A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu asked, “How exactly should I accept my fate? If you ruin me, you’ll ruin your own reputation as well—this is mutual destruction.”

If a woman accused someone of sexual assault, that person would be deemed guilty without the need for evidence. This stemmed from the rigid moral doctrines of Confucianism, which placed extreme importance on a woman’s chastity. If a woman could publicly accuse someone, her own reputation would also be destroyed, making it a case of mutual destruction.

However, in the Daoist era, the strict moral doctrines of Confucianism were abolished, and society gradually became more open about sexuality. A woman’s loss of chastity was no longer a life-or-death matter. However, centuries of ingrained prejudice still persisted. Even if the victim was not at fault, they would inevitably be subject to gossip.

Yue Liuli was no celibate, but she was not a courtesan either.

Though many things could happen behind closed doors, they did not count if they were never exposed. This was why the Heavenly Court had gone to such great lengths to silence the Yuan family and attack Zhenwu Temple—to ensure the truth never came to light.

As long as there was no concrete evidence, even if everyone knew the truth, there was nothing people could do.

Many knew that Yue Liuli was not a virtuous woman, but on the surface, she still maintained a spotless reputation. If she used her supposed innocence to destroy Qi Xuansu, it would be a classic case of harming the enemy at great cost to oneself.

That was why Qi Xuansu made this argument.

Yue Liuli let out a cold laugh. “A warrior must cut off a poisoned limb if necessary. Enduring some gossip and strange looks is better than losing my life. I refuse to live in your shadow forever.”

With that, Yue Liuli reached out to remove Qi Xuansu’s clothing. After all, if she appeared disheveled while Qi Xuansu remained neat, it would seem like she had seduced him rather than him forcing himself on her.

Just then, Yue Liuli felt a gust of eerie wind brush against her face, as if someone had grabbed her wrist.

She instinctively recoiled several steps in fright.

That was when she saw a semi-transparent illusory figure of Qi Xuansu standing before her.

This was the Diviner’s technique of soul projection.

Different cultivation paths often clashed with one another, such as a Diviner’s soul projection and a Martial Arts Practitioner’s unity of body and soul. They were inherently incompatible, like fire and water.

However, since these lineages Qi Xuansu obtained through the Xuan Jade were incomplete, he had never been able to fully condense his soul to his acupoints, which meant he could not form a Body Spirit.

The advantage was that Qi Xuansu could still soul project. Compared to Diviners in the Dream Entering Realm, Diviners in the Thunder Realm had already transitioned from illusion to reality. They could not only soul-travel in broad daylight but also briefly materialize their soul into a tangible form.

It was Qi Xuansu’s soul that had just grabbed Yue Liuli’s wrist.

Yue Liuli was also affected by the Soul-Returning Incense. She could still move freely, but at the moment, she was only marginally stronger than an average woman, merely possessing a tougher physique that made her less susceptible to injury.

When Qi Xuansu’s soul grabbed her wrist, a pitch-black ghostly handprint instantly appeared. It was what the common folk called Ghost Mark.

Yue Liuli let out a scream and stumbled backward in fright.

Qi Xuansu’s soul raised its hand again, summoning a Ghosthead Machete from the void. The blade was shrouded in swirling black mist, flickering between illusion and reality, appearing both tangible and ephemeral at once.

“You—how can you soul project like a Diviner?!” Yue Liuli shrieked in disbelief.

The fact that Qi Xuansu possessed multiple lineages was no secret to the Li Family, Zhang Yuelu, and Madam Qi. However, Pan Cuiqing and Yue Liuli were unaware of this. They had always assumed Qi Xuansu was just a Rogue Cultivator, at most possessing some Martial Arts Practitioner’s abilities.

The Soul-Returning Incense specifically targeted one’s physical strength and innate qi, making it a perfect counter for someone with a Martial Arts Practitioner’s physique. Yet, to her shock, Qi Xuansu also possessed a Diviner’s abilities.

Instead of weakening Qi Xuansu, the Soul-Returning Incense actually nourished his soul. This was the same method he used to enter the Qingping Society’s Dream Meeting.

At that moment, a man stepped in front of Yue Liuli. It was none other than Pan Cuiqing.

In fact, he had been in Yue Liuli’s room the entire time. When Yue Liuli had opened the door earlier, she had deliberately lied, claiming Pan Cuiqing was absent.

When Qi Xuansu had inquired about him, she had even pretended to be annoyed to cover her deception.

However, Pan Cuiqing had concealed himself behind a screen, holding his breath and suppressing his presence the entire time. This allowed him to appear at the critical moment.

Pan Cuiqing also did not expect Qi Xuansu to be capable of soul projection. However, he was a Heavenly Being and the Deputy Wuxu Palace Master, so he showed no fear.

Instead, he sneered, “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!”

Hearing these words, Qi Xuansu was puzzled. Why would Pan Cuiqing assume it had something to do with the Earthly Preceptor?

However, after some thought, the answer became clear. The Taiping Sect governed human affairs, the Zhengyi Sect handled matters dealing with ghosts and gods, and the Quanzhen Sect specialized in creations. The Earthly Preceptor was the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, which was known for artificially replicating Banished Immortals. Thus, it made perfect sense for Pan Cuiqing to assume Qi Xuansu’s abilities were connected to the Earthly Preceptor.

Pan Cuiqing did not immediately attack Qi Xuansu. Instead, he turned to Yue Liuli, his tone filled with concern. “Junior Sister, how are you feeling? Does it hurt?”

Yue Liuli glanced at the ghostly black mark on her wrist and said urgently, “Senior Brother, let’s subdue this bastard first. We can talk at our own leisure later.”

Pan Cuiqing smiled faintly. “Alright, I’ll take him down and avenge you.”

Even before he finished speaking, Pan Cuiqing had already moved, appearing before Qi Xuansu in a flash.

The Ghosthead Machete was still just a projection, so without the support of a physical body, there was no way Qi Xuansu’s soul could defeat a Heavenly Being.

Pan Cuiqing merely waved his hand, effortlessly brushing aside the attack, then lunged straight for Qi Xuansu’s physical body.

Just as Pan Cuiqing was about to touch Qi Xuansu’s chest, he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind rushing from behind.

Startled, he had no time to deal with Qi Xuansu and swiftly turned around.

That was when Pan Cuiqing noticed that the room door had silently opened at some point. A figure appeared behind him without making a sound. It was a strange woman wielding a longsword.

“Who are you?!” Pan Cuqing shouted.

The mysterious woman did not respond but thrust her sword directly at Pan Cuiqing’s chest.

Pan Cuiqing swiftly leaned to the side, barely dodging the strike.

Before he could counterattack, he felt another gust of wind rushing toward him. His opponent’s fingers were already reaching for his throat, brushing against his skin.

This sent chills down his spine, forcing him to retreat in haste.

The mysterious woman pressed her advantage, attacking again with her sword. Despite the room’s cramped space, her movements were unhindered—ever-changing, sharp, and unpredictable.

Pan Cuiqing was caught off guard, so he lost the advantage, especially since he did not have a weapon at hand.

In the blink of an eye, they exchanged over a hundred moves. Pan Cuiqing was entirely on the defensive, unable to counterattack.

Yue Liuli sat on the side, watching the battle intently with a concerned face.

At that moment, Qi Xuansu’s soul drifted beside Yue Liuli. He pressed his hand onto her pale shoulder, leaving behind another dark ghostly imprint.

Yue Liuli immediately understood Qi Xuansu’s intention—to make her cry out in alarm and distract Pan Cuiqing. However, she was ruthless not only to others but also to herself. She forcibly endured the pain without making a sound.

Qi Xuansu was not one to show mercy to his enemies.

He infused his soul projection with more magical power and divine power to manifest a golden arm. Then he twisted Yue Liuli’s limb until it snapped.

Unlike Qi Xuansu, who had endured countless life-and-death experiences, Yue Liuli had always been the center of admiration in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, enjoying special privileges. Even after leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, she joined the Wuxu Palace and lived in luxury.

Though she tried her best to endure the pain, she still could not help but let out a muffled groan.

As expected, Pan Cuiqing was distracted by his lover’s cry. In that split second, the mysterious woman seized the opportunity, landing a strike with her sword.

The blade crackled with lightning, causing Pan Cuiqing’s entire body to go numb.

In battles between masters, even the slightest mistake was fatal.

Since Pan Cuiqing was already at a disadvantage, he was instantly defeated.

The mysterious woman pressed her hand against his back, rendering his body weak and immobile. He could only gasp for breath as blood gushed from his abdomen.

Yue Liuli cried out in shock, “Senior Brother!”

Pan Cuiqing had no time to respond. All he could feel was his innate qi attacking his own body. Unable to contain his shock, he shouted, “This is the Six Void Tribulations—the Earthly Preceptor’s ultimate technique! You’re Zhang Yuelu!”

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