A Pawn's Passage

Xu Kou once served as a Green Phoenix Guard before changing allegiance to the Daoist Order, where he started off in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion before transferring to Tiangang Hall. His promotion journey was clear at a glance, unlike Qi Xuansu, who had a gap in experiences after his master’s death to the time he entered Tiangang Hall.

“Which friend are you referring to? He could be an old acquaintance of mine.” Xu Kou asked.

Qi Xuansu replied, “Eighth Tianyang. I wonder if you’ve heard of him, Brother Xu.”

Xu Kou pondered for a while. “That last name is rare. I might have some impression of a Deputy Commander with that last name in the Imperial Guard’s Office. Perhaps your friend is this Deputy Commander’s descendant. By the way, I haven’t asked for your name yet.”

Qi Xuansu introduced himself. “I am Wei Wugui, currently part of the Black Robes. But right now, I am off duty to deal with some private matters.”

“What a coincidence! I am also off duty to deal with some personal matters.” Xu Kou smiled bitterly. “Well, I’m actually going back to my hometown for a visit. This is the first time I have gone home since transferring to Tiangang Hall.

“Although the Daoist Order issued a relocation fee and provided a residence in Jade Capital, it still feels like a temporary home. It’s not somewhere I would retire in. Brother, I’m sure you understand that people like us can die in the line of duty at any time. So it’s best to visit our hometowns whenever possible.”

Qi Xuansu mixed in some lies with the truth. “You’re right. When the Yinglong Warship fell, my battalion was stationed not far from Cuowenbu, so I witnessed how all those people died just like that. After the incident, I purposely went to the lakeside to check out the situation and happened to meet a Sage there.”

Since Zhang Yuelu had already grasped his rough itinerary, Qi Xuansu did not care if Xu Kou knew about them.

Xu Kou hesitated for a moment. “Brother Wei, is that Sage male or female?”

“Female.” Qi Xuansu answered, “She looks about 40 years old, very friendly.”

Xu Kou coughed lightly. “If I’m not mistaken, that Sage should be the new Tiangang Hall Master and one of the three Omniscient Sages expected to become the next Grand Master—Sage Cihang.”

Qi Xuansu blinked, feeling awestruck. “Sage...Cihang...?”

“Yes, Sage Cihang. I haven’t even gotten the chance to meet her yet. I just heard that Sage Cihang happened to be on the way back to Jade Capital when Sage Shangguan was attacked. She immediately rushed to the scene and saved some of the disciples on board.”

Xu Kou was a superintendent of Tiangang Hall, and that incident involved Tiangang Hall’s disciples, so his information would be much more accurate than Qi Xuansu’s, which came from public gossip.

There were more male Sages than female Sages within the Daoist Order, but the number of female Sages was not considered low. In addition, after the fifth-generation Grand Master standardized the dress code and appearances of Sages, most Sages were of the same age and had similar clothes and auras.

Since Qi Xuansu did not actually witness the scene of Sage Cihang lifting the Yinglong Warship, he did not think that the woman he met by the lake was her. After all, the difference between an ordinary Sage and an Omniscient Sage was quite big, similar to the difference between the top-ranking and bottom-ranking Omniscient Sages.

Hearing this, Qi Xuansu finally realized that the female Sage he saw at Cuowenbu that day was one of the top three Omniscient Sages of the Daoist Order.

It was shocking, but since the meeting had already passed, Qi Xuansu was not so starstruck.

He then recalled that Sage Cihang was Zhang Yuelu’s master. That was when he understood how Zhang Yuelu could figure out his rough itinerary. The master and disciple had communicated frequently, and Wei Wugui must have come up in their conversation.

Qi Xuansu thought of another issue. A master-disciple relationship was akin to that of a parent and child. If he wanted to marry Zhang Yuelu, would he have to gain the approval of Sage Cihang too?

If that was the case, then his life was truly miserable. Most people only had one mother-in-law. Why did he have two?!

He could not even deal with Zhang Yuelu’s biological mother, Tantai Qiong. Now, he had to impress Sage Cihang, the top three among the 36 Omniscient Sages. If Sage Cihang became the seventh-generation Grand Master, Zhang Yuelu’s status would rise along with her master. If so, his ambition of becoming an ordinary Sage would seem lackluster in comparison. Did that mean he would have to set his sights higher and become an Omniscient Sage?

But there were a fixed number of Omniscient Sages, Palace Masters, Daoist Mansion Masters, and Hall Masters. Excluding the Sages’ ascension to heaven, the promotion of an Omniscient Sage would require someone to step down. Demoting an Omniscient Sage was almost impossible, as it would garner him more enemies.

Even if someone vacated a position due to ascension or promotion, those positions would have been filled as soon as it was vacated, as most Omniscient Sages would have successors. For example, the positions of Sage Cihang, Sage Donghua, and Sage Qingwei were fixed and could not be taken by outsiders.

A vacant position of an Omniscient Sage would have been eyed by at least a dozen ordinary Sages. One could only imagine the struggle and bloodshed that would occur between rivals.

Qi Xuansu had recently witnessed the horror of the Daoist Order’s infighting from the Yuan family’s tragic extermination. It was no wonder Madam Qi had always said that the bloodshed in Jianghu was nothing compared to the infighting within the Daoist Order.

The Daoist Order did not even have to mention a word to annihilate an entire family with a long history. The difference was that the people in Jianghu paid more attention to the process, while the Daoist Order only cared about the outcome.

Letting go of grudges and enemies-to-friends were tropes that only existed in Jianghu. The Daoist Order only cared about leaving enough room for maneuver. If an enemy could be killed in one strike, it would be unnecessary to form a deadly feud. On the other hand, it would be irreversible once the ball was put into motion.

Even with a high cultivation level, with no one helping to pave the way, the path to becoming an Omniscient Sage was full of hurdles and blood.

Qi Xuansu’s original wish was just to be an ordinary Sage.

Unknowingly, Qi Xuansu’s thoughts drifted away. It was not until Xu Kou called his name that he snapped back to his senses.

Qi Xuansu said apologetically, “I didn’t expect her to be Sage Cihang. I feel so honored to be able to talk to such a big shot. I hope you won’t laugh at my ignorance, Brother Xu.”

“It’s normal. If I could meet such a big shot, I would have probably reacted the same way.”

Xu Kou was no longer as aggressive and irritable as before, especially after being taught a lesson by Zhang Yuelu and living in Jade Capital. After all, there were not many people he could afford to offend in Jade Capital.

Turning his gaze to Liu Hu, Xu Kou asked Qi Xuansu, “Is this your daughter?”

Many Daoists lived to be 80 or 90 years old, some even exceeding 100 years old. However, in the real world, it was rare to live past 70. Forty years old was considered old, and most people would have children before they turned 20. Therefore, it was still common to have a teenage daughter before one turned 30 years old.

Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. “I am a bachelor. How can I have such an old daughter? She is the daughter of an older brother of mine, who entrusted me to send her to her aunt. This child calls me her uncle.”

Liu Hu said nothing and only saluted Xu Kou.

“Comrades.” Xu Kou sighed. The disciples of Tiangang Hall, the Green Phoenix Guard, and the Black Robes formed deep friendships with each other because they could relate to each other having gone through similar life-and-death situations.

Of course, Qi Xuansu did not explain his relationship with Wild Bodhisattva. He was only glad that Xu Kou had misunderstood him.

Qi Xuansu was a bachelor, while Xu Kou was a widower. The two men stood on the deck, chatting. Looking around, there were many members of wealthy families on the ship. Many children were playing. It was a harmonious atmosphere that they were not accustomed to because they were used to torture and blood. They both felt nostalgic and sad upon this realization.

“It would be nice to have wine at this time.” Xu Kou leaned on the railing and gestured for a glass.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Brother Xu, are you planning to drown your sorrows with wine because you feel sad?”

“I often wonder, why are we working so hard just to live in this world?” Xu Kou seemed to be asking Qi Xuansu, but it also seemed like a rhetorical question.

“Ascension to immortality is too unattainable. If we are just living, we don’t have to work so hard. But if it’s just for pleasure, there will always be a day when we get tired of leisurely activities. What’s the use of ambition if we’re alone? No matter how high one’s cultivation level is, no one can beat the Holy Xuan.”

Qi Xuansu pursed his lips. “I really don’t know how to answer this question.”

Xu Kou sighed. “That’s why it’s important to find one’s purpose.”

Qi Xuansu said with emotion, “Indeed, people must have a purpose and something to look forward to in life.”