A Pawn's Passage

When Qi Xuansu left Kunlun Paradise, it was already late at night.

He had entered Jade Capital through Yuzhu Peak yet exited within Huasheng Hall in Xuan City.

Qi Xuansu suddenly realized a problem. Though many hailed him as the Fourth Prodigy of the Daoist Order, the other three prodigies all had places in the exalted Purple Mansion. Even the poorest Zhang Yuelu had lodgings in Xuan City. But he had no home here.

He only had two options—stay in Ziwei Hall’s office or return to his old family home in Haichan Place.

After much thought, he decided to go home.

Exiting Xuan City’s gates and stepping onto Shangqing Street of Jade Capital gave Qi Xuansu a sense of déjà vu. Years ago, when he had first returned to Jade Capital, he brought 200 Taiping coins to bribe Sun Yongfeng, hoping for a deacon’s post in Tiangang Hall. Now, he returned from Fenglin, decked in merit, preparing to face the Golden Tower Council to seek a Second Deputy Mansion Master’s seat. Such was the disparity in his circumstances.

He hailed a goat cart. At this time, Qi Xuansu was properly dressed in formal attire, so the driver was startled by his uniform. After all, there were at most 81 Deputy Hall Masters in Jade Capital, and all of them were people of rank who traveled in their own carriages, not hired ones.

In the Great Xuan Court, official travel was bound by strict codes, with a fixed number of bearers for a magistrate’s sedan, the number of guards, and the kind of banners allowed. In the Daoist Order, which practiced equality with near obsession, there were no such rules. One could ride with Spirit Guards clearing the road, like Sage Qingwei did in Fenglin, or travel utterly alone.

Since there was business, the driver did not refuse, nor did he dare to, so he drove on attentively.

Qi Xuansu sat alone with the window open, gazing at the night bustle. Daoist priests crowded the streets. Though they were not all free of worries, they were far from worldly suffering. At least none of them lacked food or clothing.

Compared to the Imperial Capital, Daoists believed in equality. They did not care about kneeling rites upon meeting. Even true aristocrats like the Zhangs and Lis never flaunted their lineage openly. Instead, they hid it, upholding the illusion of fairness.

It was ironic that in most places, nobles and commoners were separated by a gulf so vast it seemed almost as if they were two different species. The Daoist community was the opposite. Immortals and mortals truly were different kinds of beings, yet the Daoist Order classified all as “people” and hence must be equal. No one in the mortal realm was called a god.

From this alone, whether the Daoists truly practiced equality or only kept it as rhetoric, they still stood as the peak of human civilization, hence why they prided themselves on being the most “civilized.” The fault lay with the others of their age who were so lacking in standards that the Daoists appeared as saints of their time.

When Qi Xuansu returned to Haichan Place and reached his family home, he was startled to see light glowing within.

His lease on this residence would not expire until the 51st year of the Jiushi Era. Had the Tianji Hall reclaimed it? Or had someone seized his home, taking advantage of his long absence?

Qi Xuansu, muddled from having one too many cups of Dreaming Death at the welcome banquet, did not have the capacity to think. All he felt at the moment was an inexplicable wrath.

He could endure most things, but he could not accept this. He thought, When I was a nobody, people bullied me. Now that I’ve risen in rank, how dare they touch what’s mine? What’s the point of rising to a high station if I can’t even protect my home?!

So, he clutched the hilt of Pure Bodhi at his waist, kicked the door wide open, and stormed into the small courtyard.

What he saw was Madam Qi sitting on a reclining chair beneath the eaves, puffing clouds of smoke from her pipe. Nun Cui was sitting beside her, both women deep in idle chatter, the kind favored by older women. They seemed friendly with each other.

As the door crashed down, both women turned to look at Qi Xuansu.

His rage vanished at once, replaced with equal amounts of embarrassment. He stood there frozen, not knowing what to do.

Madam Qi frowned and glared at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Do you not have hands? Must you use your feet to open doors? Do you think doors cost nothing?”

Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. “Madam Qi, when did you arrive? Aunt Cui, long time no see.”

“I should be the one asking you!” Madam Qi tapped her pipe on the ground. “You didn’t even send word that you’re coming back from Fenglin. And now, you reek of alcohol!”

Qi Xuansu discreetly tucked away Pure Bodhi, his eyes downcast. “I’ve just arrived. After the handover, Sage Xu held a welcome banquet, and I couldn’t possibly refuse his kindness, so I drank a little too much...”

Madam Qi scoffed. “I thought you’d drowned yourself in liquor and forgotten who you were.”

Qi Xuansu had long grown accustomed to her snide remarks.

Zhang Yuelu always encouraged him, keeping him from doubting himself. In contrast, Madam Qi always put him in his place, keeping him from being arrogant.

To him, the former was marvelous, while the latter was dreadful.

Nun Cui tactfully rose to leave. Without needing Madam Qi’s instructions, Qi Xuansu escorted Nun Cui out. On the way, he even righted his fallen doors.

Qi Xuansu asked casually, “Madam Qi, did you know Aunt Cui from before?”

“Nope. I just met her after I moved here. We get along quite well—far better than with Zhi Sheng[1] for sure.” Madam Qi answered just as casually.

Qi Xuansu immediately recalled the real reason Madam Qi had urged him to return sooner. He was to buy a new house for his marriage.

In Fenglin, Qi Xuansu schemed and maneuvered against gods and demons. But back home, he must trouble himself over houses and marriage. The contrast was so sharp that it was absurd.

Madam Qi gestured for Qi Xuansu to sit in the chair Nun Cui had just vacated. She went straight to the point. “I’ve been looking around Taishang Place these few days and managed to pick out a few places. Now that you’re back, we can go and see them together. If you have no objections, we’ll proceed to Tianji Hall to file the paperwork.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Madam Qi, have you found one that you like?”

She replied, “I first went to the Tianji Hall since they keep the full register of all neighborhoods in Jade Capital. I selected several with good locations, then inspected them. One house in particular caught my eye. I like that it comes with a garden and a pond.”

Madam Qi might be thrifty, but she was no stranger to luxury, and she was far from tasteless. For something to please her, it had to be remarkable, which meant it would not be cheap.

Qi Xuansu hesitated. “Whose old residence was it?”

He guessed it was most likely the former residence of some Omniscient Sage. After all, every house in Jade Capital belonged to the Daoist Order. Whether a Sage or a common Daoist priest, one only held the right to reside and use the premises and not own the land. So, the house could be a thousand years old with 800 different masters.

Madam Qi did not answer. Instead, she retrieved a folded drawing from her pouch and handed it to Qi Xuansu. “See for yourself.”

Qi Xuansu unfolded the paper and could not suppress a gasp.

This “house” rivaled the nobles’ mansions in the Imperial Capital. In Jade Capital, where land was limited and expensive, such large estates were rare, not to mention in the top neighborhood like Taishang Place. Even with money, one might not secure such a place. Most often, luck was required, since many Sages also coveted such large mansions.

The house Madam Qi had chosen had three wings and four courtyards. It boasted 9 viewing platforms, 12 heated rooms, 81 main rooms along the central wing, 36 rooms in the east wing, and 36 rooms in the west wing. It also had an attached private garden with running water diverted into the estate and a lakeside pavilion by the waters.

Seeing his astonishment, Madam Qi snorted. “You’re such a bumpkin with that startled look. Do you still dare to call your mother stingy now? When I said I’d live here in my old age, you only hemmed and hawed. Sigh—what’s the point of offering up my heart when my devotion clearly isn’t reciprocated?”

Qi Xuansu hastily defended himself. “When did I ever refuse? I only said that I’d consult Qing Xiao’s opinion first.”

She gave him a sidelong glance. “Spineless.”

Qi Xuansu answered righteously, “It’s called a fair household.”

Madam Qi kept smoking and motioned for Qi Xuansu to hurry and look.

Inside the blueprint was a booklet detailing the house’s former masters. Most homebuyers were quite particular about such things. If the previous owner had prospered or enjoyed smooth fortune, the price of the house would soar, with buyers hoping to bask in lingering auspice, like an emperor’s former residence. Conversely, if the former owner had an ill-fated end, many believed the house had a bad omen, making it cheaper, like a haunted house.

This house’s former master was a Virtuous Great Sage who was a peer of the Three Deputy Grand Masters. Over a decade ago, he had already retired from worldly affairs, and about six years back, he had ascended from the mortal realm.

The location of this house was also excellent. Two Omniscient Sages wanted this property and even quarreled over it until the matter escalated all the way to the Golden Tower Council. In the end, neither was allowed to buy the house. Wary of offending the two Omniscient Sages, coupled with the house’s exorbitant price, others refrained from buying it. Thus, the residence had remained vacant until now.

Qi Xuansu was not worried about offending those Omniscient Sages, since this house was for his marriage, which involved the Zhang family. Still, since the mansion had once belonged to a Great Sage, it was certainly not cheap. Although the Daoist Order had no strict doctrine of “overstepping rank,” Qi Xuansu wondered if people would gossip that he was being presumptuous by living in a Great Sage’s residence when he was not even a Sage yet.

Madam Qi knew him all too well. She read his thoughts at a glance and said, “Don’t they all say your future is boundless? No one will believe that a Sage under thirty would never rise to the rank of a Great Sage. Since you’ll get there sooner or later, why not just take a leap now? That way, you save the hassle of moving later.”

Qi Xuansu relaxed and asked, “How much is it then?”

Madam Qi answered nonchalantly, “1.45 million Taiping coins.”

Qi Xuansu felt dizzy, unsure whether it was from the after-effects of the wine or from hearing such an extortionate price.

If this was the price of houses in Jade Capital, it made sense why there were so many corruption cases.

In the first major Jiangnan case, a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master was executed, and hundreds were implicated because the official reported sum involved was several million Taiping coins.

If Qi Xuansu had no other income and relied only on his stipend, he would need to survive a heavenly tribulation just to afford such a house.

“Ugh, that look again.” Madam Qi rolled her eyes and exhaled a smoke ring. “Besides, I didn’t ask you to pay upfront. I can afford this much myself.”

1. Sage Cihang’s courtesy name. ☜