A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu stood with his hands behind his back before a floor-to-ceiling window in a Western-style room, gazing out at the Penglai Pool.

Shen Yuzu, Wan Xiuwu, Yue Liuli, Zhao Fu’an, and Yan Xiu had all met the ends they deserved.

Qi Xuansu considered his vendetta settled, yet strangely, he felt no particular joy, merely a calm, unruffled sense of closure.

There was a saying that a gentleman’s revenge was never too late, even after ten years. But Qi Xuansu felt that after ten years, one’s outlook and mood would have inevitably changed.

Zhang Yuelu approached Qi Xuansu from behind and asked, “What are you looking at?”

Qi Xuansu pointed outward with his chin. “Acting Deputy Hall Master Li is heading to the Yuhuang Palace, with Lord Yun accompanying him.”

Zhang Yuelu was not surprised. “The Taiping Sect has deeply infiltrated the Imperial Court. Among the court officials, the Taiping Sect accounts for the majority. Whether it’s the Green Phoenix Guard, Tianchen Division, or even the Three Naval Forces, their influence runs deep. Many serve under dual leadership—officially obeying the Imperial Court, yet secretly vassals of the Li family. The Junior Imperial Preceptor certainly carries far more weight than I do.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What’s your opinion of this Junior Imperial Preceptor?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “If Li Tianzhen is like Donghuang, then Li Changge is like the Holy Xuan. But of course, Li Tianzhen can’t compare to Donghuang, so neither can the latter.”

Qi Xuansu tutted. “Look at the Li family. They have three generations of orderly succession with a clear division of roles. Now look at your family, still a tangled mess.”

Zhang Yuelu did not refute.

It was the truth. She also could not help but harbor some resentment toward her family’s lack of support. They were all the descendants of the Founding Heavenly Preceptor, yet there were distinctions of rank. By contrast, in the Li family, even adopted children and in-laws could wield real power.

Watching the ornate boat slowly drift in the distance, Qi Xuansu asked, “What should we do next?”

“The key is knowing what the Li family and the Imperial Court are truly scheming, especially regarding Wuxing Mountain...” Zhang Yuelu could not hide her concern.

Qi Xuansu noted, “Logically, Wuxing Mountain falls under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion. Given that it concerns the safety of the Northern Dragon, it would be reasonable for the Daoist Mansion to investigate thoroughly. Li Ruoshui shouldn’t have any grounds to interfere. Yet ever since Li Changge arrived, I can’t shake the feeling that the situation has grown far more complicated, though he seems to have done nothing.”

“Your instincts are correct.” Zhang Yuelu agreed, her gaze deep. “Li Ruoshui, Yun Luo, Li Tianzhen, and Li Tianyue might not be on the same side. They each represent different factions with differing interests. Though nominally under the Taiping Sect, they are independent power players, often at odds with one another. For instance, when Gao Mingyin fell from power, some intervened, while others watched coldly from the sidelines, making it easy to defeat them one by one.

“But after Li Changge arrived, they became unified. Li Changge played the role of coordinator and central commander. Aside from the Imperial Preceptor and Sage Qingwei, only Li Changge could subdue the various factions within the Li family. It’s not because of his current cultivation level, but because his future is assured. Judging by the current trend, the position of Imperial Preceptor will eventually fall to him. No one wants to risk being purged later, so they would rather pledge allegiance early and earn merit by supporting him. That’s why you sensed the situation becoming more complicated.”

Qi Xuansu came to a realization. “Did the higher-ups send you and Yao Pei here to play a similar role?”

Zhang Yuelu smiled bitterly and shook her head. “It’s not the same. I’m not valued within the Zhang family. In fact, I’m subtly marginalized. As for Su Yi, though she’s favored within the Yao family, her family’s influence in the Quanzhen Sect cannot compare to the Li family’s power within the Taiping Sect. We should count ourselves lucky if the two of us combined can even match Li Changge.”

Qi Xuansu rebutted, “That’s not necessarily true. After all, you’re the leader of this delegation. That’s your advantage. You’re like the puppet emperor, while Li Changge is the powerful minister. But when it comes to critical moments, you hold the legitimate authority of the Golden Tower Council and can use it to suppress him if necessary.”

Zhang Yuelu smiled but did not take it seriously.

In such matters, she was better than Qi Xuansu. Whatever he could think of, she had already considered.

Zhang Yuelu changed the topic. “I’ll have to focus all my energy on Qian Xiangyun. She’s a Deputy Mansion Master, so I can’t afford to be careless. If you’re free, you should spend more time getting close to Prince Jin. We’ll need him to keep Prince Liao in check.”

Qi Xuansu casually said, “Is that really necessary? Sage Shi can single-handedly handle everything smoothly. After all, no one can get any closer to Prince Jin than she can.”

Zhang Yuelu lightly kicked him from behind.

“Watch your mouth,” Zhang Yuelu scolded him in a low voice. “It’s one thing to joke with me. Aren’t you afraid that Sage Shi will find trouble with you if she hears this?”

Qi Xuansu knew his words were inappropriate, making it sound like Shi Bingyun had traded favors with her body. He smiled sheepishly. “Sage Shi is magnanimous. She wouldn’t be petty over such things.”

Zhang Yuelu chuckled. “Don’t be so sure. My master once said that my martial aunt is notorious for holding grudges.”

Qi Xuansu sighed. “Considering that Sage Shi is my direct superior now, these words must never reach her ears.”

Zhang Yuelu said, “Also, don’t underestimate Prince Jin either. Though he isn’t a Pseudo-Immortal, it’s rumored he’s at the Zaohua stage. From what I see, that’s likely true. Otherwise, do you think just anyone could win over my picky martial aunt?”

Qi Xuansu was startled. “I couldn’t tell at all. I thought he was just an ordinary prince.”

Zhang Yuelu explained, “Actually, it’s not so surprising. The Great Xuan royal family was once the Northern Daoist Sect, standing equal to the Zhengyi Sect, Taiping Sect, and Quanzhen Sect. They even had Immortals in their lineage. So it’s not surprising for some members of the royal family to possess extraordinary cultivation. Take Qin Lingge, for instance, he’s from the royal bloodline too. Although he lost to Li Changge at the Three Religions Assembly, it wasn’t an ugly defeat, more like a narrow loss. In the entire Daoist Order, how many are at Li Changge’s level? This shows the royal family’s strength is not to be underestimated.

“Also, I’ve heard the royal family has an extremely strict system for inheritance of titles. Besides the standard practice of title downgrading, every three years, they must undergo evaluations similar to our official assessments. The three criteria are merit, cultivation, and miscellaneous achievements. Their merit system is similar to ours. Only Heavenly Beings will receive full marks for cultivation. Miscellaneous covers other aspects. These three criteria are averaged to get a final score, with a maximum of 10 points. Having three consecutive perfect scores allows one to be promoted a rank, with Imperial Prince being the highest. Those who get 9 points will get rewards, 8 points will remain as before, and 6 points will get a salary deduction or downgrade in title. If one is incompetent, they can be demoted to commoner status even before their heir inherits the title. So, anyone holding the title of prince is no fool.

“You might wonder why there have been emperors who couldn’t cultivate. That’s because some emperors had only one son, and bloodline is paramount above all else. They will adopt from a minor branch only if there’s no direct heir. Besides, not everyone can use a Longevity Stone Heart to fix innate deficiencies. At the very least, one must already be a Rogue Cultivator.”

Qi Xuansu mused, “Since only Heavenly Beings can get full marks, everyone would strive toward that realm. When they’ve achieved it, they would’ve naturally appreciated the rewards and kept advancing, even without pressure from assessments. Given the royal family’s wealth and limitless resources, it’s no wonder they achieved the Zaohua stage. Compared to the Daoist Order, their system is much stricter. After all, we only add up merits, while they also deduct points. One failure needs three perfect scores to make up for it, which makes sense why no one dares to slack off.”

Zhang Yuelu agreed. “That’s right. In this regard, the royal family is even more advanced than our Daoist noble houses.”

Qi Xuansu continued, “The Great Sage Ziji ascended the throne at the age of 20. Since this is his 42nd year on the throne, it means he’s 62 now, just the right age to elect a Grand Master. It’s said the Empress Dowager was only 18 when she bore the current emperor and 37 when she bore Prince Liao. That’s a 19-year gap, which would make Prince Liao 43 years old and in the prime of his life. What’s his cultivation level?”

Zhang Yuelu thought for a moment. “I once heard my master mention that Prince Liao reached the Wuliang stage by the age of 30. But he later suffered a setback after being defeated by an A-rank member of the Qingping Society called Drenched Green Robes. Prince Liao became stagnant for years at the Wuliang stage and had finally overcome that hurdle to advance to the Zaohua stage only in recent years.”

Qi Xuansu was startled when he heard the name, “Drenched Green Robes,” but he kept his expression calm and shifted the topic. “I’ve never understood why some people suffer mental damage after losing a fight and can’t progress anymore. A loss is no big deal, since one can always win it back later. Also, why does mental state affect one’s cultivation? Aren’t we cultivating strength, not the mind? Strength is built through gradual work. Besides, if one can’t overcome it naturally, just use external aids. Look at me—I caught up to you all with the Longevity Stone Heart, and I don’t feel ashamed. Some people just can’t accept losing.”

Zhang Yuelu said, “Those who achieve too much too early are the ones who stumble hardest, and they find it difficult to get back up. You have never tasted early success, so you aren’t afraid of setbacks. You can pick things up and let them go. When you fight, you don’t obsess over victory, only about achieving your goals. If losing helps your purpose, you don’t mind losing. Without an obsession with victory, naturally, you’re immune to mental setbacks. Those who are easily affected usually are obsessed with martial strength.”

Qi Xuansu said helplessly, “Are you praising me or insulting me?”

Zhang Yuelu smiled. “I’m praising you, of course.”

At the same time, another thought was stirring in Qi Xuansu’s mind. Could the death of Drenched Green Robes be connected to Prince Liao?