A Pawn's Passage

To Qi Xuansu, Zhang Wuyue’s matter was nothing more than a trivial interlude. Favors were always reciprocal. Qi Xuansu had introduced Huangfu Ji to the right people and helped resolve the funding issue. Huangfu Ji, in turn, helped arrange Zhang Wuyue’s position, thereby repaying that earlier favor.

This sort of exchange of favors was not merely a matter of expending social capital. On the contrary, it strengthened the bond between both sides, so there was no need to keep such a meticulous account.

Qi Xuansu’s primary attention still had to remain focused on Kukulkan.

The Daoist Order valued balance, and stability was the prerequisite for everything. Having already struck a blow against Ixchel’s faction, Qi Xuansu would have to target Kukulkan’s faction next. Otherwise, the balance would be upset.

At present, it seemed that both sides had overstepped their bounds to some degree.

Ixchel had made use of the humanoid insects. Qi Xuansu neither approved nor disapproved. The reason he had refrained from retaliating for the time being was simply that he did not want the balance of power between the two factions to become overly lopsided.

Kukulkan appeared to have some ties with the Fallen Apostles. However, it was still difficult to determine the exact nature of their relationship. Assuming the Shadow Tide was indeed connected to Kukulkan and Chak Chel, then judging from what had happened within Samuel’s temple, Samuel’s stance was rather ambiguous. He was not taking either side but instead seemed intent on muddying the waters.

Qi Xuansu’s investigation appeared to have reached a dead end, so he decided to take a calculated risk by beginning with Lin Bufan.

His first step was to retrieve Lin Bufan’s personnel file.

Lin Bufan’s Daoist companion was the grandniece of Great Sage Gong.

Miss Gong’s father was no ordinary figure either. He was one of the Nine Sages of the Western Daoist Order. Although Miss Gong did not quite measure up to Miss Tantai, she certainly had an eye for choosing a husband, having set her sights on Lin Bufan at first glance. The Gong family was likewise very pleased with him. Over the years, under the Gong family’s patronage, Lin Bufan had steadily climbed the ranks, rising from an ordinary ninth-rank Daoist to become the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master in the Western Daoist Order.

In this regard, Lin Bufan could not be compared to Qi Xuansu, who had never relied on his in-laws. Qi Xuansu had mainly depended on his adoptive mother’s connections. Consequently, he had never had to bow his head before the Zhang family, nor had he ever considered himself a matrilocal son-in-law since he did not achieve his current position through the Zhang family. Naturally, the Zhang family could not use that relationship to keep him under their thumb.

Lin Bufan, however, had attained his present position entirely under the protection of his wife’s family, and so he had always been known as someone who feared his wife. Within the household, Miss Gong’s word was law. She often reminded him that his position as Second Deputy Hall Master had been given to him by the Gong family. Without them, Lin Bufan would never have become what he was today.

Lin Bufan truly had no rebuttal for that, because Miss Gong was merely stating a fact.

If a matrilocal son-in-law were ridiculed and gossiped about, he would be more likely to seek compensation through other women so as to recover the dignity he felt he had lost and restore his wounded masculine pride.

By contrast, men like Qi Xuansu and Li Changge had few such thoughts and were capable of restraining themselves. Physical desires were easy enough to control. It was the desires of the heart that were difficult to master. The key lay in whether one harbored an inner obsession or an unshakable fixation. Qi Xuansu’s romantic journey had been relatively smooth, so he had no deep attachment when it came to love and sexual desire. His true obsession lay with family and kinship.

This was what Buddhism referred to as the suffering of unattainable desire.

Lin Bufan dared not openly defy Miss Gong, but he was not so obedient behind her back. Given his status, there was no shortage of women surrounding him, currying favor and seeking his attention. To put it bluntly, there were plenty of women lining up to become his lovers. Opportunities were abundant.

The Juesheng Hall had detailed records of all this, possessing concrete evidence of Lin Bufan’s misconduct. Yet, for some reason, Tantai Ying neither made the matter public nor held him accountable. She did not inform Miss Gong, nor did she even report it to Huangfu Ji.

Among Lin Bufan’s subordinates was a woman more than a decade older than himself. Though no longer young, she was still charming. Whether Lin Bufan had simply been suppressing himself for too long or genuinely preferred older women was unclear. In any case, he frequently took the initiative to solve various problems for her, and the two soon grew intimately close.

She had long been without a companion. Like dry tinder meeting a blazing flame, the two quickly embarked on an illicit affair.

In the eyes of the two involved, it was perhaps romantic and poetic. If they were inclined to flatter themselves, they might even claim they were breaking free from the shackles of convention. To everyone else, however, it was simply a passionate affair.

That female subordinate became Lin Bufan’s regular mistress.

Yet even that was not enough for Lin Bufan. He became involved with several more women, including a female Spirit Guard, a famous courtesan, a respectable married woman, a Tawantin noblewoman, and even another young lady of the Gong family.

It was as though he were desperately trying to make up for something. Regardless of the circumstances or the woman’s background, he pursued them all, all the while proclaiming that he loved each one sincerely. He had practically fashioned himself into some kind of hopeless romantic.

Qi Xuansu found the whole thing rather amusing. If a man wanted to pursue women, then that was simply male instinct. But Lin Bufan insisted on wrapping it all up in the image of a devoted lover. The question was, was he trying to deceive others or himself?

Closing the case file, Qi Xuansu asked Tantai Ying, “Why didn’t you report Lin Bufan?”

Tantai Ying replied, “It wouldn’t have been appropriate. If I had brought him down, then no matter how impartial my motives, it would still appear personal. The Gong family would see it as the Tantai family declaring war. They wouldn’t bother asking who was right or wrong. They would simply retaliate by purging members of the Tantai family in return.”

Qi Xuansu understood.

Once matters escalated into a factional struggle, whether it was right or wrong no longer mattered.

Instead, Tantai Ying’s status had become a constraint upon her.

Qi Xuansu asked again, “Then why didn’t you report it to Sage Huangfu?”

Tantai Ying replied helplessly, “Because he doesn’t care about such things. I know him too well. To him, the number one priority is waging war against the Steam Evangelical Sect. The second priority is developing the Southern Continent. Issues of conduct, culture, or public morale are all minor details in comparison.”

Qi Xuansu said, “A large dam can collapse because of an ant’s nest. It’s still not too late to put the moral climate in order. By the time the illness becomes obvious, it will probably have already seeped into the bones, and it will be too late to save it.”

Ignoring the point, Tantai Ying asked, “Chief Deputy Qi, you didn’t come here because you were concerned about the Western Daoist Order’s moral climate, right? You suddenly asked to see Lin Bufan’s file. Are you suspecting that Lin Bufan is colluding with the ancient gods?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I’m not a member of the Western Daoist Order, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to interfere directly in your personnel affairs. But you’re right, I do indeed suspect Lin Bufan.”

Curious, Tantai Ying asked, “When did you first begin to suspect him?”

Qi Xuansu answered frankly, “The very first time he supplied me with intelligence.”

Tantai Ying thought back. The first intelligence Lin Bufan had provided to Qi Xuansu was regarding the Hun Manor.

Qi Xuansu continued, “At that time, our investigation was still focused on the Shadow Tide. I instructed each of you to conduct your own inquiries. In an incredibly short period of time, Lin Bufan brought me information about the Hun Manor cultivating human-faced fruit trees. As a result, our investigation shifted away from the Shadow Tide, which was connected to Kukulkan, and toward the Heron Society, which was linked to Ixchel.”

“He’s borrowing another’s knife to kill,” Tantai Ying remarked.

Qi Xuansu said, “I found it suspicious that the timing was simply too perfect. Judging from how Utu and the others remained completely unwary and continued their transactions as usual, it was obvious that both the Heron Society and the humanoid insects believed Hun Manor remained well hidden and had not been exposed. At the time, even the Juesheng Hall had no knowledge of what was happening there. So how did the Tiangang Hall know? Based on my experience within the Daoist Order, whenever a major conspiracy manages to remain hidden from the higher-ups, there is almost always an insider involved. It was from that moment onward that I began to suspect Lin Bufan.”

Tantai Ying murmured, “The person who understands you best isn’t your friend. It’s your enemy.”

“Exactly,” Qi Xuansu replied. “At the time, I asked myself, who stood in opposition to Ixchel? Naturally, the answer was Kukulkan. That led me to believe Lin Bufan might be connected to Kukulkan’s faction. His motive for diverting our attention toward the Heron Society was entirely consistent with someone acting in Kukulkan’s interests.”

Tantai Ying asked, “If you had already begun to suspect Lin Bufan back then, why did you still allow the investigation to change direction?”

Qi Xuansu answered, “There were three reasons. First, I only had suspicions and no concrete evidence. Second, the investigation into the Shadow Tide had reached a dead end. Third, there was no harm in turning their own scheme against them. After all, there’s no reason to trust Ixchel fully.”

Tantai Ying asked, “So do we have concrete evidence now?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “No. However, Lin Bufan’s complete lack of action during this period has only deepened my suspicions. What was once a 50% suspicion has now risen to 70%. Since the investigation into the Shadow Tide has made no progress, I have no choice but to take a calculated risk and use Lin Bufan as the breakthrough point. That’s why I need your help.”

Tantai Ying was an intelligent woman. After a brief moment of thought, she understood Qi Xuansu’s intentions. “Chief Deputy Qi, you mean for the Juesheng Hall to detain Lin Bufan under another pretext, such as misconduct in his personal life. Then, after we’ve brought him in, we focus our interrogation on matters concerning Kukulkan.”

She hesitated for a moment before adding, “But arresting him so abruptly could easily lead the Gong family to misunderstand our intentions.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Sage Tantai, are you acquainted with Miss Gong?”

Tantai Ying paused in surprise before answering, “Yes, I suppose. After all, we’re about the same age and come from similar family backgrounds. The Western Daoist Order isn’t that large a circle. It’s difficult not to know one another.”

Qi Xuansu pointed at the file. “In that case, we can employ a few tactics. Let Miss Gong learn about the existence of these women. Carefully control the timing and the details. Don’t give her the opportunity to calm down. Instead, provoke her into flying into a rage. Once she makes a scene, you can step in as her friend under the pretext of standing up for her and place Lin Bufan under control. With Miss Gong’s involvement, the Gong family won’t misunderstand the situation.”

Tantai Ying cast a sidelong glance at Qi Xuansu. “Chief Deputy Qi, I thought you only relied on open stratagems. I didn’t expect you to be capable of such covert schemes as well.”

Qi Xuansu answered calmly, “The Daoist Order values the harmony of yin and yang, balancing firmness with flexibility.”

Tantai Ying nodded. “Understood. I’ll make the arrangements. Just wait for my good news.”

That very night, Tantai Ying established a special task force dedicated to investigating Lin Bufan and the women connected to him. After drawing up a detailed operational plan, the task force split up to carry out their respective assignments.

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