A Pawn's Passage

There was no doubt that Yao Pei’s words carried a hint of sarcasm, yet neither her expression nor her tone betrayed even the slightest trace of mockery.

Zhang Yuelu responded, “I wouldn’t dare accept such a claim.”

“You fully deserve it.” Yao Pei gave a faint smile, but her eyes remained devoid of warmth. “Recently, there has been a rumor circulating, claiming that the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect have reached an agreement on the selection of Grand Master. This time, the Zhengyi Sect will fully support Sage Donghua from the Quanzhen Sect to take the position of Grand Master.

“When the next election comes around, the Quanzhen Sect will return the favor by fully supporting the Zhengyi Sect’s chosen successor. The two sects intend to suppress the Taiping Sect by joining forces. Due to this, the Earthly Preceptor has been persistently endorsing and promoting Qing Xiao, paving the way for the next generation of Grand Master.”

Qi Xuansu’s first instinct was that Yao Pei harbored resentment.

It was completely understandable. When one’s elders went to great lengths to promote an outsider who just happened to be a direct competitor, it would be difficult for anyone to remain calm after becoming a casualty of political maneuvers.

Yet, there was not a single trace of emotion on Yao Pei’s face—only an unnatural, eerie calmness.

Qi Xuansu pondered further. Yao Pei’s words began to make sense. Sage Donghua was fully aware of his close ties with Zhang Yuelu yet still promoted him to Superintendent of Ziwei Hall. Furthermore, during the Golden Tower Council meeting, the Earthly Preceptor continued advocating for Zhang Yuelu’s rise and even included Qi Xuansu in the recommendation.

From an outsider’s perspective, this seemed like an effort to cultivate Zhang Yuelu’s loyal followers. If what Yao Pei said was true, then the Quanzhen Sect was merely fulfilling their promise and signaling goodwill toward the Zhengyi Sect.

But even if this were true, it did not mean Yao Pei had no value to the Quanzhen Sect. There was still the position of the Earthly Preceptor.

The current Earthly Preceptor was approaching 100 years old. Unless the Earthly Preceptor took the immense risk of going through a heavenly tribulation, then his time in this world was limited. Sage Donghua had passed sixty. Regardless of whether he could become the seventh-generation Grand Master, he had to consider his legacy.

On the other hand, Yao Pei was still under 30, even younger than Qi Xuansu. Even if she could not become the Grand Master, she could very well be groomed to take the title of the next Earthly Preceptor of the Quanzhen Sect.

However, this was the first time Yao Pei and Zhang Yuelu had met, yet Yao Pei had immediately thrown out such a sensitive topic. Was this really appropriate? It seemed more like a challenge and provocation.

At that moment, Yao Pei suddenly turned to Qi Xuansu and asked, “Who am I?”

Qi Xuansu was momentarily stunned by the question and instinctively replied, “Your name is Yao Pei.”

Yao Pei nodded. “Oh. I am Yao Pei. We are a family.”

The concept of “family” was incredibly broad. All Daoist disciples could be considered family. Within the Quanzhen Sect, all of its disciples could be seen as a family as well.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu exchanged glances, but neither of them responded.

Who knew what this woman was trying to express?

Qi Xuansu pondered even further. These so-called Daoist prodigies truly had their quirks. If their eccentricities were considered an illness, then Li Changge, Yao Pei, and Zhang Yuelu were all severely afflicted.

Although Zhang Yuelu seemed easygoing when she was with Qi Xuansu, she was quite the opposite when with others. She had defeated Li Tianzhen, one of the most distinguished noble scions of the Daoist families, twisted Xu Kou’s wrist, nearly snapped Yuan Shangdao’s neck, and disciplined Bai Yuru, among many other violent acts. Such incidents were too numerous to count, making her anything but “easy to get along with.” If anything, she was outright domineering.

Yet, she was not domineering all the time. With some people, such as Qi Xuansu and Mu Jin, who neither wielded power nor held high status, she was incredibly kind. It was perhaps simply because their temperaments matched or because they treated her sincerely.

Since her attitude was unpredictable and never based on status or wealth, many claimed she had an odd temperament. This was what Qi Xuansu considered openly showing symptoms of “illness.”

On the other hand, Yao Pei only had hidden symptoms. She appeared entirely normal, but she was severely “ill.” One could never predict when she might lose herself in madness.

For instance, what had started as an ordinary conversation earlier was slowly becoming unsettling. Qi Xuansu could not quite grasp what Yao Pei was after.

He had heard of a certain kind of illness, where a person might seem fine one moment, chatting and laughing, but the next, they would stab someone without warning, completely transforming into another person. Yet the assailant themself would not think anything was amiss.

To him, Yao Pei had such tendencies.

Then what about Li Changge, who was ranked the highest on the Ruyi Leaderboard? How would his “illness” manifest? Would he be the type who always walked with his chin to the sky? Or would he be the kind who radiated warmth on the surface but had an evil and scheming heart? Or perhaps he possessed the worst traits of both Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei combined?

Just as Qi Xuansu was lost in these wild thoughts, Yao Pei tilted her head to the sky and continued, “Family is the most trustworthy, but also the least trustworthy. I’ve just divined my fate. It seems I will not die at the hands of outsiders, but at the hands of my own kin.”

Qi Xuansu let out an awkward chuckle while secretly thinking, Why not just say outright that you’ll die at my hands? Why all this roundabout nonsense? She truly is insane!

Suddenly, Qi Xuansu thought of a possibility. Wait a second...is this crazy woman planning to use this as an excuse to kill me? Like some nonsense about it’s better to strike first as a precaution? If that’s the case, I’m in deep trouble!

Yao Pei suddenly glanced at Qi Xuansu, as if she had read his thoughts.

At that moment, Zhang Yuelu stepped forward, blocking Yao Pei’s line of sight to Qi Xuansu.

“Mind-Reading?” Yao Pei muttered. “That’s a remarkable technique from the Heart Series.”

Having said this, she withdrew her gaze, no longer looking at Qi Xuansu.

Zhang Yuelu gave Yao Pei a long, deep look. “Su Yi, let’s chat another day. We’ll take our leave for now.”

“I won’t see you off.” Yao Pei clasped her hands in salutation.

Zhang Yuelu pulled Qi Xuansu along and turned to leave.

Yao Pei stood in place, hands clasped behind her back as she watched the couple depart.

Once they were out of Yao Pei’s sight, Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, “Don’t you think Miss Yao a bit...off?”

Zhang Yuelu shot him a sidelong glance. “It’s the Taishang Emotionless Sutra.”

Qi Xuansu was momentarily stunned. “You mean the legendary foundational technique of the Northern Sect? Wasn’t it supposed to be exclusive to the royal family?”

Zhang Yuelu explained, “It was in the royal family’s possession, but it was later integrated into the Daoist Order when the Holy Xuan’s wife joined us. Eventually, the Holy Xuan incorporated it into the Heavenly and Earthly Immortal lineages.

“To master Heavenly Calculation, one must first practice the Taishang Emotionless Sutra. Later, Heavenly Calculation was simplified into the Rogue Cultivator’s Divine Calculation Technique.”

Qi Xuansu asked hesitantly, “I’ve heard of the legendary Taishang Emotionless Sutra. Just from the name alone, it sounds like one would become completely detached from all emotions and relationships after practicing it, right?”

Being well-read and knowledgeable, Zhang Yuelu explained patiently, “Emotionless is not the same as being heartless. The concept of the Taishang Emotionless Sutra is to transcend emotions to attain absolute impartiality. One understands emotions yet is detached from them—unmoved by sentiments and undisturbed by attachments.

“The Taishang Emotionless Sutra is the ultimate path to transcendence and creation. This technique, like the Taiyin 13 Swords, was an unorthodox perfected method, one with both advantages and drawbacks.

“It primarily cultivates the heart and mind. In its early stages, it merely weakens emotional attachments while granting profound tranquility and focus. Common enchantments, illusions, and mind-affecting techniques become ineffective against the practitioner. At this stage, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

“As one progresses further in cultivation, the drawbacks begin to outweigh the benefits. Just as you suspected, the practitioner would become more detached from their emotions until they are entirely severed. At higher levels, the practitioner will lose all mortal attachments, including their humanity, leaving them as cold and lifeless as a rock.

“Before reaching full mastery, the practitioner hasn’t truly forgotten their emotions but merely suppressed them. If their emotions ever resurface, the backlash will be devastating. At best, their personality will undergo a drastic change, plunging them into madness; at worst, they will be possessed by their inner demon and perish instantly.”

Qi Xuansu clicked his tongue. “One technique breeds inner demons, while another severs all emotions. Why are these unorthodox methods always so treacherous?”

Zhang Yuelu continued, “The greater the risk, the greater the reward. You’ve already seen how powerful the Taiyin 13 Swords can be. With the same level of cultivation and without relying on external objects, neither of us could confidently defeat Xie Jin in a fair match.

“Humans experience seven emotions. According to the Confucians, they are joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire. According to the Buddhists, they are joy, anger, worry, fear, love, resentment, and desire. Meanwhile, the Daoist perspective defines them as joy, anger, worry, contemplation, grief, fear, and shock.

“Regardless of which perspective you follow, the Taishang Emotionless Sutra seeks to erase all these emotions. Without fear, shock, anger, sorrow, or grief, the practitioner will stay calm even in a perilous situation. They remain resolute, reacting with incomparable speed and precision, so much so that even a battle-hardened veteran like you would be outmatched. Every ounce of their strength is maximized, so they can reach beyond their limits.”

“It is often said that human calculations cannot compare to heavenly calculations. This is precisely why the Taishang Emotionless Sutra is so profound. By letting go of one’s emotions, the practitioner’s heart draws closer to the heavens. As such, human calculations will turn into heavenly calculations.

“It is said that when one enters the emotionless state, they abandon all seven emotions and six desires, as if detaching from being human altogether. They can stand above the mortal world like an Immortal, overlooking the mundane realm from the clouds.

“Moreover, while unorthodox methods like these are undoubtedly perilous, those who can reach the end of the path will turn misfortune into blessing, and bitterness into sweetness. Those who can subdue their inner demons when practicing the Taiyin 13 Swords can transform their inner demons into external manifestations.

“When one fully masters the Taishang Emotionless Sutra, one will be able to return to their natural state, freely entering and exiting the emotionless state and appearing no different from an ordinary person in daily life. A good example of this is the Holy Xuan’s wife.

“Records describe the Holy Xuan’s wife as kind and amiable, far from being cold or unfeeling. It is said that in her youth, whenever Donghuang made a mistake, he would plead with his sister-in-law to intercede on his behalf with the Holy Xuan.”

After hearing this, Qi Xuansu asked, “If that’s the case, what stage do you think Su Yi has reached? Has she already lost her mind?”

Zhang Yuelu shook her head. “With so many esteemed elders watching over her, how could she possibly lose herself so easily? It seems more like she has hit a bottleneck. Her altered temperament is affecting her mental state, making her appear somewhat abnormal.”

“I knew it! You also think there’s something off about her, right?” Qi Xuansu immediately perked up.

Zhang Yuelu glanced at him and teased, “Whether she’s off or not, I’m not her classmate, so what does it have to do with me? But you best be careful around her. Good luck!”