A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu raised his hand and waved away the smoke. “How do you know if I haven’t asked Qi Jiaozheng?”

Madam Qi supported her right elbow with her left hand while holding the pipe level in her right hand. “When did that happen? How come I didn’t know about it?”

Qi Xuansu said, “Do you remember how I ended up feuding with Wang Jiaohe and Wang Danqing, the father and son? It was that time. Qi Jiaozheng was there, and I asked him about this matter.”

“What did Qi Jiaozheng say?” Madam Qi asked.

Qi Xuansu replied, “Qi Jiaozheng said he didn’t know anyone named Qi Haoran. That was obviously a lie because even the dead Qi Jianyuan knew about my master, so how could the head of the Qi family not know? Looking back now, his denial only proves how extraordinary my master was. There’s definitely more to the story.”

Madam Qi clicked her tongue. “More to the story? What kind of story?”

Qi Xuansu said, “Let’s go through this from the beginning. I’ve always wondered why you couldn’t save my master. With your level of cultivation and advanced knowledge of what would happen, it made no sense, unless you didn’t want to save him. But then I realized something—I never actually saw my master die. The last time I saw him, he shouted for me to run. Then I was chased by the Inn’s assassin and lost consciousness. Everything after that came from you. You told me he died and that you buried him in the cemetery under the Requiem Division in Jade Capital.”

“In that situation, of course I believed you. I understood clearly that my master’s cultivation was mediocre and that he couldn’t have survived a siege. I had no reason to doubt it. But that assumption only holds if my master really was the man I believed him to be and if you truly just happened to pass by.

“But now that I know you weren’t just passing by and that everything was within your control, all of my assumptions went out the window. Was my master really just a regular fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist? After all, you’re also only a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist. What if all this was just a staged play? After I passed out, the fight ended, everyone dispersed, and you came in to clean up the aftermath.”

Madam Qi clicked her tongue. “Impressive imagination. It’s a shame you don’t write novels.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Madam Qi, I may not be exceptionally smart, but I’m no fool.”

“That much I admit.” Madam Qi nodded. “You’re not stupid. If you were, you’d still be kept in the dark, believing a mother just fell from the sky and that you could rely on her to rise to the pinnacle of the Daoist Order.”

Qi Xuansu said softly, “There’s a saying that left a deep impression on me. All gifts bestowed by fate already have their price marked in secret. That price may be prepaid by one’s ancestors or borne by oneself.”

Madam Qi scrutinized Qi Xuansu. “You’re not angry at all?”

Qi Xuansu countered. “Why would I be angry?”

“Because I deceived you. Shouldn’t you be heartbroken, furious, and in despair? I assume you’d refuse to acknowledge me as your adoptive mother, yet still be unable to let go of the past, tormenting yourself like one of those cliché dramas where the child refuses to acknowledge his father because the father betrayed the mother.”

Qi Xuansu rolled his eyes. “I’m not like that. Things are what they are. You didn’t really lie to me. You just withheld part of the truth. I’m not here to dig up old grievances or sever ties. I just want to know the truth and prepare for whatever debts come due later. Besides, all talk aside, you helped me reach where I am today. That part is real. Even if you deceived me, that kind of deception is something countless people would beg for.”

Madam Qi laughed. “That’s what I like about you. You’re never overly sentimental.”

Qi Xuansu casually tugged at her sleeve and pouted. “So, my dear Madam Qi, stop beating around the bush with me.”

Madam Qi yanked her sleeve back. “You’re a grown man! Don’t be doing shit like this. You’re giving me goosebumps! Don’t you care about your face?”

Qi Xuansu wiped his face, flattening it so that all his features disappeared as he joked, “What do I need a face for?”

Madam Qi rolled her eyes. “Tian Yuan, do you remember the Heart Demon Contract we signed in Lingshan Paradise?”

“I remember.” Qi Xuansu immediately restored his original appearance.

Madam Qi said, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I’ve also signed a Heart Demon Contract with someone else, so I really can’t say it. If I do, you won’t see me again.”

“I understand.” Qi Xuansu nodded. “The Earthly Preceptor? Is that the price you paid to him?”

Madam Qi shook her head. “Not the Earthly Preceptor. I can’t say who it is since that’s also part of the contract’s terms.”

Qi Xuansu’s brow, which had just begun to relax, furrowed again.

Could his assumptions be wrong? Was it not the Earthly Preceptor who guided Madam Qi and orchestrated everything?

It seemed he had reached another dead end.

The only thing certain was that he was still a pawn. In the past, he had been a pawn that could only advance forward. Now, he was a pawn who had crossed the Chu River[1], so he had gained sideways mobility as well.

Who could possibly possess such grand schemes? Was the only answer to seek out the Heavenly Preceptor?

Qi Xuansu remained silent for a long time, then slowly exhaled a long breath of turbid air. “Let’s leave it at that for now. We’ll talk again next time.”

“That’s it?” Madam Qi sounded somewhat surprised.

Qi Xuansu said, “I can’t really force you into a corner, can I...Mother?”

Madam Qi laughed and looked like she was about to say something. But in the end, she merely waved her hand. “Get lost.”

“I’m off, then.” Qi Xuansu leapt down from the window again, without the slightest hesitation.

Madam Qi held her pipe between her lips and leaned against the window frame with both arms as she watched Qi Xuansu depart.

As if he had eyes on the back of his head, Qi Xuansu knew she was watching him off. He waved his hand without turning around.

Just like that, Qi Xuansu crossed the Perfume River again, the Porcelain Tower behind him growing ever more distant.

As Qi Xuansu passed the front of the temple, he saw a middle-aged official gazing up at a Buddha statue, surrounded by numerous attendants.

Qi Xuansu paused and looked up at the great Buddha as well.

At that moment, his thoughts turned to Wu Luo, True Lord Siming, and the Lord Buddha behind Chen Shuhua.

The more he learned, the more questions arose.

The middle-aged official turned toward him. “Young man, what insight have you gained from contemplating the Buddha?”

Qi Xuansu came back to his senses and answered without any courtesy, “It’s just a clay and wood statue. What insight could there be?”

The middle-aged man was infuriated, though he had enough self-restraint to suppress it. “Brute.”

Qi Xuansu laughed. “People like you just love to mystify things. You look at a Buddha statue, a mountain view, or a cloud, and suddenly claim to be enlightened. What exactly did you see in the Buddha?”

The middle-aged man was about to respond, but a companion beside him tried to smooth things over. “Let it go. Why argue with a kid?”

In the past, Qi Xuansu rarely showed his emotions, especially in front of strangers. Even if he did, it was often deliberate. But today, he found himself unable to keep his emotions under control. A chain of events had broken his usual composure.

“Summer insects cannot comprehend ice. What do you people know anyway?” Qi Xuansu showed his disdain and turned to leave.

“How dare you!” One of the attendants finally snapped.

Qi Xuansu merely glanced at the attendant, and the man immediately collapsed to the ground. There was no physical injury. Rather, it was as though he had encountered a natural predator. His legs went weak from terror, leaving him unable to move.

The Manly Immortal True Body was essentially derived from Great Witches and primordial beasts. Normally, one’s blood qi seemed nearly dormant, but once they began to flow, the savage aura would be overwhelming, something ordinary people simply could not withstand.

The two middle-aged men were members of the Confucian School. Though they did not collapse, they still found it difficult to breathe.

Fortunately, Qi Xuansu quickly realized he had lost composure. Taking a deep breath, he managed to calm himself and withdraw his aura. “Apologies.”

Qi Xuansu hurriedly left the Gratitude Temple, leaving the two middle-aged men staring at each other in bewilderment.

He did not immediately head for Yunjin Mountain in Shangqing Prefecture. Instead, he first went to visit Zhang Jucheng, who was serving as the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. The reason he did not seek out Zhang Yuelu was that he knew she was likely in Jade Capital for the Nine Halls Joint Council, which would soon convene and last several days. If he wanted to jump the queue and quickly secure an audience with the Heavenly Preceptor, he needed someone with sufficient influence, which was Zhang Jucheng.

From a family standpoint, Zhang Jucheng was Zhang Yuelu’s uncle. Though their blood relation was somewhat distant, he was still the next head of the Zhang family and a representative figure of the Zhang family’s main branch. Qi Xuansu had some dealings with him, and their relationship was cordial enough.

Qi Xuansu headed straight to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, giving no one a chance to make things difficult for him. He produced his license and insignia at the gate. “I’m Qi Xuansu, Chief Deputy of the Poluo Daoist Mansion, here to visit Mansion Master Zhang. Please announce my arrival.”

The reception staff immediately reported his arrival. Not only was Qi Xuansu the youngest second-rank Taiyi Daoist and a Chief Deputy Mansion Master, he was also the Zhang family’s prospective son-in-law. Ordinary people did not know the details of Zhang family’s internal disputes. They only knew that the Heavenly Preceptor favored Zhang Yuelu as if she were his granddaughter and that Mansion Master Zhang had reconciled with her. Thus, no one dared neglect Qi Xuansu.

When Zhang Jucheng learned of Qi Xuansu’s visit, he was greatly surprised. He knew that Qi Xuansu had not attended the Nine Halls Joint Council because he had been in seclusion. But when had he emerged? Why had he quietly come to Jinling to see him? Had something major happened?

For a moment, Zhang Jucheng could not make sense of it, so he simply went to meet Qi Xuansu first.

After exchanging brief courtesies, Qi Xuansu glanced around. Zhang Jucheng immediately understood, dismissing everyone else so that only the two of them remained.

Zhang Jucheng carefully chose his words before asking, “Tian Yuan, what happened?”

Qi Xuansu was frank with him. “I don’t quite know where to begin. Some days ago, I borrowed an immortal object from the Heavenly Preceptor. I now wish to return it as soon as possible. But the Heavenly Preceptor is very busy, and I don’t know when he might be available. So I hope that you can help inquire on my behalf, Uncle.”

1. The divider in the middle of the board of Chinese Chess. ☜