A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 40: Xu Kou

Xu Kou looked straight at Zhang Yuelu, unyielding and even a bit aggressive.

Sun Yongfeng lowered his head slightly, secretly gloating about the situation. This Deputy Hall Master is no pushover, so Xu Kou will probably suffer some hardships if he provokes her.

However, as the superintendent, Sun Yongfeng was also happy to see the newly-appointed Deputy Hall Master get humiliated. Regardless of the outcome, Sun Yongfeng would not suffer any losses.

After a moment, Xu Kou retorted, “Can’t the Deputy Hall Master’s decision be questioned?”

Zhang Yuelu did not get mad. She spoke calmly. “Of course, you can have an opinion, but you must obey my decisions. I know that you’re from the Qizhou Daoist Mansion and that Sage Qingwei appreciates your style and thinks highly of you. But this isn’t the Qizhou Daoist Mansion, and I am not Sage Qingwei.”

Xu Kou laughed. “Sage Qingwei might not think so.”

Zhang Yuelu suddenly turned to Sun Yongfeng and asked, “Superintendent Sun, who has the final say in Yaoguang Pavilion? Is it the Tiangang Hall or the Qizhou Daoist Mansion?”

Sun Yongfeng coughed lightly. “Naturally, it’s Tiangang Hall. But Sage Qingwei is one of the 36 Omniscient Sages and is poised to become the next Great Sage of the Taiping Sect. Naturally, Sage Qingwei is no ordinary Daoist Mansion Master. Even our Hall Master must respect Sage Qingwei’s opinions.”

Zhang Yuelu snorted coldly and asked Qi Xuansu, “Tian Yuan, what do you think?”

At this time, Qi Xuansu understood why Zhang Yuelu needed a confidant so urgently. He immediately responded. “This is a very interesting question. To be honest with you, Deputy Hall Master, I have discussed this issue in private with Superintendent Sun.”

Sun Yongfeng was stunned. He had no idea when he had discussed this issue with Qi Xuansu. He did not think this was an interesting or even meaningful topic. It was ridiculous!

Zhang Yuelu asked nonchalantly, “So, what’s the result of the discussion?”

Qi Xuansu deliberately said, “Superintendent Sun’s and my views are a bit deviant because we both feel that Tiangang Hall has the final say. We also know that we are only a minority and cannot represent the opinions of the majority.”

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Zhang Yuelu smiled faintly. “Very good. Starting now, you may consider yourselves the majority.”

After that, Zhang Yuelu scanned the crowd.

Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to refute. However, they did not agree because they knew how powerful Sage Qingwei was.

Sage Qingwei, Sage Donghua, and Sage Cihang were among the best of the 36 Omniscient Sages. They were regarded as the second-in-command in the three major sects after the three Deputy Grand Masters. They were also expected to become the next Deputy Grand Masters. Within the Daoist community, these three Sages were called Junior Imperial Preceptor, Junior Earthly Preceptor, and Junior Heavenly Preceptor, respectively.

Zhang Yuelu had expected this situation. She asked Qi Xuansu to establish his authority and convince the public of his capabilities because this was also what others asked of her. The Great Sage Lunzhi had promoted her to the position of Deputy Hall Master as a test. If Zhang Yuelu could seize this opportunity to do well, she would naturally rise to the top. If Zhang Yuelu failed to do so, she would lose everything.

This was just the beginning. It was far from a serious challenge.

Zhang Yuelu looked at Xu Kou. “If Sage Qingwei intervenes in the affairs of Tiangang Hall as the Omniscient Sage of the Golden Tower Council and asks me to take back this decision, I have no choice but to obey. The key is, will you get Sage Qingwei to intervene? Or are you merely using Sage Qingwei’s name so that I will be wary of you?”

Xu Kou was slightly startled, realizing that he had underestimated this Deputy Hall Master.

Zhang Yuelu continued, “As I said before, this isn’t the Qizhou Daoist Mansion, and you are no longer a member of the Qizhou Daoist Mansion. You are now a member of Tiangang Hall. If you think that you have a huge backer, go ahead and invite him to speak. But if you can’t, just obey my orders. It’s that simple. Now, do you understand what I’m saying?”

Xu Kou was silent for a moment before he spoke. “Understood.”

Zhang Yuelu still stared at him. “What else do you have to say?”

Xu Kou stretched out his hand to press on the pole of his glaive and said in a deep voice, “I remember that Donghuang once made a rule that duels are allowed in Xuan City. I have long heard of your reputation, Deputy Hall Master, so I’d like to challenge you to a duel today.”

Qi Xuansu frowned and found that the situation was gradually deviating from his expectations.

It was no secret that Zhang Yuelu was in the Guizhen stage of cultivation. It was also evident that Xu Kou had come prepared to challenge Zhang Yuelu to a duel, even though he already knew her level of cultivation.

Qi Xuansu had a bold guess.

Xu Kou looked down on him, but there was no need to show it so openly. Perhaps Xu Kou’s target had been Zhang Yuelu all along, but he deliberately picked on Qi Xuansu to create an opportunity for a duel.

Of course, Qi Xuansu also had his own considerations. He was not angry because of Xu Kou’s attitude. He felt that if he gave in too much, he would appear cowardly. If so, it would be difficult to convince the crowd of his capabilities. That was why he took the initiative to ridicule Xu Kou. If his guess was right, then he had fallen right into Xu Kou’s trap.

After hearing this, Zhang Yuelu took a deep look at Xu Kou. A flash of purple energy crossed her eyes.

Xu Kou spoke again. “That’s the Immortal Eye of Providence. In that case, you should already know my cultivation level. Deputy Hall Master, am I qualified to challenge you to a duel?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “Since you’re a Martial Arts Practitioner at the Guizhen stage, you’re naturally qualified to challenge me to a duel.”

Sun Yongfeng, Qi Xuansu, and everyone present were shocked.

That was because Xu Kou’s files clearly stated that he was a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Flesh and Blood Realm, which corresponded to the Yuxu stage. No one expected Xu Kou to deliberately hide his own cultivation under his brutish guise. He was, in fact, in the Martial Arts Practitioner’s Heavenly Connection Realm.

Qi Xuansu finally understood why Xu Kou was able to capture a B-rank member of the Qingping Society. Xu Kou was supposed to be in the fourth rank, not the sixth rank.

Based on their cultivation alone, Xu Kou and Zhang Yuelu were almost at the same level.

Xu Kou asked, “Shall we fight with weapons? Or with bare hands?”

Zhang Yuelu maintained her composure. “You don’t have to try to provoke me. I just want to make it clear that I won’t be using my semi-immortal object. That way, you'll be convinced of the results when I win.”

Xu Kou’s eyes were doubtful. He muttered, “Great.”

Qi Xuansu did not understand why Zhang Yuelu was so persistent. If she lost to Xu Kou, news of this would spread throughout Xuan City in less than half a day. The reason she could become a deputy hall master was through the support of the Great Sages and her identity as a Banished Immortal. If she failed to establish her authority, it would be difficult for her to continue being the Deputy Hall Master.

Was she so confident that she could win? Or was she too self-conceited?

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu waved her sleeve, signaling everyone to retreat and leave enough space for their duel. Qi Xuansu retreated as instructed, but he was still worried for Zhang Yuelu.

He had experienced the aggression of Martial Arts Practitioners. A few punches from Zhuge Yongming resulted in him drinking medicinal soup for half a month. He did not doubt Zhang Yuelu’s talent, but he was afraid that she would get defeated due to her own carelessness in underestimating the enemy, especially since she had been held in high esteem for so long.

Xu Kou took out his glaive, threw it aside, and got into a boxing stance. It was the high-attainment method, the Five Directions Punch of the Taiping Sect. Five Directions referred to the east, west, south, north, and center. This boxing technique was divided into five parts. Each part alone was an average attainment method, but together, it was a high attainment method. Its power could not be underestimated.

Zhang Yuelu glanced at Xu Kou and offered. “Go ahead.”

Generally speaking, only a senior would speak in such a tone when training a junior. Zhang Yuelu’s tone implied that she did not regard Xu Kou as an equal opponent.

Xu Kou, arrogant as he was, became infuriated. However, he maintained a calm facade. He was not a rash man who only used brute force. How could such a man capture a leader of the Qingping Society?

Whether Zhang Yuelu was too conceited or was confident in winning would soon be revealed.

Xu Kou took a step forward, and a circle of dust dispersed. Qi Xuansu’s face changed slightly when he saw this.

Xu Kou’s upper body was motionless, but his feet were exerting force. If they were not in the spotless Yaoguang Pavilion, they would be able to see tiny pebbles quaking. What Qi Xuansu could not see were the fine cracks that appeared under Xu Kou’s feet. The floor tiles of Yaoguang Pavilion were not ordinary bluestones but extremely hard, special stones. Ordinary swords would not leave a mark on these tiles.

The next moment, Xu Kou relied on the force of his foot and lunged at Zhang Yuelu, like an arrow released from a bow.

Sun Yongfeng thought to himself, If I were her, I’d avoid this punch. If I were to take this punch head-on, I’d probably suffer a big loss.

However, Zhang Yuelu merely stretched out her hand, catching Xu Kou’s fist.

Her slender fingers, compared to Xu Kou’s rough and calloused fist, seemed extra delicate. At this moment, Xu Kou’s expression changed drastically. There were even beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

The huge contrast made this scene seem funny and absurd.

“This is the West Golden Punch in the Five Directions Punch. How interesting.” Zhang Yuelu did not exude a hint of a killing aura, but Qi Xuansu could clearly see the upward curve of her lips. She did not plan to hold back on how she was about to mock Xu Kou.

It seemed that the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, the Daoist Master Nanhua, and the Holy Xuan were pranking Xu Kou at the same time. Qi Xuansu could finally conclude that Zhang Yuelu was by no means overly conceited.

As a fourth-rank Daoist priest, Sun Yongfeng was astonished, let alone the others.

Lingquanzi, who had not spoken until now, looked solemn. “Is this the Six Void Tribulations?”

Xu Kou felt that his entire arm had gone completely numb. However, having honed his cultivation level through pure grit and ruthlessness, he refused to admit defeat and swept his leg toward Zhang Yuelu’s lower body.

Zhang Yuelu refused to dodge. The moment Xu Kou kicked her, a five-colored aura appeared around her.

Xu Kou’s leg felt like it had landed on a large ball of cotton, feeling no impact at all. The aura around Zhang Yuelu prevented his fists and feet from touching her, let alone hurting her. He narrowed his eyes at this realization.

That was when Sun Yongfeng and Lingquanzi said in unison, “The Five Elements Qi Shield.”