A Pawn's Passage

Sage Xu’s full name was Xu Xiaoying. Xiao meant small, while Ying meant fullness. It was derived from a quote from the Primordial Daoist Ancestor’s Five Thousand Character Classic. “Great perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself. Great fullness seems empty, yet it is fully present.”

Xu Xiaoying’s name implied moderation and contentment, an expression of humility. Meanwhile, she had an elder brother named Xu Dacheng, whose name meant great perfection. Their names perfectly complemented each other.

However, this was a case of refined elegance being mistaken for commonness. These were names rich in meaning, yet they somehow seemed ordinary to others.

In contrast, names like Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu sounded profound at first. But upon closer examination, they held little inherent meaning.

For example, Xuansu meant black and white. The contrast between them was like the heavens and the abyss, hence his courtesy name Tian Yuan. It was a coincidence that the contrast in his name aligned perfectly with Qi Xuansu’s life, having one foot in the secret society and the other in the Daoist Order. It was much like balancing on the two dots of the yin-yang symbol.

Zhang Yuelu’s name was straightforward, taken directly from one of the 28 constellations.

Xu Xiaoying did not brush off Qi Xuansu. After accepting the voice retention talisman, she spoke to him in detail, inquiring about numerous specifics—so much so that Qi Xuansu almost felt as if he were being interrogated.

Since this matter inevitably involved the unresolved case of Wan Xiuwu’s murder, Zhang Yuelu seized the opportunity and handed the case files over to Xu Xiaoying.

When Zhang Yuelu initially investigated the case, she lacked solid evidence, and her findings were mostly just conjectures. As a result, the records in the files were sparse, containing only a response letter from Qin Wubing.

This letter referenced Cuowenbu, the Imperial Court, the death of Shangguan Jing, and Beichen Hall’s interference—an entanglement that would give anyone a headache.

As expected, Xu Xiaoying furrowed her brows upon reviewing the case file.

Although Shangguan Jing was her distant relative, the Golden Tower Council had long since concluded the matter, recognizing his death as honorable and bestowing the Sage posthumous accolades.

That case had been handed over to Beichen Hall, so if there were to be a reinvestigation, prior approval from the Golden Tower Council was required, followed by formal access to Beichen Hall’s records.

However, the Golden Tower Council would never easily overturn its prior ruling. Even if this hurdle were bypassed, retrieving the case files from Beichen Hall would be akin to a subordinate accusing their superior—fraught with obstacles at every step.

For Zhang Yuelu, further investigation of this case was nearly impossible. Even if Sage Cihang personally intervened, it was uncertain whether she could sway the positions of the Golden Tower Council and Beichen Hall.

Zhang Yuelu also had no physical evidence to prove that Wei Wugui killed Wan Xiuwu. It was merely a suspicion, especially if Qi Xuansu did not confess to the crime. Initially, it was because of this suspicion that she investigated Wei Wugui’s background, which subsequently led to uncovering this entire matter.

All cases were like tree stumps—no one knew how deep their roots extended. One incident at the Purple Immortal Mountain had already unraveled a major case in Jinling Prefecture, shaking Jade Capital. This case would not be any smaller if they were to dig deep.

Xu Xiaoying closed the case file and pushed it back to Zhang Yuelu. “Wan Xiuwu’s case should be investigated separately. It should not be tied to Yue Liuli’s case.”

Her meaning was clear—the Chongyang Palace of Immortality would not be involved in this matter, nor would she bear such responsibility.

Zhang Yuelu silently took back the case file without saying a word.

Despite her young age, Zhang Yuelu had reached a high position. This was the culmination of not only her family background, exceptional talent, and the support of influential figures, but also because she was willing to put in the hard work.

There were two key factors to it—the courage to take responsibility and strong capabilities.

Zhang Yuelu’s abilities were undeniable in investigating cases and dealing with enemies. Having grown up with a rich family heritage and the teachings of many elders, she had also developed a knack for handling conflicts. After all, who could remain unstained once they have stepped into the mire?

Zhang Yuelu was neither a naive girl with a pure heart nor a saint who could not bear to see the slightest darkness. She was an elite Daoist who had braved the harsh reality of politics, served in the Nine Halls, and fought her way through to the top. She was an outstanding young talent, highly anticipated by many to achieve great things. So how could she not have a few tricks up her sleeve?

One could not become the Grand Master of the Daoist Order by merely being a moral saint or a delicate flower.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu handing over the case file to Xu Xiaoying was actually a way to force the latter to take a stance. Since Xu Xiaoying had returned Wan Xiuwu’s case file and made it clear that the two cases could not be merged, Zhang Yuelu could confirm that Wan Xiuwu’s murder would not be brought up again.

This was also a way of cutting off Wuxu Palace’s potential interference in advance. If Wuxu Palace attempted to link the two cases together, Xu Xiaoying would undoubtedly reject it outright.

Qi Xuansu was completely unaware of the intricate calculations behind this. Even Xu Xiaoying, a veteran who had navigated the complexities of the Daoist Order for years, did not immediately realize the full picture. She merely thought Zhang Yuelu was following routine procedures.

This was precisely why Zhang Yuelu was the Deputy Hall Master, while Qi Xuansu was merely a superintendent following her commands.

Xu Xiaoying promised that she would respond within three days to half a month.

Before this, Qi Xuansu was cautious and made a duplicate of the voice retention talisman. If something went wrong on Xu Xiaoying’s side, he could still hand it over to Pei Xiaolou and Lei Xiaohuan after the Jinling case was resolved.

With this matter temporarily settled, the couple left Yuzhen Temple together. Qi Xuansu stretched lazily. “Well, that’s one less thing to worry about!”

Zhang Yuelu let out a long sigh. “Even if the process was wrong, I hope the outcome will be right. I value results over the process. If the outcome turns out to be wrong, then I will have no complaints when people judge me in the future.”

“That day will never come.” Qi Xuansu patted his chest and said, “If it does, I will be by your side. Even if we are to be executed, I will be the first to step forward. I will die before your turn, my lady.”

Zhang Yuelu smiled without saying a word.

Qi Xuansu asked, “You don’t believe me?”

“I believe you. Of course, I do,” Zhang Yuelu said with a soft laugh. “May we never regret anything by the time we reach the end of our journey.”

Qi Xuansu suddenly felt the urge to come clean to Zhang Yuelu, but he forcibly held himself back.

He had climbed up a mountain of lies. Perhaps one day, he would also fall into the abyss because of them, with no chance of redemption.

This was a road with no return. No one could say whether the outcome would be right or wrong until the very end.

The two walked side by side through the Chongyang Palace of Immortality.

The setting sun cast long shadows behind them, growing longer and looking as if they were about to merge into one.

They stopped at a cliffside, where Qi Xuansu gazed at the sunset and slowly said, “I’m not the type to forgive. I hold grudges against those who wronged me. Wan Xiuwu and Feng Bo are dead, and Yue Liuli will meet her deserved end. That leaves Monk Yan Xiu and Zhao Fu’an.”

Zhang Yuelu suddenly asked, “What about the person who killed your master?”

Qi Xuansu remained silent for a long time, then turned his head to look at Zhang Yuelu, not knowing what to say.

Under the evening glow of the sunset, Zhang Yuelu’s face held a beauty different from usual. Qi Xuansu could not look away for a long time.

Zhang Yuelu also turned her head to look at Qi Xuansu.

They stared at each other for a moment before both withdrew their gazes, simultaneously looking at the now-gentle setting sun.

Before this, Qi Xuansu had always believed that his path forward was clear and certain.

But at this moment, he suddenly felt lost, unsure of the road ahead. That was because he was no longer walking alone.

Zhang Yuelu was right. Matters of a lifetime, like marriage, should not be treated lightly.

In the past, he had thought about how he could break away from the Qingping Society.

Now, with Madam Qi forbidding him from leaving the Qingping Society, how should he proceed with his path ahead?

Should he follow Zhang Yuelu step by step, not questioning why but only how? Or should he seriously consider Zhang Yuelu’s ideals, seek to understand them, and then contribute to the Daoist Order that had nurtured him?

Zhang Yuelu spread her arms wide and closed her eyes, as if embracing the sunset or the entire world.

Qi Xuansu turned his head toward her and said in a soft voice, “The enemy who killed my master is dead.”

“That’s good.” Zhang Yuelu did not press further.

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