A Pawn's Passage

If Qi Xuansu had come to Poluo merely to polish his résumé, then he would have never dared to offend anyone recklessly, especially when faced with such deep-rooted networks. He would have to go with the flow just to survive.

But this time, Qi Xuansu had come precisely to make enemies. His job required him to offend people to the bitter end.

Qi Xuansu asked calmly, “What business brings you here today, Elder Sun?”

Sun Heyu could not state his real intent outright, so he said, “I heard that you have suspended Superintendent Huang from his duties. Isn’t that a bit too hasty? It’s not aligned with the rules.”

The last time Qi Xuansu had been suspended, it had been Li Ruoshui’s doing. Shi Bingyun, his direct superior at the time, had locked horns with Li Ruoshui over the matter.

Now, Huang Jiaoqing’s direct superior was none other than Qi Xuansu himself. Qi Xuansu had not dismissed him outright and merely suspended him with solid justification. Even Wang Jiaohe could not object to that.

Qi Xuansu replied, “The order for martial law came from Great Sage Lan. I merely executed it on his behalf. Both Mansion Master Wang and Chief Deputy Chen approved it as well. I was just tasked to oversee its implementation. The upcoming Daoist Mansion Council is built upon that very framework. Knowing this, Huang Jiaoqing disobeyed the directive and mobilized Spirit Guards without authorization. That constitutes defiance of command, bordering on contempt for the entire Daoist Order. Therefore, I suspended him from office. The next step is to report the case to the headquarters of Ziwei Hall and Fengxian Hall to formally open an inquiry.”

From start to finish, Qi Xuansu never mentioned the assault incident involving Young Master Sun. Instead, he framed Huang Jiaoqing’s crime as contempt for the Daoist Order.

Naturally, Sun Heyu understood the implication. He pressed on. “What about Superintendent Tian, then?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “That man is charged with dereliction of duty. Since I’m the one overseeing discipline in the Poluo Daoist Mansion, it is my responsibility to apprehend him. The specifics are recorded in the image recording stone, so I won’t repeat them.”

Sun Heyu went straight to the point. “And what about Deputy Mansion Master Zheng? Was that also part of your ‘responsibility?’”

Qi Xuansu countered with a question of his own. “Did Deputy Mansion Master Zheng run off to your residence to file a complaint?”

Sun Heyu snorted. “Is that not allowed?”

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “Of course, it’s allowed. There’s nothing wrong with that. So, are you here today only to demand justice on behalf of Deputy Mansion Master Zheng? No other reason?”

Sun Heyu narrowed his eyes slightly, studying Qi Xuansu in silence without answering.

Of course, the Old Sage was not just there for Zheng Jiaohe’s matter. He was merely using it as leverage to pressure Qi Xuansu. But Qi Xuansu was not biting the bait.

Qi Xuansu had the confidence to hold firm because he had the backing of the Golden Tower Council. Thus, the threat of reporting anything to the Golden Palace Council would not work on him. Instead, Wang Jiaohe had already been forced into multiple concessions by that very tactic. Qi Xuansu did not believe for a moment that Sun Heyu would dare report the matter to the Golden Tower Council.

Qi Xuansu lowered his gaze and spoke evenly. “Elder Sun, you’re a sixth-generation disciple of the Daoist Order, while I am merely an eighth-generation junior. By rank and seniority, I am the same as your grandson, so in the old days, I would have knelt to greet you. But times have changed. The Daoist Order now holds office above age. Even if you were a fifth-generation disciple, you presently hold no official post. So let those who hold the office act upon it. If Deputy Mansion Master Zheng has grievances, get him to speak to me either by himself or through Mansion Master Wang. Alternatively, he may bring it up to the Golden Tower Council directly.”

The message between the lines was loud and clear: Sun Heyu was not qualified to discuss this with Second Deputy Qi.

Sun Heyu exploded in fury, slamming his palm down hard on the tea table.

The solid wooden table instantly disintegrated into dust, as if it had never existed.

Sun Heyu had once been an Omniscient Sage, so his cultivation was surely above Qi Xuansu’s at the moment.

Qi Xuansu remained unmoved. “I can overlook the destruction of property this time, but I’d like to remind you not to forget where you stand, Elder Sun. This is the Water Palace, so what do you intend to do? Are you planning to strike and discipline a Second Deputy Mansion Master personally? A word of caution, Elder Sun—I am not merely a humble eighth-generation disciple. I am also an envoy sent by the Golden Tower Council. Everyone is equal before the law. If you persist in your ways, I will have no choice but to charge you with contempt.”

As Qi Xuansu spoke, Spirit Guard Ding Chou appeared not far away, her visor lowered, and her aura terrifyingly immense.

Yao Pei had once explained that the first-rank Spirit Guards varied in power. Some were at the Zaohua stage, while some were Pseudo-Immortals. But all of them shared a mystical ability, where they unfurled the metal disc behind their backs to commune with the Thirty-Three Heavens, which allowed them to temporarily gain strength. A Zaohua-stage Spirit Guard could attain Pseudo-Immortal might, and a Psuedo-Immortal could contend with Longevity-stage Immortals. After all, there was still a wide disparity among Pseudo-Immortals. The Golden Patriarch had far surpassed Wu Guangbi in cultivation.

Thus, a first-rank Spirit Guard had a Pseudo-Immortal-level combat power. If need be, they could unleash even greater strength.

Spirit Guard Ding Chou’s presence here was, without question, a warning to Sun Heyu.

With Great Sage Lan still in seclusion, Qi Xuansu’s confidence in declaring martial law and pressuring Wang Jiaohe stemmed from the backing of two first-rank Spirit Guards and the thousands under their command.

Otherwise, Qi Xuansu might have to fear for his life, slain by the so-called “secret societies.”

Qi Xuansu deeply realized his own cultivation still fell short. In peaceful territories, his Wuliang-stage cultivation level sufficed. But in chaotic regions like this, it was far from enough.

He still needed more Xuan Jades.

However, that would have to wait. For now, he would handle one crisis at a time.

At this point, Sun Heyu could not actually make a move. He could only say through clenched teeth, “Very well. I won’t meddle in the affairs of the Daoist Mansion, then. Let’s talk about something that does concern me personally, my grandson, Sun Yaoping. What law did he break that you insist on locking him up?”

Qi Xuansu did not answer immediately. Instead, he said, “Now, that’s better. Let’s speak like proper men. We’re all disciples of the Daoist Order, so there’s no need to draw swords at every word. Though juniors should be respectful, elders must first be worthy of respect. If the elder shows no respect, then the younger cannot be blamed for lacking deference. Elder Sun, you may be a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master, but I have met more than a few first-rank Daoists in my time, like the Heavenly Preceptor, the Imperial Preceptor, Great Sage Zhang, and Great Sage Lan. Even those who aren’t in the first rank, like Sage Donghua, Sage Qingwei, and Sage Cihang, were never as ill-tempered as you.”

Sun Heyu did not fail to grasp the subtext. Qi Xuansu was both rebuking him and showing his hand—a subtle display of his backing and connections.

The message was clear: Qi Xuansu is not some inexperienced Daoist without a background who could be bullied at will. Even far greater figures of the Daoist Order never behaved like the Old Sage, so Elder Sun should not overestimate himself. There was no way Elder Sun could put Qi Xuansu in his place.

Sun Heyu’s expression darkened. “Second Deputy Qi, I’ll remember that remark. Now, will you finally answer my question?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Of course I can. As I said from the beginning, Young Master Sun was brought back merely to assist in an investigation. The female Daoist who struck him was also taken in at the same time. So you cannot claim that I’ve shown favoritism toward anyone.”

Having observed enough politics, Qi Xuansu was no fool. He would never leave a loose end for others to seize upon. Had he released the female Daoist and detained only Sun Yaoping, Elder Sun would have found ample grounds to accuse him of bias, revenge, or personal targeting, perhaps even to spread rumors of “improper relations” between Qi Xuansu and the woman.

But since Qi Xuansu had detained both parties, there was no room for such manipulative talk.

Sun Heyu said, “I have no objection to you arresting the one who struck first. But why take in the one who was struck as well? Since when is the victim guilty?”

Qi Xuansu said, “The victim isn’t guilty. But that’s not what we are discussing. The question is, was Young Master Sun truly the victim? I can’t judge a case based on his word alone.”

Sun Heyu pressed, “Then what have you found in the investigation?”

Qi Xuansu produced a case file. “This is the result of the Earth Qi Recall. Please take a look, Elder Sun.”

Sun Heyu accepted the file and skimmed through it quickly.

While Sun Heyu read the contents, Qi Xuansu explained, “According to the findings of the Earth Qi Recall, Young Master Sun is far from innocent. He engaged in lewd speech and physical advances against the woman’s will. This is a serious violation of the Daoist Order’s moral precepts. By law, Young Master Sun should be sentenced to three months of hard labor. Maybe then, he will have the time to reflect upon his wrongdoing and reform himself. Of course, striking someone is also improper, even if somewhat justified. It warrants a fine of 500 Taiping coins and one month of hard labor. That’s my ruling. Do you find it acceptable, Elder Sun?”

Sun Heyu used to be an Omniscient Sage, so he had years of cultivation and self-discipline. He quietly regulated his breath as he reviewed the file and said calmly, “It is my failure in teaching my unfilial grandson. Sun Yaoping has relied on our family’s favor and protection to commit this unlawful act. Since the evidence is conclusive, I will not defend him, nor will I beg for leniency. Your judgment is indeed fair. I merely ask one thing, that you discern this matter clearly.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Please speak, Elder Sun.”

Sun Heyu said, “Though I am a disciple of the Daoist Order, my unworthy grandson is not. Then tell me, how can the Daoist Order’s precepts be applied to one who is not bound by them?”

Qi Xuansu’s expression darkened slightly.

This Old Sage was sharp. In the time it took to skim a file, Sun Heyu had already spotted the procedural flaw.

This time, Qi Xuansu pondered briefly before answering, “You’re right, Elder Sun. But the other party involved is a disciple of the Daoist Order, so naturally, the Daoist precepts take precedence over other law. Surely, we would not claim that the laws of Yu Kingdom stand above the Daoist Order’s own, right?”

Sun Heyu countered, “Even if the Daoist precepts apply, Sun Yaoping should not be imprisoned in the Daoist Nether Prison. The Green Phoenix Guard’s prison would be more fitting.”

“I see no need for that,” Qi Xuansu brushed off the remark.

Sun Heyu’s eyes turned cold. “Second Deputy Qi, must you insist on denying this old man even that small courtesy?”

Qi Xuansu did not meet his gaze. “It’s merely three months of labor. When that time is over, I will personally ensure that Young Master Sun is returned home, safe and sound.”

Having said that, Qi Xuansu lifted the teacup from the table and ordered, “Please see our guest out.”