A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 1407: The Future

Huangfu Ji came to Jade Capital this time with a mission—to build connections with the Daoist high-ranking figures and inherit the network established by the older generation.

In other words, the Western Daoist Order had been operating for years and was far from powerless. They already had allies among the Daoist leadership, and perhaps Qi Xuansu’s name would soon be added to that list.

That was why Huangfu Ji learned about the Golden Tower Council proceedings as soon as the meeting ended. His allies informed him that in the meeting, Sage Donghua and Sage Cihang led the frontal push, while Great Sage Jiang and Qi Xuansu acted as surprise forces. In the end, it gave Sage Donghua the chance to deliver the decisive vote upon the tie.

Qi Xuansu opened the door to his home and invited Huangfu Ji inside to talk.

His new residence had attendants, because Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu held ranks that entitled them to such staff. They stationed attendants here to manage daily operations. In addition, craftsmen from the Tianji Hall were working on the estate. The central courtyard was already completed, and the focus had shifted to the East and West Wings and the rear garden.

This was not unusual. Many Western cathedrals took over a hundred years to build, while Qi Xuansu’s Princess Xuanzhen Mansion had only been under construction for a few years, hardly comparable.

Qi Xuansu led Huangfu Ji to the already completed central courtyard.

Huangfu Ji looked around and said, “Brother Qi, this is your residence in Jade Capital? Wow, it’s very impressive!”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I’m a bit embarrassed. My mother bought this residence. With my official stipend, I probably couldn’t afford it even if I worked until retirement.”

“By the way, where’s your mother?” Huangfu Ji asked.

Qi Xuansu said, “She’s as elusive as a dragon, traveling all year round. Even I need to wait for her schedule if I want to see her.”

Huangfu Ji asked, “Then will your mother not attend your apprenticeship ceremony?”

Qi Xuansu was slightly surprised. “Brother Huangfu, you received an invitation?”

“Brother Qi, how could you not inform me of such an important event?” Huangfu Ji clicked his tongue and pointed at him.

Qi Xuansu waved his hand. “I’ve been too busy lately to handle these matters, so I handed everything over to my master. He’s been in Jade Capital for many years and has plenty of people at his disposal. So he handled everything, from how to arrange the ceremony to the guest list. I just need to show up on the day. Just like this residence. My mother paid for the house, and Qing Xiao handles the daily upkeep. I’m like a hands-off partner.”

Huangfu Ji cut straight to the point. “There’s nothing wrong with this. In ancient times, a family’s prosperity wasn’t judged by how much its estates or businesses earned. The most important thing was achieving success at court, which brought honor to the family. As the head of a household, if you focus on trivial household matters, how can you advance further? Household affairs are handled by the matriarch, while the head of the family must achieve success at court. That’s the real pillar. I think your mother and your wife have handled things well. They take care of the details so you can focus entirely on your duties and push forward without distraction.”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Qing Xiao has her own career. She’s not just a woman confined to the household.”

Huangfu Ji glanced at him. “Brother Qi, given our relationship, I’ll call you Tian Yuan, and you can call me Li Ming. I’ll be frank with you. In my view, your wife’s approach is good, but it lacks support. And by ‘support,’ I don’t mean the masses, but the upper ranks.

“Right now, the Daoist Order is far from a life-or-death crisis. There’s still room for growth. It hasn’t reached the point where reform is unavoidable. We all know the principle of preventing problems before they arise, but if you treat a disease before symptoms appear, people will say you’re taking credit for curing something that isn’t sick. That’s the paradox. Wait too long, and it becomes incurable. But act too early, and you lose support.”

Qi Xuansu remained silent.

Huangfu Ji continued, “When everyone recognizes reform as necessary, then proposing it will be natural. If so, Qing Xiao can rise. But now, it’s too early. Her approach lacks support, and without that, she cannot become the Grand Master. In my view, the real contenders for the eighth-generation Grand Master are you and the Li family’s Junior Imperial Preceptor. Your rivalry continues from that between Sage Donghua and Sage Qingwei. That’s precisely why Sage Donghua took you as a disciple. Without you, Yao Pei and Zhang Yuelu wouldn’t stand a chance against Li Changge. Without you, the likely outcome would be Sage Donghua defeating Sage Qingwei, and Li Changge dominating the eighth generation.

“From a factional perspective, you are the pillar of your house, Tian Yuan. The future standing of your faction depends on you. As for Qing Xiao, her situation isn’t due to a lack of ability but external conditions. The tide is simply against her. What can she do?”

Qi Xuansu let out a wry laugh. “Brother Li Ming, you think too highly of me.”

“Tian Yuan, don’t underestimate yourself,” Huangfu Ji said with a wave. “Among the eighth-generation disciples, especially those of the right age, you hold the highest position and have advanced the furthest. Now that you’ve become Sage Donghua’s disciple, completing the final piece, who would still look down on you for your humble origins?”

Qi Xuansu said nothing. In truth, he thought the same. But he had to maintain modesty in front of others. With Zhang Yuelu, however, he showed no such restraint. He even proposed a wager. Clearly, he was not lacking in confidence.

He had the attendants prepare a simple home-style meal to entertain Huangfu Ji.

In truth, eating was not the point. The main purpose was to drink together.

Qi Xuansu did not particularly like drinking. But alcohol lowered one’s mental guard. Once half-drunk, tightly controlled thoughts became easier to express, making discussions smoother. Topics that were usually awkward or difficult to bring up could also be explored more deeply.

The drink served was naturally Dreaming Death, the only liquor capable of making even Pseudo-Immortal Martial Arts Practitioners feel intoxicated.

This was left behind by Zhang Yuelu, and Qi Xuansu simply borrowed it.

As they toasted and drank, their conversation gradually deepened, focusing mainly on the demands of the Daoist Order and the Western Daoist Order.

The Western Daoist Order that Huangfu Ji was about to take over was like a strong man who, with the support of a powerful elder brother from afar, had finally deterred a neighboring bully. The next question was how to improve his own life and achieve similar prosperity.

The issue of development still depended on support from the Daoist Order.

On this point, the Daoist Order would not provide unconditional assistance.

The Daoist Order had its own demand, which was to push for the Western Daoist Order’s reunification. This reunification would grant the Western Daoist Order the right to participate in Golden Tower Council deliberations. It would also allow the Daoist Order to intervene in the Western Daoist Order’s personnel decisions.

The fifth-generation Grand Master had originally forbidden the Western Daoist Order from participating in such deliberations because the Daoist Order lacked control over its personnel. If the Western Daoist Order could interfere with the Daoist Order while the reverse was impossible, it would effectively hold the Daoist Order hostage, which was an unacceptable outcome.

A reunification meant gaining this crucial control over personnel.

Jade Capital would be able to appoint, promote, demote, or remove any Western Daoist Order members, rather than the current system, where the Western Daoist Order submits a list, and the Daoist Order could only approve or reject it without selecting individuals directly.

Regarding this, there was consensus among Qi Xuansu, Sage Donghua, Sage Cihang, and even the Taiping Sect. However, Qi Xuansu and the others believed the process would be extremely long, possibly taking over a century, while the Taiping Sect hoped to shorten it to just over a decade.

Setting aside the Taiping Sect, the question for this century-long period was how to coexist, through equality, mutual support, and harmonious development.

The Western Daoist Order understood these demands. While it preferred autonomy, it could not do without the Daoist Order’s support.

As such, the Western Daoist Order proposed some conditions. It would relinquish personnel control and fully follow Jade Capital’s arrangements. But given its scale, it sought recognition as the fourth Daoist sect, gaining not only participation rights in deliberations but also eligibility to become a Deputy Grand Master and even a Grand Master.

The position of Deputy Grand Master was not an issue. Another such position could be added. The actual power of such a role depended on one’s influence. Without a solid base, it would be merely a title. The Western Daoist Order already had that strength, making this a natural step.

The real issue was the Grand Master position itself. It concerned the entire Daoist Order. Even with three sects, competition was already intense. If they added a fourth sect, the situation would seem impossible.

Thus, both sides began to convince each other.

After all the back-and-forth, equality, mutual assistance, and harmonious development remained the most realistic path.

Since it was about equal cooperation and joint development, then accounts had to be kept clear.

The Daoist Order could help the Western Daoist Order develop by investing capital, but it must also gain returns. This was different from fighting external enemies. Support alone was not enough.

As for how exactly to invest, that was for Shibo Hall to decide. However, Qi Xuansu, as the Chief Deputy of Beichen Hall responsible for New Continent affairs, had a deeper understanding of the situation. Shibo Hall would certainly seek his advice, so he held considerable influence in this matter.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu and Huangfu Ji were discussing these matters.

As Huangfu Ji grew more animated from drinking, he took out a massive blueprint from his magical receptacle and spread it on the ground like a carpet. He pulled Qi Xuansu to squat beside him, and they studied the map together.

Huangfu Ji pointed at the map and explained, “We plan to build a new port here to rival St. York. It’s located on a plain, ideal for laying railways and enough land for future industrial zones. We will also leverage inland waterways to connect with upstream mining areas.

“This area here is hilly terrain, but we can excavate the hills and use the earth and stone to fill the low-lying areas on the other side. This will eliminate flood risks and turn it into usable land for buildings, factories, or workshops.”

Qi Xuansu nodded slightly. “Interesting.”

Huangfu Ji continued, “For the first phase, we plan to develop 20 hectares of land, mainly leveling the ground and laying a solid foundation. We can handle the manpower ourselves, but for everything else, it will cost roughly 1.5 million Taiping coins. The Western Daoist Order is poor, so this 1.5 million is a stretch for us.”