A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu left Tiangang Hall feeling like his head was about to split in two.

Zhang Yuelu walked with him through the streets of Xuan City. She lived there, so they naturally walked toward her residence without even noticing.

This was Qi Xuansu’s first time visiting Zhang Yuelu’s home.

Jade Capital was an expensive place to live, but Xuan City was even more so. To live there, one had to be either one of the 36 Omniscient Sages, a Great Sage, or someone with tremendous potential handpicked by the Daoist Order. In other words, the residents were either former, current, or future Omniscient Sages.

Zhang Yuelu undoubtedly belonged to the third category, a future Omniscient Sage. That said, she was still not on the same level as a Sage, so her residence was relatively modest, far smaller compared to the sprawling manors of the elite.

But simply living in Xuan City at all was an honor in itself because the land was worth a hundred times its weight in gold.

Xuan City was not just home to high-tier residences. It also housed the headquarters of the Nine Halls as well as some subsidiary offices. Thus, foot traffic was constant here.

Many heads turned in curiosity when noticing the handsome couple walking side by side in Xuan City because a third-rank Youyi Daoist master and a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master at such a young age was truly a rare sight. Not everyone recognized Zhang Yuelu, but they could guess her identity because she was the youngest third-rank Youyi Daoist master in this generation. As for Qi Xuansu, his rise had been so swift that many still did not recognize his name or face. Thus, some even mistook him for Li Changge, who was also only in the fourth rank.

Suddenly, Qi Xuansu remembered something. He pulled out his Novice License and waved it at Zhang Yuelu.

“What are you doing?” Zhang Yuelu asked, puzzled. “I know you’ve been granted a personal license.”

Qi Xuansu smiled wryly. “I wanted to ask—who is your license bound to?”

Zhang Yuelu blinked in realization. “Oh—that’s what you meant. It used to be bound with my cousin.”

“The one who gave you the house in Taishang Place?” Qi Xuansu asked.

Zhang Yuelu nodded. “But now that I’ve upgraded to the third rank’s Intermediate License, it’s currently not bound to anyone.”

Qi Xuansu grinned. “Well, that makes things easier.”

Zhang Yuelu took out her Intermediate License. Each license had a connector at one end, so all they had to do was pair their licenses. From then on, they could use their licenses to communicate directly. The best part was that they would not have to spend a single Taiping coin.

As they walked, Qi Xuansu noticed that many of the grand residences had tightly shut doors, as if no one lived there. But that was understandable. Many Omniscient Sages were stationed in various provinces, serving as Palace Masters or Mansion Masters. They only returned to Xuan City to attend the Golden Tower Council meetings.

Xuan City was not laid out like a chessboard the way Jade Capital was, so the buildings were more scattered and irregular. This gave the place a different kind of charm.

Zhang Yuelu’s home was nestled between two grand manors—one belonging to Sage Cihang on the east and the other to the Ciji Hall Master Ning Lingge on the west.

At a glance, it looked like these two manors were built first, and a small leftover plot had been used to slip a little house in between. It was originally left vacant, but the Earthly Preceptor graciously granted this small house to Zhang Yuelu.

Qi Xuansu now understood why Zhang Yuelu could spend so much time with Sage Cihang. Their homes were actually connected. Zhang Yuelu’s study shared a wall with Sage Cihang’s garden. Open a small door, and they would practically be living under the same roof, with no need for formal entrances.

If Sage Cihang ever moved to the Purple Mansion and passed on her estate, Zhang Yuelu would not even need to move. It was all the more convenient now that they were both working in Tiangang Hall. Their workplaces were right next to each other.

Still, living in such a place had its downsides. It was easy to feel isolated. There were plenty of young Daoists, but very few had the qualifications to live in Xuan City.

Li Changge did, but he only moved in during the second half of the year. Before that, he stayed at the Zhenjing Courtyard. However, the Zhang and Li families had a complicated relationship.

Yao Pei also had the qualifications to live in Xuan City, but she was still staying at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality.

Qi Xuansu finally understood why Zhang Yuelu felt bored on her leave and liked to wander over to the Tiangang Hall or take a walk through the Taiqing Market.

Zhang Yuelu pushed open the door to her home.

Qi Xuansu thought to himself, I’ve already met both of my future mothers-in-law, visited the Zhang residence, and met plenty of her relatives. I suppose there’s no need for politeness anymore.

As such, he did not wait for Zhang Yuelu to invite him in and simply followed her inside.

An elderly woman came out to greet them.

Zhang Yuelu introduced her. “This is Aunt He. I’ve mentioned her before.”

Qi Xuansu offered a simple bow. He did not put on airs despite his status as a fourth-rank Daoist, nor did he try to be overly familiar by saying something fake and sentimental like, “Thank you for looking after Qing Xiao all these years.”

To him, that would have just sounded hollow.

Aunt He was a little flustered, returning his bow politely.

She had long heard of Qi Xuansu’s name, but seeing him today, she had to admit that he and Zhang Yuelu were quite well-matched. He was not completely overshadowed by her brilliance. Though they were not equals yet, at least he was not too far off.

Of course, Aunt He could never have imagined that just a year ago, Qi Xuansu could not compare to Zhang Yuelu in the slightest when they stood side by side.

Zhang Yuelu said gently, “Aunt He, don’t worry about us. Go about your business. There’s no need to serve us tea either. He’s not thirsty.”

Qi Xuansu flashed a helpless smile. Now she was truly treating him like family.

Aunt He acknowledged softly and turned to leave.

Zhang Yuelu led Qi Xuansu to her study. The room was not large, but each wall had its own distinct character. One side was lined with towering bookshelves, filled to the brim with books. Another was a multi-compartment display shelf showcasing an eclectic mix of treasures, including a gilded brass chiming clock, a telescope, a pistol, and a model of an ironclad ship.

The wall facing the morning sun had a wide window and door. Against that wall was a fragrant rosewood table, which displayed a sheathed flying sword on a stand.

Her main desk held the usual stationery like a brush holder, brush washer, inkstone, and a case of books. They were not cultivation manuals but a full set of the Daoist Order’s legal codes.

Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh inwardly. People like Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei juggled ten things at once, yet they could still breeze their way into becoming Heavenly Beings. How unfair was that? If he had not obtained the Xuan Jade, he might never have caught up to Zhang Yuelu in this lifetime.

Zhang Yuelu took a seat behind her desk, while Qi Xuansu sat across from her. A brief silence settled between them.

Qi Xuansu had expected her to ask about Madam Qi, but instead, Zhang Yuelu asked something entirely unrelated. “Tian Yuan, aside from me, have you ever fancied any other women?”

He blinked, completely caught off guard. He then straightened his back and replied seriously, “I’m not a fickle man. Sure, I’ve met a few women whose beauty stunned me, but that doesn’t mean I fancied them or that they are worth my efforts.”

Zhang Yuelu pressed on. “Whose beauty stunned you, then?”

Qi Xuansu did not hide anything from her. “Well, there’s Li Qingnu, that famous courtesan. She’s undeniably beautiful. If I claimed she left no impression on me, I’d be lying to your face.”

“That’s fair.” Zhang Yuelu nodded in agreement.

Qi Xuansu pondered. “There’s also Yao Pei, my little niece. She’s not as beautiful as Li Qingnu, but she’s sharp and powerful. She may very well be your formidable rival one day.”

Zhang Yuelu nearly burst out laughing at him calling Yao Pei his “little niece.”

She could already imagine how Yao Pei would react if she heard that. However, she quickly caught herself. Nearly all the major Daoist families were intermarried in some way. Even the long-time rivals—the Zhangs and the Lis—could claim kinship. If they traced the line from Yao Pei, Qi Xuansu would end up being a peer of Sage Donghua and Sage Cihang. So technically, Qi Xuansu could also be considered Zhang Yuelu’s uncle.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuelu stifled her laughter and said seriously, “Let’s stick to the Daoist generational ranks. We’re all eighth-generation disciples, which makes us all peers.”

Qi Xuansu had not thought of Zhang Yuelu’s concerns, but he nodded earnestly anyway. “Of course. I only joke like this privately. In public, I still address her properly as Daoist Yao.”

Zhang Yuelu changed the topic. “Has Xu Kou told you about the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion?”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “I’ve heard. I plan to go see Sage Donghua tomorrow.”