A Pawn's Passage

At this time, the sky was not bright yet. It was dark blue with a faint hint of white on the horizon.

Liu Hu finished packing, abandoning the more cumbersome women’s clothing and putting on men’s clothing altered to her size. It was simple and easy to travel in.

Traveling in men’s clothes was the current trend, which explained why Zhang Yuelu and Mu Jin were dressed in altered men’s clothing when they went on the expedition to Wugeshanli.

Liu Hu put on a cloak with a hood to resist the wind and rain.

Wild Bodhisattva took out two masks that were as thin as an insect’s wings and handed them over. “Although the disguise may not be enough to hide your appearance from those who are targeting you, it’s still better than nothing.”

Qi Xuansu took one mask and looked at it briefly before putting it on his face. He then used a small spell to summon a water mirror, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles of the mask. In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu transformed into a different person.

Compared with Qi Xuansu’s original appearance, his new face looked more serious and gloomy. He also had a decisive and fierce gaze, which gave off an unapproachable aura, suited for his identity as Wei Wugui. It was certainly a good deterrent.

Liu Hu held her mask, her mouth agape as she stared at Qi Xuansu in surprise.

“Girl, do you think that traveling in the real world is just about fighting with people? It’s not that simple, and there’s a lot more to it. You will need to know horseback riding, hunting, treating wounds, disguises, directions, Feng Shui, geography, and slang.” Bodhisattva chuckled and added, “Did you see how Uncle Wei put on the mask just now? You should also learn to wear it yourself.”

After about an hour, Liu Hu returned again with a new appearance. She looked less attractive, but definitely not ugly. Wild Bodhisattva knew that being too ugly or beautiful could attract attention, so the more ordinary, the better. However, her eyes were still animated.

Wild Bodhisattva looked at Qi Xuansu. “You’re an experienced traveler, so you should know your way to Zhili, right? There’s only one path from here. Take care.”

Qi Xuansu nodded solemnly.

“Father…” Liu Hu called out softly, feeling reluctant and sad.

Wild Bodhisattva originally wanted to pat the top of Liu Hu’s head, but he stopped himself and sighed. “Nothing in this world lasts forever. Fate brings people together and tears them apart. Our fate as father and daughter has come to an end for now. If fate allows it, we shall meet again in the future.”

Liu Hu nodded solemnly. She kneeled and kowtowed three times to Wild Bodhisattva, saying goodbye to her adoptive father.

Qi Xuansu stood aside without saying a word.

Wild Bodhisattva accepted Liu Hu’s show of respect and looked up at the brightening sky. “Well, you two better get going.”

Liu Hu slowly stood up and followed Qi Xuansu out of the house.

There was another horse parked next to Bu Yue, Qi Xuansu’s horse. It was a long journey from Zhongzhou to Zhili, making it impossible without riding a horse. This was also why Liu Hu changed into a men’s riding outfit. Moreover, Liu Hu was not a weak woman. Her parents were both Daoists.

Her biological father was at least a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. Not to mention, her adoptive father was Wild Bodhisattva. Even Qi Xuansu did not know what cultivation he possessed, but it was certainly not low.

Thus, growing up with these figures, Liu Hu was already at the Kunlun stage. When Qi Xuansu was her age, he had not reached this level. Just last year, Qi Xuansu was still at the Kunlun stage. Of course, he certainly had more combat experience than her.

Qi Xuansu waved at Wild Bodhisattva before getting on his horse. Liu Hu took one last look at her adoptive father and then mounted her horse.

Wild Bodhisattva stood at the door, watching the two people’s departing backs, looking forlorn.

The city gate was not yet open at this time, but in a big city like Longmen Prefecture, there would be a smaller gate for people to enter and exit during all hours of the day. However, one would need a permit to use the side gate. Since Wild Bodhisattva was an aide of the Garrison Chief Military Officer, he easily got a permit for Liu Hu and Qi Xuansu to exit the city.

They headed north after leaving through the side gate.

Liu Hu was introverted and did not like to talk, so she kept silent.

The first day was uneventful. The two set out before dawn, but they still had yet to leave the boundary of Longmen Prefecture at nightfall. Thus, they settled down to rest at a Taiping Inn. In fact, Qi Xuansu could already stay awake for several days at his current cultivation level, but Liu Hu could not. This journey was long. It would take at least a month or two, so Qi Xuansu had to take all the rest he could get.

Taiping Inn had always been known for its safety. Only a few people like Feng Bo would dare cause trouble at the inn. So just in case, Qi Xuansu still asked for two adjacent guest rooms. He also placed several small mechanisms in Liu Hu’s room to alert him of any intruders during the night.

Not long after Qi Xuansu fell asleep, he had a dream.

Dreaming was very common for Qi Xuansu. Every time, he would see the dark mountain, bonfire, and black shadows. His initial surprise was long gone. However, this dream was different from the past. There were no mountains or black shadows. It was the netherworld.

In front of Qi Xuansu was a large river with no end in sight. An old woman stood on a bridge across the river. This bridge looked like the legendary Naihe Bridge, in which every soul had to cross to be reincarnated.

Behind the thick fog on the opposite side of the bridge was a city, vaguely visible. It seemed to be the legendary Fengdu. It spanned 250 kilometers from east to west, 400 kilometers from north to south, and was 7.5 kilometers above sea level.

It was the capital of the netherworld, where the King of Hell oversaw the fortunes and misfortunes of the netherworld and administered punishments for the sins of the deceased souls.

In the Daoist records, there was a theory of the Three Realms—heaven, earth, and the netherworld. The netherworld was the destination for dead souls.

The two other realms were different from the mortal realm.

Heaven was a place of extreme yang energy, a vast and boundless expanse that was empty and formless, devoid of light, shadow, sound, and breath.

For mortals, reaching this place equated to non-existence. For immortals, it was akin to profound stillness. Only those with great powers could carve out a space here. Therefore, the Primordial Daoist Ancestor established the 33 Heavens, the Buddha created the Three Realms of Existence, and the Emperor of Heaven established Heaven.

One would never return to the mortal realm once one entered this realm. Due to this, many chose not to ascend to heaven. However, out of fear of the heavenly tribulation that happened once in a hundred years, they had no choice but to ascend.

On the other hand, the netherworld was a place of extreme yin energy. After death, the soul was said to return to heaven while the body returned to earth. In fact, they would enter this realm and eventually turn into chaos. Only the Three Corpses would linger in the mortal realm, turning into ghosts.

The Zaoge Cult once used its boundless corpse qi to corrode a gap between the mortal realm and the netherworld, connecting the two realms. This realm was exceedingly filthy. Aside from a few special immortals, other immortals would not set foot here, let alone establish the reincarnation governance of the netherworld.

To put it simply, the Three Realms were like an enormous city. The heavens were the highest towers and palaces, with a treacherous path leading to the top that only a few managed to ascend. Once up there, it was easy to overlook the city, but one could not intervene in the people's lives below.

Below the ground was an intricate network of sewers, where all kinds of sewage were discharged. It was filthy and dark, making it difficult for ordinary people to survive. No one would stay in the sewers for a long time, with minimal manpower for maintenance. Certainly, no one would adjudicate the merits and demerits of this sewage. Good and evil were more of a self-consolation for people who felt powerless against reality.

The main body was still the city itself, where both the high towers and the sewers depended on for existence.

Since the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, he had been opposed to pretending to be mysterious and deceiving the public. Therefore, all this knowledge was taught in the general curriculum.

Due to this, Qi Xuansu knew very well that he had not gone to the netherworld. If he had, he would have been corroded by the boundless yin energy right away, leaving no trace of himself behind.

This dream was strange.

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