A Pawn's Passage

Even among those in the Xiaoyao stage of Heavenly Beings, the disparity in strength could be vast.

Qi Jianyuan was a good example of the lower rungs. He was defeated by Qi Xuansu, who was still in the Guizhen stage at the time. Ultimately, his death was inglorious, as he had perished at the hands of a mysterious female instructor. Though Qi Jianyuan held the title of a Heavenly Being, he lacked combat experience. Thus, in battle, he could barely exert 60% to 70% of his power.

By contrast, Zhang Juqi possessed true talent and the will to die fighting. He could unleash not just all his strength, but more, fighting beyond his limits. Even alone, he once battled both Yao Pei and Qi Xuansu together and managed to hold his ground. He was one of the best at his level. If not for Yao Pei’s semi-immortal object, the outcome of that battle might have been very different.

Marshal Thunder, Feng Bo, and the like were Jianghu veterans. Their cultivation level might not be the highest, but their combat instincts were razor-sharp. As such, they could bring out every bit of strength they had when it counted. Without the Xuan Jade, Qi Xuansu would have only been on par with them after becoming a Heavenly Being.

Zhang Yuelu could slay Marshal Thunder, albeit with the help of a semi-immortal object, so it spoke to her strength.

The unnamed Martial Arts Practitioner and the Diviner before Qi Xuansu were slightly beneath the likes of Marshal Thunder but far stronger than Qi Jianyuan—roughly equal in strength to that mysterious female instructor who killed the latter. They could draw out about 80% to 90% of their potential in battle.

Were it a one-on-one duel, Qi Xuansu would still be confident of victory even using only his Rogue Cultivator lineage. With the two of them working together, Qi Xuansu had been prepared for an ambush, so he could still win, though not without cost. But if they chose to flee, stopping them would be difficult.

As Qi Xuansu expected, these two had no idea that he wielded the rare synergy of four lineages. Thus, they were startled when their combined efforts still forced them into retreat.

Seeing Qi Xuansu’s Ghosthead Machete, the Diviner gasped and exploded into a swarm of paper cranes. All that was left behind was a single straw puppet, impaled through the chest by the Nine Nether Chains.

The Ghosthead Machete swept down, slicing the straw puppet’s head cleanly off its shoulders.

Ordinarily, such a puppet would be immune to the Ghosthead Machete, as it was an inanimate object. However, this puppet had been fed and refined with the Diviner’s blood, given a spark of false life to deceive the senses. That trace of vitality made it vulnerable to the Ghosthead Machete.

For a Martial Arts Practitioner, especially at the Heavenly Being level, spilling a little blood was nothing. But Diviners were physically frail, making their blood precious. For her, crafting that straw puppet had cost dearly. Clearly, she had staked it all.

With the Diviner’s escape, her Prison Ground Marking spell crumbled. Its restraining power vanished like dust on the wind.

Now that Qi Xuansu was free of the spell, he dispelled True Lord Taiyin’s Spiritual Statue, releasing the Martial Arts Practitioner’s wrist. As he clenched his fist, golden light flared between his fingers.

Qi Xuansu used the Tantai Fist Intention to throw out a punch that thundered with the sound of a gale.

The Martial Arts Practitioner barely managed to cross his arms in defense before the impact sent him hurtling backward, carving two deep trenches into the street with his heels.

Qi Xuansu followed up instantly with a sweeping arm strike. His golden-lit arm moved so fast it left behind a trail of lingering afterimages, which resembled a golden fan unfolding through the air.

The Martial Arts Practitioner’s neck was forcibly snapped by the force.

Though such an injury was not fatal for a Heavenly-Being Martial Arts Practitioner, it was still severe, especially after having his throat cut earlier. These wounds stacked upon each other until he no longer had the strength to fight back.

Qi Xuansu lifted him up with one hand and delivered a punch straight to the chest.

Even with the resilient body of a Heavenly-Being Martial Arts Practitioner, the blow shook his acupoints, and his body spirits dimmed, flickering like dying embers.

Qi Xuansu swung his arm and hurled the man once more. The Martial Arts Practitioner slammed into the city wall, his body nearly embedded into the stone, motionless.

The Martial Arts Practitioner’s vision swam in a haze of red, his eyes barely able to focus.

Through the blur, he could vaguely make out Qi Xuansu approaching. He thought, So this is the strength of Daoist elites?

He had often mocked them as Daoist dogs, but now he had to admit that wandering cultivators like him in Jianghu simply could not compare to the rigorously trained young talents of the Daoist Order.

Qi Xuansu dusted off his robes, sheathed Flying Shadow, and calmly reloaded his Dragon Painting Pistol.

When he had left the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, he had 17 rounds of Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullets. Now, having used two more, he was down to 15.

Qi Xuansu chuckled to himself bitterly. Still broke. If only I had the Grade-A Series Eight Dragon Eye Bombs. If so, those two shots wouldn’t have just knocked this man into the air. They would have blown him to smithereens or at least injured him to the point of not being able to fight back. Or if I had a semi-immortal object instead of Flying Shadow. This fight would’ve ended much faster.

Unfortunately, Qi Xuansu had neither. He had taken a few hits from them, and the Diviner had escaped.

After reloading the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet, Qi Xuansu pressed the muzzle against the Martial Arts Practitioner’s forehead.

Despair clouded the man’s face.

Just then, a voice boomed beside Qi Xuansu’s ear. “Bold criminal! Who dares stir up trouble in the Capital?”

Several Heavenly Beings flew openly through the Imperial Capital’s night skies, drawing rapidly nearer.

Seven figures descended—a couple landing atop the city gate, a couple across the threshold, and the others landing right behind Qi Xuansu, forming a subtle encirclement.

All seven were clad in pristine white robes, their hair bound with jade pins. They had an ethereal presence, as if they were Immortals walking the mortal realm.

Qi Xuansu, having just emerged from a fierce battle, bore bloodstains and dirt on his robes. His appearance was a stark contrast to the immaculate seven.

Yet Qi Xuansu remained composed, treating the seven as if they were no more than a passing breeze, even if they were seven Heavenly Beings.

Though the Imperial Capital might lack the number of Immortals found in Jade Capital, it had the largest number of Heavenly Beings.

After all, Jade Capital was a Daoist city, so entry was restricted to Daoists and Spirit Guards.

However, the Imperial Capital had no such constraints. It had a chaotic blend of all schools and sects—Daoists, Confucians, Buddhists, Jianghu cultivators, and even cult members.

In such an environment, rulebreakers were inevitable, especially those who relied on their cultivation alone to defy laws, confident they could vanish into the night if needed.

Technically, apprehending such criminals fell to the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, but years of negligence had left the organization in shambles. It was merely a figurehead, unable to shoulder such duties.

The Wardens’ Office and Green Phoenix Guard lacked the strength to deal with rogue Heavenly Beings. The Black Robes could manage, but in the Imperial Capital, their operations were politically sensitive and heavily restrained. They had to account for public safety, so they were not an ideal solution.

In response, the Great Xuan Dynasty court assembled an elite force—drawing from the Black Robes, the Green Phoenix Guard, the Imperial Observatory, and the Inspectorate. They also recruited some Jianghu experts, disciples of the Three Religions, and some Yin-Yang people. They formed a special unit called the Tianchen Division, answerable only to the emperor.

It was obvious to all that the division’s name borrowed a character each from Tiangang Hall and Beichen Hall, though notably omitting the word “hall,” as it was not a Daoist department.

Traditionally, those in this line of work wore black for the convenience of hiding in the shadows. The Great Xuan Dynasty also revered the color black. But to distinguish them from the Black Robes, they wore white instead, much like the Daoist Sub-Tiangang Hall. These Tianchen Division operatives were also known in the Imperial Capital as the White Robes.

The Court of Palace Attendants was in charge of guarding the Palace City, split between the Southern and Northern Courts. Both the Chief and Deputy Chief were eunuchs, sharing the same courtyards but with separate offices. The Chief presided over the Southern Court, managing the registration of various internal offices and servants, the organization of sacrificial rituals, court gatherings, and banquets, and the inspection of all royal tributes. The Deputy Chief oversaw the Northern Court and was responsible for governing the Yin-Yang People and guarding the inner court. They only obeyed the commands of the emperor.

Meanwhile, the Tianchen Division patrolled the Imperial City and inner city districts, handling one thing only—Heavenly Beings who stirred unrest. Ordinary Xiantian Beings were left for the Green Phoenix Guard.

There was no doubt that the Tianchen Division held an exalted status within the capital. They possessed the power to kill first and report later, even seizing much of the power that had once belonged to the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion.

The Daoists deeply resented this. A Daoist Sage once clashed with the Tianchen Division, only to be outnumbered and killed.

This sparked an uproar within the Daoist community. Countless Daoists gathered at Taiqing Market, offering tributes before the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor in mourning, lighting lanterns, and demanding answers from the Golden Tower Council.

Other local Daoist mansions echoed the sentiment. Even the Taiping Sect, long seen as allies of the Imperial Court, was compelled to take a firm stance due to the overwhelming pressure from Daoists and demanded justice.

However, the Emperor held firm, shielding the Tianchen Division from reprisal and refusing to surrender the killer. Thus, the case was swept under the rug.

Even so, the Tianchen Division members involved in that case met untimely ends over the next few years, with unclear causes of death.

When one of the Tianchen Division members returned home to visit his relatives, his back was riddled with eight rounds of Grade-A Series Nine Dragon Eye Bombs. His body was reduced to a bloody paste, yet the official ruling was suicide.

From this, one could imagine the relationship between the Tianchen Division and the Daoist Order.

Outside the Imperial Capital, the Daoist Order held more power. But within the Imperial Capital, the Tianchen Division reigned supreme.

These seven, unmistakably from the Tianchen Division, were all under 40, yet they were all Heavenly Beings. Though not quite the prodigious talent like Zhang Yuelu and the Daoist prodigies, they were still formidable in their own right.

Due to the old blood between their organizations, all seven looked at Qi Xuansu as though he were a dead man.

Their leader was a woman in her early thirties with sharp features. She looked at Qi Xuansu from above with icy disdain, too contemptuous even to speak.

The youngest among the White Robes stepped forward with a smile and greeted, “Mage Qi.”

For this man to call out Qi Xuansu by name so confidently meant this was no coincidence. It had been planned all along.

Qi Xuansu understood at once. Gao Mingyin’s powerful backers had finally made their move.

Hiring assassins from The Inn was just a smokescreen. The real killing stroke was this—to have Qi Xuansu die legitimately under the blade of authority.