A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 1412: Reciprocate

If this followed Confucian ritual, there would be a ceremonial official standing by, loudly calling out each step of the procedure. They would read a long list of so-called sect rules, asking Qi Xuansu whether he accepted them, to which Qi Xuansu would dutifully reply that he did. Then more questions would follow, all answered one by one. Finally, Qi Xuansu would have to kneel and kowtow, and Sage Donghua would personally help Qi Xuansu up. Only then would the ceremony be complete.

It would look quite solemn, somewhat like Westerners swearing an oath with a hand on the Holy Scripture.

But after the Daoist Order was reestablished, all of that was abolished.

De-Confucianization was not just empty talk. Sect rules were no longer prioritized. Instead, all Daoists, with or without a master, were expected to observe Daoist moral precepts and laws.

In the end, the ceremony was simplified to this extent.

Qi Xuansu merely bowed. Even the final gesture of being helped up by Sage Donghua was omitted.

The reason so many guests were invited was to act as witnesses.

By having everyone witness it, the matter became public knowledge. This would reduce confusion and avoid misunderstandings.

If anyone tried to question this apprenticeship, half the Daoist leadership had been present to witness it.

After the ceremony, the guests all voiced their congratulations in a uniform and synchronized manner, as if rehearsed in advance.

Then, according to rank and status, the guests stepped forward one by one to personally congratulate Sage Donghua and Qi Xuansu.

The master and disciple returned each courtesy in turn.

Among them were Zhang Yuelu and Little Yin. Learning quickly by Zhang Yuelu’s side, Little Yin offered her congratulations with proper form. The act was quite convincing.

As an elder, Sage Donghua was very generous and had someone give Little Yin a large white crane.

Finally getting what she longed for, Little Yin lavishly praised Sage Donghua, then subtly remarked that the difference between Sage Donghua and a certain someone was like that between a white crane and a white goose. Only the person who gave her the white goose knew perfectly well that it was a jab at him.

Qi Xuansu was completely speechless as he glared at Little Yin.

Little Yin was not at all afraid of his glare. Once the ceremony ended, she planned to ride the big white crane and stay with Madam Qi. No one could stop her. Old Qi and Old Zhang would have to step aside when facing Madam Qi. They were hardly worth mentioning.

This time, the focus was on congratulations. No one came forward to heap exaggerated praise on Qi Xuansu, nor did anyone call him the most talented among the young disciples.

After all, it was self-evident, as he was already the Chief Deputy of Beichen Hall.

When Sage Donghua sat there, auspicious clouds formed naturally, not because of his authority or status, but because of his Immortal-level cultivation.

Seeing this today, Huangfu Ji finally understood the strength of the Three Daoist Heirs. They had deliberately remained at the Pseudo-Immortal stage for many years, building such a solid foundation that once they became true Immortals, they could rival many veterans.

Although Sage Donghua and the others were unlikely to attempt a heavenly tribulation, their solid foundation gave them the possibility of surviving it. If circumstances changed and they chose to undergo the tribulation to remain in the mortal world, their chances would be much higher.

It was always better to be prepared.

Standing beside Sage Donghua, Qi Xuansu could not outshine him. However, he was not completely overshadowed. His Zaohua-stage cultivation, combined with his repeated experience wielding Pseudo-Immortal power through external means, gave him deep insight into that level. Many present believed Qi Xuansu was already very close to becoming a Pseudo-Immortal. It was only a matter of time.

Not to mention, Qi Xuansu was still so young.

If everything went smoothly, Qi Xuansu could reach the threshold of immortality by 50. Then, like Sage Donghua, he could spend ten years stabilizing his foundation before stepping into immortality at 60, just in time to compete for the position of Grand Master.

This was also the basis for Huangfu Ji’s judgment that Yao Pei and Zhang Yuelu were inferior to Li Changge and Qi Xuansu.

If Sage Qingwei won and became the seventh-generation Grand Master, and then chose to push forward the next election early, around the time the Three Prodigies reached 50, Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei would likely still fall short of the immortal stage. They would have been half a step away.

Yet this half-step made all the difference. Li Changge could forcibly ascend to immortality. Such a vast gap in cultivation would allow him to sweep past them without question. In such a scenario, Li Changge would emerge victorious, allowing the Li family to secure consecutive terms as Grand Master.

In the Daoist Order, cultivation was the foundation of everything. The current stalemate among the Three Heirs existed only because none of them held a clear advantage in cultivation. If a First-Tribulation Immortal were to appear at this moment, the outcome would be beyond doubt.

If Sage Qingwei and Li Changge became consecutive Grand Masters, the Daoist Order would remain under the Li family’s influence for nearly a century. With the added prestige of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor and the Holy Xuan, the Li family’s long-held ambitions might truly be realized.

Sage Donghua and Sage Cihang could not afford to be careless. At present, the only one capable of countering Li Changge was Qi Xuansu.

Today, all Three Heirs and Three Prodigies were present.

There were also many eighth-generation disciples accompanying their elders to observe the ceremony. Among the Three Prodigies, only Yao Pei stood alone.

Among the Three Heirs, both Sage Donghua and Sage Cihang remained unmarried. In the new generation, the situation was the exact opposite.

By Zhang Yuelu’s side was a mischievous little girl, lively and restless, often gently scolded into brief silence. Her bright eyes darted about with clever mischief. At this moment, Zhang Yuelu truly looked like a mother.

Beside Li Changge stood Princess Chiying. The two treated each other with courtesy and respect, clearly presenting themselves as a married couple.

Those still single sighed listlessly. The men did not dare compare themselves to Li Changge, and the women would not dream of competing with the emperor’s daughter. Still, the men found slight comfort because Yao Pei was still available.

At this moment, Great Sage Lan spoke up, “Xuan Ji, what gift did Tian Yuan present for his apprenticeship? Let us have a look as well.”

With Great Sage Lan taking the lead, the others joined in, urging them on.

Great Sage Lan had no deeper intention. He was simply curious. No rule forbade opening gifts on the spot. At his level and age, aside from his legacy, he cared for little else. Naturally, he acted without fear or restraint, doing as he pleased.

In this regard, Great Sage Lan and Little Yin shared some similarities. But Little Yin was still getting to know the world, hence her curiosity. Great Sage Lan was just a frivolous old man.

Sage Donghua could not refuse. He opened the gift box and took out two ink sticks, showing a hint of surprise.

All the guests present were high-level cultivators. Even from afar, they could see the inscription clearly and gasped in admiration.

“Those are the works of the Holy Xuan and his wife!”

“They’re a pair, too. This is incredibly rare.”

“It has long been said that the Holy Xuan’s wife had many refined interests and excelled at ink-making, while the Holy Xuan himself did not. It seems he simply couldn’t refuse her persistent requests, so the two made ink together.”

Some guests were not knowledgeable about such refined items, but the Holy Xuan and his wife were universally known, so they joined in the praise, discussing enthusiastically. Among them was Little Yin.

Although Little Yin owned a large brush, it did not even require ink. She did not understand what was so great about this ink, but she still followed the crowd, nodding seriously and even giving a thumbs-up.

Naturally, others praised the little girl for being a promising young scholar, as she understood the ink’s value at her young age. This was expected of someone taught by Chief Deputy Qi and Chief Deputy Zhang.

Sage Donghua smiled brightly. At his level, unless one presented him with an immortal object, the gift had to be meaningful. These two ink sticks were not magical, but they had exceptional symbolism. The Holy Xuan was the first Grand Master after the revitalization of the Daoist Order. Other Grand Masters all had controversies of some sort. Only the Holy Xuan stood beyond dispute.

Daoists valued auspicious symbolism.

The Holy Xuan left behind many items, but according to his wishes, most were given to the Daoist Order, with only a few remaining in the Li family. Even for marriages, the Li family rarely took them out, so it was rare for outsiders to possess such items, let alone gift them.

These were originally gifts from the Holy Xuan’s wife to Elder Yao. The Yao family would never pass them on. But who could have imagined that Madam Qi, that rebellious descendant, would steal them and end up benefiting Qi Xuansu?

Qi Xuansu’s gift earned widespread acclaim, so naturally, all eyes turned to Sage Donghua’s gift for Qi Xuansu.

Everyone looked toward Qi Xuansu, who had no choice but to open the gift box.

Inside were two pieces of crescent-shaped jade that were jade-green and semi-translucent but streaked throughout with blood-red veins, giving the green a deep crimson glow.

The two crescent shapes were placed tip to tip, forming a perfect full moon.

Ordinary people would only think they were beautiful jade. But today’s guest list included nearly half of the Daoist leadership, so quite a few identified it immediately.

It was none other than the Xuan Jade.

Qi Xuansu’s expression grew serious, while Li Changge raised an eyebrow.

Sage Qingwei spoke. “Brother Pei, you’ve clearly put great thought and effort into this gift.”

Great Sage Jiang added, “Xuan Jade of this size is not easy to find.”

Sage Donghua simply smiled without speaking.

There were some who did not know what the Xuan Jade was, but hearing Sage Qingwei and Great Sage Jiang’s remarks and seeing the reactions of those involved, they could tell it was no less valuable than the pair of ink sticks.

Of course, only Qi Xuansu truly understood. Now that he possessed these two pieces of Xuan Jade, his path to become a Pseudo-Immortal was guaranteed.