A Pawn's Passage

As the sky grew darker, the entire Tailing Southwest District began to buzz with activity. For Sycamore Villa, the night had only just begun.

The dark night and crimson lanterns merged into vast patches of black and red, resembling congealed blood.

Qi Xuansu’s trip to the South City was not just to take a detour. He also took the opportunity to change his clothes. At this moment, judging by appearance alone, he looked no different from any other patron visiting a brothel.

In the Daoist Order, regardless of one’s true wealth, one was expected to maintain a humble outward appearance. Flamboyance was frowned upon. But anyone who could afford to visit a top-tier establishment like Sycamore Villa was either wealthy or noble. Naturally, they dressed accordingly.

Qi Xuansu’s outfit had cost him a whopping 93 Taiping coins, which further strained his already meager savings. Even with work-related expenses reimbursed, he had only 800 Taiping coins left.

Still, Qi Xuansu believed that if it helped him settle this grudge, then even 1,000 Taiping coins would be worth it. But he did not think monk Yan Xiu was worth 10,000 Taiping coins.

Qi Xuansu had initially considered purchasing a round of Grade-A Series Nine Dragon-Eye Bomb just in case. But considering that this ammunition was highly recognizable, someone might discover remnants of it on Yan Xiu’s corpse and trace it back to his recent purchase, which would be tantamount to confessing to murder. So, he gave up the idea.

After observing from the shadows for a while, Qi Xuansu took out his long-unused White Fox Mask from his magical receptacle and fitted it onto his face.

The most foolproof method would have been for Qi Xuansu to disguise himself as a woman by using the female disguise setting of the White Fox Mask. It was not entirely flawless, but by far the most reliable strategy.

Not only would it catch Monk Yan Xiu completely off guard, but it would also throw off the investigators afterward.

However, Qi Xuansu was not the type to resort to such extreme assassin-like measures. At heart, he was still a conservative man. So, he rejected the most secure option and settled for the second-best plan by disguising himself as an old man.

Though this elderly disguise had once appeared in Jiangling Prefecture, the Yuan family had been annihilated, so only one person had seen him in it, which was Marshal Wind. But even so, Marshal Wind had only seen the disguise without knowing Qi Xuansu’s real identity. Even if he did know, the word of a cult demon hardly held weight.

The remaining witnesses—Zhang Yuelu and Pei Xiaolou—who knew about this disguise were Qi Xuansu’s trusted allies.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu was in a pitch-dark alley with no lanterns. The modest buildings on either side belonged to Sycamore Villa, housing some of the brothel’s servants.

They lived there for proximity and convenience. Now that they were all at work, the alley was completely deserted.

Soon, three luminous lanterns slowly rose into the air. The middle lantern bore the word “Sycamore” on all fronts of the lantern, making it visible from any direction.

After confirming the target, Qi Xuansu left the alley and headed toward Sycamore Villa.

This first-class brothel was vast. Though it could not compare to the Yuhuang Palace, which occupied an entire district, Sycamore Villa was no less grand than the estate of a duke or marquis. Thus, it had multiple entrances and exits, and one need not enter through the main gate.

Qi Xuansu picked a more secluded gate that led directly to the various private courtyards. Only patrons who had already selected a courtesan would usually use this entrance, hence, it was almost always deserted.

Seeing an unfamiliar elderly man approach the side gate, the gatekeeper on duty hurried forward with the intention to question him. But just then, he met Qi Xuansu’s gaze. In an instant, the gatekeeper’s eyes glazed over, and he fell into a trance.

This was the Shaman’s Bewitching Technique, which affected one’s mind, capable of soothing emotions, charming, and controlling others. Wu Luo was especially skilled in such arts. At her peak, she could control millions of people, making her the greatest user of this technique.

This technique came naturally to Shamans once they reached a certain level of cultivation, like the Martial Arts Practitioner’s body regenerative abilities or the Diviner’s Dream-Entering Technique.

It also made sense why the Godly Immortal lineage possessed such techniques, because words and bribes alone were not enough to attract followers. Thus, Shamans often resorted to semi-coercive means. When bolstered by formations, they could beguile large crowds at once. However, the Daoist Order strictly banned the misuse of such techniques, imposing harsh punishment on rule breakers.

Qi Xuansu commanded, “You saw nothing. No one came by during this time. You’ll awaken in ten breaths and remember nothing. Everything will be as usual.”

The gatekeeper repeated mechanically like a puppet. “Yes...I...saw...nothing...”

Qi Xuansu walked directly through the gate.

Ten breaths later, the gatekeeper awoke, looked around, and saw no one, just like any other day. He yawned and sat back in his usual position.

It was Qi Xuansu’s first time in Sycamore Villa, so he was not familiar with the layout. But that posed no issue, as he merely had to keep track of the hanging lantern with the Sycamore marking above.

He simply followed a straight path and vaulted over any walls in his way.

With his skills, remaining undetected was effortless. If he encountered anyone, he could always use the Bewitching Technique again.

It was now roughly 9:00 PM, the busiest time for a brothel.

Even though this section was relatively secluded within Sycamore Villa, he could still faintly hear the sounds of strings and flutes and the mingled laughter of men and women.

Some impatient guests had already moved on to more intimate matters. Their intermittent moans were not loud, but they slipped straight into his ears. Even so, Qi Xuansu remained unmoved, without the slightest hint of distraction or wandering thoughts.

When handling serious matters, he was always highly focused and immune to external disturbances. This was the key to his survival in the brutal dog-eat-dog world.

By 9:15 PM, Qi Xuansu had arrived outside the private courtyard where Monk Yan Xiu resided. Looking up, the lantern bearing the word “Sycamore” hung almost directly overhead, requiring him to tilt his head to see it.

Though Li Qingnu controlled Sycamore Villa, she could not act too overtly. All she could offer Qi Xuansu was an hour of leeway.

With a flick of his hand, two invisible sword qis shot forth. One severed the colorful tether holding the lantern aloft, and the other knocked the lantern from the sky.

The lantern did not fall straight down. Instead, it fluttered like a shooting star, veering off toward another distant courtyard.

Since the specifics of the situation had been unclear, Qi Xuansu had not coordinated an exact signal with Li Qingnu in advance. It was not like he could set off fireworks, as that would have drawn too much attention. Still, he trusted Li Qingnu, who was already prepared, to understand when it came time for him to act. After all, it was she who had mentioned the lantern in the first place.

Quite a few people witnessed the lantern falling and rushed toward where it had landed. After all, many of the buildings in the area were made of wood, so fires could spread easily.

Qi Xuansu believed Li Qingnu would also be alarmed and appear at the scene in person.

This way, she could justifiably and reasonably dispatch staff to investigate the cause of the fire, and in doing so, she could conveniently overlook Yan Xiu’s courtyard, giving Qi Xuansu the time he needed to deal with his enemy.

After watching the lantern hit the ground, Qi Xuansu walked unhurriedly toward the gate of Yan Xiu’s courtyard.

There were still a few servants and maids within the courtyard because clearing everyone out in advance would have been impractical and might have aroused Yan Xiu’s suspicion. So Qi Xuansu’s solution was to use the Bewitching Technique to send them away, ensuring they would not remember a thing afterward.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu was increasingly convinced that manmade Banished Immortals were more formidable than their natural-born counterparts. At the very least, Zhang Yuelu did not possess such mystical abilities. She had to actively learn them, whereas his came naturally.

Of course, if Zhang Yuelu had sufficient energy, her potential would be higher because the greatest strength of a natural-born Banished Immortal was their ability to learn multitudes without limitations. They could learn any lineage’s techniques quickly without conflict or hidden risks.

After all, natural-born Banished Immortals used true essence to reflect all phenomena, while manmade Banished Immortals had multiple streams of energy sources like blood qi, innate qi, divine power, and magical power.

As such, natural-born Banished Immortals were akin to orthodox perfected methods, progressing gradually but holding tremendous long-term power. On the other hand, manmade Banished Immortals were like the unorthodox perfected methods, advancing forcefully in the early stages, with limited mastery in the future. Each had its strengths and weaknesses, but all paths ultimately led to the same destination.

Just as Qi Xuansu reached the bedroom door, a voice called out from within, “Who’s there?”

It was none other than Yan Xiu. Though a year had passed, Qi Xuansu remembered the bald crook’s voice vividly.

Since the White Fox Mask could also alter his voice, Qi Xuansu was not worried about being discovered. He simply replied, “An old acquaintance.”

Soon after, the double doors to the bedroom burst open, revealing the warm room lit by the flickering glow of red candles. Directly across from the entrance stood a folding screen. Yan Xiu’s voice came from behind it. “I don’t seem to know you.”

Qi Xuansu curled his lips into a smirk. “Zen Master, it seems the lofty forget easily. Allow me to jog your memory—Prince Qin, Xie Qiuniang, Hua Jianyi.”

Li Qingnu had told him that these three had once ambushed Yan Xiu, though the monk had managed to escape.

Yan Xiu was silent for a moment. Then his tone grew noticeably colder. “The Qingping Society.”

Qi Xuansu scoffed. “So you remember now. You got away last time, and yet you dare show your face again. How brazen. You really think nothing of the Qingping Society, huh?”

With a loud crash, the screen between them shattered.

Two women lay on a luxurious embroidered bed. Their hair let loose and their clothing stripped halfway, displaying a swath of pale skin and curves.

Amidst that lascivious sight, Monk Yan Xiu sat cross-legged, allowing the two beauties to drape over him while his face bore an expression of saintly compassion.

“You people really are like ghosts that won’t stop haunting me.” Monk Yan Xiu did not panic. “But this is the Imperial Capital. Vermin like you aren’t fit to see the light of day.”

Qi Xuansu remained unfazed. “Lecherous monk, this is your last chance. Hand over the Xuan Jade, and we’ll let this go. If not, we will still be able to find you even if you hide in the Jade Capital.”