A Pawn's Passage

The Golden Tower Council clearly had no desire to disrupt Poluo’s existing balance of power, nor did it wish to play the dangerous game of luring the snake out of its hole. Hence, it sought to nip the problem in the bud by eliminating threats before they could take root. But that caution led to a severe lack of evidence, with too little actionable proof to justify an extermination.

Thus, Qi Xuansu’s primary mission was to uncover and secure this evidence piece by piece. To put it bluntly, he would have to confront the Wang family head-on.

Meanwhile, Great Sage Lan Hexu would serve as Qi Xuansu’s backing, shielding him from political storms, sharing his burdens, providing the necessary support, and restraining figures like Wang Jiaohe. When the time was right, Lan Hexu himself would step onto the stage on behalf of the Golden Tower Council to bring the Wang family down.

To put it bluntly, the Daoist Order had to stand firm on moral and legal grounds even if they wanted to make an example of someone. Only then would the other regional factions accept the outcome, understanding that as long as one stayed within bounds, one would remain unharmed. The Jade Capital authorities would not simply strike people down at will.

Of course, Qi Xuansu fully understood this. The key was speed and precision. If the Wang family realized too soon that they were cornered and chose to fight to the death,

Qi Xuansu would merely become the man who drove them to rebellion. At best, that would earn him no credit.

At the same time, he needed to monitor other regional powers in Poluo. Those colluding with the Wang family had to be dealt with, but the neutral factions must not be pushed toward the enemy’s camp. They also could not be made to feel that the Daoist Order meant to purge all local forces.

This would test Qi Xuansu’s finesse and strategy, since brute force alone would only backfire.

Qi Xuansu had thought it through before even arriving. He said, “The Wang family is a great tree with deep roots, so they won’t be easily shaken. To strike with an axe outright would be noisy, inefficient, and likely alert the snake, so that would be unwise. Instead, we should pick a single point and use a chisel or a drill to carve a hole, making that hole our breakthrough point so that the crack can spread through the trunk. Then only can we slowly deal with the roots.”

Lan Hexu’s eyes gleamed with interest. “The key to wielding fire without burning the fingers lies in speed. A sharp nail can pierce metal because it focuses force to a point. If you wish to carve a hole, you must choose a point. Who, then, is your target?”

Qi Xuansu answered softly, “Wang Danqing.”

Lan Hexu was not surprised. He merely said, “I’ve heard you had some history with him?”

Qi Xuansu did not bother denying it. “Yes. I looked into it afterward. He’s Deputy Hall Master Zhang’s admirer, so my relationship with her became the spark of our conflict. Perhaps there were deeper reasons, but on the surface, it was nothing more than young men competing over affection.”

Lan Hexu asked, “A private grudge, then?”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “The reason I chose Wang Danqing is indeed related to a personal grudge, but it’s not for revenge. I believe this private enmity can serve as an excellent cover. To outsiders, and to the Wang family, my finding trouble with Wang Danqing will seem like nothing more than a matter of personal rivalry, young men quarreling over pride or affection. No one will suspect our true objective. That way, the Wang family won’t act rashly. Instead, they’ll likely try to resolve the feud or even compromise. In a sense, it’s a way to lull them into complacency.”

A faint smile appeared on Lan Hexu’s face. “Excellent. It seems Sage Donghua truly didn’t misjudge you. Sending you to Poluo was indeed the right choice.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “So, do you agree that I should start with Wang Danqing and make him the point of breakthrough?”

Lan Hexu smiled faintly. “I can’t think of a reason to oppose it. Proceed with caution, but don’t be overly hesitant. Sometimes, you must act boldly.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Yes, Great Sage.”

While the two were conversing, Ke Qingqing, who had accompanied Qi Xuansu to Poluo, and Lan Hexu’s secretary were waiting outside.

When their meeting ended, Lan Hexu instructed his secretary to escort Qi Xuansu to the Second Deputy Mansion Master’s office.

Qi Xuansu had met many powerful and well-connected secretaries before, so he did not take this one lightly either. They exchanged introductions. Lan Hexu’s secretary was a woman named Xu Jiaorong.

Typically, female secretaries had female superiors, like Sage Cihang or Zhang Yuelu.

For a male Daoist to employ a female Daoist as his secretary was rare, because such arrangements often invited rumors.

But Lan Hexu, at his venerable age, had long ceased to care for gossip, and no one would dare use such trivial matters to slander a Virtuous Great Sage.

Of course, Qi Xuansu himself had also taken on Ke Qingqing, a female Daoist, as his secretary. But that was merely circumstance, not preference. He had no intention of keeping her long-term. Secretaries were meant to be rotated out. Once Mu Jin, who served under Zhang Yuelu, was reassigned, he planned to send Ke Qingqing to replace Mu Jin. After all, Ke Qingqing had always admired the legendary Zhang Yuelu. This way, she would get to see her idol every day.

Since Lan Hexu was a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist, Xu Jiaorong’s rank was naturally higher than most secretaries. She was a third-rank Youyi Daoist.

They conversed pleasantly. In the days to come, whenever Lan Hexu could not personally intervene, Xu Jiaorong would handle matters in his stead. In a sense, she was Lan Hexu’s proxy, being his voice and presence within the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

The Water Palace was an immense cluster of interconnected halls joined by covered corridors over water, forming an elegant archipelago of structures floating above the lake.

The Great Sage’s office stood in the east wing, while the Second Deputy’s office was in the west wing. Between them stretched a broad expanse of water linked by a long, bridge-like corridor.

Xu Jiaorong guided Qi Xuansu and Ke Qingqing to his new office. In truth, Qi Xuansu had not come to Poluo alone. Besides Ke Qingqing, he had brought two trusted aides from his own team—Lu Yuting and Han Yongfeng. Both had earned considerable merit in the Fenglin campaign but had chosen to exchange their military credit for rare elixirs,

focusing on advancing their cultivation. Thus, they remained as superintendents.

Besides Lu Yuting and Han Yongfeng, there were also seven other superintendents who had originally served under the previous Second Deputy.

This was not surprising. Compared to the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, the Poluo Daoist Mansion was much bigger. Moreover, the former was too close to the Imperial Court, so it had been neglected and heavily restricted. Hence, the number of Spirit Guards and Daoist officials were limited as opposed to the overseas Poluo Daoist Mansion.

Most overseas Daoist Mansions governed an entire region as large as a state. Its territory and population far exceeded that of any Daoist Mansion in the Central Plains. Thus, they were staffed with higher-ranking officials, including two Mansion Masters and a first-rank Spirit Guard, and far more superintendents than anywhere in the Central Plains Daoist Mansion.

The Poluo Daoist Mansion was a giant among the others.

Qi Xuansu had nine superintendents and three high-ranking Spirit Guards under his command. This was a full roster by any measure. However, as far as he knew, Sage Wang Jiaohe was overstaffed. Compared to him, Qi Xuansu’s staff was like a candle beside the sun.

Qi Xuansu greeted each subordinate courteously, but he was certain that among them were spies Wang Jiaohe had planted in advance. Such was the bane of internal Daoist politics—lines blurred, and loyalty was hard to determine.

Since Qi Xuansu could not personally investigate each one, he could quietly screen them over time through Lu Yuting and Han Yongfeng.

When a man first assumes office, a formal title alone would not secure one’s authority. He would need loyal subordinates and trusted aides to anchor his power. That was when the importance of personal confidants truly showed.

Both Lu Yuting and Han Yongfeng were capable and seasoned superintendents, veterans who could handle whatever tasks arose.

Their official assignment had nothing to do with reorganizing the Poluo Daoist Mansion. Publicly, their task was to counter foreign powers infiltrating Poluo, effectively giving them an inspector status. They reported directly to Qi Xuansu and were not part of the Poluo Daoist Mansion’s hierarchy.

This revealed the complexity of Qi Xuansu’s position. Though everyone within the Poluo Daoist Mansion whispered that he had come to reorganize the Daoist Mansion, the Golden Tower Council had issued no official directive about any internal purge. Instead, it had formally announced his duty to combat foreign infiltration. That was what the upper echelons of the Poluo Daoist Mansion had been told.

In other words, Qi Xuansu was one of those special Deputy Mansion Masters that Sage Cihang had mentioned, officials appointed to represent local Daoist Mansions in coordinating with the Nine Halls’ operations.

Admittedly, Qi Xuansu’s burden and the pressure on his shoulders were immense.

The good news was that the Nine Halls would send more officials to Poluo, some of Deputy Hall Master rank and other superintendents, all under the pretext of implementing Sage Cihang’s resolutions from the joint council. They would help share Qi Xuansu’s load.

Qi Xuansu did not put on airs or feign humility. He said only a few standard, polite words that were neither remarkable nor lacking, just measured and moderate.

Being new to the Poluo Daoist Mansion, he naturally refrained from addressing any specific issues. He spoke in broad, general terms about the future, unity, and working together as one entity. The kind of words that were empty enough to offend no one, yet earn polite applause from all.

The superintendents were all very obliging. Whatever they might have been thinking inwardly, their faces showed only admiration and excitement, as though they were deeply moved by Qi Xuansu’s brief speech.

When Qi Xuansu finished speaking, a superintendent named Liu Yongzhen stepped forward and asked respectfully, “Second Deputy, shall we begin preparations for the evening banquet?”

That duty should have fallen to Ke Qingqing, but like Qi Xuansu, she was new and unfamiliar with local affairs.

On the other hand, Liu Yongzhen had served as secretary to the previous Second Deputy and had been retained for continuity. So for the time being, many matters naturally fell under his charge.

Qi Xuansu glanced at the sky. They had just finished the welcome luncheon, and now, there was another dinner banquet. To an outsider, it might seem as though the Poluo Daoist Mansion did nothing but feast all day.

He kept his expression neutral and asked, “What kind of banquet?”

Liu Yongzhen explained, “The guests include members of the Yu Kingdom’s royal family, envoys from other nations in Poluo, various tribal chiefs, merchants, the local gentry, as well as envoys of the Holy Court, representatives from the West Shakya Company, and delegates from the Buddhist Sect. They are all waiting for an audience with you, Second Deputy.”

Qi Xuansu immediately understood. These were the local powerhouses, each accustomed to having its way, yet all needed to observe his attitude.

The luncheon had been exclusively for Daoist colleagues, while the evening banquet was for external powers. It was an unavoidable social ritual in every new posting.

Qi Xuansu nodded calmly. “Go ahead and prepare.”

Liu Yongzhen continued, “The specific scope and scale of the banquet should be determined by you, Second Deputy.”

He spoke cautiously. If the guest list was too small, it might look as though the Second Deputy was being slighted. If it were too large, it could seem like he was being tested under pressure. Thus, the wisest course was to let Qi Xuansu himself decide.

After a brief thought, Qi Xuansu replied, “Neither too many nor too few. Keep it at the right amount. For all other aspects, please follow the established precedent.”