A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu understood the underlying meaning of Qi Xuansu’s words.

Mu Jin chimed in. “I remember the name Wan Xiuwu. He was killed by a cult demon. We even took up that case, but then the Purple Immortal Mountain incident came up, so we had to leave it aside. I didn’t expect him to be your classmate.”

Qi Xuansu showed no grief for his classmate’s death. He said indifferently, “Yes, gone too soon.”

Mu Jin remarked, “I feel like it’s just been one case after another lately, and every one of them seems to stir such a big commotion. I wonder if we’ll ever see one resolved.”

Zhang Yuelu suddenly ordered, “Mu Jin, please organize the files for this case. I’ll need them.”

Mu Jin responded with a nod, not thinking much of it. She assumed Zhang Yuelu was planning to revisit the case and turned to leave.

Of course, Zhang Yuelu was not planning to reopen the case. She was simply finding a reason to send Mu Jin away.

Since Qi Xuansu had already hashed out the details to Zhang Yuelu, she was well aware of what happened. Though she knew it did not align with the rules, she ultimately decided to support Qi Xuansu.

It was not just because of her personal feelings. She felt it made sense.

Many people thought evil was about committing blatant crimes like murder, arson, abduction, or robbery. But that was not entirely true. Much of the evil committed lies hidden within rules and systems. Though few openly committed crimes, they were still wrongdoings nonetheless.

Qi Xuansu had ambushed and killed Wan Xiuwu when they were alone in the wilderness. From the perspective of the Fengxian Hall, Qi Xuansu was undoubtedly in the wrong and should have been captured by the Beichen Hall and sentenced accordingly.

But what was the cause of the matter? Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli conspired to kill Qi Xuansu, who sought justice from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, only to have the matter dismissed.

At that time, where was Fengxian Hall or Beichen Hall? Should Qi Xuansu’s survival mean the incident could simply be ignored?

If Fengxian Hall remained silent back then, on what grounds did they have now to speak out when Qi Xuansu retaliated?

The Wanxiang Daoist Palace clearly knew about it. However, since Qi Xuansu had survived, and the consequences were not severe, they decided to suppress the matter.

One reason was to avoid a scandal. The other reason was that Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli were among the outstanding talents of their cohort, while Qi Xuansu was relatively ordinary. Even if Qi Xuansu had died, the Wanxiang Daoist Palace would likely have chosen to protect the two.

Why was Qi Xuansu unable to seek justice? That was because he could not get the attention of the higher-ups.

Additionally, the Wanxiang Daoist Palace used tactics to classify the incident as an accident. If Qi Xuansu had continued to press the matter, they would’ve labeled it as a private duel, arguing that it took two to tango. Both sides were at fault even though Qi Xuansu was a victim. As such, the two parties would bear responsibility.

This narrative would have shifted the blame on Qi Xuansu, and no one would sympathize with him.

If Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli had openly killed Qi Xuansu in broad daylight, the Wanxiang Daoist Palace would not have been able to cover up the crime and would have delivered justice. However, in reality, Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli only needed to employ a few deceptive tactics, using the Tiger Camp and Dragon Camp as an opportunity to turn the murder into an accident, thus walking away scot-free.

As for whether it was truly an accident, only the people involved knew. Yet it still conformed to the laws of the Daoist Order.

Qi Xuansu could not swallow this grievance, so what could he do if he wanted vengeance?

He could take this case to Fengxian Hall, where they would open a case file. However, they would ask Qi Xuansu plenty of questions, such as, “Do you have evidence? Do you have witnesses? Aren’t you alive and well?”

At the same time, Fengxian Hall would investigate the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, appearing impartial, only to inform Qi Xuansu that this was a private conflict with no fatalities and no Spirit Guard involvement. Thus, it was entirely reasonable and legal.

If Qi Xuansu continued to stir up trouble or appealed to the Golden Tower Council, he would have his record tarnished, jeopardizing his future promotions and getting hunted by Beichen Hall.

This was what it meant to be helpless.

In this scenario, Qi Xuansu could only resort to a private duel with Wan Xiuwu.

At this point, using the law to accuse Qi Xuansu of assassinating Wan Xiuwu was utterly shameful.

Qi Xuansu was unwilling to discuss this matter with Zhang Yuelu, mainly because he did not want to put her in a difficult position. In his view, Zhang Yuelu keeping quiet about Wan Xiuwu’s murder was already against her principles. How could he bear to make her feel even more conflicted?

However, Qi Xuansu underestimated Zhang Yuelu. She would not be torn between upholding the law and supporting him. She quickly understood the situation and decisively expressed her stance in siding with Qi Xuansu.

The Wuxu Palace would not let it go not because they highly valued morals, but because they believed the person who killed Wan Xiuwu had broken the unwritten rules. That was, killing was permissible as long as it was done within the rules—be it framing someone else or using a borrowed blade. As long as the killing was not bloody and not done personally, it would still be within bounds.

However, acting on rage and spilling blood was considered breaking the unwritten rules, so it had to be suppressed and eradicated. Such a trend was not allowed to continue.

This kind of evil was more insidious, as it was unseen and intangible, but undeniably real. Even when investigated, nothing concrete could be found. It was far harder to eliminate than blatant wrongdoers who committed atrocities openly.

This was one of the reasons Zhang Yuelu was determined to reform the Daoist Order.

Zhang Yuelu slowly said, “Wuxu Palace has never given up. They are most likely suspicious of you. Now that Sage Lei and Sage Pei are too occupied to intervene, this class reunion might just be a trap.”

Qi Xuansu did not deny it and merely said, “But it has to come to an end.”

Zhang Yuelu thought for a moment and suggested, “After the Jinling Prefecture incident, my master has given me 3 months off. I can go with you.”

Qi Xuansu smiled and teased, “The others might say I’m showing off on purpose.”

Zhang Yuelu was not in the mood to joke. “Where is the reunion?”

Qi Xuansu opened the invitation in his hand and replied, “The Taiping Inn at Longmen Prefecture.”

……

Just as Qi Xuansu received his invitation, Yue Liuli and Pan Cuiqing had already arrived at the Taiping Inn in Longmen Prefecture.

Since they had reserved a standalone courtyard, they did not have to enter through the main gate but used the side entrance instead.

They saw many pavilions, towers, winding paths leading to secluded spots, a clear pond with a small waterwheel, and a narrow zigzag bridge fit for one person to walk on.

It was summer, so the lush greenery added a touch of elegance.

Over 100 people in Class A of Bingzi Year had become ninth-rank Daoist priests. But now, only about 80 of them remained. Of those, only about half could make it to Longmen Prefecture.

Not all Daoists could establish themselves in Jade Capital. Most went to local Daoist mansions or became wandering Daoists, like Qi Xuansu before.

Furthermore, the mortality rate for lower-ranking Daoists was never low. Over the years, more than 20 of Qi Xuansu’s classmates had died unexpectedly. If not for Madam Qi, Qi Xuansu would have been among them.

Among the remaining 80 people, some had not made a name for themselves and refused to join the reunion. Others were tied up with responsibilities and could not make it. Some had even left the Daoist Order entirely—going out to sea, joining Jianghu, or even converting to Confucianism. Thus, that cut the number by half again.

Those who could make it to Longmen Prefecture mostly arrived early and stayed for a few days.

After all, even with flying ships that made traveling easier, one ticket cost several hundred Taiping coins. Naturally, most would not be able to afford to make a day trip out of it.

Two people were chatting in a pavilion. Upon seeing Yue Liuli and Pan Cuiqing, they stood up to greet them.

After the couple walked away, one seventh-rank Daoist priest remarked, “Yue Liuli has climbed the social ladder, but poor Wan Xiuwu died not too long ago.”

Another sixth-rank Daoist priest said, “That’s nothing. Do you remember Qi Xuansu?”

“Qi Xuansu?” The seventh-rank Daoist priest thought for a moment. “I have some impression. Wasn’t he the one who lost his master?”

“Yeah.” The sixth-rank Daoist nodded. “He’s the one who’s made it big. Who knows what kind of luck he stumbled upon to catch Zhang Yuelu’s eye?”

“Zhang Yuelu? Which Zhang Yuelu?”

“Which other Zhang Yuelu? The youngest Deputy Hall Master, of course!”

“Really?”

“Of course, it’s true! They say Zhang Yuelu even brought him to Yunjin Mountain. Yue Liuli and the others saw it with their own eyes.”

“Wow! Zhang Yuelu’s marrying down? Old Qi must have done something right in his past lives to get such a blessing!”

“Exactly! Everyone knows that Deputy Hall Master Zhang has close ties with the Earthly Preceptor. With her connections, Old Qi has even linked up with Sage Pei from the Chongyang Palace of Immortality. I heard Old Qi is now a Superintendent of Ziwei Hall. What a lucky bastard!”

“That’s a skill in itself. For people like us with no family background or connections, achieving success often means taking winding paths. Besides, even if you latch onto such a big peacock, who knows how much humiliation and cold stares you’ll have to endure? It won’t be easy.”

“By the way, is he coming?”

“He should, right? What’s wealth and status if you don’t come back to show it off? Maybe we’ll even get to see that famous Deputy Hall Master Zhang!”

“But speaking of which, do you still remember the Dragon Camp and Tiger Camp from that year?”

“Of course, I remember. You think Qi Xuansu still hasn’t let it go?”

“When he was powerless, of course, he’d let it go. But now that he’s capable, he might just pick it back up.”

“That makes sense. If it comes down to a fight, that Junior Wuxu Palace Master might not necessarily be a match for the Junior Tiangang Hall Master.”

“It’s none of our business whoever wins or loses. We’ll just watch the show.”

“Indeed, indeed.”

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