Chapter 1338: Variables

Chapter 1338: Variables

The extermination of an entire family did not align with the Daoist Order’s principle of civility, because the Daoist Order did not practice collective punishment.

However, in a certain sense, Beichen Hall operated outside conventional law. Once spies were exposed, the Daoist Order would not protect them. Their survival depended on fate. At the same time, Beichen Hall wielded extensive autonomous authority, and killing was commonplace. That was why the sixth-generation Grand Master had proposed the principle of killing less and with caution.

Under normal circumstances, killing was directed at specific targets and did not involve their families, especially one’s wife and children.

But Sun Zhongnu’s case was different. He did not betray the Daoist Order under duress after capture. He defected willingly, causing massive damage and heavy casualties in the Northern Region. The impact of such actions was extremely severe and demanded the harshest punishment as a warning to others. Furthermore, his family might possess confidential information, potentially causing further harm. Thus, eliminating them was also a measure to contain losses.

In short, Beichen Hall’s duty was to purge traitors.

Qi Xuansu’s own hands were far from clean. He was also not soft-hearted. So many had died in the Northern Region, so there had to be someone taking accountability. A few more lives meant little to him. What concerned him more was the broader impact.

After all, this was an age that prided itself on moral purity. If such matters were exposed, the repercussions would be severe. Countless moral paragons would emerge to condemn Beichen Hall as inhumane.

Qi Xuansu did not reject the idea outright. Instead, he said, “For Sun Zhongnu to do something like this, he must be a clever man. He will certainly have taken precautions. He may even have already arranged for people to lie in wait. If we act rashly now, we might be walking straight into a trap.”

Li Mingzhen agreed. “You’re right, Chief Deputy. We should set this matter aside for now. Once the Northern Region’s organization is rebuilt and Sun Zhongnu lowers his guard, we can take action.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Handle it as you see fit. But remember the teaching of the sixth-generation Grand Master—kill less and with caution.”

“Yes, sir,” Li Mingzhen replied. “At present, all personnel in the Northern Region are evacuating. There are countless matters to deal with, so I will attend to these affairs first if you have no further instructions.”

“Very well, go ahead.” Qi Xuansu ended the conversation.

Audrey, who had remained silent the whole time, finally asked with concern, “What happened?”

The conversation between the two Daoists earlier was confidential. Audrey could neither see nor hear it.

Qi Xuansu replied, “We have a traitor on our side, so there may be some complications.”

Audrey’s face turned slightly pale. “Is it the Evangelical Ministry?”

“Yes.” Qi Xuansu let out a soft sigh. “But the key issue lies with us. This traitor has likely become aware of my existence.”

Audrey said nothing.

Qi Xuansu stood and walked to the window, gazing at the scenery rushing past outside the train.

Audrey rose as well. “Arthur, what should we do?”

Qi Xuansu clasped his hands behind his back. “Let’s wait and see. People from the Holy Court may come knocking soon.”

Audrey nodded, her expression full of worry.

As if on cue, the entire steam train suddenly braked just as Audrey was about to speak. The carriage lurched violently with the harsh screech of metal grinding against metal.

Despite her extraordinarily resilient body that was enhanced by the power of the fallen apostle and advanced prosthetics, Audrey could not exert any real strength and was only resistant to accidental harm. So she was little more than a burden.

At this time, Audrey almost lost her footing. But thankfully, Qi Xuansu—being a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being—stood like a strongly rooted tree and casually steadied Audrey with one hand.

When the train finally came to a halt, passengers began cursing loudly. Unlike Audrey, they had no one to steady them. Many had been thrown to the ground, looking thoroughly disheveled.

Qi Xuansu said, “They’re here.”

With a flick of his sleeve, a screen of light appeared, revealing the scene outside the train.

The steam train had come to a stop, and a group of black-robed clergy was boarding.

Audrey looked at the scene within the light screen. “They’re from the Evangelical Ministry.”

Qi Xuansu also watched the screen. After boarding, the black-robed clergy from the Evangelical Ministry secured the entrances and began checking identities one by one.

Audrey couldn’t help but look at Qi Xuansu. “Arthur...”

Qi Xuansu said calmly, “The fact that they’re checking identities means they don’t yet know who we are. Otherwise, they would have come straight for us without wasting time. There are plenty of couples among the passengers on this train, and we’ve already altered our faces. There’s no need to worry. Just remember that you are Penelope Adler. For now, we wait and observe.”

Audrey nodded in agreement.

With another wave of his hand, the light screen shattered into countless sparks and dispersed.

Moments later, the sound of footsteps grew nearer and nearer. Then came a knock at the door that was urgent and sharp, carrying a hint of hostility and impatience.

Before stepping forward to open the door, Qi Xuansu subtly adjusted his expression, putting on a façade of forced calm mixed with a trace of inner anxiety, befitting his current role. Otherwise, if he appeared too composed and unshaken, the black-robed clergy of the Evangelical Ministry might grow suspicious.

After the door opened, three black-robed clergy entered.

The one in front with a cane was clearly the leader, wearing a soft cap and gloves, all in black. The two behind him bore obvious signs of alchemical augmentation, as faint wisps of steam escaped from their bodies, raising the temperature inside the carriage slightly.

Qi Xuansu acted like an ordinary husband, shielding Audrey behind him.

The leading cleric presented an identification document. “We are from the Evangelical Ministry, under orders to conduct an inspection. Please cooperate with us.”

Audrey took out their identification papers and tickets from her small handbag and handed them over.

The cleric took the forged documents, examined them carefully, then looked at the couple. “Mr. Adler and Mrs. Adler, why are you traveling to San Antonio?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “San Antonio is the seventh-largest city on the Northern Continent. It’s close to the border and has thriving trade, so I intend to make a living there.”

“Make a living?” The cleric sized Qi Xuansu up. “Is there really no suitable work for you in a city as vast as St. York?”

Qi Xuansu said, “St. York is indeed prosperous, but the competition is too intense, and the cost of living is too high. The rent alone is already overwhelming. The pressure would only increase if we were to have a child. My experiences over the years have shown me that St. York is no longer suitable for people like us. By contrast, housing in San Antonio is cheaper, while the wages are similar. Life there would be much easier.”

The cleric frowned but found it difficult to refute.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

As clergy of the Evangelical Ministry, they would not personally feel such economic pressure, yet he was not ignorant of the people’s hardship. He had to admit that what this man said made sense.

The cleric asked again, “Why must it be San Antonio? Wouldn’t San Francisco, with a similar economic level, suffice?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “San Francisco has a well-developed mining industry and is more suited for laborers. It’s not a good fit for me.”

The black-robed cleric said nothing further, merely signaling the two clerics behind him to inspect the compartment.

One of them opened Audrey’s suitcase, revealing women’s clothing inside. Audrey let out a startled cry, but Qi Xuansu pressed a hand down to stop her.

After finishing their inspection, the two reported quietly to their leader.

The leading cleric gave a slight nod. “Let’s go.”

After the three men left, Audrey clutched her chest and let out a long sigh of relief. “These Ministry clerics were surprisingly easy to deal with. I thought they would keep pressing us.”

Qi Xuansu said, “They’re not that easygoing. I used a small trick.”

“What kind of trick?” Audrey grew curious.

Qi Xuansu said, “It’s called the Zhuyou Spell.”

The Zhuyou Spell was Wu Luo’s technique. When she founded the Lingshan Witch Cult, those who believed in her could enter her divine kingdom in their dreams. If they passed the trials she set, they would gain the Zhuyou Spell, which allowed one to subtly influence others, causing them to follow commands in a dazed, unconscious state.

After Qi Xuansu’s Wu Luo totem reached the seventh level, he instinctively mastered this technique as if it were an innate ability. However, it was not very effective against those of equal cultivation, leaving little opportunity to use it. These black-robed clerics were far weaker than him, making them ideal targets. Moreover, Qi Xuansu did not directly control them. He merely applied subtle influence, leaving no traces afterward.

This led Qi Xuansu to many speculations. The Zhuyou Spell was merely a minor technique that was hardly worth mentioning. If the totems of the Eleven Great Witches continued to advance, would he gain even more of their divine abilities?

Qi Xuansu had seen some of their divine abilities before, such as retrieving objects from shadows, communicating with spirits and the netherworld, resurrection, and spatial movement. None of these was inferior to the Daoist perfected methods.

To this day, Qi Xuansu had not mastered many perfected methods. Although the Rogue Cultivator lineage had compensated for his aptitude, it only elevated him to the level of a Qi Refiner, not enough to be considered exceptionally gifted like Zhang Yuelu, the natural-born Banished Immortal.

Thus, Qi Xuansu always needed more time than Zhang Yuelu even if they studied the same techniques.

However, if Qi Xuansu could obtain the divine abilities of all Eleven Great Witches and achieve immortality, he could finally compensate for his lack of Daoist perfected methods.