A Pawn's Passage

As soon as Zhang Yuyue saw Li Minghuang, her face turned pale as snow.

Regardless of whether Zhang Yuyue was jealous of her or not, their years of sisterly bond made Zhang Yuelu instinctively reach out and hold her hand in comfort.

Zhang Yuyue’s lips trembled slightly. She wanted to say something but could not bring herself to speak.

Qi Xuansu looked toward Li Minghuang.

Just then, Li Minghuang also glanced in their direction. Their gazes met right on cue.

To be fair, Qi Xuansu had no grudge against Li Minghuang. They were strangers, and Zhang Yuyue was not his wife, so their eye contact did not spark any conflict. They simply exchanged distant nods as a courtesy.

As for why Li Minghuang was paying attention to Qi Xuansu rather than Zhang Yuelu was because he had known Zhang Yuelu for quite some time since they were colleagues in Tiangang Hall. However, Qi Xuansu was a rising star who had suddenly appeared on the board. Thus, it was worth observing the unfamiliar face.

Qi Xuansu withdrew his gaze and said nothing.

Li Minghuang was quite handsome. Otherwise, Zhang Yuyue would not have fallen head over heels for him or allowed him to use her as a stepping stone. He was not the kind of delicate scholar with refined features but was rather rugged with a trace of wildness. Even if Li Minghuang appeared a bit unkempt, it gave off a weathered, worldly feel rather than sloppiness. In terms of age, he was in a man’s prime, much older than Qi Xuansu and several years older than Qi Jianyuan. He was no longer youthful and innocent but fully mature without seeming old.

But what truly drew attention was Li Minghuang’s presence, which was sharp and unrestrained.

Although Li Minghuang could not compare to Zhang Yuelu, he still had a bright future since he was already a Deputy Hall Master before the age of forty.

He was a man riding high on success, so naturally, he would not hide his edge.

Qi Xuansu did not yet have that kind of sharp edge. Or rather, he did occasionally, but it never lasted. Due to Madam Qi’s influence, there was always a touch of humor about Qi Xuansu. These different kinds of energy from the two men did not usually coexist.

Like Qi Xuansu, Li Minghuang came from humble beginnings and rose through the ranks with the help of a woman.

The difference was that Qi Xuansu relied on his adoptive mother. He only needed to obey Madam Qi and be a dutiful child. Though Zhang Yuelu had a lofty background, she was not considered Qi Xuansu’s backer because she herself needed a backer. Until the Zhang family’s main branch compromised, Zhang Yuelu had her own problems to deal with.

Li Minghuang was not so lucky. He had to take another path, treating each noble lady as a different stepping stone on his climb upward. Zhang Yuyue was one such stepping stone.

If Zhang Yuyue were as capable as Zhang Yuelu, Li Minghuang would not have minded stopping there and marrying her. But sadly, Zhang Yuyue lacked such abilities, so he cast her aside.

As a result, Zhang Yuyue fell into a deep slump and never recovered from that heartbreak.

Due to her relationship with Zhang Yuyue, Zhang Yuelu held a deep hostility toward Li Minghuang. This troubled Li Minghuang. Although he outranked Zhang Yuelu in Tiangang Hall’s hierarchy, she was a Deputy Hall Master supported by two generations of Hall Masters—Ning Lingge and Su Yuanyi—so much so that even the Chief Deputy and Second Deputy deferred to her. Thus, Li Minghuang could not confront Zhang Yuelu head-on.

But Li Minghuang was not easy to deal with either. He had been adopted by the Li family. His adoptive father was in the Tian-generation and wielded considerable influence in the Li family, able to speak even before the Imperial Preceptor.

Not long ago, under the introduction of his adoptive father, Li Minghuang met the Imperial Preceptor. Though their conversation was brief, the Imperial Preceptor’s attitude left Li Minghuang exhilarated.

Be it Li Changge or Li Tianzhen, neither was adopted. Thus, the Li family currently lacked a leading figure from among its adopted sons as a role model or a symbolic banner. As such, Li Minghuang was undoubtedly the best candidate for that role.

This left Li Minghuang full of ambition.

Years from now, there was no reason he could not become one of the Daoist Order’s major decision-makers.

After Li Changsheng and Li Minghuang arrived, they exchanged a few polite greetings with Zhang Jucheng and Zhang Wuliang. As Zhang Yuyue’s father, Zhang Jucheng remained composed and natural in front of Li Minghuang, betraying no emotion. This was proof of his excellent self-control.

Once these influential figures were seated, the auction officially began.

Qi Xuansu was just there for the show. Zhang Yuelu and Tantai Qiong temporarily put aside their differences to console Zhang Yuyue. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuyue’s husband, Dong Baijing, was shoved aside by Tantai Qiong. This showed that being a matrilocal husband in the Zhang family was not an easy job.

Zhang Juping spent 5,000 Taiping coins to purchase an authentic painting by Master Qinghe. Zhang Juqi, who usually kept a low profile, quietly pulled out 3,000 Taiping coins to buy a blood scripture left behind by a Daoist priest in the Jin Dynasty, which was highly symbolic in meaning. Zhang Juli spent a staggering 18,000 Taiping coins to acquire a well-preserved fan. While the fan itself was not much of a treasure to him as the Deputy Wuzhou Daoist Mansion Master, its value lay in the fact that it had once belonged to Lin Lingsu, the Imperial Preceptor of the Jin Dynasty, so it bore his inscription, making it special.

Qi Xuansu could only sigh at the depth of wealth in such prominent families, especially his future father-in-law, who clearly had plenty of personal savings. Qi Xuansu was not looking down on his father-in-law, but based on the latter’s weak authority as a husband, he did not seem like someone who could control the family finances.

Qi Xuansu was different. Zhang Yuelu would never use financial means to control him. Their relationship was fairly equal and built on mutual respect.

Only Madam Qi held a firm grip on Qi Xuansu’s financial lifeline.

Due to the compromise, Zhang Wuliang, representing the Zhang family’s main branch, showed his support to Zhang Yuelu by spending 20,000 Taiping coins to purchase the treasure donated under her name.

Soon, it was finally time for Qi Xuansu’s donated book to be auctioned.

The auctioneer declared, “As everyone knows, The Female Sword Immortal is the signature work of the Holy Xuan’s beloved wife. Since its release, it has been continuously published by the Qingping Bookstore for over 200 years, with more than a million copies printed. However, this particular edition is a limited-release collector’s version, estimated at 300 Taiping coins. It was donated by Deputy Hall Master Qi Xuansu.”

As soon as the auctioneer finished his sentence, a low chuckle rippled through the hall, followed by whispers.

“300 coins? Isn’t that too stingy? Is he trying to brush people off like beggars?”

“He even dreams of marrying the noble daughter of the Zhang family?”

“This man is never meant for anything great.”

The atmosphere turned awkward.

Zhang Jucheng had a favorable impression of Qi Xuansu. To ease the tension, he casually called out, “3,000 Taiping coins.”

Just like that, the price jumped tenfold.

That instantly silenced everyone’s laughter.

The opinions of minor figures did not matter. It was the attitude of the big players that counted.

Many were influenced by Zhang Jucheng’s gesture and picked up on his intentions, so they began placing bids as well.

Regardless of personal opinion, Qi Xuansu represented the Quanzhen Sect. While they might not owe him respect, the Quanzhen Sect deserved it.

The price quickly climbed to 6,000 Taiping coins, which was twenty times the book’s value.

Qi Xuansu breathed a small sigh of relief.

Just then, Zhang Yuelu, no longer comforting Zhang Yuyue, suddenly called out, “10,000 Taiping coins.”

The hall erupted in astonishment.

All eyes turned to Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu.

Zhang Yuelu remained perfectly composed.

Ten thousand Taiping coins was not a large amount for those present, but spending it on a copy of The Female Sword Immortal was still absurd, as the same amount could be used to buy a treasure.

It was practically throwing coins into the sea for fun.

However, this was a charity auction. No matter how much was paid, Qi Xuansu would not see a coin. All proceeds were to support the Fenglin campaign, so there was no laundering or self-dealing involved.

Qi Xuansu was equally shocked and quickly communicated with his mind voice, “Qing Xiao, where did you get that many Taiping coins?!”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “The Heavenly Preceptor gave it to me in advance. He said he won’t be able to take Taiping coins with him when he passes, so he might as well donate them. As someone on the verge of ascension, he has no use for building a reputation, so he gave it to me instead.”

Qi Xuansu understood. Zhang Yuelu was using borrowed money.

At that moment, someone praised, “Deputy Hall Master Zhang, how noble of you!”

Zhang Yuelu had first donated a treasure that sold for 20,000 Taiping coins. Now, she spent another 10,000 Taiping coins to buy back a worthless copy of The Female Sword Immortal. Altogether, that was 30,000 Taiping coins. The key was that The Female Sword Immortal had little monetary value and almost had no chance of a return on investment.

This was cold, hard cash spent for virtue’s sake, which was noble and admirable.

But truth be told, all the money came from the Heavenly Preceptor, who was giving Zhang Yuelu the opportunity to build rapport with the Zhang family.

Zhang Yuelu did not claim credit, nor did she reject the Heavenly Preceptor’s goodwill by offering further explanation.

Naturally, no one dared mock Qi Xuansu anymore. After all, not everyone could turn a 300 Taiping coin item into a 10,000 Taiping coin sale. Respect had to be given where due. Some even believed he and Zhang Yuelu had coordinated this act in advance.

Meanwhile, people like Yan Mingchen felt utterly disheartened. The way Zhang Yuelu supported Qi Xuansu went far beyond mere friendship. Judging by this, their relationship was likely confirmed, and with Zhang Jucheng’s attitude, the Zhang family was clearly in agreement.

Li Minghuang cast a deep glance at Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, his thoughts unreadable.

The penultimate item was the same as always, the Red Fruit. It was not especially expensive, but extremely rare, typically appearing only at the Zhang family’s annual auction. It sold for 9,000 Taiping coins and was purchased by Li Minghuang. The final item was a Five Qi Elixir, sold for 24,000 Taiping coins to Li Changsheng.

In the final tally of donation amounts, what mattered was not how much one spent at the auction, but how much the donated item sold for.

The Five Qi Elixir and Red Fruit were donated under the Heavenly Preceptor’s name, while Lin Lingsu’s folding fan was donated under Zhang Jucheng’s name. As a result, the Heavenly Preceptor topped the list with 33,000 Taiping coins, followed by Zhang Yuelu with 20,000 Taiping coins, then Zhang Jucheng with 18,000, and lastly, Qi Xuansu, with 10,000. This left many who had hoped to laugh at Qi Xuansu utterly speechless.