A Pawn's Passage

Sage Qingwei’s statement shocked the entire assembly, as if an earthquake had struck within the hall.

Sage Qingwei had only just concluded the Fenglin Campaign, and now he intended to ignite another war in the New Continent? The Li family truly followed through to the end, determined to use the Daoist Order’s sword to secure even greater gains.

However, the Shibo Hall and the Duzhi Hall would be the first to object. Two consecutive major wars had already stretched the Daoist Order’s finances thin. The past two years had essentially been spent cleaning up the aftermath, and the Daoist Order had not yet fully recovered its strength.

Now that things had only just improved slightly, they wanted to wage war again? Moreover, they wanted to fight on the far side across the ocean. Such enormous expenditures could push the Daoist Order’s finances to the brink of collapse.

Many already believed the Daoist Order was “sick.” If it also lost its financial resources, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Not everyone present at this council came from the Taiping Sect. There were also members of the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect. If Sage Qingwei openly advocated for war, they would undoubtedly oppose him without hesitation.

Still, some felt puzzled. Although the Nine-Hall Joint Council held significant authority, matters involving large-scale warfare should normally be submitted to the Golden Tower Council for deliberation. Why discuss it here? After all, those present did not have the final say.

Sage Qingwei did not rush to explain. Instead, he took a long stick, which was taller than a person, from a Deputy Beichen Hall Master and pointed to the map. “Look here. This is a point along the border between the Holy Court and the Tawantin Empire. Geographically, the Tawantin side holds the high ground and enjoys absolute advantage. Yet not long ago, the Holy Court initiated a battle here and suffered a disastrous defeat.

“This has puzzled many. Why would the Holy Court act this way? The defeat was clearly avoidable. Did they lose control over the northern part of the New Continent? In truth, their control remained intact. It was precisely because nothing seemed wrong that the situation spiraled out of control.

“A ruler rarely changes policy before experiencing failure. A system that has operated for centuries or millennia cannot suddenly reform internally without encountering major setbacks, because it lacks the necessary public support. Decisions reflect the will of the majority, so without public recognition, new policies are difficult to implement.

“The Holy Court is no different. Since setting foot on the New Continent, the Holy Court has never faced a true rival, having defeated every indigenous empire. One could say the Holy Court has never experienced a genuine defeat in direct confrontation. Victory or defeat was never its main concern. Only the cost of war mattered. Even the independence of the Tawantin Empire was not viewed as a military loss. Instead, the Holy Court attributed it to negligence, infighting among the Western nations, excessive war costs, and covert support from the Daoist Order. Thus, the Holy Court continues to view the New Continent with arrogant condescension, looking down upon the Tawantin Empire rather than treating it as an equal opponent.

“Since the Holy Court still believes itself as invincible in the New Continent, then no matter how much progress the Tawantin Empire has made over the years, it will never regard Tawantin as a true opponent. The issue in the New Continent is not whether Tawantin can be eliminated, but whether it is worth the cost.

“Based on this situation, I have always believed that war between the Holy Court and the Tawantin Empire is inevitable. Of course, there are a few insightful individuals within the Holy Court who recognize this. But until a decisive defeat occurs on the battlefield, isolated individuals cannot change or halt this arrogance because they lack consensus and public support.

“This is why that disastrous defeat occurred. The Holy Court underestimated Tawantin’s strength and believed that even while at an absolute disadvantage in terrain, they could still sweep through effortlessly. The frontline generals knew the battle would be lost, but their knowledge meant nothing because they did not hold decision-making power.

“When the Great Xuan Dynasty rose in Liaodong, the frontline generals of the Wei Dynasty all knew they could not win, yet the officials in the Wei Court still fantasized about pacifying Liaodong within three years. How is that any different from the Holy Court now?

“Furthermore, I judge that the Holy Court’s leadership in the New Continent will conceal this defeat and continue to indulge and follow the arrogance that permeates the entire institution.

“Many times, war is unavoidable. It does not bend to individual will. It is not a matter of choosing whether to fight or not. This humiliating defeat will not awaken the Holy Court. They will continue to believe themselves invincible. Meanwhile, from Tawantin’s perspective, the Holy Court initiated the provocation, and the once undefeated god has shown it can bleed. If it can bleed, then it can be slain. These two mindsets and emotions are destined to collide.

“This small-scale conflict is merely a prelude to the coming total war. It will not alter the overall trajectory, so we must prepare for the rainy day now.”

The entire assembly fell silent. The hall was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Sage Qingwei continued, “Fellow Daoists, I am not proposing to initiate a war today. I am considering the security of the Daoist Order. In theory, the existence of a powerful opponent, regardless of their intentions to attack us, already constitutes a potential threat. The prospect of war breaking out at any moment is not baseless or an exaggeration. It is a reality we may face at any time. Therefore, we must make early preparations. What I said earlier about reciprocation is merely one step in this broader strategy of preparation, using offense as a form of defense.”

The gathered Sages remained silent, though inwardly, their thoughts churned like raging waves.

Li Changge had formally advanced the idea of using the Daoist Order’s sword to secure more for the Daoist Order. In essence, this aligned with the Imperial Preceptor and Sage Qingwei’s ideas. No matter how it was framed, Sage Qingwei’s proposal ultimately revolved around this same core principle.

A Sage from the Zhang family of the Zhengyi Sect could not hold back and spoke up. “Sage Qingwei, I believe your remarks are somewhat alarming...”

With the silence broken, the others began to discuss among themselves, and the hall quickly filled with murmuring voices.

Zhang Yuelu remained silent, her gaze fixed upon Sage Qingwei.

Sage Qingwei had just spoken of the clash of various ideological currents. The current heated discussion among the assembled Sages was yet another manifestation of these ideological differences within the Daoist Order.

Among the five proposed paths, at least three opposed war. Yet Sage Qingwei still took the initiative, openly advancing and clarifying his own position.

Sage Qingwei handed the long stick in his hand to the Deputy Hall Master beside him. After the noise in the hall subsided, he raised both hands and pressed downward slightly. “This is not the Golden Tower Council, so whether we should prepare in advance and how we should respond to the unprecedented changes of the times can be left to the Golden Tower Council for discussion. But as for the resolution that we should strike back against the Holy Court, surely no one objects to that, right?”

The murmurs in the hall quickly died down, returning once more to silence.

Sage Qingwei continued, “At this stage, we will not initiate a war. That would be irresponsible. However, within the Holy Court’s sphere of influence in the New Continent, there are numerous indigenous resistance forces that we must support. Therefore, Beichen Hall will take the lead in this Nine-Hall Joint Council to focus on addressing this matter.”

What followed were Sage Qingwei’s specific arrangements. As with the previous Nine-Hall Joint Council, strict confidentiality was required, and any leaks would be punished severely without exception.

After the meeting ended, Zhang Yuelu walked out of the hall together with Xu Jiaorong, Lei Xiaohuan, and the others. She felt a faint heaviness in her head from the increasingly complex situation that left her mentally weary.

There was no doubt that the Daoist Order had reached a critical turning point. It might usher in a bright future or plunge into a dark abyss, a thought that weighed heavily on her heart.

Xu Jiaorong asked, “Qing Xiao, have you been very tired lately?”

Zhang Yuelu shook her head. “I’m alright.”

Lei Xiaohuan asked, “By the way, how is the investigation into the false accusation against Tian Yuan progressing?”

Xu Jiaorong sighed. “Progress is slow. We’ve only uncovered a few minions. But just as we got leads, they died—every one of them by suicide. Strange, isn’t it?”

“What’s strange about that?” Lei Xiaohuan scoffed. “Isn’t that their trademark? The usual old tactic.”

Xu Jiaorong was being sarcastic earlier. “Yes, the same old method. I’ve always felt there’s an undercurrent at work, and one with considerable power.”

Zhang Yuelu said softly, “There is indeed an undercurrent. Anyone capable of reaching into the Kunlun Daoist Mansion is no mere local power.”

Xu Jiaorong said nothing. No matter how powerful Wang Jiaohe had been in the past, his influence had been confined to Poluo. Beyond Poluo, his power diminished greatly. He might not even have grasped developments within the Golden Tower Council in real time, let alone intervened in the Kunlun Daoist Mansion.

It was clear that whoever was behind this bore ill intent and was no small threat to them.

The trio itself formed an interesting combination. Xu Jiaorong was the stereotypical middle-aged Daoist beauty. Lei Xiaohuan was tall with broad shoulders, projecting pure physical power. Zhang Yuelu was the youngest among the women, looking in her element and dignified. Though her physique could not compare to Lei Xiaohuan’s imposing build, she exuded a leader’s aura, and the two others subtly took her as their center.

As they walked, more familiar female Daoists gradually joined them, soon forming a small cluster of female Daoists and drawing the attention of many male Daoists, who voluntarily stepped aside to make way.

Zhang Yuelu walked at the center and at the forefront.

The Daoist Order had always emphasized the balance of yin and yang. In this case, women were yin, and men were yang. However, such equality between men and women often existed only on paper. Even so, their presence carried considerable momentum.

Many of Zhang Yuelu’s former superiors, colleagues, and subordinates still remained in Beichen Hall. When they witnessed this scene, it stirred complicated emotions within them. That was because Zhang Yuelu was the Zhengyi Sect’s abandoned pawn back then when she first joined Beichen Hall. But now, she was on track to become an Omniscient Sage.