A Pawn's Passage

Like Qi Xuansu, Li Minghuang was not a scion of a great family. He had risen from the bottom, so this gave him one advantage. He knew when to pursue things and when to let them go, and he did not place so much importance on dignity.

Qi Xuansu had never intended to seriously injure Li Minghuang. His main purpose had been to humiliate him.

After all, this was Jade Capital, not some local Daoist Mansion, so Qi Xuansu could not act without restraint. Throwing Li Minghuang out could easily be justified because it was Lu Yujue’s home. But if Qi Xuansu were to brazenly attack and seriously injure Li Minghuang, he would effectively be handing the Taiping Sect a knife to stab him with.

At this critical moment, Qi Xuansu did not want to create any unnecessary complications.

Li Minghuang pushed himself up with both hands and rose to his feet. He shot Qi Xuansu a vicious glare before leaving without a word.

He also knew that he was no match for Qi Xuansu. At present, the only person who could truly contend with Qi Xuansu was Li Changge, whether in a contest of spells or a direct combat.

Therefore, Li Minghuang did not refute Qi Xuansu’s words either. He truly was inferior to Li Changge. It did not matter how many resources Li Changge had used to reach his current level. The Daoist Order only cared about results.

Under these circumstances, remaining here would only invite further humiliation and serve no purpose. So it was better to leave immediately.

Of course, there was no need to make any parting threats either.

If the Taiping Sect could truly do anything to Qi Xuansu, they would have acted long ago. He was not so naive as to think that the Taiping Sect had refrained from acting against Qi Xuansu because they were merciful.

After Li Minghuang left, Lu Yujue said sincerely, “Thank you for stepping in, Chief Deputy.”

Qi Xuansu had already stepped down from his position as Chief Deputy, yet Lu Yujue still addressed him as such. This was a deliberate way of emphasizing the relationship between them, identifying himself as one of Qi Xuansu’s former subordinates and, indirectly, expressing his loyalty.

Qi Xuansu waved his hand and said pointedly, “Old Lu, don’t act on impulse. People know where justice lies.”

Lu Yujue nodded. “I’ll remember that. Rest assured, Chief Deputy.”

Qi Xuansu then looked at the flustered and helpless Zhou Xiaosong. “Superintendent Zhou, you’d better conduct yourself wisely from now on.”

With that, Qi Xuansu did not even bother waiting for Zhou Xiaosong’s reaction and simply left with Chen Jianchou.

After that, Qi Xuansu decided not to return home and headed over to see Sage Donghua instead.

The two traveled together in the same carriage.

“Chou Zheng, you already know about Xie Jiaofeng’s situation, don’t you?” Qi Xuansu asked.

Chen Jianchou replied softly, “Yes.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Problems involving women ultimately come down to matters of private morality. Unless someone deliberately targets you over them, their impact is generally limited, not enough to crush you. In an organization as vast as the Daoist Order, Li Minghuang certainly isn’t the only one with such problems. But financial misconduct is far more complicated. It harms the interests of the Daoist Order and therefore becomes a matter of public morality. As long as it isn’t put on the scales, there is room to maneuver, but once it is weighed and judged, it becomes very difficult to save someone. Especially at a time like this, with internal struggles intensifying, such issues will inevitably be weaponized.

“Xie Jiaofeng also started out as a secretary. He was even Sage Donghua’s secretary. But once something like this happened, no one could save him. Even Sage Zhang was nearly implicated because of him. You are my secretary. I proposed that you take over Xie Jiaofeng’s position, and Sage Donghua has already agreed. I hope you can keep yourself in check and avoid repeating his mistakes.”

Chen Jianchou was somewhat surprised. He had only known that he was going to become a Deputy Mansion Master, but he had not expected to go one step further and leap directly from the lowest-ranking Deputy Mansion Master to the Fourth Deputy Mansion Master stationed in Lion City.

Even without Qi Xuansu, he could have relied on his godmother, Xu Jiaorong, to become a Deputy Mansion Master. But without Qi Xuansu, there was absolutely no way he could have risen directly to the position of Fourth Deputy Mansion Master in a single step. This was the kind of favor that came from someone recognizing his worth and giving him a great opportunity.

Chen Jianchou pledged, “Please rest assured, Sage. I will never let you down.”

Qi Xuansu gave no particular reaction. “There are still some problems in Nanyang at present, such as certain interest groups. Some members of these groups have special backgrounds and can be considered to have rendered meritorious service to the Daoist Order. Yet they also rely on those past merits to defy the Daoist Order. If we deal with them too forcefully, it could create undesirable repercussions. But if we simply leave them alone, we would be failing in our duty to the Daoist Order. The problem is mainly concentrated in Lion City. When you take up your post there, how do you intend to resolve it?”

Chen Jianchou thought seriously for a moment before answering, “The solution is simply to work from within and divide them. Unite one group, win over another, and suppress the rest.”

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “The classic approach of the Wei Dynasty’s founding emperor. Go into more detail.”

“Yes, Sage.” Chen Jianchou continued, “First, immediately halt the relevant actions to prevent the conflict from further intensifying and escalating. In fact, the Heavenly Preceptor has already done this.”

Qi Xuansu nodded in approval.

Chen Jianchou continued, “Second, conduct a thorough investigation of the specific circumstances so that we have a clear understanding of the situation. Chief Deputy Zhang has already completed this step.”

Qi Xuansu nodded again.

“As for wrapping things up afterward, either the Heavenly Preceptor or Chief Deputy Zhang would be capable of doing it. It’s just that the Heavenly Preceptor would not concern himself with such minor matters, while Chief Deputy Zhang doesn’t have much time left in Nanyang and won’t have enough time to handle it.

“If I were to handle it, I would proceed in three steps. First, based on the information gathered from our investigation, I would divide these groups of old Daoists into different categories according to the severity of their actions, then formulate different policies for each category.

“For those whose offenses are relatively minor, we can refrain from taking formal action and simply issue a stern warning. For those of moderate severity, we can defer action or deal with them leniently. But for those who took the lead in causing trouble or broke the law, we should come down hard on them and deal with them severely and swiftly in accordance with the law, making examples of them to deter the rest.

“Second, these old Daoists themselves may not be afraid of much, but their children, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren still need to build their careers within the Daoist Order. This includes, but is not limited to, parent-child, grandparent-grandchild, uncle-nephew, aunt-niece, and maternal uncle-nephew relationships. We can summon these people for talks and indirectly apply pressure. When necessary, their evaluations and promotions can be halted, and in particularly serious cases, they can even be suspended from their posts.

“Third, bring in the local branch of Fengxian Hall. Initially, it would investigate and deal with the old Daoists involved in the more serious cases. Once we enter the third stage, the senior leadership of the Daoist Mansion should take a firm stance and use the Fengxian Hall branch to exert pressure on every level and department within the Daoist Mansion. After all, these old Daoists all once held positions within the Daoist Order, and their networks are deeply intertwined, with connections running through every side. We must deter those within the Daoist Mansion from shielding these old Daoists. When necessary, the Fengxian Hall branch can formally open investigations.”

“Besides that, we must also exercise appropriate control over public opinion. Although this might look like an attempt to cover things up, it is also necessary to prevent these old Daoists from building momentum within the Daoist Order and making the situation more complicated. When necessary, we can also have the Daoist Mansion’s writers step in and publicly define the nature of the matter from an official standpoint, report it to the Golden Tower Council, and release the findings to the public.

“Of course, this entire series of measures would require strong support from the Daoist Mansion’s leadership. I could never accomplish it on my own.”

After hearing him out, Qi Xuansu nodded and asked, “What if those old Daoists resort to the same old tactic again? Suppose one of them truly decides to sacrifice his life, gathering a sea of white mourning robes until the Spirit Guards are forced to deploy in formation on the streets. How would you handle that?”

Chen Jianchou gave a wry smile. “If something like that happens, even Chief Deputy Zhang couldn’t suppress it, much less me. I could only ask the Daoist Mansion’s leadership to step in.”

Qi Xuansu said, “There was once someone who risked his own life to play against an Immortal and ultimately defeated the Immortal by half a move. If someone truly dares to stake his life on the game, then there is little that can be done. If he’s willing to give up even his life, what harm is there in conceding half a move to him? Rest assured. I will support you, and the Daoist Mansion will support you as well. Just go ahead and do what needs to be done.”

Chen Jianchou understood what Qi Xuansu meant.

Sage Donghua was not at Ziwei Hall today but at his own residence. No matter how busy he was, he could still spare some time to meet with Qi Xuansu.

Sage Donghua’s residence was located within Xuan City and was not particularly far from Ziwei Hall. If the Daoist Order’s residences were divided into tiers, Zixiao Palace, as the residence of the Grand Master, stood alone above all others. The Purple Mansion ranked in the first tier, Xuan City the second, and Taishang Place the third.

Residences in Taishang Place were mainly distinguished by their exorbitant prices, but residences in Xuan City were not allocated by the Daoist Order. People like Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu could also have residences in Xuan City, but they certainly were not qualified for large mansions. Zhang Yuelu had a small residence there, roughly equivalent in size to just one corner of Sage Cihang’s estate. Aside from its excellent location, it certainly could not compare with the Princess Mansion in Taishang Place in any other aspect.

The fact that people from Ziwei Hall had gone to welcome Qi Xuansu showed that Sage Donghua had arranged everything well in advance. Although Qi Xuansu had been delayed somewhat by Lu Yujue’s affair, it did not affect the overall arrangements.

Gong Jiaojun was already waiting at the entrance to Sage Donghua’s residence.

As soon as Qi Xuansu stepped out of the carriage, Gong Jiaojun immediately came forward to greet him. “Sage Qi, you’re finally here.”

Qi Xuansu explained, “Something came up along the way, so I’m a little late.”

Gong Jiaojun clearly was not reproaching Qi Xuansu for being late. He said softly, “Sage Yao arrived before you.”

Qi Xuansu was slightly taken aback. Which Sage Yao?

But Qi Xuansu quickly realized who he meant. “Su Yi?”

Gong Jiaojun nodded.

Yao Pei was nominally Qi Xuansu’s senior sister.

Come to think of it, the two had even been classmates. Qi Xuansu had gone to the Wanxiang Daoist Upper Palace for advanced studies twice. The first time was when he was promoted to the fourth rank.

During that time, he studied alongside Yao Pei. The two had experienced quite a few things together at the Daoist Palace, including secretly sneaking into the library and witnessing Zhang Wuhen’s resurrection. Looking back now, Qi Xuansu even regretted it somewhat. He was about to become the Wanxiang Daoist Palace Master, which meant that back then, he had essentially helped Yao Pei sneak into his own turf to steal his own things.

Qi Xuansu’s second period of advanced study at the Upper Palace was when he was promoted to the second rank. That time, he went there with Zhang Yuelu.

Qi Xuansu indicated that he understood and walked straight inside.

Gong Jiaojun fell a step behind and walked alongside Chen Jianchou.

One was the master’s secretary, while the other was the disciple’s secretary, representing two generations of the same role. Naturally, they had plenty to talk about.

Moreover, Chen Jianchou had already been assigned to an external post and clearly had boundless prospects ahead of him. Gong Jiaojun would sooner or later be sent out to an external posting as well. Once he left Sage Donghua’s side, he would no longer wield such considerable influence. So it was in his interest to maintain a good relationship with Chen Jianchou.

Since the Daoist Order sought to abolish Confucian rites and conventions, many formalities had been simplified. Qi Xuansu’s apprenticeship ceremony had been one such example. Thus, when visiting his master’s home, Qi Xuansu did not need to go through complicated procedures such as having his arrival formally announced. He could simply proceed directly to the main hall.

The moment Qi Xuansu stepped into the main hall, he had already plastered a friendly smile on his face as he greeted them. “Master, Senior Sister.”