A Pawn's Passage

The Yinglong Warship stopped for only an hour, during which people boarded but none disembarked. Then it rose again, heading in the direction of Jade Capital.

Shortly after liftoff, an Assistant Palace Master of Zhenjing Courtyard approached Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, speaking with a cordial tone. “Deputy Hall Master Zhang, Superintendent Qi, the Imperial Preceptor requests your presence.”

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu exchanged a glance.

Qi Xuansu had assumed that the first Deputy Grand Master he would meet would be either the Heavenly Preceptor, who was Zhang Yuelu’s elder, or the Earthly Preceptor, the head of the Quanzhen Sect and his superior. He never would have imagined that he would first meet the Imperial Preceptor, whom he had virtually no connection with.

If one insisted there was any connection between him and the Imperial Preceptor, it was nothing but bad karma. From the second major Jiangnan case to the Anchor the Monkey operation, he had been involved in them all.

Regardless of how Qi Xuansu felt, he did not dare (nor could he) refuse the Imperial Preceptor’s summons. Never mind that the man could crush him with a finger, they had a gap of about five official ranks between them.

Zhang Yuelu remained composed and replied calmly, “Please lead the way.”

Led by the Assistant Palace Master, the three ascended to the third floor of the Yinglong Warship, where the Imperial Preceptor Li Changgeng’s study was located.

Walking ahead, the Assistant Palace Master reminded them, “Only speak when the Imperial Preceptor asks, and use proper honorifics—either Deputy Grand Master or Imperial Preceptor. Don’t be timid, but also don’t act flippant. Just maintain a calm and respectful attitude. I know you’re both esteemed talents, junior to the Heavenly and Earthly Preceptors, but each of the three Deputy Grand Masters has different customs. So please be mindful to avoid offending the Imperial Preceptor.”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “Of course.”

As they spoke, they arrived at the door to the study. From the outside, it looked neither luxurious nor remarkable.

The Assistant Palace Master did not knock. He just opened the door directly and entered.

The Imperial Preceptor was not alone in the study. As soon as Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stepped in, all eyes turned toward them, each bearing different expressions—few friendly, most hostile.

The Imperial Preceptor was the only one seated. Judging by appearance, he looked to be in his sixties, with black hair and beard, distinguished features, and a commanding presence. This sharply contrasted with the Heavenly Preceptor, whose white hair and beard made him seem much older. Even though in reality, the two were only a few years apart. But this was the typical style of the Taiping Sect. Sage Qingwei also looked far younger than Sage Donghua.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu bowed in unison and said respectfully, “Greetings, Deputy Grand Master.”

Seated behind the desk, the Imperial Preceptor waved his hand and said, “You all may leave.”

The others in the study bowed to the Imperial Preceptor and filed out one by one.

“Yong Yan speaks very highly of you two.” The Imperial Preceptor spoke first, scrutinizing the young man and woman before him. “As expected of the key figures in the Anchor the Monkey operation.”

Just like Great Sage Jiang Hedao, the Imperial Preceptor’s gaze did not feel inherently oppressive. If anything felt overbearing, it was the psychological pressure stemming from his status. In truth, it was a pressure they placed upon themselves.

Qi Xuansu lowered his head slightly. “You flatter us, Imperial Preceptor. Daoist Yong Yan is too generous with his praise.”

The Imperial Preceptor withdrew his gaze and said, “The two of you will most likely march with the army. You must look out for each other while in a foreign land. If you encounter difficulties, seek out Sage Qingwei directly.”

“We shall follow your guidance, Deputy Grand Master,” Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu responded in unison.

The Imperial Preceptor waved his hand again. “That’s all. You may go.”

“Yes, Deputy Grand Master.” After bowing once more, they exited the Imperial Preceptor’s study.

The Assistant Palace Master was still waiting outside. Once the two emerged, he led them to their respective quarters.

Neither of them spoke along the way, but the message was clear to both. The Imperial Preceptor’s meeting was not quite an attempt to recruit them, but it left the door open. The Li family had long valued talent, mainly recruiting through two channels—by marriage or adoption. It was part of what made the Li family so powerful.

After settling them into their rooms, the Assistant Palace Master from the Zhenjing Courtyard took his leave. Qi Xuansu then visited Zhang Yuelu’s room, though he did not dare broach the subject of the earlier meeting.

Given the Imperial Preceptor’s cultivation level, he could probably sense every corner of the Yinglong Warship. Thus, it would not be wise to start discussing the implications of this meeting while still onboard. So Qi Xuansu simply joked, “I never thought I’d get to meet the Imperial Preceptor in person. I suppose I’ve now seen enough of the world that I won’t get nervous visiting your family again. After all, once one has seen the vast sea, other waters pale in comparison. When the time comes, I’ll just sprawl out casually, and Little Zhang will serve me tea.”

Zhang Yuelu smiled sweetly, with a hint of menace. “Everyone on Yunjin Mountain is a Zhang, so who is this ‘Little Zhang’ you’re referring to?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Obviously, it has to be someone young—you, of course. No way I’d be talking about Uncle Zhang. I’d call him ‘Old Zhang.’”

Zhang Yuelu chuckled. “Fine.”

Qi Xuansu said righteously, “I rarely get to be a guest. What’s wrong with enjoying myself a little?”

“Nothing wrong at all. Little Zhang shall pour tea for Lord Qi right away.” With that, Zhang Yuelu actually got up and poured him a cup of tea. They had everything they needed in their rooms, even wine.

Qi Xuansu raised his teacup and let out a dry cough. “I was really just joking.”

Zhang Yuelu looked at him and blinked innocently. “Whatever. Once we get to Yunjin Mountain, I’ll pour your tea, and the rest is on you.”

Qi Xuansu almost spat out the tea he had just sipped. “How am I supposed to handle all that?”

“I thought you have already seen much of the world, so doesn’t everything pale in comparison? I’m sure you can manage.” Zhang Yuelu shoved him out. “I’m tired. Go back to your room.”

Just like that, Qi Xuansu was kicked out of her room.

The Yinglong Warship was much faster than a typical flying ship. It entered the Kunlun Region on the same day.

The journey was smooth. It was also escorted by flying ships from the Kunlun Daoist Mansion.

This was a real eye-opener for Qi Xuansu.

The ones that needed escort most often had none, while the ones like the Yinglong Warship, with an Immortal like the Imperial Preceptor aboard, still received protection even though no one in their right mind would provoke it. As the Primordial Daoist Ancestor once said, “The way of the heavens trims the surplus to nourish what is lacking; the way of man takes from the poor to fatten the rich.”

Normally, upon reaching Jade Capital, common flying ships had to dock outside the city, and passengers entered the city on foot. Even those returning from missions were at best offered special transport. But the flying ship of a Deputy Grand Master could bypass the protective formations of Jade Capital, pass through Xuan City, and land directly in the Jade Pond within the grounds of Purple Mansion.

This Jade Pond was not the same as the one in the Western Region Daoist Mansion’s Daxue Mountain Palace. There were actually three Jade Ponds.

Including the Imperial Preceptor’s flying ship, the Jade Pond currently held five ships. Four of them were Yinglong Warships, belonging to each of the three Deputy Grand Masters and the Grand Master.

The Grand Master’s Yinglong Warship was bigger than the others. The fifth was a much smaller and more elegant ship, pure white throughout. This was the Holy Xuan’s legendary flagship, the progenitor of all flying ships. It now remained permanently docked in the Jade Pond, serving as a floating pavilion where successive Grand Masters would occasionally host banquets or discussions with the other Great Sages.

Qi Xuansu had never expected that his first entry into the Purple Mansion would happen like this.

The Imperial Preceptor disembarked first, followed by the others.

To the north of the Jade Pond stood the Zixiao Palace, shrouded in ethereal purple mist. To the east was the Thirty-Three Heavens, their summit unseen. To the west was the Golden Tower.

Although Zhang Yuelu was not officially a Sage, her status as the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master earned her a rare exception. She was allowed to accompany the Imperial Preceptor to the Golden Tower to attend a council meeting. Li Changge went with her.

Qi Xuansu did not hold such privileges, so he could only leave the Purple Mansion by himself. It was hard to enter, but easy to exit.

Since war was imminent, Tiangang Hall would surely be extremely busy at this time. So Qi Xuansu had no intention of revisiting old grounds and instead chose to return to his little home in Haichan Place.

Qi Xuansu stepped into the familiar alley and walked all the way to the end, where there were only two houses—his master’s and Nun Cui’s.

When Qi Xuansu arrived at his doorstep, he saw Aunt Cui sitting on the steps in front of her house, with some children’s trinkets laid out before her.

Qi Xuansu vaguely remembered that Aunt Cui once had a child, but he died very young. It was something unavoidable. Though the Daoist Order could bring the dead back to life, over 99% of the elixirs required the patient to have high levels of cultivation. Without the proper foundation, one could be overwhelmed by the immense medicinal power. Thus, children could still die young because they did not have much cultivation.

Qi Xuansu still remembered that Aunt Cui had been devastated, depressed, and listless for a long time.

Recalling the past, Qi Xuansu hesitated a little before walking up to her and gently calling out to her, “Aunt Cui?”

Nun Cui, immersed in her own world, slowly raised her head. Her gaze was a little vacant. Only after a moment did she finally come to her senses. “Ah, Tian Yuan. When did you get back?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I just got back.”

“Good, good. It’s good that you’re back,” Nun Cui said absentmindedly.

Qi Xuansu glanced at the children’s trinkets and asked, “Aunt Cui, what are these?”

“These?” Aunt Cui smiled faintly. “I was just cleaning the house on my day off and ended up finding these tucked away in the corners.”

She suddenly cursed, “That little rascal really hid his treasures well. He shoved them into the bed cracks and under cabinets. If he were alive, I’d give him a good beating. But the damn brat’s already dead!”

There were no tears from Nun Cui, and she did not seem different on the surface.

But if she truly did not care, she would not be sitting here all alone, staring into the void.

Qi Xuansu had no children of his own, but even so, he found himself unable to speak, unsure of how to comfort Aunt Cui.

In the end, Nun Cui pulled herself together. She had originally planned to throw the little trinkets away, but after thinking it over, she decided to pack them up again.