A Pawn's Passage

In truth, there ought to be a formal coronation ceremony, but that must wait until the imperial envoy from the Great Xuan Court arrives.

From the Daoist Mansion’s standpoint, the matter was considered closed for now.

Qi Xuansu could finally turn his attention to the proper matter at hand—the Nanyang United Trading Company.

Zhang Yuelu’s visit to Poluo was under the pretext of investigating a case. It was not a mere formality, and she had indeed had some progress. The key lay in a senior executive of the Nanyang United Trading Company, Xi Ye, whose real name was Xu Youyi. Secretly, he was Wang Jiaoyan’s lover.

Xu Youyi understood perfectly well what was at stake. If he implicated Wang Jiaoyan, no one could save him. Thus, he clung stubbornly to silence. But Xu Kou’s methods were truly terrifying. Though the Daoist Order forbade torture, Xu Kou hardly cared. At worst, he would receive a disciplinary note. His methods produced results immediately.

Xu Youyi confessed to other matters, hoping to muddle through. According to him, the West Shakya Company kept a secret warehouse in Lion City where they kept the slaves they intended to sell.

Qi Xuansu was no stranger to Lion City, as he had just inspected it not long ago. However, he had been forced to return early due to Great Sage Lan’s accident.

Thanglong Prefecture was Poluo’s political center, while Lion City was unquestionably its economic hub.

Geographically, Thanglong was too deep inland, almost remote. On the other hand, Lion City was the true center of Nanyang.

Qi Xuansu’s previous visit to Lion City had been superficial. He had not seen its real inner workings. Much like when he first arrived in Thanglong, everything had appeared harmonious on the surface.

Who would have imagined that Chen Shuhua, who greeted him and Yao Xu, was merely a step away from becoming an Immortal? Or that beneath Thanglong lay two divine vessels capable of hosting Ancient Immortals, forcing Great Sage Lan to go into seclusion?

Not to mention, there were also local powerhouses like Wang Jiaohe, Wang Jiaoying, and Sun Heyu.

Aside from the Taiping Bank’s vault, which at least offered a glimpse of something real, Qi Xuansu had not seen much. The wealthy merchants had crafted a special edition of the Holy Xuan Cards for him and even established a one-of-a-kind gaming parlor for his visit.

He knew that Lion City was far more complex than it seemed.

Wherever power or wealth gathered, so too did beautiful faces. When Qi Xuansu was at the bottom rung of society, he could go a whole year without seeing a single striking woman. But once he entered Jade Capital, especially after joining Ziwei Hall, there were pretty female Daoists everywhere. He could spot several just walking down a corridor from his office to Sage Donghua’s.

Of course, that was only the surface.

It was not merely beautiful women who had more frequent encounters with him. All kinds of people flocked to him—opportunists and ambitious schemers. But these traits were not so visible. After all, no one wore a label on their forehead declaring who they were.

However, attractive people could not hide their looks. He could spot them immediately.

As such, the more power and wealth a place had, the more disputes and conflicts it would attract.

Thanglong Prefecture had political power, while Lion City had wealth.

Thanglong was nearly split in half under Chen Shuhua’s sword, so how could Lion City possibly be calm? The currents there merely flowed beneath the surface.

Otherwise, why would the Great Xuan Court place the Nanting Protectorate in Lion City, and why would the Poluo Daoist Mansion station Spirit Guards at the Old Port Pacification Commission Office nearby?

On the surface, the Nanting Protectorate governed Lion City and appeared dominant. In truth, it was far from being the sole power. Though the Lingshan Witch Cult and Cult of Fates had less of an influence here, the Heavenly Court had more. Many wealthy merchants were part of the Heavenly Court, considered half-merchant and half-bandit.

The Heavenly Court moved cargo loot through these merchants. Their presence in Lion City was almost official. Soldiers and pirates shared the same streets, which was a sight unique to the city.

The secondary secret societies in Lion City were the Seven Treasures Pavilion and the Eight Tribes. The former consisted of top-tier merchants, while the latter were madmen obsessed with crafting. However, they both shared a colossal appetite for Taiping coins. Since Lion City was the richest place in Nanyang, the two groups followed the scent of money to this place.

Many merchants in Lion City were also part of these secret societies. That was why Lion City’s merchants had the most entangled backgrounds, trading with secret societies while dealing with Daoist Mansion officials. After all, gold was gold. Merchants would never refuse money.”

Instead, the Lingshan Witch Cult and Cult of Fates cared little for Lion City. Merchants valued profit, and such people were unlikely to believe in Ancient-Immortal-led cults.

The West Shakya Company was also a regular in Lion City. Since trade went both ways, there was no reason to bar them. Thus, Western faces were a common sight here.

Lion City had the most Western influence in all of Nanyang.

If Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu intended to jointly strike at the Holy Court’s powerbase, they must begin with Lion City.

Moreover, fleets from Lingnan, Jiangnan, and Qizhou regularly docked here for trade. Such caravans often had formidable backgrounds and backing from the Daoist Order or the Great Xuan Court, so they were not to be underestimated.

Qi Muyu was one of them.

Under such circumstances, the Nanyang United Trading Company—being a local power—naturally had to establish a presence in Lion City. In fact, the company’s main headquarters was located there.

Before taking office in Poluo, Qi Xuansu had to familiarize himself with the region. Thanglong Prefecture and Lion City were his top priorities, as they determined the lifeblood of the entire Nanyang.

Unfortunately, Qi Xuansu’s trip to Lion City was cut short, forcing him to hurry back to Thanglong Prefecture.

In truth, when Qi Xuansu served as Second Deputy, he had little need to deal with Lion City. After all, he oversaw laws, not money. But now, the Chief Deputy’s job was to oversee finances, so he had no choice but to engage with Lion City extensively.

Qi Xuansu understood one thing clearly. His focus would inevitably shift from Thanglong Prefecture to Lion City.

His struggle with Wang Jiaohe and the Wang family would no longer be an open confrontation. The real battlefield would be in the unseen clashes, which was Lion City.

If Qi Xuansu obtained solid evidence of the company’s crimes and proved that the Wang family was its true owner, then the Golden Tower Council could justifiably remove Wang Jiaohe. Even an Immortal would be no match for the Golden Tower Council.

However, avoiding open confrontation did not mean there would be no bloodshed. Silencing and eliminating people had long been part of the Daoist tradition. The major Jiangnan case was proof enough. The Wang family would never sit and wait to die, so covert violence was inevitable.

This time, Zhang Yuelu’s investigation targeted Lion City. She had already set out ahead of him.

Qi Xuansu, occupied with handling the affairs of the Yu royal family, did not travel with her.

Zhang Yuelu traveled simply, with an ordinary public flying ship, not one of the special crafts reserved for Chief Deputies, Second Deputies, and Mansion Masters.

She also brought only Ke Qingqing as her companion.

After all, Zhang Yuelu was a Wuliang-stage Heavenly Being, and this was Daoist territory, so she had no need for extreme caution.

Ordinary people stood no chance against her, and those who could threaten her—such as Chen Shuhua—would not strike lightly unless they wished to face the Heavenly Preceptor and the Zhengyi Sect head-on.

Killing Qi Xuansu might not compel the Earthly Preceptor to act personally. But harming Zhang Yuelu would definitely draw direct retaliation from the Heavenly Preceptor. After all, she was crucial to the Zhang family’s future plans. If Qi Xuansu died, there would still be Yao Pei. But if Zhang Yuelu died, there was no replacement in the Zhengyi Sect.

Zhang Yuelu had visited many great cities, like the Imperial Capital and Jinling Prefecture, each with populations in the millions. Lion City was slightly smaller, but it still held over a million people. More than half a million permanent residents, while the rest were visitors and traders.

Zhang Yuelu’s first impression of Lion City was that it was prosperous and bustling, yet orderly, without the usual chaos one associated with port cities. The Black Robes kept surface order remarkably well. Anyone who fought or caused trouble would be arrested and punished, depending on the severity of the offense.

Of course, “orderly” was only in comparison to other cities. It was nowhere near the level of Jade Capital.

Zhang Yuelu and Ke Qingqing were still quite noticeable as two young women, but once passersby saw their Daoist attire, everyone kept a respectful distance.

Although Zhang Yuelu was not wearing a Sage’s hechang, just the robes of a seventh-rank Daoist, to ordinary people, a Daoist was someone they absolutely could not afford to offend. Crossing a Daoist meant serious consequences.

Besides, everyone knew female Daoists tended to be fiercer than the men. Even male Daoists were cautious around them.

Upon seeing Daoists, the Black Robes in the city shed their usual cold front.

Ke Qingqing asked softly, “Second Deputy, where are we going?”

Zhang Yuelu replied with startling bluntness. “Ziguang Society.”