A Pawn's Passage

The Taiping Inn of Longmen Prefecture was grand, comparable to nobles’ residences. Not only did it have a manmade lake with water diverted into the estate, but part of its grounds was also designed as an open garden, with lush greenery and winding paths, making it an ideal place for guests to take a stroll.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu left the guest quarters and went to a secluded spot with no one around. There, Zhang Yuelu wiped her face with her hand to remove the white fox face mask, revealing her true appearance.

Zhang Yuelu examined the mask carefully and muttered, “So this is the relic left behind by Su Ran.”

Qi Xuansu nodded.

Zhang Yuelu sighed. “Nothing should be taken to the extreme; otherwise, even good things turn bad.”

She tossed the white fox mask back to Qi Xuansu. “You should keep it, Master Wei.”

“Are you still hung up on the Jiangling Prefecture incident?” Qi Xuansu chuckled and stored the mask in his magical receptacle.

Zhang Yuelu cast a sidelong glance at him. “You seem quite pleased with yourself, huh?”

Qi Xuansu grinned. “Marshal Thunder wasn’t your match, and neither was Pan Cuiqing. But I could match you blow for blow back then—how could I not be pleased?”

“Shall we have a rematch? Right here?” Zhang Yuelu smiled back.

Qi Xuansu quickly waved his hands. “No, thanks. If I win, I’m a scoundrel who hits his wife. If I lose, I’m a coward who fears his wife. Regardless of the outcome, I still suffer a loss.”

“Wife? But your records state you’re unmarried.” Zhang Yuelu feigned ignorance.

Qi Xuansu boldly replied, “She’s right before my eyes, yet so unattainable.”

Zhang Yuelu did not get angry or shy. Instead, she slowly moved closer to Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu instinctively took a few steps back, adopting a defensive stance. “Qing Xiao, what are you trying to do?”

“What are you afraid of?” Zhang Yuelu asked.

Qi Xuansu maintained a straight face. “Afraid? Who’s afraid?”

Though he said this, each time Zhang Yuelu stepped forward, Qi Xuansu took a step back. When she stopped, he stopped too, keeping a safe distance from her.

Qi Xuansu was not one to take pride in being henpecked, but he was self-aware. When he could not win in direct confrontation, he knew how to dodge.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Yuelu found it both amusing and exasperating.

She stopped approaching him and warned, “If you say such improper things again, I won’t let you off.”

Qi Xuansu laughed. “Nothing is more serious than this matter of a lifetime.”

Zhang Yuelu wanted to refute him but, upon careful consideration, she found some sense in his words.

She was not one to argue for the sake of arguing, but as a conservative young lady, she could not be entirely indifferent to such jokes about marriage.

Lacking a better response, Zhang Yuelu threatened, “Whatever. If you keep using this tone, I won’t go to Difei Mountain with you.”

Qi Xuansu had to surrender. “Alright, alright, I won’t joke about it.”

Ultimately, Zhang Yuelu’s stance was clear—they could discuss marriage, but it should not be treated as a joke.

Qi Xuansu reconsidered and found it reasonable. Since marriage was a significant matter, he had to take it seriously. However, he did not believe the fault lay with him—Madam Qi bore responsibility because he was influenced by her constant teasing about marriage and settling down.

He took out the voice retention talisman and changed the topic. “Which Deputy Chongyang Palace Master is more reliable?”

Within the jurisdiction of the Quanzhen Sect, the Chongyang Palace of Immortality was unquestionably the highest authority.

The various Quanzhen Sect territories operated under dual leadership—they had to follow the commands of the Golden Tower Council while also being under the supervision of the Chongyang Palace of Immortality. This was why Pei Xiaolou, as a Deputy Chongyang Palace Master, had the authority to inspect different Daoist mansions.

Daoist temples were categorized into four levels: county temple, prefectural temple, state palace, and Daoist palace.

Bishan Temple and Qingbai Temple belonged to the county level.

Zhenwu Temple was at the prefectural level, while Taiping Palace, Summer Palace, and Daxue Mountain Palace were state palaces.

Qingling Palace, Zhenjing Courtyard, Dazhen Mansion, Shangqing Palace, Chongyang Palace of Immortality, Wuxu Palace, Zixiao Palace, and Wanxiang Daoist Palaces were classified as Daoist palaces.

Among them, Summer Palace and Daxue Mountain Palace were not governed by another Daoist mansion.

At the Daoist palace level, there was a hierarchy of principal and subordinate institutions. In the Quanzhen Sect, the Chongyang Palace of Immortality was the principal, while the Wuxu Palace was subordinate.

The main difference was that the Wuxu Palace had a Palace Master, whereas the Chongyang Palace of Immortality was directly overseen by the Earthly Preceptor.

In other words, the Earthly Preceptor also held the title of the Chongyang Palace Master. Beneath him were nine Deputy Palace Masters who assisted in handling various affairs, Pei Xiaolou being one of them.

For minor matters like this, it was naturally impossible to trouble the Earthly Preceptor. However, since Pan Cuiqing was involved, it could not simply be handled by an ordinary superintendent. It had to be dealt with by a Deputy Palace Master.

If Pei Xiaolou were present, he would undoubtedly be the best candidate. However, he was currently in the Jade Capital for questioning by the Golden Tower Council alongside the other investigation team members. Thus, they needed to select another Deputy Palace Master from the remaining eight to handle this matter involving Pan Cuiqing and Yue Liuli.

Generally speaking, if the Earthly Preceptor did not personally intervene, the Deputy Palace Master whom Qi Xuansu approached to file the report would be the one responsible for handling it.

Before choosing the Deputy Palace Master, the initiative and decision-making power lay in Qi Xuansu’s hands.

However, once the case was officially filed, this control would shift to the Deputy Palace Master.

How the case was handled, the speed of proceedings, and whether it would be covered up or fairly judged ultimately depended on the discretion of the Deputy Palace Master.

Although the Quanzhen Sect was the largest Daoist sect, it was still overshadowed by the Taiping Sect because of the countless internal factions, hence lacking unity and cohesiveness.

The Quanzhen Sect was not a monolithic entity. Each of the Deputy Chongyang Palace Masters belonged to different factions, so some naturally had ties to the Wuxu Palace.

Thus, there could be unexpected complications if they choose the wrong person to handle the case.

Though Qi Xuansu was a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, he had only recently transferred there, so he had little understanding of its internal factions.

On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu—a Zhengyi Sect disciple—had deeper connections with the Quanzhen Sect and was certainly more knowledgeable about the underlying politics.

Zhang Yuelu did not disappoint Qi Xuansu. After a brief deliberation, she answered, “Among the many Deputy Palace Masters, there is one named Sage Xu who hails from the same clan as the late Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, Shangguan Jing, and a distant relative to the Zhang family.”

Qi Xuansu immediately recalled. “I remember that the first Earthly Preceptor Shangguan Wan had a marriage alliance with a Heavenly Preceptor from the Zhang family after the revival of the Daoist Order.”

“That’s right.” Zhang Yuelu nodded. “It was quite unusual. Both of them were highly cultivated individuals, yet they gave birth to a pair of twins. Due to their esteemed status, they couldn’t follow conventional customs.

“After discussion, they decided that the elder brother would take the father’s last name Zhang while the younger sister took the mother’s last name Shangguan. These two became the ancestors of both the Zhang and Shangguan families.

“Later, a branch of the Shangguan family took on the last name Xu, inheriting the legacy of the Earthly Preceptor Xu Wugui.”

Qi Xuansu mused, “Your family is quite open-minded. I remember that Madam Tantai—your mom—wanted you to take her last name too. That’s how you’ve gotten your alternate name, Tantai Chu.”

Zhang Yuelu rolled her eyes at him. “What, are you envious?”

Qi Xuansu suddenly recalled Madam Qi’s suggestion of changing his name to Yao Xuansu.

Feeling a bit guilty, he waved his hand. “My master doesn’t have a wife, so I can only take my master’s last name.”

Zhang Yuelu teased, “You can take my last name.”

Qi Xuansu immediately perked up, grinning mischievously. “And what exactly are you to me that I should take your last name?”

The moment Zhang Yuelu blurted out that sentence, she realized her mistake.

She quickly looked up at the sky, avoiding Qi Xuansu’s gaze and pretending not to hear his question.

If it had been Madam Qi, Qi Xuansu would not have dared to joke like this. Madam Qi would most likely have retorted, “I’m your ancestor!”

However, Zhang Yuelu was a young lady who was certainly more reserved than the eccentric Madam Qi.

Qi Xuansu added, “If we have two children in the future, we can follow this custom too.”

Zhang Yuelu almost blurted again. “Where would we get two children?”

However, she quickly stopped herself and chose to ignore him.

Observing her reaction, Qi Xuansu decided to stop teasing her.

He returned to the topic by asking, “Can Sage Xu help us?”

Zhang Yuelu finally looked down, coughed lightly, and nodded seriously. “Due to our ancestral ties, Sage Xu has the best relationship with the Zhengyi Sect. As far as I know, Sage Xu has little contact with the Wuxu Palace, increasing our chances of a fair trial.”

Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before nodding. “Then let’s go find Sage Xu.”

Zhang Yuelu took out the Taiyi Cloud Robe from her magical receptacle and handed it to Qi Xuansu. “Zhongzhou is not far from Qinzhou. Let’s fly there directly.”

He took the Taiyi Cloud Robe, draped it over himself, and walked out of the Taiping Inn with Zhang Yuelu.