A Pawn's Passage

In the blink of an eye, it was already October 15th. This marked the final major festival of the year for the Daoist community—the Xiayuan Festival.

Daoists believed in the three Celestials—Heaven, Earth, and Water. That was why the Daoist Order’s Deputy Grand Masters were modeled after these three Celestials. The Xiayuan Festival was the Water Celestial’s birthday. During such festivals, the Daoist Order performed rituals to pray for blessings, dispel disasters, alleviate suffering, offer apologies, seek immortality, extend life, and help the souls of the deceased rest in peace. Believers would erect poles outside their doors and hang yellow flags on them. At night, three lanterns were placed at the top of the pole as offerings to the Three Celestials.

Ever since the Daoist Order dominated the world, the prominence of the Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, and Xiayuan Festivals has grown, nearly overshadowing the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Spring Festival.

The most visible sign of this change was the sheer amount of lanterns on display, instead of the original three lanterns per household. Merchants competed over whose lanterns were larger, more intricate, and more creative. The common folk performed rituals at home and gathered at Daoist temples to pray to the Three Celestials. They also went out at night to admire the lantern exhibits. Thus, Shangyuan Festival evolved into the Lantern Festival.

The Imperial Capital was unlike any other place. It was the greatest city in the world, being the most populous and prosperous. At the height of this golden age, the Xiayuan Festival, like the Shangyuan Festival, was also extraordinary. On this day, the Imperial Capital became a city that never sleeps, with lanterns lighting up every corner.

The Great Xuan royal family originated from the Northern Daoist Sect. Though the royal family was no longer a part of the Daoist Order, they still believed in Daoism. As such, the palace and Imperial City were also adorned with countless lanterns, and the Emperor also celebrated alongside the common folk.

Under such circumstances, the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion certainly could not fall behind. They had to prepare lanterns and host countless believers who came for the festivities. The Yuhuang Palace was decorated inside and out with countless floating lanterns, competing in brilliance with the moon and stars. The ground was also lit with a lantern every three steps, making the palace glow with an ethereal light.

A giant lantern tower in the shape of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor was also temporarily erected outside the main gates.

The Emperor attended the ritual offerings at the royal family’s exclusive Taishang Xuanyuan Palace and would not visit the Yuhuang Palace. However, the crowd at the Yuhuang Palace was still overwhelming. The Daoist palace’s manpower was inevitably stretched thin, so everyone had to temporarily set aside their regular duties to focus entirely on the Xiayuan Festival.

Qi Xuansu was no exception. As a superintendent, he had to follow Shi Bingyun to participate in various ceremonies and coordinate manpower to maintain order.

Qi Xuansu’s first half-month in the Imperial Capital had been incredibly busy, so much so that he worked nonstop and barely had a moment to rest. Though his cultivation had not made noticeable progress, his abilities in every other area had undergone significant improvement.

The crowds did not lessen after nightfall. Instead, they reached their peak.

After the rituals concluded, the Deputy Mansion Masters still had to host a grand ceremony for the people to pray for blessings, ward off disasters, and save the souls of the dead. Taking the opportunity, Qi Xuansu quickly left the main hall with Ke Qingqing to inspect several locations that posed a risk of stampedes or fire hazards, with extra focus on the massive lantern tower of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. If any mishap occurred under such public scrutiny, it would be a major scandal not just for the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion but also for the entire Daoist Order. Thus, they had to guard closely against any sabotage from the cult demons.

Logically speaking, if Old Master Gao wanted revenge without regard for consequences, this would undoubtedly be the best opportunity. Any incident could at the very least deal a severe blow to Qi Xuansu’s future career, if not utterly ruin his reputation.

However, Old Master Gao dared not go that far. If an incident really caused a stampede and heavy casualties among the populace, Qi Xuansu would indeed be blamed, but the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order would also launch a thorough investigation of the incident. No matter how cleverly Old Master Gao arranged it, he would not be able to withstand the joint inquiry from both parties. If exposed, he would be publicly executed, and his entire family would be exterminated.

Old Master Gao had a family and a thriving business, so he would not dare gamble with his livelihood and survival.

After about two hours, Qi Xuansu finally found a brief moment of respite, so he sat down in a quiet and secluded spot. Though he was not physically tired, the constant tension had left him mentally exhausted.

Ke Qingqing brought over a plate of vegetables used for the offerings and handed it over to Qi Xuansu. He was not actually hungry, but he maintained the habit of having regular meals, so he did not turn down her kindness and gobbled it up quickly.

From where he sat, the night sky glowed red, reflecting the fervor of the capital city as it plunged into festive revelry.

For a festival of such magnitude, the Imperial Court was equally on high alert, deploying a large number of personnel to maintain order and prevent stampedes. The Wardens’ Office, Arrest Office, Green Phoenix Guards, and cadets were deployed to patrol the streets.

Song San and Wu Si were among them. As assistant majors of the Green Phoenix Guard, the two had to monitor the flow of crowds to prevent congestion and stampedes and keep a close eye on the various lantern displays.

Lanterns, unlike other decorations, could easily trigger a chain reaction if anything went wrong. Though most of the capital’s buildings in recent years were made of brick and stone, there were still plenty of wooden structures. So if a fire broke out, the other lanterns would not be spared either. It would be like using open flames in a gunpowder depot. The blaze could spread down an entire street in moments.

Moreover, with the Imperial Capital’s love for extravagance and competition, lanterns were becoming larger and more elaborate, exponentially increasing the risk of accidents. If something did happen, there would be no chance to cover it up because it would surely become a spectacle that immediately reached the Emperor’s ears.

As such, no one could afford to be careless at this festival.

After a quick meeting, Song San and Wu Si split up, each taking a few men. One of them headed east, while the other went south. But despite all the precautions, a stampede still occurred. Reportedly, someone had thrown Ruyi coins from a second-floor balcony onto the street, triggering a commotion.

Wu Si hurriedly led his team in that direction, all the while cursing inwardly, “Of all days, someone actually dares to pull a stunt like this with such massive crowds. That’s dozens of lives lost with one misstep. That bastard ought to be tossed in jail and chained to a cesspit!”

When Wu Si arrived, he let out a slight breath of relief, as the situation was still within controllable limits. He immediately ordered his subordinates to maintain order and directed the operations himself. Just then, another surge of people flowed in his direction. Wu Si shouted at the crowd to remain calm, but it was no use. He was instantly overwhelmed by the tide of bodies.

In moments like these, even Xiantian Beings could not exert their power unless they started slaughtering their way out. Thus, there was nothing he could do but let himself get swept along by the crowd.

Amid the chaos, Wu Si suddenly felt a shove from behind. He staggered and nearly fell. Just as he turned to scold whoever had pushed him, his vision went black. His chest twisted in pain, and his world began to spin.

The crowd did not notice a thing and continued jostling one another, trampling Wu Si underfoot.

Wu Si’s subordinates noticed the assistant major disappearing into the crowd, but they were not worried about him being trampled to death because they knew he was a Xiantian Being with a robust physique. They thought that Wu Si might suffer serious injuries at worst.

......

Past midnight, it was already October 16th. As the lanterns across the city dimmed one by one, the crowds thinned out because everyone slowly returned to their homes. This allowed Qi Xuansu to breathe a bit easier.

Work at the grassroots level was tough, often with a heavy workload and great responsibility. It was within one’s duty to do the job well, but if one messed up, it was a colossal crime. That said, handling these matters was good training. After all, everyone had to start somewhere.

At that moment, a Spirit Guard brought Song San to see Qi Xuansu.

Song San was in a pitiful state—his hair singed, and his entire body drenched and covered in scorch marks and footprints.

Qi Xuansu could not help but chuckle. “Old Song, looks like your post wasn’t easy either—”

Before Qi Xuansu could finish his sentence, Song San dropped to his knees with a thud. “Mage, you must seek justice for us!”

Qi Xuansu’s smile froze. He signaled the Spirit Guard to leave and reached out to help Song San. “What happened? Tell me in detail.”

Song San spoke with a trembling voice. “Old Wu is dead—they killed him. When I saw the situation going awry, I jumped into the river and swam all the way to Penglai Pool. I barely escaped with my life because they didn’t dare act recklessly in the inner city. I was this close to being burned alive...this close to never seeing you again, Mage...”

Qi Xuansu’s expression turned grim as he asked, “Who did it?”

Song San replied, “I don’t know...I didn’t even get a good look at their faces. But I think it’s most likely Old Master Gao’s orders. He’s held a grudge against us ever since the Green Den incident because we’ve disrupted his business...”

Qi Xuansu inquired, “Where is Old Wu’s body?”

Song San replied, “It’s temporarily stored at the Wardens’ Office in the North City. It won’t be taken by the Green Phoenix Guard until tomorrow morning.”

Qi Xuansu ordered, “Deacon Ke, please get Old Wang and Spirit Guard Zhou to come over.”

“Yes, Superintendent,” Ke Qingqing replied, then quickly left.

Shortly afterward, Wang Chongnian and Spirit Guard Zhou rushed over.

Qi Xuansu removed the badge from his waist and handed it to Wang Chongnian, instructing him, “Deacon Wang, take this badge. Go with Spirit Guard Zhou and 100 Spirit Guards to the Wardens’ Office in North City immediately and bring back Assistant Major Wu Si’s body. If anyone dares to stop you, use force if necessary. I will take full responsibility for any consequences.”

“Yes, Superintendent.” Wang Chongnian took the badge from Qi Xuansu with both hands.

This badge served as proof that Qi Xuansu was taking responsibility, so his subordinates did not have to worry about being scapegoated. Even if something went wrong, those acting under orders would not be held accountable. Thus, they could act without hesitation.

Qi Xuansu sighed. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Wang Chongnian and Spirit Guard Zhou dared not delay another moment and left immediately.

Qi Xuansu turned to Ke Qingqing. “Deacon Ke, take Old Song to the Huasheng Hall to tend to his injuries. Also, invite Superintendent Xu from the Office of Arrest here. Tell her that I have something to ask.”

“Yes, Superintendent.” Ke Qingqing obliged.