A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu actually did not like to be called “Young Lady,” but she could not correct the Heavenly Preceptor’s secretaries. After all, the Heavenly Preceptor himself had accepted being addressed as “Old Master.” Thus, she could not overstep the Heavenly Preceptor by rejecting the title.

Still, this was not the Dazhen Mansion. Zhang Yuelu could at least voice her own preference. “I think it’s better to use formal titles.”

Lin Yuanmiao nodded obediently. “Understood, Young Lady.”

Zhang Yuelu paused for a moment, then sighed. “Forget it. Call me whatever you want.”

Little Yin poked her head out curiously. “So, in formal situations, we should use official titles instead?”

Zhang Yuelu gave her a surprised glance. “You actually know quite a bit.”

“Of course!” Little Yin said proudly. “Old Lin, take note. Don’t call her ‘Young Lady’ anymore. Call her Officer Zhang!”

This pair was quite the oddballs, which left Zhang Yuelu speechless for a while.

Little Yin disliked flying on her own, despite knowing how. Instead, she clambered up onto the railing with her hands and feet, balanced herself on the bar, and spread her arms wide toward the sea, and recited loudly, “Ah, sun...sunflower! Ah, you must be tired...Ah, you’re counting...counting...Ah! Ah! Ah!”

Zhang Yuelu raised an eyebrow. “Who did you learn that from?”

“Those red- and yellow-haired foreigners,” Little Yin replied. “They recite poetry like this.”

“Are you sure that’s poetry? Where’s the rhyme or pattern?” Zhang Yuelu was unimpressed and doubtful.

Balancing herself with outstretched arms, Little Yin paced back and forth along the railing. “Well then, if Officer Zhang doesn’t like it, I won’t recite anymore. Oh, Officer Zhang, what are we eating today? Any seafood? I’ve already had dragon meat before, so I’d like to try something else this time.”

At last, Zhang Yuelu understood why Qi Xuansu was at times so exasperated when he had to deal with Little Yin. The girl could be charming but also utterly irritating.

Zhang Yuelu said dryly, “Little Yin, if you call me ‘Officer Zhang’ one more time, I’ll start calling you Yin Wanbai[1].”

Little Yin pouted. “You’re the one who said that we should use official titles in formal settings, yet now you’re throwing a tantrum? What a grump!”

Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to play her trump card. “Say one more word, and I’ll send you straight back to the Ghost Kingdom.”

The mischievous girl immediately clapped both hands over her mouth and shook her head.

Little Yin still knew where the line was. Qi Xuansu always dished out empty threats because he could never really bear to punish her. But Zhang Yuelu was different. She rarely spoke harshly, yet once she did, she meant every word.

She had no desire to return to the Ghost Kingdom. To her, that place was a cage. It was stagnant, lifeless, and utterly dull. The outside world was so much more fun, with so many different kinds of people and so many delicious things to eat. She would not go back to the Ghost Kingdom if she had a choice. Whoever wanted to could go without her.

Interrupted by Little Yin, Zhang Yuelu almost forgot her real purpose. “Old Lin, I wanted to ask you earlier. Do you remember what special conditions are needed for the Tongzhen Palace to manifest?”

Although Lin Yuanmiao had lost most of his memories, Zhang Yuelu believed that as his cultivation returned, so too would his recollections. His memories were slowly recovering, far better than from the first conversation between them in the Imperial Capital.

Lin Yuanmiao pondered for a moment before speaking. “The Heavenly Empress was compassionate by nature. The Dragon Palace was meant to save lives. It appeared with the storms to rescue sailors caught at sea, even granting them gifts afterward. But Lin Lingsu wasn’t so kind-hearted. The Tongzhen Palace was his refuge and treasury, not a sanctuary for others. All I can vaguely recall is that its manifestation is always accompanied by some maritime calamity.”

Zhang Yuelu mused aloud, “If it brings calamity, then it’s unlikely to appear along normal shipping routes.”

That was because regular shipping routes were relatively safe. If a route was not safe, most ships would not travel on it. Thus, it could never become a proper trade route.

That meant it would likely be found in some remote region, perhaps along routes still unexplored.

The Daoist Order had once charted the seas, but the oceans were vast, larger than all the land combined, making it impossible to explore every detail. Thus, many regions remained unmapped, still shrouded in mist.

Such regions were perilous to ordinary ships. Even Heavenly Beings could not guarantee a safe round trip. But for a Longevity-stage Immortal, it was not worth mentioning.

Lin Lingsu had most likely built his hidden palace in a place like that.

Zhang Yuelu carefully analyzed the strengths of both sides. Qian Xiangyun’s advantage was time, as she had been here for nearly a year, so she had surely explored more areas. Zhang Yuelu’s advantage lay in Lin Yuanmiao’s gradually returning memories, saving her a great deal of searching.

She planned on locating the Tongzhen Palace first so that she could lay her traps and wait for Qian Xiangyun to walk into them.

A Deputy Mansion Master who had defected had committed a grave offense and had to be brought to justice.

While the two were speaking, a massive whale suddenly leaped in the distance. Though it was far smaller than the legendary Kun[2], it was still an awe-inspiring creature. It was 30 meters long, resembling a submarine that could dive beneath the waves.

Aside from dragons and a few great sea demons, this was among the largest beings to dwell in the ocean.

Zhang Yuelu looked on in mild surprise. “It’s unusual to see whales this close to shore.”

Little Yin exclaimed excitedly, “Sage Zhang, let’s go whale-fishing! I’ve never tasted whale meat before!”

Zhang Yuelu ignored her. That girl wanted to eat everything. There was nothing she didn’t want to try.

Lin Yuanmiao mused, “It’s indeed abnormal. It reminds me of something...”

Zhang Yuelu immediately asked, “What is it?”

Lin Yuanmiao hesitated. “It seems that there were also many whales surrounding the Tongzhen Palace.”

Zhang Yuelu thought for a moment. “You mean the whales might guide the way to the Tongzhen Palace?”

Lin Yuanmiao replied, “I can go investigate.”

Zhang Yuelu pondered briefly, then nodded. “Very well.”

With a flash, Lin Yuanmiao’s figure vanished.

In the next instant, he was already standing upon the whale’s back, and together, they sank into the depths of the sea.

......

Elsewhere, Qi Xuansu was facing a different kind of storm, coming from a Great Sage.

There were three ranks of Great Sages within the Daoist Order. Though they were all in the first rank, the top among them were the Three Deputy Grand Masters. Next were the Virtuous Great Sages, who held actual authority and participated in the Golden Tower Council discussions. These were figures like Zhang Qihan, Lan Hexu, and Jiang Hedao, who had a higher status than Omniscient Sages.

Lastly came the Ordinary Great Sages, who only had honorific titles granted to respected Omniscient Sages upon their retirement, a symbolic promotion for old age. Thus, they were oftentimes known as Old Sages.

The Great Sage in question was a retired Old Sage.

Though retired, these Old Sages still wielded significant influence. After all, to be granted that title required immense seniority and prestige. They had countless disciples and old acquaintances, and their residual authority was not to be underestimated. Moreover, since they no longer held office, they stayed out of internal power struggles and bore no vested interests. Few dared to make enemies of them. Thus, they often acted imperiously, posing as venerable elders, filing complaints with the Golden Tower Council at the slightest provocation. They were a constant source of headaches for many Mansion Masters, Chief Deputies, and Second Deputies.

During every festival or holiday, the current leaders of various Daoist Mansions were obliged to visit and pay respects to these Old Sages, who remained fervent in Daoist affairs.

Some of these elders spoke with wisdom, their words thought-provoking. But others, long removed from office, lacked understanding of present realities. Their opinions were often based on hearsay or personal grievances. Sometimes, they offered nothing more than pompous bluster.

Objectively speaking, these Old Sages formed a kind of supervisory board. Yet on the other hand, they also became backers, used as political weapons for others seeking to attack their rivals.

For example, if a Second Deputy took issue with a Mansion Master but dared not confront the latter openly, the former might secretly enlist one of these Old Sages to launch the attack. A complaint to the Golden Tower Council from a first-rank Tianzhen Daoist master was no trivial matter. It had to be taken seriously and answered through official channels. Some preferred the direct approach, berating their juniors face-to-face under the guise of seniority.

The Mansion Masters could neither fight back nor scold the Old Sages due to their seniority. They were most often their predecessors of a regional Daoist Mansion, Hall, or Palace. Worse yet, they never came alone. They held the advantage and the moral high ground, leaving the Mansion Masters often humiliated and helpless.

In short, most officials preferred to avoid these retired elders altogether. They would not seek a meeting or even a conversation. If they could not maintain a cordial relationship, they treated them like sacred idols instead, best honored from afar.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu had no wish to invite trouble by provoking those Old Sages. Yet to his dismay, Young Master Sun, whom he had arrested, turned out to be the grandson of one such Old Sage.

That was as good as stirring a hornet’s nest. If Great Sage Lan were not in seclusion, he could have quelled the matter easily. After all, they were both sixth-generation disciples, so there was no question of seniority. Neither truly outranked the other, or perhaps Great Sage Lan’s status had exceeded theirs. Thus, no one would dare make a fuss with Great Sage Lan around.

Unfortunately, Great Sage Lan was absent. Both Wang Jiaohe and Chen Shuhua were clearly waiting to watch Qi Xuansu make a fool of himself. So, this misfortune fell upon Qi Xuansu alone.

At the gates of the Water Palace, Old Sage Sun called Qi Xuansu out by name, demanding an explanation in front of everyone. His words were sharp and unforgiving, boasting that Qi Xuansu had not even been born when he had served as Second Deputy. He also claimed that he had never been arrogant, even when he was a Mansion Master. So how could a mere eighth-generation disciple act like this? Did a little taste of power make Qi Xuansu forget all decorum?

1. A combination of the Three Yin Beings: Master Yin, Master Wan, and Madam Bai ☜

2. Chinese mythical giant fish. ☜