A Pawn's Passage

If a large force were mobilized to apprehend Ye Xiu, his extensive network of information would likely alert him immediately. By the time the officials set out from Zhenwu Temple, Ye Xiu would already have received the news and fled. In such a vast Jinling Prefecture, capturing him again would be exceedingly difficult.

To catch Ye Xiu, the fewer people involved, the quicker the action.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu decided to act on the spur of the moment to capture him. When executing this plan, they even used their aliases Wei Wugui and Tantai Chu, leaving Ye Xiu’s intelligence network clueless.

That was why the Green Phoenix Guard feared cases involving random or spur-of-the-moment killings far more than meticulously planned crimes. The latter, being intricately linked like beads on a string, tended to fall apart if one link was broken. In contrast, spur-of-the-moment crimes left far fewer clues.

This time, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu’s plan to capture Ye Xiu bore some resemblance to such cases. Just the previous day, they had been focused on extracting information from Ye Xiu. Even earlier that morning, they had not decided to arrest him.

It was only en route to the slums that they made this decision, and within an hour, they apprehended the Beggar King.

No matter how cunning and calculating Ye Xiu might be, it was nearly impossible for him to foresee this.

Qi Xuansu held Ye Xiu at knifepoint with Flying Shadow, while Zhang Yuelu had Qi Xuansu’s back as they moved outward.

The members of the Beggar Gang surrounded them from afar, but no one dared to approach them. However, they did not want to let them leave so easily either. Outside Ye Xiu’s residence, even more beggars had gathered, blocking the exit.

Zhang Yuelu was indifferent. After apprehending the Beggar King, she sent a signal to Zhenwu Temple, so her backup from Tiangang Hall should be arriving soon.

As expected, within the hour, a cavalry unit arrived, sweeping in like a dark tide. The dense, rumbling sound of hooves struck fear into all who heard it.

Without so much as a shout, the blocking crowd instinctively moved aside.

The well-trained cavalry quickly reined in their horses, forming a semicircle around the entrance to Ye Xiu’s residence. The armored riders and their horses, clad entirely in black, had swords and firearms at the ready, without the slightest gap between their dense formation. These were the Daoist Spirit Guards.

Faced with the fully armored and imposing Daoist Spirit Guards, the beggars outside lacked the courage to resist. If a fight broke out, even elite forces like the Black Robes Cavalry would not dare to underestimate the Spirit Guards.

Thus, the Tiangang Hall officials faced little resistance.

At the forefront was Mu Jin, dressed in formal Daoist attire rather than wearing armor. She dismounted gracefully and led the Spirit Guards into Ye Xiu’s residence.

The moment she entered the door, Mu Jin saw Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu in their disguises.

She recognized Tantai Chu and was momentarily startled to see a stranger next to her boss, but she quickly deduced Wei Wugui’s real identity.

Mu Jin thought to herself bitterly, I knew these two would surely be together.

Zhang Yuelu signaled Qi Xuansu to hand Ye Xiu over to the Spirit Guards, who took out specially designed restraints, similar to the ones Bai Xiaojin had worn. However, these were more complex and placed not just on Ye Xiu’s wrists, but also on his ankles and neck. They were connected by fine chains that severed all sources of energy, including blood qi, divine power, innate qi, and magical power.

Even a Guizhen-stage master would be immobilized. A Martial Arts Practitioner also would not be able to break the chains with brute force.

Since Ye Xiu’s knee was shattered with a gunshot, he could not walk. Two Spirit Guards lifted him on either side and carried him out.

Ye Xiu’s subordinates could only watch helplessly. They were not as ballsy as the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo, who dared to openly fight against the Daoist Order.

Mu Jin exchanged a glance with Zhang Yuelu before turning and leaving the place.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu did not accompany Mu Jin. They left separately, intending to remove their disguises first.

Zhenwu Temple had a dungeon near Zhenwu Lake. Half of it consisted of ordinary cells, while the other half were water prisons. It was equipped with formations that prohibited teleportation spells and escape methods.

Just as Mu Jin brought the Spirit Guards and their prisoner to the dungeon, Li Mingcheng entered through the dungeon’s entrance, followed by several Spirit Guards from Beichen Hall.

Back in the day, Zhang Yuelu used to serve as a superintendent in Beichen Hall, with Mu Jin working under her as a deacon. Thus, Li Mingcheng was considered Mu Jin’s former boss.

Later, as Zhang Yuelu rose swiftly through the ranks and was appointed as Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall, Mu Jin followed her to Tiangang Hall. As Zhang Yuelu became Sage Cihang’s successor and dubbed the Junior Hall Master, Mu Jin’s status rose as well, becoming a superintendent.

This highlighted the importance of following the right leader—when one prospered, those close to them would also benefit.

“Greetings, Deputy Hall Master Li,” Mu Jin greeted her former superior.

Li Mingcheng glanced at Ye Xiu and asked, “Who is this?”

Mu Jin replied, “A suspect personally apprehended by our Deputy Hall Master.”

“A suspect?” Li Mingcheng nodded. “Thank you for your efforts, Superintendent Mu. We’ll take it from here.”

Mu Jin hesitated momentarily before responding, “What do you mean, Deputy Hall Master Li?”

“Now that Tiangang Hall has made the arrest, the interrogation should be handled by Beichen Hall,” Li Mingcheng said calmly. “Superintendent Mu, you may leave.”

Mu Jin felt somewhat intimidated by Li Mingcheng, but she refused to back down. “Deputy Hall Master Li, Deputy Hall Master Zhang stated that she intends to interrogate the suspect personally.”

“The Golden Tower Council instructed us to collaborate across halls in handling the case. You apprehend, we interrogate—that’s collaboration. If you apprehend and interrogate while excluding us, that’s not collaboration.” Li Mingcheng added, “Does Deputy Hall Master Zhang intend to defy the orders of the Golden Tower Council?”

Faced with such an accusation, Mu Jin dared not accept the blame. However, she was quick-witted. “Deputy Hall Master Zhang has no such intention. Collaboration requires communication. Deputy Hall Master Li, if you take the suspect without consulting Deputy Hall Master Zhang, I won’t be able to explain it to her. It’ll be better if you wait for Deputy Hall Master Zhang to arrive. Once you two have agreed on a mutually satisfactory arrangement, we can proceed with the handover.”

Li Mingcheng remained expressionless as he said, “The case is urgent. How can we afford delays? Are you willing to take responsibility for the losses? Step aside!”

Mu Jin stepped back but refused to yield. She raised her voice and accused. “If the case is so urgent, why didn’t you apprehend the suspect earlier, Deputy Hall Master Li? Instead, you waited at the dungeon for our arrival. Your information is remarkably timely.”

Li Mingcheng narrowed his eyes but kept silent.

He was not here to steal credit, but he had deeper motives that could not be disclosed.

The problem was that they were in Zhenwu Temple, so using force would be inappropriate. Seizing the suspect directly would put him in the wrong, giving others leverage against him.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu finally arrived. She had been slightly delayed because she changed and removed her disguise, but it did not take long.

Zhang Yuelu was dressed in the formal attire of a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, with the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master badge hanging from her waist. She was also holding a white horsetail whisk.

Beside her was Qi Xuansu, dressed as a fifth-rank Daoist priest. Unlike Zhang Yuelu’s elegance, he held a horizontal blade and had a gun holstered at his waist. The gunshot wound on his brow was still not fully healed.

Zhang Yuelu walked in and greeted, “Deputy Hall Master Li.”

Li Mingcheng quickly turned to face Zhang Yuelu, forcing a smile. “Deputy Hall Master Zhang.”

Although Zhang Yuelu had once been his subordinate, their current statuses were worlds apart. Zhang Yuelu had a bright future, with an assured promotion to the Omniscient Sage rank. If she were fortunate, she might even compete for the position of eighth-generation Grand Master.

In contrast, Li Mingcheng’s career path was predictable. At best, he could become an ordinary Sage.

The Sage title meant little within the Li family, who had seven Omniscient Sages and Great Sages, including a Deputy Grand Master.

Mu Jin immediately approached Zhang Yuelu and quietly recounted her confrontation with Li Mingcheng earlier.

Zhang Yuelu waved her horsetail whisk and asked, “Deputy Hall Master Li, do you intend to take the prisoner?”

“According to regulations, Beichen Hall handles criminal matters, so it is only right that we conduct the interrogation.” Li Mingcheng sounded determined, though less aggressively than before.

Zhang Yuelu replied, “This time, we were ordered by the Golden Tower Council to jointly investigate the case. Even though Beichen Hall normally oversees criminal interrogations, it does not have absolute authority.”

Faced with Zhang Yuelu, Li Mingcheng was more tactful than he had been with Mu Jin. He adjusted his stance and suggested, “Then let’s collaborate. Both our halls can interrogate the suspect together. After all, Beichen Hall has more expertise in this area.”

Zhang Yuelu remarked, “Although all halls are collaborating in the case, there is still a hierarchy. In this case, Ziwei Hall is leading the operation.” Zhang Yuelu added, addressing the person beside her. “Superintendent Qi.”

“Yes,” Qi Xuansu answered, looking at Li Mingcheng. “Deputy Hall Master Li, Sage Lei has ordered the arrest of this suspect. Deputy Hall Master Zhang merely assisted. If you wish to discuss a joint interrogation, it is not Deputy Hall Master Zhang’s opinion you should seek, but Sage Lei’s.”

Li Mingcheng turned to Qi Xuansu, his tone turning cold. “And who are you?”

Qi Xuansu met Li Mingcheng’s gaze calmly and replied, “I am Qi Xuansu, a superintendent of Ziwei Hall under Sage Lei’s command.”

“Do you have a written order from Sage Lei?” Li Mingcheng pressed.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu had no written order. “This was a verbal instruction from Sage Lei. But if you doubt me, you are more than welcome to verify this with Sage Lei.”

Of course, Li Mingcheng could not possibly approach Lei Xiaohuan for verification. He only cast a long look at the shackled Ye Xiu.

Meanwhile, Ye Xiu almost heaved a sigh of relief.

If he had fallen into Li Mingcheng’s hands, he might not be able to leave this place alive. The risk was too great. Compared to that, Tiangang Hall was a safer option. At least his life would not be endangered, as they still needed his testimony.

A brief silence fell before Li Mingcheng finally broke it. “Let’s go.”

The Beichen Hall members silently followed Li Mingcheng out of the dungeon. Li Mingcheng glanced back at the dungeon door and let out a cold snort.