A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu finally understood why Zhang Yuelu had laughed out loud. She clearly did not believe this for a second.

The Heavenly Preceptor was even less likely to believe it. He could easily tell that Qi Xuansu had not lost his primal yang. Similarly, Zhang Yuelu had not lost her primal yin. This indicated that both were still virgins.

So the question was, how could a man who had not lost his primal yang possibly impregnate a woman? Did someone else do it on his behalf?

Since that was impossible, the rest of the accusation did not hold. It was all pure fabrication. So after a brief investigation, the Fengxian Hall did not even bother to question Qi Xuansu.

Such a baseless accusation could not do any physical harm to Qi Xuansu, yet the spreading rumors had a significant impact on his reputation. Even if Qi Xuansu had the woman arrested for slander, people would say the Zhang family was using its power to silence dissent, making the situation look even worse. But doing nothing was irksome, like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

Qi Xuansu was infuriated, thinking, She even claimed to have miscarried my child?! If she’s standing before me now, I’ll demand she produce the dead fetus. I’m sure the Huasheng Hall can confirm the fetus’s bloodline on the spot. Once they confirm it’s not mine, I’ll twist her head off so she can accompany that unborn child!

Of course, Qi Xuansu could not actually say or do any of that. He had to suppress the fury in his heart. At the very least, he could not let any murderous intent slip out and ruin the Heavenly Preceptor’s impression of him.

After laughing, Zhang Yuelu also realized how much damage this incident had done to Qi Xuansu’s reputation. So she stifled her laugh and turned solemn.

This matter did not warrant being blown out of proportion, nor would it cause any substantial harm to Qi Xuansu. But it gave people plenty to gossip about, which made him deeply uncomfortable.

What’s done was done, and the consequences had mostly already taken shape. All Qi Xuansu could do now, aside from trying to mitigate the damage, was to vent his anger somehow.

But now that the matter was public and had attracted the attention of many, using Daoist authority or taking action personally were both bad options.

If Daoist authority was not appropriate, perhaps borrowing power from the underworld was a good option.

Zhang Yuelu thought of the secret society the Heavenly Preceptor had recently handed her—the Ziguang Society.

They could resolve the issue with ease if the Ziguang Society stepped in.

Coincidentally, Qi Xuansu was thinking along the same lines. But what came to his mind was the Qingping Society.

This was exactly why each of the major Daoist sects needed their own clandestine networks.

Many times, things that were inconvenient to handle openly could be delegated to secret societies, just like how the string of silencing actions in the two major Jiangnan cases had been carried out.

Given that Qi Xuansu was a member of the Qingping Society, it was only natural that he would consider relying on it. The Qingping Society was a motley crew, including upper-class figures like Xie Linyuan, as well as petty rogues from Jianghu. Among its ranks were Confucian scholars, Daoist priests, and people from all walks of life. They could get involved in just about anything.

Madam Qi currently led the Qingping Society as the self-declared Deputy Head, since the actual Head of Society rarely made appearances.

Qi Xuansu would not confront the matter personally, nor dirty his own hands. He would let Madam Qi handle it. Knowing her pettiness, Madam Qi definitely would not show mercy to the woman who defamed Qi Xuansu.

It was often said that power struggles within the Daoist sects were especially brutal. Now, it was time to let those fools who did not fear death experience just how brutal they could be.

Qi Xuansu had his limits and some principles, but strictly playing by the rules was not one of them. Otherwise, he would not have killed Wan Xiuwu or ruined Yue Liuli.

Having made up his mind, Qi Xuansu felt a sense of justice.

The Heavenly Preceptor did not say anything after handing over the file. He merely watched the two youngsters with great interest, as if this were a small test.

The two exchanged a glance and, in perfect sync, refrained from commenting further. Whatever they planned to do could be discussed later. There was no need to report it to the Heavenly Preceptor since someone of his stature was not going to concern himself with such trivial matters.

The Heavenly Preceptor changed the subject and said casually, “Yuelu, didn’t you say you wanted to showcase your culinary skills?”

Qi Xuansu’s eyelid twitched. He did not think much of Zhang Yuelu’s cooking skills. If she really did showcase them, the Heavenly Preceptor might politely go along with it as an elder, but ultimately, Qi Xuansu would be the one who suffered.

Zhang Yuelu beamed and stood up. “I’ve indeed been learning how to cook during my free time.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Xuansu became even more pessimistic. Although he was touched by the thought of Zhang Yuelu learning to cook for his sake, he still did not want to torment his own taste buds. After all, she had been practicing the Fasting Technique for who knew how long.

Moreover, Zhang Yuelu’s enthusiasm for cooking meant that this was still an unfamiliar domain for her. A beginner with terrible skills and high enthusiasm was just a recipe for disaster.

The Heavenly Preceptor was in a relaxed mood today. “We won’t be leaving until tonight. Since it’s still early, why don’t we try some of Yuelu’s cooking?”

Those words seemed directed at Qi Xuansu.

Zhang Yuelu tilted her head slightly and cast a sideways glance at Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu dared not decline the Heavenly Preceptor’s suggestion, nor did he want to dampen Zhang Yuelu’s enthusiasm. So he had no choice but to go along with it. “That would be wonderful. I know a bit of cooking myself, so I’m more than happy to help out.”

This was Qi Xuansu’s last attempt at saving the situation. He knew that if he did not get involved in cooking, the resulting dishes would be harder to swallow than dry rations.

The Heavenly Preceptor asked, “I don’t have any ingredients here. Do we need to get some?”

Zhang Yuelu did not comment on Qi Xuansu’s suggestion to help and simply said, “We’ll probably need to buy a few things.”

The Heavenly Preceptor smiled. “Then let’s go get some.”

With a sweep of his wide sleeve, the Heavenly Preceptor caused a swirl of light and shadow to flash before their eyes. In the next moment, they found themselves in the bustling marketplace of Taiqing Square.

Qi Xuansu was inwardly stunned. All the formidable defenses of Zixiao Palace were nothing to the Heavenly Preceptor. Immortals were truly a class of their own.

The Heavenly Preceptor asked, “It’s been a long time since I visited the outer city of Jade Capital. Do they sell ingredients here?”

Zhang Yuelu shook her head, then led the group out of Taiqing Square. They walked for a bit until they reached a smaller market.

The three of them were in plain robes, with their hair tied up by simple hairpins rather than ceremonial crowns. No one would have guessed that this kind, white-bearded elder was actually one of the three Deputy Grand Masters.

But Qi Xuansu dared not indulge such thoughts. If the Heavenly Preceptor were truly so benevolent, then he would not have killed his own sister, Zhang Wuhen.

Zhang Yuelu initially put on a professional front but soon gave herself away. Who would buy vegetables without inspecting them or even asking for prices? Thankfully, Qi Xuansu had some commoner experience and stepped in, picking out the subpar produce she grabbed and replacing it with fresher ones.

The Heavenly Preceptor watched from behind and joked, “There’s a saying that women manage the household. But in this aspect of managing the household, Yuelu is clearly not as good as Xuansu.”

Zhang Yuelu looked a bit embarrassed. “This is my first time buying fresh produce. I usually use pre-prepared ingredients.”

She was not just making excuses. At her home in Taishang Place, she had a few attendants taking care of her daily needs. Even when she practiced cooking, the attendants would have already bought and prepared the ingredients in advance.

Qi Xuansu said, “Managing the household in this aspect is not about gender. It’s more about social standing. People like Qing Xiao never had to do household chores. Naturally, she wouldn’t be familiar with these things.”

Zhang Yuelu reflected seriously. “That’s true. I’ve been out of touch with the hardships of everyday life.”

The Heavenly Preceptor also understood such simple truths and made no comment.

The two young ones continued chatting while picking out produce. Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to teach Zhang Yuelu how to distinguish fresh ingredients. They gradually leaned closer, and Qi Xuansu occasionally cracked a few jokes that made Zhang Yuelu laugh. The chemistry between them grew to the point that they nearly forgot the Heavenly Preceptor was right behind them.

It was not until the Heavenly Preceptor lightly cleared his throat that they returned to their senses. They hurriedly finished choosing the ingredients, paid, and stood there slightly embarrassed.

Qi Xuansu recalled that the Heavenly Preceptor had never married, so he dared not imagine what the elder must have been feeling just now.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Preceptor did not comment on that. He simply asked Zhang Yuelu if she was done with the shopping. Upon receiving her confirmation, he waved his sleeve again, bringing them both back to Biyou Palace in an instant.

Though the Zixiao Palace had not activated its defensive formations, the Heavenly Preceptor’s technique still left Qi Xuansu deeply awestruck.

Zhang Yuelu took the ingredients and began cooking, refusing Qi Xuansu’s offer to help.

Needless to say, the Heavenly Preceptor had never set foot in the kitchen and would not be helping either. With nothing to do, the elder took out a chessboard. “Do you know how to play chess?”

Qi Xuansu answered honestly, “I’ve learned a little, but I wouldn’t say that I know how to play properly.”

The Heavenly Preceptor did not press further. Instead, he asked, “Then what do you usually do to pass the time?”

Qi Xuansu replied sheepishly, “I play the Holy Xuan Cards.”

The Heavenly Preceptor chuckled softly. “I see. People like to equate real life to a game of chess. But in chess, the rules don’t change, and both players have the same number of pieces. In real life, the rules constantly shift, and the pieces are not equal. If our lives were to be equated to a chess game, you would have only one general, while I’d have dozens. There’s really no fairness in that.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Thank you for your guidance, Heavenly Preceptor.”

“It’s just a passing thought.” The Heavenly Preceptor smiled, put the chessboard away, and took out a deck of Holy Xuan Cards. “Let’s play a few rounds of cards, then.”

Seeing the shock on Qi Xuansu’s face, the Heavenly Preceptor laughed and explained, “I was young once.”

Qi Xuansu took out his own collector’s deck and started playing with the Heavenly Preceptor.

He dared not dream of winning. He just hoped to leave a good impression on this elder. But the outcome was predictably grim. It was laughable to think he could win a game, especially when he could not even beat Madam Qi. He lost seven rounds consecutively, and the Heavenly Preceptor did not even bat an eye the entire time.

At that moment, Zhang Yuelu finally finished cooking.