A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 381: Successive Battles

Qi Xuansu won both battles using ruthless tactics.

He was not only merciless to his enemies but also to himself.

The key to winning was his decision to exchange injury for injury, tactics usually employed during life-and-death battles. Moreover, Qi Xuansu had warned them beforehand that he did not intend to hold back and would strike hard.

Since the Lu family did not object, Qi Xuansu could not be blamed. As a result, Lu Niu was beaten until he was paralyzed, and Lu Hu had an arm severed.

Seeing this, Long Wuji’s expression turned solemn. The old man whispered to his friend, “I don’t think Brother Wei is an ordinary person. What do you think?”

Su Chou’s lips twitched slightly as he responded, “Brother Wei can defeat a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner and Qi Refiner. He’s truly not to be underestimated. He’s also hard to see through. If I were to face him, our cultivation levels would not differ much, but judging by his adaptability in battle, he’s clearly someone with extensive experience. He’s also decisive and ruthless, so I might not be his match. However, one thing puzzles me. How have we never heard of such a person before? He’s not even on the Ruyi Leaderboard.”

“Indeed, there’s no such figure in Jianghu. Someone so experienced wouldn’t just pop out of nowhere.” Long Wuji nodded. “That’s why I think ‘Wei Wugui’ might not be his real name; it could be an alias.”

Su Chou was not born yesterday and understood what his friend implied. He looked at Long Wuji in surprise. “You mean—”

“There are two possibilities. The first is that he’s a secret society member, hence the inherently clandestine identity. The second possibility is that he’s from the Daoist Order, where there are plenty of undisclosed talents.”

Long Wuji had long speculated about Wei Wugui’s true identity.

“I’m leaning toward him being from the Daoist Order because he has that sense of superiority unique to Daoists, which can’t be learned, nor can it be easily concealed. As for why we’ve never heard of him, it’s not surprising. The waters in the Daoist Order are too deep. Just two years ago, neither of us had heard of Li Changge and Yao Pei, yet now they’re the top two on the Ruyi Leaderboard.”

Su Chou nodded, accepting this explanation.

Although he was often blindly devoted to Li Qingnu, even to the point of seeming like a fool, Su Chou was a young hero who had navigated Jianghu for years, so he was not lacking in intelligence.

Li Qingnu’s status was quite distinguished—an adopted daughter of the Li family, the manager of Sycamore Villa, and the Finest Courtesan. So as her sworn sibling, Wei Wugui could not be an ordinary person.

Wei Wugui might very well be a prodigy of the Daoist Order, but his identity was too sensitive, hence the use of an alias. The second brother and eldest brother they had mentioned were certainly not ordinary people either.

Su Chou suddenly remembered that Wei Wugui had just mentioned he could not personally escort Liu Hu to Liaodong because of an incident involving his second brother. This made Su Chou think of the recent high-profile case in the Daoist Order.

He shivered as he thought, They claim that their enemies are seeking revenge, but does this involve the Daoist Order’s infighting? If so, that’ll be quite thrilling!

At that moment, Lu Yunfeng finally spoke. “A mere 2,000 Taiping coins is nothing to me. I have one more master here. If you can beat him, I’ll give you 3,000 Taiping coins!”

Before Qi Xuansu could respond, Li Qingnu spoke. “Three consecutive matches, with one person facing three different opponents—that’s essentially an unfair match. Even if you win, it wouldn’t be an honorable victory.”

Lu Yunfeng looked at Li Qingnu, his earlier flirtatious demeanor gone. He asked directly, “What do you want?”

Li Qingnu smiled slightly. “Simple—just increase the stakes. After all, you’re not short of money. A mere 2,000 Taiping coins must be nothing to you, Young Master Lu.”

Lu Yunfeng was momentarily cornered by Li Qingnu’s words. After a pause, he declared, “If he can defeat three people in a row, not only will I reward him with 3,000 Taiping coins as agreed, but I will also never set foot in Sycamore Villa again!”

“Great!” Li Qingnu agreed immediately. After all, she was not the one fighting.

“Don’t be so quick to agree.” Lu Yunfeng changed his tone. “If your man loses, I’ll still pay him 2,000 Taiping coins as promised, but you have to come with me. I know you are Li Tianyue’s painstakingly raised cash cow. If I were to harm you, she would never forgive me, and the Lu family wouldn’t protect me either.

“So let me be clear—I only want you to spend a night at my residence, and I promise not to take your virginity. As a courtesan, you should understand what I want you to do for me.”

Li Qingnu’s expression changed. She was not as decisive when the stakes involved herself.

As Lu Yunfeng had said, she had grown up in upscale brothels. Influenced by what she saw and heard, it would be a lie to say she understood nothing. That was why she hesitated.

The twisted and detestable aspects of human nature always manifest in two things—killing and matters between men and women.

It was easy to imagine what Lu Yunfeng wanted her to do by fulfilling his desires without taking her virginity.

Su Chou finally could not hold back. He stepped forward and volunteered. “I’ll fight!”

Lu Yunfeng did not even glance at the man. “Miss Li, since you said it would be an unfair match, switching people midway would invalidate your statement, so the previous terms would no longer apply.”

“I’ll do it.” Qi Xuansu finally spoke.

Li Qingnu asked softly, “How confident are you?”

Qi Xuansu glanced at her and whispered, “For Madam Qi’s sake, I won’t let you fall into a den of wolves. Madam Qi wouldn’t spare me either if she found out.”

Hearing this, Li Qingnu was reassured.

Madam Qi was indeed greedy, but her reputation for integrity was excellent.

Seeing the two conversing quietly, Lu Yunfeng became displeased. “Have you decided?”

Li Qingnu finally made up her mind. “Alright, I agree. If you lose, you can never set foot in Sycamore Villa again.”

A sinister smile appeared on Lu Yunfeng’s face. “Good, very good.”

His gaze was brazen and lecherous as he said, “I only want you to come to my residence; I have no interest in Sycamore Villa. Besides, I’ve always been generous. Your suitors can come along as well. While we spend the night together, they can watch from the side. It’ll be like watching me eat the meat while they enjoy some soup—a vicarious pleasure. How about that?”

At that moment, a feather shot through the air.

It pierced the chest of one of Lu Yunfeng’s sedan carriers. The carrier let out a muffled grunt, his face quickly turning green before collapsing to the ground.

The sedan chair, originally carried by four people, immediately became off-balance. Lu Yunfeng’s laughter abruptly ceased as he toppled over.

Lu Yunfeng glanced at the feather on the carrier’s chest, his expression turning colder. “Seven Phoenix Feathers—are you from the Daoist Order?”

Qi Xuansu held six feathers in one hand, spreading them out one by one like a folding fan, aiming at Lu Yunfeng. He sneered, “Young Master Lu, the Seven Phoenix Feather’s poison is not fatal, and the antidote is quite common. Surely, you would be able to afford some antidote, right?”

Lu Yunfeng squinted at Qi Xuansu. “Are you threatening me?”

Qi Xuansu used his innate qi to draw back the Seven Phoenix Feather from the sedan carrier. “I’m just reminding you not to celebrate too soon. You’d best make sure you have enough Taiping coins too.”

Lu Yunfeng snorted coldly and said to the last fighter, “I’m counting on you now. Don’t let me down.”

“Yes, sir.” The hunchback old man responded respectfully.

Qi Xuansu also put away the Seven Phoenix Feathers.

The old man stepped forward and cupped his fists. “I’m Lu Long, pleased to meet you.”

Qi Xuansu did not reply. Instead, he raised his left hand, with black yin energy swirling between his five fingers.

The old man slowly straightened up and looked at Qi Xuansu, his eyes glowing brighter, with invisible ripples spreading out from him.

This was the Diviner’s unique ability—dream entering.