This was the first time Huangfu Ji had seen Qi Xuansu fight at full strength. Before this, he had only heard about the young man’s abilities, so he could only make rough estimates on how capable Qi Xuansu truly was.

According to official Daoist statements, Qi Xuansu was at the Zaohua stage and carried an immortal object that theoretically allowed him to exert Pseudo-Immortal strength.

Even so, Qi Xuansu had no intention of engaging Hun Chowen in a fair fight. Instead, he chose to strike first with a surprise attack, ensuring there would be no room for error.

Qi Xuansu understood this clearly. After merging with Madam Wu, he was theoretically stronger than Hun Chowen. However, he no longer had the Scripture of Zuriel’s augmented power, so he was no longer at peak Pseudo-Immortal strength. He would soon enter a brief weakened state after its effects faded.

At best, Qi Xuansu was now an ordinary Pseudo-Immortal, roughly equal to Hun Chowen. Even if he could win, capturing or killing Hun Chowen would be difficult. Thus, a surprise attack was necessary.

Since this was not a duel, Qi Xuansu did not care about fairness and only wanted to capture the traitor.

Qi Xuansu walked up to Hun Chowen, first glancing in the direction where Hun Ahau stood before turning his gaze back to Hun Chowen.

With his Manly Immortal True Form shattered and many acupoints destroyed, Hun Chowen was now in worse condition than Huangfu Ji.

Hun Chowen was supporting himself on one knee, his body mangled beyond recognition. Even his eyeballs had fallen from their sockets, making it impossible to discern his expression.

Huangfu Ji stepped forward as well. “Chowen, is it worth ending up like this for a woman who was never yours to begin with?”

Hun Chowen did not respond to Huangfu Ji. Instead, he turned his hollow eye sockets toward Qi Xuansu, his voice hoarse and tortured. “Sage Qi, I’ve heard that the reason you won your beloved’s heart was because of that shocking leap at Kunlun Pass. You risked your life without hesitation, so tell me...was it worth it?”

Qi Xuansu had not expected his famed leap to have spread even to the New Continent. He paused for a moment before replying, “You get what you strive for.”

Hun Chowen actually laughed, though his damaged throat made the sound horrifying. “Well said! So what is there to resent? I’ve chosen this path, so no matter the outcome, I can only blame myself.”

At that moment, Hun Ahau also appeared, his face filled with bitterness.

Hun Chowen was neither entirely right nor entirely wrong. He said his older brother valued power over feelings. But that was not entirely true because Hun Ahau cared deeply for Hun Chowen and had even considered obstructing Qi Xuansu. In the end, Qi Xuansu persuaded Hun Ahau with logic and consequences, so he stepped aside.

The human heart was always complex. Most people were not purely good nor evil.

Those who truly lived in absolute extremes were often the most terrifying of all.

After this incident, even with Qi Xuansu’s guarantee, Great Sage Tantai and Great Sage Gong would at most refrain from directly dealing with Hun Ahau. Given his suspected complicity, he would most likely face investigation and be sidelined. At the very least, he would be temporarily suspended.

However, true talent was rare, so Hun Ahau would not remain sidelined forever. The older generation, with little time left, would step in to suppress him, playing the role of the villain. Then, once the younger generation took over, they would reinstate him, earning his gratitude. This was a common method.

If it were Qi Xuansu, he would handle it the same way.

Huangfu Ji looked at Qi Xuansu and asked, “What’s your opinion on dealing with Chowen, Brother Qi?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “He should be handed over to the proper authorities for trial and judgment. Any punishment should be carried out openly and lawfully.”

Qi Xuansu’s intention was clear. He had gone to such lengths to provide the Daoist Order with a clear and legitimate reason to oppose the Western Daoist Order’s call for war. If he killed the man privately, how could that serve as a proper justification? This case had to be brought into the public eye.

Huangfu Ji understood this as well. From the moment he agreed to Qi Xuansu’s request, he knew exactly what Qi Xuansu was aiming for. He also knew that once serious internal issues arose, no matter how aggressive one was, the fighting could not continue.

What concerned Huangfu Ji now was not whether to fight, but the public trial exposing the Empress’s old scandal, severely damaging her reputation. It was easy to imagine how she would be labeled. Throughout history, blame was placed on women, officials, and eunuchs so that the one in power could be absolved of responsibility.

Once branded as a beauty who brought disasters, there would be calls to depose the Empress.

Huangfu Ji was not like Hun Chowen. He did not care about the Empress’s fate. But he cared about the interests of the Huangfu family. Deposing the Empress would destabilize the Crown Prince’s position. Since Huangfu Zhao was the Crown Prince’s teacher, if it escalated to the prince’s removal, it would mean the Huangfu family’s years of effort would be destroyed. This was not an outcome Huangfu Ji could accept.

Hun Ahau also did not want a public trial. Although he had decided to abandon his traitorous brother, whether for his brother’s sake or his own future, he did not want his brother to die in eternal infamy as a traitor. If he must die, it would be better done in secret.

After a moment of hesitation, Huangfu Ji said, “Chowen is a high-ranking military officer and privy to many secrets, so it would be best to handle this under military law.”

Qi Xuansu pondered briefly and roughly understood their concerns.

He did not particularly care how Hun Chowen was judged. His true objective was not simply to capture Hun Chowen, but to accomplish the mission entrusted to him by Sage Qingwei and the Daoist Order.

Thus, Qi Xuansu proposed another solution. “Handling it under military law is acceptable. Considering the impact on the Empress’s and the Crown Prince’s reputation and political stability, we can grant him some dignity and publicly declare that he was executed for leading a rebellion. However, the investigation of traitors cannot be neglected. Hun Chowen is not an isolated case. The Juesheng Hall must conduct a thorough purge and identify all traitors and spies.”

By right, someone like Hun Chowen should be publicly judged and punished as a warning to others. But with so many interests entangled, Qi Xuansu could not achieve his goals without compromise.

After all, this was the Southern New Continent. Its complexity spoke for itself. The Daoist Order’s demand for Qi Xuansu was not merely to achieve the objective but also to maintain stability and balance in the region. This requirement was naturally difficult. Yet if Qi Xuansu wished to advance, he could not avoid compromising where possible.

The key point was that Qi Xuansu lacked sufficient authority and strength, so he could not simply do whatever he wished.

Huangfu Ji pondered for a moment and nodded. “I have no objections.”

Since this was a compromise, Qi Xuansu had conceded a step, so Huangfu Ji had to concede one as well. The Juesheng Hall did indeed have a list of spies, though they were not of high rank. For various reasons, they had not yet been dealt with. Huangfu Ji had originally planned to use them as a symbolic purge before the war to boost morale, but now, they could be presented to the Daoist Order as an explanation.

Qi Xuansu added, “As a high-ranking officer, even if Hun Chowen intended to defect, the Holy Court would not trust him easily. There must have been a process of mutual trust-building and someone acting as an intermediary. That intermediary must be found. Otherwise, they will continue to subvert those among us who are weak-willed and resentful, or driven by greed and desire, shifting from confidence in victory to thoughts of surrender. This spy must be eliminated.”

Huangfu Ji replied solemnly, “Naturally.”

He understood that Qi Xuansu would not be satisfied with just a few low-level spies. But since this also aligned with the interests of the Western Daoist Order, he agreed readily.

Qi Xuansu then turned to Hun Ahau beside him. “General Hun, what do you think?”

Hun Ahau, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. “I have no objections.”

Hun Ahau understood that this was already the best possible outcome. Dying for leading a rebellion sounded unpleasant, but at least it could be framed as an internal conflict. The Holy Court was an external enemy, the very force responsible for the natives’ massacre. If the Holy Court ruled the world, then surrender would be universal and beyond reproach. But since it had not achieved that, and the Tawantin Empire still stood, betrayal and surrender would become deeply shameful, leaving a legacy of infamy for generations.

What more could Hun Ahau ask for? He could only accept it.

Qi Xuansu said, “Then I ask General Hun to step forward and gather the disordered troops, stabilize the situation, and prevent the situation from escalating further.”

“Yes.” Hun Ahau responded curtly, then turned and left, never once looking back at Hun Chowen. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

For someone as resolute as Hun Ahau, once a decision was made, there would be no hesitation and no wavering. Having chosen to abandon Hun Chowen, there was no need to display brotherly affection. If he kept looking back, it would only displease Qi Xuansu and Huangfu Ji and incur future troubles for himself. Hun Chowen would not appreciate it, nor would it bring him any comfort. It would be meaningless.

After Hun Ahau left, Qi Xuansu and Huangfu Ji remained where they were, watching the motionless Hun Chowen.

After a short while, Lu Yujue finally arrived with his men.

Qi Xuansu pointed at Hun Chowen. “Manager Lu, this man is a wanted criminal personally designated by Sage Qingwei and the Golden Tower Council. Guard him carefully. It will be your sole responsibility if he dies or escapes. You can remove your hechang and report yourself to the Fengxian Hall for punishment.”

Lu Yujue treated this with utmost importance. Even if he dared to play tricks with Qi Xuansu, he would never dare to do so with Sage Qingwei. Now that the top two figures of Beichen Hall were in agreement, there was no room for maneuver.

Only then did Qi Xuansu turn to Huangfu Ji. “Brother Huangfu, let’s discuss the details further and draft a report to be submitted separately to Jade Capital and Danxiu Mountain.”