A Pawn's Passage

It was now the 45th year of the Jiushi Era.

Over the past two years, the political situation within the Daoist Order had grown relatively calm.

After the Fenglin Campaign and the personnel changes in Poluo, the conflicts among the Three Sects seemed to have subsided. However, those within the game knew that it was not a change of nature but a period of gathering strength and internal consolidation, like the calm before a storm.

During these two years, the situation in the Poluo Daoist Mansion had gradually stabilized. The upheavals caused by Wang Jiaohe and Chen Shuhua were gradually smoothed over.

The day before yesterday marked the successful conclusion of the Nanyang United Trading Company’s second shareholders’ meeting.

Chen Shuwen was re-elected as Chairman of the Board by an overwhelming vote, signifying the endorsement of Chief Deputy Qi, who held control over the Company.

Chairman Chen and Chief Deputy Qi had once made a three-year pact, spanning from the 43rd year of the Jiushi Era to the 45th year of the Jiushi Era. Though it had not yet been three full years, it had already entered its third year.

Overall, Chen Shuwen’s reform measures proved remarkably effective. With strong grassroots support, he replaced a large number of mid-level personnel.

Under Chen Shuwen’s leadership, the Nanyang United Trading Company regained its vitality. Most visibly, the Poluo Daoist Mansion’s fiscal revenues not only stabilized but actually increased.

The Daoist Order had suffered financial strain due to two successive major wars. The Fenglin Campaign relied entirely on the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion and drained it dry. Meanwhile, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion needed funds to rebuild temples, relying on the Lingnan and Poluo Daoist Mansions as the main pillars of support.

The Lingnan Daoist Mansion posed little difficulty, but Poluo had just endured turmoil, which truly tested the capability of its new leadership. Now that Poluo’s finances had stabilized, the Daoist Order’s overall finances were likewise secured.

The Golden Tower Council was well satisfied with the results.

Over the past two years, Qi Xuansu and Yao Shu did not clash. Their relationship remained fairly harmonious. After all, there was still a Great Sage above them. Having learned from the previous incident, Great Sage Lan was no longer as lax as before, though still not comparable to the diligent Great Sage Jiang.

All in all, the Mansion Master, the Chief Deputy, and the Second Deputy carried out their own duties, keeping to their own lanes without interfering with one another.

The two wars in the Eastern Continent concluded. Meanwhile, the conflict flared up once again in the Western Continent. Perhaps because the Westerners were always fixated on other people’s territories, they ended up neglecting their own. By the time they came to their senses, the flames of war were already burning.

As early as the 42nd year of the Jiushi Era, the Lune Kingdom had formally intervened in the conflict between the Nederland Kingdom and the Ibia Kingdom. The three parties vied for dominance in West Shakya, their struggle growing increasingly intense, even spilling over into parts of East Shakya and South Poluo.

Although open warfare did not erupt at the time due to the Holy Court’s intervention, the contradictions did not vanish. Instead, they deepened as time went on. At the root of it all was the gradual rise of the Lune Kingdom, which began seeking overseas expansion. Backing them was the Arcane Council, which started competing for influence within the framework of the Holy Court.

By now, the Holy Court could no longer hold things down, and a war erupted among the three powers, sweeping across the entirety of West Shakya.

As a result, the Holy Court had no time to stir up trouble in Nanyang, granting the region a long-awaited period of calm.

However, this was followed by a massive wave of refugees fleeing West Shakya and pouring into Nanyang. The Daoist Order and the Great Xuan Court issued successive decrees, ordering that the influx of refugees be contained within Nanyang, barring them from entering the Central Plains.

Throughout history, dynasties of the Central Plains ultimately fell due to overpopulation and scarce land. Even if the current Great Xuan Dynasty had temporarily escaped this pattern, it did not mean the Central Plains was sparsely populated or that the land there was abundant.

The Central Plains did not lack people. In fact, it even sent migrants to Nanyang. Moreover, the Great Xuan Emperor did not wish to see tensions arise between locals and outsiders in their homeland, which had been stable for two centuries. That was why the Emperor issued this order after consulting with the Great Sage Lunzhi.

A ferry belching thick white smoke sailed toward Lion City.

Chen Jianchou and Han Yongfeng leaned against the railing, gazing outward. Chen Jianchou raised the monocular and peered toward a large sailboat in the distance. Through the circular lens, he could see refugees aboard, all traveling with their families in tow.

Standing beside Chen Jianchou, Han Yongfeng said, “Since the outbreak of war among the Lune, Nederland, and Ibia Kingdoms, more than 300,000 refugees have poured into Poluo. Of these, 100,000 are heading for Lion City. The Nanting Protectorate has already declared martial law, requiring special passes to enter the city. Refugee camps have been established outside Lion City, and large numbers are still arriving. Our situation here is relatively better since we’re separated by the sea. But over in East Shakya, where the land is connected, things are far more complicated. I’ve heard that more than 500,000 refugees have flooded in, causing massive shock and destruction.”

Chen Jianchou lowered the monocular and looked at Han Yongfeng without saying a word.

Han Yongfeng gave the order, “Raise the Daoist Mansion’s banner and head straight for the Nanting Protectorate’s military harbor.”

A Spirit Guard acknowledged the command and departed.

Chen Jianchou said, “Superintendent Han, these refugees will be difficult to handle. They’re a mixed bag of good and bad.”

“That’s inevitable,” Han Yongfeng said with a sigh. “The Daoist Mansion is also in a dilemma. At the council a few days ago, Great Sage Lan repeatedly stressed the need to distinguish and screen these refugees carefully. But with so many people, how can we possibly manage it all? The Nanting Protectorate imposing martial law is a last resort.

“To make matters worse, there’s been another windstorm this year. Even in normal years, a disaster requires full vigilance. Now with the war, things are just getting out of hand. The disaster alone has claimed many lives, and after a major calamity comes a major epidemic. Sigh...”

Chen Jianchou put away the monocular and shook his head. “The situation has deteriorated to this extent, yet the figures reported upward are all false.”

Han Yongfeng gave a helpless smile. “Every Deputy Mansion Master has submitted a set of figures to the Daoist Mansion. In truth, everyone knows those numbers are all false. It’s not that they’re deliberately concealing the truth, but under these circumstances, no one can possibly know what the real numbers are.

“Take the death toll, for instance. It’s really just a roughly estimated reference figure. Everyone references each other for something more or less the same. If Lion City actually lost 100 people, but they found out that Thanglong Prefecture only reported 50 deaths, Lion City wouldn’t report the actual number even though they were hit harder. If Lion City reported 100, the disparity in numbers would make the Daoist Mansion think that Lion City handled things poorly. So Lion City halves the number and reports 50 as well.

“Once Lion City and Thanglong Prefecture set the example, other places have something to reference. Some areas were hit less severely and have no reason to report more deaths than Lion City, so they halve Lion City’s reported figure and submit that. In the end, the numbers get reduced layer by layer.

“But that’s not all. Once the figures reach the Daoist Mansion, it will be changed yet again. If the number is too high, it will make the Daoist Mansion look bad, so they might cut the already reduced figures yet again. In the end, the final number might be half the real figure or even less. On top of that, there will inevitably be errors in the local statistics due to omissions. So naturally, these numbers are all false.

“On the other hand, some blow the figures out of proportion because more losses translate to more funds and resources allocated for the disaster relief. So whoever reports greater losses gets more.”

Chen Jianchou sighed. “That’s precisely why Chief Deputy Qi sent me down to understand the situation. I’ve gone around various places and seen nothing but chaos. I truly don’t know how to report back to the Chief Deputy.”

Han Yongfeng said, “Don’t overthink it. Report what you see. This isn’t something we can be blamed for. After all, it’s a natural disaster. Moreover, the Westerners are waging war on each other and driving these poor refugees from their homes. We can only help as much as we can. But if we can’t, there’s no need to blame ourselves because it’s not our duty. If they turn into vengeful ghosts, they should go after those who caused it in the first place. The burden shouldn’t fall on us.”

In the blink of an eye, the ferry had already entered the Nanting Protectorate’s military harbor. Here, everything remained orderly. None of the chaos caused by an influx of refugees could be seen.

Chen Jianchou and Han Yongfeng disembarked from the ferry and proceeded toward Lion City along a main route guarded by the Black Robes.

Qi Xuansu was currently in Lion City, keeping a close eye on the Nanyang United Trading Company’s shareholders’ meeting and a major commercial deal.

The war between the three countries—the Lune, Ibia, and Nederland Kingdoms—had not hindered trade. On the contrary, as the conflict escalated and supplies grew scarce, it actually stimulated commerce in Nanyang. Thus, while one side was engulfed in flames of war, the other was raking in immense profits. This was not limited to the Nanyang United Trading Company. The real windfall lay with the Shibo Hall. Recently, most of Qi Xuansu’s attention had been focused there.

Rumors had begun circulating that once Qi Xuansu’s three-year term concluded, his outstanding achievements would get him transferred to Jade Capital to serve as Chief Deputy Hall Master of one of the Nine Halls. Although the two positions were equivalent in rank, everyone knew this was, in fact, a promotion. It was nearly the final step before ascending to Omniscient Sage and the groundwork for a future appointment as a Mansion Master.

Even among Omniscient Sages, a Mansion Master held greater status and more authority than a Palace Master. Those with secretarial backgrounds usually followed the Palace Master path, whereas Qi Xuansu was clearly on the Mansion Master trajectory.

Therefore, Qi Xuansu needed to hold the line on this final watch and ensure that nothing went wrong.