A Pawn's Passage

The following days were relatively calm. After delegating and arranging all necessary matters, Qi Xuansu finally found a few days of leisure to tend to his injuries. Sage Donghua had given him many medicines in advance, likely foreseeing he would end up in such a condition.

Before coming to Nanyang, he had been reassured countless times that Great Sage Lan would oversee Thanglong Prefecture and the Grand Protector would safeguard Lion City. But now, it was Qi Xuansu who was temporarily fulfilling part of Great Sage Lan’s and the Grand Protector’s duties. Neither of those two had been of actual use.

Although Qi Xuansu now held genuine authority, power and responsibility always came hand in hand. The fate of all Nanyang now rested solely on him.

Since the stakes were enormous, one misstep could lead to his utter ruin. Thus, he had to stay fully focused, leaving him with no mental capacity to dwell on his Xuan Jade.

Back then, the Xuan Jade had leaked out of the Daoist Order due to various accidents. To most people, it was useless. Only Ancient Immortals bothered collecting such “worthless items.” The Li family had many pieces of Xuan Jades. Li Changge had more than he could use. However, Qi Xuansu likely could not obtain a second piece from them. After all, his current rise as the youngest second-rank Taiyi Daoist already posed a real threat to Li Changge.

Madam Qi also had a few pieces, but she had already given them all to Qi Xuansu. Though she did so in a roundabout way, she had still given them to him nonetheless.

The Yao family might or might not have some. Even if they did, Qi Xuansu could not simply ask for them. The only way would be to trade for them. But aside from authority, Qi Xuansu currently had no concrete benefits to offer.

Should he trade political favors? Perhaps secure future prospects for some Yao family descendants in exchange for the Xuan Jade?

Qi Xuansu quickly dismissed the idea and shifted his thoughts in another direction—the Nanyang United Trading Company.

The reason Qi Xuansu was not intimidated by Marcheno’s threats was that he never intended to destroy the Nanyang United Trading Company. He only intended to change its owners, restructure the shareholders, and re-elect the board of directors.

To put it plainly, once the Wang family fell, Qi Xuansu would bring in new powers and rebuild the Company on behalf of the Daoist Mansion. The framework and trade routes would remain. Even after cutting out the illicit operations, the Nanyang United Trading Company remained a giant. It was like a centipede that would not die even when broken. With new capital, it could be revived immediately.

As for which powers to bring in and how to divide the pie, this would be decided by Qi Xuansu, the Chief Deputy.

Letting the Yao family take the largest share posed no issue. After all, the Quanzhen Sect was already the dominant force in Nanyang.

This way, Qi Xuansu could both grant the Yao family a favor and use it as leverage to exchange for what he needed.

At the same time, he could distribute portions to the Zhang family, the Qi family, and even the Li family to strengthen alliances. That way, he could reduce future resistance to his rise and perhaps even gain additional support.

Conversely, if Qi Xuansu failed to balance the interests of all parties, the road ahead would become much more difficult.

Given the current situation, Qi Xuansu was no saint. He could not act solely for the Daoist Order and had to think for himself.

Thus, his journey to Nanyang was both a challenge and a tremendous opportunity. If he handled things well, his power could expand almost overnight. He could even turn Nanyang into his personal stronghold. After all, Wang Jiaohe’s downfall meant a massive power vacuum, and Qi Xuansu was essentially the first in line to fill it.

Of course, all this depended on his ability to defeat Wang Jiaohe. If he could not defeat the Mansion Master, then all plans would be futile.

Meanwhile, Sage Cihang’s response came quickly. Qi Xuansu only had to wait for one day. By the time she gave her answer, the personnel she sent were already on their way, leaving Qi Xuansu with no room to bargain. Her attitude was very much “take it or leave it.”

Qi Xuansu had no choice but to accept it.

However, what he did not expect was that Sage Cihang had actually given him a surprise.

He had asked Sage Cihang to send him elite personnel, which she clearly did not ignore. The leader of the new group was none other than Yao Pei.

With the Fenglin Campaign nearing its end, Yao Pei had returned to Jade Capital. Since she did not have many battle achievements like Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, she was not assigned to the regional Daoist Mansions. Instead, she was promoted to the third rank and continued serving as Deputy Fengxian Hall Master, rising a few positions within Jade Capital.

Qi Xuansu had not expected Sage Cihang to send Yao Pei. Back then, Yao Pei had personally investigated Li Changge, leaving that Junior Imperial Preceptor miserable. Even someone of Li Changge’s status suffered under her hand, so the likes of Wang Danqing would hardly fare better.

That was not all. Sage Cihang also assigned Yao Pei a deputy—Li Zhuyu.

In the Li family, Li Changge overshadowed everyone, so Li Zhuyu never stood out. But in terms of background, Li Zhuyu was not far behind Yao Pei. She was Sage Qingwei’s adopted daughter, a true noble lady. She had long served in Beichen Hall and had gone with Sage Qingwei to Fenglin, participating nearly from beginning to end.

Thus, Li Zhuyu was also promoted. After returning from Fenglin, she rose from a superintendent of Beichen Hall to an Acting Deputy Hall Master. This time, she would serve as Yao Pei’s deputy and represent Beichen Hall at the same time.

Of course, whether Yao Pei or Li Zhuyu, both were nominally under Qi Xuansu’s command. In terms of both practical authority and official rank, Qi Xuansu now surpassed them. More importantly, they were carrying out a mission assigned by the Nine Halls Joint Council.

This pleasant surprise greatly lifted Qi Xuansu’s mood. He decided to personally welcome the two of them and assigned Xie Jiaofeng to handle the reception party.

This was Xie Jiaofeng’s specialty. He took it very seriously and summoned several superintendents, instructing them that they must not repeat their previous mistake, as they would be welcoming the Yao family’s and Li family’s noble ladies.

The superintendents swore that they would not fail this task. Though these people were useless at real work, they were experts at putting on a show.

The journey from Jade Capital to Lion City took roughly a day. From the moment Qi Xuansu received the message and assigned tasks to the moment the flying ship landed, the schedule was extremely tight. But Xie Jiaofeng’s team was so well-practiced that they still managed to pull everything off.

The team that previously welcomed Qi Xuansu had not yet been dismissed, so they were conveniently reused.

When Yao Pei stepped off the ramp first, she was immediately surrounded by a group of adorable little Daoist children, catching her completely off guard. Li Zhuyu behind her was also momentarily stunned.

The local Daoist Mansions were nothing like Jade Capital. Since the two ladies had lived in the heart of the Daoist sacred lands for a long time, where high-ranking figures were everywhere, situations like this became rare.

Seeing Qi Xuansu approach, the Daoist children sensibly dispersed, allowing Yao Pei to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Daoist Su Yi, it’s been a while since we met. How have you been recently?” Qi Xuansu greeted her warmly. “Daoist Li, long time no see.”

Both women returned the salute. Whether it was Yao Pei or Li Zhuyu, both sensed keenly that Qi Xuansu was not quite the same as before, though they could not immediately pinpoint what had changed.

This was the difference between Jade Capital and the local Daoist Mansions. Jade Capital dealt largely in theory, which was clear, structured, and orderly. But the local Daoist Mansions were the opposite. Practical work far outweighed abstract theory, and unexpected crises constantly arose. Thus, working in Jade Capital and a regional Daoist office were two vastly different experiences. The latter honed a person far more.

More importantly, Qi Xuansu now stood entirely on his own. A chain of coincidences had allowed him to have far more authority than his rank would normally allow. Everything in Poluo had to go through him, so every responsibility fell on him alone. This was an immense weight resting solely on his shoulders.

By contrast, Deputy Hall Masters still acted under the commands of their Hall Masters, so the authority and responsibility they bore could not be compared.

After exchanging formal greetings, many of Qi Xuansu’s subordinates also stepped forward, including Spirit Guard Jia Yin, Xie Jiaofeng, Chen Jianchou, and several superintendents from Tianfu Palace. This led to another round of polite courtesies.

Yao Pei remained her old self—quiet and reserved. Aside from her momentary surprise earlier, she had returned to her usual listless demeanor.

In truth, she was much more “expressive” than before. As her cultivation advanced, the backlash from the Taishang Emotionless Sutra was gradually weakening.

Seeing a first-rank Spirit Guard following behind Qi Xuansu, Li Zhuyu was in complete awe. Not long ago, Qi Xuansu had been the one nitpicked by another first-rank Spirit Guard. Now, in the blink of an eye, he had a first-rank Spirit Guard serving as his personal bodyguard. Though temporary, it was still an honor that very few had.

Li Zhuyu sighed softly. “The first time we met was outside Jade Capital, right after the second major Jiangnan case concluded. Back then, you were just promoted to a superintendent. In the blink of an eye, Superintendent Qi has become Chief Deputy Qi, and now, I must follow your commands, Sage Qi.”

“I wouldn’t dare call it a command, Daoist Li,” Qi Xuansu chuckled. “I am merely coordinating from the center. These are extraordinary times. With the end of the era approaching, the people’s hearts and the entire structure of the world are undergoing vast and profound shifts. With change comes friction and conflicts that can quickly escalate into major problems.

“For the Daoist Order, maintaining stability is our highest priority. The more turbulent the times, the more essential internal unity becomes. Yet some people disregard the bigger picture and still collude with external forces while receiving a stipend from the Order. These people must be dealt with harshly. So I must trouble the two of you to deal with this matter in the Poluo Daoist Mansion.”

Yao Pei, who had been mostly silent, raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. “It is said that after three days of separation, one should look at a person with new eyes. It hasn’t even been that long since we last met, yet your words sound more and more like those of the Golden Tower Council’s Omniscient Sages, with all that talk about the bigger picture and the people’s hearts.”

Qi Xuansu laughed it off. “I’ve already prepared a welcome banquet for you all. Please, let’s all head to Tianfu Palace.”