A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu was not a lecherous person, nor had he ever thought of having any relationship with Yue Liuli. He simply wanted to avenge himself for what happened years ago.

After learning that Yue Liuli was still at the Taiping Inn, Qi Xuansu devised a rough plan and discussed it with Zhang Yuelu.

He decided to meet Yue Liuli alone, pretending to seek reconciliation while actually trying to extract information. In the meantime, Zhang Yuelu would wait outside, ready to act if anything went awry.

The sword-wielding woman was Zhang Yuelu, but she was wearing Qi Xuansu’s white fox mask that had three different faces. Qi Xuansu had used two of the male disguises before, leaving only the female one unused.

However, Qi Xuansu did not anticipate how ruthless Yue Liuli was. Although she assumed Qi Xuansu was interested in her for lustful reasons, she decided to turn the situation to her advantage and set a trap for him.

Qi Xuansu had acted on impulse without meticulous planning, so there were naturally some flaws in his scheme. For instance, back when they were at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Qi Xuansu showed no interest in Yue Liuli, so it seemed somewhat contradictory for him to suddenly be attracted to her.

However, from Yue Liuli’s perspective, this was understandable.

She was judging Qi Xuansu based on her own standards, so she would never believe that Qi Xuansu could be on equal footing with Zhang Yuelu. In her view, Qi Xuansu had to flatter and obey Zhang Yuelu without the slightest defiance, like a subservient dog.

Thus, she believed Qi Xuansu when he said that he felt like he was always walking on thin ice around Zhang Yuelu. She never suspected that Qi Xuansu would deliberately set a trap for her and only thought that she had accurately read the situation.

After all, people were bound to change when they had been oppressed for too long.

It was just like how the eunuchs of the previous dynasty were only servile in front of the emperor but tyrannical before other servants. This was their way of compensating for their humiliation.

Yue Liuli thought that it was entirely reasonable for Qi Xuansu to make up for the humiliation he suffered from Zhang Yuelu by dominating her.

However, she had not anticipated that Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu truly treated each other as equals.

While Zhang Yuelu often made decisions, it was because of her higher rank. Even if they had no personal relationship, Qi Xuansu would still have to listen to her, and it was never a matter of deliberate oppression between them.

Thus, the situation had developed into what it was now.

Pan Cuiqing was a Heavenly Being, but he had lost the advantage after having his attention diverted by Qi Xuansu.

The key issue was that he had spent too long in the comfort of Wuxu Palace and had little combat experience.

Compared to someone like Zhang Yuelu, who was a Heavenly Being experienced in battle, how could he not lose?

After subduing Pan Cuiqing, Zhang Yuelu stood to the side.

She approached Yue Liuli and sealed two of the latter’s Dantians. That way, Yue Liuli would not be able to use her innate qi after the effects of Soul-Returning Incense wore off.

Qi Xuansu’s soul returned to his body. By now, most of the Soul-Returning Incense’s effects had worn off, which allowed him to get up and move to Zhang Yuelu’s side.

That was when he noticed a thin line of blood trickling down her left cheek. Clearly, in her earlier fight, Zhang Yuelu had taken a risk to get close enough to subdue Pan Cuiqing, and hence, she suffered a minor injury.

After all, Zhang Yuelu had just become a Heavenly Being and was not yet on the level of Madam Qi or Master Wan, who could disable a Heavenly Being with a mere flick of the wrist.

Qi Xuansu softly asked, “Are you alright?”

Zhang Yuelu simply nodded.

The Banished Immortals’ physique would transform after becoming a Heavenly Being. They would also have self-healing abilities, though not as rapid as Martial Arts Practitioners. Thus, minor wounds like this were nothing to Zhang Yuelu. They would heal quickly without leaving scars, sparing her the need for treatment.

As a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, Pan Cuiqing was well aware of the terrifying power of the Earthly Preceptor’s Six Void Tribulations.

This technique had three variations. The simplest, which Zhang Yuelu had just used, was merely the basic one intended for lower-level disciples. The next level was the Xiaoyao Six Void Tribulations, which could only be practiced by Pseudo-Immortals. The highest level was the Xiaoyao Six Curse and Six Void Tribulations, which could only be practiced by Immortals.

This technique was created by the Earthly Preceptor Xu Wugui, who was a complex, morally gray character. Although he was the Holy Xuan’s master, Xu Wugui had once attempted to kill the Holy Xuan when their ideologies clashed. Had it not been for the Great Witch Wu Yang’s intervention, the revitalized Daoist Order of today might not even exist.

This incident spoke volumes about Xu Wugui’s character. As such, the technique he created was exceptionally cruel—its effects not only stripped one of their cultivation but also left them in unbearable agony.

The term “tribulation” within the technique’s name was no exaggeration. Regardless of Zhang Yuelu’s intentions, once the Six Void Tribulations entered one’s body, suffering was inevitable.

This was one of the reasons she rarely used this technique to its full power.

At this moment, Pan Cuiqing was utterly terrified. He pleaded, “Deputy Hall Master Zhang, we are both disciples of the Daoist Order sharing the same roots, so why must we turn against each other? Why must it come to this?!”

Zhang Yuelu remained silent, while Qi Xuansu let out a sneer. “There is no Deputy Hall Master Zhang here, only Qi Xuansu. Deputy Palace Master Pan, do you want to know how Wan Xiuwu died?”

“I don’t want to know! I don’t care!” Pan Cuiqing frantically shouted as he struggled to retreat. However, he lost his balance and collapsed to the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Qi Xuansu snapped, “Since you don’t want to know, shut your damn mouth.”

Pan Cuiqing immediately kept quiet, doing his best to endure the pain and humiliation.

Qi Xuansu turned to Yue Liuli with a sinister smile on his face. “Old Yue, you truly are good at scheming. I intended to trick you into talking, but I didn’t expect you to counter with a plan of your own. I almost fell at your hands for the second time.”

Yue Liuli did not look at Qi Xuansu. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Zhang Yuelu and let out a bitter laugh. “I just never expected that a noble young lady of the Zhang family would actually fall for a commoner like you. This is truly the greatest joke ever!”

Zhang Yuelu did not respond. She did not think that liking Qi Xuansu was something shameful, but others would not see it that way. Though the Daoist Order always preached equality, such social disparities were deeply ingrained in people’s hearts.

Qi Xuansu took over the conversation again. “Old Yue, do you think that I’m afraid of killing you? After all, this isn’t some remote wilderness but the Taiping Inn in Longmen Prefecture, so who will dare commit murder here, right?”

As he spoke, Qi Xuansu pulled out a talisman from his sleeve.

Yue Liuli immediately recognized the talisman and exclaimed, “The voice retention talisman!”

Of course, Qi Xuansu did not possess such a precious item himself. He had borrowed it from Zhang Yuelu. Without saying a word, he activated the voice retention talisman, replaying their earlier conversation.

“Tian Yuan, do you know why I schemed against you back in the Dragon and Tiger Camp?”

The voice was unmistakably Yue Liuli’s.

Hearing her voice, Yue Liuli gasped, her face pale.

“The reason is quite simple—”

What followed was Yue Liuli’s monologue.

Qi Xuansu let her speak. At the time, it had seemed as if he was unable to withstand the effects of the Soul-Returning Incense, but looking back now, it was clear that he had done it on purpose.

“—They say that scandal is best spread from a woman’s lips. Even if Zhang Yuelu believes you, will others? This is the Daoist Order. Once your reputation is ruined, you’ll have no place here. Then whether you killed Wan Xiuwu or not no longer matters.”

To which Qi Xuansu replied, “That’s quite the scheme.”

Qi Xuansu looked at Yue Liuli. “Old Yue, you are a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, so am I. We will meet again at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality.”

Yue Liuli was completely speechless by now.

Qi Xuansu then turned to Pan Cuiqing and activated the voice retention talisman again.

This time, the recording continued, but it was a man’s voice.

“Qi Xuansu, I didn’t expect you to have such abilities. Did Zhang Yuelu beg the Earthly Preceptor to grant them to you? She’s quite generous!”

It was Pan Cuiqing’s voice.

“Junior Sister, how are you feeling? Does it hurt?”

“Senior Brother, let’s subdue this bastard first. We can talk at our own leisure later.”

“Alright, I’ll take him down and avenge you.”

What ensued was silence.

Pan Cuiqing sat on the ground, neither speaking nor looking at anyone, his face ashen as he stared into the void.

Even if he had discerned Zhang Yuelu’s identity, it was useless now.

Zhang Yuelu only needed to say that she had come to rescue Qi Xuansu, and he would have no rebuttal. Moreover, Yue Liuli’s words inadvertently confirmed the close relationship between Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

Many of their classmates had also witnessed Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu attending the banquet together, so Zhang Yuelu’s presence here was completely reasonable.

At this moment, Pan Cuiqing finally understood why Qi Xuansu was able to rise to the fifth rank at such a young age. He had made the mistake of underestimating this superintendent. Now, with one misstep, he was about to lose everything.

Qi Xuansu put away the voice retention talisman into his magical receptacle and said, “Scheming and playing tricks are not skills exclusive to you, Old Yue. Back then, I lost to Old Wan because my skills were inferior, and I nearly died at his hands. So I fought him head-on again. But you hid behind him while plotting against me, so I decided to use some underhanded methods against you to let you have a taste of your own medicine.

“You can go to the Chongyang Palace of Immortality and accuse me of killing Wan Xiuwu, and I will gladly debate with you there. We shall see whom they believe.”

Qi Xuansu’s direct superior was Lei Xiaohuan, who was the trusted confidant of Sage Donghua, the second-in-command of the Quanzhen Sect.

Zhang Yuelu had been personally promoted by the Earthly Preceptor, the leader of the Quanzhen Sect.

More importantly, Qi Xuansu had concrete evidence, giving him the upper hand. As such, the outcome of this trial was already decided.

As long as this matter was taken to the Chongyang Palace of Immortality, even if Yue Liuli had a great backing like Li Tianzhen, she would have to obediently confess to these crimes.

For the first time, Qi Xuansu understood the benefits of having a powerful backer.

In the past, he had no one to call upon for help when he was at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. But now, as long as he had evidence—regardless of how it was obtained—it would be enough to doom Yue Liuli and Pan Cuiqing for eternity.

It was no wonder everyone in the Daoist Order coveted power. Everyone sought authority, so much so that the three major sects even waged war over the position of Grand Master.

Immortality was an unattainable dream for most, but power—no matter how small—was tangible and real.

After all, most people would think that a bird in hand was worth two in the bush.

Qi Xuansu searched Pan Cuiqing, while Zhang Yuelu checked Yue Liuli. After confirming that neither of them carried any items like the voice retention talisman, they simply walked out of Yue Liuli’s room together, leaving the other two utterly speechless.

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