A Pawn's Passage

This was a town so small it was hard to even find on a map. It did not even qualify as a county seat and was only marked because it lay near a main road.

This small town near the Imperial Capital had absorbed a trace of the capital’s grandeur, but not enough to conceal its shabbiness. It gave off the impression of a once-prosperous household now fallen on hard times.

So, there were plenty of door-half-open establishments operating here.

Zhang Yuelu frowned as she followed behind Xuanji. She glanced around, noticing how quiet it was. There were no customers since it was daytime, but she still felt somewhat uneasy.

She had been to brothels before, but only top-tier or second-class ones, where it was not just about sexual transactions. Rather, the sex trade was dressed up so finely that one could barely recognize it. It was like a tavern that began selling snacks, then slowly added full-fledged meals and even provided lodging. Once it prospered, it hired storytellers. At that point, it was no longer considered a tavern but an inn. Since it was now an inn, it did not matter if one drank or not.

However, these door-half-open establishments were different. It was a bare-bones version of brothels, where you entered solely for sexual release. There was no tea-drinking, music, or flirtatious preludes. It was not elegant or clean. If the top-tier brothels were only morally unclean, then this place was dirty both in reality and in morals.

It was narrow, cramped, and dark, with wastewater, various trash, and fluids resembling urine or vomit filling the air with foul smells.

Women’s belongings lay scattered everywhere. Some were discarded, and some were washed and hung out to dry. Small undergarments, embroidered shoes, and intimate wear were frozen stiff from the snow, likely left unattended because their owners were still asleep at this hour.

As they walked, they often passed women who looked disheveled and newly woken. Their faces were sallow, needing heavy makeup to cover up. If seen through the Immortal Eye of Providence, Zhang Yuelu would resemble a flawless jade, but these women would be pockmarked and hollowed out, like rotting wood. Their futures were not bright.

Naturally, the customers here were not the wealthy or noble, but the lower-class commoners, many of them bachelor men.

It was strange how Jade Capital, Jinling Prefecture, the Imperial Capital, and this shantytown could coexist under the same rule. Zhang Yuelu had thought she understood the world’s hardships, but now, she was not so sure. Just like how Qi Xuansu once thought himself a self-reliant wild Daoist, only to waver when he learned about Madam Qi’s other identity.

Zhang Yuelu held a prejudice against such places, so she resisted the urge to cover her nose. Though the smells were unpleasant, it was not completely unbearable. She had to keep reminding herself to maintain an equality mindset and not to consider herself superior. That was so she could hold an ordinary attitude and not be fussy or pretentious.

After a moment, Zhang Yuelu regained her composure.

Xuanji turned to glance at Zhang Yuelu. “You’re good at reflecting on yourself. In terms of mindset alone, you already surpass countless Zhang family scions who rest on their ancestral laurels.”

Zhang Yuelu did not show any pride. She just asked, “As a high-ranking member of the Ziguang Society, why are you hiding here?”

Xuanji replied, “It’s precisely because I’m a high-ranking member of the Ziguang Society that I can only stay here. After all, members of the three major secret societies can’t casually enter the Imperial Capital. Small fry might get by, but someone like me would easily end up hunted on both sides by the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order once I step foot into the capital. Especially after the Jinling Prefecture incident, defenses in the capital have only tightened.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded. This answer made sense. This would not affect the Ziguang Society from providing assistance at the Wuxing Mountain, which was also not inside the capital.

Finally, the two women arrived at a small, fairly elegant sitting room. It was a space that felt like another world compared to the squalor outside, shutting all that filth firmly beyond its door.

Xuanji gestured for Zhang Yuelu to sit and said, “Before we formally discuss matters, I need to fulfill my promise. I said earlier that if you won, I’d offer you a small opportunity to help you advance more swiftly.”

She paused slightly before admitting, “Honestly, you’re already progressing quite fast. At your age, I was nowhere near as accomplished. But the world is different now. Destiny has shifted, and a great calamity is imminent. As Her Ladyship says, this is the last flash of brilliance before dusk. Many Heavenly Beings will emerge, and even a few true prodigies, like 30-year-old Immortals.”

Zhang Yuelu said, “With my aptitude, reaching immortality by 30 is nothing but a fool’s dream. The prodigies True Lord Ziguang speaks of probably aren’t referring to me.”

“High Mage Zhang, don’t be so quick to dismiss yourself.” Xuanji smiled slightly. “Her Ladyship also says that success depends partially on fate and partially on human effort. Without human effort, fate alone accomplishes nothing. In my view, you’ve been favored by the heavens, but you lack human support, so you’re wasting precious years.”

Zhang Yuelu frowned slightly. “What do you mean by that?”

Xuanji said, “Back then, the Holy Xuan and Donghuang spent most of their youth under the personal tutelage of the Great Sword Immortal Li Daoxu. They were also taken care of by their senior brothers. This laid their solid foundation for 10 years before they left the nest to develop on their own. Shangguan Wan, the first generation Earthly Preceptor after the revitalization of the Daoist Order, was also personally taught by Xu Wugui, from basic mystical abilities to strategy. Now look at you, High Mage Zhang. Has the Heavenly Preceptor ever guided you personally? As for Sage Cihang, she’s lesser than Li Daoxu or Xu Wugui, and as an Omniscient Sage, she’s busy with official duties and has so many disciples. How much time has she spent on you? Even if the Earthly Preceptor taught you, it was at most half a month or ten days at a time. How can that possibly compare to a decade of close teaching?”

Zhang Yuelu fell silent.

Since Zhang Yuelu was born from a minor branch and was resented by the main branch of the Zhang family, it was only natural that she never got the Heavenly Preceptor’s personal guidance. She only studied in their clan schools as a child. Later, though she became a disciple of the Cihang lineage, she continued to live in Yunjin Mountain and had not even been to Putuo Island.

Back then, Sage Cihang was still the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master, so she would only occasionally visit the Dazhen Mansion to give Zhang Yuelu a few pointers on practicing the Cihang Sword Sequence. Only when she moved to Jade Capital did she get long-term time with her master.

There were two common evaluations of Zhang Yuelu—one was how hard it was to get along with her, and the other was how hardworking she was. Some said Li Changge resembled the Holy Xuan, while others said Zhang Yuelu was similar to the fifth-generation Grand Master. However, Zhang Yuelu had always been busy with endless official duties, so her cultivation inevitably fell behind, forcing her to rely on taking the Spirit Pill to forcibly break through to the Xiaoyao stage during the Jinling Prefecture incident.

From the perspective of reaching immortality, Xuanji’s claim that Zhang Yuelu was wasting her prime years did indeed carry some truth.

Seeing that Zhang Yuelu did not refute her, Xuanji continued, “The difference between inner and outer elixirs lies in proportion. It doesn’t mean that the inner elixir faction never relies on external aid or that the outer elixir faction doesn’t need daily cultivation. It mainly depends on how much each side relies on. Someone like Li Changge, who relies on over 70% to 80% on external aid, is naturally in the outer elixir faction. But someone like you, who only relies on pills for 10% to 20% of the time, belongs to the inner elixir faction.”

By this point, Zhang Yuelu roughly understood that whatever Xuanji was offering would likely involve external aids, and this was a pep talk meant to set her at ease.

In fact, Zhang Yuelu’s main obsession was reforming the Daoist Order. She did not particularly care about the inner or outer elixir faction. The reason she followed the inner elixir faction was not out of lofty vision or pride. It was simply because no one had given her a Longevity Stone Heart or Elixir of Immortality.

In the outer elixir faction, one would need wealth, like Li Changge, or luck, like Qi Xuansu.

Without either, sticking to the inner elixir path was simply the safer bet.

Zhang Yuelu said, “Star Keeper Xuanji, please stop beating around the bush.”

Xuanji continued, “Her Ladyship is the Mother of Stars, yet she cannot compare to certain special Star Lords. Manjushri and Guanyin were teachers to the Seven Buddhas, but they themselves never attained Buddhahood. Legend has it that Guangchengzi was the Heavenly Emperor’s teacher, yet his final achievement fell short of the Heavenly Emperor’s. In other words, all these teachers are restricted and cannot reach higher levels, but they can easily enlighten others.”

Zhang Yuelu said, “With my cultivation level, I probably don’t yet require True Lord Ziguang’s personal intervention. May I ask how you intend to enlighten me, Star Keeper Xuanji?”

A slightly eerie smile floated across Xuanji’s face. “High Mage Zhang, don’t belittle yourself. There are two ways. Her Ladyship can personally enlighten you, allowing you to attain the Zaohua stage immediately, but there’s a price. When the time comes, Her Ladyship will come to collect something from you.”

Zhang Yuelu did not doubt the means of True Lord Ziguang. After all, years ago, Xu Wugui had helped his disciple Shangguan Wan jump directly from an ordinary Xiaoyao-stage Heavenly Being to the Zaohua stage, though with significant hidden dangers.

In other words, True Lord Ziguang could indeed grant people’s wishes, but these wishes were always fulfilled in twisted forms and exacted a heavy price. It was a bit like borrowing money. No matter what, one would lose money in the end due to interest. So, unless in absolute desperation, it was best not to touch such things.

This also reminded Zhang Yuelu of a Western tale she had read, where someone made a wish to the devil, hoping his injured arm would stop hurting. So the devil sawed the arm off, and indeed, it never hurt again.

Zhang Yuelu said without hesitation, “I refuse.”

Xuanji nodded, not at all surprised. “Then the second method is for me to grant you a small opportunity to help you reach the Wuliang stage faster.”

Zhang Yuelu was getting impatient with Xuanji’s circling and asked bluntly, “What exactly is the method? If it’s bedroom arts or dual cultivation, don’t even bother speaking.”

Xuanji laughed. “High Mage Zhang, you’re a sharp girl. I did have that idea, but since you rejected it outright, I’ll have to switch to something else.”

With that, she flicked her finger, sending out a small point of light.

The glowing point of light hovered in front of Zhang Yuelu.

Xuanji said, “Take it. This is also the Heavenly Preceptor’s intention.”

Zhang Yuelu did not lower her guard. “What exactly is this?”

Xuanji answered, “This is a thunder talisman left behind by the Ancestral Heavenly Preceptor.”