A Pawn's Passage

Sikong Cuo sat on a large wooden crate. He lit a paper-wrapped tobacco roll and held it between two fingers without bringing it to his lips, letting it burn slowly as wisps of smoke curled upward.

This made the tobacco roll seem more like incense than a cigarette.

A subordinate walked in.

Sikong Cuo’s face was obscured by the smoke, his voice calm and indistinct as he asked, “Did you find out?”

“Yes,” the subordinate replied. “The Tiangang Hall’s Spirit Guards captured a local thug. It doesn’t seem to concern us.”

“Good, as long as it doesn’t involve us.” Sikong Cuo nodded. “Tiangang Hall can be considered an old acquaintance of ours. Be cautious and don’t let them notice anything.”

The subordinate nodded in acknowledgment.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

The subordinate frowned and walked over to peer through the peephole in the door.

A cloaked figure stood outside the door, the hood fully covering the face. In the scorching heat of summer, such attire was indeed peculiar.

Through the door, the subordinate whispered, “The netherworld is lawless; the underworld is orderly.”

“With the chains of the netherworld, living souls cannot escape,” the person outside replied.

The secret phrase matched, so the subordinate opened the door and let the cloaked individual in.

The person pulled back their hood, revealing a youthful face with a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, suggesting some Western lineage.

“I am Situ Xingluan,” the person said with a wide, sunny grin, his expression carrying an air of boyish innocence.

Sikong Cuo’s subordinate, Wu Mai, had never met Situ Xingluan but knew he had been lying low in Jinling Prefecture for a long time, earning a reputation as a local power player.

However, Wu Mai did not have a favorable first impression of Situ Xingluan. His appearance was passable. After all, people with Western features were not uncommon in Jinling. What irritated Wu Mai was Situ Xingluan’s conspicuous attire in the heat of summer.

Wu Mai asked warily, “Where’s the item?”

Situ Xingluan reached behind his waist, causing Wu Mai to tense instantly. The former reflexively drew a curved blade, its edge gleaming with a chilling blue light.

“Don’t be so tense; I’m not going to eat you,” Situ Xingluan said nonchalantly, flashing his flippant grin. As he spoke, he retrieved a bamboo tube from behind his waist and twirled it in his hand.

Wu Mai’s eye twitched. If this bamboo tube was indeed what they needed—something more valuable than their lives—having this boy treat it as a mere toy was utterly infuriating.

Wu Mai’s expression darkened. He was about to yell at Situ Xingluan when Sikong Cuo finally spoke. “Come inside to talk.”

Without waiting for Wu Mai’s response, Situ Xingluan bypassed him and walked into the courtyard. His eyes lit up at the sight of the yard filled with large wooden crates.

“Is this the Gift?” Situ Xingluan asked, walking to one of the crates and patting it.

Sikong Cuo nodded. “Yes, this is the Gift, shipped over by sea without any issues. Everything has been thoroughly taken care of.”

“Being too thorough isn’t necessarily a good thing. You killed them, but those people had family and friends. A one-day disappearance isn’t strange, but their loved ones will start looking for them after a few more days. Even if no bodies turn up, it will still catch the attention of the Green Phoenix Guard or the Daoist Order, so this won’t stay hidden for long.” Situ Xingluan rambled on.

Sikong Cuo frowned slightly but did not refute the statement.

Situ Xingluan continued, “The Gift alone isn’t enough; the key is pairing it with the Blessing. Only by combining the two can they reach their full potential.”

Sikong Cuo’s gaze fell on the bamboo tube in Situ Xingluan’s hand. “Is this the Blessing?”

Situ Xingluan grunted in affirmation as he handed the bamboo tube to Sikong Cuo.

After a slight hesitation, Sikong Cuo carefully examined the bamboo tube in his hands.

It was clear that the bamboo tube was just a container. The real deal lay in its contents.

At that moment, the tobacco roll between Sikong Cuo’s fingers finally burned out, leaving only a bit of ash.

Situ Xingluan pulled out a handful of tobacco leaves from his pocket, stuffed them into his mouth, and began chewing them.

Sikong Cuo first inspected the seal on the bamboo tube to confirm it had not been tampered with. A faint smile crossed his face as he drew a specially crafted dagger from his waist and cautiously pried open the seal.

Still chewing his tobacco leaves, Situ Xingluan mimicked a Western-style intonation as he solemnly recited, “The Lord bestows Gifts, bringing grace to all living beings. The Lord blesses the faithful, nurturing and sustaining all creations.”

For some reason, Sikong Cuo detected a hint of mockery in Situ Xingluan’s tone, which displeased him. However, given the man’s identity, Sikong Cuo restrained himself.

Situ Xingluan could not hold back and added, “If you ask me, they’re just trying to mystify everything. To put it plainly, it’s just a catalyst. Without it, many things can’t be accomplished.”

Suppressing his dissatisfaction, Sikong Cuo remained silent, focusing entirely on the bamboo tube in his hands.

Without its seal, the bamboo tube was just an ordinary container. Sikong Cuo applied a little force and split the tube in half along the vertical.

The contents of the bamboo tube finally came into view. It resembled an ancient knife currency or a crescent moon. It was emerald green and translucent, with fine threads of blood coursing through it.

“This is—” Sikong Cuo carefully cradled the peculiar jade in his hands, his expression betraying a hint of fervor.

Situ Xingluan spat out the remnants of the tobacco leaves in his mouth and drew a small folding fan from his sleeve. With a crisp snap, he opened it and fanned himself leisurely. “You haven’t seen it, huh? You’ve never used it either, right? How ignorant.”

“You!” Wu Mai was about to give Situ Xingluan a piece of his mind, but Sikong Cuo raised his hand to stop him.

Sikong Cuo said humbly, “Please enlighten us.”

Situ Xingluan explained, “According to the Daoists, this thing is called the Xuan Jade; Xuan means mystical, but it also shares the same name as the current Xuan Dynasty. Jade is pretty self-explanatory.”

The veins on Wu Mai’s forehead throbbed because he was so infuriated by Situ Xingluan’s disrespect.

Calling the Blessing a “thing” was undoubtedly blasphemous. If not for the man’s critical role in the upcoming plan, Wu Mai would not hesitate to turn him into a collector’s item.

Situ Xingluan seemed to sense Wu Mai’s thoughts and said pointedly, “I’d advise you against any funny ideas. In terms of rank, I’m above you. Even this Sikong fellow is merely my equal with no right to boss me around. In terms of skill, I can take you out with one hand. Would you like to test it out?”

Wu Mai’s face flushed red as his blood boiled. He was about to lunge at the rude boy when Sikong Cuo raised his voice. “Enough.”

Both fell silent.

Wu Mai panted heavily, clearly enraged. Situ Xingluan, however, remained nonchalant, fanning himself leisurely while gazing up at the sky.

Sikong Cuo inquired, “How is the Xuan Jade used?”

Situ Xingluan snapped his fan close and casually tucked it into his back collar. “The Xuan Jade has many uses. Some say it can enhance cultivation, but that’s just a waste of resources. Its true value lies in its ability to carry divine power. This piece of Xuan Jade has already been activated by the Lord. Just place it together with the Gift, and we’ll see a—”

He made a blooming motion with his hands. “—beautiful flower.”

A faint smile returned to Sikong Cuo’s face as he softly repeated, “A beautiful flower that shines upon the mortal world.”

Situ Xingluan pulled out another handful of tobacco leaves and stuffed them into his mouth, speaking incoherently. “To make the flower bloom, you must first sow seeds and then water them. The Gift is the seed. Have your people place the Gift at the designated locations, and you’ll water them personally.”

Sikong Cuo instinctively asked, “If I’m to water them, what will you do?”

Situ Xingluan countered, “Why do flowers bloom?”

Sikong Cuo was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Flowers bloom to bear fruit.” Situ Xingluan answered his own question, pausing to stare at Sikong Cuo. “You water them while I harvest the fruit. Got it?”

Despite his reluctance, Sikong Cuo nodded.

Situ Xingluan clapped his hands. “Great!”

Finally, Sikong Cuo asked, “When do we start?”

Situ Xingluan replied calmly, “That’s not up to us; it depends on the Daoist Order.”