A Pawn's Passage

After parting ways with Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu did not return home immediately. Instead, she went to Yuzhu Peak. By the time she got back, it was already noon.

Jade Capital was located on Yuxu Peak, while Yuzhu Peak was its sister peak. Between the two peaks, there was a hanging bridge with 36 suspended platforms that were connected by metal chains.

Those with higher cultivation could fly across from Yuxu Peak to Yuzhu Peak, while those at a lower cultivation level must walk across the bridge using the suspension bridge. The winds at the summit of Kunlun Mountain were bitingly cold. Without cultivation, one’s lips and face could turn purple from the cold. Moreover, the suspension bridge swayed unpredictably, making it extremely difficult to traverse.

Zhang Yuelu remembered her first time crossing the suspension bridge. The metal chains beneath her feet swayed in the wind. Below the metal chains was the bottomless abyss, and all she could see were faint clouds drifting around the side of the mountain.

At the time, Zhang Yuelu was so frightened that she lost her composure, which became a subject of ridicule for others. Therefore, she regarded crossing the suspension bridge as a way to toughen her mind and insisted on facing her difficulties head-on.

Back then, Zhang Yuelu was so afraid that she inched forward on the suspension bridge. At present, she could walk across the bridge confidently, using the metal chains as handrails, without so much as a ripple of fear in her heart.

There were also people living on Yuzhu Peak, but they were mostly ascetic cultivators. Yuzhu Peak still largely retained its original appearance, with only a few scattered caves and no formations. Thus, the cold wind howling on the mountaintop made it distinctly different from Yuxu Peak, which was adorned with palaces and pavilions.

Initially, Zhang Yuelu came to Yuzhu Peak, intending to visit a friend. However, upon arriving at the door, she suddenly lost interest in the meeting, so she retraced her steps back to Yuxu Peak. She went to Yuzhu Peak on a whim and returned because she was not in the mood.

Zhang Yuelu’s parents did not live in Jade Capital, so she stayed by herself in her mansion with another elderly Daoist couple to care for her daily life.

Different from other servants of regular aristocrats, this Daoist couple was hired by the Daoist Order and had basic rights. The Daoist Order strictly forbade the mistreatment of servants, with severe punishments for offenders. Previously, there was a case where a third-rank Daoist priest had abused a servant, resulting in his dismissal from all official positions and a demotion from third-rank to fourth-rank.

Generally, disciples from prestigious families in the Daoist Order would have reliable servants from home to accompany them. However, Zhang Yuelu was not from such a prestigious family.

Although her last name was Zhang, she was not from the main lineage of the Zhang family but from a rather distant lineage. Therefore, the Daoist order arranged for hired help to assist Zhang Yuelu in her daily life. After all, being the superintendent of Beichen Hall or the Deputy Hall Master of Tiangang Hall was not easy, so it left her with little time to handle miscellaneous matters.

The Daoist couple was previously employed by Beichen Hall. After Zhang Yuelu was transferred from Beichen Hall to Tiangang Hall, the Daoist couple followed her and became attached to Tiangang Hall. The couple received three Taiping coins each per month from Tiangang Hall as their salary.

Zhang Yuelu was not arrogant, as evident by her sharing a drink with Qi Xuansu, whom she had recently met. She was not one to mistreat the servants, so she got along well with the Daoist couple. The childless elderly couple also treated Zhang Yuelu as their child, taking care of her attentively.

She had just planned to take a nap when the elderly Daoist woman, Aunt He, rushed over. Aunt He caught a whiff of alcohol from Zhang Yuelu from afar and asked, “Miss, have you been drinking?”

Zhang Yuelu gestured with her hand, mimicking the motion of swirling a wine cup, and smiled. “Just a little.”

"There’s no young lady in the world like you, going out alone to drink so late at night.” Aunt He still held onto the traditional beliefs of the older generation. “If this gets out, what will happen to your reputation?”

Zhang Yuelu did not mind and said, “I’m a respectable fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master in the Order, not a sheltered young lady who never steps out of the house. It’s just a little drink, nothing serious. It’s a pity there are no taverns in Jade Capital. Otherwise, I would love to see what that’s like!”

Aunt He hurriedly said, “You’re getting more spirited the more you talk. You’d better stop thinking about things like that, young lady.”

As they spoke, Aunt He helped Zhang Yuelu take off her clothes, wanting to wash them to remove the smell of alcohol.

Zhang Yuelu changed into a close-fitting undershirt and casually put on a snow-patterned vest.

Aunt He held Zhang Yuelu’s old clothes and said, “By the way, when you weren’t here last evening, a fourth-rank superintendent came and delivered a booklet. He said it was a list of the first batch of candidates. I placed it in your study. He also mentioned that the second batch of names would be delivered to you by August 15th at the latest.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded and walked toward the study.

Her study was a decent size, and each of the four walls served different purposes.

One wall was filled with bookshelves stacked with books, and another wall had various treasures displayed on shelves, including a bronze chiming clock, a telescope, and a model metal ship. The wall facing the morning sun had a door and a window, while the opposite wall had a long sandalwood table placed against it with an antique sword displayed on a sword rack.

Besides the usual writing utensils like brush washers, brush stands, and inkstones, on the desk, there was also a thick booklet, which was the name list that Aunt He mentioned.

Zhang Yuelu sat behind the desk and picked up the booklet. Her gaze suddenly froze when she saw a name—Qi Xuansu.

She thought, Could it be the same person? Or was it just a namesake?

Zhang Yuelu followed the index to find the page stating Qi Xuansu’s details.

The booklet was a standard Daoist document, written from right to left and from top to bottom.

<code>Name: Qi Xuansu. | Note: Courtesy name—Tian Yuan.Age: 24 years old. | Note: The adoption date is based on the abandonment date recorded by the Infant Care Hall of Wanxiang Daoist Palace.Rank: Seventh-rank Daoist priest. | Note: Evaluation in the past three years—upper-middle, upper-middle, upper-middle.Background: Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Bingzi Year, Class A. | Note: Excellent academic performance upon graduation.Master: Qi Haoran. | Note: Fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist priest, deceased due to an accident.Position: None. | Note: Wandering Daoist practitioner.Address: 18, Stela Alley, Changzhen Street, Haichan Place. | Note: Usually traveling and does not reside at this address.Lineage: Rogue Cultivator.Cultivation: Xiantian Being at the Kunlun stage. | Note: Inner Dan Realm of a Rogue Cultivator.Affiliation: Zhengyi Sect. | Note: Not initiated into any formal lineage.Companion: None. | Note: Not formally ordained, free to marry.Children/Disciples: None. | Note: Not qualified to accept disciples.Past Disciplinary Records: None.Past Commendations: None.Overall Evaluation: Grade B. | Note: Classified into four grades.Superintendent’s Opinion: Recommended hire.Deputy Hall Master’s Opinion: (Empty.)</code>This was the initial recommendation. The final decision would be made after the face-to-face assessment on August 16th. However, the assessment could be skipped if Zhang Yuelu approved a candidate beforehand.

The so-called face-to-face assessment was just an interview.

Zhang Yuelu looked at this page of the file with a faint smile on her face. She sure had an unexpected encounter in life. She took out a vermilion brush from the brush holder and wrote “Approved” in the column for the Deputy Hall Master’s opinion.

......

Ah-choo!

Qi Xuansu sneezed as soon as he woke up. That was strange. After becoming a Xiantian being, he could not get ill with normal diseases.

He thought, Did I catch a cold? Or was this an after-effect of my injury back in Fengtai County? Or perhaps someone was talking about me? Could it be Madam Qi?

Thinking about this, Qi Xuansu took out Madam Qi’s second-hand pocket watch and checked the time.

It was half past twelve, no longer morning.

Qi Xuansu planned to spend the afternoon cleaning up the entire courtyard.

This was no small task, as the courtyard was filled with layers of fallen leaves, so thick that the bottom layer had turned into mush. It would take some time to tidy up.

As for his enemies, Shen Yuzu was already dead. After one’s death, all grievances were forgotten. The Shen family members would at most seek revenge for Shen Yuzu, but they would not bother with his other issues.

Beichen Hall concluded that Shen Yuzu died at the hands of the Qingping Society. As long as Qi Xuansu did not expose his affiliation with the Qingping Society, no one would link him to Shen Yuzu’s case. After all, Shen Yuzu had made many enemies in the past. Shen Yuzu’s status was also not high enough to make the Shen family investigate all of his enemies either.

The reason Qi Xuansu was unwilling to return to his master’s house was due to the painful memories. His lack of money had robbed him of the right to lament over the death of his master. Sometimes, it took more effort to stay alive. Although it was a cliché, it held some truth.

It was a sunny and leisurely afternoon.

Qi Xuansu rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu sat behind her desk, boringly flipping through the candidates’ files. Except for Qi Xuansu, none of the other candidates caught Zhang Yuelu’s attention. Qi Xuansu only caught her eye because they had met the night before.

Just as Zhang Yuelu was contemplating whether to take a nap, another candidate’s file caught her attention. Unlike Qi Xuansu’s scarce information, this candidate’s information filled two full pages in the booklet.

<code>Name: Xu Kou. | Note: Nickname—Little Yama.Age: 30 years old.Rank: Sixth-rank Daoist priest. | Note: Evaluation in the past three years—lower-middle, high, low.Background: Green Phoenix Guard. | Note: Comes from a family of generations of Green Phoenix Guards.Master: None. | Note: Formerly served as a major in the Green Phoenix Guard.Position: Daoist priest from Qizhou Daoist Mansion. | Note: Recommended by Qizhou Daoist Mansion.Address: Unknown. | Note: Resident of Beihai Prefecture, Qizhou.Lineage: Martial Arts Practitioner.Cultivation: Xiantian Being at the Yuxu Stage. | Note: Flesh and Blood Realm of a Martial Arts Practitioner.Affiliation: Taiping Sect.Companion: One wife. | Note: Not a member of the Daoist community, deceased.Children/Disciples: None. | Note: Not qualified to accept disciples.Past Disciplinary Records:-Previously demoted to sixth rank for torturing prisoners to death.-Once reprimanded for insubordination.-Once given a severe punishment for acting rashly and letting a demon escape.-Demoted to seventh rank for assaulting fellow Daoist priests and engaging in armed combat, resulting in injuries to fellow Daoists.-Demoted to eighth rank for insubordination and insulting superiors. | Note: This is a summary. More details can be found in the relevant attachments.Past Commendations:-Captured one leader of the Qingping Society, gained the Xuan Merit and was promoted to fifth rank.-Solved a case of demonic preaching in Beihai Prefecture, gained the Huang Merit and was promoted to seventh rank.-Killed four demonic practitioners in the Kunlun stage, gained the Huang Merit and was promoted to sixth rank. | Note: This is a summary. More details can be found in the relevant attachments.Overall evaluation: Grade C. | Note: Classified into four grades.Superintendent’s Opinion: Suggest cautious use.Deputy Hall Master’s Opinion: (Empty.)</code>In addition to the annual assessment and special promotions within the Daoist community, there was also a system of merits and demerits.

The system of demerits included reprimands, severe punishments, demotions, and expulsion from the Daoist community. For example, the third-rank Daoist master who caused a scandal by torturing servants was demoted.

The system of merits was divided into four levels—Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang. Heaven was the highest merit, and Huang was the lowest.

Similarly, merits and demerits could be accumulated. Small merits could accumulate into big merits, leading to promotion in rank. Small demerits could accumulate into big demerits, leading to demotion.

Zhang Yuelu twirled the vermilion brush in her hand, pondering, He’s sharp, but also a double-edged sword.

In the end, Zhang Yuelu wrote a bright red “Approved” under the Deputy Hall Master’s opinion column.