A formal written correspondence between two major powers served as a tool for negotiation and ceremonial diplomacy. It had to be treated seriously, and whether to accept, reject, reply, ignore, act quickly, or delay a response held meaning. Typically, all such formal communications require an appropriate response.

The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court were autonomous and equal in standing, so they used such written correspondence. The same applied between the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect, the Confucian School, or the Holy Court.

Qi Xuansu frowned and looked at the document in his hand.

It stated one thing. A Buddhist Qishi monk named Yan Xiu had reported a Jijiu Daoist master named Qi Xuansu to the Daoist Relations Department, accusing the latter of being a member of the secret society known as the Lingshan Witch Cult. He had also provided several pieces of evidence.

When it came to dealing with secret societies, the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order had an aligned and consistent stance. Thus, following protocol, the Daoist Relations Department issued a formal notice to the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, demanding a clear response.

Based on the procedure, neither the Daoist Relations Department nor Li Ruoshui had done anything wrong. This was precisely why Shi Bingyun had no choice but to compromise. The reason was simple. Unless one was prepared to overturn the table entirely, no one could publicly challenge the legitimacy and sanctity of the established rules. This was what it meant to have just cause.

Qi Xuansu had once used the Great Xuan Penal Code to put Tianchen Division in a bind. Now, they were employing the same tactic against him.

Qi Xuansu’s feelings were a tangled mix of shock, unease, and a touch of relief.

In a sense, he was indeed a member of a secret society. But he did not belong to the Lingshan Witch Cult. He had only recently attended the Qingping Society’s Dream Meeting.

Very few people knew about his affiliation with the Qingping Society, and those who knew could be trusted. In the few cases where there had been leaks, others had helped smooth things over.

For instance, Madam Qi had wiped out everyone present at The Inn in Fengtai County when Qi Xuansu had stupidly mentioned his real name. Madam Qi might be flippant on normal days, but she was no gentle soul. She was a seasoned mogul roaming the Jianghu for many years. Thus, when it came time to kill, she never hesitated. It was from her that Qi Xuansu had learned how to be ruthless. His master, Qi Haoran, had taught him none of that.

Then there was the matter with Qin Wubing. Pei Xiaolou had personally stepped in and spoken to Qin Wubing’s father, Commandery Prince Qin. Thus, they helped conceal Qi Xuansu’s identity.

Even if someone discovered that he had once used the alias Wei Wugui, it was not a serious issue. Since he had faked his death to go undercover, he had to use an alias. The key was preventing anyone from realizing that Wei Wugui was also the Qingping Society’s Gold-Plated Knife.

Aside from Li Qingnu, only Liu Hu’s adoptive father, Wild Bodhisattva, knew the truth. Looking at it now, he had been lucky that he had not been exposed.

Qi Xuansu shook the letter in his hand. “The so-called evidence here are all baseless rumors, completely fabricated.”

Shi Bingyun gave him a look. “Don’t take this lightly. Tell me—how did you survive falling from the flying ship at that height? Sure, you can claim it was because Sage Donghua saved you. That’s fine for casual talk, but now, this is a matter for formal review. You’ll need real, verifiable evidence and not just hearsay. Sage Donghua sealed part of your personnel file, but this accusation alone is reason enough to reopen it. Can your history withstand scrutiny?”

Qi Xuansu began to feel unsure. He truly had no idea what Sage Donghua had written in his file. Had Sage Donghua told the truth, or had he embellished things? If Qi Xuansu were Yao Pei, he might be able to speak with Sage Donghua openly and ask him about it in detail. Unfortunately, he was not close to this Omniscient Sage. Often, when Qi Xuansu invoked the Sage Donghua’s name, it was merely to intimidate others.

Sage Donghua was not Madam Qi, nor was he Qi Xuansu’s father-in-law, so he would not necessarily have Qi Xuansu’s best interests in mind. It was entirely possible that Sage Donghua had left some holes in his file as a contingency, in case Qi Xuansu ever tried to escape his grasp.

In truth, the only backer Qi Xuansu could truly count on was Madam Qi.

Thus, whenever Qi Xuansu imagined the worst-case scenario, it was either death or roaming the world with Madam Qi once more.

Of course, Qi Xuansu could tell the truth, that he possessed the Embedded Longevity Stone Heart, so surviving the fall made perfect sense.

But that would lead to the next question: where did this Longevity Stone Heart come from?

Qi Xuansu had no answer to that.

Shi Bingyun continued, “Second—why didn’t you die during Wu Luo’s divine descent at Yulan Temple? I just asked my senior sister to verify the event. The divine descent’s scale was massive, so much so that everyone in Yishan City saw it. Don’t even think about denying that it happened.

“Furthermore, Qing Xiao submitted a merit report on your behalf, which required a detailed written account of the entire experience. The official records show that you did go to Yulan Temple, so don’t bother claiming you weren’t there.

“What’s more, Qing Xiao’s report confirms that Monk Yan Xiu was also present at Yulan Temple. Now, Yan Xiu is testifying as a firsthand witness, claiming you survived Wu Luo’s divine descent because you’re a Lingshan Witch Cult follower. How will you explain that?”

Qi Xuansu was beginning to understand the terrifying power of written documentation. Even a routine merit report had now become crucial evidence. He doubted even Zhang Yuelu would have foreseen that.

Shi Bingyun continued, “That merit report Qing Xiao submitted for you is kept in Ziwei Hall, but Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall likely have copies. If an investigation is launched, they will be brought out. Don’t hold onto false hope that these records can be sealed.”

Qi Xuansu fell silent.

It was the same old problem. He could give a perfect answer by admitting he had the Longevity Stone Heart, but the issue was that he could not explain where this precious heart had come from.

Shi Bingyun rambled on, “You survived Wu Luo’s divine descent at Yulan Temple, followed Zhang Yuelu back to Yunjin Mountain, then boarded a flying ship on New Year’s Day to return to Jade Capital. Wu Luo appeared near the Kunlun Pass and snapped the flying ship into two midair. Yet once again, you came out unscathed.

“After the crash, you disappeared for quite some time. But The Inn’s Innkeeper confirmed your appearance near Cuowenbu, where another major event happened that shook the Daoist Order. Wu Luo launched a direct assault on Tiangang Hall’s Yinglong Warship. Sage Shangguan Jing was killed in action, and Tiangang Hall suffered heavy casualties among the Daoist priests and Spirit Guards. Don’t tell me that was all a coincidence. Even if I believe you, would anyone else buy your story?”

Qi Xuansu tapped his forehead lightly. All of his safeguards were undone by a single oversight.

Qin Wubing might be able to control the Black Robes, but not the Green Phoenix Guard or The Inn. Back then, Qi Xuansu had saved the Innkeeper from a group of thugs near Cuowenbu.

At the time, the Black Robes had taken over the area, driving away all unrelated personnel. The Inn’s Innkeeper had a decent relationship with the Green Phoenix Guard but was not aligned with the Black Robes. Moreover, the elite forces of The Inn had been completely wiped out at the old manufacturing plant by Cuowenbu Lake. The Innkeeper was forced to flee alone, only to be ambushed by a group of thugs along the way. Qi Xuansu intervened to rescue the Innkeeper in exchange for information on the location of White Jade Hall. Thus, the Innkeeper later gave him a map as a token of appreciation.

“I don’t care what you were up to during the time you disappeared,” Shi Bingyun said, glaring at Qi Xuansu with frustration. “But how could you leave such a glaring mistake for someone to hold over your head? Do you not understand the relationship between the Green Phoenix Guard and The Inn? Do you still believe in that so-called Jianghu brotherhood? How could you call yourself a seasoned wild Daoist if this is how you operate? You’re too softhearted. Why couldn’t you just finish him off with your blade? After all, he’s just a minor leader in a secret society and not a Daoist.”

Qi Xuansu had no reply.

To be fair, if he were not the one involved and merely viewed it from a third-party perspective, he too would find it far too coincidental. Everywhere he went, Wu Luo would appear, and yet he always emerged unscathed. Why would Wu Luo spare him again and again? If something appeared inexplicable, then there must be something wrong. Naturally, he was the biggest suspect.

Shi Bingyun was not wrong to scold him either. He had been careless. The key was that, at the time, he had already lost all hope of returning to the Daoist Order, so he had not thought things through. As such, missteps were inevitable.

She sighed. “I’m now issuing your disciplinary action. Effective immediately, you are to cease all current duties and hand over your responsibilities where necessary. You are not allowed to set foot outside the Yuhuang Palace. Take this time to reflect thoroughly and think carefully about how you’ll answer those three accusations. I’ll report this matter to the Golden Tower Council and let them decide your fate.”