A Pawn's Passage

The Qingping Society could not force Xie Linyuan to take action, so Qi Xuansu also bore part of the responsibility as a persuader.

Since the area was already shielded with formations to block internal and external spying, Qi Xuansu had no reservations and spoke frankly. “This time, it’s not just the Qingping Society. The main force is the Daoist Order.”

Surprised by this, Xie Linyuan asked, “Whose decision was it?”

Qi Xuansu lowered his voice and answered, “It was personally arranged by Sage Donghua.”

Xie Linyuan understood and slowly nodded his head.

As the Chief Omniscient Sage, Sage Donghua could not be simply compared to the Imperial Court’s Prime Minister. Sage Donghua also bore the status of a “crown prince” because he had an immense chance of ascending to the position of a Grand Master. However, no matter how many years the Prime Minister served, he would never become an emperor. This was the greatest difference between the two, so their weight were not comparable.

Qi Xuansu continued, “Sage Donghua will remember the goodwill of all those who offer help.”

This was a promise made by the Daoist Order’s heir apparent. If Sage Donghua truly became the Grand Master, then the operation would count as contributions made alongside the future ruler.

Although Xie Linyuan was a court official, he was not confined solely to the court, nor did he want to be just a servant of the court. Otherwise, he would not have joined the Qingping Society.

Xie Linyuan was hesitant. “My injuries have not fully healed. At most, I can contend with the Innkeeper. But the Owner...”

Qi Xuansu interjected. “Madam Qi will handle him by herself.”

Only then did Xie Linyuan nod in agreement.

Xie Buying left the main hall and was wandering in the courtyard when he happened to see a figure peeking around. He could not help but laugh. “What are you looking at?”

Before long, a girl who looked to be 17 or 18 came up to Xie Buying. It was none other than Xie Linyuan’s daughter, Xie Buying’s cousin, named Xie Buhua.

Xie Linyuan had no sons, but he did have a daughter. However, given his high cultivation level and advanced age, it was no longer likely for him to have another son, so he could only focus on grooming his nephew.

Having grown up together, these two cousins had a close relationship.

Xie Buying stared at this mischievous cousin and spoke in what was meant to be a reproach, but his tone was quite gentle. “Look at you. You don’t even have the demeanor of a noble lady!”

Xie Buhua did not care at all and giggled. “I heard Father invited that Mage Qi here?”

Xie Buying nodded and asked, “You know this Mage Qi too?”

“What’s there not to know?” Xie Buhua pouted, a little dissatisfied that her cousin underestimated her. “Just the other day at the poetry society, I heard a few older sisters mention him.”

Forming associations was not illegal; only secret societies were. For women, these associations were nothing more than poetry clubs. The madams had their social circles, and these young noble ladies had theirs. They rarely mixed, and that was how they made friends. Of course, these young ladies were still unmarried. So, unlike the noble wives who were busy with matchmaking and child-rearing, these ladies were mostly absorbed in poetry and art.

Xie Buying was curious. “What did your sisters say?”

“They said Mage Qi is fierce and overbearing, not gentle or refined at all,” Xie Buhua complained.

Xie Buying chuckled. “Well, he’s the one straightening out the capital’s morality. Someone gentle and refined couldn’t possibly handle that kind of task. But why are you interested in him?”

Xie Buhua shook her head. “I’m not interested in him. I just really want to meet the legendary High Mage Zhang!”

“The legendary High Mage Zhang?” Xie Buying was momentarily stunned, then realized she was referring to the Daoist Order’s youngest third-rank Youyi Daoist master, Zhang Yuelu.

It was not clear when this trend began, but many women greatly admired this High Mage Zhang, inexplicably becoming her followers. They believed she would surely become the eighth-generation Grand Master, representing strong women leaders capable of carrying the burdens of the world.

Xie Buying found it a bit headache-inducing. This was the influence drifting over from the Daoist Order. Nowadays, young women no longer accept the old Confucian codes of obedience and etiquette. It was not easy to forcefully suppress them since the Daoist Order rejected Confucian moralism. No one wanted to be labeled a stubborn reactionary. Fortunately, these young ladies were all pampered and lacked the means to support themselves. Their slogans were loud, but with just a bit of financial pressure, they could be made to submit immediately.

Of course, women like Lei Xiaohuan were an exception. Whether as a daughter of a general or a Daoist wife after marriage, she was one whose word was law. Whether in the Confucian Era or the Daoist Era, those with true ability always earned people’s respect.

Xie Buhua sighed exaggeratedly, as if she had the maturity beyond her years. “I really don’t know what High Mage Zhang is thinking. Even if she couldn’t remain pure for 100 years, she should at least pick some unrivaled hero riding on rainbow clouds. Why did she have to take a liking to that kind of man? After hearing about her love interest, some of my friends said they misjudged her and no longer support High Mage Zhang. Instead, they turned to support Mage Yao. This gets worse. Some, after getting married, stopped talking about women becoming world leaders and actually started supporting Li Changge! Honestly, if they’re going to support Li Changge, they might as well back Qin Lingge. At least the latter’s good-looking.”

Xie Buying let out a helpless laugh.

His cousin addressed Yao Pei and Zhang Yuelu with reverence, using their titles like Mage Yao and High Mage Zhang. But when it came to Li Changge, she just called him by his given name. The rivalry was pretty intense. These followers were even more anxious than Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei themselves.

What on earth did these young women spend all day thinking about?

Just then, Xie Buhua suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice say, “Indeed, there are women in this world who care greatly whether a man can shield them from the storms of life. But there are others who refuse to rely on that. They believe that they can accomplish whatever a man can achieve because they are self-reliant and strong. High Mage Zhang is such a woman. When she chooses a partner, she’ll only consider one question, and that is whether she likes him or not. A hero riding on rainbow clouds may be a splendid pillar of support, but when has she ever needed someone to shield her from the rain?”

Startled, Xie Buhua turned around and saw a man standing not far away.

Xie Buying bowed slightly and introduced, “Mage Qi, this is my younger cousin, Buhua.”

He then turned to Xie Buhua and reminded her. “Aren’t you going to greet Mage Qi?”

Only then did Xie Buhua realize this stranger was the renowned Mage Qi. Based on appearance alone, Mage Qi was not as fierce or intimidating as she had imagined. His earlier words had also given her a sudden sense of clarity. She could not help but clench her fist and punch her palm as she exclaimed, “That’s right! I really didn’t misjudge High Mage Zhang! She is truly the number one among women, far superior to Mage Yao!”

It turned out that after Qi Xuansu had finished discussing the key matters with Xie Linyuan and was about to take his leave, he overheard Xie Buhua’s words as he exited and could not resist stepping in to defend both Zhang Yuelu and himself.

Just then, Xie Linyuan, who had risen to see him off, finally spoke up. “Buhua.”

Xie Buhua snapped out of her daze and quickly saluted Qi Xuansu. “Greetings, Mage Qi.”

Qi Xuansu returned the salute.

Xie Linyuan said apologetically, “My daughter was unruly. It’s all my fault for spoiling her.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Master Xie, you’re too polite. We don’t stand too much on such formalities.”

With that, Qi Xuansu took his leave.

Xie Linyuan did not go as far as to personally escort him to the door. Instead, he had Xie Buying accompany the guest while he stood in place, watching him leave.

A moment later, Xie Linyuan withdrew his gaze, looked at his only daughter, and sighed. “If you could truly learn even 70% or 80% of High Mage Zhang’s ability instead of spending all day just running your mouth, I would be able to bring some comfort to our ancestors.”

Xie Buhua protested. “How am I only good at running my mouth?”

Xie Linyuan could not be bothered to argue with his daughter. He knew that someone like Zhang Yuelu was a naturally gifted talent. The Zhang family let her develop on her own, and even Sage Cihang had not been that attentive in the beginning. Yet, Zhang Yuelu had managed to grow into her abilities, and she possessed great ambition. This kind of character simply could not be taught.

Xie Linyuan was quite curious about how Madam Qi had trained Qi Xuansu. Though Qi Xuansu started late, he was showing tremendous momentum, as if he might overtake others. With a bit more opportunity, he might not fall short of Zhang Yuelu at all.

As a cabinet minister, he could naturally see that Madam Qi had vast ambitions. She wielded great power in Jianghu and had a massive enterprise, yet she deliberately pushed Qi Xuansu into a high position within the Daoist Order.

Xie Linyuan even had a suspicion that to accomplish great matters, one must have a backup. For a nation, establishing a crown prince was the top priority, as it determined the foundation of the state. But for a family, raising a son into a talent who would not squander their wealth was likewise a major matter. For the Quanzhen Sect, the backup they had prepared was Qi Xuansu. If their carefully nurtured Yao Pei ran into any accidents, Qi Xuansu could step up as a substitute.

The Zhang family simply did not have a backup because they faced a talent drought for years. They did not even have a strong front-runner from the main branch of the family. Otherwise, they could treat Zhang Yuelu, who came from a minor branch of the family, as the backup. Unfortunately, the Zhang family lacked such talent and did not want Zhang Yuelu to inherit the Heavenly Preceptor’s mantle, leading to endless internal disputes with no resolution to this day. Now, it all depended on whether the Heavenly Preceptor had the resolve to risk his posthumous reputation and give her one final push as a last gamble.

The Li family did have a backup—Li Tianzhen. However, Li Tianzhen had a flaw. His cultivation level was somewhat lacking. Since the only Longevity Stone Heart had already been given to Li Changge, the Li family had no more.

Xie Linyuan could not help but sigh.

The Daoist Order’s upcoming election of a new Grand Master was not just about internal interests. It also tugged at the heartstrings of many others. A different Grand Master ascending meant different policies, which would cause ripple effects. Thus, everyone would naturally have to make different adjustments and responses.

It was not just the Imperial Court that was concerned. All the major secret societies, the Western Region, Fenglin, Borneo, East Shakya, and even the distant Western Holy Court and Arcane Council were all paying close attention to the yet-uncertain Grand Master position.

Unfortunately, outsiders could only watch and fret. The final authority to choose the Grand Master still rested in the hands of the Daoist Order.

After leaving the Xie family estate, Qi Xuansu contacted Madam Qi again, inquiring about the other A-rank members of Qingping Society.

Of course, some matters could be discussed over mother-child talismans or within the Dream Meeting, but many major affairs were still best handled face-to-face.

The time he had left was running out.