A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 1350: Fireworks in Broad Daylight

Unfortunately, this floating island was the headquarters of the Evangelical Ministry, and prisoners were not held here, so Huangfu Ji could not take the captives with him, which was a small regret.

After leaving, Huangfu Ji did not pause for even a moment and returned directly to the Divine Shuttle.

In the next moment, the Divine Shuttle appeared above King District because Huangfu Ji suddenly remembered something. “That traitor’s home is in the King District, right?”

His subordinate confirmed it, and the Divine Shuttle was maneuvered to hover above Sun Zhongnu’s residence.

Just as Qi Xuansu had anticipated, Sun Zhongnu had turned his home into a trap, waiting for assassins from the Beichen Hall to walk into it. That was why he had not moved. Everyone inside was also bait.

His family and many elite forces of the Evangelical Ministry were lying in wait.

If one followed Li Mingzhen’s methods, it would certainly result in heavy losses and very likely accomplish nothing.

But just as Sun Zhongnu had not expected Qi Xuansu, the Lotus Seat, to personally carry out the interception, he also had not expected Huangfu Ji, the next leader of the Western Daoist Order, to personally do such dirty work.

“Chief Deputy Qi helped us greatly this time, so we have to repay the favor. I know Jade Capital is tightly regulated, full of overly scrupulous Daoists who will make a big deal out of trivial matters. So let us be the villains this time. I’ll bear the blame.”

Huangfu Ji appeared outside the Divine Shuttle and struck downward with a palm.

Those inside the house and those lying in ambush outside had no idea what was happening.

Only when the deafening roar arrived did some belatedly look up.

All they could see was a palm that blotted out the sky, stirring clouds across the heavens.

That was the last sight of their lives.

In the next moment, the earth trembled violently, and the entire building was flattened, as if erased from existence, leaving behind only a massive, unadorned palm imprint.

Huangfu Ji could not be bothered to take another look and instead turned his gaze toward the Upper District.

Almost at the same moment, the Grade-A Series Two Phoenix Eye Bomb finally detonated.

Since the explosion occurred inside the floating island, there was some buffering, so the visual impact was not as dramatic as an external blast. But it was still shocking.

In an instant, massive visible cracks appeared across the floating island. Blinding light burst from these fissures, which multiplied and connected into a network. The island began to fracture and collapse, as more and more light erupted, consuming it from the inside out.

It was as if a second blazing sun had appeared in the sky.

“Fireworks in broad daylight—how dazzling,” Huangfu Ji remarked.

After that, Huangfu Ji turned and entered the Divine Shuttle.

At this time, the Western Daoists were already prepared. As soon as Huangfu Ji returned, they activated the Divine Shuttle, which vanished in a flash, leaving only ripples in its wake.

As the intense light gradually faded, one of St. York’s Upper District floating islands were gone forever. A massive fireball was falling toward the church district in the Central District.

However, as it descended, the fireball began to dissipate, split, and disintegrate into countless smaller fireballs, turning into a rain of fire.

Back then, Qi Xuansu had originally only intended to bring down a floating island, not completely destroy one.

The rain of fire fell upon the church district.

The spire of St. Francis Church flashed with light, blocking most of the flames. Those that reached the ground were quickly extinguished.

Moments later, a wave of fury swept across all of St. York.

Joseph Norman, the Cardinal Bishop—also known as the Red-Robed Patriarch, second only to the Pope and the Patriarch—had finally returned.

The Patriarch was the leader of the Steam Evangelical Sect, while Joseph was its second-in-command. As the public face of the Steam Evangelical Sect, the Patriarch could not personally handle many matters, especially those involving dirty work, such as the Evangelical Ministry. These responsibilities were typically managed by the second-in-command.

In the Old Continent, the leader of the Inquisition was once called the Black-Robed Pope. Later, the Inquisition was reorganized into the Tribunal, and the Steam Evangelical Sect’s corresponding institute became the Evangelical Ministry, but the essence remained unchanged. Thus, Joseph was also known as the Red-Robed Patriarch.

Now, the Evangelical Ministry he personally led had its headquarters blown up.

He stared fixedly at the empty space where a floating island should have been, his anger brimming with nowhere to vent.

Those around Joseph stood silent, not daring to utter a single word, fearing they might incur his wrath.

Milton arrived in a disheveled state. Due to the urgency of the situation, Huangfu Ji had not dealt a killing blow. Naturally, Milton did not stay behind to perish with the island and managed to escape.

Joseph glared at Milton, his eerie green eyes like those of a demon. “Milton, you owe me and the cardinals an explanation.”

Milton hurriedly replied, “It was Huangfu Ji of the Western Daoist Order. I was alone and couldn’t stop so many of them.”

“Where were the others? Where did everyone go?!” Joseph was like an aging lion, struggling to suppress his fury. “Where were the people of the Evangelical Ministry?”

Milton answered, “Most of them were sent out to hunt the Lotus Seat”

“And where is this Lotus Seat now? You sent out so many people, so tell me that you at least captured him!” Joseph pressed on. “After paying such a heavy price, there should at least be some result.”

Milton could only reply, “We’ve already locked onto the target. I believe there will be results soon.”

“So you haven’t caught him,” Joseph said coldly.

Milton had no answer.

In any case, Milton was one of their own. He was a Cardinal Priest recognized by the Holy Court, so Joseph could not truly do anything to him. He turned to ask, “What about the City Council? Did they just stand by while all this happened?”

Milton took a slight breath of relief. “As far as I know, Chairman Sophia is currently at sea pursuing another heretic and has mobilized a large number of Elite Steam Enforcers, giving the City Council an excuse for lacking manpower. Moreover, in such matters, the ruling majority party bears responsibility. The minority party will only watch and laugh, not help clean up the mess.”

Joseph fell silent for a moment, calming his anger, then asked, “Have you confirmed the location of the Lotus Seat?”

“Yes,” Milton answered quickly. “His destination is San Antonio. We will definitely be able to intercept him.”

Joseph’s tone turned cold. “Let’s hope so.”

Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu’s true body and Madam Wu were both heading toward San Antonio. Only when the three merged into one would Qi Xuansu reach his full strength.

As for Sophia, who was pursuing Madam Wu, she did indeed catch up. However, in pursuits like this, a common problem arose. Although the pursuers might have superior numbers, their speeds varied. Some were fast, while others were slow. Once the gap between them became larger, they were no longer a cohesive group but instead formed a long, stretched-out line. The faster ones caught up first, while the slower ones lagged far behind, leaving the faster ones isolated and fighting alone.

Sophia was no exception. She did catch up to Madam Wu—but she did so alone. That was her mistake. After a brief clash, she was defeated and forced to retreat, having no choice but to return to St. York.

Even if she had not been injured by Madam Wu, she would still have had to return. After all, such a major incident had just occurred in St. York. As Chairman of the City Council, she could not evade responsibility.

Upon returning, she had to face not only Joseph’s interrogation but also pressure from the minority faction led by Leopold.

With no pursuers left, Madam Wu headed to meet Qi Xuansu.

Of course, Qi Xuansu also sensed that the Evangelical Ministry was gradually tightening its net. Evading one inspection did not mean he was safe. They would conduct repeated checks, narrowing the scope until they pinpointed the target.

The closer Qi Xuansu got to San Antonio, the harder it became to conceal his identity. However, he was not afraid. The Western Daoist Order’s decision to act was both a disadvantage and an advantage. The drawback was that it went against his original purpose for coming to the New Continent. But the benefit was that, with the Western Daoist Order sending forces deep into the New Continent, they would inevitably station troops at the borders for support. The closer Qi Xuansu got to the border, the closer he was to his own people.

San Antonio was the nearest major city to the boundary between the North and South. This was advantageous for Qi Xuansu because if any conflict broke out, the Western Daoist Order’s forces could arrive quickly.

In any case, the Western Daoist Order still depended on the Daoist Order and would not allow Qi Xuansu, a special envoy of Jade Capital, to die in the New Continent.

In a sense, at Qi Xuansu’s current position, and given the complex web of relationships surrounding him, he had already become part of the Daoist high command. In fact, he was even closer to commanding the Daoist Order than an Omniscient Sage like Wang Jiaohe.

If Qi Xuansu were from an ordinary family, his family might cry or make a fuss, but a simple consolation would suffice.

However, Qi Xuansu’s family was Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu, who were no ordinary dependents to be brushed aside. They each wielded considerable influence and stood independently. So if they were to demand accountability, no one could easily fool them.

The Daoist Order also valued unity. Actions that harmed unity must be avoided, and such matters could not simply be suppressed by force, as that would undermine cohesion.

Moreover, if Qi Xuansu died, both Sage Qingwei and Sage Donghua would be compelled, morally and logically, to step forward and demand accountability, to uphold justice.

In addition, Sage Cihang could be considered Qi Xuansu’s mother-in-law. With the Three Daoist Heirs unified in their stance, the three elders above them would find it difficult to oppose.

This would lead to a financial cost, and on a massive scale, which was something the Western Daoist Order did not wish to see.

Therefore, the Western Daoist Order must ensure Qi Xuansu’s safety. This was an unquestionable prerequisite.

Qi Xuansu also did not act recklessly because he had judged the situation precisely.