A Pawn's Passage

Someone shouted from outside. “We’re from the Daoist Mansion, and we have a case to question Wang Jiaoyan about. Open the door at once! Otherwise, we’re coming in!”

Immediately after, the knocking grew heavier and more violent.

The butler looked at Wang Jiaoyan nervously and asked, “Ma’am, what should we do...?”

Wang Jiaoyan tried her best to suppress the fear in her heart and lifted the lidded teacup from the small side table, but her hand still trembled, and her tea spilled.

The butler lowered his voice to a whisper. “Ma’am, perhaps you should leave through the back door...”

“What are you saying?!” Wang Jiaoyan’s gaze turned chilling.

The butler hastily lowered his head, not daring to say another word.

Wang Jiaoyan looked away. “I’ll go meet them myself. I’d like to see whether they truly dare to arrest me on my turf!”

Before she completed her sentence, the main gate came crashing down.

The Spirit Guards swarmed in and immediately spread out, taking positions throughout the compound.

Zhang Yuelu entered last, bypassing the screen wall and walking straight to the front of the main hall before halting.

Wang Jiaoyan slowly stepped out of the main hall and stood on the steps, staring at Zhang Yuelu from a distance.

She had long heard of the legendary Zhang Yuelu, yet this was their first meeting.

Had it been another time, Wang Jiaoyan would have wished to befriend Zhang Yuelu. Unfortunately, their very first encounter had already become a life-and-death confrontation.

Wang Jiaoyan did not descend the steps to greet Zhang Yuelu. Instead, she used the height of the stairs to look down at Zhang Yuelu, her feet unmoving, as if they were cast in lead.

Zhang Yuelu ordered the Spirit Guards. “Secure the perimeter and clear out any irrelevant personnel.”

“Yes, Second Deputy!” The leading Spirit Guard loudly acknowledged the order, and the Spirit Guards began driving away the Wang family members who had gathered.

The Wang family had long been accustomed to arrogance and tyranny and had never suffered such treatment. Some even tried to resist, only to be ruthlessly suppressed by the Spirit Guards. These officers were all from the Old Port Pacification Commission Office and had no ties with the Wang family.

Zhang Yuelu declared, “Wang Jiaoyan, you are suspected of monopolizing trade, trafficking slaves, murder, and embezzling Daoist assets. Please come with us.”

“Second Deputy Zhang, this is the residence of the Mansion Master. Surely it’s improper for you to barge in like this, right?” Wang Jiaoyan suddenly questioned.

Zhang Yuelu replied, “If there are objections, they should be raised by the Mansion Master himself. Let Mansion Master Wang confront me face to face. That’s a separate matter from me arresting you.”

......

After the council ended, Wang Jiaohe and Wang Jiaoying walked out of the council hall side by side, both remaining silent.

The vast majority of possible moves had been firmly suppressed by Great Sage Jiang, leaving them unable to budge.

At that moment, a trusted aide came running over at full speed, as if his backside were on fire. He reported urgently, “Eldest Master, Second Master, while you were attending the council, Zhang Yuelu had her people surround the estate. They’re about to seize your sister...”

Wang Jiaoying froze on the spot.

Wang Jiaohe was more composed. He softened his tone and asked, “Under what pretext is Zhang Yuelu arresting her?”

The aide replied, “It’s said to be over the case involving the Nanyang United Trading Company.”

Wang Jiaohe said nothing more. He closed his eyes and murmured, “The great house is about to collapse. With all three of the Daoist Order’s prodigies involved, this means they are determined to see this through. I fear we may no longer be able to protect her.”

“I don’t see it that way!” Wang Jiaoying snapped back to his senses. “We can’t just sit and wait for death. If we truly let Zhang Yuelu come to our door and take our sister away, all our subordinates and allies will lose faith in us. Brother, I know it’s inconvenient for you to appear personally. I’m the Deputy Mansion Master in charge of the affairs in Yu Kingdom, so Thanglong Prefecture is within my jurisdiction. I also have Spirit Guards under my command. I’ll go face Zhang Yuelu head-on!”

With that said, Wang Jiaoying strode away.

Only Wang Jiaohe remained standing where he was. The Mansion Master’s expression was solemn, giving no hint of what he was thinking.

The aide asked cautiously, “Eldest Master, shall we return?”

Wang Jiaohe said, “Let’s go see Elder Sun.”

Since the Sheji Palace was not far from the Wang family estate, Wang Jiaoying arrived quickly with his men, right before Zhang Yuelu was about to take Wang Jiaoyan into custody.

The Spirit Guards brought by Zhang Yuelu initially wanted to block them, but Wang Jiaoying shouted sternly. “I am Wang Jiaoying. This is the Wang family’s residence. Are you saying I’m not even allowed to return to my own home?”

The leading Spirit Guard was taken aback. He was still weighing the implications when Wang Jiaoying had already led his people to charge inside.

Zhang Yuelu turned around and looked at Wang Jiaoying as he slowly walked in.

“So, you’re aware, Deputy Mansion Master Wang?” Zhang Yuelu initiated a salute, still maintaining a superficial courtesy between colleagues.

Wang Jiaoying, convinced that all pretense had already been torn away, did not return the salute and stared straight at Zhang Yuelu as he questioned her. “Aware of what? Second Deputy Zhang, what exactly are you doing barging into my home?”

“Of the matters concerning the Nanyang United Trading Company,” Zhang Yuelu replied. She then turned her gaze toward Wang Jiaoyan. “Your case not only involves the Poluo Daoist Mansion but also the Lingnan Daoist Mansion. I am the Second Deputy of the Lingnan Daoist Mansion in charge of this matter. Second Deputy Xu of the Poluo Daoist Mansion has also issued the official writ, so please come with me.”

Wang Jiaoying immediately raised his voice. “What writ? Has the Mansion Master seen it?”

Zhang Yuelu retorted, “Deputy Mansion Master Wang, must every writ be reviewed by the Mansion Master?”

Wang Jiaoying all but roared, “Sage Wang is the Mansion Master! If even he hasn’t seen it, how can the Daoist Mansion issue a writ? Who would dare make such a decision on their own?”

Zhang Yuelu replied calmly and unhurriedly, “The Second Deputy oversees the law. This case falls squarely within the authority of the Second Deputy. Both the current Second Deputy Xu and the former Second Deputy Qi acknowledged this. The Second Deputy before that has already been arrested, so naturally, his opinion does not count. If everything could only be decided by one person alone, that would be the way of the Confucian School.”

Knowing that he could not retreat even half a step at this moment, Wang Jiaoying shouted, “How could the Second Deputy have more say than the Mansion Master? What’s more, you’re from the Lingnan Daoist Mansion, not the Poluo Daoist Mansion. On what grounds are you allowed to cross borders and exceed your authority to handle this case? I suspect there’s something fishy about this matter. You’re not allowed to take my sister away!”

“Whether I have crossed borders or exceeded my authority, you may report it to the Golden Tower Council for adjudication. But I am Wang Jiaoyan today, no matter what,” Zhang Yuelu retorted sternly. “Guards!”

The leader of the Spirit Guards following Zhang Yuelu answered the call and stepped forward.

Zhang Yuelu ordered, “Apprehend Wang Jiaoyan immediately.”

The Spirit Guard accepted the order loudly. “Yes, Second Deputy Zhang!”

“How dare you?! No one is getting arrested today.” Wang Jiaoying did not yield at all. “Guards!”

The Spirit Guards who had arrived with Wang Jiaoying also responded to his call.

Wang Jiaoying commanded, “Seal off the entire residence. Not a single person is allowed to leave!”

The two teams of Spirit Guards under the different chains of command were in a face-off. Though neither side dared rashly use weapons and incur the charge of internal strife, shoving and jostling were inevitable.

Wang Jiaoying pointed at Zhang Yuelu and shouted, “Qing Xiao! This is open defiance of the Daoist Mansion!”

Zhang Yuelu showed not the slightest fear. “Deputy Mansion Master Wang, you are openly defiant of the Golden Tower Council.”

Elsewhere, after Qi Xuansu concluded the council, he was considering whether to personally make a trip to Thanglong Prefecture. He had originally thought that dispatching the Three Prodigies would make the matter a sure thing, but he had not expected the resistance to be far greater than imagined. When fundamental interests were involved, even the name of the Three Prodigies carried no weight. This was a fight to the bitter end.

At that moment, Qi Xuansu faintly heard Little Yin crying.

This was truly rare.

Although Little Yin was childlike in her thinking, she rarely cried. At the very least, Qi Xuansu had never seen it in the years he had known her.

However, Little Yin’s crying was different from that of an ordinary child. It was not the kind of tantrum-throwing sobs while rolling on the ground, nor silent tears shed alone. It sounded somewhat like a banshee of Western legends.

The cries were loud, mixed with phrases like, “Why did you die?!”

Qi Xuansu felt both curious and somewhat displeased, thinking, The Three Yin Beings are perfectly fine, and Qing Xiao is also unharmed. What funeral is there to wail for?This kid is becoming more and more eccentric!

He followed the sound of the crying and shouted, “I’m still alive, you know!”

Before he even finished his sentence, Qi Xuansu saw a person lying in the middle of the hall, face deathly pale, eyes tightly shut, looking just like a corpse. Little Yin was sprawled on this person’s chest, crying loudly.

Qi Xuansu froze in shock. Upon closer look, he realized it was Lin Yuanmiao. The realization jolted him.

“Old Lin, how could you just die?!” Little Yin cried with snot and tears streaming down her face. “We haven’t had enough fun yet. If you’re dead, who’s going to play with me?”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What exactly is going on?”

Xie Jiaofeng hurriedly explained, “Chief Deputy Qi, while you were in the council, this man fell from the sky and landed in front of the Tianfu Palace gate. He has lost consciousness since. Seeing that he carried an insignia of the Daoist Order, we knew he was one of our own, so we carried him into the hall. We didn’t expect Miss Yin to recognize the man. She immediately burst into tears. We were just about to send someone to inform you.”

At this point, Xie Jiaofeng could also tell that the “Old Lin” spoken of by Miss Yin was most likely someone under Chief Deputy Qi and Second Deputy Zhang. Moreover, the man had considerable cultivation. For such a person to be gravely injured implied that the situation was far more complicated.

Qi Xuansu quickly bent down to examine Lin Yuanmiao’s injuries. The results were terrifying. Lin Yuanmiao’s internal organs were all damaged, his middle and lower Dantians were completely destroyed. Within him, an extremely fierce and sharp sword qi still lingered, continuously gnawing away at his life force. Had Lin Yuanmiao not received Lin Lingsu’s Immortal traits, he would likely have died long ago.

This astonished Qi Xuansu. Lin Yuanmiao was a Heavenly Being at the Zaohua stage and even possessed Immortal traits. Ordinary Zaohua-stage Heavenly Beings were no match for him at all. Even if he encountered a Pseudo-Immortal, Lin Yuanmiao should never have fallen into such a miserable state and should at least have been able to flee.

Qi Xuansu thought, Had he encountered a true Immortal?

Without delay, Qi Xuansu immediately issued orders. “Quick—bring all the Soul-Returning Incense you can find here. If it’s not enough, borrow more from others!”

Xie Jiaofeng was taken aback. “Borrow? But how?”

Qi Xuansu frowned slightly and said sternly, “Borrow in the name of the Daoist Mansion. I’ll settle the repayment.”

“Yes, sir!” Xie Jiaofeng dared not delay another second and turned to leave.

Qi Xuansu then instructed the others, “Get me someone from Huasheng Hall, and inform Superintendent Lu to stop whatever she is doing at the moment. Bring over the best medicines and healing tools. Now!”

The several superintendents gathered there quickly accepted the order.

Finally, Qi Xuansu snapped at Little Yin. “Stop that—he’s not even dead yet!”

Little Yin immediately changed her tune. “Old Lin, you can’t die! We haven’t had enough fun yet...”