A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu’s first thought was, Could Su Yuanzai also be a member of the Qingping Society?

Given Su Yuanzai’s status, if he had joined the Qingping Society, he would surely have been one of the six members of the Privy Council, or at the very least a member of the Advisory Council. In that case, Madam Qi would definitely have known about it.

But the Qingping Society was an organization under the Quanzhen Sect, while Su Yuanzai was one of the core members of the Zhengyi Sect. How would that make any sense?

In terms of power and status, Sage Cihang was clearly superior to Zhou Mengyao no matter how one looked at it. There was no reason for Su Yuanzai to ignore the powerful backing of his elder relative just to curry favor with Zhou Mengyao instead. There was absolutely no need for that.

Though Qi Xuansu had also joined the Qingping Society when he was still in the Zhengyi Sect, he had entered it by following Madam Qi. If Madam Qi told him to go east, then east he went. He was simply obeying his mother, not currying favor with Zhou Mengyao.

But if Su Yuanzai was not a member of the Qingping Society, then how had he learned about these matters? Could he have planted a mole within the Qingping Society?

Upon second thought, Su Yuanzai did not necessarily have to learn about this matter through the Qingping Society. He could also have learned the whole story from The Inn. ℯ𝕝.

After all, The Inn was one of the parties directly involved. Su Yuanzai even knew that the Owner had been wounded by Zhou Mengyao. That incident might have happened before Zhou Mengyao wrestled with Qi Xuansu. After all, once their wrestling match was over, Zhou Mengyao had been beheaded and had to keep a low profile, devoting most of her energy to recovering from her injuries. She would hardly have had the energy to stir up more trouble.

Thus, it was not impossible that Su Yuanzai would have some connection to The Inn. Although most of the empresses of the Great Xuan royal family came from the Li family, there had also been empresses from other backgrounds.

Among these empresses who did not come from the Li family, quite a few had originated from the Cihang lineage. The empress of Emperor Gaozu had come from the Cihang lineage. Many princes of the Great Xuan royal family followed suit and had likewise married women from the Cihang lineage. As a result, the Cihang lineage possessed a considerable network of connections within the Imperial Court.

This also made them different from ordinary empress clans, whose rise and fall could hinge entirely upon a single thought of the emperor. Their roots lay in the Cihang lineage, and so long as the Cihang lineage remained prosperous, there was no real question of them falling completely from power. They would always retain a certain degree of influence.

Moreover, this tradition had not begun with the Great Xuan Dynasty. It could even be traced back to the previous Wei Dynasty, when many women of the Cihang lineage had already been active in the Imperial Capital.

There was no need to look far for an example. Shi Bingyun herself came from the Cihang lineage. The fact that she could become involved with Prince Jin, Qin Quanyi, had plenty of historical precedent behind it. This was not some random liaison.

Su Yuanzai’s elder relative, Sage Cihang, was the leader of the Cihang lineage, and those connections would naturally extend to him as well. Perhaps it was through the Cihang lineage’s network that he had infiltrated The Inn and learned of this information.

Clearly, the Innkeeper harbored similar doubts. He said, “Sage Xiaoxiang, you are certainly well-informed.”

Sage Xiaoxiang was Su Yuanzai’s title, which happened to correspond with Xiangzhou.

Su Yuanzai said, “I have no choice but to stay well-informed. After all, when it comes to the affairs of the world, everyone has their people in every camp...”

Just then, a thunderous crash cut Su Yuanzai off, as though even the heavens could no longer stand his voice.

Su Yuanzai and the Innkeeper turned toward the sound.

Bolt after bolt of lightning tore across the sky, displaying the boundless majesty of heaven. Although it could not compare to an Immortal’s heavenly tribulation, it was similar to a demon’s Minor Heavenly Tribulation when taking human form.

Fortunately, these thunderbolts were extremely far away in the distant horizon, so innocent bystanders were not caught in them.

The mist grew thicker and thicker until even the Divine Observation Technique could no longer see through it.

Since he had already been interrupted, Su Yuanzai lost all interest in continuing the conversation. He did not attack outright either. Instead, he said, “The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court are one family to begin with. Since you are acting on behalf of the Imperial Court, I won’t make things difficult for you. Let us each go about our own business.”

The Innkeeper said solemnly, “Sage Xiaoxiang, thanks for understanding our difficulties.”

That said, the Innkeeper understood perfectly well that if he truly obtained what he was after, Su Yuanzai might not remain nearly so accommodating. He might be left to do all the hard work, only for someone else to reap the rewards. Thus, he would have to plan carefully.

Qi Xuansu silently watched from the sidelines. From the fragments of their conversation alone, he could roughly piece together what was happening.

He thought to himself, If I actually stumbled upon one of those legendary hidden pocket realms, was I supposed to kill these people and seize their treasures?

After so many years of the Daoist Order exploring and developing the Central Plains, such hidden cave dwellings had become exceedingly rare. Yet somehow, he had actually managed to encounter one.

Then again, the Yunmeng Marsh had not become mystical overnight. This was probably not Su Yuanzai’s first visit either. Yet Su Yuanzai apparently still had not obtained what he wanted, which suggested that this hidden cave dwelling was no simple place. There was even a chance that one might enter it only to return empty-handed.

Although the Daoist Order possessed countless methods and abundant resources, that did not mean it possessed everything. Thus, hidden cave dwellings like this could still hold plenty of unexpected surprises.

At the same time, Qi Xuansu could not afford to be blindly optimistic. The possibility that this was a trap could not be ruled out, like the Yin Moon on Blue Cloud Island. The Heluo God had laid the trap and forced Qi Xuansu to sign a contract with her.

The fog grew denser, spreading around Su Yuanzai and the Innkeeper and beginning to block all types of perception.

At that very moment, someone else arrived.

The newcomer was wrapped in a large cloak, with a hood pulled over their head, revealing nothing but their chin. Even so, Qi Xuansu still recognized her. It was none other than his dear former master, Zhou Mengyao.

Both Su Yuanzai and the Innkeeper were stunned, clearly not expecting Zhou Mengyao to show up and mess up the situation.

With an Immortal getting involved, how were they supposed to play this game?

Qi Xuansu also grew slightly tense. Fortunately, the mist was becoming increasingly dense, obstructing perception. Coupled with the fact that Zhou Mengyao had yet to recover her full strength, she did not seem to have noticed Qi Xuansu’s presence.

Soon after, Su Yuanzai noticed it was her as well. His expression relaxed slightly as he smiled and said, “Madam Zhou, it’s been a long time. From what I can see, you don’t seem to be in the best of condition.”

Zhou Mengyao said nothing. She merely stood silently upon the lake, her figure rising and falling with the water, displaying no imposing aura whatsoever.

It seemed that not just anyone could get on Zhou Mengyao’s nerves. Her rebellious disciple was apparently an exception.

Receiving no response, Su Yuanzai continued, “Madam Zhou, you are already an Immortal, so why bother fighting over petty gains like this?”

Qi Xuansu could answer on Zhou Mengyao’s behalf.

Under normal circumstances, there would have been nothing wrong with what Su Yuanzai said. Zhou Mengyao naturally would not have bothered joining in such a commotion. But things were different now. After all, Great Sage Jiang had beheaded her, severely depleting her vitality. She needed to find something to replenish herself.

Zhou Mengyao finally spoke. “That has nothing to do with you. For Zhi Sheng’s sake, I won’t stand in your way either. We’ll each go our separate ways and rely on our own methods to get what we want.”

Su Yuanzai had effectively received a guarantee, allowing him to relax somewhat.

Although his cultivation was inferior to Zhou Mengyao’s, he was an Omniscient Sage and a Mansion Master. These identities were the best protection charm, and Zhou Mengyao would not dare do anything too drastic to him. If she truly killed him, the Golden Tower Council would inevitably be enraged, and the entire Daoist Order would be shaken. By then, even the Earthly Preceptor would not be able to protect Zhou Mengyao.

Killing an Omniscient Sage would have far too severe an impact that would no longer qualify as an ordinary rebellion. The Daoist Order would have to respond with overwhelming force because if someone dared to kill an Omniscient Sage, who was to say they would not kill a Virtuous Great Sage next, or even the Grand Master? Such acts could not be tolerated.

This left the Innkeeper looking rather grim. After all, his superior, the Owner, had been wounded by Zhou Mengyao, so there was already bad blood between the two sides. If Zhou Mengyao really decided to kill him, she would not have nearly as many reservations.

Though The Inn was backed by the Imperial Court and even the Emperor, the Innkeeper could not compare to an Omniscient Sage. The two situations were completely different.

Fortunately for the Innkeeper, Zhou Mengyao did not seem inclined to create further complications. She made no move to kill anyone and did not even acknowledge the Innkeeper. This allowed the Innkeeper to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Qi Xuansu only found the situation increasingly interesting.

Fortunately, Qi Xuansu had brought Long Xiaobai along, so he had no need to fear Zhou Mengyao, who had yet to recover to her peak strength. If a fight truly broke out, he had the Heluo God’s incarnation, and Su Yuanzai could also be drawn to their side. After all, with Sage Cihang as their connection, Qi Xuansu was actually the one who held the advantage.

What he needed to worry about now was whatever lay inside the cave dwelling.

This fog, which was little more than a prelude, was already capable of blocking perception. That alone showed how extraordinary this cave dwelling was. If it truly was as Qi Xuansu suspected and had some connection to the Cloud Lord, then they were dealing with a Second-Tribulation Immortal. In that case, the pressure posed by the environment itself might actually be greater than that posed by his competitors.

Though Long Xiaobai had made it out safe and sound, Qi Xuansu believed it was just a fool’s luck. Long Xiaobai was somewhat lacking in the brains department, but she was a lucky girl. Although Qi Xuansu himself was also fairly lucky, he had no intention of recklessly gambling on it.

Mist began to converge toward the center of the lake and accumulated continuously until it seemed to solidify into a mist mountain.

As the mist mountain manifested, the fog covering the lake continuously rose upward like steam.

The Yunmeng Marsh was extremely vast, with the mist stretching beyond the limits of sight and rising into the sky, creating a magnificent spectacle.

Seeing this, Qi Xuansu became even more suspicious that this place was connected to the Cloud Lord. After all, clouds and mist were inseparable. Such dense fog was essentially a cloud at ground level.

Zhou Mengyao was the first to move. She flew toward the summit of the mist mountain before disappearing entirely into the billowing fog, leaving no trace behind.

Su Yuanzai moved next, commanding his ship to rise into the air.

This multi-decked ship was much smaller than a flying ship and looked more like an ornate boat. It flew directly into the sea of mist above the mountain. At first, a vague outline of the ship could still be seen, but before long, it too vanished without a trace.

The Innkeeper was unwilling to fall behind. He transformed into a streak of golden light and shot into the mist mountain.

A moment later, Qi Xuansu revealed himself, while Long Xiaobai surfaced from beneath the water, transformed back into human form.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Xiaobai, was this how you went in last time too?”

Long Xiaobai looked up at the mist mountain. “Yes, it looked more or less the same last time.”

Then Long Xiaobai turned to Qi Xuansu. “Are we going in?”

Qi Xuansu touched the Demon-Revealing Mirror tucked inside his wide sleeve and said, “Of course we are.”