A Pawn's Passage

The affair between the female subordinate and Lin Bufan was hardly a secret. Quite a few people knew about it. They had simply kept it hidden from Miss Gong.

Now the female subordinate was escorted inside by two burly women, one supporting each arm.

Even the slowest-witted person could now see what was going on.

This time, Miss Gong’s eyes truly turned red, not with tears, but with a murderous intent.

At last, Miss Gong could no longer contain herself. She whipped around to glare at Lin Bufan and shouted, “Lin Bufan! What the hell is going on here?”

Lin Bufan hurriedly explained, “My dear, don’t misunderstand! Someone is clearly trying to frame me. That’s why all of this has happened.”

Miss Gong narrowed her phoenix eyes, with murderous intent radiating from them. “Lin Bufan, flies don’t buzz around an uncracked egg. If you hadn’t done anything wrong, how could anyone possibly frame you like this?”

There were certainly ways to frame people in this world. However, such tactics rarely worked against the upper echelons of the Daoist Order, especially regarding matters of personal conduct. Once such accusations reached the proper channels, they would be investigated thoroughly. What mattered was whether one had done it.

So Miss Gong’s reasoning was not without merit. Had Lin Bufan truly been innocent, then even with Qi Xuansu’s methods, he would never have been able to pin this on Lin Bufan.

Qi Xuansu himself was a perfect example. Many people had tried to attack him through rumors involving women, yet none had ever managed to truly damage his reputation.

Zhang Wuyue remarked, “Miss Gong isn’t so easy to fool.”

Qi Xuansu was still in the mood to joke. “Tian Zhong, the young ladies of the Western Daoist Order are generally quite traditional, unlike the female Daoists of the Daoist Order, who are more independent. If you happen to fall for a young lady from the Western Daoist Order, just let me know. I’ll personally propose to her family on your behalf. Or I can ask Sage Tantai to introduce you to a few. They’re all from distinguished families, so it’ll be a perfect match.”

Zhang Wuyue coughed awkwardly. “Brother-in-law... I haven’t actually broken things off with her yet.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Why keep a woman like that around? If you’re embarrassed to do it yourself, I’ll have someone inform her on your behalf. Don’t worry about her going around slandering your name. Your cousin has quite a few female Daoist friends. When dealing with female Daoists, it’s best to have other female Daoists handle it. That way, no one can find fault with the approach.”

Zhang Wuyue quickly said, “Thank you, Brother-in-law, but I’d rather tell her myself.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “That’s your choice. Just don’t drag it out. One should always cut ties cleanly when it’s time.”

While the two were talking, the fourth group arrived.

This time, it was a Tawantin noblewoman.

This noblewoman was bolder than the previous three. At the very least, she dared to speak. The moment she entered, she threw herself toward Lin Bufan. With so many eyes watching, Lin Bufan naturally did not dare silence her by force, so he merely sidestepped.

Failing to fall into his arms, the woman collapsed onto the ground instead, grabbing a corner of his robe as she sobbed, “How could you be so heartless? You never came to see me, and I kept waiting for you all this time.”

Miss Gong’s hands clenched into tight fists under her sleeves, her fingernails digging so deeply into her palms that they nearly pierced the flesh.

To her, the damage to her marriage was secondary. The real catastrophe was the public humiliation.

Just as Hun Chowen had once said about Huangfu Ji, even if a woman betrayed Huangfu Ji, he would not be heartbroken. He would only be enraged, because what he had lost was his dignity. Personal feelings were of little importance.

All these distinguished guests now knew that Miss Gong had been cuckolded by her matrilocal husband. How was she supposed to hold her head high after this? How could she ever face anyone again?

For a woman of Miss Gong’s standing, in a marriage where the husband had married into her family, taking lovers herself was not considered shameful. She could even boast about it among her close friends. But being cheated on by her own husband was the ultimate humiliation.

It was morally questionable, yet it was an undeniable reality.

Qi Xuansu’s scheme had undoubtedly offended Miss Gong deeply, but he did not care. As long as he could provide Great Sage Gong with an explanation that satisfied him, there would be no major consequences.

Besides, Tantai Ying was sharing part of the resentment. Qi Xuansu would deal with Great Sage Gong, while Tantai Ying would handle Miss Gong. They each had their respective roles.

Soon, the fifth group arrived.

This time, it was a female Spirit Guard.

However, the female Spirit Guard had already been stripped of her Spirit Guard armor and looked rather disheveled, as though she had suffered a bit along the way.

This, too, had been done deliberately by the people of Juesheng Hall.

The moment she saw Lin Bufan, she grabbed hold of him and burst into loud sobs, pouring out her grievances and begging him to stand up for her.

Lin Bufan flung his sleeve, shoved the female Spirit Guard aside, and tried to take Miss Gong’s hand so he could explain everything calmly.

Miss Gong likewise flung her sleeve, refusing to let Lin Bufan touch her. She let out a cold laugh and said, “Is there anyone else? Why don’t they all come out at once?”

Lin Bufan’s expression changed. “My dear...”

Grinding her teeth, Miss Gong let out a sinister laugh. “What is destined to come will come. I’d like to see just how many ‘good deeds’ you’ve been doing behind my back!”

Hearing those words, Lin Bufan felt a chill run through his entire body. It was as though he were waiting for execution, every moment agonizing.

He wanted to shout, “Just get it over with already! Stop torturing me like this. I would forever be grateful for the mercy.”

The final group was naturally the most devastating, the last straw that would break the camel’s back.

It was another young lady of the Gong family.

Naturally, this Miss Gong could not compare with the eldest Miss Gong. She came from a minor branch of the Gong family and had just turned 20 this year.

This was the true finishing move in Tantai Ying’s carefully laid trap.

Miss Gong certainly had not come of her own free will, but as before, whether she came or not was not her decision to make.

The moment this younger Miss Gong entered, no matter how composed Miss Gong normally was, her emotional defenses finally collapsed.

Overcome with fury, Miss Gong laughed instead. “Good... Very good... Excellent...”

Tantai Ying, who had been watching from the sidelines all this time, finally stepped forward and demanded, “Who exactly are you people?”

The Tawantin noblewoman appeared to have already struck a deal with the Juesheng Hall cooperated readily. “We belong to Second Deputy Lin.”

Tantai Ying asked, “You claim to have had an affair with Second Deputy Lin. Do you have any proof?”

The Tawantin noblewoman immediately revealed several of Lin Bufan’s private secrets.

The other guests had no way of knowing whether those intimate details were true, but Miss Gong, who shared his bed, knew perfectly well. At last, she could no longer endure it and slapped Lin Bufan hard across the face.

Although Lin Bufan’s cultivation level surpassed Miss Gong’s, he did not dare retaliate in the slightest and simply endured the slap.

Tantai Ying likewise put on a look of righteous indignation, pointing at Lin Bufan as she rebuked, “Lin Bufan, how dare you?!”

Qi Xuansu finally rose to his feet. “That’s enough.”

Standing beside Qi Xuansu, Zhang Wuyue found himself filled with complicated emotions.

Qi Xuansu said, “Tian Zhong, remember this. If one day, you become a successful merchant, you must never cross the line. Only by being without desire can one remain unyielding. As long as you do nothing wrong and give no one leverage over you, your cousin and I will protect you. So long as we remain standing, no one will be able to touch you. But if you fail to uphold that standard and allow others to seize evidence against you, there will be times when even we won’t be able to save you.”

Zhang Wuyue’s expression turned solemn as he humbly accepted the lesson. “Yes, Brother-in-law.”

Meanwhile, events continued unfolding exactly according to the script Qi Xuansu and Tantai Ying had prepared beforehand. Miss Gong flew into a rage and, in a fit of anger, declared that Lin Bufan was no longer a member of the Gong family before storming out.

Many of the guests also began leaving one after another.

Lin Bufan attempted to chase after Miss Gong, but Tantai Ying blocked his path.

Tantai Ying said, “Lin Bufan, come with me. You need to answer some questions regarding this matter.”

Naturally, Lin Bufan refused to submit and chose to fight his way out.

In terms of cultivation, Lin Bufan and Tantai Ying were evenly matched. Although Tantai Ying had brought plenty of subordinates and could certainly subdue him, doing so would create an enormous commotion that could easily spiral out of control.

That was precisely why Qi Xuansu had come in person.

Qi Xuansu was fully capable of suppressing Lin Bufan outright.

Zhang Wuyue only saw a blur before his eyes. Qi Xuansu, who was standing beside him a second ago, had already vanished.

With a mere flicker of movement, Qi Xuansu appeared beside Lin Bufan and struck out with a palm.

Lin Bufan immediately felt the crushing force of Qi Xuansu’s palm strike descending upon him like a towering mountain, so overwhelming that it nearly suffocated him. Shocked, he hurriedly raised his own palm to block the strike.

Before their palms could collide, Qi Xuansu employed the Manly Immortal Hundred Forms, transforming his palm into claws that seized Lin Bufan’s wrist.

Just as Lin Bufan was about to struggle free, he suddenly felt a burst of warmth in his wrist, as though something had seeped into his body.

Before Lin Bufan had time to think it through, Qi Xuansu had already released his wrist and thrust a finger toward Lin Bufan’s chest.

Lin Bufan could only sweep his forearm across to block the attack.

The two engaged in fierce combat. Lin Bufan found that every move and technique Qi Xuansu employed carried overwhelming power and was exceedingly difficult to defend against. Unless he used his full strength to resist, defeat was inevitable. For the moment, Lin Bufan could think only of preserving himself, so he unleashed everything he had learned over the course of his life.

Even so, Lin Bufan was still no match for Qi Xuansu. In fewer than ten exchanges, he suddenly felt a strange flame surge through his body. Though it was not as deadly as yin fire, it was bizarre in its ability to dissolve his cultivation. In an instant, he found himself completely unable to fight back.

This was none other than the demonic fire that Qi Xuansu had obtained from Izanagi, which was no less formidable than Zhang Yuelu’s Xiaoyao Six Void Tribulations. With Qi Xuansu using his superior cultivation to overwhelm a weaker opponent, Lin Bufan had no means of resisting and was immediately reduced to a helpless captive.

Qi Xuansu then withdrew his hand and calmly returned to Zhang Wuyue’s side as though nothing had happened.

Tantai Ying stepped forward to restrain Lin Bufan before signaling her subordinates to escort all his lovers back to assist with the investigation.

This was Zhang Wuyue’s first time witnessing Qi Xuansu fight. Although there were no earth-shattering displays of power, Zhang Wuyue understood that true mastery was revealed within the smallest of spaces. Lin Bufan was, at the very least, a Wuliang-stage cultivator, yet Qi Xuansu subdued him with effortless ease. It was obvious that Qi Xuansu was far beyond an ordinary Zaohua-stage cultivator.

In terms of cultivation, his brother-in-law was probably even stronger than Zhang Yuelu. If the two were to fight, his cousin would most likely lose. Only Lin Yuanmiao, who was Zhang Yuelu’s bodyguard, could probably defeat Qi Xuansu. However, Zhang Wuyue also knew that Qi Xuansu had an expert named Madam Wu by his side, so in terms of supporting personnel, he was no weaker than Zhang Yuelu. Even comparing their masters, could Sage Cihang truly defeat Sage Donghua? That was hard to say, considering Sage Donghua was the Chief Omniscient Sage.

Zhang Wuyue’s awe and respect for this brother-in-law grew even deeper.