A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu told the Yu King to rest properly, then called Chen Jianqiu aside.

Chen Jianqiu was not afraid of Qi Xuansu, not because she was a Commandery Princess enfeoffed by the Great Xuan Court, but because of her other identity. In a sense, she was Zhang Yuelu’s subordinate.

The relationship between Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu needed no elaboration. Some once held doubts, but after they both rose in succession to the position of Second Deputy Mansion Master, those doubts vanished like smoke. They were clearly a perfect match, and no one had the grounds to object.

After all, within the Daoist Order, there were only a handful whose status and age matched. The Zhangs and Lis were longstanding rivals. When the Holy Xuan ruined Yunjin Mountain, the Zhangs dared not blame him. Instead, they blamed the Lis. Thus, it was impossible for Li Changge to marry Zhang Yuelu. Naturally, only Qi Xuansu was a good match.

Qi Xuansu reproached Chen Jianqiu, “In the future, don’t use such underhanded tricks on Chen Jianchou.”

“Yes, Second Deputy,” Chen Jianqiu replied respectfully. She added in her own defense, “When I first met him, I didn’t know whether he was good or bad, so I needed some safeguards. Now that I know he is your subordinate, I won’t use such methods again.”

Qi Xuansu returned to the main topic. “Where’s that eunuch, Sikong Guang?”

“He fled,” Chen Jianqiu answered. “He escaped the very night the incident occurred. Perhaps he’s hiding. Thanglong Prefecture is quite large, and with help from others, it wouldn’t be hard to disappear without a trace.”

Qi Xuansu did not ask who those “others” were. He continued, “So what do you think of the King’s illness? I want the truth.”

Chen Jianqiu pondered before saying, “To judge that, I must first know what exactly happened that night.”

Qi Xuansu already understood the full cause and effect, but outsiders could only guess what happened.

After a brief hesitation, Qi Xuansu gave her a rough account.

Chen Jianqiu said, “That matches. I know a little about vessels used for a divine descent. The seven chief eunuchs carried dragon qi, but that could at most create one vessel. So, where did the dragon qi for the other vessel come from? I suspect the dragon qi used to make the red-robed Bodhisattva was siphoned from my father, which was why he dreamt of the red-robed Bodhisattva. The eunuchs’ dragon qi likely created the white-robed Buddha’s vessel.”

Qi Xuansu thought for a while, then asked, “Can the King also consume dragon qi? I recall he shouldn’t be able to. Across dynasties, no emperor has ever been able to, not even the current Great Sage Ziji.”

Chen Jianqiu replied, “The King cannot wield dragon qi like a Yin-Yang Person does. He can’t use it for himself nor extend his lifespan with it. However, with dragon qi attached to him, he can avoid being suppressed by the Nightmare Bringer Method. So the King can be regarded as a bearer of dragon qi.”

Qi Xuansu asked further, “Yin-Yang People can use dragon qi to extend their lives and strengthen themselves. So it made sense that the seven chief eunuchs became dried corpses after being drained. But for the King, the dragon qi does not extend his life and merely clings to him externally. So why would the extraction of dragon qi cause a Heavenly Being like him to wither so severely?”

Chen Jianqiu was immediately struck speechless.

Qi Xuansu said, “Like Chen Jianchou, you should think carefully about what you may have overlooked.”

Chen Jianqiu replied, “Second Deputy, you truly have a superior insight and saw through the flaw at a glance. It was my oversight. I will reflect carefully after returning.”

Just as they were speaking, Lu Yuting walked over.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Have you finished the examination?”

Lu Yuting nodded. “Yes. We will have the medical record ready by tomorrow.”

The Daoists of Huasheng Hall did not have high cultivation levels. Their ability to diagnose injuries was more dependent on special instruments, products of the creation projects.

In truth, this revealed the core difference between the Daoist Order and the Holy Court. Both valued rituals, but the Daoist Order sought authority, while the Holy Court emphasized mystique. At the ideological level, they diverged fundamentally. Though the Daoist Order honored the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, they did not regard him as an omnipotent god. His reverence stemmed from being the founding patriarch.

Since the Holy Xuan rebuilt the Daoist Order, they preferred to analyze laws, deconstruct mysticism, and pursue truth. What mortals regarded as the might of gods, the Daoist Order believed was merely a reflection of an extreme disparity in power. Mortals simply could not withstand divine power. Daoists did not believe in ideas like original sin and salvation.

It was only because some feared divine might that they worshipped gods, offered sacrifices, and prayed for forgiveness or salvation.

The Daoist Order believed that gods and Immortals, though differing in power and mode of existence, retained fundamentally human-like cognition, which explained why communication and reasoning were still possible. Divine oracles sounded ambiguous, not because gods were inscrutable beings, but because oracles liked to shroud themselves in mystery. Thus, gods were still, in essence, people.

Therefore, the Daoist Order believed that people should not worship gods. Instead, they should strive to become gods. Thus came the pursuit of immortality, which became the core of Daoist belief.

If one sought immortality, there must be a theory to understand its essence and mechanisms to obtain it.

Thus, in this pursuit, the mysticism surrounding divinity was gradually stripped away.

By dismantling the mysticism, one also stripped away the terror and sanctity surrounding gods, which greatly undermined the Holy Court’s beliefs.

This was why the Holy Court and the Daoist Order stood on opposing sides.

Qi Xuansu said, “Once the medical report is ready, send it to me immediately.”

“Yes, Second Deputy,” Lu Yuting responded.

After leaving the palace, Qi Xuansu dismissed the Huasheng Hall personnel and walked through the streets of Thanglong Prefecture, accompanied by Ke Qingqing and Chen Jianchou. They had worn casual attire so as not to appear too conspicuous.

Since Chen Jianchou grew up here and knew the city well, Qi Xuansu asked him to lead the way.

Qi Xuansu had not properly walked around Thanglong yet. He knew little of its local customs. Thus, he wanted to take this chance to observe and learn.

As it was almost noon, Chen Jianchou carefully chose a renowned restaurant. The yellow rice wine here was popular among the nobles and officials.

Unfortunately, it was busy at this hour, so all private rooms were taken. Only hall seating remained.

Chen Jianchou was just about to ask the restaurant owner to accommodate them when Qi Xuansu casually waved his hand. “This is good enough. Daoist priests aren’t always pampered. When I went to the Western Region, I ate dry rations while sitting in the snow.”

So the three sat in the hall and ordered a jar of the famous rice wine and some side dishes. Chen Jianchou poured the wine for Qi Xuansu first before serving Ke Qingqing and himself.

Qi Xuansu took a sip and nodded. “Not bad. Qingqing, when you go to Lingnan, take some back for Sage Zhang. She enjoys wine. If she refuses, then say that it’s from me.”

Ke Qingqing smiled and agreed.

She understood that Second Deputy Qi was helping her. Appealing to someone’s preference was the quickest way to approach someone. With Second Deputy Qi backing her, no matter how upright and cold Second Deputy Zhang was, she would have to accept.

To be fair, only Qi Xuansu had such an influence on Zhang Yuelu.

Qi Xuansu continued, “Don’t be afraid when working under Sage Zhang. Just do things as usual. I actually served as her secretary for a few days. Well...something like a secretary. Anyway, she was my superior. She’s actually not as difficult as outsiders may think. As long as you do your job properly, she won’t nitpick. But of course, if you go against her, she won’t tolerate that either. Old Xu is the perfect example. We still laugh at him for it.”

Ke Qingqing mustered her courage and asked, “Second Deputy...if Sage Zhang was your superior. How did you two end up...”

Qi Xuansu laughed. “There’s nothing unspeakable or mysterious about it. It’s simple—we just shared quite a few hardships and endured trials together. Over time, things naturally fell into place. As for the Zhang family, the Old Master is very open-minded. Since he doesn’t oppose it, no amount of objections from others matters. There’s none of that dramatic ‘bullying the matrilocal son-in-law’ drama.”

Chen Jianchou listened quietly, somewhat admiring the Second Deputy. This was the legendary Zhang Yuelu. Her name had even spread to Nanyang. Even his godmother often mentioned her. The young master of the Wang family and the noble scion of the Li family had both pursued her, yet they had been mercilessly rejected. In the end, the legendary Zhang Yuelu chose Second Deputy Qi, even gaining the Heavenly Preceptor’s approval. That alone proved Second Deputy Qi’s excellence.

Of course, those men could not compare with Second Deputy Qi. Aside from noble birth, they held no real office. On the other hand, Qi Xuansu was a Second Deputy Mansion Master, a true rising star with the potential to compete for the position of the eighth-generation Grand Master.

Chen Jianchou thought that if he were in Sage Zhang’s position, he would also choose Second Deputy Qi.

Ke Qingqing sighed. “If only I could be like Second Deputy Zhang and find a Daoist companion like Second Deputy Qi.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Someone once said that if you wish to become the Grand Master’s wife, you must first be the Daoist companion of a seventh-rank Daoist and accompany him step by step from the bottom. The wife of the fifth-generation Grand Master met him when he was still a deacon. They supported each other through thick and thin until they eventually moved into the Zixiao Palace. Truthfully, I married above my station. That’s why some call me the Zhang family’s matrilocal son-in-law. But I don’t care. It’s pure coincidence she met me during my lowest point, when I was a seventh-rank Daoist. But she never looked down on me, so I will never fail her.”

Ke Qingqing could not help but feel touched. She thought, Sage Zhang truly had discerning eyes. How did she see from the very start that Second Deputy Qi was no ordinary man?

Just as the three were chatting, a sudden commotion came from the second floor. Shortly after, a figure came tumbling down the stairs.

Qi Xuansu set down his cup and turned his head.

A well-dressed young master propped himself up on the railing and brushed the dust off his clothes. He showed no anger. Instead, he had a carefree, mischievous smile as he yelled up the stairs. “Great!”