A Pawn's Passage

The Governor of Shuzhou ranked last among the Nine Governors. Unlike most other governors, who ruled two states, the Governor of Shuzhou governed only one. This was due to two main reasons. Shuzhou’s vast territory was second only to Xizhou, far larger than the other states. In terms of population, however, Shuzhou far exceeded Xizhou. Furthermore, Shuzhou had been historically politically unstable due to it being the frontier of the south, where local tribes frequently rebelled. Thus, the Imperial Court established a dedicated Governor to oversee this large state.

The Governor had supreme authority over both military and civil affairs in the state. The Pacification Commissioner and the Chief Admiral were directly under his command, and the Garrison Chief Military Officer was subordinate to the Chief Admiral.

Across all of Shuzhou, there were four Garrison Chief Military Officers in Shuzhong, Jianmen, Jinxiu, and Nanjiang, respectively.

Though all four generals held the same rank, their hierarchical order differed. The Nanjiang Chief Military Officer ranked highest, as he commanded the largest and most elite force, responsible for suppressing tribal uprisings. The Jinxiu Chief Military Officer ranked second because he protected Shuzhou’s capital city. The Jianmen Chief Military Officer ranked third since the Jianmen Pass was Shuzhou’s strategic gateway. Lastly, the Shuzhong Chief Military took fourth place.

Shuzhong was home to one of the Quanzhen Sect’s noble families—the Tang family.

The Tang family held a unique position within the Quanzhen Sect. They were not as powerful as the Yao, Pei, or Qi families, yet they were stronger than the Shangguan, Xu, or Ji families. They maintained a balanced standing, neither dominant nor insignificant. They were also extremely low-profile and rarely left Shuzhou’s borders.

Another similarly reclusive noble family was the Zhang family. However, this family was unrelated to the renowned Zhang family from the Zhengyi Sect. Instead, this Zhang family’s lineage could be traced back to Zhang Suqing, the Prime Minister of the previous dynasty. This family resided in Jiangling, with influence extending across Huzhou. Despite their significant influence, they were even more secretive than the Tang family.

This was evident from their refusal to intervene even when the Purple Immortal Mountain case occurred on their doorstep. They also did not try to pull Zhang Jiaoling to their camp despite sharing the same last name. Thus, whenever people spoke of the Zhang family, they always referred to the mighty Zhang family from the Zhengyi Sect.

To differentiate, people called Zhang Yuelu’s family the Shangqing Zhangs, while this family was known as the Jiangling Zhangs.

Though the Chongyang Palace of Immortality was located in Qinzhou, Shuzhou was the true heartland of the Quanzhen Sect. Aside from the Tang family, both the Qi and Ji families had resided in Shuzhou for generations.

Shuzhou was home to two great mountains—Tiancang Mountain and Shu Mountain. Tiancang Mountain was the location of the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion and the ancestral land of the Ji family. Shu Mountain, also known as Emei Mountain, was once one of the Four Great Buddhist Mountains. It was famous for its mist-shrouded peaks and was the ancestral home of the Qi family. After the Buddhist-Daoist war, the mountain was seized by the Daoist Order and became a sacred site under the Quanzhen Sect’s control.

The Pei family was an exception. Their ancestral home was in Qizhou, near the Li family. By tradition, they should have belonged to the Taiping Sect. Yet, through a series of twists and turns, they became part of the Quanzhen Sect. Though sheltering under a great tree provided shade, nothing would grow tall beneath its branches. Thus, their distance from the Li family turned out to be a blessing. By stepping away from the Li family’s influence, the Pei family flourished in the Quanzhen Sect and rose to even greater heights.

This was the root of the Quanzhen Sect’s complexity. Unlike the Zhengyi Sect’s Zhang family or the Taiping Sect’s Li family, the Quanzhen Sect lacked a central pillar. Its factions were scattered, each pursuing their own agendas, making it difficult to unify due to severe internal friction.

As a result, though the Quanzhen Sect was the most powerful in sheer strength and numbers, it was still overshadowed by the Taiping Sect’s united front.

As long as the Quanzhen Sect remained passive and defensive, it could maintain its current structure. However, if it attempted an offensive shift and expanded aggressively like the Taiping Sect, the outcome would be uncertain.

At the very least, the Quanzhen Sect’s leadership lacked the confidence to make such a move.

Before arriving in Shuzhou, Qi Xuansu did his homework. Instead of heading directly to Shuzhong, he first made his way to Tiancang Mountain—specifically, Qingcheng. This was where the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion was located.

Qi Xuansu had no interest in meeting the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master Qi Jiaozheng to discuss the Qi family matters. His true purpose was to visit Daoist Ji, a man who had once helped him.

He recalled that Daoist Ji had mentioned holding an honorary Deputy Mansion Master position at the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion. There were only nine Deputy Mansion Masters, so finding him shouldn’t be too difficult.

Qi Xuansu traveled swiftly through the air. From a distance, he saw a vast sea of bamboo stretching for thousands of kilometers.

As the autumn wind passed, the bamboo groves swayed, forming rolling waves of emerald green.

In summer, the bamboo forest remained as cool as an early autumn morning, untouched by the summer heat. But now that it was late autumn, the air within the bamboo forest had turned crisp and chilly.

This bamboo forest was on Tiancang Mountain. The bamboo remained evergreen throughout the seasons, and the surrounding peaks encircled the forest like fortress walls, hence its name, Qingcheng[1].

Each Daoist palace and Daoist mansion had its own unique character. They were always located in scenic and breathtaking landscapes. Thus, simply traveling across the Daoist territories was a remarkable journey in itself.

On his journey so far, Qi Xuansu witnessed an astonishing variety of landscapes—the mechanical wonders of Taiping Palace on Taiping Mountain; the vast snowscapes of the Daxue Mountain Palace; the steep cliffs of Yunjin Mountain where the Shangqing Palace was located; the grand Wuxu Palace in Xijing Prefecture; the panoramic views from the Summer Palace on Beimang Mountain; the Wanxiang Daoist Palace in Longmen Prefecture; the intricate formations of the Chongyang Palace of Immortality on Difei Mountain; and now, the endless bamboo forest of Qingcheng at Tiancang Mountain.

Every sight had been uniquely breathtaking, and each of these experiences left a lasting impression on him.

Qi Xuansu did not dare to recklessly fly directly into Qingcheng. Instead, he landed before reaching the borders and ascended Tiancang Mountain on foot.

The Spirit Guards patrolling the area checked his identity. Upon seeing his fourth-rank uniform, they adopted a polite tone. But once he presented his insignia, confirming that he was not only a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect but also from the prestigious Ziwei Hall, their attitude became even more respectful.

Upon hearing his reason for visiting, they even personally escorted him to his destination. This made Qi Xuansu lament that he had never received such treatment when visiting the Luzhou or Zhongzhou Daoist Mansions.

Led by two Spirit Guards, Qi Xuansu arrived at the outer perimeter of Qingcheng.

The heart of the Shuzhou Daoist Prefecture was the Shangqing Palace. The Daoist Order had four Shangqing Palaces, each located in a separate state.

Taiqing Mountain’s Jin’ao Peak in Langya Prefecture, Qizhou.

Yunjin Mountain’s Qionglin Peak in Shangqing Prefecture, Wuzhou.

Tiancang Mountain’s Qingcheng in Shuzhou.

Beimang Mountain’s Cuiyun Peak in Longmen Prefecture.

The most famous among these was the one in Yunjin Mountain. Thus, most people would seldom mention Shangqing Palace when referring to the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion. They would simply call it Qingcheng of Tiancang Mountain.

Shuzhou Daoist Mansion’s Shangqing Palace was the operational base and the residence of the Mansion Master, while the various Deputy Mansion Masters were spread throughout Qingcheng.

However, Daoist Ji was merely a nominal Deputy Mansion Master. He often wandered on his own and took little interest in administrative matters. Thus, his residence was located far from Shangqing Palace, at the outer edges of Qingcheng.

It was incredibly modest, constructed entirely from local bamboo, blending seamlessly into the surrounding bamboo forest.

Qi Xuansu was lucky because Daoist Ji happened to be at Qingcheng today instead of traveling elsewhere.

After the Spirit Guards announced Qi Xuansu’s arrival, Daoist Ji came out to personally welcome the fourth-rank Daoist.

“There’s a saying that one must look at another in a new light after parting for three days. The last time I saw you, you were still at the Yuxu stage of Xiantian Beings. But now, you’ve already advanced to the Xiaoyao stage of Heavenly Beings. Brother Qi, even the likes of Zhang Yuelu, Yao Pei, and Li Changge would struggle to compare with such rapid progress!” Daoist Ji smiled as he spoke.

The Daoist Order had many who claimed to be indifferent to fame and fortune, but few truly disregarded their own cultivation. After all, the core pursuit of Daoism was longevity. If one did not even care about attaining immortality, then their detachment would be extreme by Daoist standards.

Daoist Ji was no exception. He was not particularly concerned about Qi Xuansu attaining the fourth rank, but he was genuinely astonished at how fast this boy’s cultivation had advanced.

Qi Xuansu replied humbly, “I was lucky to learn under Qing Xiao, which benefited me greatly. Then, through a series of fortunate encounters, I gained some additional opportunities. Later, I trained at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, where I received Sage Sun’s personal guidance. That was what finally allowed me to become a Heavenly Being.”

“Ah, yes. Sage Sun of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. He’s my martial uncle and a respected, kind-hearted elder from the He-generation. You are indeed fortunate to have received his personal guidance.” Daoist Ji nodded approvingly.

Daoist Ji invited Qi Xuansu into the main hall of his bamboo residence. Though its exterior was simple, the interior had been carefully arranged, not crude but elegantly tranquil. After all, it was not just his personal home. It was the dwelling of a Deputy Mansion Master, that also housed his subordinates.

A Daoist disciple served them both tea.

Qi Xuansu admitted, “I am rather ashamed to admit that despite having known you for quite some time and having received your kindness, I still do not know your full name, Daoist Ji.”

Daoist Ji smiled, “Sage Sun is my martial uncle. We both belong to the Quanzhen Sect, so naturally, I’m from the Jiao-generation. My full name is Ji Jiaozhen. Jiao[2] as in teach, and Zhen[3] as in real. However, since Jiaozhen[4] sounds identical to another word that means overly serious, my friends have teased me about it since we learned to read. Over time, I simply stopped mentioning my name.”

Qi Xuansu coughed lightly, then changed the topic. “I heard that the Shuzhong Chief Military Officer Zhao Fu’an had his arm broken after he left Baidi City. Also, when I was recovering at Huasheng Hall, someone came to visit me.”

As he spoke, Qi Xuansu retrieved two small wine gourds from his magical receptacle. Each bore a carved inscription in the seal script of the character Ji.

Ji Jiaozhen did not deny it. He simply smiled lightly, saying, “It’s a small favor that’s not worth mentioning.”

Qi Xuansu expressed his gratitude with utmost sincerity. “Daoist Ji, it may have been something small to you, but to me, it was a kindness etched into my heart. After all, it’s always easy to add icing on a cake, but not many will offer a helping hand in times of need.”

1. 青城 (Qīngchéng) directly translates to Green City. ☜

2. 教 (Jiào) means teach. ☜

3. 真 (Zhēn) means real. ☜

4. 较真 (Jiàozhēn) means overly serious. ☜