A Pawn's Passage

In 500 years, the world had undergone significant changes—from clothing and manners to moral and ethical standards. Everything had transformed, including architectural styles.

Qi Xuansu said, “After the Golden Horde entered the Central Plains, they established their capital in what was then called Yanjing Prefecture. At the time, Yanjing Prefecture was not yet known as the Imperial Capital. In that sense, the current Imperial Capital was built atop the Golden Horde’s capital. So it’s not strange that there would be an underground palace left behind by them here.”

Zhang Yuelu walked into the hall and said, “At first, I thought this underground palace might be related to the Shamanistic Sect, which is the traditional national religion of the Golden Horde. But I soon realized that wasn’t the case. There’s no trace of Shamanic influence here. On the contrary, there are very distinct marks of the Quanzhen Sect.”

As she spoke, Zhang Yuelu pointed to a few places. These patterns and inscriptions were completely unrelated to the Eternal Heaven that the Shamanistic Sect worshiped. Instead, these markings were unmistakably familiar to Daoists.

The Shamanistic Sect was the traditional state religion because its standing in the Golden Horde was unshakable. However, the Golden Horde had another national religion that changed according to the times.

Qi Xuansu examined the markings carefully for a moment and remarked, “These traces seem odd. They don’t quite match the current form of the Quanzhen Sect.”

“That’s not surprising,” Zhang Yuelu replied. “Today’s Quanzhen Sect is what the Holy Xuan left us with after refining and removing its dross. In other words, much of the unfit content was erased by the Holy Xuan. What we see here belongs to the Quanzhen Sect of 500 years ago.”

Being from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Qi Xuansu was well-versed in Daoist history. He immediately said, “The Quanzhen Sect from 500 years ago...do you think this was left behind by the Changchun lineage?”

The Daoist Order had flourished twice in history. The first time was when the First Emperor lost his imperial rule, the White Emperor seized control of the realm and embraced the Huang-Lao teachings. Huang was the Heavenly Emperor, and Lao was the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Thus, Daoism flourished and came to hold power in the Imperial Court. Later, Emperor Wu ascended the throne and strongly favored Confucianism. A struggle between the Daoist Order and the Confucian School followed, in which the former was utterly defeated. This marked the beginning of nearly a thousand years of Confucian dominance.

It was not until the Li royal family founded the Qi Dynasty that they embraced Daoism again, because the Primordial Daoist Ancestor also bore the same last name. The Li royal family honored him as their forefather, calling him the Primordial Patriarch and the Primordial Xuanyuan Emperor, making Daoism the state religion.

By the end of the Jin dynasty, the Daoist Order had entered one of its most decadent and corrupt phases. Influenced by the Buddhist Sect, Daoists obsessed over divine powers and supernatural feats, making all kinds of outlandish claims and inventing new deities from thin air. Yet they could not out-boast nor out-fantasize the Buddhists. It was during this time that True Lord Taiyang perished, completely crushed by the Vairocana.

During this era, the Daoist Order also abandoned the Primordial Daoist Ancestor’s cosmic view of the universe. Daoist doctrines became incoherent, their logic absurd. In terms of governance and benefiting the people, it was utterly outclassed by Confucianism. The grandeur of the Huang-Lao era was long gone, and Daoism had become the weakest of the Three Religions.

It was also during this period that many Daoists sought to please the powerful and clung to the court, taking the elite path. The standout among them was Lin Lingsu, also known as Master Tongzhen Daling and Elder Shenxiao of the Quanzhen Sect. He once dueled Buddhist monks and advised the emperor of the Jin Dynasty that Buddhism harmed the Dao. Though they could not destroy the Buddhist Sect, they could reform it. They turned Buddhist temples into Daoist ones, renamed the Shakyamuni as a Heavenly Venerable, Bodhisattvas as Mahatsattvas, Arhats as Venerable Ones, and Monks as Virtuous Ones. Lin Lingsu even urged them to grow their hair and wear Daoist crowns.

The emperor followed Lin Lingsu’s recommendation and issued a decree to turn Buddhism into Daoism, change attire, and adopt new names. The offices overseeing monks and nuns were renamed the Institute of Virtue, and the Monastic Records Office became the Virtuous Office under the Institute of Virtue.

The crown prince objected in court and ordered a magical contest between 12 monks and Lin Lingsu, but the monks were soundly defeated and willingly converted to Daoism.

However, this Quanzhen Sect patriarch had a tragic end. During a major flood in the Imperial Capital, there was a second magical duel between Buddhists and Daoists. A flood dragon appeared, and Lin Lingsu used heterodox means to slay it. Even so, the flood did not recede. As such, people took this as a sign of dynastic collapse. Only after a Bodhisattva manifested did the waters retreat. Lin Lingsu left the capital and returned to his hometown, where he mysteriously died not long after.

In later generations, assessments of Lin Lingsu—whether from Daoists themselves, Confucians, or Buddhists—were overwhelmingly negative.

Afterward, the Golden Horde advanced south, and the Jin Dynasty fell. Another elder of the Quanzhen Sect began to rise to prominence.

Of the Quanzhen Sect’s Five Elders, Elder Chongyang was the last. He had seven disciples who successively assumed the leadership of the Quanzhen Sect. After Sage Danyang came Sage Changsheng, and after him, Sage Changchun. In his twilight years, Sage Changchun journeyed beyond the frontier through the Iron Gate Pass and reached the Daxue Mountain Palace, where he met with the Khan of the Golden Horde. He advised the Khan to revere the heavens, cherish the people, reduce killings, and practice restraint and simplicity. The Khan then honored him as a Godly Immortal.

After returning to Yanjing—now the Imperial Capital—Sage Changchun received a tiger tally[1] and an imperial edict from the Khan, authorizing him to oversee all Daoist sects. The Khan issued orders to exempt Daoist temples and priests from taxes and levies. As a result, the Quanzhen Sect flourished again. Numerous temples were built across the capital, rituals were held constantly, and followers gathered in great numbers.

Today’s Yuhuang Palace was expanded from a Daoist temple left behind by Sage Changchun. So, it made perfect sense for a Quanzhen Sect relic to lie beneath the Yuhuang Palace.

Zhang Yuelu agreed. “This place must be closely tied to Sage Changchun. But I spent a lot of time examining these details. I was afraid people outside wouldn’t be able to find me, so I stopped here and returned.”

“Let’s continue,” Qi Xuansu said, quietly activating his Golden Body and the Green Netherworld Armor before stepping forward.

Zhang Yuelu took out her Amorphous Paper, transforming it into a paper umbrella, and walked side by side with Qi Xuansu.

The Quanzhen Sect from 500 years ago was seen by many modern Daoists as a dark age of barbarism and ignorance. It was a dark chapter in Daoist history, classified as one of the most degenerate periods.

Zhang Yuelu explained, “Over the past 200 years, some Daoists who traveled west were deeply influenced by Western thought. Emulating Western methods, they divided Daoist history into six eras. The first was the Sage Era, when the Primordial Daoist Ancestor dwelled among mortals and the White Emperor favored the Huang-Lao teachings. Next was the Primitive Era, marked by the rise of the Zhengyi Sect and the Taiping Sect. Then came the Golden Era, when Daoism became the state religion during the Qi Dynasty. It was followed by the Dark Era, when the Quanzhen Sect rose to prominence but fell into decadence under Buddhist influence. After that was the Transformative Era during the Wei Dynasty, when Daoism blended with the Hundred Schools of Thought, yet fractured in conflict. Finally, we are in the Civilized Era, when the Daoist Order stands unified and rules the world.”

Qi Xuansu said, “I’ve heard of Western historiography, too. Supposedly, Westerners divide our past into three empires. The First Empire was founded by the First Emperor and the White Emperor. The Second Empire consisted of the Chen Dynasty and the Qi Dynasty. The Third Empire is the Wei Dynasty and the Great Xuan Dynasty. Under this division, the Sage Era falls in the early First Empire, the Primitive Era in its late stage; the Golden Era in the early Second Empire, and the Dark Era in its decline; the Transformative Era would be the beginning of the Third Empire. So, right now...”

Zhang Yuelu interrupted, “There’s no doubt that our so-called Civilized Era is at the tail end of the Third Empire. Whether it’s the Western idea of an empire or the Eastern notion of a dynasty, how long can a single-family rule last? One hundred years? Two hundred?”

As they spoke, the two passed through the hall and entered another long corridor. Compared to the one they came through earlier, this one was wider and well-lit, as it was enhanced by formations.

The power of the formation came from the earth’s energy. So long as the flow was not cut off, the formation would last indefinitely.

Perhaps due to Buddhist influence, the walls here were lined with murals—something rarely seen in modern Daoism. After many reforms, Daoists now preferred meticulously written records for important events and secrets.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu looked toward the murals. The first depicted a magical duel with monks, Daoist priests, crashing waves, and a dragon lurking within the tides.

After careful observation, Qi Xuansu remarked, “This looks like the duel between Lin Lingsu and the Buddhists.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded and turned to the second mural.

It showed a group of 19 people traveling across the Grasslands and the Gobi Desert. In the distance were snowy mountains and a palace on the mountaintop.

“That’s Sage Changchun and his 18 disciples traveling to the Daxue Mountain Palace to meet the Golden Horde Khan.” Qi Xuansu, who had visited the palace with Zhang Yuelu before, had a deep impression of the place.

Zhang Yuelu sighed. “That patriarch probably never imagined that 300 years later, the Daxue Mountain Palace would become the Western Region Daoist Mansion.”

The two continued walking.

The third mural was somewhat unusual. The setting was clearly not in the Central Plains. It looked more like the Golden Horde’s royal court, full of exotic elements. In a lavish hall, hundreds of Daoist priests and monks were locked in fierce debate.

Zhang Yuelu pondered for a moment. “This must be the debate at Kaiping City. Under the support of the first Khan, Sage Changchun’s Quanzhen Sect nearly unified the North. But by the time of the third Khan, the Buddhists accused the Quanzhen Sect before the throne, triggering a 30-year-long conflict between the Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Order. At that point, the Quanzhen Sect’s influence had grown too strong and alarmed the Golden Horde nobility. With the nobility’s backing and the effort of Western Region Buddhists, the Buddhists won the decisive debate at Kaiping City. From then on, the Quanzhen Sect began to decline, and Buddhism replaced Daoism as the Golden Horde’s state religion, standing equal with the Shamanistic Sect. Afterward, the Buddhist Sect grew even more domineering than the Quanzhen Sect had been, which angered both Daoists and Confucians.”

With Zhang Yuelu’s reminder, Qi Xuansu also recalled something. “The Golden Horde never expected this would trigger a huge shift within Daoism, which abandoned its approach of currying favor with the elite and returned to its grassroots Huang-Lao doctrines. Daoists began gathering strength and preparing for rebellion. This led to the second rise of the Taiping Sect, which gradually replaced the Quanzhen Sect, and indirectly caused the Golden Horde’s downfall, laying a solid foundation for the Daoist Order’s later victory over the Confucian School.”

They arrived at the fourth mural, which depicted endless bloodshed on the battlefield. Based on clothing, the opposing factions were easily distinguishable. In the distance ran a great river—likely the Yellow River.

Qi Xuansu said concisely, “They stirred rebellion across the realm.”

Zhang Yuelu added, “At that time, the Confucian School held supreme, and the Daoist Order was subordinate.”

The four murals outlined Daoism’s transition from the Dark Era to the Transformative Era.

At the same time, the corridor came to an end at a pair of stone doors.

Qi Xuansu motioned for Zhang Yuelu to step aside so that he could open the doors.

1. A token signifying the authority to command troops. ☜