A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu ultimately did not make things difficult for Qi Xuansu. After the two left, Qi Xuansu returned to his residence alone and contacted Madam Qi, explaining everything in detail. He wanted her to purchase the Soul-Returning Incense on his behalf and asked her to assess the situation.

After listening, Madam Qi said, “I didn’t expect Lin Lingsu to have died that way. What a pitiful end! But this deal is worth doing. I see no major issues with it. I have some Soul-Returning Incense right here—top-grade powdered incense that can raise the dead and grow flesh on bone. A pinch is worth over a thousand regular sticks. I’ll even throw in a snuff bottle just for you.”

That was exactly what Qi Xuansu had hoped for. Burning 1,100 sticks of incense would look like a bonfire. A snuff bottle was much more discreet and elegant.

Knowing Qi Xuansu had money, Madam Qi added, “Transfer the payment first. Then I’ll ship it. Payment before goods—that’s the rule.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “How do I send money to you?”

Madam Qi explained, “Ancient Immortals often had their followers offer tributes through sacrificial altars. It’s said this practice came from the West, but it works very well. Set up a basic ritual, replace the fish talisman with my sigil, then initiate the Dream Meeting process, but without using the Soul-Returning Incense. That way, you’ll be able to offer a sacrifice to me.”

With that, Madam Qi showed Qi Xuansu her sigil.

Qi Xuansu was familiar with sigil correspondences. The Daoist sigil was a combination of the Eight Trigrams with the yin-yang symbol in the middle. True Lord Siming’s were the black-moon and white-sun eyes. These symbols commonly appeared in formations or restrictions.

Madam Qi’s sigil was remarkably simple—a circle enclosing a square.

At a lofty interpretation, it represented the heavens and earth. But one could also interpret it as a large ancient copper coin that had a square hole in the center. Madam Qi’s robes were often embroidered with the design.

Qi Xuansu took out the materials for the Dream Meeting ritual. He poured Imitation Torch Dragon Blood from a crimson gourd and drew a yin-yang symbol on the floor. He then placed black and white candles on the two dots of the yin-yang symbol and lit them.

Instead of the usual fish talisman, Qi Xuansu drew a large copper coin symbol. This was akin to writing an address on a letter. This sigil represented Madam Qi. He suspected that using True Lord Siming’s eye symbol might connect him directly to the Ancient Immortal’s divine kingdom.

Following Madam Qi’s template, Qi Xuansu used a cinnabar-dipped vermilion brush to draw two identical talismans. Then he burned them, one in the black candle flame and the other in the white.

A breeze rose from the ground, with sparks flickering, just like when a Yin-Yang Gate opened. A faint portal appeared above the formation, about the size of a washbasin. From within, a hand extended. Judging by the embroidery on the sleeve, it was clearly Madam Qi’s.

The whole scene resembled a pawnshop exchange, with Qi Xuansu standing on one side of a tall counter and grate, passing items through a narrow window.

Since Madam Qi was not a true Godly Immortal, her sacrificial ritual was not at all solemn or divine. It was crude, even a bit ridiculous.

Qi Xuansu counted out 110 large cash notes and placed them in her hand, which withdrew at the touch of money.

Moments later, a box flew out of the portal and smacked Qi Xuansu square on the forehead.

Before Qi Xuansu could even complain, the ethereal portal slowly closed. The ritual markings on the ground vanished completely, and only the two candles remained.

Qi Xuansu put away the candles and opened the box to see a snuff bottle filled with some powdered substance. That was no doubt the top-grade Soul-Returning Incense Madam Qi had promised.

He gave the half-filled bottle a shake and sighed. He had just received 15,000 Taiping coins, but he had already spent 10,000, not counting the 1,000 Taiping coins from Zhang Yuelu. That left him with only 5,000 Taiping coins, which was not enough for a treasure. He would have to settle for replenishing his stock of Grade-A Dragon Eye Bullets.

The good news was that his salary should be arriving soon. That was worth 300 Taiping coins, which was better than nothing.

Composing himself, Qi Xuansu returned to Qian Xiangyun’s residence and met up with Zhang Yuelu. Together, they returned to the underground palace to meet Lin Yuanmiao.

Qi Xuansu pulled out the snuff bottle from his magical receptacle and tossed it to the mortal shell.

Lin Yuanmiao caught it with a gust of yin wind, placed it beneath his nose, and inhaled deeply.

Then, to their surprise, his neck twitched slightly. He could finally move his body.

As Lin Yuanmiao continued to inhale the Soul-Returning Incense, he resembled a thawing fish that was gradually coming back to life.

A few moments later, he could move both hands freely. He then formed a mudra to accelerate his recovery.

Zhang Yuelu whispered, “He was truly an Immortal. Even with incomplete memory and bound by the Inner-Demon Oath, he must not be underestimated. Tian Yuan, you’d best stay vigilant.”

Qi Xuansu nodded in agreement.

He had wanted to mention that he had already asked Madam Qi about meeting up, but it suddenly felt like he was trying to stir up trouble between the two women, whose relationship was not the most harmonious. In the end, he stayed silent.

About half an hour later, Lin Yuanmiao suddenly rose to his feet.

This meant that he could finally regain some freedom after being trapped for centuries.

Had he been freed after only a few decades, Lin Yuanmiao would surely have laughed aloud, venting the resentment built up in his chest. But after centuries of confinement, he showed no such reaction. There was no laughter or flourish. He simply looked around, his eyes tinged with a trace of melancholic detachment.

This lack of dramatic reaction eased the tension in Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, who had been secretly on guard.

Lin Yuanmiao composed himself and said, “If it were the proud and arrogant Lin Lingsu who was accustomed to posturing as an Imperial Preceptor, this humble stance would have only been a temporary compromise for freedom. Once free, he would find a way to break the alliance and make you suffer just to feed his ego. But I am different. I don’t carry such pride. I’m merely a controllable Three Corpse incarnation, so you can rest assured. For the next six months, I will do my utmost to help you, as long as my life isn’t endangered. My offer of the 3-year and 10-year terms still stands if you provide me with the remaining Soul-Returning Incense.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “First things first—we need to assign you a proper identity.”

Zhang Yuelu said, “Sage Donghua heads the Ziwei Hall and manages personnel. It’ll be easy as long as he gives the green light.”

Qi Xuansu began weighing whether to inform Sage Donghua.

At present, Lin Yuanmiao’s strength was only at the Wuliang stage. But in the long run, he was a potential Ancient Immortal who would inevitably seek a lifeline before the end of the era. Fortunately, he inherited traits from two prior original bodies as a Banished Immortal, not a Godly Immortal. This meant he would not crave divine power the way the current three Ancient Immortals did.

For that very reason, Qi Xuansu could not be sure of Sage Donghua’s stance. The Omniscient Sage might support Qi Xuansu, or he might disapprove and seize Lin Yuanmiao for himself. Losing a helper or 10,000 Taiping coins was secondary. The real danger lay in violating the Inner-Demon Oath, which could cost Qi Xuansu his cultivation and even his life. So he had to be careful.

In the end, Qi Xuansu decided not to tell Sage Donghua.

He could tell Madam Qi because he trusted her absolutely. But he did not share that bond with Sage Donghua. He shared more of a superior-subordinate dynamic with the Chief Omniscient Sage, so such a relationship was not reliable enough.

In the Daoist world, there were only three truly secure bonds—bloodline, master and disciple, and Daoist companions.

As for kindness, mentorship, or life-saving debts, these were rare exceptions and could not be generalized.

Qi Xuansu suggested, “Let’s leave this place first. Elder Lin, there are Spirit Guards stationed outside. Can you conceal your presence?”

Lin Yuanmiao did not ask what a Spirit Guard was. Without a single movement, his entire figure gradually faded away, leaving no trace.

A flash of purple qi gleamed in Zhang Yuelu’s eyes as she activated the Divine Observation Technique, but even she could not detect where Lin Yuanmiao was.

After all, Lin Yuanmiao had once been an Immortal. Even if he had fallen to the Wuliang stage, he could not be judged by normal standards. Just like how Qi Xuansu often triumphed over his peers thanks to his experience and the power of the Xuan Jade, Lin Yuanmiao might not be unbeatable in his tier, but he would rarely encounter equals, for he had once glimpsed heavenly heights. His insight far surpassed that of ordinary Heavenly Beings. His only real weakness was the lack of external objects. With nothing at hand, Lin Yuanmiao could suffer losses when facing opponents like Dreaming Cloud, a Half-Step Zaohua stage Qi Refiner with a semi-immortal object.

There were certainly many powerful figures in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, including Zaohua-stage masters. But unless they were deliberately scanning nearby or had activated a formation, even they would struggle to detect Lin Yuanmiao.

Moreover, Lin Yuanmiao had Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu covering for him.

Qi Xuansu asked softly, “Elder Lin?”

A voice replied from behind him, “I’m right here.”

Rather than being comforted, Qi Xuansu felt a chill down his spine. He had not sensed a thing. If Lin Yuanmiao had chosen to strike from behind, Qi Xuansu could have suffered severe damage or even died on the spot. His heart might be rock hard, but his head was far from indestructible.

Since neither Qi Xuansu nor Zhang Yuelu could sense Lin Yuanmiao, the low-ranking Spirit Guards outside surely could not either. The two Daoist priests quietly returned along their original path to Qian Xiangyun’s study.

Zhang Yuelu said, “I was originally worried Qian Xiangyun would flee to Fenglin. But now, it seems likely she’ll head south to Nanyang, searching for the Tongzhen Palace left behind by Master Tongzhen Daling.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Are you planning to send a request to the Lingnan Daoist Prefecture to assist in locating Qian Xiangyun?”

Zhang Yuelu shook her head. “That would only alert her. Better to let her think she’s escaped, then we can strike with preparation while she has her guard down.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What about now?”

Zhang Yuelu glanced behind Qi Xuansu and replied curtly, “Now, I’ll figure out how to get more Soul-Returning Incense.”

Just then, a timely voice interjected, “Don’t forget, it’s 5,000 sticks of Soul-Returning Incense.”