A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu neatly arranged the large quantity of groceries he had bought, cooked himself a pot of white porridge, and brewed some medicine.

Anyone would think that Qi Xuansu was the gentle Daoist priest that Zhang Yuelu described, not the vicious man who single-handedly fought his way through the Fengtai County government office.

In fact, Qi Xuansu had no penchant for killing. He regarded it simply as a task to be done, deriving no pleasure and feeling little guilt from it. This was thanks to Madam Qi’s teachings. She emphasized that killing was merely a means to an end, not the goal itself. She often used the analogy that people were like swords. They should be unsheathed when necessary, but they should also learn when to remain sheathed.

Madam Qi conducted a detailed assessment of Qi Xuansu every year to prevent any mental abnormalities or tendencies toward demonic cultivation.

The Daoist Order also conducted such assessments internally, but they did not apply to all disciples of the Daoist Order. They were specifically targeted at external affairs disciples from Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall.

The assessment results were classified into four grades: A, B, C, and D.

Grade A indicated no problems whatsoever. Grade B suggested minor flaws with minimal impact. Disciples only needed to rest for a stipulated time. Grade C implied disturbances in one’s mental state, necessitating reassignment as well as long-term recuperation. Grade D indicated an inability to live normally and a potential for madness, requiring immediate intervention and possibly even confinement.

Qi Xuansu had received a Grade A in the assessment for three consecutive years.

Zhang Yuelu was only able to discern Qi Xuansu’s killing aura because she was a Banished Immortal in the Nascent Soul Realm. This realm allowed the acquisition of three basic mystical abilities: Purple Star Astrology, Divine Observation Technique, and Astral Projection.

Utilizing the Divine Observation Technique, Zhang Yuelu could perceive a faint red aura enveloping Qi Xuansu’s body. As a simplified version of the Banished Immortal, Rogue Cultivators had a similar realm corresponding to the Nascent Soul Realm called the Holy Embryo Realm. In that realm, they could acquire three similar mystical abilities: Divine Calculation, Qi Observation Technique, and Soul Projection.

Just from the names of the techniques, one could discern the superiority of the former. The Divine Observation Technique was an advanced method, whereas the Qi Observation Technique was at an intermediate level.

Throughout history, there have been many Daoist practitioners using a plethora of methods to achieve enlightenment.

There were countless techniques and mystical abilities within Daoism. However, there were distinctions in the quality of these methods and in the levels of mastery. There were four classifications for these methods: slight attainment, average attainment, high attainment, and perfected.

The slight attainment methods only aimed for quick mastery. Average attainment methods failed to comprehend the Dao. High attainment methods were aligned with the principles of heaven and earth. Perfected methods led to immortality and ascension.

Albeit useful, obtaining various mystical abilities did not elevate one’s cultivation.

The Divine Observation Technique and the Qi Observation Technique both fell within the category of mystical abilities.

In the past, the Holy Xuan gathered all the Great Sages and Sages of the Daoist Order, brought together all the methods, refined them, and integrated them into five progressive cultivation paths toward ascension without the risk of demonic cultivation.

These five perfected methods formed the foundations of the Five Lineages. Even the Rogue Cultivators that came later were developed based on these five perfected paths.

To this day, everyone in the Daoist community, including the sages and ninth-rank Daoist priests, used these perfected methods approved by the Holy Xuan. The speed of progression depended entirely on the abundance of resources, the quality of one’s aptitude, and the level of effort one put into cultivation.

The Holy Xuan’s vision and ambition far surpassed those of his previous ancestors and masters, which enabled the revitalization of the Daoist Order and its current dominance over the world.

The Holy Xuan once intended to restructure mystical abilities as well. However, due to the overwhelming complexity of the project and strong opposition within the Daoist Order, this plan was never realized.

The so-called perfected methods, high attainment methods, average attainment methods, and slight attainment methods referred to mystical abilities. The standard cultivation methods used by the Daoist community were the perfected methods that the Holy Xuan had restructured. Thus, they were no longer classified as such.

These mystical abilities corresponded to the cultivation methods provided by the Daoist Order, which were completely open and widely circulated even outside the Daoist Order. Anyone could practice the methods and techniques as long as one’s realm was sufficient.

Rogue Cultivators could also learn the mystical abilities of Banished Immortals, but they would inevitably face more challenges. After all, the Daoist ancestors of each lineage developed and refined these abilities most suitable for their disciples. Deviating from this path undoubtedly meant believing that one’s own strength could surpass the collective experience and wisdom of the Daoist Order’s past ancestors. Such arrogant practitioners were bound to hit a wall.

In addition, one could only cultivate some techniques if earned through merit or if certain requirements were achieved.

One such example was the perfected Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method from the Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect. While the Holy Xuan had integrated this method into the Qi Refiner’s lineage so everyone could practice it, one could only practice this method at the Guizhen stage. The remaining mystical abilities that were not made public could only be learned by the Zhengyi Sect’s core disciples.

The same applied to the Taiping Sect and the Quanzhen Sect. Each of these sects had their own special mystical abilities that were not passed down to outsiders.

Qi Xuansu did not possess any special mystical abilities. He only had three basic mystical abilities.

The path to immortality was divided into three major progressions: Heavenly Beings, Xiantian Beings, and Houtian Beings. The Daoist Order subdivided these into several smaller stages to correspond to the different realms of each lineage.

Houtian Beings had two levels: Basic and Baodan. Xiantian Beings had three levels: Kunlun, Yuxu, and Guizhen. These five stages corresponded to the five realms of Rogue Cultivators: Foundation Building, Qi Refinement, Inner Dan, Yuding, and Holy Embryo realms. These five realms corresponded to the five realms of Banished Immortals: Golden Essence Refinement, Qi Formation, Nectar Refinement, Purple Qi, and Nascent Soul realms.

Qi Xuansu was in the Inner Dan Realm.

There was no corresponding mystical ability for the Foundation Building Realm. In the Qi Refinement Realm, one could cultivate the qi shield, which was a slight attainment method derived from the Qi Refiner’s lineage. It was inferior to the astral qi shield, which was the Qi Refiner’s average attainment method, as well as the Five Elements qi shield, which was the Banished Immortal’s high attainment method.

In the Inner Dan realm, one could cultivate two mystical abilities: the slight attainment method of Yin-Yang Eyes and the average attainment method of Spiritual Eyes from the Diviner’s lineage. Yin-Yang Eyes could only detect ghosts and spirits, while Spiritual Eyes could immobilize them.

Another one was the average-attainment Sword Controlling Technique. It was inferior to the Qi Refiner’s high-attainment Sword Steering Technique because it required a genuine flying sword. While a flying sword could be used with the Sword Steering Technique, after obtaining a certain level of cultivation, this method could also be used with a normal sword.

In short, Rogue Cultivators had the advantage of cultivating mystical abilities from the other five major lineages, but the downside was that they were lacking in every aspect.

After the Inner Dan Realm was the Yuding Realm, where one could cultivate two average-attainment methods.

One of the average-attainment methods was the Fasting Technique, which was not very useful in combat. Depending on the level of cultivation, it could significantly reduce personal consumption, from eating once a day to once every three days, then subsisting on wind and dew until finally fasting completely.

The other method was the Cicada Molting Technique, which was to temporarily create a false body to take one’s place in death, making it an extremely practical life-saving mystical ability.

This technique was derived from the Banished Immortal’s Illusory Body Technique.

The Cicada Molting Technique could only avoid ordinary sword attacks and elemental spells, but it could not evade techniques such as black magic or spiritual suppression.

On the other hand, the Banished Immortal’s Illusory Body Technique used one’s blood and essence to create a lifelike substitute body that was indistinguishable from the original. Thus, it was capable of withstanding curses and spiritual attacks. It was considered a high-attainment method.

Masters of this technique could even combine other precious materials and a part of one’s own cultivation to deceive the heavens and overcome heavenly tribulations. Hence, there was another name for this technique—the Tribulation Substitute Technique.

This showed the vast difference between Rogue Cultivators and Banished Immortals. It was a gap that could not be easily bridged.

Madam Qi once promised Qi Xuansu that as long as he reached the Yuding Realm, she would teach him a special mystical ability unique to the Qingping Society. It was a high-attainment method, and she would teach it to him for free.

If Qi Xuansu was willing to spend another 300 Taiping coins, Madam Qi would also teach him her Crescent Palm Saw Technique. Although it was only an average-attainment technique, this was useful in combat because only a hand was needed for this method. It was much better than having the Sword Controlling Technique but without the possession of a flying sword.

In addition, Madam Qi could also teach him the Yin Slaughter Technique and the Entwining Silk Technique. The former, like the Crescent Palm Saw Technique, was an average-attainment method from the Martial Arts Practitioner lineage. The latter was a high-attainment method from the Qi Refiner’s lineage.

These techniques were priced at 500 Taiping coins each, totaling 1,000 Taiping coins. The price was non-negotiable, even for Qi Xuansu, who was like a son to Madam Qi.

Qi Xuansu sighed at the thought.

In fact, Qi Xuansu could also use his merits to exchange for techniques or elixirs that could enhance his cultivation from the Qingping Society through Madam Qi. This system was quite similar to the merit system of the Daoist Order. However, Qi Xuansu was still hoping to accumulate 9,000 merits so that he could leave the Qingping Society. That was why his progress in cultivation was so slow.

After the porridge was ready, Qi Xuansu served himself a bowl. As he ate the porridge, he read the bulletin that he had bought earlier.

The bulletin originated from the Imperial Court, initially being copies of imperial decrees and ministry petitions that were distributed by local government offices. These bulletins were how the public received information about the government.

The Daoist Order formalized its operations, documenting various policies and interesting anecdotes in printed form and selling them to the public for five Ruyi coins per copy. However, these publications were generally only available in the Jade Capital and major Daoist mansions.

Today’s bulletin covered the demonic unrest in the Western Region. This unrest lasted for two months, during which five merchant caravans were attacked. However, the Western Region Daoist Mansion was preoccupied with its conflict with the Shamanistic Sect, so they sought assistance from the Ancestral Court.

The Shamanistic Sect was a branch of ancient Wuism. After the fall of Wuism, the Shamanistic sect migrated to the grasslands and became the state religion of the Golden Horde. Their power was not to be underestimated.

The Western Region Daoist Mansion frequently clashed with the Shamanistic sect and struggled to fight them alone. It was no wonder that the Western Region Daoist Mansion always faced manpower shortages.

Qi Xuansu continued reading the bulletin. The next report was about the Great Sage Lunzhi’s decree to crack down on the secret societies in various regions, requiring each local Daoist mansion to strictly implement ancestral policies.

The next report was about the relevant updates from the Nine Halls. The Great Sage of Ciji Hall had met with envoys from the Buddhist sect. Duzhi Hall released a summary of the first half of the year’s revenue as well as a budget outline for the second half of the year.

Ziwei Hall released preliminary results of the Eight Methods Assessment this spring and summer, announcing the list of promoted and demoted Daoist priests. Beichen Hall announced the list of criminals to be executed in late autumn, along with detailed descriptions of their crimes, hoping it would be a deterrent to other criminals.

After Qi Xuansu finished a bowl of porridge, his medicine was still not brewed. He put down the bulletin and suddenly remembered a quote from the Holy Xuan. “Since we are the orthodox government, we must have transparency in our actions so that the world can witness our efforts.”