A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu still remembered that long ago, when he had first arrived in Jade Capital, he had relied on Sun Yongfeng’s connections.

At the time, Sun Yongfeng had said that a headless fly could only crash around aimlessly and accomplish nothing. What one needed was to meet the right person to say the crucial words at the critical moment.

Those “crucial words” did not necessarily have to be words of praise. They could just as easily be words of condemnation.

In other words, whether helping someone succeed or ruining someone else’s plans, everything depended on saying the right thing at the critical moment.

What Li Minghuang had done could be treated as either a minor issue or a major scandal. Bringing it up now would likely result in nothing more than a slap on the wrist. But if it were brought up at the critical moment of his promotion, it could completely alter the outcome.

Qi Xuansu had risen through the ranks so quickly due to his powerful backing and repeated major merits. He had also never given others leverage against him. He was neither greedy for wealth nor lustful for women.

No one could realistically make an issue of Qi Xuansu’s mansion in Taishang Place. After all, Li Changge’s own residence was only a street away. If they used that against Qi Xuansu, then everyone else who owned property there would be in trouble as well. Why should others be allowed to buy homes in Taishang Place while Qi Xuansu could not? As such, that line of attack was a dead end.

After Li Minghuang advanced to the Zaohua stage, rumors spread that he would soon be assigned elsewhere as a Chief Deputy Mansion Master, almost in the same round of promotions as Qi Xuansu. The anticipated sequence was for Qi Xuansu to be promoted to Omniscient Sage, Li Changge to succeed him as Chief Deputy of Beichen Hall, and Li Minghuang to take over Li Changge’s position as Chief Deputy of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion.

If Qi Xuansu’s position did not change, then neither Li Changge nor Li Minghuang could move up.

The reason Li Minghuang had fallen one step behind Lei Xiaohuan was largely a matter of bad luck. When the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion underwent a reshuffle, the Three Sects each occupied one position. The Taiping Sect’s slot was already taken by Li Tianlan, while the Quanzhen Sect’s position happened to become vacant. Lei Xiaohuan naturally stepped into that opening, leaving Li Minghuang with no choice but to continue waiting.

Another factor was that Lei Xiaohuan was a female Daoist. According to the Daoist Order’s principle of “equality,” it was necessary to maintain a certain proportion of female Daoists in senior positions. As a result, female Daoists enjoyed a degree of advantage when it came to promotions.

However, that advantage was limited to ranks below an Omniscient Sage. Beyond that level, such considerations largely disappeared, as every position was too important, and advancement depended almost entirely on ability. Consequently, the number of women among the ranks of Omniscient Sage, Virtuous Great Sage, and Deputy Grand Master dropped sharply, to the point where they could almost be counted on one hand. The two supreme ranks above them—Grand Master and Great Xuan Emperor—had never had a female in office. It was no wonder that so many female Daoists placed their hopes on Zhang Yuelu.

Even so, judging from the current situation, no matter how loudly the female Daoists called for equality, it was still the male Daoists who dominated the highest levels. Whether it was the contest between Sage Donghua and Sage Qingwei in the seventh generation, or Qi Xuansu’s rivalry with Li Changge in the eighth generation, the principal contenders were all men.

As a result, quite a few male Daoists complained that the men at the top championed the banner of equality by sacrificing the interests of those at the bottom. The costs were borne by ordinary male Daoists, while the reputation for promoting equality belonged to the men at the top. Meanwhile, many female Daoists admired the powerful and bullied the weak. Rather than criticizing the top-ranking male Daoists, who had given up virtually none of their own advantages, they focused their efforts on competing against the lowest-ranking male Daoists.

In summary, male Daoists had a higher ceiling but a lower floor, while female Daoists had a lower ceiling but a higher floor.

Beyond the issue of gender, there was also the question of personal conduct.

Lei Xiaohuan had no real moral scandals to speak of, unless one insisted that her towering stature and tendency to bully Pei Xiaolou counted as wrongdoing. Yet the Daoist Order happened to admire this dynamic of strong women and weaker men, treating a husband’s fear of his wife as a sign of marital affection and being kept in line by one’s wife as something to be proud of.

Due to this culture, members of the Daoist Order were often mocked by officials of the Great Xuan Court. They joked that the male Daoists were gentle and delicate, while the female Daoists were fierce and formidable.

Li Minghuang, on the other hand, had one scandal after another. The affairs involving Gu Ying and Zhou Xiaosong only came to light because Li Tianlan and Lu Yujue were not ordinary people. They possessed both status and influence. Had the wronged parties lacked powerful backing, the incidents would likely have been buried without causing so much as a ripple. On the surface, Li Minghuang had merely seduced two women. In reality, no one knew how many similar incidents there had been. All these scandals were bound to catch up with him sooner or later.

Qi Xuansu’s intentions were obvious. The incidents involving Gu Ying and Zhou Xiaosong were insignificant if considered individually, amounting at most to a token punishment. But if they were brought up together during deliberations over Li Minghuang’s appointment and turned into a major issue, they could derail his promotion entirely. If the Taiping Sect insisted on forcing Li Minghuang’s promotion, they would have to negotiate with the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect, making political concessions in return. If they refused to give up any interests, then Li Minghuang’s advancement would be delayed.

Even if the Taiping Sect ultimately forced Li Minghuang’s promotion through, they would certainly punish him internally afterward. This time, it would be far more than a symbolic reprimand. They would make sure he learned his lesson. After all, the Taiping Sect’s political capital was not inexhaustible. If he wanted to chase women, there was no reason for the Taiping Sect to pay the price.

For someone as ambitious as Li Minghuang, such an outcome would be utterly unacceptable.

That was why Qi Xuansu wanted to calm Lu Yujue and prevent him from causing trouble now. Instead, he wanted him to speak those crucial words about Li Minghuang at the critical moment. Only then could Li Minghuang truly be made to suffer, and only then could revenge be properly taken.

In short, bringing down Li Minghuang could not be accomplished overnight. The first step was to halt his upward momentum, then wear him down little by little. After all, Li Minghuang was not a direct descendant of the Li family like Li Changge, so their patience would not be limitless. They had already swallowed their disgust and protected him once during the Li Tianlan affair. If they protected him again this time, what about the next? Once the Li family’s patience finally ran out and they regarded him as a disposable pawn, that was when Li Minghuang’s good days would come to an end.

When that day came, where could Li Minghuang turn? The Zhengyi Sect would certainly not take him in, leaving only the Quanzhen Sect. But the Quanzhen Sect would have to consider the views of its ally, the Zhengyi Sect. All Qi Xuansu would need to do was quietly say a few words to Sage Donghua, and Li Minghuang could be cast down into the dust.

Once Li Minghuang lost his status as a Daoist priest, his Zaohua stage cultivation alone would not mean anything. Zhang Jucheng was not someone to be trifled with. Even if Zhang Jucheng found it inconvenient to act personally, the Ziguang Society would be more than capable of dealing with Li Minghuang.

For the present-day Qi Xuansu, Li Minghuang’s matter was merely a brief interlude. He had far too many other concerns weighing on his mind, like rebuilding the Northern Continent’s intelligence network, dealing with blood sacrifices and the humanoid insects, preparing for his marriage, consolidating his strategic position in the Southern Continent, his promotion to Omniscient Sage, his attempt to advance to the Pseudo-Immortal stage, and, above all, Zhou Mengyao, whose whereabouts remained unknown and who might emerge at any moment to catch him completely off guard.

As the scope of his responsibilities continued to expand, the number of capable people at his disposal was gradually becoming insufficient.

Elder Xu had said that once capable talent became scarce and difficult to replace, the situation would inevitably grow more complicated.

As a result, Qi Xuansu had to begin cultivating and promoting a group of trusted confidants. Cheng Lixue counted as one. Liu Hu still needed further experience. Little Yin was simply too unreliable. Sending her to beat someone up was one thing, but asking her to handle official business or solve practical problems would leave her completely lost. She was better off continuing her studies.

Madam Wu was an excellent candidate, but she simply could not spare the time at present.

Qi Xuansu found Tantai Ying exceptionally easy to work with. Unfortunately, he could not bring her back to the Central Plains. After all, she was the eldest daughter of the distinguished Tantai family, destined to govern the Western Daoist Order alongside Huangfu Ji. Huangfu Xi was equally capable, but she also could not leave for the Central Plains.

Qi Xuansu thought highly of Tantai Ying and Huangfu Xi because they were both capable. After he instructed them to draft an operational plan, the two women quickly produced one and submitted it to him. It was clear and methodical. Another meeting was convened, the proposal was discussed and approved, and it was formally issued for implementation.

The Moon Goddess Temple would also cooperate fully, with Utu serving as its representative.

The temple district had undergone redevelopment. During Madam Wu’s previous fierce battle with Kukulkan’s avatar, the Sun God Temple had been reduced to ruins. It had originally been scheduled for restoration, but with Kukulkan now dead, those plans were canceled. Instead, the temple would be demolished entirely and rebuilt as a Daoist temple.

One corner of the Moon Goddess Temple had likewise been destroyed and was still undergoing repairs. However, Chak Chel’s temple now belonged to Ixchel, so many of the Moon Goddess Temple’s priests and priestesses were currently stationed there.

The statue of the tiger-clawed crone within the temple had already been torn down and replaced with that of the Moon Queen. Compared to the former Moon Maiden, the Moon Queen appeared far more mature. Her attire and cosmetics had adopted a distinctly Central Plains style, and she was draped from head to toe in a veil of smoky black gauze that resembled a flowing cloak, symbolizing her authority over the night.

A faint radiance of moonlight permeated the entire temple.

The High Priestess of the Moon Goddess Temple walked through its halls, and the priests and priestesses along the way all stopped to bow respectfully.

The High Priestess wore a warm, gentle smile as she acknowledged the greetings and respects of her subordinates.

With the Moon Queen’s ascension to the throne, the Moon Priestesses had also adopted new attire. Their clothing had become much more like that of the Central Plains. They no longer left their arms and legs exposed. Instead, they wore flowing robes with wide sleeves, their garments billowing gracefully, resembling female Daoists.

Deep within the temple was a small prayer chamber. A woman dressed in the robes of an ordinary priestess knelt before a statue of Ixchel, offering her prayers.

Moonlight shimmered around the statue as divine power flowed through it, continuously responding to the woman’s prayers.

The woman was none other than Empress Unulatu. Though she had been deposed by Qi Xuansu, Ixchel had protected her and arranged for her to reside within the Moon Goddess Temple.

Unulatu had already learned of Kukulkan’s demise and could only lament her ill fortune. She had once stood a chance of becoming the Empress of the Tawantin Empire, yet in the end, Huangfu Xi had reaped the benefits instead. To compensate her, Ixchel had promised that she would soon bestow upon her the status of a chosen servant.

Originally, Ixchel could have only one Pseudo-Immortal-level chosen servant. However, after reclaiming Chak Chel and the divine authority of night, she had advanced to the level of a prospective First-Tribulation Immortal, granting her an additional chosen servant. She intended to give that position to Unulatu. That meant Unulatu would become a true power within the Moon Goddess Temple.

Although Unulatu was still dressed in the robes of an ordinary Moon Priestess, the High Priestess already regarded her as an equal rather than a subordinate.

The High Priestess entered the prayer chamber and said to Unulatu, who was still praying, “The Moon Queen has delivered a divine oracle.”

Unulatu ceased her prayers and turned around. “I have already received it.”

The High Priestess produced a silver scepter and presented it to Unulatu with both hands. “The Moon Queen wishes for you to lead a force to punish those who have defied her will and shown her disrespect.”

Unulatu accepted the scepter, which was as tall as her, with a crescent moon adorning its tip.

She bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment. “It will be my honor.”