A Pawn's Passage

Another unfortunate soul was thrown by Qi Xuansu into the Baron’s underground cellar, where he would now keep Enforcer Ross company.

By now, it was no longer merely a cellar. It had become a temporary prison reconstructed by Qi Xuansu using his Pseudo-Immortal cultivation.

Just as the Baron had hoped, Qi Xuansu was drawing all attention toward himself while sealing off information, buying time for the Baron to explore the tomb. Then Qi Xuansu would simply wait here like a hunter by a trap, ready to give the Baron a surprise when he returned with his spoils.

Of course, it was possible that the Baron might take the treasure and flee. But Qi Xuansu believed that the Holy Court had not made any moves yet, which likely meant they were waiting to reap the benefits, just like he was. People like them would never allow the Baron to escape so easily.

Thus, Qi Xuansu did not need to worry about it at all.

The Baron’s best solution would be to give up the divine artifact and hand it over to the Holy Court in exchange for preferential treatment or compensation. After all, the Baron had connections in the Upper District. When dealing with their own people, the Holy Court still cared about appearances and what they called contractual integrity, so they would not simply seize it by force.

The Baron being a vampire was merely a minor detail.

In the West, vampires were similar to secret societies in the East. They could never stand on equal footing with the Holy Court and had effectively become its vassals. It was much like how many secret societies in the East were merely the black gloves of powerful figures within the Daoist Order.

Vampires were little more than servants of the bishops, while werewolves were their hunting dogs. Only the Daoist Order was considered a true enemy by the bishops.

Thus, the Baron was actually considered one of their own rather than a heretic or apostate.

Although vampires liked to use noble ranks to measure power, many independent vampires did not follow that rule. For example, a vampire possessing strength close to that of a progenitor might still call himself an earl. In such cases, the title was often an actual aristocratic rank. With the rise of maritime trade, the status of a noble was no longer judged by the size of their territory but by the extent of their wealth.

The same applied to the Baron. Calling himself a baron did not mean he only possessed the strength of a baron.

Whether the Baron chose to flee or to surrender the artifact, the Holy Court would inevitably be involved.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu’s true body was still in the Richmond District, and he was about to attend a charity gala in the Upper District. Relevant news would likely surface there, and Qi Xuansu could respond accordingly.

With his true body gathering intelligence while his incarnation acted immediately, such efficiency far surpassed that of others.

However, there seemed to be an unusual number of flies tonight. Soon, four bats arrived outside the Baron’s mansion. After landing, they transformed into four well-dressed gentlemen with pale faces and white gloves on their hands.

Four vampires were requesting to see him.

The Baron had been able to send his daughter back to the Old Continent for refuge largely thanks to the help of his kin. In a sense, his daughter was effectively in their hands, so the Baron could hardly refuse their request.

The strength of these four vampires could not even compare with the real Baron, let alone with Qi Xuansu. However, they represented an important figure—a leading vampire of St. York and a councilman, Leopold Strouse.

The Holy Court liked to emphasize that they were the true masters of St. York, but nominally, the city belonged to the City Council, and none of its councilmen were ordinary people.

For example, Josiah Strauni was backed by several multinational merchant guilds, among which the Beichen Hall had its influence. Leopold Strouse was similar. He not only represented the vampires but also a considerable number of immigrants from the Old Continent, giving him a strong base of public support. That was why he could stand openly within the halls of power.

Moreover, not all councilmen were equal. They could roughly be divided into senior and ordinary councilors. Though each held only one vote, their real influence and authority were vastly different. Strauni was a young councilor, while Leopold was undoubtedly a senior one.

Strictly speaking, Ramon was Leopold’s “child.” Leopold had turned Ramon into a vampire, making them father and son within the vampire hierarchy. However, Ramon had established his independence long ago, so he did not take the Strouse last name. Instead, he resumed his original family name, Oxley. Though not a full clan, it had become a small family in its own right.

Now that “Father” had sent people over, the Baron would normally find it difficult to refuse. So Qi Xuansu invited them into the hall.

The leader of the group said, “Baron, please forgive our abrupt visit. I have come to convey Father’s wishes. He would like to see you.”

Qi Xuansu replied casually, “I have matters to attend to. Can we speak later?”

The vampire frowned slightly, clearly displeased by the Baron’s perfunctory tone. He emphasized his words. “Father means now—immediately.”

Qi Xuansu said indifferently, “Then let him wait.”

“What did you say?” The vampire thought he must have misheard. “Father still has a banquet to attend. He can only spare a little time to see you before it begins.”

He thought to himself, How dare the Baron behave so rudely? Could the rumor be true? Had the Baron truly obtained the power of the Sun God Kukulkan from the underground tomb?

Qi Xuansu said, “You ought to be more composed at your age. Old people shouldn’t be so hot-tempered.”

The vampire finally heard him clearly. He pointed at Qi Xuansu with a trembling finger, but he could not say a word. Such blatant disrespect was utterly outrageous. How long has it been since anyone dared speak to Father like this? The last person had already become bones beneath the harbor.

Standing nearby, the Baron’s old butler could not help but close his eyes. Even if this terrifying being bore no ill will and merely wandered the world for amusement, the people he had offended made the situation impossible to resolve. When the Baron returned, and the Enforcers, the Holy Court, and the vampire all came knocking, who would believe the Baron if he claimed that all offenses had been done by a doppelganger?

Qi Xuansu said, “Go back and tell Leopold that if he truly can’t wait, he may come here himself. If he doesn’t wish to come, then he can wait patiently. I’ll inform him when I have time.”

Madam Wu laughed. “Good, that’s exactly how you should speak to them. I’ve long been annoyed with these pretentious fools trying to act like big bad wolves.”

The four vampires looked at one another, unsure what to say.

Seeing that they still stood there, Qi Xuansu frowned. “You’re not leaving?”

The four vampires were indeed trapped in an awkward position. Their father had sent them to invite the Baron, and they had never imagined that the Baron would refuse, let alone say such arrogant words. How were they supposed to report this to Father? If they relayed the Baron’s message exactly, they might not live to see the next night’s moon.

Qi Xuansu said, “Very well. Since you won’t leave, you can all stay.”

With another wave of his hand, four more unlucky fellows appeared in the temporary prison he had constructed.

Qi Xuansu leaned back on the sofa and said to the butler, “Good thing you found me. If it had been an ordinary adventurer acting as the substitute, the disguise would have been exposed long ago.”

The butler opened his eyes and said quietly, “The speed of everyone’s actions truly exceeded expectations.”

After hesitating for a moment, the butler advised him. “Sir, you’ve locked so many people in the dungeon. Even if nothing happens for the moment, I’m afraid it will be difficult to resolve later.”

Qi Xuansu looked at the butler with an expression that screamed it was not his problem. He then said, “Then that will test your wisdom.”

This was the advantage of operating in enemy territory. There was no need to worry about unnecessary complications.

The old butler felt like crying.

Qi Xuansu stood up and walked once more to the window, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out into the night.

Madam Wu came over to stand beside Qi Xuansu, leaning against the windowsill so that the two of them faced opposite directions. She asked, “What are you planning to do?”

“Let’s wait and see how things develop,” Qi Xuansu said.

At the same time, Qi Xuansu’s true body had already boarded a flying craft with Strauni, heading toward the Upper District.

The interior of the flying craft was not very different from that of a Daoist flying ship. The main difference was that the cabin of a flying ship sat on top, while the flying craft’s cabin hung beneath it. Naturally, the underlying mechanisms were also somewhat different.

Qi Xuansu had changed into a tailcoat, the kind of formal Western attire suitable for banquets and evening weddings. Ladies and young women wore evening gowns, revealing smooth, pale shoulders.

It was only a short journey to the Upper District.

The flying craft soon landed at an aerial port built on a floating island.

Qi Xuansu, together with Strauni, Archbishop Swanson, and several other priests of the Holy Court, stepped off the flying craft amid the lingering clouds of steam.

A traditional Western manor stood on this floating island. It was luxurious and elegant, with blooming flowers and lush green trees. Though it was night and the sun was absent, a bright full moon hung high in the sky, seeming closer to the world below. Its silvery light was beautiful. Compared with the dark Lower District filled with wastewater and poisonous fumes, this felt like an entirely different world.

Guests arrived one after another and walked toward the manor’s main building.

Qi Xuansu blended into the crowd, completely unremarkable.

His true body and incarnation shared the same consciousness, like a person watching two different scenes at once, with both perspectives shared in real time.

“Josiah, do you know Leopold Strouse?” Qi Xuansu asked.

Strauni smiled faintly. “Of course. He’s a senior councilor and a strong contender for the position of council chairman. He’s also the leader of the local vampires.”

Qi Xuansu asked again, “Is he attending tonight’s banquet as well?”

“Of course,” Strauni replied. “How could such an event be complete without a figure as influential as him?”

Qi Xuansu nodded slightly. “Very good.”

Strauni grew slightly cautious. “What are you planning?”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “Nothing. I’m just curious. I heard he has a descendant operating in the Lower District.”

“You mean the Baron,” Strauni said immediately. “Recently, there have been rumors about him, saying he discovered an ancient tomb.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “I’m curious how the Upper District will deal with this matter.”

Strauni explained, “This banquet isn’t just about donations and drinks. It’s also a social arena. Important figures negotiate, compromise, trade, and conspire here. Tonight, we’ll probably see the outcome.”