A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu shut down four illegal brothels overnight, instantly making a name for himself in the North City. Many local gang leaders quickly realized that the rumored Daoist campaign to rectify the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion was no longer just talk—it was real. Their “good old days” were likely gone for good.

For Qi Xuansu, cracking down on the bawds was not difficult. They were certainly easier to handle than secret society members. The real trouble was figuring out how to properly resettle the trafficked women. He first needed to find out where each woman was from, then coordinate with the local Daoist mansions to arrange for them to be sent home.

All of this would take at least half a month. In the meantime, the women were temporarily housed in Daoist temples affiliated with the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu did not have to handle these matters personally. He only had to give the orders, and others would take care of it.

After a busy night, Qi Xuansu finally had a moment to rest. While he ate breakfast, he used his Novice License to contact Zhang Yuelu, boasting about last night’s accomplishments.

Zhang Yuelu teased him a bit in return. She brought up Yao Pei, who had recently stirred up a lot of waves in the Quanzhen Sect by arresting several misbehaving Daoists—many of them sons from noble families. While Yao Pei was out there catching young masters, Qi Xuansu was here arresting bawds. They were truly worlds apart.

Qi Xuansu just laughed it off and engaged in some casual banter. The conversation only ended when Zhang Yuelu had to head off to Tiangang Hall.

He pulled over the latest bulletin and read it to see if there was any new information.

“The Shakya Company, backed by the Lune Kingdom, has entered the Nanyang Region and has officially reached an agreement with the Ibia Kingdom to allow Lune merchant ships free passage and tax concessions through their waters. Deputy Mansion Master Chen of the Lingnan Daoist Mansion believes this signifies the formal intervention of the Lune Kingdom in the conflict between the Ibia Kingdom and the Nederland Kingdom over dominance in West Shakya. Their struggle is becoming increasingly intense, even affecting parts of East Shakya and South Borneo.

“In response, Deputy Mansion Master Chen has urged the Holy Court to fulfill its duty as the leader among the Western nations to preserve peace and stability in the Nanyang region. He has also called on the Lune, Ibia, and Nederland Kingdoms to exercise restraint and resolve the conflict through negotiation. If the situation spirals further out of control, the Lingnan Daoist Mansion and the Donghai Navy will take necessary action to ensure smooth, secure, and stable commercial exchanges.

“Deputy Hall Master Murong of the Ciji Hall has also stated that Borneo, East Shakya, and the surrounding areas have been vassal territories of our Celestial Empire since ancient times. The Lune, Ibia, and Nederland Kingdoms is advised against escalating the conflict in West Shakya to prevent the chaos spreading to East Shakya or South Borneo. If they continue to act willfully and ignore the historical vassal status of these lands under the Celestial Empire, thus harming the interests of our empire, they shall be forewarned that punitive measures will be imposed.

“Cardinal Deacon Augustus of the Holy Court has also recently accused the Lune Kingdom’s Arcane Council to be the true instigator and mastermind behind the rising tensions. He claims that the Arcane Council bear full responsibility for the conflict and urges them to immediately cease their reckless and aggressive actions in order to maintain balance and stability in the West Shakya region.

“In response to the Holy Court’s accusations, Magus Douglas of the Arcane Council has since refuted and counterattacked, claiming the charges were baseless slander aimed at covering up the Holy Court’s incompetence and failures in the West Shakya region. He also states that the current incident has clearly exposed the Holy Court’s internal decay and corruption.”

Qi Xuansu sighed.

The Western Region had just settled down, and now Nanyang was about to erupt into chaos again—there never was a peaceful day in this world. The Western Continent was not doing much better either, with nations constantly clashing. The Holy Court, as the top dog, and the Arcane Council, as the underdog, were always tripping each other up, similar to the relationship between the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect.

The Holy Court could not mediate the disputes among the Western nations because massive interests were at stake. As the saying went, cutting off someone’s income was akin to killing their parents. Mediation would not work unless force were used.

Just then, Ke Qingqing returned.

Qi Xuansu put down the bulletin and motioned for Ke Qingqing to sit and speak.

Ke Qingqing gave a brief report to Qi Xuansu about the results of her investigation from the day before.

First, she was unable to get a description of the impostor Daoist priestess from Mei Mei’s parents. When they tried to recall her appearance, they could not remember any details—it was all a blur. This suggested the person was not just an ordinary swindler but likely a cultist.

Second, Spirit Guard Qin had led a team to inspect over 300 households in the area. It turned out that six other families had suffered the same incident as the Mei family. That brought the missing persons count in the area to a total of seven children—three boys and four girls.

The culprits were cunning and experienced, leaving no obvious traces. Thus, it was highly possible that they were still in the North City, hiding in plain sight.

Though Ke Qingqing was young, she handled matters thoroughly, having already written the report as a formal memorandum and handed it to Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu pinched the bridge of his nose. “Good work. You and Spirit Guard Qin should get some rest.”

Ke Qingqing took her leave.

Not long after, another Spirit Guard came to report that someone had arrived with Old Master Gao’s name card, asking to bail out the young master.

Qi Xuansu asked knowingly, “Which Old Master Gao?”

The Spirit Guard replied, “The name card says Gao Mingyin.”

Qi Xuansu let out a soft snort. “Tell the attendant that Gao Mingyin must come in person to claim his son. If he sends someone else and keeps pestering us, throw them out immediately.”

“Understood.” The Spirit Guard was about to retreat when he suddenly remembered something. “Oh, Gao Shide is asking for the Five Minerals Powder again in the Nether Prison. He says if we don’t give it to him, he’ll die. If he really dies in there—”

Qi Xuansu said indifferently, “Then let him die. As long as he doesn’t actually die, he can just endure it. If he can’t endure it, tell him to smash his head against the wall or mimic those lowlifes and start cutting himself. I’ll take full responsibility for whatever happens.”

The Spirit Guard shuddered and quickly turned to leave.

Qi Xuansu, being a wild Daoist by origin, was used to life and death. He did not have the sentimental softness of the pampered flowerbed Daoists.

Of course, if Gao Shide really did die in the Daoist prison, it would be troublesome. But as long as no dissent arose within the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, the matter could easily be suppressed. After all, Gao Shide was not tortured or even shackled. If he died from natural causes, no one else could be blamed.

Even if there were dissenting voices within the Daoist Mansion, it would not matter as long as they did not come from the Chief or Second Deputy Mansion Master. As the Second Deputy Mansion Master, Shi Bingyun alone could suppress it and argue her case to the Chief Deputy or Mansion Master. After all, that was a superior’s duty—to provide full support to their subordinates. Otherwise, who would ever be willing to work hard for the superior?

......

The Inner City’s Wuliang Northwest District was only separated from the Xuanshang North District by a single wall. The former was the residence of many wealthy merchants. Unlike officials, who kept a low profile, merchants’ houses were extravagantly built, showcasing sheer opulence.

Back when the Confucian School held power, merchants had little social status. The gentry were simultaneously officials and wealthy landowners or merchants. But now, those identities had gradually been segregated. Landowners had begun to decline, replaced by manufacturing plant owners, who now stood shoulder to shoulder with the maritime merchants.

These two merchant factions were clearly distinct. Maritime traders leaned heavily on the Daoist Order, following its lead in all matters. Manufacturing plant owners, on the other hand, were reliant on land and labor, so they were closer to the Imperial Court. Though officials could not openly do business, they often cooperated with merchants behind the scenes—each party taking what they needed. As a result, merchants wielded considerable power too.

If one could manage both land-based manufacturing plants and maritime trade routes, then they would be a true magnate of commerce.

The Gao Residence was located in the Wuliang Northwest District, not far from the Yuhuang Palace, so one could easily reach it on foot.

The butler of the Gao Residence, who had returned in failure, reported the matter to his master.

After hearing it, Gao Mingyin said nothing and merely waved for the butler to leave.

Gao Mingyin, seeming to be in his fifties, had graying temples. His face bore a smile, but it exuded its own kind of authority—imposing yet scholarly.

After the butler left, there was still another man by his side—his advisor and strategist, named Jiang Zhupo.

Gao Mingyin rubbed his temples. “Have you found out the background of this Superintendent Qi?”

Jiang Zhupo replied, “The Daoist Order publicly announces every personnel change through official bulletins, so it’s not hard to check. Much of Superintendent Qi’s background is clearly recorded, but—”

“But what? He has powerful backing?” Gao Mingyin asked.

Jiang Zhupo sighed. “This man became a deacon as soon as he joined Tiangang Hall, working for Zhang Yuelu, the youngest Deputy Hall Master. Rumor has it he’s Zhang Yuelu’s lover. Later, he followed her in handling the Daoist Order’s second major Jiangnan case and was promoted to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, then transferred to Ziwei Hall as a Superintendent. According to my sources, he has close ties with the Pei family and Sage Donghua. That’s how he managed to leap three ranks within a year. It’s not just the Pei family either. He was a classmate of Yao Pei in the Upper Palace, and they seemed to be on good terms.

“This time, Sage Donghua temporarily assigned Superintendent Qi to help clean up the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion and serve under Deputy Mansion Master Shi. At the recent welcome banquet, he sat at the same table as several Deputy Mansion Masters and carried himself with ease, chatting casually even with Chief Deputy Mansion Master Zhou.”

Gao Mingyin muttered, “That’s quite the impressive background. He’s clearly here to build his résumé. It’s no wonder he doesn’t bother to acknowledge local players like us.”

Jiang Zhupo nodded.

Gao Mingyin scoffed. “But this isn’t Xijing Prefecture or Jinling Prefecture. This is the Imperial Capital. Even a mighty dragon can’t trample the local snakes.”