A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu asked one final question. “Was Wen Weng the mastermind behind the two assassins from The Inn and the seven Tianchen Division officers?”

This time, Gao Mingyin remained silent for even longer. Even though he had resolved to confess, he was still caught in a fierce internal struggle. The implications were simply too enormous. To expose the truth now would be tantamount to confirming his family’s extermination. But then again, things had already come to this. He was imprisoned, his wife was dead, and his son was in the hands of the Daoists. His entire estate was likely doomed, so how was that any different from total ruin?

After much hesitation, Gao Mingyin finally admitted, “Yes, it was Wen Weng who orchestrated this. But as for how he managed to bring in the Tianchen Division—whether by offering benefits or exerting pressure—that, I truly don’t know.”

Qi Xuansu turned to look at Ke Qingqing, who was recording everything.

Ke Qingqing’s writing hand trembled slightly, but she still finished the record swiftly and gave Qi Xuansu a nod.

Qi Xuansu looked back at Gao Mingyin. “Sign it and add your thumbprint.”

Two Daoists stepped forward with red ink and brushes. Gao Mingyin signed first, then pressed his inked thumb on the paper.

Qi Xuansu ordered Gao Mingyin to be taken away and guarded. The guards had no family ties and were newly transferred to the Imperial Capital. He then issued a stern warning that if anything happened to Gao Mingyin, none of them could escape responsibility.

Then, Qi Xuansu interrogated Jiang Zhupo, using him to corroborate Gao Mingyin’s confession. Once confirmed, Jiang Zhupo also signed and sealed his testimony before he was taken away and placed under strict surveillance.

Ke Qingqing brought both written confessions to Qi Xuansu, who stored them in his magical receptacle. His expression remained unreadable.

Ke Qingqing could not help but warn, “Superintendent, this case is getting bigger and bigger...”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “That’s why I must report it to Deputy Mansion Master Shi at once.”

With that, Qi Xuansu turned and headed straight out.

He was not some brash fool. He knew full well he could not shake Prince Liao on his own, so he had to report to Shi Bingyun.

As Qi Xuansu neared the exit of the Nether Prison, someone approached from the opposite direction.

Qi Xuansu halted and greeted the visitor with a respectful bow. “Deputy Mansion Master Qian.”

The woman with refined features appeared to be in her thirties. She was dressed in the formal robes of a third-rank Youyi Daoist master. Her name was Qian Xiangyun, the Ninth Deputy Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion Master in charge of the Nether Prison.

Qi Xuansu had met Deputy Mansion Master Qian before and interacted with her a few times. He had once thought her name, Xiangyun, which meant fragrant cloud, to be rather mismatched with a place like the Nether Prison.

Qian Xiangyun stopped and greeted him with a smile. “Superintendent Qi, finished with the interrogation?”

“Yes, I’m on my way to report to Deputy Mansion Master Shi,” Qi Xuansu replied.

Qian Xiangyun asked, “How’s the outcome?”

Qi Xuansu hesitated before answering, “This case runs deep. I’m afraid it’s difficult to explain in just a few words.”

“Oh,” Qian Xiangyun murmured and did not press further. “Then I won’t hold you up.”

Qi Xuansu said, “If there are concrete developments, I will be sure to inform you, Deputy Mansion Master Qian.”

With that, the two passed one another. Qian Xiangyun headed deeper into the prison, while Qi Xuansu walked toward the exit.

Qian Xiangyun suddenly stopped and turned to look back. The light at the exit was dazzling, as though it would swallow Qi Xuansu whole. Even his figure appeared blurry in the glare, prompting her to squint slightly.

Soon, Qi Xuansu disappeared completely beyond the exit. Qian Xiangyun stood in the shadows of the stone steps, her expression turning pensive.

Shi Bingyun’s laxity in work was dependent entirely on her own mood. Recently, she had been rather idle. In fact, she was so idle that she was building a card tower atop her desk when Qi Xuansu entered her office.

Since Qi Xuansu had opened the door a bit too forcefully, a gust of wind toppled the card tower.

Shi Bingyun cast a sidelong glance at Qi Xuansu, swept up the scattered Holy Xuan Cards with a flick of her sleeve, and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Qi Xuansu remained indifferent, as if he had not seen the collapsed card tower. He stepped forward and placed two confession documents on her desk.

After reading the confessions, a peculiar expression surfaced on Shi Bingyun’s face.

Though she had a bit of a wild streak, that did not mean she lacked judgment. If she were truly irrational, she would not have been a contender against Sage Cihang, nor would she have been able to hold the position of the Second Deputy Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion Master.

After a while, Shi Bingyun remarked, “Xiao Qi, you must have heard this saying before. Small cases should be resolved by the book; moderate cases should be handled by following the wind; and major cases should be managed according to the broader situation and the will of the higher-ups.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “That’s precisely why I’ve placed these two confessions before you, Deputy Mansion Master.”

“You’re giving me quite a tricky problem here.” Shi Bingyun flicked the confession with her finger. “We were within our rights to arrest Gao Mingyin for killing a Daoist Kindred, but that murder case ends here. Whether he was involved in smuggling is a matter for the Imperial Court, not for us. It’s outside our jurisdiction.”

Qi Xuansu was unrelenting. “But if the Tianchen Division tries to assassinate a Daoist Superintendent, it does concern us. I have a personal conflict with Gao Mingyin, so he hired assassins from The Inn. But his backer is Wen Weng, who has influence over the Tianchen Division.”

Shi Bingyun stared at him. “Xiao Qi, be honest with me. Are you seeking revenge or justice?”

Qi Xuansu did not answer directly. “Out of seven Heavenly Beings, only three made it back in one piece. I didn’t lose a single hair. What revenge would I be talking about?”

“Then you want justice.”

Qi Xuansu quickly waved his hands. “Please don’t place such lofty ideals on me, Deputy Mansion Master. I just want to keep a clear conscience. I’m not fit for all that talk of saving the world or ruling it fairly.”

Shi Bingyun could not help but laugh. “Good. I like you, kid.”

She added, “But we can’t rush this. We must proceed slowly and carefully. Above all, we must keep this matter confidential. Don’t let it slip to anyone.”

Qi Xuansu recalled something. “Deputy Mansion Master Qian did ask about it, but I brushed her off.”

Shi Bingyun mused, “Qian Xiangyun? She manages the Nether Prison, so I suppose it’s natural she’ll ask about it. Though you’re technically under Sage Lei, she isn’t in Jade Capital now, so you fall under Sage Donghua’s direct authority. You can draft a formal report for him while I bring this up to my senior sister, then we’ll see what those two think.”

Suddenly, Qi Xuansu had an idea. Sage Cihang was not married, and neither was Sage Donghua. They were, in a way, quite a match, being equal in cultivation and status. With the Quanzhen Sect and Zhengyi Sect joining forces, it would be perfect if these two Omniscient Sages became Daoist companions. One of them could become the next Grand Master, and the other the Grand Master Consort—a position equal to the Three Deputy Grand Masters or possibly even superior to the trio if the Grand Master wielded enough power. By association, Qi Xuansu would then have a powerful “father-in-law.”

However, he quickly dismissed the thought. He had not even sorted out his own love life. How absurd was he trying to matchmake others? He truly had nothing better to do.

Besides, he had always prided himself on being a self-made wild Daoist, looking down on those flowerbed Daoists who relied on their powerful families. If he started hoping for a Grand Master father-in-law, he would be slapping himself in the face. What of his pride, his backbone, his ambition?

Qi Xuansu harshly grilled himself inwardly. I guess this is what they mean when they say a poor man lacks ambition. Why didn’t I possess the same lofty aspirations as the Holy Xuan, who took the world’s burdens as his own? Is it because I’m too poor? If Madam Qi handed me 10,000 Wuyou coins, would I still entertain such thoughts? To be honest, if Madam Qi really did give me that much money, I still wouldn’t be thinking about abstract ideals. I’d be wondering what kind of treasure I should invest in instead.

In the end, Shi Bingyun interrupted his mindless thoughts. “Xiao Qi, off you go now. Just don’t let Gao Mingyin die.”

“Understood.” Qi Xuansu answered and exited Shi Bingyun’s office.

As soon as he stepped out, he felt a gaze land on him.

He looked in that direction and saw a man around the same age as Qi Jianyuan. Among ordinary folk, that age would not be considered young, but in the Daoist community, where one’s lifespan reached 100 years, this man was still seen as a youth. After all, even people like Sage Donghua and Sage Cihang, who were nearing sixty, were classified as middle-aged. Only those over eighty qualified as the elderly.

Qi Xuansu did not recognize the man, who was probably a recent transfer. Even now, personnel changes in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion had not settled. Newcomers kept pouring in, and Qi Xuansu’s batch was now seen as seasoned staff.

The man showed open hostility toward Qi Xuansu and did not even bother to hide it.

Qi Xuansu did not care. He had made his fair share of enemies in the past. Since he was currently making waves in the capital, not having haters would be the real anomaly. But he was not afraid of being targeted. The worst-case scenario was death. Since he had been used to living life on the edge and was even willing to sacrifice his life to save Zhang Yuelu, death was not the scariest thing to him.

There was a saying that good horses would get ridden and nice people would get bullied. In the vast Yuhuang Palace, everyone showed Qi Xuansu respect not just because of his connections but also because he was not one to be trifled with.

Qi Xuansu did not abuse his power, but the fact that he had thrown Yue Liuli into the Demon Suppression Tower proved he was a man who repaid every grudge. Combining that with his natural killing aura and how he had handled Gao Mingyin, many feared him more than they hated him.

If Qi Xuansu were an easygoing man, then people would still find reasons to stir up trouble no matter how deep his background—such was human nature, preying on the weak and fearing the strong.

It had been a long time since Qi Xuansu felt such a gaze. He raised a finger and beckoned the man over. But the man merely snorted and turned away.