A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 1454: Exchange

The great hall of the Daoist Mansion was completely silent.

Suddenly, someone asked, “Mansion Master, may I ask what crimes Li Tianlan has currently been charged with? Has the Golden Tower Council issued any clear ruling?”

Zhang Jucheng merely glanced at him. “I already said just now that he is currently under review and investigation.”

Another person asked, “Mansion Master, who is in charge of the investigation and review?”

Zhang Jucheng replied, “This case is being handled by Chief Deputy Qi of Beichen Hall.”

As soon as these words were spoken, those who had previously attached themselves to Li Tianlan lost all remaining hope.

If someone else from the Beichen Hall had come, there might still have been room for maneuvering. But if Qi Xuansu had personally stepped in, then there was truly nothing left to say.

Qi Xuansu was not only Zhang Yuelu’s Daoist companion, but also the disciple of Sage Donghua, who was Sage Qingwei’s greatest rival. No matter how one looked at it, Qi Xuansu would never let Li Tianlan off the hook.

Ironically enough, Zhang Yuelu had been filled with righteous passion and sought to uphold justice, yet she had failed to do anything to Li Tianlan. Qi Xuansu, on the other hand, acted purely out of retaliation and revenge, yet he achieved great success.

When it became a life-or-death political struggle, right and wrong no longer mattered. Choosing the right side was more important. In the pursuit of power, Qi Xuansu found himself supported by many.

Qi Xuansu never shouted slogans. He would never place himself on a moral pedestal, claiming that he did this for the sake of the Daoist Mansion or for the people. His primary goal was simply to strike back against the Taiping Sect.

With Li Tianlan captured, those messy rumors should finally come to an end. Did they really think he was some pushover who would not retaliate?

He even struck the Quanzhen Sect with Qi Wangui’s case. With one hand, he eliminated internal opposition. With the other, he launched heavy counterattacks against external enemies. Both hands moved together, and both struck hard.

This was how he established his authority.

As Madam Qi taught him, when he was weak, he should harbor resentment and await revenge. But when he was finally in a position of power, he had to strike back and settle old scores.

Qi Xuansu did not appear in the main hall of Tianxin Daoist Palace. Instead, he went to the Nether Prison beneath the palace.

Since Li Tianlan had already been captured, and Wu Guangbi could no longer stir up trouble, the overall situation was settled. There was no need to continue imprisoning Li Tianlan on Putuo Island. According to regulations, he was to be held in the Nether Prison instead. The prisoners from Fayu Temple would also gradually be transferred there.

A third-rank Spirit Guard opened the gates of the Nether Prison for Qi Xuansu.

Inside the prison, there was no sense of day or night. Only the lamps embedded in the stone walls of the corridors emitted a dim yellow glow.

Li Tianlan’s cell was located in the deepest part of the prison, with layers of formations blocking the Five Elements Escape Methods and techniques such as the Yin-Yang Gate. It could even withstand a full-force strike from a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being. Not to mention, there were numerous Spirit Guards stationed at the prison.

Led by the Spirit Guards, Qi Xuansu descended level after level until he finally arrived outside Li Tianlan’s cell. Since only high-ranking Daoists were afforded such treatment, the place was not crude at all. It was so spotless that the black floor, walls, and ceiling gleamed like a mirror.

At this moment, Li Tianlan had been stripped of his lotus crown and hechang, changed into plain clothing, and fitted with restraints. He sat on a stone chair inside the cell with his eyes closed, as if he were meditating.

Li Tianlan’s divine senses had been sealed, but his sight and hearing had not been taken away. People who lived in darkness became especially sensitive to light. Though his eyes were closed, Li Tianlan quickly sensed a patch of brightness gradually intensifying, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching without any attempt at concealment.

Outside the cell was the interrogation room, fully furnished with tables and chairs. Between the two stood a completely transparent wall.

“Chief Deputy Qi, we’ve arrived.” The leading Spirit Guard announced. Spirit Guards were always easy to identify by voice because their airtight helmets made their speech muffled and deep, impossible to distinguish from their original voices.

Then Qi Xuansu’s voice followed. “Proceed according to the instructions I just gave. You may leave now.”

“Yes, Chief Deputy,” the Spirit Guard replied. Shortly after, the heavy footsteps faded into the distance.

“Li Tianlan, do you really have nothing to say?” Qi Xuansu sat down in a chair within the interrogation room, directly facing Li Tianlan on the stone seat.

Only then did Li Tianlan open his eyes and look toward Qi Xuansu. “The victor becomes king, and the loser becomes a bandit. There’s nothing more to say. I am willing to accept defeat.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Whether you admit defeat or not, it cannot change the fact that you have fallen at my hands. What we’re discussing now is the matter of returning the stolen assets.”

His tone was neither hurried nor harsh, yet an inexplicable and overwhelming pressure radiated from him, making Li Tianlan uncomfortable enough to unconsciously straighten his posture.

Sometimes, when all was said and done, what people ultimately competed with was force. All authority ultimately relied upon force, which depended on cultivation. Li Tianlan realized that his defeat was not unjust in the slightest. Qi Xuansu was now only one step away from becoming a Pseudo-Immortal. Once matters reached the stage of direct confrontation, Li Tianlan had absolutely no chance of victory.

No wonder the entire Li family regarded Qi Xuansu as Li Changge’s greatest rival. The reputation was well deserved.

Li Tianlan did not directly answer Qi Xuansu’s question. Instead, he said, “So this is the capability of a manmade Banished Immortal, huh?”

Qi Xuansu did not deny it. He merely raised an eyebrow. “You seem to know quite a lot.”

Li Tianlan scoffed. “Others may not know, but back then, I contributed quite a bit to the Junior Imperial Preceptor’s collection of Xuan Jades. Naturally, I know some insider details.”

Qi Xuansu said nothing and instead scrutinized Li Tianlan.

Li Tianlan was no mediocrity. His sudden mention of the Xuan Jade and manmade Banished Immortals was certainly not without purpose.

Seeing that he had piqued Qi Xuansu’s interest, Li Tianlan was no longer in a hurry to speak. Instead, he calmly met Qi Xuansu’s gaze.

Qi Xuansu remained silent for a moment before finally saying, “Looking across the entire Daoist Order, it’s difficult to find people with both virtue and talent. Li Tianlan, although you and I stand on different sides and hold different views, I still have to admit that you are capable. It’s just that your skills were not used on the proper path.”

Li Tianlan let out a cold laugh. “Chief Deputy Qi, are you saying I have talent but no virtue?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I’m not some saint myself, so I’m not trying to judge you from a position of moral superiority. Do you understand what I mean?”

Li Tianlan paused in surprise. Then, after quickly thinking it over for a moment, he looked back at Qi Xuansu and met his gaze before slowly nodding.

Qi Xuansu reached out and deactivated the voice-recording and image-recording formations that had already been activated.

Li Tianlan said, “I have two sons. My eldest son has already disowned me, and I truly have wronged him. Right now, he’s under the control of Beichen Hall. I fear someone may try to silence him because he’s involved in some disgraceful matters of the Li family. I hope he can survive. Consider it the last thing I can do to make amends to him.”

Qi Xuansu did not hesitate and immediately agreed. “As long as he’s still alive right now, then I can guarantee he’ll continue to live. I can’t promise wealth and glory, but living safely and peacefully shouldn’t be difficult.”

Li Tianlan added, “And my younger son.”

Qi Xuansu said, “I’ve never practiced guilt by association. I’ll treat your younger son the same way I treated Wang Jiaoying’s son.”

Li Tianlan finally said, “Chief Deputy Qi, I’m sure you’re aware of my eldest son’s case, so I won’t hide anything anymore. Li Minghuang had an affair with Gu Ying behind my back and even framed my eldest son. I hope that one day, Li Minghuang receives the punishment he deserves.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Zhang Yuyue is Qing Xiao’s cousin and one of the few people in the Zhang family who has a good relationship with her. Li Minghuang deceived Zhang Yuyue, so for Qing Xiao’s and Mansion Master Zhang’s sake, I won’t let him off either.”

If Qi Xuansu had started loudly proclaiming righteousness and justice at this moment, Li Tianlan would probably have remained doubtful. But because Qi Xuansu spoke from the standpoint of personal interests and stakes, Li Tianlan believed him.

He said, “Chief Deputy Qi, ask away. I will certainly tell you everything I know.”

Qi Xuansu slowly said, “I want to know about the Longevity Stone Heart.”

Li Tianlan said, “There are only three Longevity Stone Hearts in the world, which are respectively with—”

Qi Xuansu interrupted him. “I know. They are with the Yao family, the Li family, and the Huasheng Hall, respectively. The Longevity Stone Heart within me belongs to the Yao family, while Li Changge’s belongs to the Li family. I have also confirmed that the Huasheng Hall’s Longevity Stone Heart is still in the Huasheng Hall.”

Li Tianlan was not surprised and continued, “Chief Deputy Qi, before this, I merely suspected it, but now I can finally confirm that the Yao family’s Longevity Stone Heart truly resides within your body. To be honest, I still find it hard to believe. I investigated your background back then. You’re not from an aristocratic family, nor are you the illegitimate son of some great figure, nor anyone’s reincarnation. You possess no remarkable bloodline, simply an ordinary orphan whose parents died early. Even within the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, you were not particularly outstanding. Yet Yao Qi chose you specifically, granted you a heaven-defying opportunity, and gave you the Longevity Stone Heart, which is comparable to an immortal artifact. Aren’t you curious why?”

Qi Xuansu said, “Of course, I’m curious. I also know why. What I want to know now are the things I’m still unaware of.”

This time Li Tianlan was genuinely surprised. He had not expected Qi Xuansu’s investigation to have gone so deep. “The people who understand you best are not your friends but your enemies. Sage Donghua and the Yao family are Sage Qingwei and the Li family’s greatest opponents. In terms of understanding our enemies, we have made certain achievements. I can say with certainty that Yao Qi alone could not have made that decision.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Who else?”

Li Tianlan did not beat around the bush. “When I was very young, I once accompanied an elder of my family to meet the fourth-generation Earthly Preceptor. The fourth-generation Earthly Preceptor looked very much like the current Earthly Preceptor.”

Li Tianlan was already in his seventies, so it was entirely possible for him to have met the fourth-generation Earthly Preceptor during his childhood. Thus, his words carried considerable credibility.

Qi Xuansu’s expression became grave. “The fourth-generation Earthly Preceptor and the current Earthly Preceptor?”

Li Tianlan said, “The leader of the Wuist Sect, Wu Xian, reincarnated as Elder Yao. This shows that the people of the Wuist Sect possess methods for reincarnation. Therefore, the Li family has always suspected if the fourth-generation Earthly Preceptor is still in the mortal world. Or perhaps the current Earthly Preceptor is the reincarnation of the fourth-generation Earthly Preceptor.”

Qi Xuansu was so shocked that he remained speechless for a long while.