A Pawn's Passage

The question was, what would Yao Shu think about such arrangements? Would he harbor opinions about Qi Xuansu? Might he even regard Qi Xuansu as a threat?

Qi Xuansu did not know the answers, but he still had to be on guard.

If it truly came to a confrontation, Qi Xuansu certainly had the strength to contend with Yao Shu and even had a high chance of victory.

Of course, this would not be a clash of fists and blades, but a battle of deliberation and rhetoric.

Qi Xuansu would have an advantage in the Daoist Mansion Council.

News always traveled faster than people.

Once the personnel appointments were settled, Qi Xuansu immediately began arranging the reception for the newly appointed Mansion Master and the arrival of the new colleagues.

It was also at this moment that more good news arrived.

Chen Jianchou successfully passed the Grand Examination and obtained a formal Daoist Priest status. Moreover, due to his Heaven merit, he was directly elevated from a fourth-rank Daoist Priest Kindred to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist Master.

Even Qi Xuansu had never received a Heaven merit. Still, it was well deserved, considering it involved the descent of two Ancient Immortals.

There was also another surprise. Little Yin was promoted as well, advancing from a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist to a third-rank Youyi Daoist.

This seemed somewhat abrupt, but this was a promise made by Great Sage Jiang. This was the weight of a casual remark from a Virtuous Great Sage.

Some might say that Little Yin’s promotion was too hasty, but upon closer thought, it was not at all undeserving.

On the Fenglin battlefield, Little Yin followed Qi Xuansu to Mount Suzuka and discovered Izanagi’s left hand. Thus, Sage Qingwei granted her the status of a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist.

Later, in Poluo, Little Yin accomplished many deeds as well. She launched a surprise attack on Wu Guangbi, held back Sun Heyu, and engaged in fierce battle with Wang Jiaohe—each of them was at the Pseudo-Immortal level. Not to mention, she had multiple solo captures of enemies. These were all outstanding achievements.

Under such circumstances, Little Yin’s promotion to a third-rank Youyi Daoist was entirely reasonable.

The tenure system did not apply to Little Yin because once one reached the age of 60, one’s promotion was no longer restricted by the tenure system. After all, Daoists at that age could not afford to wait and would usually have abundant experience.

Little Yin’s true age certainly exceeded 60, but her mental age remained immature, still lingering in a childlike stage. However, the Daoist Order did not concern itself with psychological age, so Little Yin was likewise considered an “old Daoist” in terms of seniority.

Lin Yuanmiao was the same. He, too, was over 60, and his advantage over Little Yin lay in the fact that he was also a senior figure within the Daoist Order, akin to the former True Lord Taiyin. As a result, he was directly promoted to the second rank.

Little Yin’s disadvantage was that she was a creation of the Daoist Order, and thus needed to accumulate merit.

Even so, Little Yin still held no official post and remained a wandering Daoist. This suited her perfectly. Setting aside whether she even had the ability to handle various affairs, even if she did, for someone as playful and restless as her, such a life would be unbearable. She would rather return to the Ghost Kingdom.

At last, the newly appointed Mansion Master arrived, accompanied by the new Chief Deputy Hall Master of the Ziwei Hall. This Chief Deputy Hall Master was named Shangguan Cheng, formerly the Chief Deputy Hall Master of Huasheng Hall.

Qi Xuansu arranged a grand reception, held at the Sheji Palace in Thanglong Prefecture. Great Sage Lan attended as well.

Qi Xuansu personally went to Guijian Lake to receive them.

The previous time, it had been the former Chief Deputy Mansion Master, Chen Shuhua, who welcomed Qi Xuansu.

In theory, the Great Sage should have conducted the handover with the new Mansion Master, Yao Shu. In reality, however, it was Qi Xuansu who carried out the handover with Yao Shu.

This inevitably stirred emotions in Qi Xuansu. The last time the two had met, it was Yao Shu who escorted him to the Poluo Daoist Mansion to take up the post of Second Deputy. In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu had become the Chief Deputy while Yao Shu had risen to Mansion Master.

Chen Shuhua, along with Wang Jiaohe and others, was all now gone.

When the two met again, they were once more in the positions of superior and subordinate.

Back in Ziwei Hall, Yao Shu had been the Chief Deputy Hall Master, while Qi Xuansu had been the lowest-ranked Deputy. One was at the head, while the other was at the tail—utterly incomparable. Now, however, they were only a single step apart. Qi Xuansu was already able to stand on equal footing with Yao Shu.

Moreover, meeting old acquaintances like Pei Xiaolou and Ji Jiaozhen again made Qi Xuansu emotional. Both had once been his seniors and had helped him, yet now they had become his subordinates.

Such was the Daoist Order. One could choose the carefree life of a wandering Daoist or choose not to strive upward, but one would have to watch as former colleagues, peers, classmates, or subordinates climb above one’s head.

After completing the handover, Yao Shu and Qi Xuansu held a relatively personal conversation, which touched upon the Yao family.

With the reallocation of shares in the Nanyang United Trading Company, the Poluo Daoist Mansion became the largest shareholder, while the Yao family became the second-largest. This was no small amount. However, these shares were held in Madam Qi’s name. She was the one channeling Taiping coins to the Yao family. Otherwise, how could she mobilize such vast resources?

From this perspective, Qi Xuansu’s relationship with the Yao family remained quite close.

Thus, regarding this matter, Yao Shu needed to thank Qi Xuansu on behalf of the Yao family. To do so, he presented Qi Xuansu with a gift that was impossible to refuse—a Xuan Jade, the gift of fate whose price had long been secretly marked.

Just as Qi Xuansu had expected, he had indeed obtained another Xuan Jade from the Yao family.

The previous piece of Xuan Jade had likewise come from the Yao family; it was a Xuan Jade of Death. However, this one was a Xuan Jade of Life, which represented the Manly Immortal lineage.

It also meant to complete the Manly Immortal True Body, or rather, a Great Shaman True Body.

So long as he fused with this Xuan Jade, Qi Xuansu would be able to advance to the Zaohua stage. Then, using the pseudo-ascension method bestowed by the Heavenly Preceptor and guided by his Longevity Stone Heart, he could finally travel to the sacred land of the Ancient Wuist Sect—the Lingshan Paradise, where he could uncover the secrets within himself.

However, Qi Xuansu had not yet fully digested his previous Xuan Jade, so there was no need to absorb this one immediately.

The two men did not speak too deeply due to their shallow acquaintance. Their respective positions also restricted the two from becoming overly close.

Now, Yao Shu and Qi Xuansu were partners. Harmony between them was certainly possible, only if Qi Xuansu were willing to obey the Mansion Master unquestioningly, as Chen Shuhua once did with Wang Jiaohe.

If not, the situation of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion stood as a cautionary example.

Qi Xuansu did not wish to come into conflict with Yao Shu and hoped the two of them could coexist peacefully. But their dynamic would also depend on Yao Shu’s will. If Yao Shu tried to intervene in decisions Qi Xuansu had already made, such as matters concerning the Nanyang United Trading Company, then conflict would inevitably arise.

In a certain sense, the two of them were also rivals, so how could they possibly bare their hearts to one another?

After taking his leave, Qi Xuansu went to see Pei Xiaolou and Ji Jiaozhen.

The two happened to be together, which saved him some trouble.

Qi Xuansu adopted an entirely different attitude toward them. From a utilitarian perspective, he had to win them over to counterbalance Yao Shu and maintain his own standing and authority within the Daoist Mansion. From the standpoint of personal ties, they were old acquaintances.

Although Qi Xuansu was closer to Lei Xiaohuan, his relationship with Pei Xiaolou was hardly distant. Ji Jiaozhen had once shown Qi Xuansu great kindness. Back when Qi Xuansu had yet to make a name for himself and had his hand broken by Zhao Fu’an, Ji Jiaozhen had stood up for him. That debt of gratitude was something Qi Xuansu would remember for a lifetime.

For this reason, Qi Xuansu specifically had Chen Jianchou arrange a private banquet to entertain the two old friends. He also invited Sun Yongfeng, Tang Yongde, and a few others. Xie Jiaofeng, who was adept at livening up the atmosphere, naturally joined.

In the eyes of outsiders, Chief Deputy Qi seemed aggressive and ambitious—openly courting several Deputy Mansion Masters with the intent of overshadowing the newly appointed Mansion Master and perhaps even cementing the title of “Emperor of Nanyang.”

Only Qi Xuansu knew what he was really thinking.

Qi Xuansu might say that he was merely catching up with old friends, but no one would believe it. Once power was involved, there would be no clear boundaries between public and private matters.

The banquet was set in a private, standalone courtyard at the Taiping Inn, with the best chefs available.

Qi Xuansu and his guests sat and drank wine as they reminisced about old times.

Little Yin sat beside him, with her head lowered as she concentrated on eating.

Pei Xiaolou recalled, “Back then, the first time I met Chief Deputy Qi was on a flying ship. At the time, he was still a seventh-rank Daoist, about to report to the Tiangang Hall in Jade Capital. He then went to Old Sun to pull some strings. I even divined his destiny for him. Tian Yuan, what did I say then?”

Qi Xuansu laughed. “It wasn’t divination. It was a face-reading. Sage Pei claimed to be a disciple of Sage Donghua and said I was extraordinary. I was just about to ask in what way I was extraordinary when Sage Lei barged in and started swinging fists. Sage Pei fled for his life and didn’t get to finish the face-reading.”

It was no secret that Pei Xiaolou was afraid of his wife, and he had long since stopped caring about it. Pei Xiaolou waved his hand and said, “Ah, they’re the same thing. Tian Yuan, just tell me, was I right or not? Aren’t you extraordinary? It’s only been a few years, yet you’re already a second-rank Taiyi Daoist. If you ask me, you could even contend for the eighth-generation Grand Master!”

Qi Xuansu waved his hands repeatedly. “I wouldn’t dare speak recklessly.”