A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu asked, ”What opportunity?”

Madam Qi lightly said, “Tiangang Hall.”

Qi Xuansu was startled.

The Daoist Order had a similar structure to that of the Imperial Court. In addition to the local officials in various prefectures, there was also the central court, which the Daoist Order referred to as the Ancestral Court.

The Imperial Court consisted of six ministries and nine ministers. In the previous dynasty, the six ministries and nine ministers each had their own governance. However, in the Great Xuan Dynasty, the six ministries and nine ministers were merged.

The nine high officials, including the Secretariat, the Chief Censor, the Ministry of Justice, the Left Censor, and others, were collectively referred to as the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers.

The Ancestral Court of the Daoist Order imitated the Imperial Court, consisting of nine halls. Each hall was presided over by one of the nine Sages reporting to the Grand Master.

The Ziwei Hall that Madam Qi mentioned earlier was the head of the Nine Halls, corresponding to the Ministry of Personnel in the Imperial Court. It was in charge of personnel assessment. Hence, the promotion and demotion of Daoist priests must go through the Ziwei Hall.

The Tiangang Hall was also one of the Nine Halls, which was roughly equivalent to the Ministry of War in the Imperial Court. Although Tiangang Hall did not have thousands of troops and a calvary like the Imperial Court’s Ministry of War, it was the largest hall in terms of the number of members among the nine halls.

The Tiangang Hall was in charge of maintaining order within the realm, suppressing evil forces opposing the Daoist Order, and dealing with secret organizations not authorized by the Daoist Order that often caused chaos in the world.

Although the Qingping Society did not oppose the Daoist Order, it was an unauthorized secret society, so it was a target of suppression by Tiangang Hall.

Qi Xuansu could not help but say, “Madam Qi, don’t you think that sending me, a member of the Qingping Society, to the Tiangang Hall will be like sending a sheep into the tiger’s den?”

Madam Qi simply replied, “It is said that fortune favors the bold. If you want to advance further, you either need resources or achievements. Social connections, innate talent, and appearance count as resources. The problem now is that you don’t have resources.

“The Qingping Society can be considered your resource, but it can’t be openly displayed. So you can only rely on your own achievements. However, achievements don’t just fall from the sky. If you want to make a name for yourself, going to Tiangang Hall is the best option.”

Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment and still found it somewhat unbelievable. “So many people want to enter the Ancestral Court’s Nine Halls, but not everyone gets the chance. Even if they want to beg for a position, they may not know who to plead with. Madam Qi, are you saying that with just one word from you, I will be able to get into Tiangang Hall?”

Madam Qi chuckled. “Yes, with just one word from me, you can enter the Tiangang Hall. But it also depends on your own efforts. The requirements to enter Tiangang Hall are to be a Xiantian Being and a seventh-rank Daoist priest. Both of these criteria are irrefutable. If you don’t meet these criteria, they won’t care, even if you are a disciple of a Sage.”

“Tiangang Hall...” Qi Xuansu murmured, “Entering the Tiangang Hall means having the opportunity to make achievements. With achievements, I can become a sixth-rank Daoist priest and improve my level of cultivation. Then I can strive to leave the Qingping Society as soon as possible.”

“That’s the rationale.” Madam Qi continued to puff on her tobacco pipe. “The Qingping Society is great, but it can’t see the light of day. Fighting and killing are not long-term solutions. Making a name for oneself in the Daoist Order is the way to go. I’m waiting for the day you wield the Sword of Wisdom.”

The so-called Sword of Wisdom was not an actual sword but a one-meter-long pendant used by Daoist Sages that was shaped like a sword. It symbolized breaking free from suffering, afflictions, desires, greed, and anger. Therefore, people often use the phrase “wield the Wisdom Sword,” to refer to being a Sage.

Qi Xuansu sighed. “I dare not think about it.”

Madam Qi, having known Qi Xuansu, hit the nail on the head. “Why sigh then?”

Qi Xuansu had nothing to say.

The gap between a seventh-rank Daoist priest and a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master was like that between a seventh-rank county magistrate and a first-rank imperial secretary. It was difficult to close the gap.

Qi Xuansu temporarily put aside these unrealistic thoughts and asked, “Madam Qi, how do you plan to arrange for me to enter the Tiangang Hall?”

Madam Qi said, “You’re asking the wrong person about this. I’ll report your situation, and then others will take care of it. The specifics of how it’s done aren’t something we are privy to. But, as I said earlier, the Qingping Society has great powers and is capable of anything. Just trust the process.”

Qi Xuansu heard this and stopped asking more questions.

After the serious talk, Madam Qi dropped her stern expression and knocked on the stummel. “Now that we’re done with official business, let’s talk about our private matters. When do you plan to settle the 50 Ruyi coins for the room and the 100 Taiping coins for saving your life?”

Qi Xuansu cleared his throat lightly. “Madam Qi, what do you mean by 100 Taiping coins for saving my life? Isn’t it natural for you to save me, given our relationship?”

Madam Qi readily agreed. “Alright, I’ll phrase it differently. When will you settle the commission for getting me to kill for you? Anyway, I do not offer killing services free of charge.”

Qi Xuansu touched his satchel and said, “I didn’t earn the 1,000 Taiping coins from The Inn, so I don’t even have 100 Taiping coins on me now.”

Madam Qi asked casually, “Didn’t you pick up a flying sword?”

Qi Xuansu’s face froze. “Madam Qi, did you go through my bag?!”

Madam Qi did not feel the least bit guilty. On the contrary, she looked righteous. “Why can’t I? If I didn’t go through your bag, did you think that the prescription flew in there by itself? You wouldn’t mind given our relationship anyway, right?”

Qi Xuansu sighed. “My dearest sister—”

Madam Qi interrupted him. “Even siblings need to settle accounts clearly. This rule isn’t aimed at you alone, you know.”

Qi Xuansu sighed helplessly.

This rule was indeed not aimed at him alone. Madam Qi was excellent in many ways, but she was money-minded, stingy, miserly, and mean. She was notorious even within the Qingping Society.

If it were someone else, Madam Qi would have asked for 300 Taiping coins for her killing service. So, she was already doing Qi Xuansu a favor by giving him a discount.

Qi Xuansu had no choice but to take out the flying sword named Green Snake from his satchel. He placed it on the table. “I was thinking of keeping it for my own use.”

Madam Qi glared at him. “The flying swords of the Li Clan have special marks on them. Aren’t you afraid that they will find you if you keep it for yourself?”

With that, she picked up the flying sword and carefully examined it.

After a while, Madam Qi put down the flying sword in her hand and said, “This flying sword is in good condition. The foundation isn’t damaged and can be sold for about 1,500 Taiping coins on the black market. But because there’s a unique mark of the Li Clan on it, a master swordsmith will have to remove the mark, so the price will be halved. It’ll sell for about 800 Taiping coins.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Madam Qi, since you’re more familiar with the black market, why don’t you help me sell it? I’ll give you half of the proceeds.”

Madam Qi nodded and took out a small golden abacus from her magical receptacle. She quickly calculated the amount. “I would normally ask for a ten percent commission. But considering our relationship, I’ll only take five percent from you.

“With the 100 Taiping coins commission and 130 Taiping coins you borrowed from me last year—not forgetting an annual interest of one percent—as well as the 50 Ruyi coins for the room this time, I’ll charge you a total of 300 Taiping coins. You can keep the remaining 500 Taiping coins.”

Qi Xuansu’s face drooped as he listened. Finally, he said with a feeble voice, “Alright then.”

Madam Qi swiftly put away the abacus and the flying sword. She then took out five bundles wrapped in red cloth and placed them neatly together.

Of course, these were not bundles of sticks, but 100 Taiping coins bundled together and wrapped in red cloth, similar to the ancient practice of stringing copper coins to count them. Since silver Taiping coins did not have a square hole in the middle like ancient coins, they could not be strung along with a rope and had to be wrapped in cloth.

A Taiping coin weighed about 27 grams and contained 89 percent silver and 11 percent copper. In terms of purity, it was much better than the fragmented silver coins that circulated in the market in the past.

One bundle held 100 Taiping coins, so five bundles amounted to 500 Taiping coins.

Five hundred Taiping coins were not a small amount in the previous dynasty. But in the existing dynasty, due to the flourishing maritime trade and the large influx of gold and silver from overseas, the price of silver had depreciated slightly, and the value of copper had risen.

Even gold, which was not commonly seen before, had become commonplace. The court even issued Wuyou gold coins. Therefore, 500 Taiping coins were not as much as they used to be.

Of course, they were relative concepts and could not be generalized.

For Qi Xuansu, 500 Taiping coins were not much, but for ordinary people, it was a large sum.

A family of three’s annual expenses were only ten Taiping coins, which meant 100 Taiping coins could last them for ten years, and 500 Taiping coins were enough for an ordinary family’s expenses for 50 years.

Qi Xuansu only took one bundle and said, “Can I exchange the other 400 Taiping coins for cash notes? I’d like three large notes, one medium note, four small notes, and ten loose notes.”

Strictly speaking, these cash notes were not currency issued by the Imperial Court but a kind of receipt for saving and withdrawing money. Many merchants preferred these convenient cash notes instead of carrying large amounts of silver coins when trading in bulk, so cash notes gradually became popular with the masses.

Madam Qi collected the 400 Taiping coins, took out a stack of cash notes, and quickly counted them. She placed the cash notes that Qi Xuansu asked for on the table.

They were all brand-new cash notes, so much so that Qi Xuansu could even faintly smell the ink on them, which was fascinating.

Qi Xuansu reached out to gather these notes and glanced somewhat enviously at the magical receptacle that was shaped like a jade bracelet on Madam Qi’s wrist.

First, he placed 100 Taiping coins into his satchel, then neatly arranged the cash notes close to his chest. Finally, he tucked a few small-value cash notes into his sleeve pocket for easy access.

Storing items in the sleeve was a common practice. Wide sleeves usually had pockets sewn into them, with the opening of the pocket facing the opposite direction of the sleeve opening and tapering at the top.

This design allowed for items like silver coins or letters to be placed in the pocket without the risk of falling out, even when the hands were hanging down or when bowing in greeting. Since sleeves often held money or valuables, the phrase “empty sleeves” was used to describe a poor person.

Madam Qi then produced a promissory note, confirmed it bore Qi Xuansu’s handwriting, and turned it into ash with a quick rub of her hands, marking the clearing of debt.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Should I head to the Ancestral Court?”

Madam Qi replied, “Prepare to leave. Aim to arrive at the ancestral hall before the 15th of August.”