A Pawn's Passage

Wang Jiaohe, being a Pseudo-Immortal, was not so easily killed.

When Great Sage Lan had his heart shattered, it was no more than a minor injury. Wu Guangbi also had his heart and liver torn out by Madam Bai, yet he only suffered a loss in cultivation.

Thus, the kind of injury that was truly life-threatening to a Pseudo-Immortal was one that struck directly at the root, like the backlash of the Taiyi Supreme Technique or a heavenly tribulation.

Such attacks share a defining trait. They did not target any single part, nor did they spare anything, affecting the entire body inside and out, leaving nothing untouched, ultimately reducing the person to ashes.

Back then, when Izanagi perished under a heavenly tribulation, yin fire burned from the inside out, leaving not even a single strand of hair behind.

Although Qi Xuansu smashed Wang Jiaohe’s head apart with the Three Treasures Scepter, it did not mean that Wang Jiaohe was dead just yet.

The head was known as the chief of the six yangs and was extremely vital, for it was the dwelling place of the soul. Once the head was destroyed, the soul would be left without a place to reside.

Wang Jiaohe’s headless body crashed to the ground, and his primordial spirit left his body.

At a lower cultivation level, only Diviners could soul travel with their yin spirit or yang spirit. However, at the Pseudo-Immortal level, all lineages could soul travel with their primordial spirit, but they could not split their Thoughts like Diviners could.

After the primordial spirit left the body, the physical body would enter a meditative, near-death state. It was different from Diviners, who could control the physical body and the yang spirit.

But at this moment, Wang Jiaohe’s physical body had collapsed, leaving him no choice but to eject his primordial spirit.

Wang Jiaohe’s primordial spirit took on his appearance as well. Even without a physical body to support it, it remained intact while hovering in midair. His wide sleeves and hechang billowed gently, looking like an Immortal.

Wang Jiaohe’s primordial spirit transformed into a streaking rainbow light and shot straight toward the west.

After his fierce battle with Wang Jiaohe, Qi Xuansu was far from unscathed. It was like smashing a stone with one’s bare fists—even if the stone breaks, the fist would be left bloodied and mangled.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu was also at the end of his strength, with no remaining power to pursue Wang Jiaohe.

Wei Wugui, on the other hand, sacrificed himself to hold Wang Jiaohe back and was struck by a palm strike. Thus, his condition was even worse than Qi Xuansu’s.

Qi Xuansu stood on the ground and looked up, clearly sensing that the temporary strength he had gained through the Scripture of Zuriel was receding like the ebbing tide.

However, Master Wan was still around.

Seeing that Wang Jiaohe was about to escape, Master Wan made his move once more.

Although one of Master Wan’s arms had been shattered by Wang Jiaohe and had yet to fully recover, his other hand remained intact. It rose with a thunderous roar, like a mountain thrusting up from the earth, blocking Wang Jiaohe’s path.

His five fingers stood like five heavenly pillars, barring Wang Jiaohe’s way and trapping him within his palm.

Billowing corpse qi scorched Wang Jiaohe’s primordial spirit, sizzling like flames meeting ice and snow.

Since Wang Jiaohe was not a Diviner, at least half of his cultivation was lost without the support of his physical body. As such, he had little chance of victory when facing a fully prepared Master Wan.

Wang Jiaohe had been an Omniscient Sage for many years. Even at this point, he still maintained the composure of one, showing no hysteria or madness. Aside from the complexity in his expression, he remained calm, showing not the slightest awareness of being at the end of the road. He sighed. “You truly are worthy of being the foremost of the Three Yin Beings, Mighty Lord of Ten Thousand Corpses.”

This statement was accurate. If Master Wan had not suffered grievous injuries in the past, he should have been the primary combat force among the Three Yin Beings. Even if the three were to merge into one, Master Wan would form the body, which was the true core.

Unlike Master Yin, Master Wan had always been clumsy with words, so he offered no response.

Instead, Master Wan used this moment to reform his other arm before bringing both massive palms together, like a child cupping a firefly between both hands.

Before the two giant palms fully closed in on him, Wang Jiaohe turned his head once more to look at Qi Xuansu. “Tian Yuan, I leave the Poluo Daoist Mansion to you. I hope you have not forgotten what we just discussed.”

Qi Xuansu did not show a smug smile like that of a victor. Instead, he replied respectfully, showing the same attitude he would use toward a Mansion Master. “I have not forgotten.”

At this moment, Qi Xuansu felt that Wang Jiaohe had foreseen his own fate long ago. That was why Wang Jiaohe had deliberately drawn him here and spoken those words.

People created their environment, yet it was precisely this environment that shaped the people. The question was, did the environment change the people, or were people changing due to each other?

These so-called problems of systems and laws were ultimately problems of human nature. This was why the Confucian School had looked down on Legalism. No matter how perfect the rules and laws, they still had to be enforced by people. If the problem of human nature were not resolved at its root, no amount of laws and regulations would help. They would all eventually become distorted. However, human nature was hard to alter. Even the Confucians struggled to resolve this problem.

Could the Daoist Order today break free from this predicament?

Wang Jiaohe had made it very clear that there would be others like him even if Qi Xuansu killed him. It was a never-ending cycle, for there was no true equality in this world.

Instead, far too many things were taken for granted. There was no denying that there were indeed examples of righteous people who were considerate to the whole world, but compared to the whole, they were still a minority.

Out of 100 million people, even 10 million pure-hearted individuals were still considered the minority. So in the end, would the few change the many, or would the few assimilate into the many?

Qi Xuansu could not figure it out. He was a perfect example of this. Before questioning others, he must first ask himself if he could truly be without selfish intent. If not, how could he speak of overturning or changing anything?

Perhaps all one could do was be a mere patchworker, fighting for whatever small measure one could.

Qi Xuansu fell into a long silence as Master Wan’s palms fully closed. Then, Master Wan began to sink downward.

Since Master Wan was linked to the earth qi, his Yin-Yang Gate was exceptionally special. It was the earth itself.

That was why he had burst out of the ground when he appeared. Thus, he had to sink back into the earth once more to return to the Ghost Kingdom.

Gradually, Master Wan’s body sank until only his two hands, which had Wang Jiaohe’s primordial spirit cupped within them, were raised above the ground.

As Master Wan departed, the living corpses, corpse qi, and the bloody, putrid storm departed with him, sinking into the ground.

The black clouds overhead began to disperse.

First, beams of golden sunlight pierced through the cloud layers, like spikes punching through cloth. Then they linked together in patches and sheets until the black clouds were completely swept away and daylight shone bright once more.

The setting sun sank low, while flaming clouds dyed the sky crimson.

Qi Xuansu stood beneath the setting sun, gazing out toward the shimmering sea.

Wei Wugui slowly dissipated, leaving only Pure Bodhi and Green Cloud crossed and embedded in the ground.

Now that it was safe, Little Yin trotted over to Qi Xuansu’s side and tugged at his sleeve.

Qi Xuansu lowered his head to look at her. For once, he patted Little Yin on the head and praised her. “You’ve worked hard.”

Little Yin looked up at him and demanded, “Put it in writing!”

Qi Xuansu had already prepared for this. He drew a sheet of official paper from his sleeve, complete with seals and signatures, and casually handed it to Little Yin.

Written on this note was Qi Xuansu’s promise, allowing Little Yin to do whatever she pleased in Nanyang, unchecked.

Some might ask whether Qi Xuansu was being far too irresponsible. What if Little Yin caused chaos in Nanyang? Would Qi Xuansu truly not intervene? Wouldn’t that be a dereliction of duty as the Chief Deputy Mansion Master?

Qi Xuansu had his own reasoning. Though he promised not to intervene, he still had his trusted partner, Zhang Yuelu, who could take Little Yin back to Lingnan. Moreover, his note only stated that Little Yin could do whatever she wanted in Nanyang, not Lingnan.

Besides, Qi Xuansu could not command Zhang Yuelu either. They were equals and handled matters through discussion. If Zhang Yuelu insisted on taking Little Yin away, he would be powerless to stop it. Surely, Little Yin would understand.

At that moment, Du Yuhua returned, with Du Fuzhou at her side. They stopped not far behind Qi Xuansu as she called out, “Chief Deputy Qi.”

Du Yuhua was a seventh-generation disciple who had once held a high position. Thus, her cultivation was far from ordinary. If Qi Xuansu were at his peak, he would not fear her. But after his fierce battle with Wang Jiaohe, he was injured and might not necessarily be her match.

Little Yin immediately stood on alert, stepping in front of Qi Xuansu and glaring fiercely at Du Yuhua.

Qi Xuansu reached out and pressed a hand on Little Yin’s shoulder, signaling that she could relax.

He knew that Du Yuhua would not dare try anything at this moment, even if he were utterly powerless. That was because he was still the Chief Deputy Mansion Master of Poluo. His identity was his greatest protection.

Qi Xuansu guessed correctly. Du Yuhua had come to express goodwill. “Chief Deputy Qi, your might is awe-inspiring. Now that Wang Jiaohe has been brought to justice, it’s truly a cause for congratulations.”

He asked instead, “Daoist Du, you are a senior of the Daoist Order. May I ask what guidance you have for me?”

“I wouldn’t dare speak of guidance,” Du Yuhua replied. “I just want to thank you for saving me, Chief Deputy Qi. Had you not arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. A lone and helpless woman can’t possibly defeat a madman like Wang Jiaohe.”

Qi Xuansu felt irritated. Lone and helpless woman? Du Yuhua had stirred up storms in Poluo, so who was she putting on this innocent act for?

However, since the Golden Tower Council had already decided not to pursue Du Yuhua’s case, Qi Xuansu could not do anything to her.

He did not show his irritation and instead changed the subject. “By the way, I recall that you are one of the shareholders of the Nanyang United Trading Company. Is that right?”

Du Yuhua immediately became alert and tense. “I only hold shares. I don’t participate in their operations.”

Qi Xuansu waved his hand, signaling that she need not be nervous. “After this matter is settled, I intend to regroup the board of directors, so I will need your assistance, Daoist Du.”

Du Yuhua relaxed slightly. “Of course, I’d be happy to help.”