A Pawn's Passage

Late that night, Xu Jiaorong arrived at the tavern, mildly displeased. They had agreed on half a month before the next update, yet on day five, this was Chen Jianchou’s third request to meet, which was only a day since the last.

Still, she knew her godson well. He had probably faced a critical problem he could not solve if he had contacted her so urgently, so she came at once.

Before Xu Jiaorong could speak, Chen Jianchou confided in her about all that he had seen, done, and deduced.

When he finished, Xu Jiaorong was shaken. She had expected murky waters, but she did not know it was that deep.

Due to her profession, Xu Jiaorong was meticulous. Even amid shock, she caught something off.

“You said Chen Jianqiu’s attitude was...strange?” Xu Jiaorong asked.

Chen Jianchou nodded.

Xu Jiaorong did not press that point. “Walk me through every meeting you’ve had with her in detail.”

Obedient as ever, he recounted everything—their first meeting by Guijian Lake, the bookshop rendezvous, and tonight’s rescue.

After a short silence, Xu Jiaorong asked, “After all this, what’s your impression of her?”

This made her sound like a concerned mother asking after her son’s match.

For once, Chen Jianchou blushed and was at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Xu Jiaorong felt no maternal warmth that her godson had found his match. She only had a grave expression.

It was not because both Chen Jianchou and Chen Jianqiu were from the same clan, but because she had sensed a deeper problem.

Xu Jiaorong mused, “You mentioned a faint fragrance at your second meeting at the bookshop, right?”

“Yes.” Chen Jianchou nodded. “I was nervous and took a deep breath, so that scent filled my nose and mouth, making it hard to forget.”

Xu Jiaorong pressed on. “Did you smell the same fragrance at your first meeting?”

He began to answer, but Xu Jiaorong raised a hand. “Don’t rush. Think carefully before speaking.”

Hearing Xu Jiaorong’s tone, Chen Jianchou finally caught on. After pondering for a moment, he finally said, “I think there was...but since we were outdoors, the scent was faint.”

Xu Jiaorong’s expression turned cold. “Were you enchanted by Princess Furui? Or even a ‘love at first sight’ kind of feeling?”

Startled, Chen Jianchou stammered, “Godmother...how did you know?”

“How do I know?” Xu Jiaorong scoffed. “Silly boy, you’ve been ensnared.”

Chen Jianchou froze. “You mean...Qiu’er—”

Xu Jiaorong shook her head slightly. “I first suspected she was with the Holy Court, but it seems I was wrong. She seems more like someone from the Ziguang Society.”

Chen Jianchou was stunned. “The Ziguang Society? One of the three biggest secret societies?”

“The Ziguang Society specializes in such arts, so it’s no surprise you fell for it. Even one of our Omniscient Sages was once bewitched, allowing the Ziguang Society to infiltrate Jade Capital,” Xu Jiaorong explained.

For a moment, Chen Jianchou was speechless.

Xu Jiaorong drew a small jade vial from her sleeve and tossed it to him. “Take it. It will clear your mind.”

Chen Jianchou poured out a pale green pill and swallowed it.

At once, a chill surged up his spine, piercing straight to the crown of his head. His mind instantly became crystal clear, sharper than it had ever been.

The lingering infatuation, hazy sorrow, self-pity, and shame vanished like mist.

When he thought back to his earlier state, it all felt like a dream.

That so-called unforgettable affection now seemed distant and faint, like mist before the dawn. One breeze, and it was gone. This dream left without a trace.

As the false emotions faded, what surged up instead was embarrassment and shame.

A grown man like him had fallen into a lovestruck trance like a teenage boy. If word got out, he would lose all reputation.

Luckily, only his godmother knew.

Xu Jiaorong mused aloud, eyes narrowing slightly. “If Chen Jianchou truly is a Ziguang Society agent, then why would she risk exposing the matter herself?”

Chen Jianchou thought for a moment and said, “Godmother, I have an idea.”

“Go on.” Xu Jiaorong urged.

Chen Jianchou continued, “If Princess Furui is a secret agent of the Ziguang Society, then the purpose of placing her by the King’s side was to influence and control him. But now, the King has turned to Buddhism, though what he believes in is not orthodox. It may be connected to the red-robed Bodhisattva and the white-robed Buddha in the tomb murals. From this, we can infer that these heretics are plotting something significant. Another group bewitched the King, so he gradually slipped out of the Ziguang Society’s control, leaving Chen Jianqiu isolated and unable to contend with them. So she simply exposed everything and used the Daoist Order as a tool to destroy her rivals.”

Xu Jiaorong slowly turned to her godson, her eyes full of encouragement for him to continue his deductions. She liked Chen Jianchou because he truly had talent and insight that even she sometimes admired. This was precisely why she had entrusted him with the matter.

Encouraged by her gaze, Chen Jianchou spoke with renewed confidence. “The main question now is what role does Chief Deputy Chen actually play in all this? After thinking it through, there are few people capable enough to take down seven chief eunuchs, and Chief Deputy Chen is one of them. While contact with secret societies isn’t strictly forbidden for Daoists, it’s not something just anyone can do. The Zhangs, Lis, and Yaos are backers of such groups. But Chief Deputy Chen can’t achieve this. She’s from the royal family of the Yu Kingdom, so the Daoist Order keeps a close watch on her every move. If she got caught dealing with secret societies, she would never recover from her fall. It’s simply too great a risk.”

Xu Jiaorong followed his reasoning. “Logically speaking, a member of the Yu royal family shouldn’t be put in charge of the Yu Kingdom’s affairs, but Mansion Master Wang trusted her, which was why she got that role. Now, it looks like an inside job happening right in the Sheji Palace. With so many players on stage and such a grand performance, the only explanation for why the Daoist Mansion knows nothing is because someone’s holding an umbrella to shield everything from sight. The Daoist Mansion can only see the top of the umbrella, not what’s hidden beneath.”

Chen Jianchou added, “It reminds me of the three stages of seeing. At first, one will see the world as it is; then one will see through its illusion; finally, one will see the truth in the illusion itself. At first, we all thought Chief Deputy Chen had targeted the King. But as the investigation deepened, we realized it couldn’t be that simple, that she wouldn’t harm him. But now, things have circled back to her again.”

Though Xu Jiaorong was experienced, she had not invested nearly as much focus in this case as her godson had. So she stopped thinking it over and simply asked, “What do you think Chief Deputy Chen plans to do next?”

Chen Jianchou pondered aloud. “To know what Chief Deputy Chen’s plans are, we must first know what she wants. What would she gain by controlling the King and sacrificing seven chief eunuchs to resurrect the red-robed Bodhisattva and the white-robed Buddha? Is she insane enough to drag an entire city to death? It also doesn’t make sense because Great Sage Lan is stationed here.”

“Enough guessing. We’re not her, so we will never figure out her thoughts.” Xu Jiaorong said, “Let’s go to that underground tomb you mentioned. Seeing it once is better than hearing about it 100 times.”

Chen Jianchou said, “I can roughly determine the location, but the area is sealed by formation barriers, and the tunnels have been blown apart. How would we get in?”

Xu Jiaorong replied, “Then we’ll break the formation. I’ll report this to Great Sage Lan. No formation can withstand his might. Since this matter is serious, there’s no room for hesitation.”