A Pawn's Passage

Daoists were fond of the number three, believing it to be the most stable. That was why the Daoist Order was a tripartite balance between the Taiping Sect, the Quanzhen Sect, and the Zhengyi Sect.

Similarly, all local Daoist Mansions had a power balance between three individuals—the Mansion Master, the Chief Deputy Mansion Master, and the Second Deputy Mansion Master. The Chief and Second Deputies could unite against the Mansion Master and effectively counterbalance the latter. After all, a Mansion Master had no authority to dismiss or deal with the Chief and Second Deputies, unless they used special means, which, if unsuccessful, would surely backfire and bring endless trouble.

The one presiding over the welcome banquet was the Chief Deputy Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion Master, Zhou Jiaoxian. Like Qi Xuansu, he was from the Quanzhen Sect and hailed from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. Thus, it was no easy feat for him to have risen this far, being just one step away from becoming a Mansion Master and an Omniscient Sage.

If Qi Xuansu had joined the Quanzhen Sect from the start, his name would likely have included the Yong generational name. However, since he originally joined the Zhengyi Sect, where naming was more casual, his master named him Xuansu. Now that he had transferred into the Quanzhen Sect, there was no reason to rename himself. After all, many within the Quanzhen Sect also did not follow the generational naming conventions, such as Yao Pei, Pei Xiaolou, and Pei Xuanzhi, among others.

The welcome banquet featured large round tables arranged in a fan-like spread, resembling a peacock displaying its tail. Qi Xuansu was seated at the central table, which included two Deputy Mansion Masters, several third-rank Youyi Daoist masters, and a second-rank Spirit Guard. There was even a second-rank Imperial Court Minister of Rites, who oversaw the Daoist Relations Department, in attendance. He was considered an old friend of the Daoist Order. All of them held significant power in the Imperial Capital.

Thus, compared to these individuals, Qi Xuansu’s fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master status seemed rather unimpressive.

Many who were unfamiliar with Qi Xuansu’s background could not help but harbor doubts. Even if he had some family connections, how could a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master be so bold as to interact casually with such powerhouses?

Some people kept sneaking glances at Qi Xuansu, and a few could not hide their expressions of contempt. But no one dared to act out in the presence of two Deputy Mansion Masters.

There were even those who harbored malicious thoughts. They secretly mocked the Qi family for constantly producing talent, as they could send out a Qi Xuansu even after Qi Jianyuan died at Wanxiang Daoist Palace. Hopefully, this promising talent would not die here in the Imperial Capital.

However, some recognized Qi Xuansu and shared his accomplishments with others, spreading how he had first caught the eye of the Junior Tiangang Hall Master Zhang Yuelu and received praise from Sage Donghua for his contribution in the second major Jiangnan case. Not only that, he had studied alongside Yao Pei in the Upper Palace and cracked the Zhang Juyan case together. Most importantly, he was not yet thirty but was already a Heavenly Being.

To be fair, when others claimed to have transferred over to the Imperial Capital to gain experience, it was often just empty talk. But this guy was genuinely here to develop his skills. Upon returning to the Jade Capital, he was bound to be promoted and given heavy responsibilities. Though he lacked the family backing to compete for the position of Grand Master like the three Daoist prodigies, he could very well vie for a position as an Omniscient Sage in the future.

Before coming to the Imperial Capital, Qi Xuansu had a private meeting with Sage Cihang and Sage Donghua in succession, which put him under tremendous pressure. Thus, having experienced that level of nervousness, Qi Xuansu was now completely unfazed sitting alongside two Deputy Mansion Masters.

Since Qi Xuansu and Zhou Jiaoxian both hailed from the Wanxiang Daoist Lower Palace, the Chief Deputy Mansion Master naturally held a favorable impression of Qi Xuansu. Moreover, Qi Xuansu was also a promising young talent from the Quanzhen Sect. Thus, Zhou Jiaoxian took the initiative to converse with him.

Coincidentally, Qi Xuansu had recently made a trip to the Lower Palace. Although the two were not of the same generation, their conversation flowed smoothly as they began reminiscing about their time growing up there.

Shi Bingyun was rather nonchalant. At least outwardly, she did not seem to mind that Zhou Jiaoxian was potentially poaching talent from her. Instead, she showed great curiosity about the Lower Palace they spoke of. In her opinion, she did not fit in with the other disciples of the Cihang Lineage and was clearly more suited for life in the Lower Palace.

For a moment, Qi Xuansu unexpectedly became one of the three focal figures at the banquet, with everyone else reduced to mere background characters. As such, this naturally sparked more speculation. Just what kind of background did this man have to command such attention? His treatment seemed to be on par with Zhang Yuelu, Li Changge, and Yao Pei.

The banquet concluded with both hosts and guests thoroughly pleased. Many had drunk quite a bit, so they simply stayed the night at the Taiping Inn and only planned to head to the Xuanshang North District the next morning.

Ever since Qi Xuansu had known Zhang Yuelu, his alcohol tolerance had increased. Coupled with his Martial Arts Practitioner’s physique, he would not get drunk easily even if he did not use his cultivation to neutralize the aftereffects of the alcohol.

At this moment, he strolled along the lake’s cobblestone path, taking in the nighttime scenery. He had barely walked a few steps before encountering Shi Bingyun, who was also out for a stroll. That was how the two ended up walking side by side.

Before leaving for the Imperial Capital, Qi Xuansu had returned the Taiyi Cloud Robe to Zhang Yuelu. Aside from his frequently used weapons, he carried only 700 Taiping coins, so his biggest concern was expenses. Seeing Shi Bingyun, he casually asked about them.

Shi Bingyun smiled and said, “They say living in the capital isn’t easy—and it’s true. Land is expensive here, so housing naturally isn’t cheap. Many are left with barely anything after paying for rent. There are also other expenses like clothing, food, travel, and socializing. If you live in the bustling South City, you’ll spend about three Taiping coins a month. But in the inner city, you’ll need at least 10 Taiping coins. Of course, that’s just for regular folks.

“Tian Yuan, as a high-ranking Daoist, all your living expenses are covered by the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, so you won’t need to spend a single coin on rent. Work-related social events can also be reimbursed. But there’s one catch—personal interactions aren’t covered. One can’t go through life without making friends. Given your status, the people you’ll be associating with will surely be of high standing, so the real cost lies in maintaining those relationships.”

Qi Xuansu immediately felt a headache coming on. Though the Daoist Order upheld simplicity and discouraged displays of wealth, such things were often unavoidable due to human nature. For instance, Qi Xuansu could have easily bought Zhang Yuelu a piece of jewelry for 2 Taiping coins, and she likely would not have cared. But he just could not bring himself to do it. In the end, he bit the bullet and spent 200 Taiping coins instead.

Shi Bingyun curled her lips into a smile. “I inquired about your stipend. As a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master of Ziwei Hall, you will receive 200 Taiping coins per month. Adding on the allowances for your position and duties, it totals 300 Taiping coins monthly or 3600 per year. Honestly, that’s not a small sum. For ordinary folks, it’s a fortune. But compared to the elites in the Imperial Capital, it’s nothing more than pocket change.”

Qi Xuansu nodded.

Shi Bingyun continued, “Take Old Qin for example—he holds the rank of Imperial Prince and receives a stipend of 10,000 Taiping coins a year. That’s not a small amount, but it’s nowhere near enough to support a household of several hundred people, especially when even the maids in his household wear gold and jewels that could rival the daughters of smaller noble families. So he invests in various businesses. He’s also involved with the Shibo Hall, so altogether, his income adds up to around 50,000 Taiping coins a year.

“But with greater income comes even greater spending, especially on the social obligations alone. He’s always meeting some duke or prince, and he can’t lose face in front of them. He’s known for being affable and generous—not just to his retainers and servants, but even to his friends. If someone’s in trouble, they just need to visit his mansion, offer a sincere bow, and their problem gets solved. That’s why many call him Prince Buddha or the Living Buddha. It sounds impressive, but in truth, it’s all built on stacks of Taiping coins.

“I’ve tried to advise him more than once, but he won’t listen. Every year, his expenses exceed his income. If not for the profits he made years ago during the boom in the New World’s maritime trade, his accounts would’ve long been empty. These days, he’s just scraping by. He keeps saying he wants to build a summer retreat, but it’s been over half a year, and the foundation hasn’t even been laid. Who knows when it’ll actually start?”

Qi Xuansu was speechless. His entire year’s salary did not even amount to a fraction of that.

At last, Shi Bingyun concluded, “But that’s the Imperial Capital for you—a wealth-devouring beast. Even if you had a mountain of gold and silver, it would swallow it whole without making the slightest ripple.”

Qi Xuansu sighed. “A horse won’t grow fat without extra feed. It’ll be great if a few cult demons run into me, so I can earn a nice bit of income. But I doubt we’ll be seeing many cultists right under the emperor’s nose.”

Shi Bingyun chuckled. “That’s not necessarily true. The emperor’s harem may not be all that clean.”