A Pawn's Passage

The sky was blue, the sand was white, and the coconut palms were lush and green. Add to that the warm tropical air and an endless expanse of sea stretching to the horizon. Such a view was something one could never hope to see in Jade Capital or the Imperial Capital.

A pristine beach that stretched two kilometers was entirely private property. Along the long pier that extended from the island to the sea, sharks and other large fish occasionally cruised by. Closer to shore, tens of thousands of tiny silver fish in the shallows glimmered as they clustered together, a mesmerizing sight.

On the wide, empty beach, a plump man reclined on a bamboo lounge chair of a Central Plains design. He was bare-chested and wore a straw hat and an oversized pair of sunglasses that hid half his face.

He was basking lazily in the afternoon sun, dozing off.

A scantily dressed woman emerged from the coconut grove nearby, wearing a tube top and a sheer wrap draped over her hips. Her bare feet pressed soft imprints into the sand as she strode forward confidently. She also wore dark sunglasses that concealed her face.

“You’re still lounging here like some unmoved general while the world burns?” The woman placed her hands on her hips, her tone edged with irritation.

The man in the recliner did not even open his eyes. “What is it?”

“Don’t play dumb,” the woman snapped.

At last, the man pulled his sunglasses down, revealing a pair of languid, half-lidded eyes. “Just say whatever you came to say.”

In fairness, the man was not ugly. He was merely overfed, so his rounded face blurred his once-sharp features. His protruding belly that could rival a woman who was three months along made him far less appealing. Especially to seasoned beauties like Qi Muyu, this man belonged to the “repulsive” type.

After all, seasoned beauties tended to prefer gentle, boyish types who stirred their maternal instinct, or young, capable, heroic men who awakened their girlish hearts with admiration.

Of course, what the older beauties disdained, the younger ones did not necessarily favor either, just as most men tended to prefer youth and beauty, regardless of age.

Clearly, the lightly dressed woman had no particular interest in this man. Were they not childhood friends, she would never have bothered with the pompous fat philosopher who proclaimed to be the only sober man among drunkards.

The woman sighed. “Do you even know what day it is today?”

“What day?” The fat man asked, utterly unbothered.

The woman suddenly raised her voice by three tones. “Today is the day the new Second Deputy Mansion Master assumes office.”

The fat man blinked. “So?”

“Are you genuinely stupid or just pretending?” The woman finally snapped in exasperation. “I think you’re playing dumb. Do you even know who the new Second Deputy is?”

The fat man closed his eyes again. “I don’t care who it is. I don’t report to the Second Deputy, so let them take office if they must.”

The woman sneered. “You don’t even respect the Second Deputy Mansion Master? If people didn’t know better, they’d think you were the Junior Imperial Preceptor.”

The fat man fell silent. His face looked somewhat stiff.

The woman could not help but reach out and tug his ear. “I’m talking to you!”

The fat man finally grew a little impatient and slapped her hand away. “Fine, I know it’s that Qi guy. What’s the big deal?”

The woman glanced at the slap mark on her hand and sneered. “Qi guy? If he were actually from the Qi family of Shuzhou, that’d be simpler. I’ve heard he’s backed by someone quite powerful. His last name is just a front. He’s actually been raised outside of that powerful household, and for some reason, not acknowledged at home. His real last name is probably Yao or Pei.”

“So what? At most, he’s another Yao Pei,” the fat man said nonchalantly.

The woman retorted, “So you’re saying Miss Yao isn’t anything special now? Yes, Miss Yao lost to that Junior Imperial Preceptor once, but how many people of such caliber are there across the whole Daoist Order? Besides, Miss Yao later made amends. She actually had that Junior Imperial Preceptor confined and interrogated in Jiangnan for over a month.”

The fat man finally sat up straight in his recliner, placing his hands on his knees. “I’m not looking down on Yao Pei. If I were in Jade Capital, I’d be a nobody, certainly incomparable to Miss Yao. I also couldn’t compare to the Junior Imperial Preceptor. But this isn’t Jade Capital, nor Donghai or Nanshan. This is Poluo.”

“You’re really out of your mind!” The woman warned, “Wang Danqing, I think you’re a false sage and a true fool!”

This fat man was none other than Wang Danqing. Hearing this, he did not get infuriated. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed. “I like that phrase—false sage, true fool.”

The woman kicked his shin. “Can’t you tell when I’m serious? I’m being frank here! Were it not for our childhood bond, I wouldn’t bother with you. If that Qi guy kills you one day, don’t expect me to collect your body!”

Wang Danqing finally withdrew his frivolous grin. “Alright, as you wish. Let’s talk business.”

The woman asked, “Do you even know that everyone from the Poluo Daoist Mansion, including the two Mansion Masters, gathered at the Sheji Palace just to welcome the new Second Deputy at noon today? Don’t tell me you think you’re better than all of them, that they couldn’t see through this Qi guy being a fool and only you could?”

Wang Danqing replied indifferently, “It’s not about the Qi guy. The real reason they are there is that Yao Shu, the Chief Deputy Ziwei Hall Master, came along. In the Daoist order, the Nine Halls outrank the regional Daoist mansions, and Ziwei Hall stands above everyone. The second-in-command of Ziwei Hall carries serious weight. So even if our local officials didn’t respect the man, they’d have to respect the name of Ziwei Hall.”

The woman retorted, “Even if they’re mainly to greet Yao Shu, since when has a Chief Deputy Hall Master personally escorted a Second Deputy Mansion Master to his post? This Second Deputy isn’t even a full appointment. He’s just an Acting Second Deputy! Normally, Ziwei Hall would at most send another Second Deputy Hall Master to accompany him, and that would already be a big favor. So why did Yao Shu come himself? Do you think he’s so idle that he wants a tropical holiday?”

Wang Danqing did not answer directly. “I’ll say it again. What applies in Jade Capital doesn’t really translate in Poluo.”

The woman sighed. “I’ve looked into this Second Deputy Qi’s background. He went to the Western Region with Zhang Yuelu long ago and went through life and death together. They were ambushed by the Lingshan Witch Cult and even faced a projection of Wu Luo, where he nearly died saving Zhang Yuelu. That’s why she’s so devoted to him.

“He then took part in the second major Jiangnan case and fought the Cult of Fates. After that, he caused quite a stir in the Imperial Capital and got involved in the Wuxing Mountain operation. Recently, he joined the Fenglin campaign, where he outshone even Zhang Yuelu, Li Changge, and Yao Pei. He’s hailed as the top achiever of battle merits among the eighth-generation disciples. That’s how he got promoted to a Second Deputy Mansion Master.

“His rapid rise isn’t without reason. Sage Donghua favors him, and justifiably so. The arrogant head of the Zhang family also accepted him as a son-in-law. Do you think that’s because they’re suddenly nice? No, it’s because they know they’ve picked up a gem. Those who oppose him aren’t doing so out of contempt but out of fear. They fear that he’ll become Zhang Yuelu’s strongest ally and help her seize authority in the Zhang family. So, don’t call him a fool, Wang Danqing. If you underestimate him, I fear you won’t even know how you end up dead.”

Wang Danqing patted his round belly. “Heroes are born of circumstance. Qi Xuansu could spread his wings because he rides on the Daoist Order’s power. If you strip that power away, what kind of storm could one man raise on his own?”

“Oh sure, only you understand the grand truths.” The woman rolled her eyes. “Everything under the heavens belongs to the king, and everyone within the borders is his subject. But this ‘king’ isn’t your Wang family. Even if that Qi guy borrows the Daoist Order’s might and even if we’re not in Jade Capital, isn’t Poluo still considered under the jurisdiction of the Daoist Order?”

Wang Danqing said nothing, a wry smile playing on his lips.

The woman pressed on. “You just mentioned power. But do you know what ‘power’ really means? It’s the will of the people, the tide of the times. Do you have any idea how many people are queuing outside the Sheji Palace right now? The royalty of the Yu Kingdom, envoys of neighboring nations, local chieftains and gentry, Western ambassadors, the West Shakya Company’s delegates, Buddhist and Holy Court envoys, and even Daoist noble families are all flocking there. Qi Xuansu’s flying ship had not even left Jade Capital when news reached them, and they were already scheduling a meeting. Some even went to Jade Capital to meet him in advance. Why do you think that is? It’s because of power.”

Wang Danqing chuckled softly. “Impressive. What a magnificent power indeed.”

The woman drew in a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell visibly. Clearly, Wang Danqing’s stubbornness had riled her up.

Wang Danqing said quietly, almost to himself, “Poluo won’t allow such a powerful man to exist.”

The woman let out a furious laugh. “Oh, really? Just because you say so? Who exactly are you to decide that?”

Wang Danqing guffawed, as though he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. The wild, mocking, and unrestrained laughter grew, rumbling from his belly.

“What are you laughing at?” The woman could not stand his insufferable attitude.

Wang Danqing gradually let the laughter die out, his smile fading into a cold sneer. He lifted a hand, as though sweeping the entire island of Poluo into his embrace.

“What is the Daoist Order? It isn’t a single will or some divine spirit. It’s an organization made up of people, which means there are natural boundaries and factions.”

He paused, then his voice rose, proud and resonant. “Poluo has 56 prefectures and 210 counties, and all of them rest upon the shoulders of the Wang family. The Poluo Daoist Mansion Master is from the Wang family. The tens of millions who live on this land look up to us, not to the Yaos, Peis, Lis, or Zhangs.”

He concluded, “Here in Poluo, even a dragon must coil, and a tiger must crouch.”