A Pawn's Passage

With all preparations complete, they set sail.

Qi Xuansu entered his cabin, which was tastefully furnished and consisted of an outer and inner room. The outer room served as both a reception area and an office, with a writing desk set at an angle, several bookshelves, a map, and a few chairs lined up against the wall. The inner room was a quiet meditation chamber, suitable for sitting in meditation or resting.

Since this was a warship rather than a Sage’s private vessel, it could not be outfitted like a flying mansion. As such, what was already offered was impressive enough.

Not every Daoist Mansion was given a flying ship. Wealthier Daoist Mansions might own several, while poorer ones could not scrape together even a single vessel. The Poluo Daoist Mansion was unquestionably one of the wealthiest. Thus, for a Mansion Master to be transferred from a poor Daoist Mansion to a wealthy one was considered a promotion in itself.

Qi Xuansu glanced over the bookshelves, which were stocked primarily with military treatises, both from the Central Plains and translated works from the Western Continent.

Although the Western Daoist Order publicly and strictly prohibited anything originating from the Western Continent, Western goods and ideas were commonly seen among its upper ranks.

After all, when the Western Daoist Order left the Central Plains, it had not immediately sailed to the New Continent. It had also spent time on the Western Continent. As such, they were thoroughly familiar with Westerners.

Western books, Western paintings, and the glittering world of the West were to be viewed through a critical lens. The Western Daoist Order understood the Holy Court even better than the Daoist Order did because they had once been allies who later became enemies.

Due to this, the Western Daoist Order had numerous translations of Western military works and even complete translations of the Holy Scriptures, with virtually no discrepancies from the originals.

Though both the Daoist Order and the Western Daoist Order had been influenced by Western learning, the former embraced it openly and without reservation, believing that true greatness lay in inclusiveness. Meanwhile, the Western Daoist Order studied it only in secret, restricting it to a portion of its upper leadership.

This difference stemmed entirely from the different circumstances and environments each faced.

Qi Xuansu casually pulled a translated volume from the shelf and flipped through it. Its contents were largely the same as what was taught at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. However, the academy’s textbooks had clearly been compiled, edited, abridged, and revised, inevitably distorting some of the original author’s intent. The Western Daoist Order’s editions, by contrast, preserved the original text in its entirety. Whether the ideas were right or wrong, everything was presented as it was, leaving the reader to judge for themselves. After all, without examining the original, how could one claim to criticize it?

Qi Xuansu spent about two hours reading before devoting another two hours to cultivation. Just then, the Horned Dragon suddenly came to a halt.

A short while later, Hun Ahau entered to report, “Sage, we’ve discovered an unusual shipwreck. The ship’s design is extremely old. It doesn’t resemble a modern steam-powered ship but rather an ancient vessel from a thousand years ago. Shall we salvage it?”

Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment.

A flying ship was still different from an ordinary seagoing vessel. Since it travelled through the skies, its speed was astonishing. Flying from the Imperial Capital to Dayuan Port in Sahul took roughly 12 hours.

They had been sailing for four hours, which meant they had already reached the outer fringes of that stretch of sea. Had they been sailing on the ocean instead, it would probably have taken several days to get this far.

Qi Xuansu said, “Sure, let’s salvage it. Perhaps we’ll come across something unexpected. At the very least, it’ll allow us to gain a better understanding of what we’re dealing with.”

Hun Ahau acknowledged the order and departed.

Before long, the Horned Dragon began a slow descent.

As a warship, the Horned Dragon lacked the proper equipment to salvage vessels, such as lifting cranes. Even so, this posed no real difficulty for them. Hun Ahau volunteered to go down personally.

Qi Xuansu readily approved.

Despite claiming to feel uneasy about the voyage, Hun Ahau was still a Pseudo-Immortal. Those words were nothing more than idle remarks. Such things were hardly enough to frighten him.

After all, so long as there were no Immortals around, Hun Ahau would be the strongest among them.

It was simply unfortunate that Hun Chowen had committed the grave crime of treason, which carried extremely serious consequences. Had it been almost any other offense, there might still have been room for leniency.

Hun Ahau leaped overboard like a falling meteor, smashing explosively into the sea before rapidly sinking beneath the surface.

Qi Xuansu simply stood on the deck, looking down from above. His hands were clasped behind his back, his left hand holding his right wrist, while his right hand idly rolled a sarira between his fingers.

Outsiders who did not know better might have assumed that Sage Qi was simply fond of such antiques. After all, it was not an unusual hobby. One could just hold the sarira and absent-mindedly polish it over time until it developed a rich patina.

In addition, Qi Xuansu kept several pages from the Scripture of Zuriel tucked inside his sleeve, within easy reach. That way, he could use them immediately should an emergency arise.

Although the Horned Dragon was protected by powerful formations, he still did not dare let down his guard in the slightest.

Soon after, bubbles began rising to the surface of the sea.

First, the tip of a mast broke through the surface. Then more of the mast emerged until the hull itself rose from the depths. Countless streams of seawater cascaded down the mast and hull like miniature waterfalls. The ship’s exterior was thickly overgrown with seaweed and encrusted with moss and barnacles, while schools of fish and shrimp had made their homes within its crevices.

However, Hun Ahau was nowhere to be seen. He was beneath the wreck, single-handedly supporting the entire sunken ship and lifting it from the seabed with sheer strength.

With a casual wave of his hand, Utu cast a spell that stilled the surface of the sea. The once-restless waters solidified, as if they had turned to ice, ensuring that the wreck floating above the surface neither drifted away nor sank again.

Hun Ahau returned to the Horned Dragon and reported to Qi Xuansu, “There is indeed something strange about it. This ship wasn’t holed after striking a reef, nor does it appear to have been caught in a storm. It’s largely intact. It looks more as though something forcibly dragged it beneath the sea.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Surely it can’t be the legendary great demon of Nanyang. Besides, it’s been several centuries since the Heavenly Empress was around. If that great demon is still alive, then it most likely never attained immortality. In that case, it isn’t bound by the 100-year limit, and there’s really nothing to fear.”

Hun Ahau nodded in agreement.

Before Qi Xuansu gave further orders, Yang Shaozhen had already dispatched a group of sailors to search the wreck while the rest waited for the results.

Qi Xuansu and the two Pseudo-Immortals remained on the deck, standing apart from the others as they passed the time in casual conversation. Although Qi Xuansu was in command of this expedition, he did not put on airs. The three simply conversed as equals.

As they chatted, the conversation naturally turned to this year’s personnel appointments within the Daoist Order. Although Hun Ahau and Utu were not formally members of the Daoist Order, both were closely affiliated outsiders, so they followed such developments with great interest. Qi Xuansu’s next appointment had already been decided, leaving little to discuss. No matter where he was posted, it would undoubtedly be another promotion, and they had already congratulated him on it.

Whether one first achieved great success in one’s career and then married or first married and then advanced in one’s career was much the same. In the eyes of most people, building both a family and a career was the definition of a complete and fulfilling life.

Moreover, unless one was aiming for the very highest positions in the Daoist Order, there was no real need for such a comprehensive résumé.

Based solely on what Qi Xuansu had accomplished on the Southern Continent, promoting him directly to Mansion Master would not have been excessive. Yet in the end, Sage Donghua chose to hold him back a little. Of course, this was for Qi Xuansu’s own benefit, allowing him to fill the gaps in his experience on the administrative and strategic side of governance. From Palace Master to Mansion Master, then to Hall Master. Even among Mansion Masters, there were small and big Daoist Mansions. The Nine Halls were also divided into the Three Great Halls and the rest. Climbing the ladder step by step without skipping a single rung was the most prudent path.

However, for someone like Li Minghuang, who had no expectation of competing for the position of the eighth-generation Grand Master, the philosophy was entirely different. All that talk of steadily climbing the ladder one rung at a time was merely empty rhetoric. Every promotion that could be secured was worth taking. If three steps could be gained, one would never settle for two. Reaching the top in a single leap was far preferable.

Since Hun Ahau and Utu had already congratulated Qi Xuansu long ago, they no longer dwelled on the subject. Instead, they turned to discussing Zhang Yuelu’s future appointment.

After all, Sage Qi and Sage Zhang were effectively a single unit. They shared one another’s fortunes, for better or worse. If Zhang Yuelu received an excellent appointment, it would likewise be an enormous advantage for Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu said, “Can’t you see it yet? It’s impossible for four young people to all be promoted to Omniscient Sage at the same time. The Golden Tower Council simply doesn’t have that many positions available. My own promotion to Omniscient Sage has already attracted enough attention. My master deliberately held me back a little by assigning me to administrative duties. Although my rank has risen, my actual authority has diminished. That is his way of looking out for me.

“The other Three Prodigies won’t be able to match my rank, so they’ll have to make up for it with greater authority. Li Changge is now taking over my position as the head of the Beichen Hall. Naturally, the other two can’t be left behind. The Three Prodigies of the Daoist Order have always advanced together, so in my view, Qing Xiao will be assigned to the Tiangang Hall as its Chief Deputy, while my senior sister, Su Yi, will be the Chief Deputy Ziwei Hall Master. That way, all Three Prodigies will hold the leading positions in the Three Great Halls, and no one will really come out ahead of the others.”

Hun Ahau pondered aloud, “That still doesn’t quite add up. The reason Sage Li was able to receive such a promotion is due to his Pseudo-Immortal cultivation, making him eligible for exceptional advancement. As far as I know, although Sage Zhang and Sage Yao are extraordinarily talented, they still can’t compare to you or Sage Li. They have not rendered major achievements either, so how could they possibly be promoted? Even if they were promoted by special exception, I’m afraid many people wouldn’t accept it.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “You’re right. Qing Xiao and Su Yi do fall a little short, so they’ll probably only serve as Acting Chief Deputy this time, whereas Yong Yan can remove that prefix in his title. In essence, that already puts the two ladies half a step behind.

“Moreover, the Daoist Order has just gone through the Western Region Campaign, the Fenglin Campaign, and the war between the Northern and Southern Continents. There won’t be another major conflict anytime soon. The campaign against the secret societies is also transitioning back to normal operations. Under those circumstances, the Tiangang Hall is unlikely to have many opportunities to distinguish itself. Qing Xiao may still possess lofty ambitions, but she won’t have a battlefield on which to realize them.

“As for the Ziwei Hall, it prioritizes absolute stability, making notable achievements difficult. It limits opportunities and builds administrative skills, drowning people in paperwork and meetings and promoting people at a glacial pace. Yao Shu had long since qualified to become an Omniscient Sage, yet he wasn’t promoted until Wang Jiaohe fell from power. Su Yi won’t be any exception.

“But Beichen Hall is different. The Southern Continent is entering a turbulent period with the separatist forces, and the intelligence network on the Northern Continent has to be rebuilt. They also have to guard against the Sonno-joi faction in Fenglin, as well as the Holy Court’s overseas influence. These are all opportunities. As the Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master, my hands were tied, and I often had to rely on my authority as the Daoist Order’s envoy to get things done. But Yong Yan’s situation will be completely different. The entire Beichen Hall will cooperate with him wholeheartedly, making it much easier for him to produce tangible achievements. I’m afraid that by the time Qing Xiao and Su Yi finally remove the prefix from their titles, Yong Yan will already have been promoted to Omniscient Sage.”

Hun Ahau and Utu nodded repeatedly. “In that case, it seems we’ll have to rely on you to keep Sage Li in check.”