A Pawn's Passage

The young Daoist man gently pushed aside the female priests beside him and stepped onto the pavilion’s stone steps. From his elevated position, he looked down at Qi Xuansu and declared, “The Daoist Order does not punish people for speaking, except when those words deceive and manipulate. You two are clearly spreading dangerous rhetoric with ulterior motives.”

Yao Pei disliked unnecessary attention, but she also disliked forced humility. She asked directly, “Who are you?”

The young Daoist man knew that they were both fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, making him somewhat wary. Rather than confront them outright, he immediately invoked his family’s influence, saying, “Is this your first time at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality? My father is the Chief Deputy Palace Master.”

Yao Pei responded with just three words. “Very well then.”

Though she was knowledgeable, having experienced this firsthand was far more eye-opening.

Qi Xuansu asked Yao Pei in a whisper, “I know who the Chief Wanxiang Daoist Palace Master is, but who holds that position at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality?”

Yao Pei explained, “Technically, the Deputy Palace Masters have no formal ranking, like Chief or Second Deputy. However, some Deputies are highly respected and hold greater influence, earning them the unofficial title of Chief Deputy. Sage Sun, for instance, is one such figure. Based on his claim, this young Daoist’s father should be Deputy Palace Master Zhang Jiaoling.”

The young Daoist raised an eyebrow slightly but remained silent.

One’s background, when proclaimed by oneself, would often fail to achieve the desired effect. Yet, when spoken by others, it would carry far greater weight and influence.

Yao Pei continued, “Deputy Palace Master Zhang comes from the Zhang family, born as Zhang Juling. He was highly gifted and trained in the Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method since he was a child. His mastery of thunder techniques made him a formidable combatant, allowing him to win most duels against his peers. As such, he was once seen as a promising talent.

“However, many years ago, he became implicated in Zhang Wuhen’s matters. As a result, the Zhang family distanced themselves from him and left him in obscurity. Furious at being sidelined, he abandoned both his family and the Zhengyi Sect, defected to the Quanzhen Sect, and changed his name to Zhang Jiaoling. The Earthly Preceptor recognized his potential and appointed him as a Deputy Chongyang Palace Master.”

Qi Xuansu finally understood why the Earthly Preceptor treated Zhang Yuelu so favorably. It turned out that this favor was not a sudden whim, but a longstanding pattern. The Earthly Preceptor had always recruited talent from the Zhengyi Sect’s Zhang family. Before Zhang Yuelu, Zhang Jiaoling was a precedent. Zhang Yuelu had also once considered joining the Quanzhen Sect.

Technically speaking, Qi Xuansu was also another example of an outstanding talent who had transferred from the Zhengyi Sect to the Quanzhen Sect.

If Qi Xuansu were the Heavenly Preceptor, he would probably confront the Earthly Preceptor and ask, “What is your obsession with poaching talent from my family?”

Beyond this, there was also Li Minghuang, the adopted son of the Li family, who was supposed to marry into the Zhang family, only to later defect to the Taiping Sect and become an adopted son of the Li family.

Taking this into perspective, it was clear that the Zhang family placed too much emphasis on family lineage and neglected sect governance. It was no wonder the Zhengyi Sect had gradually declined, falling to the weakest among the three Daoist sects.

Comparing the three Daoist sects, the Quanzhen Sect had the largest number of members and the strongest overall power, yet it was also the most fragmented, riddled with internal factions and conflicts, making it difficult to unify. The Taiping Sect was second in both numbers and strength, but it was tightly structured around the Li family, who were highly cohesive and aggressive expansionists, making them the most dominant in recent years. The Zhengyi Sect lagged behind both, neither being the biggest nor the most united. Additionally, the Zhang family’s rigidity further weakened its position, causing it to fall behind in the power struggle between the Zhangs and the Lis.

This ranking was evident within the Golden Tower Council, with Sage Donghua being the Chief Omniscient Sage; Sage Qingwei the Second Omniscient Sage; and Sage Cihang the Third Omniscient Sage.

However, this did not mean that the Zhengyi Sect was already a hollow shell. Despite its decline, it remained irreplaceable as one of the three pillars of the Daoist Order.

The Quanzhen Sect and the Taiping Sect’s struggle resembled the conflict between the Jin Dynasty and the Golden Horde. The Jin Dynasty had superior national strength, yet it was crushed by the nomadic cavalry of the Golden Horde. In this analogy, the Taiping Sect was akin to the Golden Horde, and the Quanzhen Sect was the Jin Dynasty.

In some ways, the Quanzhen Sect was a microcosm of the entire Daoist Order, consisting of multiple factions. There were three primary ruling families, composed of the Yao, Pei, and Qi families; the secondary families, which consisted of the Xu, Shangguan, and Ji families; and the Chongyang Palace of Immortality lineage, which were directly subordinate to the Earthly Preceptor, similar to the Grand Master’s lineage.

Even though this faction followed the Earthly Preceptor’s leadership, this did not mean they were fully aligned with the Yao family, from which the Earthly Preceptor originated.

In contrast, the Taiping Sect was far simpler in terms of governance. It centered entirely around the Li family and was supported by two key families—the Shen and Lu families. No other factions in the Taiping Sect had comparable influence.

Thus, the difficulty of unifying these two sects could not be compared.

In the current climate, the Yao and Pei families have formed an alliance within the Quanzhen Sect, with the Earthly Preceptor taking the lead and Sage Donghua serving as his right hand. Their goal was to consolidate and unify the entire Quanzhen Sect.

Without factoring in the position of Grand Master, the Earthly Preceptor would hand over the leadership role of the Quanzhen Sect to Sage Donghua, who would later pass it on to Yao Pei. This established a rotational leadership model between the Yao and Pei families.

Though not as absolute as the Zhang and Li families, this structure aimed to increase centralization, end the era of multiple families being in power, and enhance policy continuity, overall strengthening the Quanzhen Sect’s cohesion.

Naturally, the other noble families were not pleased with this. While they dared not openly oppose the Earthly Preceptor or Sage Donghua, it was still relatively easy to target the still-inexperienced Yao Pei.

Every sect had its own struggles. Zhang Yuelu was disadvantaged by being from the minor branch of the Zhang family, so she did not have a powerful family backing. However, the Zhengyi Sect was relatively harmonious, so she was able to earn recognition and support from within.

On the other hand, Yao Pei had strong backing from her family and the Pei family, but she had to contend with significant internal resistance within the rest of the Quanzhen Sect.

As fate would have it, Zhang Jiaoling—though personally appointed by the Earthly Preceptor and respectful of Sage Donghua—did not recognize the chosen successor for the next generation Earthly Preceptor.

Coincidentally, Zhang Jiaoling aligned closely with the Qi family. The only reason internal dissent within the Quanzhen Sect had been temporarily suppressed was due to the external threat posed by the Taiping Sect. In the face of external enemies, the internal factions were still willing to cooperate.

At this moment, Yao Pei had found herself face-to-face with Zhang Jiaoling’s son.

“I suppose you must be from the Quanzhen Sect’s Yong-generation or the Zhang family’s Yue-generation since you are Zhang Jiaoling’s son. How should I address you?” Yao Pei asked.

Upon hearing this, the young Daoist man and the female Daoist priests accompanying him frowned, their expressions gloomy. Directly addressing a peer by their full name was akin to an insult, especially in formal settings.

Even when referring to Zhang Yuelu, Yao Pei always addressed her as Qing Xiao rather than using her full name.

However, the young Daoist man maintained his composure and replied in a steady tone, “I am Zhang Yongyan. May I ask for your names?”

Qi Xuansu interjected, “I am Qi Xuansu, a Superintendent of Ziwei Hall. This young lady is my colleague, Yao Pei.”

The pavilion fell into a brief silence.

“So, you’re Miss Yao...” Zhang Yongyan nodded in greeting.

“Do not call me Miss Yao,” Yao Pei said bluntly. “You may address me as Daoist Yao or simply Yao Pei. Earlier, you accused me of slandering the Daoist Order and spreading dangerous rhetoric. Was that your own opinion, or your father’s?”

Zhang Yongyan hesitated for a moment, then relented. “I didn’t realize it was you, Miss Yao. Please forgive my offense.”

Although they were technically of the same generation, he was far from being in a position to challenge Yao Pei.

Yao Pei was unrelenting. “So, the same words spoken by someone else would be considered slander, but when spoken by me, it’s just a misunderstanding? Is that what you’re saying?”

Zhang Yongyan had no idea how to respond, so he could only remain silent.

Unlike Zhang Yuelu, Yao Pei did not press the issue further. Instead, she casually gestured toward the female Daoists surrounding Zhang Yongyan and asked, “What is their relation to you?”

“Just fellow disciples. We’re out for a scenic stroll,” Zhang Yongyan replied stiffly.

Still as expressionless as ever, Yao Pei remarked, “The Earthly Preceptor has suggested that I start out as a Deputy Chongyang Palace Master to oversee the correction of both internal and external conduct.”

Zhang Yongyan’s face turned pale.

Yao Pei’s gaze landed on a particularly youthful female Daoist who seemed underage. She asked, “Is she also your junior sister?”

Zhang Yongyan hesitated for a moment before finally replying, “She is a martial niece.”

Yao Pei stated, “The Daoist Order does not punish people for speaking, but rather for the way they act. I trust you won’t disappoint me, Daoist Zhang. Daoist Qi, let’s go.”

Qi Xuansu let out a smug laugh—not loud, but unmistakably grating.

Unable to lash out at Yao Pei, Zhang Yongyan immediately directed his resentment toward Qi Xuansu.

His eyes lingered on Qi Xuansu for a moment, as if memorizing the latter’s face and marking him for future reckoning.

Yao Pei was from an esteemed lineage, immensely talented, and bound for greatness. Since Zhang Yongyan was not Zhang Yuelu, he could not afford to provoke the daughter of the Yao family. He knew that sometimes, one must bow to those above them. But Qi Xuansu was a nobody, so Zhang Yongyan could not tolerate his mockery.

Since Zhang Jiaoling was close to the Qi family, Zhang Yongyan had also mingled with many of the Qi family’s younger generation. Thus, he was absolutely certain that the man before him was not from the noble Qi family.

In the current Daoist Order, the ideal of equality was shouted from the rooftops. But when it came to real life, could orphans raised in Wanxiang Daoist Palace truly stand as equals with these noble-born disciples? Like a flower reflected in a mirror and the moon’s reflection on the water, equality was merely an illusion built upon empty ideals.

The noble circles in the Daoist Order had strict thresholds. One’s last name, father’s rank, and family’s ancestral achievements were taken into consideration. These criteria determined where one came from and their standing within the upper echelons.

To determine whether a family was truly noble or merely an upstart, one had to trace their lineage back to the era before the Holy Xuan defeated the Confucians. There was a logic to this—those who followed Holy Xuan before his victory had already cemented themselves as part of the revitalized Daoist Order’s founding members. Most had risen to the prestigious rank of the 36 Omniscient Sages.

To the noble-born disciples, anyone who joined the Daoist Order after the Confucian School’s defeat was not at their level because by then, the Daoist Order had already overcome their hardest days and was on the cusp of ruling the world. Such people could not be considered founding elders.

If one dared boast about their family history, the nobles would grill them on intricate sect histories, trapping them in a web of contradictions.

For example, if someone claimed their ancestor had followed the Holy Xuan as early as the second year of the Tianbao Era, they would be immediately exposed as a liar. That was the darkest year in the Holy Xuan’s life, marked by his greatest defeat and downfall. That year, his allies perished, and he was the lone survivor, stripped of his cultivation. His own family also revoked his claim to succession.

The Holy Xuan was utterly abandoned and disgraced. So for four years, he lived in seclusion. Who would have pledged loyalty to a ruined man in exile? Clearly, no one—so anyone making such a claim was obviously fabricating their lineage.

That was why the noble circles were not easily infiltrated. Even a few casual words could expose an imposter. If one lacked deep knowledge of Daoist history, they would inevitably slip up. For most noble-born Daoists, such knowledge came naturally.

In the Zhengyi Sect and the Taiping Sect, these elitist barriers were less prominent. Since no one could surpass the Zhang and Li families, setting additional thresholds was pointless. The Zhangs and Lis already traced their lineage to the very beginning of Daoism itself. Their existence was a symbol of prestige.

However, in the chaotic and diverse Quanzhen Sect, such barriers were strictly enforced.

Zhang Yongyan was not a pure-blooded Quanzhen Sect noble like Qi Jianyuan, but his father’s high status, his family’s ties with the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master Qi Jiaozheng, and his Zhang family lineage had granted him easy entry into the Quanzhen Sect’s elite circles.

That was why he dared to parade with women in broad daylight at the foothill of the Chongyang Palace of Immortality and why he looked down on Qi Xuansu even though the latter was already a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

Qi Xuansu was unbothered, simply laughing it off.

As they continued climbing Difei Mountain, Qi Xuansu smirked. “Oh dearest niece, are these the Quanzhen Sect’s noble ladies that you were going to introduce me to?”

Yao Pei ignored him and simply quickened her pace.