A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu had no desire to engage. The Water Palace had its own Spirit Guards, and they would never dare harm an Old Sage. But if that elder ignored protocol and forced his way in by brute strength, that would be another matter entirely.

These Old Sages were certainly not of the Longevity stage. Those who had reached immortality would have been a Virtuous Great Sage. In essence, Old Sages were equivalent to second-rank Taiyi Daoists, but they were granted the honorary title of Great Sage as recognition for retiring voluntarily at their peak. Thus, their cultivation could only fall within two levels—Pseudo-Immortal or Zaohua stage.

The Daoist Order’s retirement scheme was not created because its elders grew weak or feeble, but because mundane affairs hindered their cultivation. Even in old age, they still strove forward. Pseudo-Immortals sought true immortality, while others simply wished to live a few years longer. A Heavenly Tribulation every century did not necessarily mean one’s life ended at a hundred years. With proper methods to suppress the Three Corpses, one’s lifespan could be extended by ten or twenty years, sometimes even more.

Severing the Three Corpses merely prevented them from attacking the original body. The Three Corpses still existed but were just suppressed. Even Longevity-stage Immortals could suffer internal rebellion from their Three Corpses after a backlash, causing them to perish if they were not careful. One careless moment, and even an immortal could perish. Those who refined their Three Corpses into incarnations were in effect recruiting rebels into their own service because betrayals were common, and the risk remained high.

Before attaining true immortality, one could not fully suppress the Three Corpses. But there were ways to delay or resist them, such as through elixirs. Still, only those at the Zaohua stage could even attempt it. Anyone below that realm should not dream of it.

Even then, the side effects were severe. Cultivation would halt permanently, so all one could achieve was the prolongation of life, not real advancement. Yet from another perspective, their time among the living often surpassed that of the Longevity-stage Immortals.

The elders sought longevity and peace, while the younger generation sought advancement and promotion. Since both interests aligned, the Daoist Order created an optional retirement scheme. Those who volunteered were rewarded, typically with a rank promotion.

If Qi Xuansu applied for retirement now, he would probably be elevated to the second rank, but the Golden Tower Council would never approve it.

There was one special case. An ordinary Sage who retired voluntarily would receive the privileges of an Omniscient Sage. Only Omniscient Sages who retired would be promoted to the first rank and granted the title of Great Sage.

Virtuous Great Sages and Deputy Grand Masters were exempt from the retirement scheme because they had no higher ranks to attain.

This Old Sage’s name was Sun Heyu. He had once been among the 36 Omniscient Sages. Though not a high-ranking one, he was still formidable, with numerous disciples and old allies. Even in retirement, his influence lingered, and his residual power was undiminished.

Qi Xuansu had already reviewed the records and learned much about Elder Sun’s past. He had been Wang Jiaohe’s predecessor, formerly the Poluo Daoist Mansion Master. At that time, Wang Jiaohe served as the Chief Deputy, while Sun Heyu had been transferred over from elsewhere. With a Great Sage above him and a local powerhouse like Wang Jiaohe as Chief Deputy, Sun Heyu’s position was not exactly ideal.

However, at the time, Sun Heyu was already aged, obsessed with consuming external elixirs to suppress his Three Corpses. He rarely involved himself in governance and effectively left Wang Jiaohe with full authority. As a result, the two never clashed and actually got along rather well.

Later, Sun Heyu simply applied to the Golden Tower Council for an early retirement, earning himself the title of Great Sage. He never returned to the Central Plains and instead decided to settle permanently in Poluo to spend his remaining years in peace.

At that time, the situation in Poluo was unstable. Since Wang Jiaohe knew the local terrain and politics well, his promotion to Mansion Master seemed logical as a move to stabilize the Daoist Mansion.

But afterward, the Golden Tower Council came to suspect that the earlier unrest had been orchestrated by Wang Jiaohe in order to secure that very position.

This revelation deeply angered the Golden Tower Council, planting that seed of resentment. Over time, subsequent events watered and nourished that seed until it had sprouted and broken through the soil.

Qi Xuansu initially had no wish to confront the matter, a quiet concession of sorts. He thought that the old man would care about his image and step back gracefully after a few blustering remarks. To outsiders, it would seem as if the elder had prevailed. Qi Xuansu did not bother with such superficial honors.

But Elder Sun seemed utterly oblivious. He refused to let the matter go and looked as if he would stand his ground indefinitely. Qi Xuansu wondered if the Old Sage was senile or if the elixirs used to suppress his Three Corpses were dulling his mind, making him forget the Daoist Order’s unspoken rules.

Even so, Qi Xuansu still preferred not to confront the elder directly. He did not want to burn bridges unnecessarily. His true targets were Wang Jiaohe and Chen Shuhua, so he saw no reason to create more enemies before that battle even began.

However, one remark from Xu Jiaorong changed his mind.

Xu Jiaorong had not stated it outright. She merely hinted that the elder’s reaction seemed a bit too strong.

That was interesting, because an overreaction often revealed a guilty conscience.

Was Young Master Sun hiding something significant? That would explain why the old man was so desperate to bail his grandson out, even casting aside his dignity and reputation.

Qi Xuansu trusted Xu Jiaorong’s instincts. Having lived in Poluo for years, she would know the local intricacies. What could be hidden from a newcomer like him would never escape her notice.

Elder Sun himself might not have any overt transgressions to exploit, but his grandson was another matter entirely.

Xu Jiaorong went on to describe the ties between the two families. There was no formal marriage alliance between the Suns and the Wangs, but Sun Heyu’s daughter-in-law and Wang Jiaohe’s sister, Wang Jiaoyan, had once studied under the same master.

In the Daoist Order, the bond between master and disciple was as deep as that between parent and child. Thus, fellow disciples were no different from real siblings. For that reason, even someone as emotionally detached as Zhang Yuelu maintained cordial relations with Bai Yingqiong and Xiao Yueru.

In other words, Wang Danqing’s aunt and Young Master Sun’s mother were effectively sisters. By that connection, Young Master Sun could address Wang Jiaohe as “uncle,” making him Wang Danqing’s cousin.

Beyond that, Sun Heyu’s son, Sun Jiaofeng, had gone into business with Wang Jiaoyan, forming a trading company modeled after the Westerners. They dealt in all manner of trade. Nothing was off-limits. They even dabbled in the slave trade, mostly trafficking native peoples of the Poluo and occasionally even Westerners.

When pirates raided Western merchant ships, they would sell their captives to this company, which would then resell them.

Even Qi Muyu maintained business ties with this company. The Zhangs, Lis, and Yaos had to work with them to do business in Poluo too. After all, they were the local snakes that even the strongest dragons could not suppress.

Qi Xuansu had a hunch that those merchant ships that had “accidentally” sunk and the goods lost with them were somehow connected to this same company.

It was no wonder Sun Heyu chose to retire in Poluo. His attachment to the region was due to the constant flow of gold and silver here.

This was what it meant to be deeply entrenched. On the surface, it looked like only Wang Jiaohe—perhaps Wang Jiaoying at most—was involved. But they were merely the visible tip of an iceberg. If one probed deeper, they would find a massive bummock lurking beneath the surface.

Xu Jiaorong and Qi Xuansu were now in the same boat. She had thoroughly offended Wang Jiaoying, shedding all pretenses. Thus, she now seized the chance to speak freely.

Both Chen Shuhua and Xu Jiaorong were considered part of the newer generation, but even within the same generation, the age gap could span as much as 24 years. Before Chen Shuhua, there had been another Chief Deputy named Du Yuhua, who was also a woman.

Du Yuhua was a shrewd and socially adept figure, renowned and well-connected within the Golden Tower Council. Later, amid political infighting, she decided to retire early.

In her early years, she had served as secretary to the Great Sage who preceded Lan Hexu, a position equivalent to Xu Jiaorong’s now.

During that time, Du Yuhua had taken a medical leave lasting nearly a year, vanishing entirely from public sight. When she reappeared, the Du family had gained a child, whom they had adopted. But rumor spread that the child was actually the Great Sage’s grandchild.

Naturally, a man of such cultivation could not father children, but his son was untalented and mediocre. He had taken advantage of his father’s position and become romantically involved with the secretary, resulting in an illegitimate child.

Du Yuhua had welcomed the affair. Sure enough, not long after giving birth, she was promoted to Second Deputy and later to Chief Deputy. Only after the Great Sage ascended to immortality was she made to retire because her backer was gone.

That Great Sage had long since left, so the truth could never be fully known. However, the child still lived, residing in the Poluo Daoist Mansion, and was now married to Sun Heyu’s granddaughter, making him the brother-in-law of Young Master Sun.

Though Du Yuhua no longer held her old position as Chief Deputy, her influence remained strong due to her expansive network of old allies.

Thus, Qi Xuansu decided it was time to meet this Elder Sun face-to-face. He instructed Xu Jiaorong to invite the Old Sage to the reception hall of the Water Palace.

As Great Sage Lan’s secretary, Xu Jiaorong carried considerable weight. Even if Elder Sun did not care for Xu Jiaorong, he could not afford to disrespect her master. Thus, he followed her into the reception hall.

Qi Xuansu was already waiting inside. When the two entered, he immediately rose and greeted the elder respectfully. “Our apologies for troubling you to come over, Old Sage. It is our failure that you still have to worry about the Daoist Mansion’s affairs, even though you are advanced in years.”

Earlier, when Qi Xuansu was not present, Sun Heyu had spoken quite harshly. Now that they faced each other, he restrained himself, but his tone still carried a sharp edge. “At least you know you’ve failed in your duties.”

The Old Sage spoke in the unmistakable manner of an elder chastising a junior.

Qi Xuansu’s words were purely polite, not an admission of guilt. His use of the word “our” had been deliberate because he was referring to the entire Daoist Mansion, including Wang Jiaohe and Chen Shuhua, not just him alone.