Chapter 693: Unresolved Yet Concluded
After Gan Longchi left with Qin Hengde, Su Li was hesitant to speak. Clearly, she acknowledged Qi Xuansu’s determination to uphold the Dao, yet could not understand why he had compromised.
Qi Xuansu gave her a straightforward explanation. “The biggest reason is that I couldn’t beat Gan Longchi. We’re already evenly matched when he’s barehanded against my blade. But if he uses the Darkwater Armor, a top-tier treasure, I’ll surely lose. Then I’d have to call in the Spirit Guards to fight. Never mind how the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion would punish us afterward, the battle itself would be disastrous, likely resulting in heavy casualties. These Spirit Guards are veterans of the Western Region frontier, so they shouldn’t die in vain here. If I were at the Wuliang stage like Gan Longchi, I’d knock him to the ground in three moves. Forget compromising, I’d have taken him down along with the rest.
“Moreover, the Imperial Court is not like the Daoist Order. They don’t have so many laws and regulations. Their people have always been daring to the point of recklessness. That’s why Jade Capital prides itself on being civilized and criticizes the Imperial Capital as barbaric. This man is a brute, not the kind who cares for reputation. If you push him into a corner, he’ll do anything. I suspect he had plans to silence everyone from the start. If I had refused a private duel, he would have donned the Darkwater Armor, charged in with his men, and killed everyone in the brothel amid the chaos. Later, both sides would tell different stories. We’d say he killed them, but he’d claim it was us or argue it was collateral damage during the fight. The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court would each protect their own, and in the end, this matter would be swept under the rug.”
Su Li recalled what Qi Xuansu had said earlier and could not help but repeat, “In this world, matters that seem resolved often end unresolved.”
“If I’d known, I should have brought some image recording stones to record his true face,” Su Li said regretfully. She was indeed obsessive, but not to the extent of Su Ran. She understood that if one could not win by force, one had to win by wit. In truth, even Su Ran’s approach had been strategic and well thought out. She simply had not accounted for Qi Xuansu as a variable.
Qi Xuansu replied, “Leaving aside how rare and costly image recording stones are, even if we had brought one, with his Wuliang-stage cultivation, he would’ve sensed it instantly. That would be pushing him over the edge and helping him make up his mind to silence us all.”
“How would he dare?” Su Li widened her eyes. “This is the Imperial Capital, the supposed pinnacle of civility!”
Qi Xuansu said, “Normally, the court would never allow him to act so recklessly. But special times allow for exemptions. The court might well turn a blind eye to this, and certain people in our own Daoist mansion would tacitly agree to gloss things over afterward, not pursuing it too harshly. Gan Longchi may be a thug in official robes, but he sees the situation clearly. So even though he played a risky game, it was a calculated risk.”
Su Li frowned. “Superintendent Qi, I’m getting more confused. What do you mean by special times? Who are the people in our Daoist mansion that you’re referring to? Why would they want to gloss things over?”
Qi Xuansu did not answer right away. Instead, he asked deliberately, “Superintendent Su, can I trust you?”
“Of course you can,” Su Li replied earnestly. “I can swear it upon the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.”