A Pawn's Passage

When Zhang Yuelu returned to Huasheng Hall, she saw Qi Xuansu lying stiffly on the bed, like a block of wood, completely motionless.

Even upon seeing Zhang Yuelu enter, Qi Xuansu merely moved his eyes, looking as if he were on the verge of death.

Zhang Yuelu was shocked. “What happened? Weren’t you fine when I left?”

Qi Xuansu replied listlessly, “I’m fine, just a bit physically and mentally exhausted.”

Zhang Yuelu did not think much of it, assuming he was still adjusting to the newly-fused Xuan Jade. She took out a book from her magical receptacle and placed it on Qi Xuansu’s chest. “If you’re bored, you can take a look at this.”

“What book is this?” Qi Xuansu casually picked it up and glanced at the cover, which was titled The Legend of the Ghost Fox.

“It’s about a female ghost fox and a scholar. I haven’t read it, but it’s apparently quite famous. The Qingping Bookstore printed a million copies of it. A Confucian Great Master even wrote a poem for it,” Zhang Yuelu said casually.

Qi Xuansu perked up a little, sat up, and opened the cover.

On the first page was a seven-character quatrain.

“Indulge my rambling on this rainy day.

A peaceful moment underneath the bean trellis.

Perhaps weary of the world’s mundane chatter,

I yearn for whispers where spirits compose.”

Zhang Yuelu sat beside Qi Xuansu and leaned in, her hair brushing against his ear.

Qi Xuansu turned to the table of contents, which listed titles such as “The Examination of the City God,” “The Man in the Ear,” “Corpse Transformation,” “Wang Liulang,” “The Beggar Immortal,” and “The Monk’s Sin.”

This book consisted of 24 short stories in a mix of classical and vernacular styles of writing. However, this was not a problem for most Daoist disciples because classical Chinese was a required course, and many Daoist texts were far more abstruse.

Since each story was independent of each other, there was no need to read them in order.

Qi Xuansu casually flipped to a page with the title “Subduing the Fox.”

“The historian was bewitched by a fox, who followed him everywhere he walked. Terrified, he was at a loss for what to do. One day, he encountered a doctor claiming to be able to subdue foxes. He was given medicine, which turned out to be an aphrodisiac.

Urged to take it, he entered the room and engaged in intimacy with the fox, displaying unparalleled vigor. The fox retreated in panic, pleading for mercy, but he persisted, growing bolder. The fox twisted and turned in an attempt to escape but failed. After some time, there was silence. Upon inspection, the fox had perished.”

At first, Zhang Yuelu’s expression remained normal, but she furrowed her brows when she read, “engaged in intimacy with the fox, displaying unparalleled vigor.”

By the time she read the next sentence, her expression turned peculiar. Her gaze continued down the page.

“Once, a lustful scholar from a village spent the night alone at a remote inn. Suddenly, a rushing female figure entered the room without opening the door. Realizing it was a fox, he willingly indulged in intimacy with it. Just as he undid his garments and pierced through the fox’s defenses, the fox cried out in shock and pain. Its cries were as sharp as an eagle’s as it escaped through the window. This scholar was truly a professional in subduing foxes. Perhaps he should make it his trade...”

Zhang Yuelu’s face flushed red when she read the vulgar description.

Qi Xuansu, no longer looking listless, raised an eyebrow. “Interesting...”

Zhang Yuelu, however, was indignant and stood up angrily. “What the hell is this?!”

Qi Xuansu looked completely innocent. “You bought the book.”

As he spoke, Qi Xuansu flipped to another page with the title, “The Dog’s Adultery.” This story described a woman engaging in intimate acts with a dog.

“The dog grew jealous and killed her husband. When the matter was exposed, the authorities arrested the woman and the dog. But along the way, people wanting to watch the woman and the dog engage in unspeakable acts started to bribe the officers. Wherever they passed, hundreds gathered to watch, and the officers profited from it.”

Zhang Yuelu snatched the book away and shouted, “You’re not allowed to read this anymore!”

Qi Xuansu complied. “Fine, I won’t read it. I’ve seen all sorts of things, anyway. This is nothing.”

Zhang Yuelu shot him a sidelong glance.

Qi Xuansu cleared his throat and explained, “What I mean is, we should view it critically.”

As the two spoke, Mu Jin knocked on the door and entered. Seeing Zhang Yuelu holding The Legend of the Ghost Fox, she remarked, “Qing Xiao, you’re reading this too?”

Zhang Yuelu felt a little guilty and mumbled, “I just bought it and haven’t read it yet.”

“I heard that someone reported this book to the Ciji Hall,” Mu Jin said casually, not thinking much of it.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Because it’s too bold?”

Mu Jin nodded. “It is indeed a bit bold, but I think it might not be the author’s original intention.”

Qi Xuansu was stunned. “Is there even such a thing as original intention in this kind of matter?”

Mu Jin said, “I heard from a friend at the Ciji Hall that the story titled “Planting Pears” is actually a satire about gambling and infatuation, which leads to reckless generosity. However, many think it’s about being generous with other people’s resources.”

Zhang Yuelu opened The Legend of the Ghost Fox again and found the “Planting Pears” story. It was short and concise, telling the story of a villager who came to the city to sell pears.

The pear seller encountered a Daoist priest who asked for a pear, but the former refused to give one to him for free.

The Daoist priest said, “You have hundreds of pears on this cart. I’m only asking for one. It won’t be a big loss to you, so why are you so angry?”

Seeing this, the onlookers advised the pear seller to give the Daoist a bruised pear just to appease him. But the seller firmly refused.

Someone who could not bear the commotion paid for the pear and gave it to the Daoist priest. The Daoist then planted the pear’s seed. In the blink of an eye, it grew into a lush pear tree that blossomed and bore fruit. The Daoist picked the fruit from the tree and distributed them to the crowd. Then he chopped down the pear tree, slung it over his shoulder, and left leisurely.

After the Daoist left, the pear seller found that all the pears on his cart were gone, and that his cart handle had been chopped off. It was only then he realized the pears the Daoist had distributed were his, and the pear tree the Daoist had cut down was his cart handle.

This time, Zhang Yuelu’s expression was much calmer. “What’s the problem with this story?”

Mu Jin explained, “Some people claim that the Daoist priest is the real villain and that this kind of moral decay has always existed. They argue that those who are generous with other people’s resources are common. Since the Daoist priest is a member of the Daoist Order, some people reported that this book is slandering Daoists, demanding it be banned.”

“It’s true that the author uses ghosts and foxes to satirize the world, but it has nothing to do with the Daoist Order. I think someone is just trying to stir up a fuss,” Zhang Yuelu remarked.

She flipped through a few more short stories and found that the controversial content was actually a small portion. But she did not understand how they had encountered so much of it. Could it be that Qi Xuansu had read this book before, so he did this on purpose?

But upon reconsideration, she recalled Qi Xuansu’s surprised reaction. It did not seem like he had read it before. Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

Mu Jin nodded. “Exactly. Many people living in Jade Capital live in their own bubble. They pride themselves on being civilized, judge people from hundreds of years ago by today’s morals, and feel smug about it. It’s truly absurd!”

Qi Xuansu, dissatisfied with Mu Jin interrupting his alone time with Zhang Yuelu, changed the subject. “Superintendent Mu, did you come to visit me?”

Mu Jin glanced at him and snorted lightly. “Your letter.”

As she spoke, she handed the envelope in her hand to Zhang Yuelu.

Qi Xuansu was stunned for a moment, and then he protested. “If it’s my letter, why are you giving it to Qing Xiao? Can’t you women be reasonable for once?”

What he meant by “you women” naturally included Madam Qi, who had taken his hard-earned salary without permission.

Mu Jin replied matter-of-factly, “It’s from a woman, so Qing Xiao should check to see if you’re an honest man and that you haven’t been secretly messing around.”

Zhang Yuelu did not open Qi Xuansu’s letter without permission. But she was curious, so she gestured for Qi Xuansu to decide for himself.

Qi Xuansu, confident in his integrity, reasoned that Madam Qi had just left and could not have sent anything. So he said, “I have a clear conscience. Qing Xiao, go ahead and read it.”

Zhang Yuelu did not hold back. She handed The Legend of the Ghost Fox back to Qi Xuansu and opened the envelope, only to find it was an invitation.

“A class reunion? What’s this?” Zhang Yuelu handed the invitation to Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu was also taken aback. He explained, “It’s probably a reunion for disciples from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. We view peers from the same year as classmates, as we’re all from the same cohort. Those from Jade Capital or prominent families probably don’t have such gatherings.”

Zhang Yuelu immediately recalled the details from Qi Xuansu’s records. “You’re from Class A, Bingzi Year.”

Qi Xuansu looked at Zhang Yuelu meaningfully and said, “Yes. You’ve also met two of my classmates—Yue Liuli and Wan Xiuwu—at Shangqing Palace that day, remember?”