A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu returned to his residence, initially intending to contact Madam Qi. But on second thought, given his current predicament, there was a good chance he was already being watched. Thus, reaching out to Madam Qi rashly might give others leverage against him.

So instead of using the mother-child talisman, he pulled out his Novice License.

Moments later, Zhang Yuelu appeared before him.

“Superintendent Qi, didn’t you say yesterday that you’d be too busy with cases to spare me time? Why are you so free to summon me now?” Zhang Yuelu teased.

Qi Xuansu gave a wry smile. “Something unexpected happened. I just returned from Deputy Mansion Master Shi’s office. She told me that someone reported me to the Daoist Relations Department, claiming I’m a member of the Lingshan Witch Cult. The Daoist Relations Department has already sent a formal notice to the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion. So now I’m relieved of my duties, and I’m officially on break.”

Zhang Yuelu’s expression turned serious. “What’s going on? Who reported you?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Remember that Buddhist monk Yan Xiu whom we encountered at Yulan Temple in Yishan City? He claims that I am a cult demon because I survived Wu Luo’s divine descent at Yulan Temple and the flying ship crash at Kunlun Pass. He also knew that I appeared at Cuowenbu Lake during Wu Luo’s attack on the Yinglong Warship. These are too many coincidences, so he claims it’s reasonable to suspect I’ve defected to the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo.”

Zhang Yuelu had personally experienced two of the three incidents. As for the last one, she had not been there, but she had heard about it from Sage Cihang. So, without needing much explanation, Zhang Yuelu already understood.

“It’s nonsense,” Zhang Yuelu said firmly. “You’ve stepped on someone’s toes, so this is clearly a move against you.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “I thought it over just now. You’re right. How could an outsider like a Buddhist monk know such detailed information? Considering the Mansion Master’s attitude as well, the situation’s becoming quite clear.”

Zhang Yuelu asked again, “What exactly did Deputy Mansion Master Shi say?”

“Right now, there’s no definitive proof. But they can’t treat this as pure hearsay either, because I do have a lot of suspicious points. Deputy Mansion Master Shi and Mansion Master Li are in a deadlock. Mansion Master Li wants the Fengxian Hall to place me under house arrest, but Deputy Mansion Master Shi strongly objected. So for now, I’ve just handed over my duties and can’t leave the Yuhuang Palace. Since they couldn’t agree, the matter’s being escalated to the Golden Tower Council.” Qi Xuansu explained.

Each Daoist mansion had a branch of Tianji Hall, Huasheng Hall, and Fengxian Hall. The Fengxian Hall branch handled internal affairs and answered to both the headquarters in Jade Capital and the local Mansion Master.

As for reporting to the Golden Tower Council, it was not because Qi Xuansu had a high status. It was simply because the Mansion Master and the Second Deputy Mansion Master held opposing views. If they had agreed, they would have settled it in-house without ever needing to trouble the Golden Tower Council.

Zhang Yuelu fell into deep thought.

Qi Xuansu continued, “It’s actually not that complicated. I found out that Gao Mingyin was linked to Prince Liao, and then Gao Mingyin ended up dead. Now, I’m being accused of being a cult demon. It’s obvious that someone doesn’t want me digging any further and wants me to back off.”

Zhang Yuelu said, “Since cult demons are involved, the Tiangang Hall is bound by duty to intervene. If the Golden Tower Council decides to assign someone from Jade Capital to investigate, I’ll apply to join the case.”

Qi Xuansu hesitated. “That’s probably not a good idea. Technically speaking, you should recuse yourself to avoid suspicion.”

“Why should I?” Zhang Yuelu retorted. “You’re not my sibling, and we don’t share the same master. You’re from the Quanzhen Sect, while I’m from the Zhengyi Sect. Why should I have to avoid suspicion?”

Qi Xuansu coughed awkwardly. “Aren’t we...you know...?”

“We’re not Daoist companions. We’re not even an official couple, so stop spouting nonsense.” Zhang Yuelu fully understood what Qi Xuansu meant, but she continued, “Since we’re not related, there’s no need to avoid suspicion. Besides, it all depends on how it’s spun. I was your superior and have close ties to you, so it’d be inappropriate for me to get involved. But then again, I was present at both Yulan Temple and the flying ship crash, so I know the facts better than anyone and can help get to the truth. So I should be involved. Both points are valid. It just depends on who’s making the call.”

Qi Xuansu could not help but smile. “Thanks for the insight, Deputy Hall Master Zhang.”

In just that short exchange, Zhang Yuelu had a plan in mind. “I’ll go check the original records and get prepared. You be careful in the Imperial Capital. I’ll meet you there soon!”

Qi Xuansu had long grown used to Zhang Yuelu’s decisiveness, but he still could not help but ask, “You’re not going to stay and chat a bit longer? I’ve got plenty of time today...”

Zhang Yuelu flashed a fake smile. “There’s no rush. When I get to the Imperial Capital, we’ll have all the time in the world to chat. By then, I’d like to know what else you’ve been keeping from me.”

Before Qi Xuansu could cry out in protest, Zhang Yuelu had already cut off their communication.

Qi Xuansu simply set his worries aside. As long as his opponents did not use underhanded tricks and everything proceeded by the rules, there was still plenty of time. Even if the charges stuck and he was publicly sentenced and executed, it would take at least half a year, so there was no need to rush to contact Madam Qi. For now, he needed to calm down and focus on figuring out how he should explain his Longevity Stone Heart.

As long as he could provide a reasonable explanation, all those accusations would dissipate on their own.

But now, it really seemed difficult. The Longevity Stone Heart was tied to Madam Qi, who was Mogul Yao of the Seven Treasure Pavilion. On top of that, Mogul Yao had given the Xuan Jade to him in Jinling Prefecture. Tangled as it was, even if Qi Xuansu managed to clear his name of any connection with the Lingshan Witch Cult, he would end up confirming ties with the Seven Treasure Pavilion instead. Though the Seven Treasure Pavilion was a far less dangerous secret society and not of the same nature as the Lingshan Witch Cult, it was still enough to put an end to Qi Xuansu’s bright career.

Whether or not Qi Xuansu had the Daoist Order’s backing made all the difference. He was able to make waves in the Imperial Capital mostly because of the power in his hands. If he relied on cultivation alone, even as a Heavenly Being, the Tianchen Division alone could easily suppress him.

Qi Xuansu collapsed backward onto his bed, murmuring, “Invisible blades cut deeper than visible ones. There’s just no guarding against them.”

Elsewhere, after cutting off the conversation with Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu made her way toward the Tiangang Hall Master’s office. She had to consult her master about this matter.

As she reached the doorway, she saw Junior Sister Xiao already waiting there.

“Senior Sister, Master is waiting for you,” Junior Sister Xiao said, leading the way. “Please come with me.”

Zhang Yuelu followed her into the inner study and saw Sage Cihang.

Sage Cihang motioned for Zhang Yuelu to sit, then got straight to the point. “Qing Xiao, you’re here for Tian Yuan, aren’t you? Your martial aunt has already briefed me about his case.”

Once seated, Zhang Yuelu asked, “What is your stance on this, Master?”

Sage Cihang replied, “My stance is simple. We must clear Tian Yuan’s name. But it must be done properly according to the rules so that we won’t give others leverage against us.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded solemnly.

Sage Cihang continued, “This involves the Ziwei Hall. Do you know Sage Donghua’s opinion on the matter?”

Zhang Yuelu shook her head. “I plan to go to Ziwei Hall soon to request an audience with Sage Donghua.”

Sage Cihang said, “Pei Xuanzhi may not see you. It’s better for me to handle it.”

“Thank you, Master,” Zhang Yuelu replied at once.

Qi Xuansu had also thought of Sage Donghua. No matter what, he was officially a staff member from Ziwei Hall, under Sage Donghua’s command. By duty and reason, Sage Donghua ought to be informed. But Qi Xuansu had no way to contact him.

He did not have Sage Donghua’s private means of contact. All he could do was go through official channels, which was inconvenient now that he was effectively under a semi-house arrest. This would also prove that his relationship with Sage Donghua was not exactly close.

Just as Qi Xuansu was sinking into helplessness, someone tugged the bell hanging outside his door.

Qi Xuansu got up and opened the door, finding Ke Qingqing standing outside.

By now, Qi Xuansu had already handed over his duties, so Ke Qingqing and the others were aware of what had happened. Qi Xuansu was surprised to see her. “Deaon Ke, what’s the matter?”

Ke Qingqing presented a mother talisman to him. “Superintendent, Deputy Mansion Master Shi has asked me to deliver this to you.”

Qi Xuansu took the talisman, feeling a flicker of excitement.

Ke Qingqing offered a slight bow and turned to leave.

Having roughly guessed its purpose, Qi Xuansu closed the door and held the talisman. Though he did not have Sage Donghua’s contact, Shi Bingyun certainly would.

Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment before activating the talisman. Soon, a shimmering curtain of light unfurled before him like a long scroll. He could not help but marvel at the quality of this talisman. Being the Chief Omniscient Sage certainly had its perks. Even his talismans were extraordinary. The ones Qi Xuansu had used in the past could only display a half-body image, but this one showed almost the entire office.

On the other side of the light screen was a desk, with a scroll above that read, “Peace to the World.” Behind the desk sat a man writing directives with a red-inked brush. It was none other than Sage Donghua.

“Superintendent Qi, Deputy Mansion Master Shi has already informed me of your situation,” Sage Donghua said without even looking up.

“Right.” Qi Xuansu instinctively straightened his posture.

Sage Donghua’s voice was calm yet filled with authority. “Walking the righteous path is always hard, now more than ever. They’ve completely disregarded the bigger picture of the Daoist Order, using any means for personal gain. Just yesterday, before your incident even happened, I received word that the Wuxing Mountains outside the Imperial Capital are seeing frequent anomalies. The Northern Dragon is waning, but not yet dead. It still matters greatly, as its fate impacts the order of the entire world. The Imperial Capital is the dragon’s eye, and the Wuxing Mountains its reverse scale. What are they trying to do there? If they hasten the dragon’s fall and trigger the end of the era ahead of time, who will shoulder that responsibility? They clearly don’t care. That’s why the Imperial Capital’s Daoist Mansion is so critical right now, and your position within it even more so.”

Qi Xuansu was puzzled by Sage Donghua’s words. The end of the era arriving ahead of time? Who exactly is he referring to?

But Sage Donghua had no intention of explaining. Instead, he asked, “I have only one question for you. Are you innocent?”

Though they were separated by thousands of kilometers, Qi Xuansu still felt the immense pressure over this long-distance communication. Sage Donghua was not even looking at him, yet it felt as if the Omniscient Sage saw straight through his soul.

Qi Xuansu forced himself to stand tall. “I swear before the Primordial Daoist Ancestor and the Holy Xuan that I am innocent in this matter.”

“Very well.” Sage Donghua stopped writing and looked up at Qi Xuansu. “Since you are innocent, then fear not. The Golden Tower Council will clear your name. After you have been cleared of suspicion, focus your attention on the various disturbances inside and outside the capital. If necessary, report to me directly.”

Qi Xuansu responded loudly, “Understood.”