A Pawn's Passage

The newcomer did not reveal their true face, which was covered by a Wuist bronze mask that completely concealed their features. This mask could also block spiritual perception and could unsettle one’s mind. Clearly, it was no ordinary item. If not a semi-immortal object, it was at least a top-grade treasure.

This mask was the reason Qi Xuansu thought an Ancient Witch had come to life. However, he quickly dismissed this thought because the black robe was clearly not a typical Wuist attire. Instead, it looked like it was from the Great Xuan Dynasty. In other words, this newcomer was very likely a human.

Entering the Lingshan Paradise was extremely difficult. Even Qi Xuansu had to rely on a pseudo-ascension method to get in. Could this person be from the Yao family?

More importantly, Qi Xuansu had not expected there to be other humans here at all, so he had made no disguise whatsoever and appeared in his true form. Meanwhile, the newcomer had wrapped themself up tightly, as if afraid to show their face.

As a result, Qi Xuansu felt completely exposed. After all, Qi Xuansu was quite famous now, being the youngest Sage of the Daoist Order.

Qi Xuansu did not rush to make a move, nor did he beat around the bush. He asked directly. “Are you from the Yao family?”

The newcomer was clearly taken aback for a moment. Instead of answering directly, they countered, “Who are you?”

This was not mental communication, but in the official tongue of the Great Xuan Dynasty. Clearly, it was not a revived Ancient Witch like Quan. However, the bronze mask concealed the person’s original voice, making it difficult to tell their gender.

Qi Xuansu said in surprise, “You don’t recognize me?”

“Why would I recognize you? Are you very famous?” The newcomer scoffed.

For a moment, Qi Xuansu did not know what to say.

He was certainly famous. The merchants of Lion City had even studied him specifically. Even beyond Nanyang, many knew of him. At present, he was at least on the same level as the Three Daoist Prodigies. While he could not claim that everyone in the world knew him, he was still renowned far and wide. Even the most prominent figures had heard of him, including the Three Deputy Grand Masters, the Great Xuan Emperor, and the Three Great Ancient Immortals.

However, Qi Xuansu considered that having heard of his name and actually knowing him were two different things, so he added, “My name is Qi Xuansu. If you don’t mind, you may call me by my courtesy name, Tian Yuan.”

“Qi Xuansu?” The newcomer shook their head. “Never heard of it.”

Although he could not see the person’s expressions, Qi Xuansu had an intuition that this person was not pretending. They had truly never heard of his name.

Qi Xuansu thought, How strange...

He asked again, “If you don’t know me, then you should at least know who Zhang Yuelu, Li Changge, and Yao Pei are, right?”

“Who are those people?” The newcomer asked. “I know of the Zhang, Li, and Yao families. I also know Zhang Jucheng, Li Wugou, and Yao Yi. But who are the three people you mentioned? I’ve never heard of them.”

Qi Xuansu was even more astonished.

His rise had been relatively recent, but Zhang Yuelu, Li Changge, and Yao Pei had become famous much earlier than he had. For this person to not know the Daoist Order’s Three Prodigies could only mean that they had been completely cut off from the outside world. Has this person been living in Lingshan Paradise all along?

Qi Xuansu added, “They are the Daoist Order’s Three Prodigies.”

The newcomer snorted with laughter. “Who are these random nobodies daring to call themselves the Daoist Order’s Three Prodigies? The Three Prodigies are clearly Su Yuanyi, Li Wugou, and Pei Xuanzhi.”

Qi Xuansu was left speechless.

It turned out that “The Three Prodigies” was a title passed down through generations, not specifically referring to Zhang Yuelu, Li Changge, and Yao Pei. The previous generation’s Three Prodigies were now the top three Omniscient Sages of the Golden Tower Council.

This proved that there really were no low-born disciples rising to prominence within the Daoist Order.

At this moment, the person spoke again. “From what you said, it sounds like you’re quite famous, huh?”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “I’m just a tiny pawn.”

The person grew even more curious. “Wait—Are the Three Prodigies you mentioned the juniors of Su Yuanyi, Li Wugou, and Pei Xuanzhi?”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Yes.”

The person immediately noticed a flaw. “That’s not right. Li Changge clearly belongs to the Chang-generation, which is above Li Wugou’s You-generation. How could Li Changge possibly be Li Wugou’s junior?”

Qi Xuansu did not want to explain too much and simply said, “Why don’t you ask the Li family?”

The person said, “So, you’re not with the Li family. Very well. Since you’ve already introduced yourself, and since we are both disciples of the Daoist Order, I’ll introduce myself too. Speaking of which, it’s truly a coincidence that we share the same last name. You can call me Qi Jiaoyao.”

Qi Xuansu raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced. “You’re also a Qi? Then what is your relationship with Qi Jiaozheng?”

“He’s my cousin,” Qi Jiaoyao said casually.

Qi Xuansu remained skeptical. He had never heard of this name. He asked, “Although you’ve concealed your true appearance, judging from your name, you seem to be a female Daoist. In that case, you must also know Qi Muyu, right?”

“Of course, I know her. She’s my younger sister,” Qi Jiaoyao replied.

Qi Xuansu said, “I’m not familiar with Sage Qi Jiaozheng, but I am acquainted with Qi Muyu. I have never heard her mention having an elder sister.”

Qi Jiaoyao snorted. “How could you dig into a woman’s background the moment you meet her? What is Qi Muyu to you? She’s not your wife, so why should she tell you everything?”

Qi Xuansu retorted sharply, “How do you know whether Qi Muyu is my Daoist companion?”

“Do you think I’m blind? You’re holding Green Cloud, but you’re not a Zhang. That can only mean that you’re the Zhang family’s son-in-law. If so, how could you marry my sister?” Clearly, Qi Jiaoyao was sharp, not missing a single detail.

Qi Xuansu was impressed by her logic. He changed the topic. “Then do you know Qi Haoran?”

“Never heard of him,” Qi Jiaoyao said without hesitation. “Probably a nobody.”

Qi Xuansu said thoughtfully, “You know the sixth-generation disciples, yet you don’t know the seventh-generation disciples. That’s rather interesting.”

Qi Jiaoyao sighed. “To be honest, I’ve been trapped here for a long time. In the mountains, there is no sun or moon. I can’t tell time here. But based on what you said, I have grown unfamiliar with what’s going on outside. Besides, what is there to know about the seventh-generation disciples? They don’t hold power anyway.”

Qi Xuansu said, “You also snuck in here? No wonder you’re being so secretive and unwilling to show your true face.”

“What do you mean by snuck in?” Qi Jiaoyao grew defensive and irritated. She paused slightly before saying, “I merely walked in quietly while they were distracted.”

“That’s still sneaking in, and now, you’re trapped inside.” Qi Xuansu snickered, finding it somewhat amusing.

Qi Jiaoyao was extraordinarily stubborn. “I simply didn’t want to enter a treasure mountain and leave empty-handed. That’s why I didn’t go out.”

Then she suddenly changed the topic. “Hold on—You said ‘also.’ Does that mean you snuck in here? Are you also here for that thing?”

“What thing?” Qi Xuansu asked. “Could there still be something valuable in Lingshan Paradise? By all logic, even if the Wuist Sect did have a treasure mountain, it should have been completely emptied by the Heavenly Sect.”

Qi Jiaoyao waved her hand and said, “Clearly, you only know one part of it. The Wuist treasures may be gone, but the Quanzhen Sect has made this place their treasure vault—”

At this point, Qi Jiaoyao suddenly realized she had misspoken, and her words came to an abrupt halt.

Qi Xuansu smirked. “I see now...It’s true that thieves from within are the hardest to guard against.”

Qi Jiaoyao snorted. “Don’t you dare judge me. Aren’t you the same?”

Qi Xuansu said righteously, “I didn’t come here to hunt for treasure. I only want to unravel some secrets.”

“Secrets? What secrets?” Qi Jiaoyao became interested. “The secrets of the Ancient Wuist Sect? What’s there to investigate? The Daoist Order has records of all that.”

Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment and asked, “Do you know about the Longevity Stone?”

Although Qi Xuansu could not see Qi Jiaoyao’s expression, he had an intuition that her eyes had widened at that moment. She said, “So you really did come for this thing!”

Qi Xuansu found it somewhat amusing and said, “I didn’t come for the Longevity Stone. I just want to know the story behind it.”

“There’s no story.” Qi Jiaoyao said, revealing a hint of hostility. “Don’t try to fool me. You came here for the Longevity Stone. Enough nonsense now. Let’s settle this with our fists!”

Qi Xuansu said calmly, “You’re not my opponent.”

“We’ll only know after we fight. There is only one Longevity Stone, but two of us. Since we’ve met here, only one person can obtain it,” Qi Jiaoyao said, her wide sleeves billowing, as though something unknown were hidden within them.

Qi Xuansu waved his hand and said, “Don’t get excited just yet. Don’t you know that the Longevity Stone hidden here has already been taken?”

“How is that possible?!” Qi Jiaoyao naturally did not believe it. “I’ve been here for so long. Do you know better, or do I?”

Qi Xuansu thought to himself, Of course I know. That Longevity Stone Heart is right here in my chest!

However, he held his tongue. This was one of his greatest secrets. Although the top echelons of the Daoist Order already knew about it, even Omniscient Sages like Wang Jiaohe did not. It was better if he could keep it to himself.

Qi Xuansu said, “Is it possible that while you were lost and trapped here, someone else had already succeeded?”

Qi Jiaoyao looked at Qi Xuansu suspiciously and asked, “How do you know that?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “The Longevity Stone from here is out in the world. That’s why I came to Lingshan Paradise to investigate.”

Qi Jiaoyao fell into a long silence.

That feeling was like suddenly realizing that all her efforts and all the hardships she had endured were for nothing.

After a long while, Qi Jiaoyao shook her head and said, “I don’t believe you. I must see it with my own eyes before I can be convinced.”