A Pawn's Passage

This booklet with a list of candidates was, in reality, a collection of numerous files secured between two stiff cardboard covers with a clip, allowing for the addition of more pages at any time.

Zhang Yuelu removed the clip and pulled out Qi Xuansu’s and Xu Kou’s files, placing them side by side on the desk.

The reason Zhang Yuelu gained the appreciation of the Sages and the Great Sages at such a young age and managed to rise to a high position was not only because of her inborn talent and cultivation level. If one only possessed cultivation, they would merely be among the ranks of Spirit Guards. Zhang Yuelu’s meticulous thinking, coupled with her resilient temperament, was the key to her repeated promotions.

Upon comparing the two files, Zhang Yuelu immediately sensed that something was amiss.

Although Xu Kou’s file was somewhat unsightly, its contents were very detailed. It provided a general idea of what Xu Kou had done over the years, and his promotion and demotion trajectory were traceable.

However, Qi Xuansu was different. He seemed unremarkable, but his file was actually quite suspicious. It was too clean.

Qi Xuansu’s file was excessively clean. Apart from basic information such as his name, master, age, affiliation, and cultivation realm, there were no other details. There were no records of his past achievements or mistakes. He had no family members, companions, or friends. He did not reside in the Ancestral Court, nor did he hold a position in any local Daoist mansion.

It seemed as if he had always been roaming outside the Daoist community. If so, how did he rise to the seventh rank?

Zhang Yuelu’s gaze fell on Qi Xuansu’s name in the file, and she sank into contemplation.

Admittedly, Zhang Yuelu had a favorable impression of Qi Xuansu last night, but that did not mean she could ignore the many doubts she had about him.

Zhang Yuelu’s first reaction was to ask Superintendent Sun Yongfeng how Qi Xuansu made it onto this list. Did Qi Xuansu apply by himself? Did Mage Sun discover him? Or was Qi Xuansu recommended by someone else? If so, who had recommended him?

Sorting out the related personnel under the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master was not something that could be accomplished overnight. It was not surprising that the news of hiring had circulated, so some people would know about it in advance. However, a seventh-rank Daoist priest was not that resourceful to obtain insider information, especially one who was not even residing in the Jade Capital.

The meeting in the Chiming Palace just ended, and the official announcement had just been made. How did a seventh-rank Daoist priest, who had been absent from the Ancestral Court and Jade Capital for years, find out about the addition of a Deputy Hall Master to the Tiangang Hall in such a short time? How did he appear in Jade Capital at such an opportune time?

There were only two possibilities. It was either a coincidence or Qi Xuansu had made arrangements long ago because he had another channel of information.

Zhang Yuelu did not believe in coincidences. Thus, she was keen on the second possibility, that Qi Xuansu had another channel of information and had made prior arrangements to show up in Jade Capital in time for the recruitment.

This was not a baseless guess. She had evidence to support it, namely Qi Xuansu’s three-year evaluations.

Since Qi Xuansu had never held a position in a local Daoist mansion nor resided in the Jade Capital, how did he undergo his annual evaluations? How could he consistently achieve upper-middle rankings for three consecutive years?

In the Daoist community, it was common to have backing. For example, Xu Kou’s backing was the Qizhou Daoist Mansion, because his file clearly stated that the Qizhou Daoist Mansion had recommended him. This recommendation was openly acknowledged.

However, Qi Xuansu’s backer was not revealed. His referrer did not want others to know of their existence. Who exactly was Qi Xuansu’s backer, and why the secrecy? What were they trying to conceal?

Zhang Yuelu looked at the bright red word “Approved,” hesitating whether to add a “Not” before it.

However, she quickly dismissed the idea and even dispelled the thought of asking Sun Yongfeng about Qi Xuansu.

Sun Yongfeng was a veteran of Tiangang Hall and experienced in the politics of the Daoist Order. People like him were sly and elusive, so he would surely have prepared an answer in anticipation. Approaching him rashly would only put her at a disadvantage.

Rather than taking the initiative and alarming them, it was better to feign ignorance and lull them into a false sense of security. Perhaps then they would reveal their true colors.

Zhang Yuelu put Xu Kou’s file back in its place, leaving only Qi Xuansu’s file on the desk, still open.

She stared at the bright red word “Approved” on Qi Xuansu’s file and murmured to herself, “I’d like to see who you really are.”

......

Ah-choo!

Qi Xuansu, who was sweeping the fallen leaves, sneezed again. He found it strange.

He thought, Is someone constantly talking about me? Maybe Madam Qi is scheming something again to make me do her dirty work.

Qi Xuansu shook his head, dismissing the thought, and continued sweeping the leaves.

What Qi Xuansu did not expect was that Madam Qi had a miscalculation, as she did not anticipate Zhang Yuelu to be so vigilant.

In fact, Qi Xuansu’s clean file was the work of the Qingping Society. After Master Qi Haoran’s death, Qi Xuansu was stuck as an eighth-rank Daoist priest. He was only promoted to seventh rank after the Qingping Society secretly changed it.

The influence of the Qingping Society made such promotions, especially until the fourth rank, possible. However, the Qingping Society also recognized this issue. They could not promote Qi Xuansu to the fifth rank if his records remained blank. That was why Madam Qi wanted Qi Xuansu to get a position in the Tiangang Hall. That way, he could enrich his experience and, preferably, make some achievements.

If Qi Xuansu was unwilling to get a position at the Tiangang Hall, Madam Qi would not force him. However, as Madam Qi had mentioned, Qi Xuansu would be stuck at the seventh-rank threshold. After a certain age, he would no longer have a chance for advancement. If he was lucky, he might rise to the fourth rank, and if not, he would remain at the fifth rank, with no hope of ever wielding the Sword of Wisdom.

As the Daoist Order progressed, days where realm cultivation accounted for everything were gone. Most often, a high realm did not necessarily equate to a high position. Although there were still rules that only Heavenly Beings could become Sages, there were still strength disparities among the Sages. Some Sages had just crossed the threshold of a Heavenly Being, while others were just a step behind the three Deputy Grand Masters.

Those who wanted to become Sages through unconventional means by relying solely on realm cultivation would probably need a cultivation level close to that of an immortal.

As for the Great Sages, especially as the Deputy Grand Master leading the three major Daoist sects, the key was to gain the people’s support. Everything would be futile if one could not win the people’s support, no matter how high their cultivation level was.

The Grand Master was above everyone, positioned above the Great Sages and acting as the representative of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Even the three first-rank Great Sages had to bow to the Grand Master, who was the leader of the Daoist Order.

Even though Zhang Yuelu was a rare talent, people’s expectations of her were only to eventually fill one of the positions of the 36 Sages after many years. They did not think that she could become a Great Sage, let alone the Grand Master. These four positions were not just about talent and ability. They were also dependent on the individual’s strength, background, and luck.

After the last ray of sunset disappeared beyond the horizon, Qi Xuansu finally finished cleaning up the old house. Then he went out to the shops to buy some food.

It was strange to note that the price of rice in the Jade Capital was not much different from that in the towns at the foothills. Half a kilogram of coarse rice costs three Ruyi coins, while a half kilogram of fine rice costs five Ruyi coins. It was a considerable expense to transport grains to Jade Capital, which was located at the top of Kunlun Mountain.

The price of rice should have been much higher, perhaps even surpassing the cost of transportation itself. However, it seemed that the price of rice in Jade Capital did not take into account the cost of transportation. It was unclear whether the Daoist Order bore the transportation costs or if they had some other means of farming directly on Kunlun Mountain, thus eliminating the transportation costs.

Qi Xuansu bought 20 kilograms of fine rice, costing 200 Ruyi coins, equivalent to two small Taiping coins. In addition, he bought some seasonal fruit and vegetables, 2.5 liters of vegetable oil, half a kilogram of animal fat, a kilogram of fine salt, 2.5 kilograms of cured meat, a block of tea, and various sauces and condiments.

He also deliberately sourced the herbs in the prescription Madam Qi had given him separately from several pharmacies in nearby neighborhoods. That way, no one would be able to discern anything from the prescription.

In total, he spent over 900 Ruyi coins, which was nearly one Taiping coin.

From this, one could tell that Sun Yongfeng’s asking price of 200 Taiping coins for a recommendation was indeed a hefty sum. That was why it truly surprised Qi Xuansu that Li Sanxin could possess a flying sword worth over 1,000 Taiping coins. Logically speaking, a seventh-rank Daoist priest should not have such wealth.

Qi Xuansu speculated that someone had lent the flying sword to Li Sanxin. Since Li Sanxin failed to obtain the Xuan Jade and even lost the flying sword, he would undoubtedly face severe punishment upon his return, perhaps leaving him with no chance of redemption.

After shopping, Qi Xuansu hired a goat cart to transport all these items back home. It was less than 500 meters, so the ride cost 10 Ruyi coins.

The goat cart led the way with the items, while Qi Xuansu followed behind on foot. Along the way, he met a former neighbor, a fifth-rank Daoist nun from the Quanzhen Sect, who was one rank lower than Qi Haoran.

When Qi Haoran was still alive, he was close to his neighbor, Nun Cui, and they often interacted with each other.

Nun Cui was obviously surprised to see Qi Xuansu. “Tian Yuan, when did you come back?”

"Not long ago,” Qi Xuansu replied with a smile.

Nun Cui’s smile was a little stiff. “It’s good that you're back. By the way, what happened with your master’s case?”

Qi Xuansu sighed but did not speak.

Nun Cui quickly changed the subject. “Oh, pardon me. I always talk without thinking. Are you planning to stay for a while this time? Or...”

Qi Xuansu was not at all wary of her, so he replied truthfully, “I’ve had a stroke of luck and secured a position in the Jade Capital.”

"What position?” Nun Cui asked.

"A position in the Tiangang Hall. Recently, they’ve added a new Deputy Hall Master position and over a hundred supporting personnel. I’ve saved up some money over the years, so this time, I managed to secure a connection with a superintendent in Tiangang Hall. It’s a pretty solid opportunity,” Qi Xuansu explained.

"That’s great!” Nun Cui nodded. “Although the tasks in Tiangang Hall may be tough and require frequent travel, they offer good benefits to the staff. It’s also one of the top among the Nine Halls. Moreover, the Daoist Order has held the Tiangang Hall in high regard in recent years. It has a prestigious name, so it’s good to be associated with it.”

"Indeed.” Qi Xuansu smiled. “That’s why I said I’ve had a stroke of luck.”

"Once you have a respectable position and save up some money, you should find a kind-hearted girl to marry. If so, everything will be perfect.” Nun Cui advised him.

Nun Cui became spirited. “Speaking of which, Tian Yuan, you’ve been traveling for so many years. Haven’t you found anyone special yet? If you have, bring her home, and I’ll help you assess her.”

Qi Xuansu’s smile gradually froze on his face, and he coughed slightly.

"Tian Yuan, it’s natural for men and women to marry. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about!” Nun Cui smiled.

Qi Xuansu quickly pointed to the goat cart that had already come to a stop and excused himself. “Aunt Cui, they’re waiting for me to unload the cart.”

"Go ahead, then. Come over anytime when you’re free!” Nun Cui offered.

"Sure, I will.”