A Pawn's Passage

As night fell, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu decided to stay overnight at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality and descend the mountain early the next morning.

The Chongyang Palace of Immortality had a designated guest lodging called the Taiping Temple, which inevitably reminded people of the Taiping Sect. However, the Taiping Temple had no actual relation to the Taiping Sect. It was merely a name, and it served as a guesthouse.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu each requested a room when they arrived at the Taiping Temple. Being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, Zhang Yuelu stayed in a suite reserved for high-ranking Daoists, while Qi Xuansu was given a standard single room.

The two accommodations were quite a distance apart, as if to prevent Qi Xuansu from harboring any improper intentions.

The next morning, Qi Xuansu awoke from meditation, pushed open the door, and saw someone sitting at the stone table in the courtyard—it was none other than Pei Xiaolou.

“Sage Pei?” Qi Xuansu was surprised. “When did you get back from Jade Capital?”

“I just got back less than an hour ago. I heard you happened to be at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality, so I came straight here,” Pei Xiaolou replied, not hiding his exhaustion. It was not physical fatigue but mental weariness.

Qi Xuansu sat down on a stone stool by the table and asked, “Where is Sage Lei? Didn’t she return with you?”

Pei Xiaolou replied, “Though Qing Xiao was exempted from questioning, Li Tianlan was added, so there are still 7 of us under interrogation. Since I was the least involved and from the Chongyang Palace of Immortality, I was the first to be released.

“The other six still need more time. Xiaohuan is the investigation team leader, so she will likely be the last to finish. However, my elder brother assured me there wouldn’t be major issues and instructed me to return first. I didn’t dare refuse, so I left ahead of them.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What was the outcome of the Golden Tower Council deliberations?”

Pei Xiaolou sighed. “It’s a complete mess, with endless shirking of responsibilities. Everyone involved has powerful backers, so as long as they hadn’t committed serious offenses like desertion, nothing severe would happen.

“At most, they’ll get a demerit or charged with dereliction of duty. Li Tianlan, that old fox, was clever. By contributing at the very end in the siege against True Lord Siming, he overshadowed his previous failures. That gave others a reason to speak on his behalf.”

This outcome did not surprise Qi Xuansu, but thinking about all the effort expended in Jinling Prefecture only for it to end like this still left him somewhat disappointed.

Qi Xuansu took out his backup voice retention talisman and recounted the details thoroughly. Since Pei Xiaolou already knew about Wan Xiuwu, Qi Xuansu held nothing back.

After listening to Qi Xuansu’s account, Pei Xiaolou put away the voice retention talisman and nodded. “That’s not a major problem. Leave it to me. I’ll handle it together with Sage Xu. Since this involves a Deputy Wuxu Palace Master, it makes sense for the two Deputy Chongyang Palace Masters to deal with it together.”

Qi Xuansu was completely at ease.

Pei Xiaolou suddenly changed the topic. “By the way, there’s another matter concerning you and Qing Xiao. Go bring her here, and I’ll tell you both at once.”

Qi Xuansu was just about to get up when he heard Zhang Yuelu’s voice coming from outside the courtyard. “No need, I came uninvited.”

As she finished her sentence, Zhang Yuelu had already stepped into the courtyard. She had been looking for Qi Xuansu, but she had not expected to find Pei Xiaolou here as well.

“Perfect timing!” Pei Xiaolou gestured toward Zhang Yuelu, motioning for her to sit and talk.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu sat on one side, while Pei Xiaolou sat alone on the other.

The Sage retrieved two sheets of ivy paper from his magical receptacle and placed them on the stone table.

Ivy paper was a special type of paper used in the Daoist Order for writing official documents. The materials used were exceptionally rare and expensive. When burned as an offering to the heavens, the flames would flicker between green and red, while the rising smoke shimmered in seven dazzling colors. It was mesmerizing.

“What is this?” Qi Xuansu asked.

Pei Xiaolou placed a hand on each sheet of ivy paper and said, “Appointment decrees, one for each of you.”

With that, he pushed the sheet in front of Zhang Yuelu toward her.

Zhang Yuelu took the ivy paper. As expected, she had been promoted to a third-rank Youyi Daoist master. Her rank and position finally matched up. She would no longer hold the fourth rank while serving as a Deputy Hall Master.

Seeing this, she remained calm, showing no particular excitement since it was within her expectations. To her, this was just an upgrade in rank, which included an increase in her monthly salary, allowances, and privileges. She would also get to enjoy greater discounts on various expenditures. While it was a good thing, it was not something worth celebrating excessively.

Pei Xiaolou continued, “The official third-rank Youyi Daoist insignia and the corresponding license will take some time to process. But since this matter is now finalized, you shall be addressed as High Mage Zhang from today onward. In the past 50 years, you are the youngest person to achieve this rank!”

Zhang Yuelu showed no pride, only responding, “Thank you, Sage Pei.”

Pei Xiaolou then pushed the other sheet toward Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu took the ivy paper. Though he had expected this, he could not help but grin widely.

He had been promoted to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

The leap from the fifth rank to the fourth rank was a significant threshold. In the Daoist Order, a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master was considered a high-ranking Daoist priest, with the potential to ascend to the ranks of a Sage, Omniscient Sage, or Great Sage, with limitless prospects.

Given Qi Xuansu’s age, as long as he did not make any major mistakes, he could at least retire into the mountains with the title of Sage. Wielding the Sword of Wisdom was no longer just a dream. If fortune favored him and opportunities arose, attaining a seat on the Golden Tower Council was also a possibility.

Pei Xiaolou chuckled. “The official fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist insignia and your license will take some time, but you can also change your title. From now on, you will be addressed as Mage Qi.”

Qi Xuansu had already been serving as a Superintendent of Ziwei Hall while in the fifth rank, which was an elevated assignment. Thus, his promotion to the fourth rank was merely a normalization of his status. No major role adjustments were needed. At most, he would now hold real authority instead of being a superintendent in name only.

Qi Xuansu smirked. “But Mage Qi doesn’t sound as nice as Sage Qi.”

“You little brat, you have quite the ambition, huh?” Pei Xiaolou scolded with a laugh. “Qing Xiao hasn’t even moved up yet, and you’re already thinking about becoming a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master?”

Qi Xuansu waved his hand dismissively. “By the time I become a Sage, Qing Xiao will probably already be an Omniscient Sage.”

Sage Pei did not deny it. “I think the position of Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master is quite suitable for Qing Xiao since all Sage Cihangs will eventually take a turn in that role.”

Zhang Yuelu cleared her throat lightly.

Sensing her mood, Qi Xuansu tactfully changed the subject. “By the way, what are the benefits of being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master?”

While Zhang Yuelu might not care much about such benefits, Qi Xuansu certainly did, especially since he had only 100 Taiping coins left to his name.

Pei Xiaolou replied, “I did a rough calculation. A fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master in Ziwei Hall will receive a monthly salary of 200 Taiping coins. With various allowances, the total is around 300 Taiping coins per month, which amounts to 3,600 Taiping coins annually.”

Qi Xuansu was both surprised and delighted. “That’s a lot! Back when I was traveling the world, braving storms, and risking my life, I couldn’t even make that much in a year.”

Pei Xiaolou explained, “The high salary is meant to prevent corruption. In the past, many officials caught embezzling would argue that their salaries were too low to survive. Now, with these increased salaries, there is more than enough to support a household comfortably. So there won’t be any more excuses for being corrupt.”

Qi Xuansu did some quick math and asked, “One fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master earns 3,600 Taiping coins a year; 10 of us would make that 36,000 Taiping coins; 100 would be 360,000 Taiping coins; 1,000 would be 3.6 million Taiping coins. If I recall correctly, there are over 3,000 fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters in the Daoist Order.

“At that rate, the total cost is over 10 million Taiping coins annually without even accounting for other Daoist priests and Spirit Guards. Wouldn’t this be a huge financial burden on the Daoist Order?”

Pei Xiaolou explained, “Well, not all Daoist priests receive such high salaries, nor do they all get subsidies. You were first in Tiangang Hall, which has the highest subsidies among the Nine Halls, and then you moved to Ziwei Hall, which offers the highest salaries.

“The benefits of those working in the Nine Halls are also far superior to those of local Daoist mansions. Most fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters don’t receive as much as you. Typically, they only get around 1,500 Taiping coins a year.

“You’ve previously received subsidies as an Apprentice Mage and a Prospective Mage, but these subsidies are strictly limited by age, so very few people actually qualify for them.

“The calculation isn’t as straightforward as you make it seem, so the actual expenditure for over 3,000 fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters is around 5 million Taiping coins.

“Another thing to account for is that the number of Spirit Guards exceeds that of Daoist priests, yet their salaries are much lower. According to Duzhi Hall’s statistics, the Daoist Order generates an annual income of around 100 million Taiping coins, from which 35 million is allocated to support all Daoist priests and Spirit Guards.

“However, Spirit Guards only account for about one-third of this expenditure. Moreover, most Daoists spend their salaries within the Daoist Order—on housing rentals in Jade Capital, expenses in Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall, daily necessities, and many others. This creates a significant financial recirculation, essentially keeping the money within the system.

“Another thing to consider is the higher the rank, the better the benefits, but the fewer the people. There are over 3,000 fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, but fewer than 500 third-rank Youyi Daoist masters. The number of second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters is strictly limited to 108 ordinary Sages and 36 Omniscient Sages, totaling fewer than 200. There are only a handful of Great Sages, and at that level, they get private estates and don’t receive a salary.

“So while there is financial pressure on the Daoist Order, it’s still sustainable. Currently, the Daoist Order maintains an annual surplus of around 10 million Taiping coins. As long as maritime trade, which constitutes the bulk of the income, remains stable, there won’t be major issues.”

Qi Xuansu finally understood. “I see.”