A Pawn's Passage

Not long before Huangfu Ji met with Qi Xuansu, the first phase of the new port was officially completed. At the ceremony, Huangfu Ji delivered a concluding address for the first phase while also setting the stage for the upcoming second phase and the development of Blue Cloud Island. He led all the high-ranking Daoist priests who had participated in the construction of the new port to the site of the second phase, where construction had yet to begin.

Huangfu Ji swept out an arm, pointing toward the golden-sand coastline stretching for dozens of kilometers and the rolling sea beyond. Then he delivered the following speech.

“Fellow Daoists, today, we are making history and writing a new chapter. This ancient continent is about to enter a new era. From this day forward, we must embrace the ocean. We must never retreat inland and remain landlubbers. Since we have been presented with this opportunity, we must seize it firmly. We must have the courage to strive forward and create a glorious legacy that belongs to our generation.

“We are now walking an entirely new path, with no past experience to guide us. We are crossing the river by feeling for the stones. Our reform is itself an act of exploration, and exploration cannot be free of mistakes. When mistakes occur, they must be corrected and dealt with. We must face these mistakes and shortcomings squarely. During the years of war, when we fought against the Westerners, casualties were inevitable. We buried the bodies of our fellow Daoists, carried their convictions with us, followed the trail of their blood, and forged ahead through adversity.

“Today, we have arrived at a different battlefield, and we must possess that same fearless spirit of sacrifice. We must allow mistakes to be made and have the courage to take responsibility for them, exchanging individual sacrifices for the rebirth of the entire continent.”

Qi Xuansu had not been present at the ceremony, but he learned of Huangfu Ji’s speech through other channels. It was foreseeable that over the next few decades, the policies of the Western Daoist Order would undergo tremendous changes. The new generation of its leadership, headed by Huangfu Ji, would gradually cast aside some of the old conventions of the past and guide the Southern Continent in a more inclusive direction.

This also laid a solid foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation between the Daoist Order and the Western Daoist Order. If Qi Xuansu could successfully rise to power, the two sides might usher in a period of tremendous development. Conversely, if the more radical Li Changge came to power, the situation would become much harder to predict. The Daoist Order would seek to dominate everything, something the Western Daoist Order would never accept, making a deterioration in relations between the two sides inevitable.

This was also the central focus of Qi Xuansu and Huangfu Ji’s meeting. How should they deal with the imminent arrival of Li Changge? More importantly, would his arrival destabilize the harmonious situation that had developed in the Southern Continent?

That would depend on whether Li Changge would concurrently serve as the Daoist Order’s envoy. If he were merely the Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master, then Li Changge would have no authority over matters concerning the new port or Blue Cloud Island. But if he were also appointed envoy, then things would become much less certain. After all, the Western Daoist Order still depended on assistance from the Daoist Order, and the envoy represented the Daoist Order, giving him considerable influence.

Huangfu Ji did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. “Tian Yuan, do you think the Golden Tower Council will appoint Yong Yan as an envoy?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I asked my master about it. Nothing has been decided yet. The Taiping Sect will certainly fight hard for the appointment, but in my view, the chances of another envoy being appointed are not high. After all, the crises in the Southern Continent have already been resolved. The Steam Evangelical Sect, Kulkulkan, and the Tawantin royal family, the Longevous, and the humanoid insects have all been dealt with. What would be the point of sending another envoy here?

“Moreover, this was always meant to be a temporary post, much like being entrusted with a General’s Seal during a military campaign. Once the war ended, the seal would be surrendered back to the Imperial Court. I can now be considered to be returning in triumph, so naturally, the General’s Seal should be handed back. There is no longer a war to fight, so there is no need to appoint another general.

“However, being merely the Chief Deputy Beichen Hall Master still seems a little insufficient for Yong Yan, the Junior Imperial Preceptor. So I think he will still need the status of a special envoy, but maybe not plenipotentiary.”

After listening to Qi Xuansu’s analysis, Huangfu Ji pondered for a moment before asking, “The key question is, will Yong Yan be able to interfere with the Daoist Order’s aid?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “If he’s determined to oppose us at every turn, then he certainly can. But Yong Yan probably won’t do that. If things deteriorate to the point where both sides suffer, he won’t gain anything from it either. After all, maintaining unity is still important work and a major priority. Given Yong Yan’s position, his main purpose in coming to the Southern Continent this time is to earn merit, not to disrupt the situation. This sort of dirty work that harms others without benefiting oneself is usually done by people who have no hope of advancing any further.”

Huangfu Ji nodded, agreeing with Qi Xuansu’s assessment.

The two fell silent for a while, staring at the tranquil pond beyond the window. Their backs were leaning leisurely against the chair, and two cups of piping hot tea sat in front of them on the table. It was a rather picturesque scene.

In the end, it was Qi Xuansu who broke the silence. “We’ll deal with whatever comes our way. If he wants to earn merit, we won’t stand in his way. If we want to get things done, then he shouldn’t interfere either. It would be best if we could each mind our own business.”

Huangfu Ji smiled. “Tian Yuan, is that really what you think? No matter what, the Southern Continent is my territory. No matter how powerful the Li family may be, their influence here is still limited. It’s really not that difficult if we really wanted to put a few obstacles in his way.”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “There’s no need for that. The key issue now isn’t whether Yong Yan or I can gain the upper hand. It is who will prevail between my master and Sage Qingwei. When I return this time, I will do everything I can to make one thing happen.”

“What is it?” Huangfu Ji grew curious.

Qi Xuansu’s answer was succinct. “Strengthening our ties through marriage.”

Huangfu Ji thought for a moment. “You mean...Sage Cihang?”

Qi Xuansu said, “Since ancient times, marriage alliances have always been one of the best ways to forge an alliance. Although Qing Xiao and I genuinely love each other after going through hardships together and knew each other before either of us amounted to much, our marriage still carries a strong element of a political alliance. We are Daoist companions, but we are also allies.”

Huangfu Ji chuckled. “That is indeed a clever move. It could breathe life back into this deadlock. The only concern is that the two Sages are too old and may be too embarrassed to make the first move.”

“That’s why we, the younger generation, and the elders above us, have to work on it from both ends.” Qi Xuansu lifted his teacup. “After all, we are like children to our masters, and children can speak without restraint. Since that’s the case, we are free to do as we wish.”

Huangfu Ji pointed at Qi Xuansu. “What twisted logic you have. Well, as long as you can make it happen, none of that matters.”

Qi Xuansu leisurely sipped his tea. “Let’s get back to business. Once Yong Yan takes over, he will likely want to make his mark as a newly appointed official. The first thing he’ll do will be to rebuild the intelligence network in the Northern Continent. That won’t matter much to us. At most, Juesheng Hall will have to provide some assistance. After that, he’ll start reorganizing the system here in the Southern Continent, which will affect us. What worries me more is Huangfu Xi’s situation. Judging from how things ultimately turned out, Unulatu did not commit any fundamental wrongdoing. If Yong Yan tries to overturn the previous conclusions and reopen the case, there could be some trouble.”

Huangfu Ji fell into deep thought.

This was a matter concerning the interests of both sides. With the Huangfu family’s goddaughter in control of the Tawantin royal family, the Huangfu family naturally stood to benefit. It was precisely because Qi Xuansu had orchestrated a palace coup that Huangfu Xi had been placed on the throne.

Perhaps Qi Xuansu had been wrong in doing so, or perhaps he had been right. Either way, there were aspects of the matter that could never be fully explained. Moreover, this had been one of the key pillars of Qi Xuansu’s handling of the ancient gods incident, leaving plenty of room for others to make an issue of it.

If Li Changge wanted to reopen the case and overturn its conclusions, perhaps his target would not be the Huangfu family itself. He might simply want to prove that Qi Xuansu had been wrong, thereby discrediting the policies Qi Xuansu had pursued during his tenure, overturning Qi Xuansu’s decisions, and ultimately dealing Qi Xuansu with a heavy blow. However, doing so would inevitably harm the Huangfu family’s interests, which would provoke their opposition and create resistance.

That was what an alliance of interests meant—advancing and retreating together.

Even if Qi Xuansu did nothing, the Huangfu family would still have to step forward and oppose Li Changge.

This was precisely the kind of situation Zhang Yuelu had encountered in Nanyang.

Huangfu Ji said, “The Western Daoist Order’s position is clear regarding this matter. It has already been discussed at the Gold Council, and a formal resolution has been reached. Even if Yong Yan is a special envoy of the Daoist Order, he may choose not to respect me personally, but he must respect the Gold Council as the Western Daoist Order’s highest governing body.”

Those were very strong words, but they were also entirely justified.

Even if the Daoist Order’s special envoy were replaced by one of the Three Deputy Grand Masters, this principle would still hold when necessary.

In other words, the Grand Master could choose not to trust the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect, but they would still have to respect the Taiping Sect as one of the Three Daoist Sects.

The organization stood above the individual. This had been an ironclad principle ever since the revival of the Daoist Order.

Of course, saying it was one thing. Fully putting those words into practice would still require considerable effort.

Huangfu Ji continued, “You can rest assured about this, Tian Yuan. I’ll make sure everything is settled on the Western Daoist Order’s side. Besides, Ixchel is reasonable. As long as we keep Ixchel firmly on our side, no matter how capable Yong Yan may be, he won’t be able to stir up much trouble.”

Qi Xuansu said nothing more. He merely picked up his teacup and raised it toward Huangfu Ji in a toast, substituting tea for wine.

Huangfu Ji likewise raised his cup in response.

While Qi Xuansu was methodically wrapping things up on his end, things were far from easy for Zhang Yuelu.

Trouble had broken out in Nanyang again.

This time, it had nothing to do with the old Daoists. After all, they were eagerly waiting to send Zhang Yuelu away from their territory. Thus, at this juncture, they would not put obstacles in her way.

The key issue was the Taiping Sect.

No matter how slim the chances were, they still had to compete. If they fought for it, there was at least a chance of moving up. If they did not, there would certainly be no chance at all. Before leaving things to fate, one must first do everything within one’s power.

Li Minghuang wanted to compete with Zhang Yuelu for the position of Chief Deputy Tiangang Hall Master. But how was he supposed to compete?

It was certainly too late for him to suddenly earn some substantial merit now. Even if such an opportunity arose, it would undoubtedly be reserved for Li Changge, and Li Minghuang would have to wait his turn.

Since he could not strengthen his own position, he could only weaken his opponent.

Li Minghuang might not have any accomplishments to his name, but he could always make sure Zhang Yuelu had mistakes on hers. His thinking was the same as Qi Xuansu’s. At the critical moment, one should make a critical accusation and detonate the right bomb.

Although the Taiping Sect did not wield much influence in Nanyang, which was practically the Quanzhen Sect’s territory, the Taiping Sect controlled Beichen Hall and Fengxian Hall. If Ziwei Hall was responsible for promoting people, then these two halls were responsible for demoting them.

With the Heavenly Court coordinating with the Taiping Sect, Zhang Yuelu was caught between attacks from two sides.

To put simply, it would be difficult for the Taiping Sect to help someone accomplish something in Nanyang, but it was still quite capable of ruining things there.

Thus, at this critical moment, the Taiping Sect caused trouble for Zhang Yuelu.