A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu asked, “How is your wound now?”

Saintly Peace replied, “The Imitation Shebishi Venom from The Cook has been completely cleansed. But the backlash from the Xuanwei Method is still quite severe. I’ve only got 60% of my usual strength left.”

Qi Xuansu did a rough calculation. A Heavenly Being at the Zaohua stage equaled about three Heavenly Beings at the Wuliang stage. So 60% strength was roughly two Wuliang-stage Heavenly Beings, which was not to be underestimated. Still, it might not be enough if faced with The Innkeeper or the Cook.

“The backlash from the Borrowed Power Method can’t be reversed. I’ll just have to wait it out.” Saintly Peace said, “For now, we need to keep a low profile.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Qingping Society has always kept a low profile.”

Saintly Peace chuckled. “I don’t like owing people. Qingping Society always keeps accounts clear. So let’s talk about your reward.”

Qi Xuansu politely declined. “I just helped contact Madam Qi. I don’t deserve a reward.”

But Saintly Peace insisted. “Even if nothing went wrong, you still took the risk to come here.”

In truth, Saintly Peace’s goodwill toward Qi Xuansu was also a gesture of goodwill toward Madam Qi.

Qi Xuansu no longer cared to overthink it. Having backing and support was actually quite nice. He could not very well sacrifice everything for the pride of a wild Daoist and choose a harder, rockier road. Being able to buy on credit was better than not having anything.

Saintly Peace said, “I had intended to give you something, but I left in a hurry and brought nothing suitable. Plus, I just racked up a large debt of Taiping coins with Madam Qi. Even a gentry’s house like mine has no surplus. So your reward is simple—I’ll owe you a favor. Since I owe you, the creditor ought to know who I am.”

With that, Saintly Peace removed the bronze mask from his face.

Truth be told, at that moment, Qi Xuansu harbored a sliver of unspeakable hope that perhaps Saintly Peace only appeared male, but behind the mask was a stunning beauty. Not that he wanted to be involved with another woman, as his heart belonged solely to Zhang Yuelu. He just had the curious mindset of imitating novel tropes.

The one behind the mask was indeed a beauty. But to Qi Xuansu’s disappointment, he was a handsome man, not a stunning woman.

Ignoring his actual age and judging purely by appearance, Saintly Peace looked to be in his forties, with a short beard, sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a prominent nose, and skin as lustrous as jade—looks that could still make women’s hearts flutter.

“Besides being Qingping Society’s Saintly Peace, I am also a Grand Scholar of the Imperial Cabinet, serving as the Minister of Justice.” Saintly Peace added, “There are six members of the Imperial Cabinet, and I rank fifth.”

Qi Xuansu was genuinely shocked that the Qingping Society was truly full of hidden masters.

Since ancient times, the Three Dukes discussed doctrine while the Six Ministers divided duties. The First Emperor appointed a Chancellor, but the post did not last. In later dynasties, even capable chancellors were often replaced by power-hungry villains who disrupted governance. Hence, the Wei dynasty established various offices like the Five Directorates, Six Ministries, Censorate, Court of Justice, and so on, to handle state affairs, mutually balancing each other under the emperor’s authority to ensure stability.

However, due to the immense workload, it became necessary to appoint Grand Scholars in various palace halls as imperial advisors. At first, these scholars held no real power and served as secretaries. The Grand Scholar of the Wenhua Hall was tasked to tutor the Crown Prince. All held fifth-rank positions and served merely in an advisory capacity.

Later on, Grand Scholars often held concurrent positions as ministers, drafting imperial edicts and reviewing memorials, earning the title of Advisory Ministers. The highest-ranking among them was the Chief Advisor, who wielded the greatest authority, including the right to propose official appointments. The Cabinet’s power expanded rapidly. While the Chief Advisor’s role still could not match the ancient chancellors, it was far more than mere secretarial duty.

The Great Xuan Dynasty inherited the Wei Dynasty’s system, making many temporary positions permanent. The Imperial Cabinet was formally established to assist the Prime Minister, comprising six members. The Grand Scholar of Huagai Hall held the highest status, followed by those of Jinshen Hall, Wenhua Hall, Wuying Hall, Wenyuan Pavilion, and Eastern Pavilion. Their rank was elevated from fifth to first, putting them on par with the Three Dukes, though slightly beneath them in prestige.

Their responsibilities included steering state affairs, endorsing edicts, refining constitutional codes, advising on ceremonies and major policies, and judging which petitions were worthy of the emperor’s review. They also supervised the compilation of official records and histories, served as chief editors, imperial lecturers, examination proctors, palace test reviewers, and officiants for seasonal sacrifices and rites.

As for the Grand Scholar titles held by provincial governors, these were honorary Assistant Grand Scholars without specific hall designations, unlike the Grand Scholars of palace halls. It was akin to the distinction between an ordinary Sage and an Omniscient Sage in the Daoist ranks. Both were second-rank Heavenly Beings, but only the latter, like Sage Donghua, Sage Cihang, and Sage Qingwei, carried honorary titles.

Though court rankings held slightly less weight than those in the Daoist Order, a first-rank official was equivalent to an Omniscient Sage.

Qi Xuansu had once studied imperial law diligently, so he knew who the Cabinet members were. Since Saintly Peace claimed to rank fifth, he must be Xie Linyuan, Grand Scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion, concurrently serving as the Minister of Justice, also known as the Administrative Grand Scholar.

The Xie family hailed from a prestigious lineage in Jiangnan. Though not a Daoist family, they were a scholarly Confucian family that had produced many Grand Libationers and high-ranking ministers.

Back then, the Confucian School had three great academies, akin to the Daoist Order’s three holy sanctuaries—the Dazhen Mansion, Chongyang Palace of Immortality, and Zhenjing Courtyard. They were the Wanxiang Academy, Tianxin Academy, and National Academy. After the Daoists defeated the Confucians, the Wanxiang Academy was renamed Wanxiang Daoist Palace, the Tianxin Academy was abolished, and only the National Academy remained. The Xie family’s ancestor had been the last Grand Libationer of the Tianxin Academy.

After the fall of Tianxin Academy, the Xie family began to establish itself deeply in the Imperial Court, serving in officialdom for generations.

Qi Xuansu had never imagined that the Qingping Society was so formidable, even infiltrating the prestigious Xie family.

However, upon reconsideration, there had been signs all along. Xie Qiuniang, whose real name was Xie Jin, belonged to the Xie family. Clearly, she also had powerful elders within the secret society, just as Qi Xuansu had Madam Qi. So it was not surprising that Xie Linyuan would be part of the Qingping Society’s leadership.

Qi Xuansu hesitated a moment and then asked tentatively, “Master Xie, I know someone named Xie Qiuniang. Might she be related to you...?”

“She is indeed my niece. My elder brother passed away early, leaving behind his only daughter. My father and I raised her—perhaps spoiled her a bit too much. If she’s caused any offense, I hope you’ll forgive her,” Xie Linyuan answered honestly.

“It was just a misunderstanding. We’ve cleared it up.” Qi Xuansu recalled that Qin Wubing had said Xie Jin’s grandfather was a Great Master of the Confucian School. Though he wielded less power than a Daoist Grand Master, his status was comparable.

Families like that might fall short of the Lis or Zhangs in some ways, but they should never be underestimated.

A favor from Xie Linyuan was worth more than gold.

Qi Xuansu then asked, “Since you are of the Confucian School, why do you practice the Daoist lineage?”

Xie Linyuan made no attempt to dodge the question and replied frankly, “The Confucian School’s prime has long passed. The Daoist Six Lineages were restructured, organized, and refined under the Holy Xuan’s guidance—a culmination of generations of effort. Even the Rogue Cultivator lineage stems from that creation project. In contrast, the Confucians are stagnant, barely surviving. Even when they imitate Daoist methods of consolidation, they lack the resources and the leadership of someone like the Holy Xuan, so how could the Confucian lineages compare? If so, why would I choose it?”

Qi Xuansu was left speechless.

The Confucian lineages were not inherently inferior. The issue was not the teachings, but the integration. In recent years, the Confucian School has been starved of talent and resources. Any lineage they compiled lacked the clarity and inclusiveness of the Daoist lineages. In that case, one might as well choose the Daoist lineage, especially now that the prevailing trend was the unification of the Three Religions.

The Buddhist Sect had also modeled its lineages after the Daoists. While still inferior overall, it at least had a central figure—the Lord Buddha—which was far better than the leaderless Confucian School.

Still, Xie Linyuan added, “Given my family heritage, I do know some Confucian techniques. It’s just that, with my identity as Saintly Peace, it’s not appropriate for me to use them rashly.”

Qi Xuansu understood. Xie Linyuan’s situation was akin to cultivating two lineages—or rather, one and a half. One was the Earthly Immortal lineage from the Daoist Order, and the other was a partial lineage from the Confucian School. Perhaps this was why Xie Linyuan had been stagnant at the Zaohua stage, as he was spreading himself too thin.

There were always those in the world who defied convention, trying what others deemed impossible. Though altering one’s lineage was extremely difficult, Tantai Yun had done so, and more than once, repeatedly. Manmade Banished Immortals were not the only ones who could hold multiple lineages. Someone with enough talent might forcibly cultivate two major lineages. For example, the legendary Wu Yang was said to wield the mystical abilities of the two highly contrasting lineages—Martial Arts Practitioner and Diviner.

In fact, Banished Immortals were special types of Qi Refiners who drew from the strengths of many lineages. That was why Qi Refiners were divided into three tiers. The upper tier was the Banished Immortals, the lower tier was the Rogue Cultivators, and the middle tier was the traditional Qi Refiners.

Unfortunately, Qi Xuansu was not born with such extraordinary talent. The reason he could inherit multiple lineages was due to his Longevity Stone Heart and the Xuan Jade. He still did not understand the principle of how these lineages blended and transitioned within him, but knew only the outcome. Had he relied solely on himself, he might still be just a Houtian Being.

In that respect, Xie Linyuan’s talent truly was remarkable.

Xie Linyuan suddenly asked, “May I know your true identity?”

Qi Xuansu thought that he could not continue meeting Xie Linyuan under the alias of Gold-Plated Knife. He removed his bronze mask and the White Fox Face Mask, revealing his true appearance. Then he introduced himself. “I am Qi Xuansu.”

Xie Linyuan was stunned momentarily before he laughed. “So you’re the recently famous Superintendent Qi!”