A Pawn's Passage

In the end, Qi Xuansu decided to postpone its implementation, as this policy would infringe upon the interests of those who benefit from the status quo. Such beneficiaries were often the people in power.

If it could have been accomplished with a single order, Qi Xuansu would not have needed to seek Huangfu Xi’s opinion in the first place. Precisely because he understood the difficulties involved, he did not insist and instead followed the prudent course.

This allowed Huangfu Xi to breathe a sigh of relief. She had only just risen to power, so her position was still unstable. If she rashly pushed forward such a decree, the ancient gods might not dare target Qi Xuansu, but they would certainly dare target her. In the end, she would be the one to suffer.

The matter of Empress Unulatu’s rebellion was brought to a close for the moment. Ixchel had personally intervened, and under pressure, Qi Xuansu reached a compromise.

As a result, he temporarily stopped pursuing matters involving Utu, the Heron Society, and the humanoid insects. Now was not yet the time to settle accounts with them. Qi Xuansu also did not formally strip Unulatu of her title as Empress. Instead, he left the matter unresolved. If he were to depose Unulatu, he would first have to convict her. If she were convicted, a punishment would have to follow, making it impossible to spare her.

Thus, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to declare Unulatu “ill” as well. One went to the Sun Temple to recuperate, while the other went to the Full Moon Temple.

Qi Xuansu’s sweeping actions in New Paititi quickly reached Jade Capital. Whether the many voices in Jade Capital praised or criticized him, the impact was undeniable, so the discussion of Qi Xuansu became unavoidable. For a time, although Qi Xuansu himself was far from Jade Capital, he dominated all conversation.

From being a nobody to overshadowing the Daoist Order’s Three Prodigies, Qi Xuansu truly had remarkable progress.

Now, it seemed that Qi Xuansu was increasingly displaying the bearing of a major figure.

However, the Three Prodigies had not been idle either.

Zhang Yuelu’s humiliating defeat in Poluo had become the biggest topic of discussion before Qi Xuansu overthrew the Tawantin royal family. The forthright Great Sage Tang bluntly remarked that her policies were nothing but reckless nonsense.

After the Heavenly Preceptor’s intervention, Zhang Yuelu had secluded herself from visitors and kept a very low profile. Compared to Qi Xuansu’s prominence, some people had already begun boldly suggesting that she should simply settle into the role of the Grand Master Consort and stop competing for the position of Grand Master. If she and Qi Xuansu worked together, they would surely defeat the other two contenders fighting alone.

Zhang Yuelu paid no attention to such comments. Instead, she began earnestly strengthening her cultivation. The Heavenly Preceptor had set a goal for her. Without relying on external aid, she was to reach the Pseudo-Immortal stage before the age of 40. This was not an unreasonable expectation. At her age, Tantai Yun, the founder of the Western Daoist Order, had already become an Immortal.

Even so, the old Daoists dared not kick her while she was down. After all, the Heavenly Preceptor had personally intervened, and one elderly Great Sage had already suffered the full force of his wrath.

Meanwhile, Li Changge entered a period of rapid promotion. He first served as Second Deputy of Fenglin and was then transferred to the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion as its Chief Deputy. The former Chief Deputy of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, Zhou Jiaoxian, was reassigned laterally to the Sahul Daoist Mansion as Chief Deputy, where he would work alongside Ye Qingshuang.

From the perspective of the average person, the position of Chief Deputy Mansion Master of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion was somewhat of a mixed blessing. The actual authority attached to the office was quite limited. First of all, it sat beneath the Great Xuan Court. Other Daoist Mansions generally held authority over local governments. For example, the Poluo Daoist Mansion could freely deal with the rulers of various small states. However, in the Imperial Capital, the situation was reversed, and the Daoist Mansion had to be mindful of the Great Xuan Court’s wishes.

There was also the powerful Qizhou Daoist Mansion next door, which had effectively taken Bohai Prefecture for itself.

Serving as Chief Deputy in such a place meant wielding little real power. For the various Sages, it was considered a semi-exile. That was why someone like Shi Bingyun, whose political career had become hopeless after making mistakes, had been assigned there.

The last time Qi Xuansu came here, it was mainly because of the Wuxing Mountain operation, and he had been temporarily seconded. His case could not be compared with others.

For Li Changge, however, none of these were problems.

First, the Li family had close ties with the imperial family, and Li Changge was preparing to marry a princess. Pressure from the Imperial Court simply did not exist for him. Second, the Qizhou Daoist Mansion was also under the Li family’s influence. Even if Li Changge insisted on involving himself in Bohai Prefecture’s affairs, the Qizhou Daoist Mansion would not object. On the contrary, it would help explain his actions. After all, the Qizhou Daoist Mansion was only acting as caretaker for Bohai Prefecture. It was perfectly reasonable for the Chief Deputy of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion to inquire about matters there. Of course, such a privilege applied only to this particular Chief Deputy.

Furthermore, Li Ruoshui, the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion Master, was also a member of the Li family and certainly would not make things difficult for Li Changge. The Li family had arranged for Li Changge to become the Chief Deputy of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion not because of the office’s authority, but to resolve a matter of rank. Regardless of how much power the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion possessed, its Chief Deputy held the same official rank as the Chief Deputy of the Poluo Daoist Mansion. Both positions qualified one for promotion to Chief Deputy Hall Master of one of the Three Great Halls.

Some people would never advance beyond the level of Chief Deputy in their lifetime, so they placed great importance on the amount of authority a position carried. But for someone like Li Changge, whose ambition was to become the Grand Master, these positions were merely stepping stones. Such details were secondary. What mattered was maintaining the proper pace of promotion.

In truth, the Li family had already accelerated its plans. Li Changge should not have been promoted to Chief Deputy of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, because it was difficult to achieve noteworthy accomplishments there. But Qi Xuansu’s meteoric rise had forced the Li family to abandon its gradual approach.

Naturally, this approach came with side effects. Although Li Changge had barely managed to keep pace with Qi Xuansu, their résumés would look vastly different. When Qi Xuansu served as Chief Deputy, he brought down Wang Jiaohe, Sun Heyu, Chen Shuhua, and many senior officials of the Poluo Daoist Mansion, sweeping away corruption and exposing the truth.

Later, Qi Xuansu reorganized the Nanyang United Trading Company, oversaw foreign arms sales, completed assignments from the Golden Tower Council, stabilized the Daoist Order’s finances, and distinguished himself in disaster relief and public welfare efforts. He could truly be described as a talent in both civil and military affairs.

But what could Li Changge accomplish in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion? He could not bring down Li Ruoshui and Shi Bingyun, nor would the Ancient Immortals start causing trouble right under the Great Xuan Emperor’s nose. His record there was bound to be lacking in notable achievements.

When Qi Xuansu and Li Changge eventually faced each other, this would become one of Li Changge’s disadvantages.

Qi Xuansu would certainly have something to say about it. Back in Fenglin, he was the foremost contributor among the eighth-generation disciples in terms of military merit. He ventured alone deep into enemy territory and brought Mount Suzuka to the Daoist side, while Li Changge was under investigation. When Qi Xuansu was Chief Deputy, he purged Poluo of corruption and stabilized the situation until Great Sage Jiang arrived, then reorganized the Nanyang United Trading Company and expanded trade. He excelled in both civil and military affairs, while Li Changge accomplished nothing of note in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion.

When Qi Xuansu became Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master, he swept across the New Continent, resisting the Steam Evangelical Sect and suppressing reactionary ancient gods. Even if Li Changge succeeded him as the Chief Deputy of Beichen Hall, he would merely be inheriting the leftovers of Qi Xuansu’s achievements.

Other than being born into a better family, what exactly did Li Changge have that could compare with Qi Xuansu?

There was simply no comparison. Thus, although Li Changge’s rapid promotions seemed impressive and gratifying at the moment, they had in fact left behind a significant hidden danger that would inevitably come back to haunt him in the future.

The Li family understood this perfectly well, but they had no alternative. If they wanted to avoid such hidden dangers and allow Li Changge to advance gradually, the likely outcome would be that Qi Xuansu would already have become a Daoist Mansion Master while Li Changge was still serving as a Chief Deputy. It was even possible that Qi Xuansu would become Li Changge’s superior. In that case, the comparison would be even more unfavorable.

After assuming the position of Chief Deputy of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, Li Changge did not remain in the Imperial Capital very often. With the Great Xuan Court present, along with a Mansion Master and a Second Deputy, there simply were not that many matters requiring his attention. Was he supposed to spend his days rectifying public conduct for lack of anything better to do?

Thus, whether Li Changge was present in the Imperial Capital or not made little difference.

Of course, Li Changge was not idle. Like Zhang Yuelu, he needed to improve his cultivation. This was also Li Changge’s only way to break the deadlock.

If he could not compare to Qi Xuansu’s merits, then his cultivation would have to make up the difference. However, both he and Qi Xuansu had the Longevity Stone Heart, making it nearly impossible for either to gain a significant advantage under normal circumstances. That meant some additional external assistance was necessary.

Thus, Li Changge went to Qingqiu Mountain.

There had long been rumors that a Fox Immortal still resided within Qingqiu Mountain.

Since cultivation was a hundred times more difficult for demons than for humans, and because they also had to survive a minor heavenly tribulation upon reaching the Longevity stage, their hundred-year lifespan was not counted from birth. Instead, much like First-Tribulation Immortals, it was calculated from the moment they entered the Longevity stage, with their previous lifespan added on top. As a result, it was not uncommon for demons several centuries old to remain alive in the moral realm.

The leader of the Qingqiu Mountain’s fox clan was traditionally a woman, known as the Matriarch.

The New Year’s Eve of every Year of the Earth Dog was a grand occasion for the fox clan of Qingqiu Mountain, which occurred once every 60 years.

This year happened to be the Year of the Earth Dog, and Li Changge had been invited to attend the grand gathering.

The last time Sage Qingwei attended this event, he was still a child. In the blink of an eye, he was already in his sixties. This time, Sage Qingwei did not attend, as there was no longer any need for him to do so.

The so-called grand event was, in truth, the selection of a guest elder. Qingqiu Mountain had long maintained the tradition of inviting distinguished humans to serve as guest elders. Even Donghuang had once held that position.

Whenever a guest elder was selected, the fox clan of Qingqiu Mountain would choose its most outstanding young woman to perform dual cultivation with the guest elder using the Qinghuo Pearl. During this period, both parties would experience rapid growth in cultivation. At the same time, they would inevitably fall in love and form a deep emotional bond. In the end, if they could sever those bonds, they would be considered to have passed the Trial of Emotion and would have hope of advancing to the Longevity stage.

Those emotional bonds could only be severed by killing the person they loved and absorbing that person’s cultivation. Otherwise, they could be killed by the person they loved and pass their cultivation on instead. In short, the two would complete one another’s cultivation, but only one could survive in the end.

Later, Donghuang abolished this system. Emotional bonds were no longer severed, dual cultivation was no longer practiced, and the event became a purely ceremonial ritual.