A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu countered, “Never mind who I am. Do you even remember who you are?”

The superintendent grinned. “Of course, I do. I’m Tian Yongfen, the superintendent of this place. I call the shots here!”

Qi Xuansu asked again, “Then tell me, do you even know what kind of place this is?”

Tian Yongfen chuckled proudly. “This is my turf.”

He was drunk and loose-tongued.

Qi Xuansu nodded. “I see.”

Anyone could hear the danger in that calm tone. Ke Qingqing and Han Yongfeng exchanged glances. Their eyes now held the pity one might show to a soon-to-be-dead man.

Of course, Qi Xuansu would not kill him. But this drunkard’s career and future were as good as dead.

Tian Yongfen had only heard that a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master had asked for a meeting and thought nothing of it. These visitors interrupted him at a most inopportune moment. Emboldened by liquid courage and distracted by a beautiful courtesan, he became irritable and deliberately kept them waiting as a show of anger. Thus, he continued to study Buddhist scriptures from Poluo, discussing how they differed from those of the Central Plains.

He thought smugly, Even a mighty dragon fears the local snake. He’s the same rank as me, so what’s he showing off for? If he really ticks me off, I’ll make sure he never walks out of Phnom Penh alive.

Tian Yongfen swaggered forward and slung an arm over Qi Xuansu’s shoulder. “Everyone here is a guest. Come, fellow Daoist, let’s have a drink or two!”

Qi Xuansu’s face was still expressionless, without a hint of anger or disdain. “You don’t even know who I am, and yet you would invite me to drink with you?”

Tian Yongfen slurred his words. “There’s an old poem that says there’s no harm in sharing a drink with strangers. But who exactly are you?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “My name is Qi Xuansu.”

The entire hall fell so silent that one could hear a pin drop. The deacon beside them

looked utterly petrified, his face drained of blood.

“Qi...Xuansu...” Tian Yongfen mumbled. “This name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?”

He scratched his head in confusion and repeated, “Qi Xuansu...Qi Xuansu...Damn it, who the hell is that again?”

By this point, the deacon’s face turned as white as paper. He could only muster the courage to tug at Tian Yongfen’s sleeve, silently pleading for his superior to shut up before it was too late.

“What are you doing?” Tian Yongfen snapped, shaking off the deacon’s hand in irritation.

The deacon was nearly in tears as he urged, “Superintendent, that’s the name of the newly appointed Second Deputy Mansion Master. You mustn’t address him so casually!”

“What new Second Deputy—” Tian Yongfen’s words cut off abruptly.

In that instant, a fine thread of reason finally snapped back into place.

He suddenly remembered who Qi Xuansu was.

The Poluo Daoist Mansion’s decree had stated clearly that the newly appointed Second Deputy Mansion Master was Qi Xuansu.

In that moment, a chill rose from the base of Tian Yongfen’s spine, climbing upward through his back to the nape of his neck, until his scalp tingled and pricked as if stabbed by needles.

He sobered up instantly. All the alcohol seemed to vanish from his system.

A wave of sheer terror engulfed him, and he felt like a drowning man grasping for air.

His entire body froze. Like a puppet whose strings had tangled, Tian Yongfen turned his head mechanically and tried to discreetly retract the arm he had flung around Qi Xuansu’s shoulders. However, his limbs no longer obeyed him.

At last, his legs gave way and saved him, making him collapse to the floor.

Ke Qingqing had already prepared an image recording stone before the meeting, documenting the entire humiliating scene in clarity.

Qi Xuansu looked down from above, his tone cold and level. “Superintendent Tian, can you tell me where you went last night?”

“I-I-I...Y-You...” Tian Yongfen’s lips trembled, and his tongue was tied, so much so that he could no longer form a single coherent word.

Qi Xuansu’s voice turned stern. “I’ll ask you one more time. Where were you last night?”

Though Tian Yongfen’s fear and hangover muddled his mind, he was startled out of his stupor and somehow managed a straight answer. “I...I was reading Buddhist scriptures last night.”

Qi Xuansu asked softly, “What scripture, exactly?”

“It’s...it’s...” Tian Yongfen’s tongue failed him again.

In truth, the phrase “reading Buddhist scriptures” was a euphemism. In poor households, daughters were often sold to temples to become nuns. In essence, they were no different from prostitutes. They sold their bodies in the name of devotion, and when they grew old, they would retreat behind the scenes to act as bawds to guide and manage the next generation of nuns.

In truth, every religion has its share of dark histories involving relations between men and women. The Daoist Order had once denounced the old Daoist bedchamber arts.

Since the Holy Xuan rebuilt the Daoist Order, he had implemented severe and uncompromising discipline regarding relations between the genders. A single scandal could ruin one’s entire future. Thus, some Daoists began to seek pleasure beyond their community, especially those stationed far away from the central authority, where misdeeds went unchecked.

“So, are you preparing to defect to the Buddhist Sect already?” Qi Xuansu had roughly guessed what “reading scriptures” truly meant. The perfume clinging to Tian Yongfen’s robes could fool no one, yet Qi Xuansu still feigned ignorance.

Tian Yongfen jolted upright, instantly turning sober. To consort with women was one thing. It would mean being sent to the Fengxian Hall. It was certainly disgraceful, but he would be able to survive that. But if this were construed as heresy or collusion with another religion, that meant he would be transferred to the Beichen Hall, where no one ever came out alive or in one piece.

He blurted out in panic, “No, no! Not that kind of scripture! I meant...I meant drinking with women!”

Qi Xuansu’s voice was cold. “Only drinking?”

Tian Yongfen answered in just a whisper, “We also...practiced a bit of the bedchamber arts.”

Qi Xuansu let out a snort. “I wonder what the punishment is for negligence of duty, debauchery, and drunken misconduct?”

Tian Yongfen was speechless. He prostrated himself on the floor in despair, as though his bones had melted.

Qi Xuansu turned to the deacon and instructed, “Summon the local Deputy Mansion Master.”

The deacon nearly fell over himself scrambling out the door.

The prefectural palace was not far from the temple, so the deacon soon arrived. Since he was a familiar face, no one stopped him.

There was a saying that when leaders were corrupt, the subordinates would be misguided. If the subordinates behaved this way, one could well imagine the conduct of their superior.

Deep within the palace was a two-story pavilion, half-hidden among trees.

The first floor had nothing worth noting, but the second floor was remarkable. Its floor was pieced from thick slabs of red sandalwood, each about 60 centimeters wide, 30 centimeters long, and 3 centimeters thick. The only furniture on the second floor was a massive platform bed with a rosewood table set upon it, as well as some censers, vases, and delicate ornaments. Coils of ambergris incense drifted through the air, veiling the room in misty perfume.

A female Daoist danced barefoot in slow, fluid steps. Before her sat a male Daoist, hair disheveled, his long fingers plucking lightly at the strings on the qin before him, the notes clear and distinct.

The incense smoke curled between them, brushing past the man’s face and casting his pale features in a drifting shadow. His slender fingers pressed and plucked with grace, indicating his mastery in musical theory.

These two simply had not slept all night. After all, their cultivation level was high enough that they did not need to sleep. They could easily indulge like this for three full days without pause.

At that moment, a discordant note broke the melody. A timid voice from below called out, “Deputy Mansion Master...”

The male Daoist pressed both hands against the strings, cutting off the music mid-note.

At once, silence fell below the pavilion.

The male Daoist suppressed his temper and asked, “What is it?”

The voice from below grew even more cautious. “Deputy Mansion Master...Second Deputy Qi has arrived at the prefectural temple...”

The male Daoist on the second floor was Zheng Jiaohe, the local Deputy Mansion Master. He had met Qi Xuansu before at the welcome banquet held days earlier.

If Qi Xuansu were merely a Second Deputy, Zheng Jiaohe would not have been overly concerned. After all, he had the backing of the Mansion Master and the Chief Deputy. The issue was that Qi Xuansu carried a special mission from the Golden Tower Council. A single misstep before such an envoy could mean one’s soul was sent straight to heaven for judgment.

The female Daoist had stopped dancing. Without being told, she knelt gracefully behind Zheng Jiaohe, helping to comb his hair with tender, practiced care. This womanly gentleness was different from the typical fierce Daoist women. They were not husband and wife. She was actually a deacon and his subordinate.

The voice outside spoke again. “Also...Superintendent Tian was caught red-handed by Second Deputy Qi.”

Zheng Jiaohe grunted in irritation.

The voice outside fell completely silent.

Soon, Zheng Jiaohe’s hair was tied neatly in a topknot, secured with a simple jade pin.

They both stood up. The female Daoist smoothed the folds of his robe, her slender fingers brushing lightly across his chest, her gaze lingering with unspoken meaning.

Zheng Jiaohe murmured, “Go rest for now. Second Deputy Qi is no ordinary man. Tian Yongfen is truly a useless fool. Now that he’s caught, things will get messy.”

The woman gave a soft hum, then drew out a sachet and tucked it at Zheng Jiaohe’s waist. “This is a special black-ink scented sachet, mixed with a touch of cinnabar, which will mask any other scents. This way, Second Deputy Qi will think that you’ve been up all night on official duty.”

“You’re always so thoughtful,” Zheng Jiaohe said with a smile.

Soon enough, Zheng Jiaohe arrived at the prefectural temple. Even before he entered, his voice rang out, “Forgive me! My deepest apologies!”

Qi Xuansu turned toward the voice.

The Deputy Mansion Master had a dark complexion and eyes filled with hidden ferocity. Though he wore a smile, it was the kind that never reached the eyes. Clearly, he was not a man to be trusted.

Before Qi Xuansu could even speak, Zheng Jiaohe began explaining, “A dozen ships from the Shibo Hall came up from Lingnan, but they were held up at the border, something about a new transit tax. The matter grew serious, so I had to handle it personally. I’ve just returned this morning. I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon, Second Deputy Qi.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Who would dare detain the Shibo Hall’s ships?”

Zheng Jiaohe chuckled. “The local government officials, not from our Daoist Mansion.”

Qi Xuansu nodded slightly. “I see.”

Only then did Zheng Jiaohe finally turn his eyes toward Tian Yongfen, who was still slumped on the ground.

Feigning surprise, Zheng Jiaohe asked, “This is...?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Superintendent Tian is one of your subordinates, Deputy Mansion Master Zheng. He’s quite the grand character and kept me waiting here all night. Apparently, he spent last night ‘reading scriptures’ and got himself thoroughly drunk. I haven’t punished him yet. He’s simply sleeping off his wine.”

Zheng Jiaohe furrowed his brows, feigning outrage. “How outrageous!”