A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu had heard of Daoists tasked with performing exorcisms, catching ghosts, and subduing demons. He had also heard of Daoist scholars and gentlemen. But this was the first time he had ever heard of a moral guardian.

Whatever the name, Qi Xuansu’s actual task could be summed up simply—he was to crack down on unlicensed illegal brothels and eliminate forced prostitution or veiled forms of prostitution. The logic behind this was that such work could exist, but it had to be voluntary and based on personal freedom. This aligned with the Imperial Court’s abolition of the servile class and the Daoist Order’s promotion of equality.

Strictly speaking, this was supposed to be the job of the Imperial Court, but for some unknown reason, the responsibility had landed in the lap of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, or maybe it was a joint operation between both sides.

Of course, Shi Bingyun was not assigning Qi Xuansu to this work permanently. Even if he were put in this role indefinitely, he would not need 400 Spirit Guards to do this job. The main goal was to help Qi Xuansu familiarize himself quickly with all aspects of the Imperial Capital, and handling these kinds of cases was the most effective way to do so.

Since brothels were places where people from all walks of life converged, they naturally became sanctuaries for cultists and criminals. The network behind brothels was deeply entangled, involving not only gangs who maintained order while handling shady dealings, but also officials who offered protection. Sometimes, it involved fellow Daoists.

If Qi Xuansu could sort this mess out, he would gain a clear and deep understanding of the darker side of the Imperial Capital, allowing him to establish his footing there. It would also make the future execution of any special tasks assigned by Sage Donghua much easier.

That said, this was not something Qi Xuansu found daunting. After all, he had roamed around Jianghu, so he had seen the inner workings of such things. Thus, he readily accepted the assignment.

After leaving Shi Bingyun’s office, Qi Xuansu went over to his own. It was comparable in size to Zhang Yuelu’s office at Yaoguang Division, consisting of multiple rooms. The innermost room was for meditation, followed by a study, then a workspace for handling official business, a reception room for guests, and the outermost space housed his secretary.

With Qi Xuansu’s promotion and growing responsibilities, it was only natural that he needed assistance to share the administrative workload. In the Daoist Order, this role was called a secretary, a name borrowed from the ancient Secretariat Department, which was responsible for managing archives and texts. Thus, a Daoist secretary referred to someone handling documents and paperwork.

Qi Xuansu’s secretary was a sixth-rank deacon. Another fifth-rank deacon served as his deputy, able to act in his stead. The other four Spirit Guards could not carry out the duties of a Daoist priest when Qi Xuansu was away.

Such were the perks of being a Superintendent with real power. Compared to his time in Jade Capital, Qi Xuansu now wielded significantly more authority, even closing in on Deputy Hall Master Zhang Yuelu in some respects.

Judging by the current trajectory, Zhang Yuelu would likely be posted as a Deputy Mansion Master at the Wuzhou Daoist Mansion or Jiangnan Daoist Mansion in a few years.

Qi Xuansu summoned his six subordinates to his office for a brief meeting to get acquainted with them.

The sixth-rank deacon was named Ke Qingqing, a woman. This surprised Qi Xuansu as he had not expected a female deacon to serve him. Out of concern for propriety between men and women, Qi Xuansu had raised the issue with Shi Bingyun, but she shot him down with a single sentence. “Times have changed. Men and women are equal. If there isn’t even a single woman on your team, that becomes a morality issue. So, which will you choose—propriety or moral failure? Go ahead and pick one.”

Qi Xuansu raised this not because he doubted Ke Qingqing’s abilities. Rather, too many male Daoists had stumbled because of women over the years. The secretary was a role that required close proximity, which made it all the more easier to slip into trouble—or at the very least, give rise to gossip. Zhang Yuelu’s repeated warnings were not out of jealousy, but sincere concern for Qi Xuansu’s future. Now, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to accept it.

The other fifth-rank deacon was in his forties. His name was Wang Chongnian, an experienced Daoist well-versed in the workings of the Imperial Capital. If not for his limited cultivation, he would have already become a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master. Shi Bingyun had assigned him to assist Qi Xuansu.

Spirit Guard Gao was the eldest, having just passed 40. Meanwhile, the youngest was Spirit Guard Qin, who was around the same age as Ke Qingqing, a few years younger than Qi Xuansu. The other two were Spirit Guard Zeng and Spirit Guard Zhou.

Since this was Qi Xuansu’s first time meeting these subordinates, he was not thinking about winning them over. All he wanted to do was recognize their faces and get a sense of their character. There was also no need to curry favor or build a faction because he would not be putting down roots in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion. Thus, businesslike interactions would suffice.

After the meeting, all but Ke Qingqing returned to their own offices. Ke Qingqing remained outside on duty.

Qi Xuansu went into the inner study, closed the door, took the Novice License from his waist, and unfurled the scroll.

Before long, a response came from the scroll, transforming into a glowing screen on which Zhang Yuelu appeared.

Zhang Yuelu was also dressed formally, as if she had just finished a meeting. She asked, “Are you all settled in? How are you adjusting over there?”

“There’s nothing that needs adjusting in the foremost district right under the Emperor’s feet.” Qi Xuansu lifted the scroll and slowly panned it around the study so Zhang Yuelu could get a look. “Look! Not bad for an office, right? If this were Jade Capital, it’d be fit for a Deputy Hall Master.”

Zhang Yuelu laughed. “It’s a well-known fact that local Daoist mansions get better treatment than the Nine Halls of Jade Capital. It’s the same with the Imperial Court. The cabinet ministers are crammed into tiny offices in the Imperial City, while the regional governors get full manors as their offices.”

Qi Xuansu then roughly explained the task assigned by Shi Bingyun.

After hearing it, Zhang Yuelu thoughtfully said, “This might be an opportunity. Major influences, ideologies, and changes often originate from subtle, easily overlooked places. If you manage this well, you’ll be one of the first to sense any upheaval in the Imperial Capital.”

He nodded in agreement. “You make a good point. Something big is bound to happen here in the Imperial Capital, especially with the Daoist Order’s major reform of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion and the instructions from Sage Donghua.”

Zhang Yuelu’s expression turned solemn. “Above all else, prioritize your own safety. Also, beware of the Li family, especially Li Tianzhen.”

Only then did Qi Xuansu recall the proximity between the Imperial Capital and Qizhou, where the Li family was based. With the Qin-Li marriage alliance, the Imperial Capital could practically be considered a stronghold of the Li family as well. This made it entirely reasonable for Li Tianzhen to appear in the city.

This young master of the Li family was not the jealous type, but he definitely cared about his dignity. Having been thoroughly humiliated by Zhang Yuelu, he might very well try to settle the score with Qi Xuansu instead.

Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a headache coming on.

From the moment he met Zhang Yuelu, he had heard of Li Tianzhen’s name being mentioned repeatedly, even though he had never met the man himself. Was he finally going to meet Li Tianzhen here in the Imperial Capital?

Though Qi Xuansu took it seriously, he did not want it to show on his face. So he changed the subject and began chatting affectionately with Zhang Yuelu. They had only been apart for less than three days, but it felt like a long time for a couple in love. Since their communication was free using their licenses, they chatted for about an hour about topics that outsiders might find juvenile and boring. But being the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu was quite busy, so they reluctantly ended the conversation, taking about 15 minutes to say their goodbyes.

As the light screen faded, Qi Xuansu put away the Novice License, sat at his desk, and casually flipped through the personnel register. There were about 440 people on the list—400 Spirit Guards and 40 Daoist priests.

At that moment, the voice transmission talisman on Qi Xuansu’s desk lit up. When he tapped on it, a slightly distorted voice from Ke Qingqing came through. “Superintendent, a courier has brought a package for you.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Who sent it?”

“Please hold on, sir. Let me check.” Qi Xuansu heard the sound of flipping pages, followed by Ke Qingqing’s distorted voice again, but this time, it was tinged with shock. “The sender is Li Qingnu.”

Qi Xuansu was a little surprised as well.

Ke Qingqing asked cautiously, “Superintendent, is it THE Li Qingnu, the number one courtesan famous throughout the Imperial Capital?”

Qi Xuansu replied casually, “It should be her.”

Ke Qingqing only felt awestruck, thinking that her boss had truly astonishing connections.

Before being transferred to work under Superintendent Qi, the Second Deputy Daoist Mansion Master had spoken to her about him. It was said that he was close to Zhang Yuelu, the Junior Tiangang Hall Master, and he had been a classmate of the reputable Yao Pei of the Quanzhen Sect. Now, he was linked to Li Qingnu, the adopted daughter of the Li family. The Zhang, Li, and Yao families were the most prestigious of the three sects, and he seemed to have gathered the full set!

A moment later, Ke Qingqing walked in, carrying a rosewood box.

“Thank you.” Qi Xuansu motioned for Ke Qingqing to place the box on the desk.

After setting down the box, Ke Qingqing left on her own without needing any instructions from him.

Qi Xuansu opened the wooden box and saw a letter placed on top. Upon opening it, he found a single sheet of neatly written words.

“To Daoist Brother Tian Yuan,

Though we cannot meet in person, may this letter serve as my greeting. I’ve learned of your recent promotion and arrival in the Imperial Capital, so please accept this small congratulatory gift. Take care as the seasons shift.

Wishing you well always,

Li Qingnu.”

Qi Xuansu set the letter aside and took out the gift. He was taken aback by what he saw.

It was a collector’s edition set of the Holy Xuan Cards issued in the first year of the Jiushi Era. Each card was crafted from a talismanic material, with a market value of around 5,000 Taiping coins.

This was only his first official day in office, but Qi Xuansu finally understood why so many Daoists had fallen—it was because of money.