A Pawn's Passage

The District Princess that Qin Wubing mentioned was none other than Qin Xiang, whom Qi Xuansu had saved in the West Gobi. It was precisely due to this connection that Qi Xuansu managed to obtain the Black Robes badge from Qin Wubing.

Qin Xiang also knew of Qi Xuansu’s other identity, which forced Qi Xuansu to adjust his plans on the spot.

Qi Xuansu glanced at Zhang Yuelu again. When it came to other women, he always sought Zhang Yuelu’s opinion, even though he had nothing to hide.

Zhang Yuelu smiled faintly. “General Qin, you don’t mind if I join, do you?”

Qin Wubing chuckled. “Of course not. The District Princess has long heard of your great reputation, Mage Zhang. She will be delighted to meet you.”

However, Qin Wubing did not invite Pan Cuiqing, as they were not close enough to warrant a private meeting. Pan Cuiqing would not shamelessly tag along either, but he could not shake the feeling that Qi Xuansu had overshadowed him.

That wild Daoist! Pan Cuiqing cursed inwardly as he watched Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu leave with Qin Wubing.

Meanwhile, the others began speculating about the true identity of General Qin.

In the Imperial Court, those who could be called generals were at least at the level of a Garrison Chief Military Officer. The scope of possibilities narrowed further with his age and last name. Thus, most of those present were almost certain that General Qin was Qin Wubing, the Deputy Protector of the Western Region and the Garrison Chief Military Officer of Loulan.

Since the Great Xuan Dynasty did not suppress military officials and allowed them to rise to the highest ranks within the Imperial Court, Qin Wubing would undoubtedly be a cabinet minister in the future.

Everyone present could not deny that Qi Xuansu must have exceptional qualities to have a connection with a future cabinet minister.

It was unlikely that both Zhang Yuelu and Qin Wubing had misjudged Qi Xuansu.

On the contrary, it was more likely that they themselves had underestimated their classmate.

Mo Qingdi whispered to Shi Yu beside him, “Old Qi is really hiding his capabilities.”

Shi Yu whispered back. “I told you! Deputy Hall Master Zhang is favored by the Earthly Preceptor and Heavenly Preceptor. She’s also the successor of Sage Cihang. She mingles with Sages and has even bested Li Tianzhen. She’s seen it all, so how could she have misjudged Old Qi?”

“You’re right.” Mo Qingdi nodded.

Shi Yu added, “This is good for us too, because we might get some benefits if Old Qi makes it. He’s with Ziwei Hall, which handles personnel evaluations. We only need to ask him to put in a good word for us at the Qingping Bookstore. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

Mo Qingdi looked conflicted.

Shi Yu scolded him. “You’re too rigid, acting like those pedantic Confucian scholars. Everyone else uses connections when they have them, so why should we pretend to be pure?”

Mo Qingdi sighed deeply, his face full of worry.

On the other side, Qin Wubing, Qi Xuansu, and Zhang Yuelu walked down a long corridor to a quiet area of the Taiping Inn.

Compared to the pavilion, this place was smaller. It could not accommodate many guests, suggesting this was just a private gathering.

Qin Wubing gestured for his attendants to wait outside before pushing the door open.

Inside, there was only one table. Apart from Qin Xiang, there was another woman and a man.

Qin Wubing smiled. “District Princess, look who’s here.”

The moment Qin Xiang saw Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, she could not conceal the delight on her face.

“I, the humble Qi Xuansu, would like to greet the District Princess.” Qi Xuansu spoke up first while winking at Qin Xiang.

Qin Xiang was no fool. She was only stunned for a split second before realizing his change in name. “Qi—”

“At the time, I was under orders to covertly investigate a case, so I had no choice but to conceal my identity. I hope you will forgive me for not telling you at the time, District Princess,” Qi Xuansu explained. “My real name is Qi Xuansu, and I currently serve as a fifth-rank Superintendent in Ziwei Hall.”

Qin Xiang finally understood. “I see, Superintendent Qi. I’ve heard that the Daoist Order has a tenure system in place to hinder fast-track promotions, so it’s rare to see second-rank Daoists in their twenties. Even prodigies like Li Changge and Yao Pei are merely in the fifth rank.”

As she spoke, Qin Xiang looked curiously at Zhang Yuelu beside Qi Xuansu. “And this young lady is...?”

Qi Xuansu glanced at Zhang Yuelu, only to find her staring at the other man and woman.

Thus, he followed her gaze and was startled to find that he recognized the woman.

It was Xie Qiuniang, the woman who had once fought Zhang Yuelu at Yulan Temple.

At that time, Zhang Yuelu was not yet a Heavenly Being. Xie Qiuniang used the Taiyin 13 Swords and tied with Zhang Yuelu, who was exhausted from multiple battles. Her superb skills which were comparable to Zhang Yuelu’s left a deep impression on Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu had not expected to see Xie Qiuniang here. Now, Zhang Yuelu also recognized her, which made this already awkward situation even harder to handle.

Thinking that he was still a member of the Qingping Society, Qi Xuansu gently tugged Zhang Yuelu’s sleeve to remind her of their company.

Zhang Yuelu withdrew her gaze and smiled apologetically at Qin Xiang. “I’m Zhang Yuelu.”

Qin Xiang covered her mouth in surprise and gasped. “Are you the youngest Deputy Hall Master of the Daoist Order?”

“Yes,” Zhang Yuelu replied, feeling somewhat helpless.

She rarely attended such social events. When she did, it was often in Jade Capital, which was filled with other Sages who would not make a fuss over her presence. At most, she would only receive a few polite compliments.

However, this time, accompanying Qi Xuansu to a class reunion meant mingling with peers who were not aristocratic heirs like Li Tianzhen. To commoners, Zhang Yuelu was a legendary figure, so their gawking made her feel rather uncomfortable.

Qi Xuansu was about to continue the small talk when he suddenly felt a gaze on him.

He turned to look, meeting Xie Qiuniang’s direct glare.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu was unaware that Xie Qiuniang and her group had concluded that he had taken the coveted Xuan Jade. They had been searching for him without success and never expected to encounter him again under these circumstances.

However, Xie Qiuniang knew she could not act now, especially with Zhang Yuelu around. Qi Xuansu was under thirty, but he was already a fifth-rank superintendent. After all, Daoists were the authority, and the Qingping Society was a secret society that could not see the light of day. A Daoist dying from internal strife was fundamentally different from being killed by an outsider.

In truth, Qi Xuansu was not afraid. He already knew Madam Qi’s identity—the esteemed Mogul Yao who was likely an A-rank member of Qingping Society. At worst, he could have Madam Qi mediate. Surely, her name would carry enough weight.

Zhang Yuelu chatted with Qin Xiang for a while, with Qin Xiang asking a barrage of questions and Zhang Yuelu patiently answering them one by one.

After a while, Zhang Yuelu looked at Xie Qiuniang and inquired, “May I ask who this young lady is?”

Qin Xiang introduced her. “This is Miss Xie, the granddaughter of Great Master Xie from the Confucian School.”

A Great Master of the Confucian School was roughly equivalent to a Great Sage of the Daoist Order, qualified to hold the position of Grand Libationer. This made Xie Qiuniang’s background comparable to Zhang Yuelu’s, as the Heavenly Preceptor was also a Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect.

Zhang Yuelu was not surprised. When they had crossed paths at Yulan Temple, she had already identified Xie Qiuniang as a member of the Confucian School. This encounter merely confirmed her suspicions.

Since the Confucian School was no longer the dominant force in the world, the status and power of a Confucian Great Master was still far from that of a Daoist Great Sage.

“Miss Xie, it has been six months since we parted at Yishan City. How have you been recently?” Zhang Yuelu asked.

Of course, Xie Qiuniang would not admit to knowing Zhang Yuelu. She feigned surprise and asked, “Mage Zhang, what do you mean by this? This is the first time I met you. Perhaps you’ve mistaken me for someone else?”

Ever since the split between the Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Order, the Daoist Order sought to ally with the Confucian School. As a result, the Daoist Order often appeased Confucian disciples, even siding with them in conflicts against fellow Daoists. Many Daoist disciples were deeply resentful of this policy, privately lamenting that they were not born into the Confucian School.

Even as the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu could not do anything to Xie Qiuniang without concrete evidence.

Zhang Yuelu understood this and did not respond harshly. She simply smiled and said, “Perhaps.”

Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu turned his gaze toward the man standing beside Xie Qiuniang.

Since their arrival, this man had been silently observing Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu without revealing anything about himself.

Qi Xuansu had a hunch that this man’s identity was anything but ordinary. He was likely a member of the Qingping Society, though Qi Xuansu did not know his title or alias.