Li Qingxiao walked along the road to the Eight Scenes Villa, his thoughts churning. To enter the villa, he needed a solid plan. Since this was just reconnaissance, the key was not to expose himself. Those outsiders would likely gather around the villa too, and with them as cover, his approach wouldn't stand out. Even if caught, he could claim he was just there to watch the spectacle.
As he pondered, Li Qingxiao suddenly bumped into a female Daoist. The woman didn't budge an inch, while he staggered back several steps. He steadied himself and took a closer look: she was a head shorter than him, appearing rather petite. She wore no ceremonial headpiece, only a jade hairpin holding her hair in place. Her Daoist robes gave no clear indication of her rank.
Perched on her nose was a pair of what scholars called "ai dai" but common folk knew as "dark glasses"—finely crafted from black crystal, covering half her face. She looked to be in her thirties, exuding an air of casual indifference, almost sloppy, with a plum branch dangling from her hand.
Li Qingxiao found it odd. He was certain no one had been there moments ago. It was as if she had materialized out of thin air. Before he could dwell on it, the woman grabbed his collar like a seasoned ruffian, yanking him forward so hard he nearly fell.
"Hey! Kid, you hurt me. Pay up!" she barked.
Li Qingxiao didn't hesitate. "How much?"
It wasn't that he was naive enough to take the blame willingly, but he recognized reality—against her, he was like a child, utterly powerless. He hadn't seen her appear, hadn't noticed her grab him, and when he'd collided with her, she hadn't moved an inch while his chest still ached. Clearly, they were worlds apart.
As the saying went, a wise man knows when to retreat. Better to pay now and plan later.
The woman held up five fingers. "Fifty."
Li Qingxiao pulled out his coin pouch, carefully counting out fifty Taiping coins. Seeing the neat stack, his heart ached—it was most of his savings. But with no choice, he handed them over.
The woman's face darkened as if she wanted to slap the coins away, but she restrained herself. "Taiping coins? I meant Wuyou coins!"
Both were official Daoist currency, but Taiping coins were silver, while Wuyou coins were gold. There was also a copper variant called Ruyi coins.
At the mention of "Wuyou coins," Li Qingxiao gave up entirely. He couldn't scrape together fifty gold coins even if he sold himself. Either she wasn't serious about the money or this was just an excuse.
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Trying to weasel out? Don't play games with me. I was running tabs before your parents were born."
Li Qingxiao spread his hands. "I'm broke."
With a cold laugh, she grabbed him and hurled him into the air.
With a whoosh, Li Qingxiao soared skyward, shrinking until he was just a speck. Strangely, passersby paid no attention, as if nothing had happened.
Dizzy and disoriented, buffeted by roaring winds, he had no idea where he was. When he finally landed, he found himself in a vast garden—pavilions, lakes, and rockeries arranged with exquisite artistry. Even in winter, wintersweet blossoms defied the cold.
To his shock, the fifty Taiping coins were still clutched in his hand, as if glued there.
Having been to the capital, Jade Metropolis, Li Qingxiao wasn't naive enough to ask what had happened. He knew he'd encountered someone extraordinary. That woman was no small fry—likely a genuine Daoist master.
But was this a harmless prank by a recluse, or had he stumbled into a power play, becoming a pawn?
Before he could ponder further, voices approached. Li Qingxiao quickly pocketed the coins and hid behind a rockery.
A man and woman strolled along a winding corridor. Both were strikingly handsome, their bearing noble, their features similar—likely siblings rather than lovers.
"I don't get why the old man insists on sending us when there are so many masters available," the man grumbled.
"Quiet," the woman chided. "This is Grandfather's trust. Many would kill for this chance."
"I know it's an honor, and doing well will earn us face. But we must plan for failure too. If we mess up, countless people will laugh at us. Cousin Li Qingxuan and his faction are already scheming to sabotage us. They've sent people to undermine us. If this fails, it's us who'll suffer."
"Then we'll make sure it succeeds, and shut them up for good."
"Easier said than done. Should we just kill them all?"
"We may not have many men, but we're not helpless. We can't dirty our hands, but we can borrow a blade. I've heard Grandmaster Qi is coming to Penglai Island."
"Grandmaster Qi? Really?"
"Absolutely. Master Zhou from the North Star Hall confirmed it. Grandmaster Qi is eccentric, cares little for rules. If we play this right, those fools might offend him..."
"Then our problems vanish."
The voices drew nearer. Li Qingxiao tensed. If he wasn't mistaken, these two were the Grand Chancellor's grandchildren, Li Qinglan and Li Qingping. And this place? The Li family's Eight Scenes Villa.
He'd never imagined entering the villa this way.
From their conversation, his "adventure" was the second scenario—he'd been dragged into a high-stakes game as a pawn. Though he didn't yet know his role, one thing was clear: he couldn't hide his presence forever. A mere rockery wouldn't shield him from their senses.
Just then, a voice spoke above him. "Relax. They can't see you."
Li Qingxiao looked up to see the woman who'd tossed him here, perched atop the rockery, gazing down.
As Li Qinglan and Li Qingping passed by, they noticed nothing.
The woman glanced at the siblings, her smirk dismissive. Once they were gone, Li Qingxiao finally spoke. "You... who are you, Elder?"
"I'm surnamed Qi."
Li Qingxiao's eyes widened. "You're the Grand Supreme... Grandmaster Qi?"
She jumped down. "Smart kid. I'm the Grandmaster Qi those brats were talking about."
Li Qingxiao was speechless. He'd thought this master was impressive, but now realized she was on another level entirely.
Grandmasters stood above ordinary masters in the Daoist hierarchy. While masters held the second rank, grandmasters were first rank, second only to the Grand Chancellor. And this Grandmaster Qi? Even among grandmasters, she was exceptional.
She waved a hand before his eyes. "Cat got your tongue?"
He blurted, "Why me?"
"Why not you?" she countered.
He had no answer.
"If you need a reason," she said, "I don't like your face. 'Qingxiao'? What kind of name is that? Disgusting!"