A Pawn's Passage

Having just gained a new mystical ability, Qi Xuansu was itching for action and wished he could fight Gan Longchi again. He deactivated the formation and stepped out of his residence, only to find Ke Qingqing waiting outside.

Seeing Qi Xuansu come out, Ke Qingqing let out a sigh of relief. “Superintendent, you’re finally out.”

“What’s the matter?” Qi Xuansu asked.

Ke Qingqing replied, “The Daoist mansion issued an urgent notice for you to attend a council meeting. It starts in less than half an hour.”

“A council meeting?” Qi Xuansu was slightly taken aback.

Ke Qingqing lowered her voice. “I heard Deputy Mansion Master Qian has run into trouble.”

Qi Xuansu immediately understood. “Deputy Hall Master Zhang is indeed skilled at handling cases.”

It all made sense now. Zhang Yuelu must have had time to look for him because the case had reached a temporary hiccup. But Qi Xuansu had gone to Zhili at the time and was not at the Yuhuang Palace. Upset with the stagnation of the case, Zhang Yuelu had chosen not to contact him through their licenses and instead sat silently in his office until dawn.

Zhang Yuelu initially wanted to share the case progress with Qi Xuansu. But by the time he returned, they had parted on unhappy terms due to Madam Qi. It was not a sign of relationship trouble. A little awkwardness and discontent were normal. After all, even married couples bickered from time to time. Zhang Yuelu simply did not bring up this meeting.

The next day, Qi Xuansu had been occupied with seeing Madam Qi and fusing with the Xuan Jade. He had not interacted with anyone else and hence was completely unaware of the matter.

“Where’s the meeting?” Qi Xuansu asked.

“At the Council Hall,” Ke Qingqing answered.

This question was not redundant because the council meetings were generally categorized into three types based on the number of participants. The largest ones involved hundreds or even thousands of personnel, including Deacons, so they were held in the main hall of the Daoist mansion. The smallest ones were just two or three people deciding the big matters. These were usually held in a regular office. Only mid-sized meetings took place in the Council Hall, typically attended by the Mansion Master, all Deputy Mansion Masters, and selected Superintendents.

Qi Xuansu probed, “Who is attending?”

Ke Qingqing replied, “I don’t have the exact list, but I heard the Mansion Master is personally presiding over the meeting. The other eight Deputy Mansion Masters and the five-member delegation of the Golden Tower Council will also be present.”

“They’re showing me a great deal of respect by having me attend a top-tier council meeting for the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion,” Qi Xuansu commented.

Ke Qingqing smiled and said, “Many people are saying that you have a good chance of becoming an Acting Deputy Mansion Master.”

Qi Xuansu merely laughed it off.

The so-called Acting Deputy Mansion Master was not an official title in the Daoist Order. Technically, it meant a Superintendent temporarily acting in the capacity of a Deputy Mansion Master. In essence, it meant carrying out the responsibilities of a Deputy Mansion Master before the formal appointment. There were only two outcomes—either being formally promoted or reverting to being a Superintendent once a new Deputy Mansion Master was appointed.

Qi Xuansu did not take it seriously because the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion had a five-member delegation, three of whom could easily serve as an Acting Deputy Mansion Master. There was no way it would be his turn. If that group had not existed, he might actually have had a chance.

“All right, you may go back. I’ll head to the meeting,” Qi Xuansu instructed Ke Qingqing before walking straight toward the Council Hall.

The layout of the Council Hall in the Yuhuang Palace resembled the Golden Tower, though it was not entirely copied. A central north-south passage roughly 3 meters wide led to the main seat at the end, which faced south and was reserved for the Mansion Master. On either side of the aisle were rows of chairs. The left side faced east, and the right faced west.

This council meeting had been called by the Mansion Master herself, Li Ruoshui. Clearly, it was a high-level meeting, as all Deputy Mansion Masters, including Chief Deputy Zhou Jiaoxian and Second Deputy Shi Bingyun, were present. In addition, the five-member delegation sent by the Golden Tower Council was also in attendance.

In terms of seniority and experience, the Deputy Mansion Masters were all seventh-generation disciples, while three of the five from the task force were from the eighth generation. Yet, no one dared look down on them because current circumstances suggested that one of the three might become the next eighth-generation Grand Master.

Hence, Li Ruoshui did not act arrogantly. Instead of occupying the central seat, she sat at the head of the first row on the left side, which was originally the Chief Deputy’s seat. Beneath her were the Chief Deputy, Second Deputy, and other Deputy Mansion Masters. The entire left side was filled with people from the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion.

The seats on the right naturally belonged to the five-member delegation. Zhang Yuelu, as the leader of the team, sat at the head of the first row on the right side, directly facing Li Ruoshui, with only the aisle separating them. Below her sat Li Changge, Yao Pei, Han Yongshuang, and others.

The central seat remained empty.

The arrangement made the situation clear. The five-member team dispatched by the Golden Tower Council was equivalent in status to the Daoist mansion, and this was not merely an internal council meeting.

By the time Qi Xuansu arrived, nearly everyone was present. Shi Bingyun, his superior, pointed toward the right-hand side, indicating that he should take a seat there.

This was not because of Qi Xuansu’s relationship with Zhang Yuelu but due to his special status. If he were attending as a Superintendent of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, he should have been seated behind Shi Bingyun. But now that he was placed on the right side, it was clear he was attending in his capacity as a Superintendent of Ziwei Hall.

“Shall we begin?” Li Ruoshui first glanced at the Chief and Second Deputy Mansion Masters beneath her, then looked across at the three rising stars.

Zhou Jiaoxian, Shi Bingyun, Zhang Yuelu, Li Changge, and Yao Pei all nodded, showing no objections.

The others did not even have the standing to voice disagreement.

“Let’s proceed,” Li Ruoshui said to the rest, her tone brooking no discussion.

“The reason for today’s meeting stems from Gao Mingyin’s case, which relates to Deputy Mansion Master Qian Xiangyun.” Li Ruoshui declared with a solemn tone. “I believe everyone present is already familiar with Gao Mingyin’s case and the other matters uncovered in its wake, so I won’t repeat them.”

Many turned their gaze toward Qi Xuansu.

Everyone knew that the Gao Mingyin case had originally been handled solely by Superintendent Qi. The other matters it led to included the accusation that he was a Lingshan Witch Cult member and the death of Monk Yan Xiu.

All three cases were deeply connected to Qi Xuansu, which was one of the reasons he was invited to attend this meeting.

Had this been six months ago, Qi Xuansu might have struggled under such intense scrutiny. But now that he was a Heavenly Being, he remained unfazed. His gaze lowered to his shoe tip that was poking out from his robes, his face expressionless.

Li Ruoshui continued, “Superintendent Qi apprehended Gao Mingyin and had him held in the heavily guarded Nether Prison of the Yuhuang Palace. Yet, he was killed within that very dungeon, with expert methods. Following the five-member task force’s rigorous investigation, conclusive evidence showed that Deputy Mansion Master Qian Xiangyun was the one who killed him.”

At that moment, Zhang Yuelu interjected, “Just as we were about to detain Deputy Mansion Master Qian, she somehow caught wind of her arrest in advance and fled Bohai Prefecture by sea that very night.”

Qi Xuansu finally raised his head, scanning the room swiftly and noting everyone’s expressions.

He had not expected that Qian Xiangyun would escape. But upon careful thought, it was not surprising.

In the end, it all boiled down to the struggle between the two major factions. Friend and foe were hard to distinguish. Though the seating seemed clearly divided between left and right, black and white, in truth, it was like a yin-yang symbol with some black within the white and some white within the black. Shi Bingyun on the left and Li Changge on the right were like the dots of contrasting colors in the yin-yang symbol.

How could something like this possibly be hidden?

The nearest sea to the Imperial Capital was Donghai, which was the Taiping Sect’s territory. Thus, it could not have been easier for Qian Xiangyun to flee.

Zhang Yuelu added, “I’ve already reported the matter to the Golden Tower Council. The subsequent pursuit will be handled by the Beichen Hall.”

Qi Xuansu lowered his gaze again.

Since it was handed to Beichen Hall, chances were she would never be arrested.

Li Ruoshui said, “As the saying goes, each field has its own specialists. How to bring Qian Xiangyun to justice is Beichen Hall’s task. The Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion can only assist. So, the main reason I’ve called for this council meeting today is to discuss the path forward. If there can be one traitor today, will there be another tomorrow? This is no small matter. With the current reorganization ongoing in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, how can we ensure integrity and upright conduct? Clear spring water turns murky downstream. This is a pressing issue that must not be overlooked.

“The five-member delegation was sent by the Golden Tower Council to help us rectify public morality in the Imperial Capital. Superintendent Qi has been in charge of this task recently and has done exceptionally well. His cuts have gone straight to the bone. We must also conduct internal self-examination and allow blood to be shed if necessary. If there’s anything poorly or improperly done, the task force must raise it to help us correct it.”

Li Changge smiled and remarked, “Mansion Master Li, you’re overstating it.”

Zhang Yuelu said nothing but glanced at Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu understood and stood up, saying, “Mansion Master, since you’ve just mentioned my involvement in rectifying the public morality in the Imperial Capital. I have some thoughts I’d like to share. May I speak?”

Li Ruoshui smiled and nodded. “Don’t hold back. Speak freely.”

Qi Xuansu did as told. “If there’s anything improper in what I say, I hope everyone will correct me.”

“In the Daoist Order, we don’t punish people for speaking their minds. No need to worry.” Shi Bingyun reassured him gently.

Qi Xuansu then spoke his mind. “Punishing after the fact can only serve as a deterrent. But the damage has already been done. Lives may even be lost. These are irreversible losses. Therefore, I believe preventing such incidents like Qian Xiangyun’s must be tackled from two angles—strict accountability to warn others and robust prevention to stop issues before they start.”

Everyone looked toward Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu turned to Li Ruoshui and continued, “Prevention lies in supervision—from above, from below, and from peers. But it’s easier said than done. How many subordinates dare to supervise their superiors? Among peers, there are complicated interpersonal ties and relationships. Let me ask just one thing: who will supervise the Mansion Master? In the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, the Mansion Master is the only Omniscient Sage, so you have no peers, nor any superiors.”