A Pawn's Passage

Hearing this, Utu could not help but sigh with emotion. No wonder Sage Qi had attained such a level of cultivation at such a young age. How blessed does one have to be to be taught by two masters who were both Immortals?

Since they were Daoist Immortals, they were at the very least a Virtuous Great Sage.

But Sage Qi’s first master seemed rather dissatisfied with his decision to become a disciple of the Sage Donghua, so she had given him a small lesson.

The twists and turns behind the matter were not something outsiders could possibly comprehend.

Qi Xuansu put away the flying dagger and asked, “How are things in the village?”

His attention had been completely drawn away by Zhou Mengyao’s flying dagger, leaving him with no time to observe what had been happening on Utu’s side.

Utu hurriedly replied, “Apart from one who escaped, all of the humanoid insects have been eliminated. I have already made proper arrangements for those who had not yet been implanted with insect eggs.”

Qi Xuansu nodded, still pondering the matter concerning Zhou Mengyao.

That strike had been unpredictable and exquisitely executed, but its power had been lacking. Had Zhou Mengyao deliberately held back, or was she already at the end of her strength, like a spent crossbow whose bolt could no longer pierce even thin silk?

If it was the former, then it became a question of motive. It might have been a warning, yet that contradicted Zhou Mengyao’s style. She was not the sort of person to alert her enemies without reason. If Madam Qi had not been an insider, Qi Xuansu would still have no idea that Zhou Mengyao even existed. Why would someone like her suddenly issue him a warning for no apparent reason? It simply did not make sense.

If it was the latter, then it meant Zhou Mengyao was nowhere nearby. But that gave rise to another question. If she was not nearby, how had she managed to lock onto Qi Xuansu? Had she perhaps left behind a trap around the village so that when Qi Xuansu arrived and triggered it, she could strike from afar?

Even so, something still did not add up. At such great distances, even an immortal would find it difficult to directly kill a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being in a single strike. Only curses employing a person’s birth details or bodily materials like hair and blood could truly ignore distance.

Then what had been the point of Zhou Mengyao making her move?

With that thought in mind, Qi Xuansu said, “Utu, inspect the surrounding area. See if there are any traces of formations or traps, especially anything connected to the Daoist Order.”

Utu froze for a moment before immediately understanding Qi Xuansu’s intention. Although he was not a member of the Daoist Order, once one became a Pseudo-Immortal, many techniques ultimately operated on similar principles. Utu might not know how to employ the Daoist Order’s methods, but it would not be difficult to recognize them.

The two split up and began searching separately.

They used the same method as before, inspecting every single plot of land, leaving no place unchecked.

After roughly four hours, Utu discovered traces of a triggered formation about 1.5 kilometers east of where Qi Xuansu had been attacked.

The formation was only about the size of a cartwheel and had been carved into the back of a large tree. Once triggered, it began gradually dissipating. Had Qi Xuansu and Utu failed to find it, it would have completely vanished without the slightest trace.

Based on what remained of the formation, Qi Xuansu and Utu studied it and were able to determine that the formation itself had no offensive mechanism. Its primary purpose was to serve as an alarm, covering the entire village as well as part of its surrounding area. Qi Xuansu had not triggered the warning formation. Rather, it was likely Utu’s gigantic Spiritual Statue that activated it.

The divine sense embedded within the formation then swiftly swept across the entire area. After confirming Qi Xuansu’s presence, Zhou Mengyao immediately sensed it and launched a flying dagger that struck Qi Xuansu squarely in the forehead.

The timing matched perfectly. Qi Xuansu was attacked only after Utu had departed, creating the illusion that someone had been lying in ambush nearby, waiting for Utu to leave before striking. In reality, it was Utu’s actions that had triggered the formation, allowing Zhou Mengyao to discover Qi Xuansu’s presence.

Qi Xuansu watched as the last traces of the formation completely faded away, quietly contemplating the matter.

Judging from the style of the formation, it was almost certainly Zhou Mengyao’s handiwork. From this, it could be concluded that she had once visited this village. She believed Qi Xuansu would very likely come here, but she could not determine exactly when. Perhaps she lacked the time or the patience. In any case, rather than waiting here in ambush, she left behind this formation instead.

After all, she had once been Qi Xuansu’s master, so she understood him well, making it easy for her to anticipate his actions.

It was also possible that Zhou Mengyao had visited every humanoid insect village, leaving behind similar formations in each one. As long as Qi Xuansu took action against the humanoid insects, he was bound to trigger one eventually.

For an Immortal, personally searching for humanoid insect strongholds was hardly difficult. As long as they were willing to devote the time and effort, any Immortal could accomplish it. The issue was that other Immortals simply would not bother. Had it not been because of Qi Xuansu, Zhou Mengyao would have had no interest in doing such work either. Once someone occupied a position of great authority, they were less likely to handle every trivial matter. Otherwise, what was the point of wielding such power? Minor tasks like these were better left to subordinates as training for the younger generation.

The reason Zhou Mengyao did not go directly to New Xijing or New Paititi to find Qi Xuansu was that she would have been too easily discovered.

Qi Xuansu was not a lone wanderer of the Jianghu. He was one of the Daoist Order’s carefully groomed successors, so it was only natural that he was constantly surrounded by others. Among them were Pseudo-Immortals such as Utu and Hun Ahau, who were by no means weak.

The moment any significant disturbance arose, the other Immortals would intervene.

New Xijing was the stronghold of the Western Daoist Order. Tantai Zhenxiao preferred to remain at Danxiu Mountain, while Gong Fu was generally stationed in New Xijing. Meanwhile, New Paititi was the stronghold of the ancient gods. Unlike Kukulkan, Ixchel had not fallen into slumber and was quite possibly watching everything happening in New Paititi at all times. Even if Ixchel could not descend in person, the combined strength of the ancient gods’ chosen servants and incarnations was not to be underestimated.

Moreover, Qi Xuansu himself was not a helpless child incapable of fighting back. Under such circumstances, it would have been extremely difficult for Zhou Mengyao to do anything to him.

Earlier still, Qi Xuansu had traveled to the Northern Continent, but at that time, Zhou Mengyao had yet to free up her hands, nor had she revealed everything to Madam Qi.

Thus, it made perfect sense that Zhou Mengyao could only make her move after Qi Xuansu had left New Paititi and New Xijing.

Only one final question remained. What exactly did Zhou Mengyao intend to do by throwing that flying dagger?

Out of habit, Qi Xuansu reached up to pinch his forehead, the very spot where the flying dagger had struck him.

Then he realized that something was wrong. There was a tiny scar there.

Ordinarily, a scar left by a wound would not be unusual. But a scar on a Martial Arts Practitioner was highly abnormal. Back when Qi Xuansu had his hand severed, he had grown another one without leaving the slightest scar. He had suffered countless injuries over the years, yet each time, his flesh regenerated. His body was always restored to its original state without blemish.

This time, a scar had remained and stubbornly refused to disappear.

Qi Xuansu suddenly lengthened his fingernails, which became as sharp as blades. He slowly sliced open the scar, making it resemble a blood-red vertical eye, then examined it with a mirror.

A faint, elusive aura swirled inside, gathering and dispersing without ceasing. Within it, he could discern the outline of a talismanic pattern.

Seeing this, Utu immediately understood what it meant. His expression turned grave as he said, “This appears to be a mark. If that’s the case, your master will be able to pinpoint your exact location, Sage Qi.”

Locking onto Qi Xuansu through the formation had only been temporary. A mark branded directly onto his body could last indefinitely.

This way, Zhou Mengyao would be able to track Qi Xuansu’s exact movements and surprise him at some completely unexpected moment.

Now everything made sense.

Zhou Mengyao’s flying dagger had never been meant to kill, nor was it intended as a warning. Its sole purpose had been to tag Qi Xuansu. After all, the Southern Continent was vast, and Qi Xuansu’s whereabouts were unpredictable. Trying to locate him by conventional means would have been extremely troublesome.

Fortunately, Qi Xuansu had reacted quickly enough. Through Little Yin, he confirmed Zhou Mengyao’s identity, and with a small stroke of luck, he was able to see through Zhou Mengyao’s true intentions.

In the first exchange between the former master-and-disciple pair, Qi Xuansu had managed to avoid suffering too much of a disadvantage.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Is there any way to remove it?”

Utu examined it carefully for a moment before replying with a troubled expression, “The Moon Queen can certainly remove it. Why don’t we head back and ask the Moon Queen to get rid of this mark?”

In Utu’s view, the humanoid insects were not a big deal. Even if he handled it perfectly, he would gain little from it. But if something happened to Sage Qi, he would have to take responsibility for it, potentially even becoming the scapegoat. The Moon Queen and the Western Daoist Order would very well hand him over to the Daoist Order as an explanation.

Though Utu was regarded as an important figure by many, in the eyes of the Daoist Order, especially its upper echelons, he was merely a minor character. After all, both Itzamna and Kukulkan were dead. What was a mere chosen servant worth by comparison?

Thus, Utu adopted a very humble attitude, hoping Qi Xuansu would put his own safety first.

But that was not what Qi Xuansu was thinking. Was he supposed to retreat into his shell like a turtle just because Zhou Mengyao had frightened him? If so, how was he supposed to accomplish anything in the future?

Was he to remain a coward for as long as Zhou Mengyao remained alive?

Then what was the point of talking about becoming the Grand Master and leading the Daoist Order?

The fundamental solution to this was for Qi Xuansu to raise his cultivation level. Once he became a Pseudo-Immortal, he would at least have some ability to fight back. Upon becoming an Immortal, he would have nothing left to fear. In fact, by then, he would welcome Zhou Mengyao coming to him so that he could kill her with his own hands.

The problem was that Qi Xuansu was still a considerable distance away from becoming an Immortal. He could not remain in hiding forever, and he needed to find a way to make Zhou Mengyao pay a painful price, enough to make her think twice before touching him again.

Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before saying, “It’s fine. It’s only a minor issue. There’s no need to make such a huge fuss over it.”

Utu opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately held his tongue.

Of course, Qi Xuansu had no intention of gambling with his own life. If Zhou Mengyao became enraged and truly decided to kill him, he would have some means of dealing with it.

As it happened, Qi Xuansu did have a solution. He still had the Moon in Water left behind by Madam Wu, through which he could request the assistance of Great Sage Jiang. Since this incident had taken place within the Paititi pocket realm, Zhou Mengyao was unlikely to know about it.

If Qi Xuansu planned everything carefully, using himself as the chess piece and personally stepping onto the board, then he could possibly gain a slight advantage even in a game against an Immortal.