A Pawn's Passage

Ordinary mother-child talismans could only display the upper body.

However, more advanced mother-child talismans could not only display the whole body but could also project the surrounding environment.

Even when someone was thousands of kilometers apart, a top-quality mother-child talisman could form a projection that made it seem like the other party was in the same room.

At this time, a high-quality mother-child talisman created a light curtain to the left and right of the room. To the right of the light curtain was an empty chair.

The chair on the left was occupied by an elderly man in a Daoist robe, with a butler standing beside him.

The old man used a tobacco pipe and a pocket watch from the Western Continent. He also had a jade pendant by his waist and a pair of sunglasses made of fine black crystal.

The butler was dressed in a Daoist robe, a square hat, and a pair of glasses.

While waiting for the other party to join the meeting, the old man puffed away and reminisced about his past. “Many years ago, when I was still very young, I was ordered to go to Jinling Prefecture, where I stayed in the largest Daoist temple in the city next to Zhenwu Lake.

“However, after just two days of stay, I was asked to leave the Daoist temple because an Omniscient Sage was arriving. In the evening, a group of Spirit Guards came to inspect the interior of the Daoist temple and set up various formations.

“Finally, a huge flying ship landed in Zhenwu Lake, which only carried one Omniscient Sage and a few of his entourage. When the Omniscient Sage walked down the ramp, everyone saluted him. It was truly impressive. At the time, I made up my mind to aspire to such heights.”

The butler leaned forward slightly. “The Daoist Order may have flying ships, but you have an armored ship and countless merchant ships.”

The old man exhaled a puff of smoke. “When the fourth-generation Grand Master went from Jade Capital to Imperial Capital, the Daoist Order dispatched a fleet of three Yinglong Warships to escort him. He also had his own flying ship, which was comparable to an immortal object.”

The butler remarked, “If you go to sea, we can also dispatch a fleet. Even if it is not as grand as the Grand Master, it’s not far behind.”

“You’re flattering me.” The old man chewed on the lip of his tobacco pipe and snickered. “How can I compare to the Grand Master? The only one who can compare with the Grand Master is the Emperor.”

The butler bowed. “You are right, sir.”

The old man leaned back in his chair and held the tobacco pipe. “I remember when I first arrived in Nanyang. There were no armored ships back then, only a few broken sampans. Nanyang at that time was even more chaotic than it is today. Besides the Imperial Navy, the Taiping Sect’s fleet, and the Zhengyi Sect’s fleet, there were also many pirates, Western fleets, and various sea monsters. At least 28 days of the month are turbulent. Those are certainly not fond memories.”

The butler gushed. “The heavens will make one suffer and face adversity before bestowing great responsibility. This is to test one’s will and character, enhancing one’s abilities in unimaginable ways. It is for this reason that you are able to achieve your great endeavors today.”

“Great endeavors?” The old man laughed. “Is it really that great?”

The butler implied. “Well, the Qin family were not royals at the time.”

At this moment, a figure appeared on the other side of the light curtain, sitting on the empty chair.

“Young Master Li, it’s certainly not easy to meet you.” The old man looked at the figure on the other side of the light screen.

“There are some things that need to be dealt with at the last minute, so I couldn’t get away. After all, two of my elders have gone to Jade Capital, so they have left the family affairs to me. I hope you will forgive me for my tardiness, Old Master Jin.” Young Master Li’s attitude was casual.

“Jade Capital is a nice place. The Holy Xuan grew up on Penglai Island, but he spent most of his time in Jade Capital.” The old man bit the lip of the pipe again.

Young Master Li asked, “Old Master Jin, have you been to Jade Capital?”

The old man replied leisurely, “I used to work there before you were even born, Young Master Li.”

Young Master Li chuckled. “It turns out that you were also a member of the Daoist Order.”

The old man held the tobacco pipe in his mouth and smirked. “Yes, that was many years ago. At that time, the fifth-generation Grand Master was still in power.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what name did you use when you were in the Daoist Order?” Young Master Li probed.

“My real name, of course.” The old man added, “But that person is already dead in the eyes of the Daoist Order.”

“May I ask who your master is?” Young Master Li pressed on.

The old man did not answer the question directly. “Someone who is unlucky to stand on the wrong team. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have left Jade Capital and traveled so far away.”

Young Master Li adjusted his sitting posture slightly. “Old Master Jin, how did you go to Nanyang?”

The old man’s eyelids drooped slightly as he recounted the past. “Young Master Li, I’m sure you are aware that the fifth-generation Grand Master had deposed three Deputy Grand Masters at the time. The three new Deputy Grand Masters that he promoted are still in power today.

“The fifth-generation Grand Master’s intention is for the newly promoted Deputy Grand Masters to suppress the old factions. The Deputy Grand Masters were forced to do so. Otherwise, the fifth-generation Grand Master would just replace them as well. My master was a confidant of the deposed Deputy Grand Master, so he was implicated. By extension, I was also dragged into this.”

At this point, the old man laughed at himself. “Young Master Li, are you bothered by it? This is just some stupid past, nothing big. After all, my prime has passed, and I can no longer compare to youngsters like you.”

Young Master Li shook his head and said, “I’m not bothered.”

The old man smiled. “Since you’re not bothered, I will tell you more. Our perception and view of life are solidified in our prime. Unless one encounters a big life-changing event, it’ll be difficult to alter one’s views. When I was young, I met many important people in Jade Capital. That was how I aspired to become great like them. Since my career within the Daoist Order was over, I had no choice but to look for it outside the Daoist Order.”

Young Master Li asked, “Old Master Jin, what did you do after you went to Nanyang?”

The old man explained, “Nanyang is not only the South China Sea. It also includes the Sumadra Kingdom and the Borneo Island. At that time, that region was in chaos. That was why I went there, as I can only make a name for myself by quelling trouble. I narrowly escaped death and climbed my way out of hell.”

Young Master Li did not speak.

The old man took away his tobacco pipe and smiled. “Of course, prestigious families like yours will stand out even during prosperous times. In this regard, normal people like us can’t compare with you.”

Young Master Li sighed. “You make it sound easy, but I know it must be difficult for you to survive back then.”

The old man gently stroked his tobacco pipe. “It’s not too difficult, but it’s also not easy. It all depends on luck and timing.”

Young Master Li sat up straight. “Old Master Jin, let’s get to business.”

The old man nodded. “I didn’t want to come forward in person, but the Li family values this too much, and I dare not disobey the Imperial Preceptor. Moreover, the Imperial Preceptor intends for us to work closely together, so we will have many more opportunities to interact with each other.”

“We must prioritize this at this critical juncture so as not to give others an excuse to drag us down.” Young Master Li sighed softly. “Back then, during the major Jiangnan case, a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master was executed, and an Omniscient Sage was transferred out. About 5 Sages were punished, and about 10 third-rank Youyi Daoist masters were demoted and transferred. The others were silenced by their own people or executed by Beichen Hall. There are countless lessons to be learned from the past.”

The old man reassured him. “My network is very safe.”

Young Master Li leaned forward slightly. “Safety in the past does not mean safety in the present, nor does it guarantee safety in the future. I hope you can cut off all ties that links this back to us, Old Master Jin.”

The old man questioned. “It’s just the Yanqing Merchant’s Association. Is such an overreaction necessary?”

Young Master Li asked back, “Old Master Jin, have you ever heard of Zhang Yuelu?”

“Yes, I’ve heard of her.” The old man recalled, “She seems to be a rising star in the Daoist Order.”

Young Master Li’s voice deepened. “She participated in solving the major Jiangnan case back then and gained the attention of the Earthly Preceptor. Since then, she’s had a steady rise.”

“Right, that’s her.” The old man put the pipe aside. “Why don’t you just get rid of her? Is it because she’s a woman? If you want to become a big shot, you can’t have such compassion for women, let alone love.”

Young Master Li sneered. “It has nothing to do with that. The timing and her identity are too sensitive. Zhang Yuelu is now more valuable than the granddaughter of the Heavenly Preceptor, so killing her won’t help calm the situation; it will only backfire on us. That’s why we only need to let her return to Jade Capital without finding out anything. There’s no need for any unnecessary fuss for now.”

The old man was silent for a moment before agreeing with Young Master Li. “Alright, then. I will arrange for someone to handle this matter properly. Please rest assured, Young Master Li.”

Young Master Li stood up and saluted the old man. “I’ll leave this to you, Old Master Jin.”