A Pawn's Passage

Why did an Immortal suddenly launch a sneak attack? Surely, it was not intended to kill Qi Xuansu.

If Qi Xuansu were killed, the repercussions would be enormous because he was now a prominent figure within the Daoist Order. It would trigger a tremendous retaliation.

Whether it was the Heavenly Preceptor, Sage Donghua, Great Sage Jiang, Zhang Yuelu, or Madam Qi, none of them would let the matter rest. Even setting personal feelings aside and speaking only of interests, so many people had invested tremendous resources into Qi Xuansu. What he carried was no longer the hopes and efforts of a single individual. If he were to die just like that, all the previous investments would be wasted, and their future plans would come to a halt. How could they possibly let such a matter go? This was something they simply could not overlook.

Moreover, the attempt simply would not succeed because Qi Xuansu was only a single step away from becoming a Pseudo-Immortal. If that Immortal had appeared in person, Qi Xuansu would certainly not have survived. But this Immortal had never even shown themself and only launched a sneak attack from who knew how far away? That was still insufficient to kill Qi Xuansu.

Surely the reason could not be that someone simply disliked Qi Xuansu and decided to stab him for fun.

Could it be a warning?

Qi Xuansu thought it over carefully. During this period, he had not really offended anyone, aside from Li Tianlan. Besides, Zhang Jucheng had been involved in that matter as well.

Though Qi Xuansu did intend to bring down Li Minghuang, he had yet to put that plan into action. Beyond that, he had only been contending with the Holy Court and the various native powers of the Southern Continent. Those were the people he had offended. It was most likely not someone from the Daoist Order warning him.

Even if it was someone from the Daoist Order, the Li family certainly had both the confidence and the motive to kill Qi Xuansu outright. There was no such thing as issuing a warning first.

“A flying dagger...” Qi Xuansu fell into deep thought.

Perhaps he had forgotten someone.

Yao Pei excelled at using flying daggers. She also practiced the Heavenly Blade. However, the threshold for mastering the Heavenly Blade was so high that there was no way Yao Pei could have figured it out on her own. There had to have been someone to guide her. In the past, Qi Xuansu would certainly have assumed it was the Earthly Preceptor. But upon closer consideration, the Earthly Preceptor’s lineage originated from the Ancient Wuist Sect and Elder Xu, with no connection whatsoever with the Great Xuan imperial family.

Although the Daoist Order had already made all cultivation methods and divine abilities publicly available, so that there was ostensibly no distinction between sects, there were still differences when it came to having a guide or mentor.

For example, Elder Li had developed the ultimate swordsmanship, so the Holy Xuan, Donghuang, and the Taiping Sect had become the best in that area. Though others outside the Taiping Sect could also study it, they did not have teachers as capable as those in the Taiping Sect. The same was true for the Zhang family’s thunder techniques.

The Taishang Emotionless Sutra that Yao Pei cultivated was most likely the original version that had not been modified by the Holy Xuan. As such, it was more difficult, making the guidance of a mentor absolutely indispensable. But there was no one like that in the Quanzhen Sect.

However, Qi Xuansu quickly rejected that line of thought. There actually was one—the Zhou family.

When the Holy Xuan abolished the Qingping Society, Zhou Shuning, the first-generation Qingping Melody, did not oppose the decision. However, her son Shen Qingchen was deeply dissatisfied with it. Since the Taiping Sect did not support Shen Qingchen, he colluded with the third-generation Earth Preceptor to rebuild the Qingping Society. To gain legitimacy over the Qingping Society, Shen Qingchen changed his last name to Zhou, becoming Zhou Qingchen and the second-generation Qingping Melody. This was the origin of the Zhou family, which was effectively a betrayal of both the Shen family and the Taiping Sect.

Whether it was Zhou Shuning or Shen Changsheng, either of them could have inherited the Heavenly Blade from the Holy Xuan’s wife.

Everything was starting to make sense.

Was Zhou Mengyao hiding behind the scenes all this time? Had she come to the Southern Continent to strike Qi Xuansu with a flying dagger to announce her arrival?

But that did not fit her style. Although Qi Xuansu had never seen Zhou Mengyao’s true face, he had spent a considerable amount of time with “Qi Haoran” without detecting the slightest flaw. In fact, many people did not even know Zhou Mengyao existed. It was clear that she was an exceptionally low-profile and cautious individual. Even if Zhou Mengyao intended to deal with Qi Xuansu, she would surely prefer that he remain completely unaware of her existence. Why would she deliberately reveal her traces and put him on guard? Wouldn’t that merely alert him?

Qi Xuansu could not quite make sense of it.

Utu had already begun advising him. “Sage Qi, with such a formidable enemy nearby, we should return to New Xijing first and discuss our next move at length.”

Qi Xuansu did not respond to him. Instead, he took out the Cloud Message.

Utu immediately understood that Qi Xuansu intended to contact someone from the Daoist Order. It could be one of Qi Xuansu’s elders or perhaps his master, the man most likely to become the next Grand Master. Judging from this, Utu guessed that this formidable enemy was very likely someone from the Daoist Order.

Utu suddenly felt as though he had understood everything. It turned out this was simply infighting.

Having figured this out, Utu tactfully stepped aside, keeping watch for Qi Xuansu.

However, Qi Xuansu did not contact the Sage Donghua, nor did he contact Great Sage Jiang. Instead, he contacted Madam Qi.

“What is it this time? Are you ever going to stop? Why are you contacting me every other day? You’re about to become a married man, and yet you’re still—” There was a trace of impatience in Madam Qi’s voice.

She and Qi Xuansu had never been capable of putting on the act of a deeply affectionate mother and son, and from time to time, they found each other rather annoying.

Qi Xuansu said nothing. He simply held up the flying dagger in his hand.

Madam Qi’s voice stopped abruptly, and the expression on her face gradually changed.

“Where did you get that?” Madam Qi’s tone had turned serious, her usual carefree demeanor completely gone.

Only then did Qi Xuansu speak. “I just pulled it out of my forehead.”

Madam Qi fell silent for a moment before scoffing. “That damned woman...”

Qi Xuansu said, “I know there are some things that are difficult for you to talk about, Madam Qi, so I won’t force the issue. Just bring Little Yin here. I have something I want to ask her.”

Madam Qi glanced at Qi Xuansu without saying a word, then went to fetch Little Yin.

Before long, Little Yin came skipping over. “What’s up?”

Madam Qi did not appear on screen.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Little Yin, how have you been lately?”

Little Yin replied loudly, “Life here is wonderful!”

There was no helping it. Madam Qi was rich, and the happiness that wealth could bring was beyond Qi Xuansu’s imagination.

Qi Xuansu smiled. “So wonderful that you’ve forgotten all about home, huh?”

Little Yin sighed with emotion. “No wonder everyone wants to go to Jiangnan. It’s amazing here! The food is good, and the entertainment is fun. I even sleep better here!”

Qi Xuansu said, “Since Jiangnan is so wonderful, did you happen to meet anyone during your time there?”

Little Yin tilted her head and thought for a moment. “I didn’t really meet anyone.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “No interesting people or events at all?”

Little Yin pondered seriously again. “Oh, right. Madam Qi once ran into a strange person.”

“What kind of strange person?” Qi Xuansu hurriedly asked.

Little Yin replied, “An odd woman wearing a huge veiled hat. She said a lot of strange things.”

Qi Xuansu’s heart stirred. He continued, “What exactly did she say?”

Little Yin said, “That woman asked Madam Qi whether she had treated Madam Qi too well, to the point that Madam Qi no longer took her seriously. Madam Qi said she wasn’t afraid of her. The woman didn’t say much after that. It seemed like Madam Qi had some sort of leverage over her. That woman also took out a little booklet and demanded an explanation from Madam Qi. The two of them talked for quite a while after that, and I think they even mentioned you.”

Qi Xuansu became interested. “Oh? They did? What did they say?”

Little Yin rolled her eyes upward in thought. “I can’t remember clearly. Something about really raising you as a son, your wings hardening after you grew up, then marrying a wife and forgetting your mother...things like that...”

Qi Xuansu gestured for her to stop. “Get to the important part.”

Little Yin said, “Right. That woman said that they were supposed to bind you with gratitude according to the plan they had originally agreed upon. She was originally meant to become your adoptive mother. She could have completed the entire scheme without leaving the slightest flaw by herself, but Madam Qi had volunteered to be your adoptive mother instead. So the woman gave up that role to Madam Qi and disguised herself as your master.

“Madam Qi said that you’re a good child. That woman seemed very angry and demanded to know what happened to her plan. At that point, Madam Qi started calling the woman Old Zhou, and she also mentioned Old Zhang. She said Old Zhang had a strange temperament, was stubborn, difficult to reason with, and always clung to rigid principles. Madam Qi said that she helped Old Zhou by becoming your adoptive mother and suffering on her behalf. If Old Zhou had been your adoptive mother, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to put up with Old Zhang. Actually, I think what Madam Qi said made a lot of sense. Old Zhang really is like that. She’s strange...”

Qi Xuansu shot Little Yin a glare. “Stay on topic.”

Little Yin pouted before continuing, “Then Old Zhou got really angry and said this matter wasn’t over and that they’d just have to wait and see. Madam Qi told Old Zhou to go ahead and do whatever she was capable of. Old Qi, why are you people still playing house at your age? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Qi Xuansu ignored Little Yin’s teasing and sank into deep thought.

Although Little Yin’s account was rather jumbled, Qi Xuansu understood the general picture. This Old Zhou must be Zhou Mengyao. She had met with Madam Qi and confronted her face-to-face. The plan she referred to was probably very close to what Qi Xuansu had already suspected.

In the end, Zhou Mengyao’s threat to wait and see was not the empty rage of someone powerless to act. It was a promise that she intended to carry through.

Judging from Madam Qi’s reaction when she saw that flying dagger, Qi Xuansu figured that it was undoubtedly from Zhou Mengyao.

It seemed that Madam Qi had deliberately brought Little Yin along to meet Zhou Mengyao. Though she could not speak about Zhou Mengyao, Little Yin could.

So Qi Xuansu put on a stern face and said, “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”

Little Yin scratched her head. “I forgot.”

Qi Xuansu said helplessly, “Do you know you almost caused a major problem? I need to make sure you remember this lesson.”

Little Yin said aggrievedly, “How was I supposed to know? None of you ever said I had to tell you.”

Seeing Little Yin’s expression, Qi Xuansu softened again. “Fine. I originally planned to tell Old Zhang that you were speaking badly about her as punishment, but I’ve changed my mind. I won’t tell Old Zhang. I’ll keep it a secret for you. But don’t let this happen again.”

Little Yin immediately brightened up, patting her chest as she promised, “If anything like this happens again in the future, I’ll report it to you immediately.”

Qi Xuansu casually comforted Little Yin before ending the conversation.

Utu immediately came over and asked, “Sage Qi, are we going back to New Xijing?”

Qi Xuansu glanced again at the flying dagger in his hand. “No need. It’s not some powerful enemy, just a joke from an old acquaintance.”

Utu breathed a sigh of relief. I knew it. It’s all internal strife.

However, to be safe, Utu still asked, “May I ask...which old acquaintance?”

Qi Xuansu replied indifferently, “My first master. She probably felt unhappy after seeing me become Sage Donghua’s disciple, so she came to make things difficult for me again.”