A Pawn's Passage

After departing from Genki’s jin’ya, Qi Xuansu and his entourage finally entered Hita District of Bungo Province, which was a territory under the jurisdiction of the Chancellor’s Office.

The difference was immediately apparent. At the very least, no open hostility could be sensed, and everyone showed them great respect.

They arrived unimpeded at Hita Castle, where the castle lord personally welcomed them. Upon learning of Qi Xuansu’s identity, he treated them with utmost reverence and held a banquet in honor of High Mage Qi and the accompanying Mages.

But that was not the most important matter. The key was that Hita Castle housed a Daoist temple subordinate to the Fenglin Daoist Mansion. Within it were stationed Daoists and a rapid post talisman, which could be used to communicate with the Fenglin Daoist Mansion’s headquarters in Xiujing.

With tensions escalating across the land, the Fenglin Daoist Mansion had upgraded temples everywhere, installing reusable mother-child mirrors that were a pair of adult-height mirrors. The child mirror was kept at the local temple, and the mother mirror in the Fenglin Daoist Mansion. As long as each party stood before their respective mirror, real-time communication was possible. After recent enhancements, the child mirror could even initiate contact, making it far more convenient than the rapid post talisman.

The reason why such mother-child mirrors were rarely seen in the Central Plains was that all technological breakthroughs were first applied in military affairs. Only once proven reliable would they be expanded to other sectors. The current Fenglin conflict marked the debut of the mother-child mirror. It had not existed before.

The Daoist priest stationed here was a deacon, beneath Qi Xuansu in both rank and position. Though Qi Xuansu was not officially part of the Fenglin Daoist Mansion, the deacon dared not defy his instructions.

When Qi Xuansu requested to activate the mother-child mirror to communicate with the main army, the deacon did not object. He led Qi Xuansu to an underground chamber with Spirit Guards as gatekeepers. Both the Spirit Guard and the deacon produced half of a key each to unlock the heavy stone door.

Inside the chamber was a full-height mirror, which was not unusual in itself. What surprised Qi Xuansu was that the mirror stretched as wide as the wall.

This immense size was not by design but by necessity, since reusability required the inscription of numerous talismans, resulting in such a scale. Licenses and fish talismans could remain compact due to the practitioner’s high cultivation and intricate craftsmanship.

In front of the mirror sat a chair for the user.

Qi Xuansu seated himself.

After rotating a circular disk shaped like the yin-yang symbol, the deacon reported, “Deputy Hall Master Qi, I’ve already sent a request to the Daoist Mansion and conveyed the situation through the rapid post talisman.”

Qi Xuansu nodded.

The deacon quietly took his leave.

Moments later, the mirror’s surface began to ripple like water.

Li Changge’s figure emerged on the other side. “It’s truly good to see you safe and well, Brother Tian Yuan.”

Qi Xuansu was not surprised.

One advantage of the Daoist Order was that when war broke out, its leadership did not just command from afar; they often went to the frontlines themselves. They would send their own descendants into battle instead of only relying on ordinary Daoist priests or orphans from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace.

This time in Fenglin, regardless of the various reasons—whether it was the Daoist Order’s overwhelming advantage or the Taiping Sect trying to drag the other two sects into its cause—the fact remained that all three Daoist prodigies, and the unofficial fourth prodigy, Qi Xuansu, had been dispatched to Fenglin.

No matter how favorable the situation was for the Daoist Order, the battlefield was undoubtedly more perilous than Jade Capital. Qi Xuansu had barely arrived in Fenglin when he encountered the Yamata-no-Orochi and brushed past the gates of hell. Even Sage Qingwei, the Sage Commander in this campaign, had survived an assassination attempt. These were clear proof of the danger.

The Heavenly Preceptor’s grandniece, the Earthly Preceptor’s grandniece, and the Imperial Preceptor’s cousin had all gone to war. With such role models, it was far easier to mobilize common Daoist priests. It all boiled down to one word—fairness.

When those above and below shared a common will, nothing was impossible.

Among the four, Li Changge was the first to arrive in Fenglin, having traveled with the vanguard. Qi Xuansu was the second, and Zhang Yuelu should be en route by now. Yao Pei would likely arrive later due to her injuries.

Qi Xuansu replied, “Thank you for your concern, Brother Yong Yan.”

Li Changge asked, “How are things on your end, Brother Tian Yuan?”

Qi Xuansu gave a rough account of everything he and his group had been through along the way.

After listening, Li Changge frowned slightly. “There was a deviation in the flight path. By right, the flying ship shouldn’t have flown over Izumo Province.”

Qi Xuansu had broached the topic with a hint of probing, suspecting that the Taiping Sect had tampered with the flight route. Yet Li Changge brought it up so frankly, which caught Qi Xuansu slightly off guard.

Sensing Qi Xuansu’s doubt, Li Changge continued, “Brother Tian Yuan, you’ve only returned to the Daoist Order these past two years, so your sense of certain matters may still be shallow. I’ve been within the Order continuously, so perhaps I see things a bit more clearly.”

Qi Xuansu said, “I’d be glad to hear your thoughts.”

Li Changge continued, “The three sects are in truth a vague concept. The Daoist Order is not a monolithic entity, nor are its three sects. You may have heard that the Taiping Sect is the most powerful among the three sects. That’s because it is the most united and suffers the least internal strife. What do you think of that, Brother Tian Yuan?”

Qi Xuansu said, “I tend to agree with that view. Qing Xiao’s situation is a glimpse of the internal divide within the Zhengyi Sect. The Quanzhen Sect is full of noble families, each scheming in their own way. I’ve seen some of it firsthand. But I’ve never heard of any internal strife among the Taiping Sect.”

These words bordered on speaking too deeply despite their shallow acquaintance, but since nothing he said was truly classified, it did not break any taboos.

Li Changge replied, “Brother Tian Yuan, you probably noticed during your last visit to the Imperial Capital that there are also multiple factions within the Li family. They may not be actively fighting each other, but it’s common for one faction to stand aside and watch the others struggle or even mock them from afar. What I want to say is that the Daoist Order is a massive institution. This division into three sects is like splitting the realm into only north and south of the Great River, when in reality, there are also so many other regions and subdivisions within.”

Qi Xuansu more or less understood.

The reason Li Changge spoke at such length was to make one point. The three sects were like the major rivers of the Central Plains. Beneath them were many smaller tributaries. The rivers would not know where those smaller streams flowed. This incident might not have been the Taiping Sect’s doing. Their highest priority right now was to win the war in Fenglin. Everything else was secondary. In such a context, they would go to great lengths to avoid internal discord, which meant they had little motive to sabotage.

On the contrary, individuals within the Zhengyi Sect or Quanzhen Sect might have far greater motives, like those who feared Zhang Yuelu, those who were wary of the Yao family, and those who held grudges against Qi Xuansu, or even against Madam Qi. They all had reason to sabotage.

The Fenglin battlefield was also the perfect place for silencing someone, since there were so many scapegoats and many ways to cover up the truth. Blame could easily be pinned on local forces, who were destined to be purged anyway. After all, dead men tell no tales. Or it could be blamed on some monster like the Yamata-no-Orochi, since such a creature would not be able to defend itself. In the worst-case scenario, they could just blame the Taiping Sect.

The goodwill shown to Qi Xuansu by the Heavenly Preceptor and Earthly Preceptor did not mean that everyone within the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect felt the same about him.

Qi Xuansu had suspected as much earlier, but as Li Changge said, his roots within the Daoist Order were too shallow, so it would be difficult for him to judge which faction was the culprit.

To truly uncover the truth was beyond Qi Xuansu’s capabilities. He would likely have to ask Madam Qi or Sage Donghua to investigate or rely on the Heavenly Preceptor through Zhang Yuelu.

Qi Xuansu did not dwell further on the topic. Instead, he said, “Brother Yong Yan, I have five wounded members with me—Li Mingshan from the Ciji Hall, Lu Yuting from the Huasheng Hall, Qian Daren from the Tiangang Hall, Tang Yongshui from the Tianji Hall, and Han Yongfeng from the Liaodong Daoist Mansion. Could you coordinate with the central command or the Fenglin Daoist Office to send a flying ship to bring them back?”

“No problem, I’ll arrange it right away,” Li Changge responded without hesitation. “At the latest, the flying ship will arrive at Hita Castle tomorrow. I ask that you look after them for one more day, Brother Tian Yuan.”

“No problem,” Qi Xuansu nodded.

Li Changge added, “If there’s anything else you need, just say the word.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Nothing for now. When I returned to Jade Capital from the Imperial Capital, I had the honor of being summoned by the Imperial Preceptor. His teachings emphasized unity in the face of foreign threats and working together as one, and I deeply agree with him.”

“Is that all then?” Li Changge asked.

“That’s all. We’ll be in touch if anything comes up.” With that, Qi Xuansu ended the conversation.

The mother-child mirror returned to its original state. Li Changge’s reflection vanished, and only Qi Xuansu remained seated in the chair.

Qi Xuansu did not believe his relationship with Li Changge was improving. This was merely a case of special times calling for extraordinary measures. Brothers might quarrel at home, but they would unite against foreign foes. However, once the external enemy was repelled, those brothers would still turn on each other.

Moreover, Li Changge was a deeply calculating man. He was always gentle and courteous, even when he resolved to kill someone. He never raised his voice or spoke cruelly, the complete opposite of Li Tianzhen. Thus, judging Li Changge’s thoughts based on his demeanor was likely impossible.

Qi Xuansu left the chamber and informed the others of the situation.

The group was quite pleased. They would be safe back at the army camp. Huasheng Hall also had a temporary branch there to ensure their full recovery without hidden complications.

Returning to his quarters, Qi Xuansu discovered that he could now use the Intermediate License to contact Zhang Yuelu. This meant she had already departed from Jade Capital in Kunlun and was drawing nearer to Fenglin.

In the past few days, he had not been able to reach her due to the limited range of their licenses. Their distance was so great that their communication experienced heavy delays. The screen would shimmer like rippling water, but no image would form. In the Central Plains, the many Daoist mansions acted like a chain of beacons, extending the reach of communication, so delays were rarely an issue there.

However, the fish talisman still could not reach Madam Qi. It appeared that its range was identical to that of the Qingping Society’s Five Ghost Transport Method. It was not just about the distance between the talismans. So long as one was within the designated zone, they could communicate no matter how far. But once outside that range, even if they stood close by, communication was impossible.

Qi Xuansu unfurled the Intermediate License and began reaching out to Zhang Yuelu.