A Pawn's Passage

“Yes, I’d like to know.” Qi Xuansu replied with a polite smile on his face.

“Zhang Yuyue speaks highly of you, but Zhang Chiyue’s opinion is more neutral.” Zhang Juping leaned back in his chair and asked, “What do you think?”

Qi Xuansu had considered many possibilities before coming over. He still stood there and smiled. “Mage Yuyue thinks too highly of me, believing that I’m like Deputy Hall Master Li Minghuang. Mage Chiyue’s view is quite befitting.”

“Befitting.” Zhang Juping smiled.

Qi Xuansu was unsure of Zhang Juping’s intention, so he added, “I’m not considered a young talent. Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be a seventh-rank priest.”

Zhang Juping remarked, “But it only took four months for you to go from the seventh rank to receiving the treatment of a fifth-rank priest. That’s very impressive, especially because it’s based on merits earned through real-world combat and hard work. These are more important than any evaluation.”

The pursuit of immortality was divided into Houtian Beings, Xiantian Beings, and Heavenly Beings. But in order to survive in the Daoist Order, one also needed to have some social skills, which were divided into three levels. The first level was to remain silent and unnoticed. This was the basic skill where one would conceal their true intentions from others and keep others guessing about their true capabilities.

The second level was to reveal one’s capabilities when necessary. This was a skill possessed only by those who had attained a certain status. When dealing with counterparts who were often high-ranking or skilled individuals, one had to display the appropriate attitude and reveal certain details when required. It was all about striking the right balance and constantly assessing the situation.

The third level was to act according to one’s own will without overstepping boundaries. There were only two kinds of people who could achieve this level. One kind climbed up from the bottom by exhibiting impeccable behavior. Through the trials and tribulations, many had fallen by the wayside, but they remained steadfast and served as the pillars of the Daoist Order. Examples of this include the Tiangang Hall Master and Sage Donghua.

The other kind of people who could act on their own will were those from prestigious families with deep roots. However, they would also need to be exceptionally talented. Despite occasionally engaging in non-conforming activities, others found it difficult to hold them accountable for breaking the rules. An example of this would be Sage Qingwei.

Although Zhang Juping had been in the Daoist Order for more than ten years and had sufficient skills, he still could not reach the third level because he followed the same path as Li Minghuang. Their focus on status and rank surpassed actual work, and their personal desires outweighed their dedication to duty.

Zhang Juping was not yet at the third level, while Zhang Yuyue and Zhang Chiyue were not yet at the second level.

Meeting Qi Xuansu for the first time, Zhang Juping did not underestimate him. It was not because he had a sharp eye and saw some outstanding qualities in the young man, but because he believed in Zhang Yuelu’s judgment. At the very least, Zhang Yuelu was more reliable than Zhang Yuyue and others from her generation.

Therefore, Zhang Juping had high expectations of Qi Xuansu. He did not put up an act and said sincerely, “Tian Yuan, Qing Xiao naturally has her reasons for liking you, just like how the Earthly Preceptor saw value in Qing Xiao. I invited you over because I wanted to meet you. That way, I would know what to expect.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Deputy Palace Master, I would like to know your evaluation of me.”

Zhang Juping chuckled. “You heard Zhang Yuyue and Zhang Chiyue’s true opinions of you from me, not from them. So naturally, you won’t be hearing what I think of you from my mouth. Moreover, we just met, so there’s nothing I can evaluate you on.”

Qi Xuansu said no more.

Zhang Juping continued, “Tian Yuan, you should know that Qing Xiao is an important presence in the Zhang family.”

“Yes, I’m aware.” Qi Xuansu maintained a humble attitude.

Zhang Juping took a deep look at Qi Xuansu. “Good.”

Qi Xuansu was not frightened. He became a little more solemn.

Zhang Juping was not as aggressive as Zhang Yuyue or Su Ying. Instead, he casually asked some questions regarding how Qi Xuansu met Zhang Yuelu, the situation in Tiangang Hall, and so on.

Qi Xuansu answered them truthfully but kept some of the details to himself. Their conversation lasted for less than an hour.

Finally, Zhang Juping lowered his head again and said, “I’m getting busier as the New Year is approaching, so I won’t keep you much longer.”

Qi Xuansu bowed slightly, bid goodbye to him, and turned to leave.

From the moment he arrived, Qi Xuansu stood in Zhang Juping’s office to answer questions. There was no tea served either, clearly indicating the barrier of superiority between them.

The door opened from the outside as soon as Qi Xuansu took his leave. It was clear that the sixth-rank Daoist priest had been standing guard at the door. Qi Xuansu smiled at him and walked out of the office.

After the Daoist priest closed the door again, Zhang Juping put down the brush in his hand and leaned back on the chair, seeming deep in thought.

Qi Xuansu followed the original route out of the Shangqing Palace and saw Zhang Yuelu waiting for him outside. She was still wearing her cloak, but she had removed her hood to reveal her face.

Seeing Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu took the initiative to greet him. “How was it?”

Qi Xuansu briefly recounted what happened.

Zhang Yuelu muttered, “He’s surely good at making things seem mysterious, but he’s not good at his job. I think he caught onto the Confucian disease—great at discussing theories but impractical in executing those ideas.”

Qi Xuansu laughed. Zhang Yuelu was not surprised to hear of Zhang Yuyue and Zhang Chiyue’s evaluation of Qi Xuansu.

Excluding Zhang Juping, Qi Xuansu had met a total of three people from the Zhang family.

Zhang Yuyue did not conceal her dislike for Qi Xuansu, but she spoke highly of Qi Xuansu, thinking that he would become the next Li Minghuang. The reason for her high evaluation of Qi Xuansu was that she believed in Zhang Yuelu’s judgment.

On the other hand, Zhang Chiyue was very polite when they met, but his opinion of Qi Xuansu was not great. He thought Qi Xuansu was not someone who would easily be swayed by the crowd, but he would use women to rise to the top. As such, he thought that Qi Xuansu should be kicked out.

However, Zhang Chiyue had underestimated Zhang Yuelu, thinking that his politeness could deceive her. He did not know that Zhang Yuelu always had an amazing intuition about grasping one’s intentions. It was a natural talent that could not be learned.

Su Ying did not mention Qi Xuansu because she paid more attention to Zhang Yuelu’s attitude. However, Su Ying did not get much from Zhang Yuelu because the latter was good at concealing her emotions.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Who is High Mage Zhang representing? It can’t be your mother, right? Is she so influential?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “He’s probably representing the Dazhen Mansion, or perhaps a certain Sage or even the Heavenly Preceptor.”

Qi Xuansu was surprised. “How can such a trivial matter get the attention of the Heavenly Preceptor?”

Zhang Yuelu explained, “Only the Earthly Preceptor is exempt from caring about family affairs due to the rule of celibacy in the Quanzhen Sect. The Heavenly Preceptor and the Imperial Preceptor have to take care of family affairs because they are the heads of the clan. The most important thing in a family is the continuation of the bloodline. That’s why the Heavenly and Imperial Preceptors will be concerned about their descendants’ marriage.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Did you go to the Dazhen Mansion to meet the Heavenly Preceptor?”

“Yeah. Since the current Great Sage Lunzhi is assumed by the Earthly Preceptor, the Heavenly Preceptor doesn’t have to be in the Jade Capital and is currently staying in the Dazhen Mansion. That’s why I was lucky enough to meet him for a quick chat. The Heavenly Preceptor asked me how I was doing, and I reported the Li family’s movements and our encounter with the secret societies. He only replied with an ‘alright.’”

Qi Xuansu felt guilty about his fabricated excuse for Li Qingnu’s presence in Shangqing Prefecture, so he muttered, “I told you that the Dazhen Mansion would have already known about what their long-time rival was up to.”

Zhang Yuelu glanced at him. “Again, I don’t care if they already know. But it’s my duty to report what I know to the higher-ups.”

Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. Zhang Yuelu got to her current position mainly due to her upright personality and dedication to the Daoist Order.

He turned around and said, “By the way, I’ve met so many members of the Zhang family, but I still don’t know much about your parents.”

Zhang Yuelu explained, “My father is in the same generation as my uncle Zhang Juping. He’s a fourth-rank priest working in Dazhen Mansion. For some reason, his promotion has been slow. Over the years, he’s been somewhat depressed about not being recognized for his talents.

“On the other hand, my mother is a third-rank priest who used to work in Shibo Hall. But after getting married, she transferred to the Shangqing Palace. But in recent years, she hasn’t done anything significant and is just a Deputy Palace Master in name.”

Zhang Yuelu was frank about her parents’ situation. She was also harsh on her mother because she could not stand that her mother was not doing a proper job in her prime.

In Zhang Yuelu’s opinion, her mother should have used her time on something more useful, like competing with the merchants of the Western Continent and negotiating more business deals for the Daoist Order.

Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered a 30-year-old fourth-rank priest by the name of Yan Mingchen. He was a Qi Refiner in the Guizhen stage and was influential in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion. He was considered young and promising.

However, compared to Zhang Yuelu, he was still inferior because he was not a Deputy Mansion Master. He seemed to be a step behind her, but in fact, they were worlds apart.

To put it simply, Zhang Yuelu held an official position in the Nine Halls. If she were to be removed from her position as Deputy Hall Master, the Golden Tower Council and the Great Sage Lunzhi would have to get involved since a Hall Master was not allowed to remove a Deputy Hall Master from office without authorization.

However, in Yan Mingchen’s case, all it took was one word from the Mansion Master for his power to be revoked. This was the difference between their statuses.

Qi Xuansu asked, “What’s Yan Mingchen like?”

Zhang Yuelu said in a calm tone, “Do you recall the Great Sage Yan Feiqing from the Holy Xuan Cards? He’s a close friend of the Holy Xuan and a disciple of the Zhang family’s ancestor. I remember telling you that since the Holy Xuan revived the Daoist Order, five of the six generations of Heavenly Preceptors came from the Zhang family. The only Heavenly Preceptor who was not a Zhang was this Great Sage Yan Feiqing.

“That’s why the Zhang family and the Yan family have been family friends for so long and often intermarry.”

Qi Xuansu was slightly surprised. “Being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master at the age of thirty is quite impressive, similar to Dong Baijing. But that’s far beneath you. Why would your mother support this marriage?”

Zhang Yuelu groaned. “That’s because of his family. This marriage will maintain the relationship between the two families, so we can leverage each other’s strengths. Furthermore, my mother probably finds it easier to manipulate him. That way, it will seem like he has married into the Zhang family. At the same time, they can maintain a marriage alliance with the Yan family. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.”