A Pawn's Passage

After the banquet ended, Huangfu Ji had other matters to attend to and left first.

Li Changge called out to Qi Xuansu. “Brother Tian Yuan, please wait a moment. I’d like to speak with you in private.”

As soon as he said this, the people from both Ziwei Hall and Beichen Hall stiffened slightly.

They did not know what exactly was behind that gift, but judging from Li Changge’s reaction, it could hardly have been anything good.

It certainly looked as though Sage Qi and Sage Li were now locking horns. Among the eighth-generation disciples, these two were the only ones who could truly be considered rivals. Even Sage Zhang and Sage Yao were slightly inferior to them in this regard.

If the two failed to see eye to eye and actually came to blows, how were they supposed to bring the situation under control? Were they expected to step in and break up the fight?

Of all times, they had to confront each other when Sage Huangfu had already left. Was it still too late to chase after Sage Huangfu and invite him back?

The people from Beichen Hall were in an even more difficult position. One was their former superior, and the other was their new superior. They were right in the middle of a handover, so both were still considered their superiors. What were they supposed to do?

Qi Xuansu was momentarily taken aback, but he still said to the others, “Branch Manager Lu and Branch Manager Shen, please keep Deputy Hall Master Xu company for a while. Brother Yong Yan and I will talk in private.”

The two glanced at Li Changge before agreeing.

Before long, everyone had withdrawn, leaving only Qi Xuansu and Li Changge behind.

Qi Xuansu was not worried about what Li Changge might do to him. Although Li Changge had entered the Pseudo-Immortal stage, Qi Xuansu also possessed Pseudo-Immortal-level strength thanks to the Heluo God. So if it truly came to a fight, he had nothing to fear.

Behind the banquet hall was a smaller room that served as a lounge.

“Brother Tian Yuan, after you.” Li Changge turned slightly and extended a hand toward the lounge.

Qi Xuansu also extended a hand. “After you.”

The two entered the lounge side by side. It was decorated in a Western style, which reduced the distinction in status between host and guest. The two men each took a seat on a sofa.

Li Changge took the initiative to speak. “Brother Tian Yuan, when you were describing the situation in the Southern Continent earlier, there were actually a few things I wanted to say. However, with Sage Huangfu present, it wasn’t appropriate for me to speak openly. Now that it’s just the two of us, I’ll speak frankly.”

Qi Xuansu said, “I’m all ears.”

Li Changge said, “When it comes to handling affairs in the Southern Continent, you and I probably have some differences of opinion. Some people call me a radical and call you a conservative. Regardless, our goal is the same. We both want what is best for the Daoist Order. Our methods simply differ. This is especially evident when it comes to the word ‘unity.’”

Qi Xuansu said, “Isn’t that a good thing? This was the policy decided upon by the Holy Xuan himself back then.”

Li Changge said, “We should adapt our measures to local circumstances and change with the times. The situation today is no longer the same as it was during the Holy Xuan’s era, so naturally, our methods must change as well. If we continue clinging to the old ways, wouldn’t that be rigidly adhering to convention? How would we be any different from the Confucians of those days?”

Qi Xuansu said, “I’d like to hear you elaborate.”

Li Changge said, “Unity is certainly a good thing, but unity never comes for free. You can’t simply say a few words and expect others to willingly stand with us. Back when the Holy Xuan’s forces were still weak, he also had to pay a price to win over certain neutral factions. To put it bluntly, he inevitably had to promise them positions and rewards.”

These words could not offend Qi Xuansu, and Li Changge had only said them because he was certain of that.

The reason was simple. Qi Xuansu belonged to the Donghua lineage, and the Pei family had descended from a disciple of the Holy Xuan, making them part of the innermost circle of his direct lineage. This was especially true after the Zhou family caused a major upheaval due to the Qingping Society, leaving the Pei family as the sole remaining branch. They now had ample grounds to contend with the Li family as well because disciples were considered descendants, much like blood descendants. Thus, both could claim to be successors of the Holy Xuan.

Therefore, the Donghua lineage clearly did not fall within the category of so-called neutral factions. Rather, it belonged to the Holy Xuan’s core base. Like the Li family, they were among his most loyal supporters, perhaps even more loyal than the Li family.

Li Changge gave an example. “Take the Qi family, who happen to share your last name. Why did they submit to the Holy Xuan back then? Wasn’t it because the Holy Xuan sent people to persuade them and promised them a seat among the 36 Omniscient Sages of the Golden Tower Council in the future? Only then did they submit. A seat as an Omniscient Sage was the price of unity.

“Of course, I’m not denying the wisdom of the Holy Xuan’s approach. At the time, the Holy Xuan was weaker than the Confucian School, so he had little choice. It was the most reasonable solution at the lowest possible cost.

“But things are different now. Today’s Daoist Order is no longer the weaker side. We can hold half the world in our grasp, and our wealth extends across the seas. We no longer need to act according to anyone else’s whims. Wouldn’t it be somewhat outdated to continue using the strategies the Holy Xuan adopted when he was still weak?”

Qi Xuansu remained silent.

Li Changge continued, “Unity means buying people over with benefits. But where do those benefits come from? That is the most fundamental question. Benefits do not just appear out of thin air. They are created by people. If the interests of the majority are sacrificed to buy the support of a minority, wouldn’t that amount to rewarding whoever cries the loudest and giving in to whoever makes the biggest fuss? If this continues, ordinary Daoists will become increasingly dissatisfied and will actively seek to cast off responsibilities that should never have been theirs to bear in the first place.

“If a man casts off his responsibilities, the result is simply that he stops supporting his wife and children. But if the main body of the Daoist Order no longer wants to shoulder its responsibilities, what do you think will happen?”

Qi Xuansu remained silent for a long time as he pondered. In the end, he did not refute Li Changge. “Brother Yong Yan, I largely agree with what you said, that we cannot blindly rely on established paths, nor can we rigidly cling to old conventions. I only have one point to make.”

Li Changge looked at Qi Xuansu. “Please go ahead, Brother Tian Yuan.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Is the Western Daoist Order ultimately a part of the Daoist Order? Or is it a neutral faction independent of the Daoist Order?”

This time, it was Li Changge’s turn to fall silent.

This was a very difficult question to answer.

In practical terms, the Western Daoist Order was indeed a force independent of the Daoist Order, as it had considerable autonomy. But from a political orthodoxy standpoint, the Western Daoist Order was a part of the Daoist Order. Strictly speaking, the complete Daoist Order included the Central Plains Daoist Order, the Great Xuan Court, and the Western Daoist Order. If one denied that the Western Daoist Order was part of the Daoist Order, then one would also have to deny the Great Xuan Court. That would shake the very foundation of the entire system.

No matter how exalted Li Changge’s status might be, even if he were the Grand Master himself, he would not dare say such a thing, nor could he ever say it.

Qi Xuansu did not force Li Changge to state his position. Instead, he changed the question. “Let me put it another way. Has the Daoist Order received corresponding returns for all the resources and assistance it has provided to the Western Daoist Order? I’m not talking merely about economic benefits but also intangible benefits such as improvements to our strategic position, influence and prestige, and reduced defense expenditures.”

Li Changge had no choice but to acknowledge this. “That is indeed the case. The reason the Daoist Order has continuously supported the Western Daoist Order is not merely because of the bonds between fellow Daoists. There are also enormous interests involved. The existence of the Western Daoist Order has fundamentally transformed the Daoist Order’s strategic position, greatly reduced our defense expenditures, and provided us with a relatively stable external environment. One could say that the Western Daoist Order is more like a vital frontier stronghold of the Daoist Order.”

Qi Xuansu said, “If that’s the case, then why can’t we pursue cooperation for mutual benefit? Or rather, this is already a model example of mutually beneficial cooperation. How can it be called buying their support?”

Li Changge said, “I don’t deny that. But wouldn’t a unified Daoist Order be even better?”

Qi Xuansu countered, “Can the Great Xuan Court become the Northern Daoist Sect again? If it can, then so can the Western Daoist Order.”

Li Changge said, “I heard that the Heavenly Preceptor once performed a divination and saw the imperial crown falling, the stars shifting in the heavens, and a new order emerging in the world.”

Qi Xuansu leaned back against the sofa. “Uniting with others, pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, and unifying the Daoist Order are actually three different things. There may be connections between them, but they cannot be treated as one and the same. I believe these three things correspond precisely to the Daoist Order’s past, present, and future. In the past, when the Daoist Order was weak, we had no choice but to join hands with others. Now that the Daoist Order is powerful, we pursue mutually beneficial cooperation, with each side getting what it needs. In the future, I believe the Daoist Order will become even stronger, complete the unfinished work of our predecessors, and ultimately achieve unification.”

Li Changge said nothing.

Qi Xuansu continued, “Of course, I agree with your view that buying off a minority at the expense of the majority is neither fair nor sustainable. However, the Western Daoist Order is not some small minority, and the returns we receive from our relationship with them do not come at the expense of the majority’s interests. We still need to be clear about that distinction.”

Li Changge remained silent for a moment before standing up. “It’s getting late. Let’s leave our discussion here for today. If we have the opportunity another day, we can have a more extensive discussion.”

This exchange had been an attempt on Li Changge’s part, and Qi Xuansu had not kept him at arm’s length either. However, it was difficult to say what had come of it. In the end, neither had managed to convince the other.

Qi Xuansu also stood up and shook hands with Li Changge in the Western manner.

This gesture was to explicitly show that neither person held a weapon, which, by extension, conveyed the intention not to resort to violence. The cupped-fist salute carried less of that implication. According to Eastern customs, people would often symbolically exchange a cupped-fist salute even before starting a fight, and one could even perform the gesture while holding a weapon.

Of course, this did not mean that the two men had shaken hands and made peace. It merely signified that they would not personally resort to force to determine who was superior among them.

Lu Yujue and the others had all been waiting outside the banquet hall, unsure of what was happening in the lounge. As soon as they saw the two men walking out, they breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the two Sages still possessed plenty of self-restraint and composure.

Qi Xuansu and Li Changge formally bid each other farewell at the entrance of the Taiping Inn. They were exceedingly courteous toward each other, so much so that anyone unaware of the circumstances might have thought they had been friends for many years.

Qi Xuansu said to Lu Yujue, Shen Yubing, and the others, “You should head back with Chief Deputy Li. From now on, if anything comes up, just report directly to Chief Deputy Li.”

These words signified that Qi Xuansu had formally relinquished his official position in the Southern Continent. For the time being, he was merely an ordinary Sage.

Meanwhile, Deputy Hall Master Xu of Ziwei Hall, who had accompanied Li Changge to his new post, remained with Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu and Li Changge had swapped places.

However, Qi Xuansu relinquishing his official positions did not mean that his influence had completely disappeared. Zhou Mengyao, Madam Qi, and Li Tianzhen were all fourth-rank Jijiu Daoists, yet they were still capable of wielding tremendous influence. This showed that one’s official rank was not everything.

In Qi Xuansu’s presence, Deputy Hall Master Xu clearly regarded himself as a subordinate. After all, Qi Xuansu was the Ziwei Hall Master’s direct disciple.

Li Changge departed with his entourage, while Qi Xuansu and Deputy Hall Master Xu remained at the Taiping Inn. They would stay there for the night before setting off the following morning.