A Pawn’s Passage

As the verbal clash between the two faction leaders grew increasingly heated, a few minor commanders—men of some reputation—hurried forward to mediate. With the formidable enemy at the gates, infighting among allies must be avoided. Even the three sects of the Daoist Order fought among themselves, yet they could still unite against an external foe. Surely the divisions here were not deeper than those within the Daoist Order. Besides, everyone was supposedly fighting for the Sonno-joi cause, so there was no need for discord.

Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu was quietly planning to leave this assembly as soon as possible so he could report this situation back to the Daoist camp and raise the alarm regarding the Westerners' interference in Fenglin's affairs.

After a brief moment, the two men temporarily laid aside their quarrel.

Metropolitan White, well-versed in smoothing over conflicts, said, "You are both pillars of our cause. Let us not allow this humble messenger to create discord. Mere words of support and aid are difficult to trust, as we understand. That's why Cardinal Deacon Brown anticipated such concerns and permitted me to bring a large Space Bag."

With that, he produced an almost translucent bag, and with a flick, ten large chests with distinct Western craftsmanship materialized on the floor before the altar table, each engraved with intricate patterns.

Metropolitan White stepped up to one of the chests, turned the circular lock, and lifted the lid.

In that instant, the entire hall fell silent.

Inside the chest was a dazzling mass of silver coins, not inscribed like Taiping coins, but instead bearing the emblem of a double-headed eagle. This was the famous silver Eagle coin of the West.

This single chest held at least 20,000 silver Eagle coins.

Since the East and West had begun large-scale trade, the global economy had been transformed, with currency affected most profoundly. Today, the two most stable currencies in the world were the Eastern Taiping coin and the Western Eagle coin—the only two universally accepted forms of money.

Compared to these two types of silver coins, ordinary copper coins, bills, and paper notes had no such influence.

Many of those present gasped, and their breathing grew heavier.

Metropolitan White walked to another chest and opened the lid.

This time, gold gleamed from within. These were gold coins with a crown emblem instead of the double-headed eagle.

These were gold Crowns, which were gold coins comparable to the Great Xuan Empire's Wuyou coins. It held an official exchange rate of ten silver Eagle coins to one gold Crown.

Without stopping, Metropolitan White opened the lids of all the chests. One was full of gold Crowns, while the other nine chests were filled with silver Eagle coins, amounting to hundreds of thousands of Eagle coins.

Wealth could always move people's hearts. Now, the Sonno-joi patriots fell into silence.

Words of support and aid were easy to dismiss. But tangible silver and gold were another matter. Master Yoshida's warnings about Western schemes had instantly become a problem for another day. The talk about losing moral legitimacy or the people's support had also been thrown out the window. After all, how many Eagle coins were righteous cause and public trust really worth?

Metropolitan White smiled as he scanned the room. "This is the sincerity we bring. Gentlemen, do you have any other doubts?"

Yoshida Yoshiaki still wanted to speak, but after glancing at the crowd's expressions, he let out a long sigh and muttered, "Such fools are truly unfit to discuss strategy..."

The Sonno-joi leader then flung his sleeves as he left.

As Yoshida Yoshiaki's silhouette faded into the dark, Metropolitan White sneered inwardly.

There was a saying in the Central Plains that everything in the world revolved around profit. These so-called patriots had simply never seen real money. Once they did, they could not look away.

Besides, what task in this world would not require money? Putting down a rebellion costs money, and starting one costs even more.

Cardinal Deacon Brown had long expected this, which was why he had sent Metropolitan White with this grand greeting gift. How else could they convince these barbarian runts to fight against the Daoist Order's flying ships and cannons with mere flesh and blood?

With Yoshida Yoshiaki gone, Maeda Masao quickly regained control of the situation. He spoke loudly. "Gentlemen, you have seen the sincerity of our Western friends. This is only the beginning. More aid will come. With their help, we will expel the Daoists, and victory will be ours!"

The crowd roared in agreement.

No one knew who started it, but the crowd began to sing loudly.

"In the depths of Miruko Sea, the waves crash,

Beside Mount Wu's peaks, dark clouds dash.

In this murky age, I stand alone,

Righteous fury surges from my bones.

The proud lords boast their high-born fate,

Yet who among them grieves for state?

The clans flaunt wealth without a care,

For the nation's loss, none ever dare.

The wise see signs of decline,

While fools still wine and dine.

Rise and fall, like fleeting dreams,

The world is truly a board of schemes."

Qi Xuansu was caught completely off guard. He had been quietly watching the show unfold when suddenly, the entire hall burst into a coordinated choral chant. He had never seen such a scene, not even in the Daoist Order.

He had come posing as an Onmyoji, not a Sonno-joi patriot, so how would he know this anthem? He could not follow the tune, and very soon, others noticed.

Once the chorus ended, someone immediately questioned Qi Xuansu. "Why don't you know the Sonno-joi Anthem?"

Naturally, Gosaku stepped forward to defend him. "This is a newly joined brother. He saved my life."

But the Sonno-joi faction was itself divided into many cliques. The man who questioned Qi Xuansu was not aligned with Gosaku, and he immediately redirected his accusations. This time, he began to challenge Gosaku instead. "If he's newly joined, how did he get into the main assembly? Who will take responsibility if confidential matters are leaked? Also, so what if he saved your life? That's your debt to pay, not ours."

Rebellion was risky business. None of them here cared much for life or death, especially in Fenglin, where the ideal of the impermanence of life was respected. Gosaku was infuriated, his hand pressing down on the hilt of his sword.

The other guy was not about to back down either, drawing his sword as if ready to duel with Gosaku.

Gosaku's group would not stand by while their own was threatened, so they too began to ready their weapons.

The opposing group quickly moved to surround them.

In the blink of an eye, it had turned into a confrontation between two groups.

These two groups each had their own allies. If a fight broke out, no one would remain uninvolved. It could easily escalate into a full-scale brawl.

As such, Maeda Masao no longer remained silent. He shouted to stop both sides from fighting, then strode in with his trusted guards, forcibly parting the crowd.

The two groups bowed to Maeda Masao and appealed for him to judge the situation.

Maeda Masao frowned slightly, growing irritated. Of course, a new member should not have access to the main assembly, but this was not worth a full-blown conflict. The real issue was that there were guests present at the moment.

Fenglin, being deeply influenced by the Central Plains, also adhered to the principle of not airing one's dirty laundry in public. If they started fighting in front of the Holy Court's representative, they could be seen as a band of undisciplined mobs. Their sponsor would then start to question whether they were worth investing in. If the Holy Court pulled out, it would affect the bigger picture.

Just then, Qi Xuansu spoke. "Since I'm not qualified to attend the assembly, I'll just leave now."

Having said that, Qi Xuansu turned to walk out.

But the samurai opposing Gosaku was not about to let Qi Xuansu go. He shouted, "Stop right there! This is a matter of great secrecy. Do you think you can just come and go as you please? Why are you so eager to leave? Do you have something to hide? Are you planning to report this to the Daoist Order or the Chancellor's Office? That would bring you great wealth and glory, wouldn't it?"

Qi Xuansu stopped, turned around, and said, "So what now? Are you going to kill me?"

Gosaku shouted, "Heijiro! If you want to kill him, you'll have to get through me first!"

Once again, both groups looked ready to draw blood.

Maeda Masao had no choice but to stop the two groups from drawing blades once more. He declared, "We call ourselves patriots. How can we kill wantonly like thugs?"

Metropolitan White walked over and scrutinized Qi Xuansu. But to a Westerner's eyes, all Easterners looked more or less the same, with black hair and black eyes. Other than being a bit taller than most, this Onmyoji looked no different from the others. But none of that really affected the bigger picture.

With an operation like this, it was impossible to completely escape the Daoist Order's notice. It was just a matter of time. As long as the Daoist Order did not catch them red-handed, it would not amount to much.

In recent years, the New World has been surging with waves of independence movements, one after another. There was surely someone behind the scenes fanning the flames, but who could it be? Who had the guts, and more importantly, the power to do so?

There were also ongoing conflicts between Western and Eastern Shakya, a long-running rivalry that was not something new.

These were two great powers, and though they feared each other enough to avoid open war, they were certainly engaged in covert competition.

Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu was observing Maeda Masao's expression closely.

Chaos bred heroes, and these rural rebels only lacked a proper stage. They might be short-sighted, but in terms of cunning, ruthlessness, and understanding of human nature, they often surpassed those in high office. Thus, they were not to be underestimated.

Maeda Masao, as one of the 13 leaders of the Sonno-joi faction, was able to command the ronin and even negotiate with the Holy Court, which was proof of his skill.

Suddenly, he locked eyes with Qi Xuansu and said, "If you wish to leave, we won't stop you, but we do hope you'll keep what you've seen and heard today a secret."

Then, he stared intently at Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu instantly thought of Yao Pei's unique skill, decoding thoughts through microexpressions with frightening accuracy. Maeda Masao likely did not know the exact technique, but the underlying principle was the same.

But Qi Xuansu, having been taught by both Madam Qi and Yao Pei, had long mastered the art of maintaining a calm and unreadable expression. His acting skills were honed by the master actress Madam Qi herself.

Qi Xuansu's gaze was steady, with just the right amount of righteous indignation, subtly touched with fear and gratitude. It was flawless.

Then Qi Xuansu solemnly declared, "In the name of Onmyodo and the Great Kami, I swear not to reveal a single word to outsiders. If I break this vow, may the Great Kami cast divine retribution upon me, and may I die without a grave."

Qi Xuansu so confidently swore an oath because he did not believe in the Onmyodo or the Great Kami. Moreover, he did not consider the Daoist Order as an "outsider."