A Pawn's Passage

The two Immortals came in a hurry and left just as quickly. Everything returned to its peaceful state once more.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stood upon the surface of the sea, facing each other without speaking.

It seemed they had achieved their goal, yet somehow not quite. After all, Wu Guangbi was not dead, and no one knew where Li Tianzhen had escaped to.

This mission was barely satisfactory. At the very least, they had achieved the minimum objective of severely injuring Wu Guangbi so he would not be able to cause trouble for Qi Xuansu anytime soon. It also served as a warning to Wu Guangbi that blocking Qi Xuansu’s path came with a price. That way, Wu Guangbi would think carefully before crossing him again.

Madam Bai did not linger and returned straight to the Ghost Kingdom.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu returned to Dragon Scale Island, which was now in complete ruin. The guards had scattered amid the chaos, and some had died in the aftermath of the battle.

The false cultivation granted by the Scripture of Zuriel was dissipating, causing them both to return to the Wuliang stage.

This was their first time using the Scripture of Zuriel in such a short span, so the backlash was mild and still within tolerable limits.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu walked side by side to the shoreline.

Dragon Scale Island was meant to be a place of recuperation, so there were still some intact deck chairs on the beach. They found a pair placed side by side. Rather than lying down, they sat facing each other.

“I can’t help but feel like all that effort was for nothing.” Qi Xuansu sighed. “We went all out to offend Golden Patriarch, only to end up with such an in-between result.”

Zhang Yuelu was more optimistic. “Think of the bright side. After tonight, resistance from the Heavenly Court will be almost gone. Golden Patriarch may be formidable, but Great Sage Jiang keeps him in check. Wu Guangbi is seriously injured and won’t be making waves anytime soon. As for Liu Gui, he’ll definitely be pleased with this collaboration.”

Qi Xuansu perked up a little. “Right, since you mentioned Liu Gui, that’s worth discussing. When dealing with the Heavenly Court, we can’t confront them head-on. We need to divide them from within. A Pseudo-immortal like Wu Guangbi is only serving Li Changge and Li Tianzhen willingly because of the Li family’s backing. Liu Gui, who opposes Wu Guangbi, will inevitably seek external support to counter Wu Guangbi. That’s where we can step in. This collaboration lays an excellent foundation. At the very least, we’ve shown him enough to prove we have the resources to back him. He won’t make trouble for us. Without interference from the Heavenly Court, taking down the Nanyang United Trading Company will be much easier.”

Zhang Yuelu was not a rigid or pedantic person. She understood long ago that absolute justice did not exist and that fighting alone would never lead to success. One had to gain allies wherever possible. So, she did not oppose Qi Xuansu’s proposal. “We shouldn’t openly support Liu Gui, but I can have Star Lord Yuheng continue the contact on our behalf.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “You’re right. We don’t need to show up ourselves. Liu Gui just needs to know that the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect can support him when necessary. In the future, we can deepen this kind of cooperation.”

The Taiping Sect had chosen to back the Heavenly Court, which prioritized quantity instead of quality, unlike the Qingping Society or the Ziguang Society. Thus, such circumstances were unavoidable because with more people came more complicated intentions, making infiltration easier.

The Daoist Order could not escape this, much less the Heavenly Court. The Qingping Society and Ziguang Society were less influential but also more concealed and harder to penetrate. Each had its strengths.

After discussing a few details, the couple gradually fell silent.

With all the supernatural phenomena fading away, the night sky now held only a sparse sprinkle of stars and a bright moon, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of waves, creating a serene and romantic scene.

The atmosphere between them slowly grew more ambiguous.

Since they were soon-to-be Daoist companions, there was nothing to feel shy about.

Qi Xuansu whispered, “Qing Xiao, it feels like we haven’t been alone like this for quite some time.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded. “It has been a while. We’ve both been busy in Fenglin and now Poluo. When I’m free, you’re not; when you’re free, I’m not.”

Qi Xuansu sighed with emotion. “Exactly. We’ve been running around non-stop. Come to think of it, we don’t even enjoy life as well as Li Tianzhen. He knows how to steal moments of leisure and stay in nice places like this for a while. Meanwhile, we treat the office as our home. We’re practically possessed by a work-obsessed demon.”

Zhang Yuelu said, “Power is intoxicating. The Sages of the Golden Tower Council know this and spur us on with continuous promotions. That way, our desires grow, pushing us to chase greater authority and climb one peak after another. That’s simply how it is.”

Hearing this, Qi Xuansu did not refute her.

The taste of power was indeed delightful, so much so that he had almost forgotten other desires.

In the past, he liked money and would be struck by the beauty of a woman. Now, he seemed free of all desire, treating wealth as dirt and beauty as bones. After all, he was still not yet enlightened. At the moment, he had a greater desire that overshadowed the lesser ones.

His master, Qi Haoran, once told him that men generally pursue three things—power, strength, and women—ranked from the hardest to the easiest.

Among these, the one men found hardest to quit—because it was the most addictive of all—was power.

Some might argue that strength should be the true pursuit.

But that was not the case. Many people sought strength fundamentally as a means to seize power.

If one possessed immense strength yet had no desire for power, it became rather meaningless. It was like an Immortal with world-shattering cultivation choosing to hide away from society, treating mortals as equals without ever standing above others. To most people, such a life was dull and unappealing. Those who pursued strength alone, without caring about how it translated into power, were simply martial fanatics.

Most people preferred being the center of attention, speaking a single sentence, and having their subordinates interpret it in countless ways. Some made an offhand remark and watched as people reacted with fear and reverence. Their presence in public would grant them endless flattery, admiration, praise, and all kinds of obsequious gestures tailored to their liking.

Not to mention, they had the ability to change the world with a single command and realize their own grand ambitions.

The essence of power was the ability to control others. Ideally, it was to have others submit willingly.

This was something brute strength alone could not achieve.

Strength was just a shortcut and a tool for gaining power, but it was not the same thing as power itself.

For this reason, power was intoxicating. It could take shape as many things—a nation, the world, lofty ambitions, or titles such as Grand Master, Pope, or Emperor.

These were things that wealth could not compare to. Or rather, once one had such power, wealth would naturally follow.

However, attaining power was the hardest.

Throughout history, countless people have died on the road to securing power, and only a rare few have reached the summit. Now Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu walk this same path. Whatever they intend to do with power—save the world or sow chaos, relieve the suffering of the masses or indulge in pleasure—they must first obtain it.

They were always chasing power, which was why they were so endlessly busy.

Qi Xuansu momentarily drifted into a daze, wondering if he would ever lose himself on this path.

Zhang Yuelu looked at him quietly.

Both of them remained silent.

After a moment, Qi Xuansu reached out and took Zhang Yuelu’s hand.

He had not held Zhang Yuelu’s hand like this in a long time. It was not as soft as expected and was slightly cold.

Qi Xuansu finally spoke. “I should start thinking seriously about our relationship and our future, about the path we’ll take. Perhaps, once these matters in Poluo settle down, we can return to Yunjin Mountain?”

Zhang Yuelu asked knowingly, “Go back for what?”

Qi Xuansu did not answer directly. Instead, he intentionally said, “We should return home in glory, of course. Now that I’ve become the youngest second-rank Taiyi Daoist in the entire Daoist Order, I must return and stun them all. Let those who once looked down on me learn what it means to never mock the youth for being poor.”

At this point, Qi Xuansu paused deliberately, glanced at Zhang Yuelu, and teased, “Especially your mother. I really have to flaunt in front of her.”

Zhang Yuelu chuckled. “You’re not a member of the Zhang family, so how is that returning home in glory?”

Qi Xuansu feigned surprise. “Am I not the Zhang family’s son-in-law? A son-in-law counts as half a son, so doesn’t that qualify?”

“Get lost.” Zhang Yuelu lightly hit him, but Qi Xuansu took the chance to grab her wrist.

Zhang Yuelu did not pull away. Instead, she asked seriously, “You really want to go there?”

“Why would I joke about that?” Qi Xuansu countered.

As they talked, the distance between them continued to shrink.

Just as Qi Xuansu was about to make a further move, an abrupt voice shattered the romantic atmosphere. “There you guys are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you two!”

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu bounced apart, as if they were shocked by lightning. They even instinctively straightened their clothes.

They saw Little Yin running toward them, dragging a stumbling figure behind her.

Qi Xuansu was extremely displeased at being interrupted in his rare precious moment with his beloved. He was about to scold Little Yin, but the moment he saw the person behind her, all his anger vanished instantly.

It was Li Tianzhen!

Qi Xuansu had not even tried looking for him, but there he was, delivered straight to them.

Qi Xuansu had just been disappointed about letting Li Tianzhen escape, but now he felt the joy of regaining what was lost.

No one had expected Little Yin to actually capture Li Tianzhen.

Qi Xuansu thought, What a clever girl! She’s certainly more competent and efficient than any Daoist priest I know!

Zhang Yuelu also recognized Li Tianzhen and could not hold back a laugh.

The arrogant Young Master Li was now utterly miserable. His hands were bound, and a crude ghost talisman was stuck to his forehead. He even had a metal chain looped around his neck, with Little Yin holding the other end of the chain firmly.

Little Yin was skipping excitedly ahead, so Li Tianzhen could only stumble after her in humiliation.

The once haughty and formidable Young Master Li had fallen to such a pitiful state.