A Pawn's Passage

It seemed that important figures all liked to give Qi Xuansu time to give an answer.

The way Sage Qingwei circled around and smoothed over their past conflict, providing both a reasonable explanation and a graceful way out, was something worth learning.

As for the promise to fully respect his thoughts and opinions, most of the time, it was merely a formality, much like the polite greetings written before the closing of a letter.

Since that was the case, Qi Xuansu would simply go back and think it over carefully.

Recently, there were far too many matters demanding his consideration, all coming from different directions.

Sage Donghua wanted him to consider becoming his disciple. Great Sage Jiang wanted him to consider drawing a clear line. Sage Qingwei wanted him to consider becoming the Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master. Even Sage Cihang wanted him to consider the reason behind his postponed marriage.

Yet in truth, all these matters were closely connected.

The postponement of his marriage was actually an extension of the apprenticeship issue, and the prerequisite for becoming Sage Donghua’s disciple was drawing a clear line with Qi Haoran. To draw that line, he would inevitably have to report and expose wrongdoing. Reporting only to Sage Donghua would not be enough, since this matter concerned Beichen Hall. That then involved the question of Qi Xuansu serving as the Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master.

Under such circumstances, could Qi Xuansu really refuse Sage Qingwei’s proposal? Or rather, would refusing it be the proper attitude for someone who still needed favors from Beichen Hall?

Conversely, if Qi Xuansu reached an understanding with Sage Qingwei and secured his endorsement, who could later use this matter against him?

To overturn a case meant denying the decision-maker at the time, and someone would have to bear responsibility for that.

Moving from Chief Deputy Mansion Master to Chief Deputy Hall Master of one of the Three Great Halls was clearly a promotion. Yet it seemed as though Sage Qingwei was the one persuading Qi Xuansu.

That was because this assignment in the New Continent was not an easy one. If it were truly easy, countless people would be rushing to reap the rewards. The problem was that it would most likely end with someone taking the blame, so everyone was avoiding it.

Of course, there were always ambitious individuals willing to take risks for advancement. However, such people usually did not hold positions high enough to serve as Chief Deputy Hall Master. After all, this was the leading position of one of the Three Great Halls and directly related to the situation in the New Continent. They could not simply send anyone. The Golden Tower Council would never approve it.

Simply put, those qualified to go did not want to go, while those who wanted to go were not qualified.

The Daoist Order also did not wish for problems to arise in the New Continent. They needed someone capable enough to reverse the situation, or at the very least, stabilize it. The fact that the role would likely become a scapegoat did not mean the Order actually wanted that outcome.

The best solution would naturally be for Sage Qingwei to lead personally. However, with the election approaching, it was not appropriate for him to remain away from Jade Capital for an extended period. Leaving Jade Capital itself was not the real issue. Even Fenglin was still within the Daoist Order’s sphere of influence, close enough to return quickly. The New Continent, however, lay across the ocean. Travel was arduous and inconvenient. If something unexpected happened in Jade Capital, Sage Qingwei would not be able to return in time. Even if he rushed back, how could he compete against opponents who had been waiting there comfortably?

Therefore, Sage Qingwei could only send a deputy in his place to the New Continent.

So why not send the current Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master instead of appointing someone new? This involved certain considerations within the Golden Tower Council. Although the election was approaching, several Omniscient Sages from the sixth generation were preparing to step down. By calculation, their time had come. With the Three Deputy Grand Masters soon to ascend, their peers had likewise reached the end of their tenure. There was no need to cling to power until death. It was better to complete the transition while there was still time.

The current Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master would instead become an Acting Palace Master, just like Bai Yingqiong, preparing to advance toward becoming an Omniscient Sage.

The logic behind it was quite clear.

Serving as Palace Master of a region essentially guaranteed becoming an Omniscient Sage. It was merely a matter of time and patience.

Going to the New Continent, however, was different. If one performed well, one would likely become a Mansion Master, starting even higher than a Palace Master. But the chances of failure were also high, since someone would have to take the blame. A setback there could delay one’s career indefinitely, possibly costing the chance to ever become an Omniscient Sage. Thus, most people would avoid such risks and seek stability.

As for the Second Deputy Hall Master, that position was even more important and could not be moved lightly. The Chief Deputy handled external affairs, while the Second Deputy oversaw internal matters. Due to this, the position of Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master had suddenly become a rather troublesome seat.

From the perspective of factional politics, there was also a potential risk. If Qi Xuansu truly succeeded, would that not elevate him? Yet, even that would not be a loss, since the credit would still belong to Sage Qingwei as well. Sage Qingwei would be praised for rising above factional bias, recognizing talent, overseeing the overall situation, planning wisely, and leading effectively.

It was like territorial expansion. Though the battles were fought by generals, when history counted the merits, the emperor would receive most of the credit.

In the end, after weighing all sides, Sage Qingwei decided to employ Qi Xuansu.

If Qi Xuansu had not found out about Qi Haoran’s fake identity, he might not have been willing to go at all. After all, he was still young and had plenty of time ahead of him. There was no need to rush to compete for the empty title of the youngest Omniscient Sage. Progressing steadily to become the Chief Deputy Hall Master of the other halls would have been the best path.

If Qi Xuansu truly refused and sought help everywhere, Sage Donghua and the others could certainly prevent the arrangement from happening, leaving Sage Qingwei with no choice.

But the situation was ultimately different now.

As things stood, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to go.

From Sage Donghua’s perspective, this was also a viable move. He bet that Qi Xuansu could succeed, so the credit could be split in half—Sage Qingwei would take one part, and Qi Xuansu the other. If Qi Xuansu became Sage Donghua’s disciple, Sage Donghua would not lose much as his master. If the two Daoist Heirs were evenly matched, then victory could be left to the next generation. Should Qi Xuansu achieve great merit in the New Continent, he would far surpass Li Changge.

There was no explicit rule that two consecutive Grand Masters could not be father and son or master and disciple. In the past, it might have been a disadvantage. But in today’s increasingly extreme political climate, it could actually become a major trend. After all, the Li family was always dreaming of hereditary succession to the Grand Master seat. The Primordial Daoist Ancestor was a Li, and so was the Holy Xuan. Thus, they believed that the Grand Master seat rightfully belonged to the Li family.

Therefore, Sage Donghua would genuinely respect Qi Xuansu’s thoughts and opinions. He would support Qi Xuansu regardless.

Even so, Qi Xuansu could not simply treat it as a formality. He still needed to think it through carefully. At the very least, he had to gain a concrete understanding of the situation in the New Continent and could not allow himself to fall into a trap.

Although Sage Qingwei had concluded at the Joint Council that the Holy Court would inevitably fail, on the ground, things were exactly as Qi Xuansu had said. The situation was far from optimistic.

No matter how chaotic the Holy Court’s internal struggles became, its sheer size was undeniable. Thus, its desperate resistance would be formidable. Qi Xuansu would not face just a single issue but a whole series of them.

Although the Western Daoist Order was considered a model of isolated loyalty overseas, it had long existed outside the main Daoist system and hence lacked organization and discipline. Internal factionalism was severe, and there was a strong tendency toward aristocratic clan structures, emphasizing personal allegiance and valuing bloodline inheritance. In essence, it had absorbed and perfected the “strengths” of both the Li and Zhang families.

Resolving the Western Daoist Order’s problems completely was beyond Qi Xuansu’s ability. At best, he could try to patch things together temporarily.

The immediate issue Qi Xuansu would have to confront was the tangled interests between the Western Daoist Order and the Tawantin Empire. The Western Daoist Order had three major leaders, who were also known as the Three Bigwigs. This term was unique to the Western Daoist Order and reflected its lack of organization. These three figures maintained close ties with Tawantin’s royal family and religious orders and were deeply involved in Tawantin’s internal struggles.

Whether in the East or the West, internal strife was prevalent.

The three western kingdoms were fighting fiercely in West Shakya, and even purchased large quantities of military equipment from the nearby Poluo. Several attempts by the Holy Court to mediate had ended in failure. Meanwhile, the Three Sects in the East were also stirring beneath the surface, while the Great Xuan imperial family watched intently. As the meeting point of the East and the West, the New Continent likewise had its own internal struggles.

The roots of the Tawantin Empire’s internal conflicts had actually been planted from the very beginning of its founding. The New Continent was divided into north and south and had once been home to several so-called great empires. After the Western nations, led by the Holy Court, invaded the New Continent, these empires were crushed and scattered like autumn leaves in a storm. With strong support from the Daoist Order, the Western Daoist Order barely managed to unite these remnants. Seizing the opportunity when the Holy Court fell into fierce internal conflict over the division of spoils, they captured the southern part of the New Continent in one decisive move and established the Tawantin Empire.

These people had never belonged to the same empire to begin with, so each possessed its own traditions and beliefs. Faced with a common enemy, they could barely maintain a united front, but conflict and contradictions were inevitable.

The Western Daoist Order itself had disagreements in handling these matters. When the Tawantin Empire was first established, and the various forces had to be integrated, the Three Bigwigs each took responsibility for the remnants of one former empire. Naturally, factions formed, with the Three Bigwigs acting as their patrons. In the end, they themselves were drawn into the struggle, which evolved into internal conflict within the Western Daoist Order. The matter was further complicated by the involvement of the New Continent’s native ancient gods, whose followers clashed over their beliefs.

With Immortals and mere mortals entangled in the same arena, the complexities of the situation were enough to give anyone a headache.

In truth, it was not appropriate to send only one Chief Deputy Hall Master. An Immortal like Great Sage Jiang should also be there. Unfortunately, the Daoist Order’s grand election was approaching, and that was the real priority. No one was willing to sacrifice the major event for a minor matter. Since the situation fell within Beichen Hall’s jurisdiction, they would simply send the Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master to stabilize the situation.

After Qi Xuansu conducted a preliminary study of the situation, all he could feel was a giant headache.