A Pawn's Passage

Yan Xiu still had not realized Qi Xuansu’s true identity or intent. “The Xuan Jade isn’t with me. It must have fallen into Qi Xuansu’s hands.”

Truth be told, Qi Xuansu was also curious. What did the Qingping Society want with the Xuan Jade? Could it have been meant for him? But this was just a passing thought.

The Qingping Society had been collecting Xuan Jades long before his existence, back when Qi Xuansu was a nobody and Madam Qi was not yet one of the six Privy Council members. It was unbelievable that the mighty Qingping Society would serve him alone because he was not Yao Pei, the third Earthly Preceptor’s descendant.

So Qi Xuansu speculated that the Qingping Society might also possess a Longevity Stone Heart, one left behind by the third-generation Earthly Preceptor. Madam Qi’s Longevity Stone Heart had come from the Lingshan Paradise and belonged solely to her, not to the Yao family or the Qingping Society.

After all, aside from being the Yao Family’s seventh daughter and Qingping Society’s Lady Qi, Madam Qi was also the Mogul Yao of the Seven Treasure Pavilion. Technically, that was her most formal and prestigious title. The upper echelons of the Daoist Order might not know who Lady Qi was, or that the Earthly Preceptor even had a seventh sister, but they certainly knew the famed Mogul Yao, who once headed the Seven Treasure Pavilion.

From this perspective, Madam Qi was herself the leader of a secret society, not anyone’s subordinate. Naturally, she had the confidence to claim finders keepers.

Which meant Madam Qi had likely been exploiting the Qingping Society all along, using their network to secretly search for Xuan Jades, only to claim them for herself, such as the Xuan Jade of Death.

Regardless, the Qingping Society’s quest for Xuan Jades was no secret. The Li family had likely heard about it long ago and would not easily link Qi Xuansu to the secret society. That was because it had come to light that Qi Xuansu’s Longevity Stone Heart came from the Lingshan Paradise, which had nothing to do with the Qingping Society.

Someone could forcibly argue that the Lingshan Paradise was tied to the second Earthly Preceptor, the Qingping Society was connected to the third Earthly Preceptor, and that Mogul Yao, who handed the Xuan Jade to Qi Xuansu in Jinling Prefecture, was tied to the current Earthly Preceptor, and then use the connection of the three Earthly Preceptors as proof that Qi Xuansu was linked to the Qingping Society. But even if that were true, Qi Xuansu would not even need to defend himself. The Quanzhen Sect would speak for him.

Since the Earthly Preceptor was the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, this was not just an attack on Qi Xuansu or even the Yao family. It was an attack on the entire Quanzhen Sect itself.

After all, anyone capable of knowing so much truth would not need to go to such lengths just to eliminate Qi Xuansu.

No matter how divided the Quanzhen Sect was internally, they would have to unite and retaliate in such a case.

The Zhengyi Sect would also have a reaction because they could be next. After all, the Zhengyi Sect was not exactly squeaky clean either.

Even the weaker Grand Masters would not dare act this brazenly.

Oftentimes, the truth itself did not matter. What mattered most was maintaining stability.

“Stubborn fool. Since you won’t hand it over, I’ll just take it myself.” Qi Xuansu continued to play the role of an accomplice to Prince Qin and Xie Qiuniang.

Just then, flames suddenly shot into the sky outside, and faint screams echoed through the air.

The firelight tainted the side of Qi Xuansu’s face in a bright crimson glow.

Monk Yan Xiu immediately understood that the intruder had come well-prepared.

He, too, was a ruthless man, having mercilessly abandoned Qi Xuansu in Yulan Temple to be a sacrifice for Wu Luo’s divine power. He reached out to grab the two women beside him and sneered. “These two beauties are utterly delightful with their supple skin and soft curves. Why don’t we enjoy them together?”

Before he finished his sentence, Monk Yan Xiu flung the women at Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu did not draw his blade. Instead, he reached out to catch the two women. But the moment his palms touched their bodies, he was hit by a tremendous force, causing his whole body to jolt.

The two ordinary women could not endure Yan Xiu’s Vajra Strength. Though their outer flesh remained intact, their insides had turned to pulp, and their bones had shattered. They had been shaken to death on the spot.

Yan Xiu had channeled his cultivated Vajra Strength into the two women, turning them into human projectiles. In his mind, the intruder would fall into his trap and suffer internal damage if he had reached out to catch the women. Even a Martial Arts Practitioner would be vulnerable if struck in the heart, drastically weakening their body regenerative abilities.

Having been around noble company recently, Qi Xuansu had shed many of his old, ruthless habits. Not wanting to harm innocent lives, he chose to catch the women with his hands and was thus hit by the immense force inside them.

But Yan Xiu had miscalculated one thing. Qi Xuansu was a man without a heart. His Longevity Stone Heart was tougher than any treasure. Even if he stood still and let Yan Xiu punch him with full force, he would at most suffer a few cracked ribs, but his heart would remain unharmed. As long as the heart was intact, even serious injuries could be healed quickly through his regenerative abilities.

So Qi Xuansu was merely shaken for a moment. Ignoring the two dead women, he instantly closed in on Yan Xiu and unleashed a punch using the Tantai Fist Intention.

This punch was not fast. In fact, it was so slow that it gave the illusion of time itself slowing down as the strike advanced.

This was the final technique Qi Xuansu had comprehended upon becoming a Heavenly Being, called the Universe Light Fist, derived from the Sea Fist and the Wind Thunder Fist. According to Lei Xiaohuan, this was a technique Tantai Yun had grasped from Wu Yang’s legacy. However, since Wu Yang had never formally passed it on to Tantai Yun, this fist merely gave the illusion of time slowing and was not an actual temporal distortion.

Monk Yan Xiu’s expression turned grave as he summoned his Vajra Strength to thrust out a punch.

Their fists collided with a thunderous impact, causing the entire room to tremble. Dust and debris cascaded from the beams.

Yan Xiu’s face turned pale. He could hardly breathe, as he felt like a massive boulder had struck him squarely in the chest.

The reason was simple. Though Yan Xiu was a Buddhaputra, he was still in the Guizhen stage. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to advance to the Heavenly-Being stage in just a year. Even a Banished Immortal like Zhang Yuelu had to take a replica of the Spirit Pill to make her breakthrough.

Qi Xuansu, on the other hand, had relied on external forces to become a Heavenly Being. That was Qi Xuansu’s greatest source of confidence. Finally, he could use his cultivation level to overpower his enemies.

On the surface, neither of them moved. They both retracted their fists and slowly launched another punch. Before their fists even met again, the room was already swept by a violent gust. The tables, screens, vases, and incense burners were thrown to the ground in chaos. The roof tiles also clattered noisily.

Even with his Vajra Strength, Yan Xiu could not withstand the brute force of a Heavenly Being Martial Arts Practitioner combined with the innate qi of a Rogue Cultivator. When their fists clashed once more, the monk stumbled back a step, blood seeping from his nose and mouth.

“Hand over the Xuan Jade at once. Out of respect for the Jingchan Temple, I can still spare your life.” Qi Xuansu threatened, stepping forward. “But if you refuse again, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

As he spoke, Qi Xuansu’s fists rained down relentlessly. Yan Xiu could only keep retreating, unable to fight back.

Having a higher cultivation level often meant being able to crush the opponent.

Yan Xiu now regretted killing both women. He should have kept one alive as a shield. After all, this old fellow did not seem like a bloodthirsty villain. If he had a hostage, perhaps the old man would have hesitated.

If Qi Xuansu knew what Yan Xiu was thinking, he would surely mock him. How could such a person even have the cheek to call himself a Buddhist monk?

All Yan Xiu could do now was hang on and wait, thinking to himself, Once the people of Sycamore Villa noticed something amiss, they would surely come to help, so things might turn around. With the Li family backing this place, there were many masters stationed here. Though none could beat this intruder in single combat, their numbers might turn the tide.

What Yan Xiu did not know was that all of Sycamore Villa’s masters had already been lured away by Li Qingnu, using the fallen lantern and fire as an excuse. Even if anyone questioned it afterward, no one would suspect her. At worst, they would just think that she had fallen for a diversion trick.

An hour was more than enough time for Qi Xuansu to beat Yan Xiu to death and clean up the scene.

Yan Xiu tried to flee but simply couldn’t. Qi Xuansu deployed the Sea Fist, the surging waves of innate qi swirled around him like a massive whirlpool, dragging the opponent into its current. There was no way out.

Left with no choice, Yan Xiu could only channel his Vajra Strength with full force, but the surrounding waves of innate qi showed no sign of abating. On the contrary, they intensified, layer upon layer, like a tsunami. The pressure made it hard for him to breathe. His vision blurred with indistinct forms. Countless fists and palms—some real, some illusory—merged together until he could no longer distinguish one from another.

Though Yan Xiu was a Buddhaputra, the gap in cultivation levels still proved insurmountable. Without sufficient cultivation, many mystical abilities lost their potency. Qi Xuansu had once fled in embarrassment before Feng Bo. In terms of lineage, Qi Xuansu was only one step away from becoming a Banished Immortal, which was not inferior to a Buddhaputra.

Their fists collided again. Qi Xuansu’s form remained unmoved, though waves of turbulent qi rippled behind him. On the other hand, Yan Xiu’s face flushed red, as if on the verge of exploding. He staggered backward several steps, barely keeping his balance as his Vajra Strength dissipated rapidly.

Yan Xiu knew that if the fight continued, he would meet certain death. Thus, he prepared to activate the life-preserving Great Solar Self-Destruction Method, converting all his essence into unmatched power. Though it would wither his flesh and severely damage his cultivation, it was still better than dying here and now.

Just then, Qi Xuansu flicked his hand, and a throwing knife embedded itself in Yan Xiu’s right eye, plunging his vision into darkness. The searing pain scrambled the monk’s thoughts, rendering him unable to execute the Great Solar Self-Destruction Method.

This was the very same flying knife Yao Pei had once used against Qi Xuansu, who had shamelessly claimed and kept it for his own use.

These were no ordinary knives. They packed immense power.

Qi Xuansu seized the chance and landed a heavy punch on Yan Xiu’s chest, sending a violent tremor through the latter’s body. Then he moved behind the monk and struck another blow to his back. Yan Xiu staggered forward two steps before collapsing to his knees, completely powerless to fight back.

Placing a hand on Yan Xiu’s bald head, Qi Xuansu looked down and asked coldly, “Speak now. Where did you hide the Xuan Jade? Tell me, and I’ll grant you a quick death.”

Blood streamed from Yan Xiu’s orifices as he replied with difficulty, “I already told you...I don’t have any Xuan Jade...y-you’ve got the wrong man...”

Qi Xuansu sneered, “Still not crying until you see the coffin, huh?”

Yan Xiu opened his mouth to speak again, only to feel an overwhelming force pressing down on his skull. He felt an overwhelming wave of terror surge through his heart when he realized that this old man seemed hell-bent on compressing his skull straight into his ribcage.