A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 700: Can’t Be Changed

After escaping for a while in his Taiyin Spiritual Body, Qi Xuansu dispelled it and continued flying.

He had not gone far when he sensed something unusual from his fish talisman. Upon taking out his new golden-purple fish talisman, he discovered an unfamiliar request.

Such a request came from another fish talisman and could only be initiated by fellow Qingping Society members. In essence, it functioned like establishing contact in a Dream Meeting. Typically, only peers or higher-ranked members could initiate a request, and it had to be within a certain range.

In other words, someone not far from Qi Xuansu, likely a B-rank or A-rank member of Qingping Society, had sent a contact request. It was probably a recent comrade. Of course, it could also be a trap—someone captured by The Inn, with their fish talisman used as bait.

Qi Xuansu hesitated briefly but still accepted the request and established the connection.

Since the golden-purple fish talisman was only bound to one person, direct conversation was not possible with this new person. But it could guide him in the general direction. Following that cue, Qi Xuansu flew about 15 kilometers and arrived at a dense forest in the mountains. At the cusp of dawn, after several twists and turns, he finally found a hidden, naturally formed crevice beneath a large boulder.

The crevice was a little over 3 meters wide, enough for a grown man to hide in. But the rock above was just half a meter off the ground, requiring one to crawl in, making it hard to notice.

After carefully checking for ambushes and finding none, Qi Xuansu glided down through the gap. It was quite deep. An ordinary person would need a rope, but a Heavenly Being could float down easily.

Below the crevice was a large natural cavern. Animal and human bones littered the ground, but they were clearly not recent. The animals had likely fallen and died by accident. But it was unclear whether the humans had fallen or if they had been dumped here.

Qi Xuansu paid no mind and proceeded deeper into the cave, where another natural crevice appeared, barely wide enough for a person but over 300 meters deep. The bottom bore marks of an underground river’s erosion. Since it was winter, the dry season, it was mostly dry. In summer, this place would likely be submerged.

After descending, Qi Xuansu raised his golden-purple fish talisman.

Moments later, a figure emerged from the shadows wearing the mask of an A-rank member. He spoke in a low voice, “It’s me.”

As Qi Xuansu had expected, it was Saintly Peace.

Qi Xuansu suddenly recalled a common trope in the novels of a powerful female cultivator falling into misfortune and being saved by the protagonist. Usually cold as ice, the powerful woman must now rely on him for everything after losing her cultivation, inadvertently revealing a softer, more feminine side. This gave the protagonist a chance to protect her from the world, and the icy heart of the woman began to thaw, cracking ever so slightly.

As time went on, these two developed feelings amid shared adversity despite their wide difference in status. This stark contrast gave readers great satisfaction. When the female cultivator regained her cultivation and they returned to their original roles, the emotional bond remained, leading to a new tangle of feelings and conflict.

Qi Xuansu had not expected to encounter something similar himself. He silently sighed in his heart, thinking, It’s a pity Saintly Peace is a man. If only he were a woman. This scene would have been straight out of a novel!

Saintly Peace looked at him with a deep gaze and muttered, “It’s a pity my gender can’t be changed.”

Qi Xuansu was startled and quickly calmed his thoughts.

Before Qi Xuansu could ask, Saintly Peace explained, “A Heavenly-Being Banished Immortal could learn the Mind Reading Technique. Qi Refiners have a similar ability known as Mind Observation. Both of these techniques originated from the Buddhist Telepathic Technique. Both have limitations. They can only sense the present, not the past. That is, they can hear what you’re currently thinking but not access your memories. So long as you don’t recall certain things, there’s no need to worry. To resist such powers, you will have to have a higher cultivation level than the other party, or you can calm your mind. Alternatively, you can constantly shift your thoughts, layering them upon each other and making them unreadable.”

Saintly Peace paused, then added, “The more fixated the thought, the stronger it resonates, making your mind’s voice clearer to me. I didn’t mean to pry into your thoughts. It’s just that...”

Qi Xuansu immediately felt embarrassed. His thoughts must have been so loud that they bombarded Saintly Peace.

Saintly Peace even helped to smooth things over. “Even with great foes before us and such unknown outcomes, you can still indulge in such idle musings. This just goes to show that you face crises with admirable calm.”

Qi Xuansu felt even more awkward, unsure of what to say.

Saintly Peace was silent for a moment, then advised, “If one day, you truly meet a fallen female cultivator, don’t harbor such thoughts. People are cunning and fickle. Grace can turn to enmity, and betrayal of kindness is common. In this age, strength is cultivated, but not the heart. Anyone who has reached such heights has weathered many trials. So no one will be that innocent to lower their guard easily.”

Qi Xuansu hurriedly changed the topic. “How should I address you?”

Saintly Peace replied, “You can use my alias or address me as you would a fellow in the Daoist Order. No honorifics needed.”

In the past, the fifth-generation Grand Master reformed the Daoist Order’s ethos, eliminating bizarre attire and eccentric behavior and standardizing forms of address.

When addressing others, one would be called by title. Without a title, internal members used one’s position first, then rank, followed by terms like Daoist or Daoist Brother. Outsiders referred to Daoists strictly by rank.

For example, Qi Xuansu was addressed as Superintendent Qi by fellow Daoists or Mage Qi by non-Daoists. Those of the same generation with close ties to him might address him as Daoist Qi.

Qi Xuansu nodded and asked, “How are your injuries?”

Saintly Peace had been holding his chest. At this moment, he slowly moved his hand to reveal his wound, where a mass of roiling shadow pulsed like a beating heart.

“I’ll contact Madam Qi?” Qi Xuansu did not ask what medicine was needed because whatever it was, he certainly did not have it. So there was no need to ask in vain.

Clearly aware of Qi Xuansu’s ties with Madam Qi, Saintly Peace nodded. “Madam Qi is a Mogul of the Seven Treasure Pavilion and well-traveled. She should know how to expel the Imitation Shebisi Venom.”

Saintly Peace’s gentle and friendly tone toward Qi Xuansu hinged on Madam Qi. After all, he had a favor to ask.

Qi Xuansu did not delay further, using his golden-purple fish talisman to contact Madam Qi.

Saintly Peace had definitely established contact with Madam Qi before, but they had not bound their talismans, so he could not speak to her directly. He had also used up the mother-child talismans during the planning stage for today’s assault on The Inn’s Zhili headquarters. Thus, Saintly Peace had to risk using the fish talisman for help. Fortunately, it was Qi Xuansu who came.

Qi Xuansu quickly reached Madam Qi.

On the other side of the glowing screen, Madam Qi puffed clouds of smoke from her treasured tobacco pipe. After a round of questioning and remote examination, she concluded, “If it were the real Shebisi Venom, you might as well start preparing your funeral. Fortunately, it’s just an imitation, so you can still be saved.”

Saintly Peace forced a bitter smile. “Madam Qi, please save me.”

Madam Qi said bluntly, “Of course, I’ll save you. But the cost...”

“Not a single coin will be missing.” Saintly Peace was clearly familiar with Madam Qi’s style. He did not even ask for the price, let alone haggle. “Put it on my tab.”

As Madam Qi had mentioned before, if anyone dared to default on a debt, she had plenty of ways to deal with them. Saintly Peace was also someone of high status, so Madam Qi did not mind crediting it. Soon, through the fish talisman and the Five Ghost Transport Method of the Dream Meeting, she sent over a jade box.

Saintly Peace opened the jade box. Inside was not a pill, but a small, transparent worm, likely from Nanjiang and beyond.

According to Madam Qi, this worm was called a Cosmic Worm.

Saintly Peace pinched the worm between two fingers. After a brief hesitation, he placed it on his chest.

The worm squirmed a few times, then, as if detecting something delicious, began devouring the shadowy mass. Its previously transparent body gradually took on a darker hue.

Seeing this, Saintly Peace let out a breath of relief, his tone slightly more relaxed. He said to Qi Xuansu, “Please stand guard for me.”

Qi Xuansu readily agreed. “Alright.”

Saintly Peace did not even sit cross-legged. He simply entered meditation while standing.

Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to closely observe Saintly Peace’s chest. The Cosmic Worm continuously devoured the Imitation Shebisi Venom. The shadow on Saintly Peace’s chest gradually diminished, while the worm’s body grew darker and darker.

About an hour later, the mass of roiling shadow in Saintly Peace’s chest had vanished. The once-transparent Cosmic Worm was now filled with darkness. After absorbing the shadow, the Cosmic Worm slowly fell off and lay motionless on the ground, seemingly dead.

Saintly Peace was not a Martial Arts Practitioner and had no body-regenerative abilities. Thus, he could only use his innate qi to mend the wound and accelerate his recovery. However, the effects were not immediate. It would take several days.

A short while later, Saintly Peace awoke from meditation and retrieved the Cosmic Worm from the ground. He explained, “Madam Qi wants it back.”