A Pawn's Passage

The meeting concluded, and everyone dispersed.

Everyone, regardless of which faction they belonged to, was deep in thought.

For Qi Xuansu, this was his first time participating in a Daoist Order meeting of this level, so he found it eye-opening, feeling a sense of awe.

This was vastly different from the battles in Jianghu. There was no visible clash of swords, yet danger lurked everywhere. A few words could spark a storm of bloodshed—who knew how many lives would be lost as a result of the discussions from above?

That was why power and status were paramount. With them, one could determine life and death with a word. Without them, one’s fate would be dictated by others. Even the notions of right and wrong could be reversed.

Li Tianlan, that old fox, casually brushed aside Ye Xiu’s confession with just a few sentences, each reason unassailable. No one could touch him. Yet, when Sage Donghua stepped in, speaking the same words, Li Tianlan had to accept partial responsibility. Again, every word was justified.

Zhang Yuelu deliberately lagged behind, even dismissing Mu Jin, making herself appear alone.

Mu Jin, of course, knew what Zhang Yuelu was up to, muttering to herself that her friend was putting dicks before chicks. But she was powerless to intervene.

Qi Xuansu quickened his pace to walk alongside Zhang Yuelu.

“What are you thinking about?” Qi Xuansu asked upon noticing Zhang Yuelu’s furrowed brow.

Zhang Yuelu replied, “I’m thinking about the Heavenly Being who killed Feng Bo.”

Qi Xuansu’s heart clenched with nervousness, but he maintained a calm expression. “Didn’t Sage Lei say it was likely a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Wuliang stage, most probably someone from the Imperial Court? After all, the Imperial Court and the Heavenly Court have had many conflicts. I think it sounds reasonable.”

Zhang Yuelu remained silent for a moment before saying, “Sage Lei’s judgment isn’t wrong, but Deputy Hall Master Lu’s perspective also makes sense.”

Qi Xuansu recalled the tension of his second encounter with Zhang Yuelu at this moment, feeling a sense of déjà vu. He feigned surprise. “Are you referring to the mysterious Qingping Society?”

Zhang Yuelu nodded slightly. “Yes, the Qingping Society. The Heavenly Court relies on sheer numbers, with hundreds of thousands of followers. Thus, they have a chaotic mix of good and bad. The Qingping Society, on the other hand, takes the opposite approach. They value quality over quantity, with very few members, none of whom are ordinary. Xie Qiuniang, whom we have encountered at the Yulan Temple, was a member of the Qingping Society, and she was merely a B-rank member.”

Qi Xuansu wanted to interject, What do you mean by merely a B-rank member?

He had not advanced within the Daoist Order, nor had he—a mere C-rank member—risen in the Qingping Society.

Seeing that Qi Xuansu remained silent, Zhang Yuelu continued, “As far as I know, the Qingping Society’s members are divided into four tiers: A, B, C, and D. B-rank members have significant status within that secret society, but the A-rank members are the true core members. There are only a few of them, but each one of them is highly influential.

“I don’t doubt Sage Lei’s judgment. I just think that someone capable of reducing Feng Bo to this state isn’t just a Wuliang-stage Martial Arts Practitioner. If Feng Bo had been beaten to death with many punches, that’s believable, because a Wuliang-stage Martial Arts Practitioner could certainly do that. But to shatter him with a single punch? That’s beyond what a Wuliang-stage master is capable of.

“I believe that with Sage Lei’s insight, she must have recognized the underlying complexity but didn’t want to stir up trouble at this juncture. Saying it’s a Wuliang-stage Martial Arts Practitioner widens the range, making it hard to pinpoint a specific target without more clues, thus allowing the matter to be temporarily set aside.

“But if it’s a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Zaohua stage, they are few and far between. The range becomes very narrow, making it easy to identify a specific individual. Martial Arts Practitioners of such a level are all significant figures, and involving any one of them would complicate matters greatly. I’m sure Sage Lei simply doesn’t want to muddy the waters.”

Qi Xuansu cleared his throat lightly. “A Zaohua-stage Martial Arts Practitioner? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?”

Zhang Yuelu glanced at him. “It’s not exaggerated at all. The reconstructed image from Feng Bo’s eyeball showed that he didn’t even get to evade that punch. He simply watched as the fist closed in on him.

“What does that tell you? It’s unlikely Feng Bo had a death wish and didn’t want to dodge it—he simply couldn’t. This speaks volumes about the puncher’s cultivation level. Looking across Jiangnan, only the Chief Admiral of Jiangnan possesses such a high cultivation level. But he would never kill Feng Bo at this time and embroil himself in this mess.”

Qi Xuansu felt a bit awkward. “So you think the one who killed Feng Bo is an A-rank member of the Qingping Society?”

Zhang Yuelu nodded and murmured, “Why would a major figure from the Qingping Society get involved in the affairs of Jinling Prefecture? What is their intent?”

Qi Xuansu silently responded to her question, As said major figure of the Qingping Society, I was just trying to protect myself. Unfortunately, there’s no grand intent.

Zhang Yuelu knew far more about the various hidden truths than Qi Xuansu did. All three major Daoist sects had people who specialized in dirty work. While it could not be said that the Qingping Society was subordinate to the Quanzhen Sect, there were undoubtedly connections between the two.

In this thorough investigation of the Purple Immortal Mountain case, the driving force was not the Zhengyi Sect but the Quanzhen Sect. Facing the repeated actions of the Heavenly Court, it made sense for the Quanzhen Sect to deploy the Qingping Society against them.

Zhang Yuelu’s thoughts churned, her eyes flickering with intensity.

Seeing her in this state, Qi Xuansu realized she was starting to form bold assumptions, so he quickly spoke to disrupt her thoughts. “You seem to have some leads?”

Zhang Yuelu snapped back to reality. “That’s all I can think of for now. The key is to keep pressing Ye Xiu and make him reveal everything he knows.”

Qi Xuansu smoothly shifted the topic to the Beggar King. ”I’m afraid someone might take the opportunity to silence Ye Xiu.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded in agreement. “We’re thinking along the same lines. This is inevitable. So for the next period of time, you and I will stay at the dungeon to prevent any mishaps.”

Qi Xuansu obliged.

......

Meanwhile, Li Tianlan strode ahead, with Li Mingzhi, Li Mingcheng, and Lu Yushu following behind him.

Li Tianlan said, “Sage Donghua just couldn’t resist stepping in personally. This is a good thing, indicating that the pressure from the Golden Tower Council is starting to yield results. At the very least, Sage Donghua can no longer sit idly by.”

Li Mingzhi asked in a lowered voice, “Sixth Uncle, what should we do next?”

Li Tianlan pondered for a moment before deciding. “We’ll stick to the original plan. We mustn’t allow Ye Xiu to remain alive. Eliminate him and pin the blame on the secret society. As long as we leave no evidence, Sage Donghua can’t do anything about it even if he comes to Jinling Prefecture personally.”

All three juniors nodded simultaneously.

Lu Yushu added, “Judging by the situation, it seems Lei Xiaohuan will personally negotiate with Shi Luosi. What should we do about Pei Xiaolou?”

Li Tianlan paused briefly before replying, “That’s simple. You can’t catch a wolf without a sizable bait. If we want to take something, we must first give something. Leak a bit of information to him. Since this involves the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, I’ll handle it personally.”

The three nodded again.

This meant they were about to sacrifice yet another pawn.

As for who the unlucky scapegoat would be, that was not their concern.

“How are your preparations coming along?” Li Tianlan asked.

Li Mingcheng replied, “I’ve already redeployed Beichen Hall’s personnel to the outer city, mainly to capture the remaining Beggar Gang members under Ye Xiu. This group of beggars has been running rampant, oppressing the innocent, so it’s time we deal with them. We’ll kill a batch as a warning to the rest.”

“Very good.” Li Tianlan narrowed his eyes. “This so-called Beggar Gang has been entrenched in Jinling Prefecture for far too long, committing countless crimes. I’ve heard that they have at least several thousand registered beggars under their banner, becoming a festering sore in Jinling Prefecture. Ordinary people dare not provoke them and can only suffer their actions in silence. So make these killings public—the more people know, the better.

“Let the people of Jinling Prefecture see who is truly seeking justice for them—who is standing up for the common folk. Let them also see who has turned Jinling Prefecture into a place of fear and chaos, causing widespread unease and panic. As long as we win the people’s hearts, no one can overthrow us.”

A smile appeared on Li Mingcheng’s face. “Then we’ll have an excuse afterward. We weren’t sitting idly by; we were simply too preoccupied, which gave the cult demons the chance to infiltrate Zhenwu Temple.”

The other two also smiled smugly.

Killing the Beggar Gang members would serve multiple purposes: silencing witnesses, gaining rapport, and absolving themselves of blame. It was truly a move that achieved three goals at once.

Li Tianlan’s face, however, remained serious. “One must stay calm in the face of major events. Don’t just rely on smooth talk. Ensure the plans are implemented properly. It’s imperative that nothing goes wrong.”

The three quickly wiped the smiles from their faces, replying the Sage solemnly. “Understood.”