A Pawn's Passage

This tunnel, originally used for smuggling, had numerous branches and entrances. Though called a tunnel, it was more like an underground labyrinth. The city council could not destroy it entirely, as doing so would trigger large-scale structural collapses. Instead, they blew up several key junctions to block the paths, which later made it possible for people to reopen parts of it.

However, some sections had collapsed completely. The so-called reopening merely created passages barely wide enough for a single person to squeeze through. Laying rails was impossible, and large-scale cargo transport was out of the question.

Thus, this goods-smuggling tunnel turned into a human-smuggling channel.

In the tavern’s cellar, there was an entrance leading into the tunnel.

As for how Qi Xuansu knew this, it was not because he had scanned the place with divine perception—it was simply the experience of someone accustomed to the martial world.

In Jianghu, there was a saying that, guilty or not, cart drivers, boatmen, innkeepers, bartenders, porters, and brokers deserved to be killed. That was because such people often had access to certain gray-market channels, as they encountered all sorts of people. Thus, it was always better to silence them if one wanted to stay concealed.

If this tavern had not had an insider, Qi Xuansu would simply have tried another. Eventually, he would find one.

As it turned out, his luck was fairly good. The very first tavern he tried was the right one.

Since the tavern owner was far too obese, he did not personally guide Qi Xuansu. Instead, he summoned a thin, frail attendant to lead the way.

The attendant moved aside a heavy rack of wine barrels, revealing a square opening leading into the tunnel.

The two entered one after the other.

The tunnel sloped downward, leading toward the underground city of the Lower District.

The initial stretch was still relatively intact, bearing obvious signs of human reinforcement. But the farther down they went, the rougher it became. Just as the tavern owner had said, this place had once been blown apart. The reopened sections were barely passable, with uneven ground and scattered rubble. The broken steel supports that once reinforced the tunnel now jutted out like spears, blocking the path in every direction. One careless step could cause one to be impaled.

In such conditions, transporting goods was impossible. Even walking required extreme caution.

Since the path sloped downward rather than descending vertically, the tunnel stretched on for a long distance and branched repeatedly. After walking for three hours, Qi Xuansu finally reached the end.

When the attendant pushed aside the covering that concealed the exit, a faint light from outside shone in.

They had finally arrived at the underground city.

The attendant had no intention of leaving the tunnel. Instead, he gestured for Qi Xuansu to go in.

Qi Xuansu bent his back slightly as he stepped out of the narrow tunnel exit and took in the scene outside.

It was a dark alley, even more cramped than those on the surface. At least in surface alleys, one could glimpse a narrow strip of sky above, but here in the underground city, there was only a dark dome overhead. Though the dome stood somewhat higher than the surrounding buildings, the space was still quite limited.

The dome was not a natural cavern but had been reinforced by human construction. Steel beams crisscrossed overhead like a vast spiderweb, stretching outward beyond sight. Beneath the framework hung numerous lights sustained for long periods through arcanum.

On the surface, they preached about the dangers of arcanum, yet underground, they used it without the slightest hesitation.

Qi Xuansu stepped out of the alley and instantly felt overwhelmed by the roaring clamor. It turned out to be a bustling marketplace.

There were vendors of every kind and crowds of passersby, along with inns, taverns, brothels, gambling dens, and other establishments.

Qi Xuansu took only a brief look before roughly understanding the situation.

If the underground city were compared to Jade Capital, then this place would be its Taiqing Square. Jade Capital was not noisy. Many neighborhoods, such as Taishang Place, were eerily quiet. Most often, one could hardly see anyone there in broad daylight. However, Taiqing Square was the exception.

This underground city could hardly be called prosperous. A gigantic workshop formed its core. There were still one or two places that looked somewhat respectable.

Qi Xuansu left the alley and blended into the crowd.

The underground city had one advantage—its lax management, which meant shady trades and morally questionable businesses were conducted here. Naturally, there were many outlaws as well, so Qi Xuansu’s appearance did not draw any attention.

Madam Wu appeared again beside Qi Xuansu and looked around. “This place looks like a giant underground cavern.”

Qi Xuansu said nothing and wandered aimlessly.

His main purpose in coming here was simply to walk around and observe. He wanted to learn about the situation rather than uncover any secret intelligence.

For the rest of the day, Qi Xuansu divided his attention into two. On one side, he played the role of the respectable gentleman, Dutch Vanderlind, accompanying Councilman Josiah Strauni to St. Paul Church to listen to Archbishop Orvil Swanson’s private sermon. On the other side, he acted as the adventurer and outlaw, Hosea Matthias, exploring the underground city of the Lower District. He witnessed the subterranean factories filled with toxic fumes and wastewater, along with the gravely ill workers and slaves who were already close to death.

Workers and slaves were slightly different. Slaves mostly performed unskilled heavy labor without any protective measures, while workers handled more technical tasks and had some rudimentary protection, such as the barely useful purification masks. Markets and trading areas like the bazaars were patronized by workers, since they received wages and enjoyed a certain degree of freedom. Some were even permitted to leave the Lower District, whereas slaves had nothing at all.

Qi Xuansu thought it would be interesting to take a look at the underwater city, too.

The next day, Qi Xuansu continued wandering through the underground city.

At that moment, the ringing of bells shattered the quiet. Swaying lights tore through the darkness as a luxurious four-wheeled carriage, hung with kerosene lamps and bells, sped toward him. Unlike on the surface, carriages were rare in the underground city. Anyone who could use one usually possessed status and rank.

“They’re looking for you.” Madam Wu appeared beside Qi Xuansu, her hands clasped behind her head leisurely. Her wide sleeves slipped down, revealing her forearms.

Qi Xuansu said, “I haven’t even done anything, and yet I’m already being watched?”

A Pseudo-Immortal attracting attention might seem unreasonable, but in truth, it made perfect sense. Qi Xuansu had neither concealed himself nor moved about mysteriously. He simply walked the streets like an ordinary person. Anyone in the underground city could see him, and those who noticed a new face could easily track his movements and report them to the local bosses.

Of course, Qi Xuansu had done this intentionally. He did not infiltrate the underground city to gather intelligence. He merely wanted to see the real situation for himself. This was also why powerful figures often preferred traveling incognito.

Qi Xuansu remained where he stood. Sure enough, the carriage stopped beside him.

The carriage door opened, and a gentleman stepped down. He wore a snow-white shirt, a black tailcoat, an elegant bow tie, polished shoes, spotless white gloves, and gold-rimmed glasses. His white hair was combed meticulously, and he had deep nasolabial folds. His refined demeanor stood in stark contrast to the entire underground city.

A man like this should have been in the Central District, not the Lower District.

Qi Xuansu placed a hand on the grip of the pistol at his waist and adopted a cautious stance. “Who are you?”

Madam Wu crossed her arms and clicked her tongue. “You’re putting on quite a convincing act.”

Unless this old gentleman happened to be the Patriarch of the Steam Evangelical Sect, Qi Xuansu was confident he could fight him. But if it were the Patriarch himself or a cardinal bishop, then a small pistol would be of no use anyway.

Nevertheless, Qi Xuansu played his role of a wandering adventurer and outlaw well.

“I am a butler.” The old gentleman introduced himself. “I have come under my master’s orders to invite you to his residence.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Do I know your master?”

Madam Wu scoffed, “Do you even need to ask? It must be one of the four gang bosses. Who else could afford a carriage like this, and a butler to top it off? Among the four, you can rule out the Beggar King, since beggars and butlers don’t mix. The Beggar King probably keeps a down-to-earth image to win people over. The Butcher and the Hound don’t really seem like the type to have a butler either, since they have to keep up brutal and gory images. That leaves you with the Baron. He’s a gang boss who gave himself a noble title, pretending to be refined, so that sounds about right.”

Qi Xuansu understood this reasoning, but he still had to keep up appearances. “Is your master one of the four respected gentlemen?”

“Yes.” The old butler nodded. “My master is the Baron, one of the four gentlemen who rule the Lower District. Would you be willing to accept my master’s invitation?”

Qi Xuansu showed some hesitation, as if struggling internally. He wanted to refuse but was wary of the Baron’s reputation. In the end, he bowed to circumstance. “It would be my honor.”

The butler gestured for him to enter the carriage.

When Qi Xuansu climbed into the carriage, the butler shut the door and drew the heavy curtains, completely isolating the interior from the outside so that he could not see where they were going.

Madam Wu appeared in the seat opposite him, placing her hands on the table between them. “Let’s start with this so-called Baron. We can burn him to ashes, then burn the other three!”

Qi Xuansu frowned. “You’re a bit too extreme.”

Madam Wu looked surprised. “Extreme? I learned it all from them.”

Qi Xuansu ignored her after that.

He had noticed that the female Daoists around him were rather eccentric. Madam Qi was greedy and stingy; Little Yin was playful and gluttonous; and Madam Wu was fond of burning things to ashes.

The carriage traveled for more than an hour, turning through countless streets and alleys before finally stopping.

It was a typical noble residence with a courtyard. Its main structure was a two-story building with a pointed roof. Grass could not grow in the underground world, so the courtyard was planted with black, night-dew grass. Combined with the surrounding darkness and reliance on kerosene lamps for illumination, the place looked eerie, like a vampire’s mansion from a novel.

Qi Xuansu stepped down from the carriage and followed the butler into the courtyard.

Many gang members lurked around the place, none of them good men, yet they showed great respect for the butler and made no attempt to interfere.

The two entered the hall of the two-story building. Looking up, Qi Xuansu saw a graceful white-haired old man standing at the railing on the second floor, looking down at the hall. Compared with the meticulous butler, the old man appeared far more relaxed.

When Qi Xuansu saw the old man’s face, he froze for a moment. How could this man look so much like his current disguise as Hosea Matthias?

The old man introduced himself. “Welcome to my residence. I am the Baron, though you may also call me Ramon.”