A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei had known each other for less than an hour. By any measure, they could hardly be considered acquaintances, let alone friends. They were at most a step above strangers.

It was often unwise to have too deep a conversation with acquaintances, especially if it was regarding matters of life and death. As such, Qi Xuansu would never readily admit anything, even if he suspected that Yao Pei might have some relation to Madam Qi, given that they shared the same last name.

Qi Xuansu outright denied it. “Daoist Yao, your question seems baseless. I’m not even a Heavenly Being. How could I possibly have any association with someone who ranked first on the Taiping Leaderboard?”

“That may not be entirely true,” Yao Pei responded indifferently. “I heard that during the battle in Jinling Prefecture, Mogul Yao from Seven Treasure Pavilion fought with the Heavenly Court’s Grand Leader, Wu Guangbi, over the Xuan Jade. In the end, Mogul Yao tossed the Xuan Jade to you. It’s hardly convincing if you claim to have no connection with her.”

Qi Xuansu did not answer directly. Instead, he remarked, “Daoist Yao, your network of intelligence is truly impressive. You not only heard about the secret agreement between the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect, but you’re also well-informed about what happened in Jinling Prefecture. You rarely leave your home, yet you still know the affairs of the world.”

Yao Pei replied expressionlessly, “It would be strange if I knew nothing at all.”

Qi Xuansu’s mind churned rapidly before he ultimately decided to play it safe. He would consult Madam Qi before engaging further with Yao Pei. Thus, he said, “To be honest with you, Daoist Yao, I’ve already been asked a similar question by the Li family. Why don’t you take a guess at how I answered?”

“You must have denied it,” Yao Pei stated.

Qi Xuansu cupped his hands. “If there are no other matters, I shall take my leave.”

Yao Pei said nothing, merely standing with her hands clasped behind her back.

She watched as Qi Xuansu turned and walked along the long bridge toward Ming Hall, choosing not to pursue him.

Suddenly, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they no longer bore the dullness of a dead fish. Her gaze was still calm, but it was no longer a stagnant pool. Instead, it resembled a serene lake with flowing water.

The Taishang Emotionless Sutra sought detachment, not heartlessness. If one became merely an emotionless stone, one would fall into an inferior position.

Just as Zhang Yuelu had predicted, Yao Pei was indeed affected by the various drawbacks of the Taishang Emotionless Sutra. Her temperament was inconsistent. Sometimes, her emotions would be clouded and unfocused, but she also had moments of lucidity. In those fleeting moments of clarity, she was like a sword that was partially drawn from its sheath—its edge gleaming with deadly sharpness.

After Qi Xuansu returned to his residence in Zhen Garden, he secured the protective barrier and entered his study. He retrieved the two jade slips Zhang Yuelu had left him and resumed his training in the Qi Observation Technique and the Divine Calculation Technique.

Being a simplified version of the Divine Observation Technique, the Qi Observation Technique was relatively easy to grasp. However, the Divine Calculation Technique, as one of the core mystical abilities of the Rogue Cultivators, was significantly more challenging and could not be mastered in a single try.

Before he realized it, it was already lunchtime.

Since not everyone practiced the Fasting Technique, meals were delivered unless one specifically opted out. Qi Xuansu happened to be among those who did not practice the Fasting Technique.

Upon hearing a knock on the door, he put away the two jade slips, opened the door, and took the meal box carrier from a ninth-rank Daoist, not forgetting to thank him.

Given that this was the standard for a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist, the meal was not too shabby, though it was far from lavish. It consisted of four dishes—a lamb leg, duck soup, bean sprouts, and baby bok choy.

Qi Xuansu took a sip of the duck soup first and nearly spat it out because it was unbearably salty. He tried the lamb leg, finding it tough and dry—far from a tender young lamb’s leg. Rather, it seemed to be from an old, bony sheep. The other two vegetable dishes looked decent but tasted disappointing—one was overcooked, and the other was undercooked.

Back when he was in the Lower Palace, Qi Xuansu had assumed that life in the Upper Palace would be as lavish as kings. But this tough, dry, undercooked, and overcooked meal was far from his expectations.

To be fair, this was still far better than the rations of ordinary commoners. However, since the Daoist Order clearly allocated resources for these meals, yet they had turned out like this, one could only wonder how much had been embezzled and how many pockets had grown fat off these funds.

Qi Xuansu even suspected that they did this on purpose to force fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters into practicing the Fasting Technique, thus saving a significant sum of Taiping coins.

This was probably why Zhang Yuelu had never mentioned the quality of food at the Upper Palace. She likely did not know since she practiced the Fasting Technique.

Nevertheless, Qi Xuansu had endured hardships before. He had eaten rock-hard rations, so this meal was still manageable.

He quickly finished the unpalatable meal, placed the used bowls and utensils back into the meal box, and hung the box carrier outside his door before heading toward Kun Garden.

Being the residence of the Palace Master and certain high-ranking officials, Kun Garden was extremely tranquil. Additionally, as it was only connected to Dui Garden, few people walked through the place.

Qi Xuansu spent half an hour walking through Dui Garden, which had a layout similar to that of Zhen Garden, before arriving at the entrance of Kun Garden.

At the entrance stood a female Daoist and two Spirit Guards. Seeing the jade pendant at Qi Xuansu’s waist, they did not bar his entry. Instead, they asked politely, “Greetings, Mage. What is the purpose of your visit?”

Qi Xuansu took out the name card given by Zhang Yuelu and handed it to the female Daoist disciple.

According to custom, when visiting someone’s residence, one should present their own name card. However, a name card from the host also served as a form of pass.

The female Daoist verified the authenticity of the name card, and then respectfully returned it to Qi Xuansu with both hands. “Mage, please follow me.”

Upon entering Kun Garden, Qi Xuansu immediately noticed how different it was from Zhen Garden and Dui Garden.

There were fewer buildings, but each courtyard occupied a much larger area. Moreover, instead of solid brick walls separating the courtyards, there were fences resembling bamboo enclosures, allowing for an unobstructed view of the interior.

Unlike the conventional rectangular courtyards with multiple entrances, these buildings were arranged in a circular formation, positioned at the center, and surrounded by open space.

Qi Xuansu noticed that several people were busy with various tasks in their own courtyards.

Someone had turned part of their yard into a small farm, growing wheat and even putting up a scarecrow. Another was tending to a vegetable garden, carrying water from a nearby lotus pond.

A young girl was swinging so high that she seemed like she might take flight. Meanwhile, a tall, long-legged woman was practicing marksmanship with a Sun-Shooting Rifle. She wore a straw hat and a pair of sunglasses covering half of her face, similar to the ones Madam Qi favored, making it difficult to see her features.

Led by the female Daoist, Qi Xuansu arrived at the entrance of a large courtyard. Inside, he saw a grapevine canopy providing shade, under which a reclining chair was placed.

A white-haired elderly man was lying there, leisurely reading a book.

The courtyard gate was left open, allowing people to come and go freely.

The female Daoist stopped at the entrance, while Qi Xuansu stepped inside alone. He stopped a short distance from the canopy and bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Sage Sun. I am Qi Xuansu.”

The elder closed his book and gave Qi Xuansu a scrutinizing look. “Zhang Yuelu already spoke to me about you. She said you’re a good friend of hers and asked me to take care of you. But if you ask me, I’d say you two aren’t just friends, right? After all, I’ve never seen Zhang Yuelu take such an interest in anyone else’s matters.”

Qi Xuansu hesitated, unsure how to respond. He certainly could not just say that they were Daoist companions who were acknowledged by their respective elders.

Fortunately, the Sage did not seem to expect an answer and simply continued speaking. “Whether you two are just friends or something more doesn’t concern an old man like me. I’ll be frank with you. The Upper Palace is not like the Lower Palace—the rules here aren’t as strict.

“Setting aside the recently admitted Apprentice and Prospective Mages, you fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters already hold significant power outside, with some even managing affairs on their own. So, expecting you all to act like obedient students is unrealistic.

“As long as you’re not stirring up fights, no one will interfere with you. So whether you waste time idly waiting out the three months or genuinely want to learn something is all up to you.”

As Qi Xuansu listened, he took the opportunity to observe this He-generation elder. The man’s hair and beard were completely white, yet he did not exude the ethereal aura of a Daoist Immortal. Instead, he carried the scholarly air of a Confucian master.

However, unlike the imposing presence of Confucian Great Masters, this old man was exceedingly approachable. He was the type of person who could never come across as intimidating no matter how solemn his words. It was somewhat akin to how Madam Qi, no matter how much she pretended otherwise, could never truly resemble a meek and submissive lady.

Sun Hewu got up and led Qi Xuansu into the living room, which was noticeably chilly—not due to any formation, but because of an ancient ice vessel. It resembled a cauldron or an incense burner, with four legs and a square body. Just as an incense burner held aromatics, this vessel was filled with ice.

The elder took the main seat on the left and gestured for Qi Xuansu to sit down.

Qi Xuansu did not overstep his bounds by taking the other main seat on the right. Instead, he sat in the lower seat beneath the elder.

Sun Hewu said, “Since Zhang Yuelu has asked me to look after you, you’re clearly not here just to wait out these three months idly. Tell me, what do you wish to learn? I might be able to offer you some guidance.”

Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, “Would it be possible for me to learn a perfected method?”

Sun Hewu paused, sizing up Qi Xuansu again before warning, “Young man, not everyone is the Holy Xuan or Donghuang. You may end up choking if you bite off more than you can chew.”

Qi Xuansu felt wronged and quickly defended himself. “Sage, I have never learned a perfected method before.”

Sun Hewu was shocked to hear this. “You’re a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master under 30, only one step away from becoming a Heavenly Being. Even without comparing yourself to Zhang Yuelu or Yao Pei, you are still among the outstanding talents of your generation, yet you have never learned a perfected method?”

The Sage’s astonishment was not without reason. Before the Holy Xuan unified the Daoist Order, perfected methods were indeed extremely rare. Each sect guarded its secrets closely, unwilling to share them with outsiders. However, after the Holy Xuan’s integration of the Daoist Order, while some restrictions remained, access to perfected methods had become far more lenient than before.

This was especially true for young prodigies—practically everyone had at least one perfected method under their belt. Even Zhang Yuelu had mastered two.

Qi Xuansu explained, “I come from the Lower Palace, but after graduation, I wandered around Jianghu, struggling just to survive. I simply never had the chance to receive guidance from senior mentors.”

Sun Hewu pondered for a moment before nodding. “That makes sense. Jianghu isn’t exactly known for perfected methods.”

The old man asked outright, “So, which perfected method do you want to learn?”

Qi Xuansu had only tried his luck to ask about a perfected method without expecting Sun Hewu to agree so readily, so he found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

After careful consideration, he said humbly, “Sage, as a junior with limited experience, I truly do not know what I should learn. I would be grateful for your guidance.”

Sun Hewu chuckled. “You’re quite clever.”