A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu showed no intention of traveling at night. Fortunately, there was an inn in the mountain city, so she and Qi Xuansu proceeded to the inn together.

The inn was small, without any standalone courtyards. It was a two-story building, where the first floor served as a restaurant and the second floor consisted of guest rooms.

As soon as they entered the inn, Zhang Yuelu’s gaze fell on the wine jars behind the counter. She suggested, “Let’s have a drink in appreciation of your new set of throwing knives!”

Qi Xuansu narrated this scene as if he were a storyteller. “Having witnessed the legendary black market, Qing Xiao felt that she had gained invaluable experience in the real world and decided to treat herself.”

Zhang Yuelu chuckled. “I have a different version of the story. Though Qing Xiao and Tian Yuan had agreed to explore the mountain city together, Tian Yuan deserted the poor Qing Xiao, leaving her to fend for herself in an unfamiliar environment. As punishment, Tian Yuan should drink three cups of wine in apology.”

As they spoke, they approached the counter. Zhang Yuelu ordered. “Two small jars of shaojiu, please.”

"That will be two Taiping coins.” The innkeeper did not give Qi Xuansu a chance to refuse and swiftly retrieved two wine jars from behind the counter, placing them in front of Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu dropped two Taiping coins on the counter, took one wine jar in each hand, and walked to an empty table not far away.

Qi Xuansu could only follow behind Zhang Yuelu.

Sitting face-to-face, Zhang Yuelu opened the seal of her wine jar with one hand. Since it was a small jar, she drank directly from the opening.

Qi Xuansu imitated Zhang Yuelu, opening his wine jar and drinking from it.

Since meeting Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu's alcohol tolerance has improved greatly. Now that his cultivation level increased, he did not feel tipsy even after drinking most of the jar.

After Zhang Yuelu finished her jar of wine, she went up to the counter and asked, “Do you have any guest rooms available?”

The innkeeper swept his gaze over the duo. “Yes, but there is only one room left.”

Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before saying, “We’ll take one room, then. It saves us money.”

"One Taiping coin for an upper-level room,” the innkeeper stated.

Zhang Yuelu took out a Taiping coin and placed it on the counter.

The innkeeper took the Taiping coin and handed her a key. “The room is upstairs—the innermost one to the right.”

Zhang Yuelu took the key and went straight to the second floor.

Qi Xuansu glanced at Zhang Yuelu’s back as she ascended the stairs. Then he stared at his nearly empty wine jar and fell into a dilemma.

Under the innkeeper’s suggestive gaze, Qi Xuansu decided to finish his wine first to avoid wasting it and for a boost of courage.

After that, Qi Xuansu slowly got up and went upstairs.

He arrived outside the room and hesitated whether to knock or wander around outside. After all, it was no big deal for him to stay up for a night.

In the end, fueled by liquid courage, Qi Xuansu knocked on the door.

That was when Qi Xuansu found that the door was not latched from the inside. The door fell ajar when he knocked on it.

He walked into the room and saw Zhang Yuelu lying on the only bed in the room, fully clothed. She removed her shoes and covered herself with a cloak.

Zhang Yuelu still had her eyes open, with a faint glimmer in them. Even without the light, Qi Xuansu could feel her intense gaze on him.

Qi Xuansu’s body stiffened, as he was unsure whether to advance or retreat.

After a while, Zhang Yuelu broke the silence. “Do you intend to stand guard all night?”

Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. “A man and a woman being alone in a room isn’t

Zhang Yuelu interrupted him. “Back then, when we went to the Western Region, we spent the night together in a snow cave. You didn’t seem to have such considerations. Is it because your mind is in the gutter now?”

Qi Xuansu was speechless. He closed the door and sat on the chair by the bed, intending to make do for the night.

Zhang Yuelu closed her eyes. Soon, Qi Xuansu could hear her even breathing.

Qi Xuansu was a bit dazed. He thought to himself, How can she sleep so peacefully? Does she trust me so much? Can I live up to this trust?

He looked at the bright moon outside the window, sighing softly. Eventually, he fell asleep immersed in his thoughts.

Qi Xuansu had a dream. This time, it was not about the Lingshan Witch Cult, but a place with lush greenery.

In the quiet of the night that was softly lit by the moonlight, Qi Xuansu rode on a small boat, drifting downstream. It felt refreshing to feel the breeze on his face.

He sat in the middle of the boat, with one person at the bow and another person at the stern, balancing the boat perfectly.

Although he could not see the faces of these two people, he felt a sense of familiarity with them. It brought him an unprecedented feeling of tranquility.

By the time he woke up, it was already bright outside. That was when he noticed he was wearing Zhang Yuelu’s cloak, which had a faint fragrance on it.

The bed was neat and empty, and Zhang Yuelu was nowhere to be seen.

Qi Xuansu recalled last night’s dream. It was a rare good dream since he joined the Qingping Society. This feeling of peace was deeply etched in his memory, making him reluctant to forget about this dream.

At that moment, Zhang Yuelu pushed the door open and came in with a bamboo basket in hand.

"You’re awake!” Zhang Yuelu placed the basket on the table. “I bought these for you.”

Qi Xuansu got up, placed Zhang Yuelu’s cloak on the bed, wiped his hands with a wet towel, and sat down at the table. He asked, “What about you?”

"I'm practicing the Fasting Technique.” Zhang Yuelu patted her abdomen lightly.

Qi Xuansu jokingly asked, “Why are you so nice to me?”

Deep down, Qi Xuansu harbored the hope that Zhang Yuelu’s special treatment toward him was not because she needed a favor from him but because of him as a person.

Zhang Yuelu did not answer his question. She merely said, “Eat your breakfast.”

Qi Xuansu obliged and enjoyed his breakfast.

Zhang Yuelu sat opposite him, resting her chin on her hands while watching him eat. She asked, “How does it taste?”

"Not bad.” Qi Xuansu felt a bit uncomfortable with her gaze and became more self-conscious and refined while eating.

Zhang Yuelu remarked, “I remember that you used to eat dry rations with cold water when we went to the Western Region. So, your ‘not bad’ must mean that it’s not delicious.”

Qi Xuansu could not help but smile wryly. “I’m not picky about food. That doesn’t mean I can’t tell good food from bad ones. My taste buds are quite intact, you know. Why don’t you try one?”

"No thanks.” Zhang Yuelu declined. “Fasting is the basic requirement for preserving one’s appearance.”

"I thought you didn’t care about these things.” Qi Xuansu continued eating the buns.

Zhang Yuelu quipped, “I have every reason to care. Decades later, others may still look youthful, while I look like an old woman with white hair all over. You’re certainly a bad influence.”

Neither of them came from a wealthy family, so they did not adhere to mealtime etiquette. They simply talked while eating. After breakfast, they left the mountain city and continued their journey.

The next stretch of their journey was uneventful. They walked along the Chamagu Road and encountered a few other travelers besides the merchant caravans.

Qi Xuansu had not reached the stage where he could cultivate while walking or sitting, so he could only converse with Zhang Yuelu to pass the time.

Zhang Yuelu was a genius, but she was not on the level of the Holy Xuan or Donghuang. Her energy was limited. Since she focused most of her energy on her own cultivation and various duties within the Daoist Order, she did not pay attention to other aspects. Thus, she was not well-versed in the various classics of the Three Teachings. She could not casually quote scriptures and was not skilled in various arts, like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Coincidentally, Qi Xuansu was the same. Since leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Qi Xuansu has spent most of his time traveling. To scholars, he was a brute, even though he did not look like one.

So when they were together, they had many common topics.

For example, neither of them knew how to play Go; they only knew how to play simpler games, like the Holy Xuan Cards. They were not used to discussing anecdotes and allusions over tea and fine dining; they could only roughly judge if the food tasted good or bad. They did not care much for profound classics and preferred to read simpler novels.

Furthermore, the two of them liked firearms but were clueless about musical instruments. That was because they were both short on money, so they could not afford to indulge in high-society pursuits.

Scholars and beauties played musical instruments, studied classic scriptures, listened to Kun opera, played chess, drank tea, and composed poems. These were considered upper-class hobbies.

On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu led another kind of lifestyle. They wielded swords, read novels, watched new plays, played cards, drank alcohol, and joked around. However, these were not quite considered lower-class.

Qi Xuansu initially regretted agreeing to accompany Zhang Yuelu back to her hometown. But he no longer felt the same way and enjoyed the time he spent with her.

As night fell, they had not seen a single village or town. All they saw were dark clouds gathering on the eastern horizon. In an instant, the sky turned dark. Shuzhou was warm, even in winter. Thus, there was no snow or ice. It felt more like late autumn in the northern region. Judging from the situation, there would be a cold rain.

Qi Xuansu pointed to a high ground not far from the Chamagu Road. “Qing Xiao, there’s a temple in the woods. Let’s spend the night there.”

Zhang Yuelu had better eyesight than Qi Xuansu, so she had already spotted that abandoned temple. “Didn’t you say that you’d rather sleep on a grave than stay in a dilapidated temple? Why did you change your mind this time?”

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “There are two reasons for that. Firstly, ancient temples that have been abandoned for a long time are usually dirty and occupied by evil spirits. If we barge in, we might be targeted by demons and monsters craving flesh and blood, or get our yang energy sucked by ghosts. Secondly, bandits who rob travelers like to hide in dilapidated temples. They might ambush us. But with a Guizhen-stage expert like you around, what is there to fear?”

"In that case, let’s spend the night in the old temple.” Zhang Yuelu took the lead.

The two arrived at the old temple and entered the main hall, where they saw a Vairocana statue on the altar. However, its gold-plated body faded. The incense table was overturned, and the space between the beams and pillars was covered in dust and cobwebs.

Just then, it started raining. But it was not raining heavily. It sounded like the silkworms munching on mulberry leaves.

The old temple had leaks everywhere, so Zhang Yuelu found a dry spot, swept away the dust and cobwebs with her qi, and took out a piece of cloth from her magical receptacle to lay it on the ground. She beckoned for Qi Xuansu to sit with her.

The two sat back to back, listening to the sound of the night rain outside the temple, neither of them speaking.

Zhang Yuelu hugged her knees, lost in thought.

Qi Xuansu, on the other hand, felt a little awkward. His breathing became lighter.

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