A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu arrived at the Temple District once again, this time without even bringing any attendants, displaying complete confidence.

After all, Qi Xuansu had seen his fair share of battles. He had even gone to Mount Suzuka and Yomi-no-Kuni alone. Why would he fear something like this? When the Imperial Preceptor ventured deep into Ise-jingu, he had not brought attendants either. It was just him and a sword.

Tantai Ying, Hun Ahau, and the others remained outside, commanding the Spirit Guards and maintaining strict vigilance against any unexpected developments. Their primary concern was someone attempting to lure Qi Xuansu away while striking elsewhere.

On the other side, Manu Tancha arrived with much fanfare, accompanied by the Palace Guard Commander, the Chief Chamberlain, and numerous other guards. However, Unulatu and her confidant, Maranga, did not appear.

As the host, the High Priest of the Sun Temple personally welcomed the two men.

The High Priest stood in the middle with his back to the entrance of the temple gates, extending one arm to each side in a welcoming gesture. Qi Xuansu and Manu Tancha stood on either side of him, facing one another with the temple gate at their backs.

“Your Majesty.” Qi Xuansu used an honorific title, though coming from his mouth, it sounded somewhat mocking. “We meet again.”

Manu Tancha’s expression was solemn. “I have finally experienced your methods firsthand, Sage Qi.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Everything I have done is for the sake of stability. Your Majesty, do you not care about your daughter’s safety?”

Had Qi Xuansu not mentioned Huangfu Xi, things might have been fine. But the moment he did, Manu Tancha made no effort to conceal his anger. “Is she still my daughter? She is the Huangfu family’s daughter now, isn’t she?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Whose daughter she is does not justify attempting to assassinate her. The entire Princess Residence was massacred. How many lives were lost? If such things could happen right under the nose of the Emperor, what are the conditions like in places far from New Paititi? Can such a problem be left unresolved?”

Manu Tancha rarely handled state affairs himself, leaving most matters to Unulatu. How could he possibly compare to Qi Xuansu, who had been tempered through countless political debates and council sessions? After only a few exchanges, Qi Xuansu had already left him speechless.

Fortunately, the High Priest of the Sun Temple knew how to smooth things over. At the appropriate moment, he invited the two men inside the temple to continue their discussion.

Qi Xuansu made a gesture of invitation and entered the temple side by side with Manu Tancha.

Back then, Kukulkan had made a promise that, regardless of circumstances, he would protect the Tawantin royal family as repayment for their conversion to his faith.

By all rights, Manu Tancha should have felt as though he were returning home upon entering the Sun Temple. Yet at this moment, it seemed as though Qi Xuansu was the true master of this place.

Since Kukulkan’s primary divine authority had become that of the Sun God, the temple no longer bore any trace of his past Feathered Serpent God style. It was resplendent with gold, as though golden sunlight itself shone within.

The floor of the temple hall was adorned with a massive golden sun emblem. At the far end of the hall, a sun emblem was mounted on the wall. It seemed that Kukulkan intended to shed the image of the Feathered Serpent God, which was both his foundation and his limitation. Kukulkan was clearly trying to establish a new image.

The Daoist Order was much the same. In formal settings, the Taiji symbol was used, and the Holy Xuan had explicitly forbidden the construction of statues of himself. Yet some people could never resist building grand spectacles. Even though the Holy Xuan was off-limits, the Primordial Daoist Ancestor had never forbidden such things. Daoists became extremely enthusiastic about erecting statues of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, making them larger and larger over time.

As Qi Xuansu walked across the enormous sun emblem on the temple floor, he suddenly felt his own insignificance. Looking upward, he had the sensation that some unseen being was gazing down upon him from the shadows.

At this moment, aside from the High Priest, Qi Xuansu, and Manu Tancha, there was no one else inside the temple. Everyone else had withdrawn.

Qi Xuansu withdrew his gaze and continued deeper into the temple. Beneath the sun emblem stood a table and two chairs. Clearly, only Qi Xuansu and Manu Tancha were meant to sit there. This was the site of the negotiations.

Though it was called a negotiation, there was really nothing much to negotiate. This was simply an opportunity for Manu Tancha to stand with the Daoist Order and sincerely repent. If he did so, then his past mistakes could be forgiven. But if he stubbornly refused to change, then Qi Xuansu could not be blamed for executing him.

It was not that they were being denied the right to live. They simply needed to know their limits. How could they enjoy wealth and privilege while refusing to support the Daoist Order that provided said privilege?

Yet Manu Tancha had still not realized this. Sitting across from Qi Xuansu, he had lowered his stance, but he still had not grasped the principal contradiction at the heart of the matter.

“Sage Qi, why must things come to this?” Manu Tancha said earnestly. “My wife and I have never offended you. Why must you press us so relentlessly?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Your Majesty, how is it that you still do not understand at a time like this? This is not a matter of offending me personally. You have not offended me, and I was quite satisfied with your hospitality. This concerns the greater situation. I still hope that Your Majesty will stand on the side of the Daoist Order and take the overall situation into consideration.”

Manu Tancha asked, “What exactly is the overall situation?”

Qi Xuansu said, “I don’t like the theory of treating the world as a chessboard. So in my view, the greater situation is not some vague abstraction, nor is it an excuse. The greater situation means a stable state of affairs, a healthy environment, and a solid foundation, all prepared in advance for future development and construction. Yet now, certain people have created the Shadow Tide, colluded with the humanoid insects, used living humans to cultivate human-faced fruit trees, and secretly formed the Heron Society with sinister intentions.

“These actions disrupt stability, damage the environment, and undermine the foundation. That is what it means to disregard the greater situation. I intend to eliminate these destabilizing factors one by one. I hope that Your Majesty can stand with me, and by extension with the Western Daoist Order and the Daoist Order, to promote the overall peace and stability of the Tawantin Empire and help it embark upon a path of prosperity through development and construction as soon as possible. Now, do you understand what I mean, Your Majesty?”

Within the Daoist Order, there was usually no need to explain things so explicitly. The two words, “greater situation,” were enough to summarize everything. But Qi Xuansu had discovered that Manu Tancha genuinely did not understand, so he could only break it down piece by piece and explain it slowly.

Manu Tancha said, “I have not stopped you from wanting to eliminate destabilizing elements. I also support the Daoist Order and the Western Daoist Order.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Then I ask Your Majesty to hand the Empress over to me. I can guarantee that—”

“No!” Manu Tancha rejected the proposal without a second thought. “The Empress cannot be handed over to you. That is my bottom line.”

Qi Xuansu rose to his feet directly. “Then there is nothing more to discuss. When necessary, I will employ necessary measures. I ask for Your Majesty’s understanding.”

Manu Tancha slammed the table and stood up, but when he spoke, his tone turned weak. “Sage Qi, I beg you. Please do not press me so relentlessly.”

Qi Xuansu replied calmly, “Your Majesty, I am not forcing you. However, you may regard my words as an ultimatum.”

Manu Tancha was filled with pain and helplessness. “Sage Qi, don’t force me...”

Qi Xuansu’s tone grew firmer. “Your Majesty, you were the one who has been forcing yourself into this situation. If you are willing to take a single step back, I can guarantee right now that you will remain the Tawantin Emperor, and no one will replace you.”

Manu Tancha clenched his fists tightly. Veins bulged across the backs of his hands, and his face twisted in anguish. “Sage Qi, Qi Xuansu, I cannot do it. I truly cannot...”

Qi Xuansu’s expression remained calm, his voice indifferent. “I’m sorry, but I must carry out the decisions of the Golden Tower Council. This is my duty and my mission.”

With that, Qi Xuansu turned and walked toward the exit.

Suddenly, Manu Tancha let out a muffled groan and dropped to one knee. The veins on the backs of his hands seemed knotted. “Qi Xuansu, you have gone too far!”

Qi Xuansu stopped walking but said nothing.

Numerous skylights had been built into the ceiling of the Sun Temple, allowing beams of sunlight to stream down.

Where there was light, there would inevitably be shadows.

At some point, the High Priest of the Sun Temple had already retreated into the shadows, standing there in silence.

Qi Xuansu turned around and slowly said, “Your Majesty, this is my final warning to you. Do not lead yourself astray. Taking this step is easy, but taking it back will be exceedingly difficult. One misstep, and there will be no return for all eternity.”

The sunlight streaming through the skylights gradually shifted, and a single beam came to rest upon Manu Tancha.

A phantom figure appeared behind Manu Tancha, slowly solidifying.

This was the protection granted by Kukulkan.

Kukulkan had vowed to protect the Tawantin royal family as repayment for their conversion to his faith.

As emperor, Manu Tancha was the foremost representative of the Tawantin royal family.

Moreover, this was Kukulkan’s central temple.

This beam of sunlight connected directly to Kukulkan’s divine kingdom.

Qi Xuansu clasped his hands behind his back and merely watched in silence. His breath grew scorching hot, like flames, and even the air around him warped from the intense heat.

Manu Tancha grew increasingly tormented. A growl of a beast emerged from his throat. “I didn’t want this. You forced me into it. You can’t blame me...”

Qi Xuansu replied coldly, “Whether you are to blame is not for you to decide.”

Under the sunlight, the phantom behind Manu Tancha fully solidified.

It was a lifelike Feathered Serpent God.

Illusory voices of prayer echoed through the temple. “When Kukulkan arrives, the scorching winds of the sun shall sweep across the land. Ancient power shall govern all things—their lives, their souls, and even their remains. Within the sun lies infinite power. When light and darkness converge, the flames of heaven and earth transform in an instant. The Messenger descends, wielding great power and ruling over all creation. When the Messenger arrives, flames descend upon the earth. The people sing praises. The Messenger who possesses great power shall command the life and death of all things.”

Manu Tancha’s figure gradually vanished within the increasingly radiant and scorching sunlight.

Only the image of the Feathered Serpent God remained, growing ever more real.

The Messenger of Kukulkan—the Feathered Serpent God.

At the same time, a phantom appeared behind Qi Xuansu. It was not a Spiritual Statue, but a multicolored firebird bearing the traits of seven divine birds. It resembled both a phoenix and a vermilion bird.

Qi Xuansu spoke in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, why are you committing treason?”