A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu was merely a novice in the Divine Calculation Technique, so he could not comprehend Yao Pei, a Heavenly Being who had cultivated the Taishang Emotionless Sutra. Although Qi Xuansu could not fully discern Yao Pei’s true strength, he could guess that she was already a Heavenly Being with a moment of careful thought.

Firstly, Yao Pei was ranked above Zhang Yuelu and second only to Li Changge in the Ruyi Leaderboard provided by the Qingping Society. Since Zhang Yuelu was already a Heavenly Being, it was only logical that Yao Pei had also advanced during this time.

After all, it was well known that the Qingping Society had its own experts. Even if they could not gauge the depths of the Great Sages, they could certainly measure the talents of a few younger cultivators. No matter how prodigious these youths were, they had yet to reach their full potential, and their trajectories could still be predicted.

Although Zhang Yuelu had taken pills and elixirs, she also had an obvious disadvantage—her attention was too scattered, being involved in case after case and battle after battle. While these honed her combat skills and experience, they did not contribute to her cultivation progress.

In this regard, she was inferior to Li Changge and Yao Pei, who focused solely on their training. Zhang Yuelu’s use of pills and elixirs merely compensated for this gap, allowing her to catch up to Yao Pei.

Secondly, the Daoist Order had a tenure system, which even Yao Pei and Li Changge had to abide by.

To bypass the tenure system and receive an exceptional promotion, one needed to accumulate merit far beyond the required threshold. For instance, if a merit value of one was needed to advance in rank, the Daoist priest would have to accumulate at least three merits to be promoted ahead of schedule.

A prime example was Zhang Yuelu, who had been exempted from the tenure system and promoted to the third rank after her involvement in two major Jiangnan cases. Qi Xuansu also fell into this category.

This was due to the intensifying conflict among the three Daoist sects. Had this been in the earlier days when the Daoist Order was more stable, someone as bold and determined as Zhang Yuelu would have already been internally designated as the next Grand Master candidate. However, in the current turbulent climate, many uncertainties still remain.

In contrast, Yao Pei and Li Changge had no official military or administrative achievements, nor any formal positions. They only had honorary titles, so they could not rely on merit for early promotion and thus fell into the second category.

Although the tenure system was in place, the Holy Xuan had left behind an edict emphasizing the importance of nurturing young talents due to the past stagnation of the Confucian School. This edict granted special privileges to low-ranking Daoists in the form of reserved spots for Apprentice Mage and Prospective Mage. For high-ranking Daoists, it was the removal of the tenure system.

In other words, as long as one ascended to the Heavenly Being before the age of 30, they could disregard the tenure system. That was how Yao Pei could be promoted to the fourth rank without accumulating any extra merits.

Qi Xuansu estimated that if they were to fight, he would most likely be at a disadvantage.

His greatest reliance was his abundant experience and cunning. However, the Taishang Emotionless Sutra transformed human intent into heavenly foresight. It could predict enemy movements flawlessly, surpassing the advantages of experience.

Moreover, it completely eradicated emotions, rendering psychological tricks and mind games almost useless. It was far more effective at countering Qi Xuansu than the Taiyin 13 Swords or the Cihang Sword Sequence.

Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, “Qing Xiao, the Wanxiang Daoist Palace doesn’t just teach theory, right? Do they also teach mystical abilities and techniques?”

Zhang Yuelu seemed to have anticipated his question. She retrieved a name card from her magical receptacle and handed it to Qi Xuansu. “If you don’t want to waste three months doing nothing here, go to Kun Garden and look for this Sage.”

Qi Xuansu took the name card and saw the inscription—Sun Hewu of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace.

It was well known that the more insignificant a person was, the more eager they were to list out all their titles on a name card. However, the more prestigious an individual, the simpler their name card. The higher their status, the fewer words were used. Sometimes, it would just consist of their name and place of origin.

For example, Sage Donghua was simply referred to as Pei Xuanzhi of Lanling Prefecture. As such, some even refer to him as Pei Lanling. He did not need to add titles such as the Ziwei Hall Master or Chief Omniscient Sage of the Golden Tower Council to his name card.

Since Sage Sun’s name was followed by only “Wanxiang Daoist Palace,” it was evident that he was no ordinary figure.

Qi Xuansu remarked, “Superintendent Sun Yongfeng from Tiangang Hall’s Yaoguang Division belongs to the eighth generation of Quanzhen Sect disciples. But Sage Sun is from the sixth generation, which is indeed rare.”

In fact, the most common generational name in the current Quanzhen Sect was Yong, with examples like Zhuge Yongming, Sun Yongfeng, and Bai Yongguan. The Jiao generation was also fairly common, but the He generation was extremely rare—roughly equivalent to the You generation of the Li family.

Zhang Yuelu nodded. “He is an elder known for his honesty and extensive knowledge. You can use my name when visiting him. With my connection, he shouldn’t refuse your request.”

Feeling touched, Qi Xuansu smiled affectionately. “Qing Xiao, you’re the best!”

He seemed to be overcome with emotion and attempted to take advantage of the moment to hug Zhang Yuelu.

However, with a light tap of her foot, Zhang Yuelu floated several meters back just in time to evade him.

Zhang Yuelu stared at him from afar. “I know that I treat you well, and vice versa. But since we’re not Daoist companions, let’s keep things proper between us and avoid inappropriate behavior. If you think I am the kind of woman who flirts frivolously, you have greatly misjudged me.”

Qi Xuansu cleared his throat and put on a solemn expression. “I wouldn’t dare. Everyone knows you are a proper young lady from a prestigious family. I was merely overcome with emotion and couldn’t help myself.”

Zhang Yuelu did not bother arguing with him. Instead, she changed the subject. “On June 15th, the Upper Palace will be sealed off, and ordinary people won’t be allowed to enter or leave. I must also leave since I’m not a student or instructor here.

“While I’m gone, don’t let your pride get the better of you, and don’t get involved with other women. I know you’re not a womanizer, but you will surely attract a lot of attention. There will be many temptations, and you might not always be able to control your desires.

“If I find out that you have engaged in any improper behavior, I won’t let it slide. Of course, I will also hold myself to the same standard. I won’t be a hypocrite or engage with other men.”

This was not Zhang Yuelu being overly suspicious. Rather, she had been to the Wanxiang Daoist Palace before, so she knew that this place was far from a sanctuary of purity.

A woman’s beauty was a natural asset.

High-ranking individuals would inevitably try to take advantage of beautiful women, offering a helping hand to them women they favored. Women of Zhang Yuelu’s and Yao Pei’s stature would naturally be above such schemes. Aside from figures like Li Tianzhen, who had both power and influence, few would dare approach them. However, for ordinary female disciples, resisting such temptation was far more difficult.

Some women even actively pursued such arrangements, willingly offering their bodies in the hopes of securing a better future. Thus, the Upper Palace was, at times, a chaotic and sordid environment.

Zhang Yuelu had seen such cases firsthand.

A beautiful female Daoist already in her forties and no longer eligible for major promotions, still maintained a youthful appearance and exuded the charm of a mature woman. She was particularly adept at seducing men. During her time at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, she got involved with an instructor who was already married.

Whether the woman seduced him or he pursued her was uncertain, but it was undoubtedly a case of mutual desire. When the training ended, she conveniently stayed on at Wanxiang Daoist Palace as an instructor, which was a prestigious, risk-free position with a stable income—far better than the perilous life of the wild Daoists in Tiangang Hall.

Qi Xuansu was well-versed in life-and-death battles and had extensive experience wandering in Jianghu. However, he had rarely encountered situations like this.

In this regard, he could not compare to those born into wealth and privilege, such as Li Tianzhen and Shen Yuzu, who had seen and done it all. Even so, Zhang Yuelu could not help but feel a bit uneasy, fearing that he might pick up bad habits.

Qi Xuansu patted his chest in assurance. “Don’t worry, I know what to do.”

Zhang Yuelu hinted. “Some things call for tolerance as vast as the sea, but others require standing tall like an unyielding mountain, unshaken by desire.”

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “Why have I never realized how much you like nagging? I’m not a child. You don’t need to keep reminding me.”

Zhang Yuelu let out a soft hum and said no more. Even she felt that she was being unusually talkative, which was uncharacteristic of her. Was this what people meant by attachment clouds judgment?

After giving a few more instructions, Zhang Yuelu said, “Alright, focus on your training. I should go.”

Qi Xuansu felt somewhat reluctant to part with her, but he did not want to make it too obvious. He asked, “Where are you headed?”

“I’ll return to Yunjin Mountain to visit my parents before heading back to Jade Capital,” Zhang Yuelu replied. “That way, I can cultivate in seclusion under my master’s guidance.”

Qi Xuansu took out the Taiyi Cloud Robe and two jade slips. “Do you want to take these back with you?”

“Keep them. Return them to me once you are a Heavenly Being. I believe that day isn’t far off.” Zhang Yuelu said as she reached out to adjust his collar. “I’m leaving now. Bye!”

Qi Xuansu escorted Zhang Yuelu to the Li Gate and watched her figure disappear in the direction of Xingye Lake.

When he withdrew his gaze, he was startled to see Yao Pei, who had somehow appeared beside him without making a sound.

Yao Pei scrutinized Qi Xuansu with her lifeless eyes that resembled those of a dead fish. “Tian Yuan, you are quite fortunate.”

Qi Xuansu instinctively took a few steps back. “Daoist Yao, do you need something?”

Yao Pei asked, “Earlier, with Qing Xiao present, I couldn’t ask—what is your relationship with Mogul Yao from the Seven Treasure Pavilion?”