A Pawn's Passage

Sage Qingwei and Zhang Wuliang had a smooth discussion.

When the two of them emerged from the inner chamber, the atmosphere instantly relaxed—something everyone could feel.

As expected, Zhang Wuliang did not stay long in Fenglin and departed that very night aboard a flying ship.

This time, it was not just Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu seeing him off, but also Li Tiangang and Li Zhuyu, representing Sage Qingwei.

Qi Xuansu’s gains from this trip were not limited to currying favor with both the Zhang and Li families; he also received a local specialty from Donghai and a miniature flying sword.

The miniature flying sword was no longer than an index finger, its blade nearly hollow. When in flight, it emitted a sound like that of a bamboo flute. Though it could be used to kill, few actually did so because it was a work of art, top-tier in both material selection and craftsmanship. It was said to have been forged and carved by a renowned master swordsmith.

It could also be worn on the waist as a substitute for a jade pendant.

Of course, Qi Xuansu was hopelessly vulgar. He did not appreciate art so much as he measured an item’s value in Taiping coins. In terms of market price, this miniature sword fell only slightly short of the collector’s edition of the Holy Xuan Cards Madam Qi and Li Qingnu gifted him.

Qi Xuansu was quite curious about what exactly was considered a local specialty from Donghai. He thought, It can’t possibly be salted fish, right?

Later, he learned that it was pearls—a box of twelve, to be exact. Each one was plump, perfectly round, and pure in luster, about 3 centimeters in diameter.

When Qi Xuansu opened the box, he was nearly blinded by the radiance.

Only the local specialty of Nanhai, such as coral trees, could compare.

Together, the two gifts were worth about 10,000 Taiping coins, which was a truly generous gesture.

Qi Xuansu was quite curious as to what gift Sage Qingwei had prepared personally and how valuable it was.

Zhang Yuelu also received the same local specialty and miniature sword.

Zhang Yuelu took great care when it came to exchanging gifts. Generally, she only accepted two types—gifts from friends, such as those from Qi Xuansu, which she had never refused, and those from elders, as gifts from elders should not be declined.

Fortunately, she was well known for being difficult to deal with, so others were accustomed to her ways and did not take her refusal of gifts personally. At most, they grumbled behind her back, saying that she was pretending to be morally superior.

But this time, she had no choice but to accept it. First, Sage Qingwei was a seventh-generation disciple of the Daoist Order and an elder in terms of age, cultivation, experience, position, and Daoist rank. Second, this pertained to the reconciliation between the Zhang and Li families.

Giving a gift showed sincerity, and accepting it was an acknowledgement of that sincerity. If the gift was refused, it might imply that the Zhang family rejected the Li family’s goodwill, which would ruin everything.

Zhang Yuelu knew how to adapt to the situation, so she accepted the gift without hesitation.

There were also no hidden risks because no one would believe the Li family was bribing the Zhang family.

As they walked back, Qi Xuansu joked to Zhang Yuelu, “Let’s string our pearls together and make you a pearl necklace.”

Zhang Yuelu waved her hands repeatedly. “Spare me, will you?”

She had never liked jewelry. She rarely wore earrings, let alone something as flashy as a necklace.

Qi Xuansu simply felt that it was a waste to keep such a good item since he had no use for pearls. He could not sell it either, so he might as well give it to Zhang Yuelu. Since she did not want it, he could give it to Madam Qi instead. That money-grubber would surely accept, not because she liked pearls, but because they were valuable.

The next few days passed without incident.

However, the meeting between Sage Qingwei and Zhang Wuliang soon bore fruit.

The Golden Tower Council did not accept Li Changge’s resignation but instead suspended him from duty pending investigation.

Qi Xuansu had experienced such treatment himself. Back in the Imperial Capital, Monk Yan Xiu had accused him of being part of a secret society. After some back-and-forth, although his position was not revoked, he was still suspended for investigation. Only after clearing his name did he return to duty.

It appeared the main branch of the Li family intended to let Li Changge take the fall in order to protect Sage Qingwei. This was not favoritism, but prioritizing the greater good over individual interests. Sage Qingwei, as the Sage Commander, held a critical position tied to the broader Daoist Order, so he could not be sacrificed.

Whether or not Li Changge had a hand in Zhang Juquan’s suicide, it made him the primary party responsible. Even if he did nothing, Zhang Juquan had died under his watch, and negligence was inescapable.

Since Li Changge was to be investigated, the choice of investigator was crucial. As the matter involved both the Zhang and Li families, it was inappropriate for people from the Taiping Sect or the Zhengyi Sect to be involved. Instead, having someone from the Quanzhen Sect, who was uninvolved in the dispute, investigate was a more suitable choice.

Thus, the Golden Tower Council ultimately appointed Yao Pei to investigate Li Changge.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu thought the matter had come to a temporary close, but to their surprise, it ended up affecting them after all.

Originally, the task of recruiting mountain gods was handled by four people—Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu, Li Changge, and the recently arrived Yao Pei. Now that Li Changge had been suspended and Yao Pei was reassigned to investigate him, neither of them could return to the Fenglin camp in the short term.

Thus, all the responsibilities fell on Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, drastically increasing their burden.

Sage Qingwei had no intention of assigning them additional help, but he did grant them considerable autonomy, allowing them to make promises within reason and deploy Spirit Guards or flying ships. He even gave them a 1-million Taiping coin budget. This was expected, as there was a fine line between recruitment and bribery, and no persuasion came free.

After some discussion, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu decided to abandon the idea of working closely together and instead split the duties evenly. Otherwise, they simply could not finish the task in a limited time.

As such, Suzuka Gozen was assigned to Qi Xuansu.

In Qi Xuansu’s view, Suzuka Gozen was highly renowned, serving as a symbol and a banner. If she openly sided with the Daoist Order, it would trigger a chain reaction, prompting other spirits and gods to follow suit.

If Suzuka Gozen continued to remain ambiguous in her stance, then no matter how hard he worked to sway the others, there would always be a lurking instability.

So Qi Xuansu resolved that his top priority was to approach Suzuka Gozen. If he could win her over, many other wild gods and spirits would fall in line at the mere dispatch of an edict.

As for Tamamo-no-Mae, she would have to wait.

Qi Xuansu had already begun sporadically looking into the matter back when Zhang Juquan’s case first came to light.

Previously, Sage Qingwei had sent some Onmyoji from the Tsuchimikado family to visit Mount Suzuka. Likely due to an issue with their approach, they were turned away. On their return, they were ambushed by the Tenmon Sect and suffered heavy losses, so the attempt was a complete failure.

Though Sage Qingwei arranged compensation for the Tsuchimikado Onmyoji, he privately judged them as unfit for major tasks. He no longer placed hope in Chancellor Toyotomi’s Office and decided the Daoists should take over directly.

This mission was originally to be carried out jointly by Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, but now it had fallen solely to him.

Mount Suzuka was located in Suzuka District, Ise Province. Chancellor Toyotomi’s Office had influence in Ise, but it was centered in Yamada Castle of Watarai District, separated by multiple districts. But these were relatively minor issues.

What mattered was that this was the Ise Province. Since arriving in Fenglin, Qi Xuansu had often heard the name Ise in the term “Ise-jingu,” which was one of the Three Grand Shrines of the Tenmon Sect.

Ise-jingu was the ancestral temple of the Tenmon Sect, the residence of the Saio, and home to the Yata Mirror.

Beyond its two main halls, the Ise-jingu had a network of 125 shrines in total, spread across Watarai District, Taki District, Itaka District, Ichishi District, and Anno District, forming a vast web.

Among them were countless guji, negi, and shinkan, some of whom were particularly formidable at the jokai rank.

Under such conditions, reaching Mount Suzuka would require either the full mobilization of Daoist forces or solo action by a few skilled individuals. The more people involved, the more conspicuous the target and the higher the risk of exposure. The ambush and massacre of the Tsuchimikado Onmyoji served as a harsh lesson.

Thus, after much consideration, Qi Xuansu concluded he would have to make the trip personally.

Firstly, many matters could only be properly explained in person. Secondly, the act of making the trip himself was a sign of sincerity.

It was the same logic behind Zhang Wuliang traveling across great distances to personally meet with Sage Qingwei in Fenglin.

However, before heading to Mount Suzuka, Qi Xuansu needed to make a few preparations.

First, he could not go as a Daoist priest, as it would attract too much attention. He needed a suitable identity. Second, he did not speak the local Wa language, and it was not something he could master quickly. To resolve this, Qi Xuansu sought advice from Li Tiangang, who had spent many years in Fenglin.

Li Tiangang suggested that Qi Xuansu disguise himself as an Onmyoji, since many aspects of Onmyodo were closely aligned with Daoism, especially the philosophies of yin-yang and the use of talismans and spells. After all, both originated from the Yin-Yang School of the Central Plains, making the two practices quite similar and thus easier to mimic.

As for the language barrier, it could be resolved with the use of the Telepathic Technique. Zhang Yuelu, who had already reached the Wuliang stage, knew this technique and could teach it to him.

In the days that followed, Qi Xuansu crammed on Onmyoji basics while learning the Telepathic Technique from Zhang Yuelu.