A Pawn's Passage

Poluo had long been dominated by the Quanzhen Sect, which was dominated by the Yao family. Thus, it was impossible for the Yao family not to have a foundation in Poluo.

In truth, the Yao family’s influence in Poluo was considerable. Though they might not bear the Yao name, they were connected to the Yao family in countless ways.

They might not care much about Qi Xuansu. After all, his identity as a Yao family member was questionable at best. The Yao family placed great importance on bloodline, especially given their Great Witch lineage.

But they cared about Yao Pei, who was widely acknowledged as the heir of the Yao family.

Now that the Yao family’s young lady had arrived in Poluo, all these factions rushed to pay their respects.

Yao Pei did not shut her doors. She patiently received them all because she would need the support of these families to aid her investigation.

In this world, it was nearly impossible to draw a perfect line between official and private matters.

These Yao-affiliated powers had been rooted in Nanyang for many years. Though the Wang family appeared dominant, the Yao faction could not be underestimated. They were well-informed about many matters in Poluo, including Du Fuzhou and Sun Yaozhen.

According to them, Du Fuzhou was rather pitiful. His mother, Du Yuhua, was excessively domineering, so much so that even his father could not stand it. Du Fuzhou himself grew into a silent, taciturn man, someone easily overlooked in daily interactions.

Du Fuzhou and Sun Yaozhen’s marriage was also arranged entirely by Du Yuhua. Their relationship was not horrible, since Du Fuzhou was not the type to quarrel. He was like a lump of clay, pliant and dull.

This made Yao Pei feel troubled. A man like this—whose own pillow partner may not know his thoughts—would be even harder for outsiders to read or exploit. Finding a weakness would be extremely difficult.

Thus, Yao Pei had no choice but to redirect her attention toward Sun Yaozhen.

Sun Yaozhen was a typical pampered young lady who was not very involved in family affairs. She was fond of enjoyment but was by no means stupid. She was certainly far sharper than her brother Sun Yaoping.

According to the intelligence Yao Pei had gathered, Sun Yaozhen had a lover, with whom she maintained an ambiguous relationship.

This was quite normal among female Daoists, who lived far more freely than their Confucian counterparts.

It was not just Sun Yaozhen and Wang Jiaoyan, but even Du Yuhua, who had lived alone for years, was unlikely to be completely innocent.

Some female Daoists with official Daoist companions even kept lovers openly, and their partners did not mind. That was because the male Daoists also kept lovers outside. Each indulged in their own pleasures. At times, the male Daoist would even promote his Daoist companion’s lover so that the lover could keep the nagging wife from bothering him.

Since matters of romance and morality were taboo within the Daoist Order, many Daoist couples whose relationships were hollow shells still had to pretend to be affectionate in public. By this point, their relationship resembled that of political allies, sharing honor and loss, with tightly intertwined interests and mutual leverage. They could not simply get a divorce, so they maintained this twisted arrangement.

When young Daoists first encountered such sordid inner workings, many lost faith in the Daoist Order. Others, however, felt as if a new world had opened before them, suddenly realizing that there was a new way to play this “game.”

Yao Pei shifted her attention to Sun Yaozhen’s lover, Zhao Changlao, who was naturally well-endowed in his manhood and very capable of pleasing women. She decided to begin investigating him and take down Sun Yaozhen.

While having her subordinates openly conduct routine interviews with the Daoist officials, lulling the enemy into complacency, Yao Pei simultaneously ordered others to intensify the investigation into Zhao Changlao.

Wang Jiaohe probably did not even know Zhao Changlao existed. As the Mansion Master, he handled countless affairs daily and could not possibly mind every trivial matter. Thus, the investigation on Zhao Changlao progressed very smoothly.

Yao Pei quickly mapped out Zhao Changlao’s movements. Not wanting to startle him, she did not arrest him immediately but ordered her people to quietly secure leverage over him.

Of course, Yao Pei would not involve herself in the details. She merely instructed her subordinates to handle Zhao Changlao, and they naturally understood what to do. She did not care nor want to know whatever methods they used; only the results mattered.

Given how well-endowed Zhao Changlao was, he naturally had a great appetite in that regard. Thus, he frequently cheated behind Sun Yaozhen’s back. However, he did not keep a steady mistress because he was worried that she might find out. Instead, he constantly changed partners. He even had a particular preference for married women.

Once Yao Pei’s subordinates confirmed this pattern, they set up a scheme accordingly.

They arranged for a woman to pose as a newlywed young wife and staged a chance encounter. Unsurprisingly, Zhao Changlao did not refuse and accepted her invitation to drink at her home.

Half-drunk, Zhao Changlao fixed his intoxicated eyes on the young woman. She gazed back with shimmering eyes, her lips parted slightly, making her seem all the more alluring.

The woman lifted the wine cup with both hands and brought it to his lips.

Zhao Changlao wanted to refuse, but under her soft voice and gentle coaxing, he felt his whole body turn weak.

That was how Zhao Changlao drank a few more cups. Feeling heat spreading all over him, he felt more courageous, and his hands grew restless, reaching for the woman. Since it was midsummer, her clothing was thin, and what followed needed no explanation.

The woman’s face was flushed, and her body trembled lightly, yet she did not refuse. Instead, she leaned into Zhao Changlao’s embrace and fed him more wine.

This woman was actually an underground prostitute. Thus, she resembled a decent wife, which fooled the seasoned Zhao Changlao. But her skills in serving and coaxing men were not inferior to any professional’s. She quickly had the unguarded Zhao completely enthralled, drinking cup after cup until his tongue began to slur.

His movements grew even bolder. Naturally, they tumbled onto the bed and consummated the affair.

Just as they were in the height of passion, the door slammed open with a loud bang.

The people arranged by the Yao family rushed in, fierce and menacing, there to catch the adulterers.

The woman screamed and curled into a corner, clutching her chest.

Zhao Changlao was still drunk and dazed. Though he had some cultivation, he could not muster any of it. He even passed out after someone slapped him twice across the face.

When a basin of cold water jolted him awake, Zhao Changlao found himself trussed up like a naked pig, unable to move. Not far away, the woman he had just met was also tied up, resembling a slick, freshly caught fish.

Zhao Changlao finally sobered up and shuddered uncontrollably when he realized he had been caught red-handed.

Sure enough, the “wronged husband” held a sharp knife and waved it toward Zhao Changlao’s chest. The woman’s mouth had been sealed, and she whimpered like a fish out of water, struggling helplessly.

Terrified, Zhao Changlao stammered, “Let’s talk! I’m willing to pay compensation!”

At these words, the enraged husband paused and asked, “How much are you willing to pay?”

Zhao Changlao said cautiously, “300 Taiping coins...how about that?”

It was not a small sum, but the wronged husband was not satisfied. He said bluntly, “No. At least 1,000 Taiping coins.”

Zhao Changlao’s face twisted bitterly. “I don’t have that much money. All I have is 300 Taiping coins!”

The man did not bother with more words and lifted the knife again.

Zhao Changlao quickly added, “I can write you a promissory note! Please give me a few days to gather the money.”

The man pretended to hesitate for a moment before telling his companions, “Bring me some paper and a brush.”

Before long, someone brought the writing tools and set them on the ground. They released one of Zhao Changlao’s hands, forcing him to bend over and write a promissory note for 1,000 Taiping coins and press his fingerprint.

The man added, “Write one more line—committed adultery with another man’s wife.”

Zhao Changlao dared not refuse and added that line. In the note, he clearly stated that he willingly owed this man 1,000 Taiping coins as compensation because he seduced the man’s wife and was caught in the act. This sum was to be paid in full within three days.

After reading the note, the man said, “I know who you are. You’re the famous “Long Dick,” huh? I know who’s your backer, so don’t even think about defaulting. If you try anything funny, we’ll deliver this promissory note straight to Young Lady Sun.”

Zhao Changlao’s face instantly turned pale.

Sun Yaozhen was his biggest backer, but she was also extremely domineering. If she learned he was fooling around outside, she would not defend him. Instead, she might even take his life. These men had grabbed him by the balls.

Zhao Changlao had no choice but to agree. He even begged them not to send the note to Sun Yaozhen.

At this point, Zhao Changlao felt numb all over, hollow and dazed. He did not even know how he left the place, let alone make it back home.

Only after returning home did Zhao Changlao finally regain his senses. Where was he supposed to find 1,000 Taiping coins in three days? Though Sun Yaozhen covered his living expenses, he spent lavishly on seducing married women and barely had any savings. Though his house was valuable, and every furnishing inside was expensive, none of it belonged to him. It was all Sun Yaozhen’s property. Where could he possibly find another 700 Taiping coins in just three days?