A Pawn's Passage

Due to this incident, Yao Pei and Qi Xuansu stayed an extra day in the county town. Yao Pei personally went to the local Daoist temple and questioned the other members thoroughly.

These people had never encountered someone of Yao Pei’s stature before, and since they were interrogated separately, they quickly revealed the full truth.

Everything Long Leshan said was true. Over the years, Abbot Wu Yonggui had imprisoned several respectable women within the Daoist temple. Four were still alive, while two had mysteriously died and had been buried behind the temple.

Yao Pei met with the four surviving women, and as expected, they were all dressed as Daoist priestesses. She then ordered the two buried corpses to be exhumed. After examination, it was discovered that they had died from severe yin depletion. This proved that Abbot Wu Yonggui had not merely been lustful. He had been absorbing yin energy to replenish his own vitality.

From even the most basic moral standpoint, his death was well-deserved. This was likely why Yao Pei had not chased after Long Leshan.

By the time the fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master sent by the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion arrived with a Spirit Guard, he was met with this exact scene. His first instinct was to cover up the matter. However, upon learning Yao Pei’s identity, the fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master suddenly felt weak in the knees.

Although he was also a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, he could not compare to Yao Pei, the recognized candidate for the eighth-generation Grand Master, grandniece of the Earthly Preceptor, and a direct disciple of Sage Donghua. Moreover, the Qinzhou Daoist Mansion was within the jurisdiction of the Quanzhen Sect.

Forget about a mere fourth-rank Daoist; even if a regional Daoist Mansion Master from the Quanzhen Sect came over, they would not dare show any disrespect to Yao Pei.

Thus, this fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master immediately turned submissive. His arrogance before entering was reduced to blind subordination once he stepped inside. Whatever Yao Pei said was law, and he had no objections whatsoever.

Qi Xuansu finally witnessed firsthand the power and influence of the Quanzhen Sect’s future leader. Zhang Yuelu fell short in this regard. She lacked support from the Zhang family and had only recently been confirmed as a successor by Sage Cihang. While Zhang Yuelu’s official rank was higher, the actual power she could command was still inferior to Yao Pei’s. However, Yao Pei also fell short compared to Li Changge’s influence within the Taiping Sect.

In this sense, if Zhang Yuelu wanted to stand out, she had no choice but to rely on herself. Her reputation as a doer was less a testament to her diligence and more a reflection of her lack of backing.

Yao Pei disliked unnecessary involvement and had no interest in acting like a virtuous magistrate in front of others. She merely issued instructions—ensuring proper compensation where needed and arranging appropriate care for the survivors. Considering the impact on the victim’s reputations, she ensured that the two deceased were properly buried, preferably in their hometowns.

She also ordered strict punishment, distinguishing primary and secondary offenders, and charging those who concealed the crimes as accomplices. Additionally, she directed them to issue a nationwide warrant for Long Leshan, Wu Yonggui’s murderer. She would follow up on the matter personally once she returned to the Chongyang Palace of Immortality.

The fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master dared not slack off. He even took out a paper and brush to diligently note down every word Yao Pei said, filling several pages densely.

After giving her final instructions, Yao Pei and Qi Xuansu departed from Xijing Prefecture and entered the territory of Difei Mountain, with the Chongyang Palace of Immortality now visible in the distance.

Though Yao Pei had no official position, she was still affiliated with the Chongyang Palace of Immortality. This was the reason she was heading there.

Difei Mountain covered a vast territory. However, flying without authorization was strictly prohibited. Thus, Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei had to get back on the ground and climb the mountain on foot.

Technically, this was where Qi Xuansu should have parted ways with Yao Pei. However, since Xu Xiaoying and Pei Xiaolou were both at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality at this time, he felt it was best to visit them since he was passing by. That way, he could express his gratitude since they had assisted him in dealing with Yue Liuli and Pan Cuiqing.

There was more than one path leading to the Chongyang Palace of Immortality. Aside from the main road, the route one took depended on their destination. The last time Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu visited, they had gone to Xu Xiaoying’s Yuzhen Temple.

This time, Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei were headed to Pei Xiaolou’s Taiping Temple, so they took a different route.

Both Taiping Temple and Taiyi Temple had once belonged to the Taiping Sect. Since Difei Mountain had been the Daoist Order’s auxiliary capital, the three sects each established their own temples that served as residences for their respective Sages and Great Sages whenever they visited the auxiliary capital to meet the Grand Master.

Later, when the Daoist Order abolished the auxiliary capital, the Taiping Temple and Taiyi Temple were transferred to the Quanzhen Sect. However, the Quanzhen Sect retained the temples’ original names.

Halfway up the mountain, they reached a farewell pavilion, where they saw several female Daoists gathered around a young Daoist man.

The young Daoist man appeared to be around Qi Xuansu’s age, but he was not wearing formal Daoist attire. Instead, he wore a fitted Daoist robe that was popular among both men and women due to how well it accentuated body contours.

By contrast, the formal hechang was too wide and flowing. Though elegant, it concealed all physical features to the point of erasing gender distinctions.

Due to this, elders from the fifth-generation Grand Master’s era disliked and strongly opposed to wearing fitted robes, believing them too frivolous and lacking solemnity.

The young Daoist man also did not wear a headdress. Instead, he fastened his hair with a jade hairpin. As such, they could not discern his exact Daoist rank at a glance.

The female Daoist priests around him were also dressed in similar-fashioned fitted robes, accentuating their graceful figures. Their voices were melodious and flirtatious as they engaged in casual banter and occasional skinship with a light shove or an arm around his elbow. Any observer would struggle to believe that their relationship was purely innocent.

Upon seeing this, Qi Xuansu clicked his tongue and remarked, “It seems like the Quanzhen Sect’s moral standards aren’t much to brag about either.”

Yao Pei recited expressionlessly, “During his debate with the Holy Xuan, Elder Xu once observed a recurring pattern that permeated this world—whether in the Imperial Court, the Daoist Order, or Jianghu, whether concerning an individual, a family, or an entire nation. In essence, all things reach magnificent heights in their prime, only to wither swiftly in their decline. Nothing ever truly changes.”

Qi Xuansu sighed. “Well said.”

Yao Pei continued, “Elder Xu also reflected on the nature of dynastic rule, noting that at the dawn of a new era, governance is just, officials are diligent, and the people wholeheartedly strive for betterment. This vigor stems from hardship—when survival is hard-won, effort is abundant. Yet, as stability takes root, complacency inevitably follows. What begins as the idleness of a few gradually spreads, seeping into the fabric of society until it becomes the prevailing order. No matter the struggle to resist, the decay is inexorable.

“Ambition then gives rise to factions, each vying for power and turning against one another. When the talent pool runs dry and officials can no longer manage the growing disorder, chaos takes hold. History is rife with such precedents—some dynasties crumble under the grip of corrupt eunuchs, others fall with the deaths of their sovereigns, while many are undone by their own unchecked ambition. It is an age-old cycle, unchanging and inevitable.”

Qi Xuansu sighed yet again. “So the ancestors foresaw everything happening today, huh? I think complacency is too mild a word for it. As for ambition driving factional strife—does that not perfectly describe the current power struggle among the three sects? I wonder if we will live to see the day when talent truly runs dry, and those in power are unable to hold things together.”

Yao Pei said, “Though I cannot say I fully align with Qing Xiao in ideology, we are in agreement on this point. Change must come; if it does not, the ancestors’ warnings will become reality. Neither the Daoist Order nor the Confucian School were destroyed by external enemies. They collapsed only when internal rot festered beyond repair.”

Qi Xuansu fell into deep thought. The words and actions of Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei compelled him to reflect on everything he had seen, heard, and experienced. Was a man meant to achieve something great or seek stability and comfort?

The two spoke openly, without attempting to lower their voices. Though they were not loud, snippets of their conversation drifted into the ears of the young Daoist man, causing him to frown slightly and glance in their direction.

Yao Pei had a far-reaching reputation, but because she rarely appeared in public, only a few could recognize her by face alone. Moreover, in her current state, she looked as if she had just woken up due to her dull and lifeless eyes.

Unlike Zhang Yuelu, whose presence radiated brilliance, Yao Pei’s lethargic demeanor made it difficult for others to associate her with the legendary Banished Immortal and future Grand Master candidate.

The young Daoist let out a cold snort. “Such bold words! Who are you two to slander the Daoist Order?!”

Qi Xuansu was momentarily surprised, then sneered, “What, is it a crime to speak now?”