A Pawn's Passage

The Wang family also kept a residence in Thanglong Prefecture. No matter how grand the Fire Palace was, even the Mansion Master could not summon servants at will. After all, the Water Palace, where Great Sage Lan resided, was nearby, so he would need to observe Daoist rules.

Thus, Wang Jiaohe did not live in the Fire Palace full-time. He spent much of his days in this private residence.

Wang Danqing disliked this residence and seldom visited. He felt that living under the same roof as his father was suffocating, especially since Wang Jiaohe disapproved of much of his conduct and frequently lectured him. Unable to endure it, Wang Danqing moved out as soon as he reached adulthood.

Truth be told, parents everywhere were alike. They would always compare their children with other people’s kids.

The Omniscient Sage Wang Jiaohe was no exception. Whenever he scolded Wang Danqing, he would inevitably bring up the Three Prodigies. Wang Danqing dared not rebut him aloud, but inwardly, he found it unreasonable, as those Daoist prodigies came from illustrious lineages, so how was he supposed to compare?

To Wang Danqing, if his father could not measure up to the Lis, Zhangs, or Yaos, then he should not be asked to compete with Li Changge, Zhang Yuelu, or Yao Pei.

In some sense, Wang Jiaohe’s constant reproach was partially why Wang Danqing developed a “mad scholar” persona.

Thus, their father-son relationship was far from harmonious. Thankfully, their family was wealthy enough that Wang Danqing could afford his own residence. Even when he visited Thanglong Prefecture, he stayed at his own place, not his father’s.

But today, Wang Danqing had come to the Wang Mansion because something big had happened, and his father was the only one he could trust to hold up the entire Wang family.

Wang Danqing had not expected that Qi Xuansu would be so bold as to make his move without the slightest hesitation. It was hard to say whether it was decisiveness or recklessness.

At that moment, Wang Jiaohe stood beneath the covered walkway, dressed in plain robes. His hands were clasped behind his back as he gazed at the moonlit sky. He could faintly see two pillars of light descending from above.

Wang Danqing stepped behind him and greeted, “Father.”

Wang Jiaohe did not turn around and merely hummed in acknowledgement.

On any other day, Wang Danqing would have been mad at his father for responding so indifferently. Out of spite, he would give his father the silent treatment and walk away.

But today was different. Wang Danqing had never witnessed a situation like this before, so he could not contain his unease. “I didn’t expect Qi Xuansu to be this bold.”

Wang Jiaohe sighed. “Courage can be trained. What do you think Qi Xuansu relied on to be in such a high position at his age? The Daoist Order doesn’t belong to one family. Everyone has some form of backing, so in the end, it always comes down to one’s ability to rise this far. Qi Xuansu didn’t climb the ladder by shuffling documents in an office. He fought his way through blades and shadows. The secret societies and Sonno-joi faction of Fenglin wouldn’t care about anyone’s background. So if Qi Xuansu survived all that, there’s naturally something extraordinary about him.

“There’s a saying that some Daoists are like delicate flowers grown in a protected greenhouse. These flowerbed Daoists look impressive with their sharp words and high-sounding morals. They are also experts on the Daoist Order’s internal struggles. But once outside that greenhouse, these flowerbed Daoists can’t withstand the slightest storm. They treat minor rules as if they were heaven’s decree, walk on eggshells, and never dare step an inch beyond. Though they are brilliant at internal fights, they are useless in real conflict. That’s why the Tiangang Hall dislikes them. Do you think our enemies will talk about rules on the battlefield?

“On the contrary, Qi Xuansu is a wild Daoist experienced on the battlefield. That’s why he has the most battle merits among the eighth-generation disciples. How could such a man not have courage?”

In the past, Wang Danqing would have found these words harsh. But today, he had no choice but to admit that there was truth in them.

He could not help but ask himself, if placed in Qi Xuansu’s shoes, would he dare order two Spirit Guards to arrest a Chief Deputy Mansion Master without going through the Mansion Masters?

Probably not.

Wang Jiaohe continued, “The bold subdue dragons and tigers, while the timid feed cats and rabbits. Pei Xuanzhi didn’t send Qi Xuansu to Poluo as a pawn to discard. He sent the boy here with high expectations, to suppress a dragon like me and subdue a tiger like Chen Shuhua.”

Wang Danqing added, “If so, then we should side with Chief Deputy Chen and help her take down Qi Xuansu.”

Wang Jiaohe snorted. “When have we not stood on Chen Shuhua’s side? If I hadn’t looked the other way all these years, how could her schemes with the Yu King have gone unnoticed?”

Wang Danqing frowned instinctively. “In that case, since we’re already in the same boat, we should go all in now and kill Qi Xuansu outright. Once we control the situation, we can rewrite the facts and pin everything on the secret societies. They’re already buried in charges, so what’s one more? The Golden Tower Council wouldn’t be able to do a thing.”

Wang Jiaohe replied, “How wonderful it would be if things were truly that simple. I originally had the same thought, that the Golden Tower Council merely wanted to send us a warning and shake us up a little. But from Qi Xuansu’s attitude earlier, I grew suspicious. Qi Xuansu is a blade, not meant to serve as a mere threat but to kill. Today, I finally understand that Pei Xuanzhi truly intends to strike a fatal blow.

“In the past, he didn’t dare touch us because the Taiping Sect and the Li family acted as counterweights. But now, with the war in Fenglin, the Taiping Sect and the Li family are fully occupied and cannot spare attention here. Pei Xuanzhi is seizing this moment to uproot us entirely. Though the Taiping Sect and the Li family may object in principle, maintaining stability on the Fenglin front is more important. They won’t let the Quanzhen Sect add to their burden, so they have no choice but to compromise.

“The Zhengyi Sect is currently aligned with the Quanzhen Sect, so they will not obstruct and will even assist from the sidelines. This is evident from Zhang Jucheng being appointed the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master and Zhang Yuelu becoming the Second Deputy of the Lingnan Daoist Mansion.”

Hearing this, Wang Danqing was stunned. His face turned slightly pale. “Has the situation reached that stage?”

Though Wang Jiaohe did not turn around, he knew what Wang Danqing’s expression was like. He scoffed. “How many times have I told you to keep calm when facing big matters? The blade of the Golden Tower Council hasn’t touched our neck yet!”

Wang Danqing regained his senses. His cheeks flushed slightly from shame and annoyance. “What should we do, then?”

Wang Jiaohe replied, “The situation has yet to reach the point of no return. As I said, Pei Xuanzhi is only seizing this opportunity to act because the Taiping Sect and the Li family are occupied. If he misses this moment, he will lose the chance. In other words, if we stall until the Fenglin war ends and the three sects can resume counterbalancing each other, Pei Xuanzhi will no longer be able to move against us. After all, the Taiping Sect also needs us to distract the Quanzhen Sect.

“If we help Chen Shuhua kill Qi Xuansu now, the Golden Tower Council will not just accept our explanation, even if we manage to cover our tracks and blame the secret societies. Pei Xuanzhi will make a grand case of Qi Xuansu’s death. The Yao and Zhang families will never let it go. By then, it won’t be just Qi Xuansu. Pei Xuanzhi might step into the field himself. If so, we would truly have no retreat. How can we fight back against the entire Daoist Order?

“Don’t forget. Lan Hexu isn’t dead. He’s merely in seclusion. What if he breaks through at the critical moment? Chen Shuhua has reached the Longevity stage, so she can flee Poluo and roam the world. The Ancient immortals can return to their divine kingdoms. But where can we escape to?”

Wang Danqing finally understood. “So we can’t step in right now. We must stay out of this and sever all ties with Chen Shuhua. Whether she can kill Qi Xuansu depends entirely on her own ability. All we can do is watch and wait.”

Wang Jiaohe’s gaze grew deep. “A true man knows when to bend and stretch. Temporary setbacks mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. After all, I am an Omniscient Sage, so they must produce solid evidence to get rid of me. As long as we hold our ground and don’t give Pei Xuanzhi anything to grab onto, we can still survive this crisis. If he misses this moment, his opportunity is gone.”

Though Wang Danqing very much wished to use this chance to eliminate Qi Xuansu, he understood the stakes.

He asked, “In that case, should the Nanyang United Trading Company start preparations early?”

Wang Jiaohe replied, “At critical moments, one must be decisive. Cut what we must and abandon those that can be detrimental to us. Money is external. As long as we remain alive, we can always start over. If we survive this ordeal, all losses can be recovered sooner or later.”

Wang Danqing agreed, then asked, “How exactly should we sever ties?”

Between father and son, there was no need for pretense. Wang Jiaohe spoke calmly, “All these years in Nanyang, we spent so much money raising so many people just so they can be our shield. Silence those who know too much and leave no trace. Throw some unimportant ones out as scapegoats. Let them die in our place to give the Daoist Order an explanation.”

Wang Danqing said, “I heard Zhang Yuelu detained many of our people in Lingnan. I’m afraid...”

Wang Jiaohe replied coldly, “They’re not our people. They are employees of the Nanyang United Trading Company. The Sun family is the major shareholder, while we merely invest in them a little. Their operations have nothing to do with us.”

Wang Danqing’s eyes lit up. “You’re brilliant, Father!”

Wang Jiaohe withdrew his gaze. “Chen Shuhua being in the Longevity stage is actually useful to us. She’ll draw Pei Xuanzhi’s full attention for a while, which buys us precious time. Of course, it’ll be ideal if she can kill Qi Xuansu too.”