A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu strolled back to the Haosheng Southeast District, bringing with him a small gift for Zhang Yuelu—candied hawthorn skewers from the Imperial Capital that cost one Ruyi coin per stick.

Zhang Yuelu could not help but laugh upon receiving the gift, thinking, Did he take me for a child?

Still, she did not refuse. She accepted the thought behind it and asked, “All taken care of?”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Absolutely foolproof.”

Zhang Yuelu said no more. She had to admit that Qi Xuansu was experienced in disguises, as she did not recognize him when they had crossed paths in Jiangling Prefecture. If he had not voluntarily come clean afterward, she might never have learned the full truth.

As for whether it was right or wrong, Zhang Yuelu did not wish to judge. If she went by the rules, it was clearly wrong. But from a simple moral perspective, perhaps it wasn’t. If she truly clung to right and wrong in every matter without weighing consequences, she would not be the respected Deputy Hall Master she was today. By then, she would not be able to hold onto her current title, let alone compete for the position of Grand Master.

The next morning was calm and uneventful.

Zhang Yuelu was busy as usual, leaving the Taiping Inn to attend to other matters. Meanwhile, Li Changge went to the Imperial Palace because he was summoned by the Emperor himself—an honor others could only envy.

Once again, Yao Pei was left behind to stand guard.

After all, Yao Pei’s main task had been to investigate Qi Xuansu’s case. Now that it was resolved, she found herself rather idle.

Thus, Qi Xuansu went over to her for a chat, just like they used to do at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace.

The biggest difference between Yao Pei and Zhang Yuelu was that the former carried no moral burden and had no concept of good or evil. When it came to scheming with Qi Xuansu, Yao Pei never hesitated. More often than not, Yao Pei was the mastermind, while Qi Xuansu was merely the accomplice.

Qi Xuansu asked, “I heard from Qing Xiao that you left the Taiping Inn last night, too, and that you only returned half an hour before I did. Where did you go?”

Yao Pei countered, “What did you do last night?”

Qi Xuansu replied frankly, “I went to take revenge.”

Yao Pei immediately understood and narrowed her eyes. “Since you’re being so forthright, I may as well be honest with you. I went to see someone last night.”

“Who?” Qi Xuansu asked.

“Madam Qi,” Yao Pei answered.

Qi Xuansu was surprised by this. “Madam Qi came to the capital?”

“What’s so strange about that? She’s a Pseudo-Immortal who can fly faster than a flying ship. She can come and go as she likes within the same day,” Yao Pei said indifferently.

Qi Xuansu keenly picked up on the implication in her words. “Come and go where? If she returned the same day, that means she’s not far from the Imperial Capital. Could it be Zhongzhou? Luzhou? Or Qizhou?!”

Yao Pei refused to answer.

Qi Xuansu asked again, “Since Madam Qi came to the capital, why didn’t she meet me?”

Yao Pei replied, “Madam Qi is disappointed in you. You’ve started to distrust her, so she lamented raising an ingrate. She said that a grown son is no longer his mother’s to command and that you’ve grown distant lately. She also mentioned that a man often forgets his mother when he finds a wife, so she blames it all on Zhang Yuelu.”

Qi Xuansu’s expression froze. Those words were unmistakably Madam Qi’s because Yao Pei would never say something like that herself.

He had not expected Madam Qi to see through all his thoughts so easily.

Yao Pei continued, “Tian Yuan, you need to understand something—who do you truly belong to? On a small scale, you’re part of the Yao family, not the Zhang family. On a bigger scale, you’re a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, not the Zhengyi Sect. Who promoted you, and who raised you? Don’t forget your roots. Without the Quanzhen Sect, would you be where you are today? Without Madam Qi, would Qing Xiao even know your name?”

These words hit the nail on its head.

Qi Xuansu felt a twinge of irritation, but he had no way to refute her, so he could only sigh in response.

Yao Pei said bluntly, “You came to me first, so I assume you need something. What is it?”

Qi Xuansu gathered his emotions before replying, “I went to get revenge and killed someone, so I have to clean up the mess afterward. I need a witness for my alibi, someone to confirm I wasn’t at the site of the murder.”

Yao Pei immediately understood his request without him needing to spell it out. “You mean to say that we were together all night?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Qi Xuansu nodded.

Yao Pei asked, “Aren’t you afraid Qing Xiao will be upset?”

“Qing Xiao knows it’s fake,” Qi Xuansu replied honestly.

Yao Pei remarked, “This will hurt my reputation.”

“So you won’t do it?” Qi Xuansu asked, testing the waters.

Yao Pei shook her head. “I need extra compensation.”

Qi Xuansu let out a dry cough. “I only have 800 Taiping coins left.”

“I don’t need Taiping coins or Wuyou coins. I just want you to owe me a favor.” Yao Pei looked at Qi Xuansu. “Someday, I might need your help. Or perhaps that day will never come.”

Qi Xuansu lamented. “Free things always turn out to be the most expensive. Today, a favor from me may only be worth 800 Taiping coins. In the future, it might be worth 8,000.”

“Then are you unwilling?” Yao Pei was in no rush. After all, she was not the desperate one here.

“I’m willing,” Qi Xuansu said helplessly.

“Good.” Yao Pei clapped her hands. “I believe that you’ll keep your word. If that day does come, I trust you won’t let me down. Until then, I’ll show my sincerity first. Leave the rest to me.”

Qi Xuansu felt reassured.

Yao Pei and Zhang Yuelu were both highly reliable women. They were also influential enough to clear him of suspicion completely.

That afternoon, someone came knocking—the Daoist Relations Department and the Green Phoenix Guard Seventh Lieutenant Colonel’s Office.

They only took one night and one morning to discover Yan Xiu’s death and make some preliminary findings. In fact, not long after Qi Xuansu left Sycamore Villa, someone had discovered Yan Xiu’s remains, which were reduced to a pulp. The courtyard’s owner, Wen Weng, was immediately notified.

After careful deliberation, Wen Weng decided to have the Green Phoenix Guard handle the case. In the name of Prince Liao, Wen Weng directly requested the personal involvement of a Deputy Commander.

The Green Phoenix Guard Seventh Lieutenant Colonel’s Office was skilled in investigations. After inspecting the crime scene, they began identifying suspects through the victim’s social connections.

Unsurprisingly, Qi Xuansu was listed as the top suspect, since he had a grudge against Yan Xiu after their encounter in Yishan City until recently in the Imperial Capital. Their enmity became a strong motive for murder.

However, given Qi Xuansu’s special status, the Green Phoenix Guard requested the Daoist Relations Department to step in.

After listening to the explanation given by the Daoist Relations Department, Qi Xuansu said, “It’s understandable for you to suspect me now that monk Yan Xiu is dead. If I resisted too strongly, it would only deepen your doubts. But I don’t trust you people, and it’s not customary for the Imperial Court to investigate Daoist officials. So let me propose a compromise. Please let the five-person delegation from the Golden Tower Council investigate this case.”

The Green Phoenix Guard representative was Deputy Commander Yun Luo. She was the only woman among the three highest-ranking officers of the Green Phoenix Guard. Judging by appearance, she looked about thirty, though few knew her true age.

In recent years, she had overseen the Southern Chief Military Commission, rarely appearing in public. Outsiders viewed the Deputy Commander of the Northern Chief Military Commission as more prestigious, but within the Green Phoenix Guard, it was Yun Luo who was more feared. Normally, the Southern Chief Military Commission handled internal cases, but since this was not an imperial case, there was no need to strictly divide jurisdiction. As a Deputy Commander, Yun Luo had every right to be involved.

Yun Luo countered, “High Mage Zhang must oversee the bigger picture and shouldn’t be troubled. This case doesn’t involve the Quanzhen Sect as a whole, so it’s also inappropriate for Mage Yao to handle it.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I mean to have Acting Deputy Hall Master Li handle it. He’s from the Beichen Hall, which makes it reasonable. He and I have little personal connection, so he won’t cover for me. It’s fair enough, don’t you think, Deputy Commander Yun?”

Yun Luo paused, wondering if she had misjudged the case. Was Qi Xuansu really innocent?

However, Yun Luo was close to Sage Qingwei and had intended for Li Changge to handle the case anyway. Even if she had doubts, she would not oppose Qi Xuansu’s suggestion, so she nodded and agreed.

Qi Xuansu suggested. “Then let’s invite Acting Deputy Hall Master Li back here.”

Before long, Li Changge returned. He had already been briefed on the incident and, without wasting words, gestured for Yun Luo to hand over the case files.

Yun Luo was not exactly deferential to Li Changge, but she was polite enough and immediately had the files presented.

Li Changge invited everyone to the committee’s temporary conference hall. Once they were seated, Zhang Yuelu also arrived, as she was invited to attend the session.

This time, Li Changge sat in the main seat. On his left were Zhang Yuelu, Yao Pei, and Han Yongshuang; on his right were the Division Director of the Daoist Relations Department, Yun Luo, and Superintendent Lu. Qi Xuansu sat across from Li Changge at the other end of the table.

Additionally, several aides sat on the outer seats, either taking notes or simply observing.

Li Changge wasn’t particularly invested in the case. He did not view Qi Xuansu as a mortal enemy, so he simply went by procedure. After reviewing the files, he asked, “Superintendent Qi, you weren’t at the Taiping Inn last night when Monk Yan Xiu was killed. Instead, you went to the South City. May I ask why?”

Qi Xuansu gave a light cough. “I was just strolling around.”

“Strolling around?” Li Changge pressed on. “Do you have a witness?”

Qi Xuansu’s eyes darted, making it seem like he was guilty.

Yun Luo interjected. “You don’t have a witness? Mage Qi just so happened to be away at the time of Zen Master Yan Xiu’s death. I doubt things can be that coincidental. IT’s worth noting that Mage Qi had past grudges with Zen Master Yan Xiu.”

Qi Xuansu lowered his head, feigning inner turmoil, although it was a bit overdone.

After a while, Yao Pei spoke up. “There is a witness.”

All eyes turned to the Daoist prodigy.

Yao Pei continued expressionlessly, “After Superintendent Qi’s case was wrapped up, I had some free time and wanted to explore the capital, so I asked him to be my guide since we used to be classmates at the Upper Palace. I was with Superintendent Qi last night. I can vouch for him.”

Everyone immediately turned to look between the two, not forgetting to covertly glance at Zhang Yuelu as well.

Zhang Yuelu kept a neutral expression, so no one knew whether she was angered.

They only thought that a love triangle between the two prodigies was forming. They were also confused as to why these two extraordinary women were hung up over this seemingly mediocre superintendent. It was not like Qi Xuansu was the Grand Master. To them, it would make more sense if their love interest were Li Changge instead, someone filled with immense influence and limitless potential.