A Pawn's Passage

All the senior officials of the Poluo Daoist Mansion, aside from Great Sage Lan, were present at this welcoming reception. This included Mansion Master Yao Shu, Chief Deputy Zhang Yuelu, and Second Deputy Xu Jiaorong.

This was the norm. The reason Great Sage Lan had personally appeared to welcome Qi Xuansu last time was that Qi Xuansu had come with a mission from the Golden Tower Council that required Great Sage Lan’s cooperation. There was nothing special about Chen Jianchou’s appointment this time, so Great Sage Lan did not appear, even though Chen Jianchou could technically be considered his grand-disciple.

According to procedure, once an appointment order was issued, the first step was an official meeting with Ziwei Hall. The second step was for the relevant official from Ziwei Hall to accompany the person to their new posting and formally announce the appointment. The level of ceremony provided by Ziwei Hall varied according to the person’s status, position, duties, and mission.

When Qi Xuansu had previously taken up the position of Second Deputy, he had gone there with a special mission, making him somewhat akin to an envoy. Thus, the level of ceremony had been very high. Chen Shuhua received him, Yao Shu personally escorted Qi Xuansu to his new post, and Great Sage Lan appeared to welcome him.

If it were a Great Sage taking up a new post, then the Ziwei Hall Master would personally accompany them to their new posting.

It was almost like a cycle coming full circle. Yao Shu, who had once escorted Qi Xuansu to his post, was now the master of the Sheji Palace, while Qi Xuansu had taken on Yao Shu’s former role by escorting Chen Jianchou to his new appointment.

The young Chen Jianchou back then probably never imagined that he would one day become a Deputy Mansion Master and the representative figure of the entire Chen family.

Upon arriving at the Sheji Palace, they saw Yao Shu, Zhang Yuelu, and Xu Jiaorong waiting at the entrance to welcome them, with Yao Shu at the front and the other two a step behind him.

Chen Jianchou immediately understood that this was not merely for him, but a show of respect for Qi Xuansu.

If Chen Jianchou had been accompanied to his new post by an ordinary Deputy Ziwei Hall Master, the person receiving him at Guijian Lake would most likely not have been Pei Xiaolou. It would probably have been a lower-ranking Deputy Mansion Master instead. After all, Pei Xiaolou was about to be promoted to Second Deputy and could no longer be regarded as an ordinary Deputy Mansion Master. Upon reaching the Sheji Palace, it would likewise have been impossible for all three of the Daoist Mansion’s senior leaders to come out and welcome him. At most, Xu Jiaorong would have received him alone.

But because of Qi Xuansu’s presence, the entire level of reception had been elevated considerably.

Although Qi Xuansu was not yet an Omniscient Sage, the level of treatment he received had already been elevated to that of one. It was even higher than what Yao Shu had received back when he had not yet become a Mansion Master. Looking across the entire Daoist Mansion now, only Great Sage Lan and Yao Shu outranked Qi Xuansu. Moreover, Qi Xuansu was here as a representative of Ziwei Hall, which further elevated his standing.

From this, it was clear that Qi Xuansu had very high expectations for Chen Jianchou and hoped that Chen Jianchou could help him safeguard Nanyang.

Since Chen Jianchou was merely taking office as an ordinary Deputy Mansion Master, the ceremony was relatively simple. Its main purpose was for everyone to meet and become acquainted with one another.

Had someone else come, there might have been a more formal process, with the Deputy Hall Master representing Ziwei Hall introducing the newbie to his future colleagues, helping to dispel the unfamiliarity and awkwardness between them.

But Chen Jianchou was different. He was already very familiar with the people here, having served as a secretary at the Poluo Daoist Mansion for quite some time.

For Chen Jianchou, returning to the Poluo Daoist Mansion was just like coming home.

Qi Xuansu looked around and spoke on behalf of Ziwei Hall. “Everyone here is an old acquaintance. You all know me, and you all know Chou Zheng, so I don’t think there’s any need for further introductions, is there?”

Many of those below laughed and replied, “No need.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Then I’ll proceed directly to reading out the appointment.”

After Qi Xuansu formally read out Chen Jianchou’s appointment according to procedure, Chen Jianchou gave a few brief remarks of his own, which served as his inaugural address.

Then came the evening banquet.

For the people of the Daoist Mansion, the act of eating itself was no longer particularly important. The banquet had become more of a ceremonial formality.

This evening banquet served two purposes at once. Besides members of the Daoist Mansion, there were also some local powerhouses, including members of the Chen family such as Chen Shuwen and Chen Jianqiu, as well as merchants such as Qi Muyu and Genki. It was quite a lively affair.

Chen Jianchou was supposed to be the main figure at this banquet, so Qi Xuansu did not steal his thunder. He merely offered a few toasts, exchanged some pleasantries with Yao Shu and the others, and then left early with Zhang Yuelu.

This greatly disappointed the many people who had hoped to exchange a few words with the former Chief Deputy. After all, the former Chief Deputy was on the verge of soaring to even greater heights, and everyone wanted to bask in some of his reflected glory.

Qi Xuansu’s accommodations were arranged in the Wood Palace, which also served as the designated guest quarters of the Sheji Palace. When Great Sage Jiang had visited the Sheji Palace in the past, he had stayed here as well.

The vegetation here was lush and flourishing, with no shortage of exotic flowers and rare plants. It was an excellent place to stay.

As the couple walked side by side along a path in the Wood Palace, Zhang Yuelu joked, “It rained terribly for the past few days, but the moment you arrived, the skies cleared.”

“Am I really that formidable to change the weather?” Qi Xuansu asked. “Has your mood improved as well?”

Zhang Yuelu did not stubbornly deny it and admitted frankly, “I suppose this counts as meeting an old friend in a foreign land.”

Qi Xuansu did not immediately discuss the situation in Nanyang. Instead, he took out a flask of wine and held it out to Zhang Yuelu. “Master likes calligraphy and paintings, Madam Qi likes tobacco, and you like wine. Didn’t you once say that I’m no match for you when it comes to drinking? Want to give this a taste?”

Zhang Yuelu glanced around. Seeing that no one else was nearby, she dropped the dignified attitude befitting of a Chief Deputy. She took the wine flask, broke the clay seal, and took a hearty swig, resembling a Jianghu heroine.

Qi Xuansu asked, “How does it taste?”

Zhang Yuelu savored the lingering taste carefully. “It tastes very much like Dreaming Death, but it lacks some of the aged flavor. It tastes like newly brewed wine. Freshly brewed Dreaming Death from the Daoist Order generally isn’t circulated on the market. This isn’t the authentic Dreaming Death, is it?”

Qi Xuansu said, “You really do know your wine. This isn’t the authentic Dreaming Death. It’s an imitation made by the Western Daoist Order. I brought plenty with me, enough to last you a whole year.”

Zhang Yuelu clicked her tongue appreciatively. “You specially prepared all this for me?”

Qi Xuansu replied frankly, “No. Huangfu Ji prepared it.”

Zhang Yuelu said nothing and merely looked at Qi Xuansu. It was not that she insisted on receiving a gift from him. Rather, she felt that Qi Xuansu was being deliberately coy, which meant there was probably more to come. The reasoning was simple. Whenever something was out of the ordinary, there was bound to be something suspicious behind it. It was just like Little Yin. Whenever she became unusually quiet, she was definitely up to something. If she became far too quiet and obedient, then she was undoubtedly preparing to cause some enormous trouble.

Qi Xuansu smiled. “What I prepared for you is this.”

As he spoke, he took out the Longevity Elixir he had obtained from the Longevous.

Zhang Yuelu knew the value of such things. She took the jade box but did not immediately open it. Instead, she first read the words inscribed on it and immediately learned the elixir’s origins.

She exclaimed in surprise, “This is actually a Longevity Elixir personally refined by Sun Lingxiu. This is such a rare treasure! How did you get it?”

Qi Xuansu briefly recounted how he had obtained the Longevity Elixir. “It was an unexpected windfall. It isn’t of much use to me since I mainly rely on the Xuan Jade, but it should be tremendously beneficial to you.”

Zhang Yuelu made no attempt to hide her delight.

If she were the one giving Qi Xuansu a gift, she would certainly want to see a positive reaction from him. She would want to see that Qi Xuansu genuinely liked the gift, rather than acting indifferent or finding fault with it.

Besides, the Longevity Elixir was indeed extremely useful to her.

Still, Zhang Yuelu could not bring herself to say something sweet. Thus, everything that needed to be said remained unspoken between them.

Qi Xuansu relayed what Great Sage Gong had told him and said, “Yong Yan refuses to play fair, forcing us to do the same. We’ll just have to close the gap however much we can.”

Zhang Yuelu sighed. “You’re always thinking of me, yet I can’t seem to help you with anything.”

“What are you talking about?” Qi Xuansu said. “How have you not helped me?”

Zhang Yuelu interrupted him. “You entrusted Poluo to me, but things ended up like this. Now, you even have to come here personally to clean up the mess. Are you disappointed in me?”

Qi Xuansu abruptly took a large step forward, moving from beside Zhang Yuelu to directly in front of her. He then turned around, forcing her to stop, leaving the two of them standing face to face.

Qi Xuansu looked at Zhang Yuelu and said solemnly, “Qing Xiao, this isn’t like you. The Qing Xiao I know has always grown more courageous with every setback and never worried about gains and losses.”

Zhang Yuelu gave a bitter smile. “If I had succeeded, then even if I ended up bearing a lifetime of infamy or shattered to pieces in Nanyang, at least there would be something to show for it. What I’m afraid of is failing to accomplish anything... Forget it. Let’s not talk about this.”

Qi Xuansu reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Do I really need to repeat all those principles to you? The road to success is always difficult and winding. Don’t lose heart. We still have plenty of time ahead of us. This failure is merely paving the way for our next success.”

Zhang Yuelu said softly, “I wouldn’t exactly say I’ve lost heart. I just feel that I took too much for granted and overestimated myself somewhat. I’ve spent this time reflecting on myself. In the past, I was always talking about changing the Daoist Order. Was I aiming too high without keeping my feet on the ground? Should I have settled down and first focused on doing practical things within my capabilities? That was why I ultimately decided to inspect the various kingdoms of Nanyang, only for the Xie Jiaofeng incident to happen.”

Qi Xuansu said, “These deep-rooted maladies have persisted for far too long and can no longer be cured by ordinary medicine. To restore everything to its original state is something even an Immortal could not accomplish, much less you. No matter who took your place, the result would be the same.

“Throughout history, those who succeeded in reform always struck outward first to divert internal conflicts and accumulate prestige. After centralizing power, they could implement internal reforms and accomplish everything in one decisive sweep.

“Of course, this is a dangerous move. If the external campaign ends in defeat, then internal conflicts will immediately get out of control, and their prestige will be completely destroyed. Heavy losses among the core forces will threaten the very foundations of their power. Forget about reform; they might not even be able to preserve their lives. But reform is inherently a monumental undertaking that shakes foundations. So how could there possibly be no risk at all?

“I think that if we seek solutions solely from within, there is little hope of success. Even if we succeed for a time, we would only treat the symptoms rather than the root cause, and once the person behind the reforms is gone, the policies will die with them. We might as well take the riskier path by first accumulating strength outward before finally turning inward. With overwhelming force, we can cure the problem at its root and complete the unfinished work of the Holy Xuan and the fifth-generation Grand Master, bringing light back to the world and restoring peace to the realm. That is how we will change the Daoist Order.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yuelu remained silent for a long time.