A Pawn's Passage

The Heavenly Preceptor slowly descended the ramp. The first to greet him was Zhang Jucheng, the Shangqing Palace Master.

Although Zhang Jucheng was not the Heavenly Preceptor’s biological son, the Heavenly Preceptor and Zhang Jucheng’s father were brothers born of the same mother. Since the Heavenly Preceptor never married or had children, Zhang Jucheng inherited the mantle based on the hereditary system and thus was considered the main branch of the Zhang family.

The Heavenly Preceptor and Zhang Wuhen had an older brother. However, this elder brother had an average aptitude and had not inherited any of True Lord Ziguang’s divine abilities. It was precisely due to this that he was able to live a normal life, marry, and bear children. Zhang Jucheng was born late in his life.

Moreover, the Heavenly Preceptor and Zhang Wuhen were twins, with a slight generational gap with their elder brother. If that elder brother were still alive, he would be 100 years old.

Zhang Yuyue was the granddaughter of the Heavenly Preceptor’s elder brother, while Zhang Yuelu’s grandfather was the Heavenly Preceptor’s paternal cousin. Thus, Zhang Yuyue was considered the Heavenly Preceptor’s direct-line grandniece.

Had Zhang Yuyue been on par with Zhang Yuelu in aptitude, the Heavenly Preceptor would certainly have favored her out of familial affection. After all, he had a decent relationship with his deceased elder brother. Unfortunately, Zhang Yuyue failed to live up to expectations, which was no fault of the Heavenly Preceptor. In other words, the period when he appeared to neglect Zhang Yuelu was perhaps just him giving the main branch of the Zhang family an opportunity.

As a dignified Omniscient Sage, Zhang Jucheng kept his composure, unlike some other Zhang family members who wore their emotions on their sleeves. He respectfully saluted the Heavenly Preceptor, then looked toward Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

In terms of rank, age, and seniority, Zhang Jucheng was above the two of them, so they took the initiative to bow in greeting.

Zhang Jucheng did not put on airs. He gestured for them not to stand on ceremony and said politely, “Two Deputy Hall Masters of the third rank and not yet 30 years old. The younger generation truly is formidable. People like us ought to retreat into the mountains.”

The Heavenly Preceptor jested, “I see the hidden meaning in your words. If a seventh-generation disciple like you is ready to retire to the mountains, then what does that make us sixth-generation disciples—old relics squatting on our pedestals, refusing to budge?”

Zhang Jucheng quickly replied, “Not at all, sir. I wouldn’t dare.”

The Heavenly Preceptor sighed. “But old relics like me won’t hold our positions much longer. The Daoist Order belongs to all of us, but ultimately, it belongs to them, the future generation.”

Zhang Jucheng could not quite discern the Heavenly Preceptor’s intent and chose not to respond hastily. But as an Omniscient Sage and the Heavenly Preceptor’s chief secretary and nephew, Zhang Jucheng could be considered an adopted son.

The Heavenly Preceptor did not delve further but gestured for Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu to stand beside him. He then remarked, “On December 8th two years ago, we all ate the Eight Treasures Porridge with a Sage Qi from the Quanzhen Sect. This year, another future Sage Qi from the Quanzhen Sect will join us for the Shangyuan Festival. It truly is fate.”

Zhang Jucheng could not help but glance at Qi Xuansu. What an extraordinary elevation!

Last year’s Sage Qi was referring to Qi Jiaozheng, the Shuzhou Daoist Mansion Master. But now, the Heavenly Preceptor was placing Qi Xuansu on par with that Sage. If someone else had said it, it might have been mere flattery, but it was not so with the Heavenly Preceptor.

First, the Heavenly Preceptor would never flatter a junior. Second, he had the power to make such words a reality. After all, it was not difficult for a Deputy Grand Master to recommend an Omniscient Sage.

If the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor agreed in this regard, the matter was essentially settled.

Still, one could not rule out the possibility that the Heavenly Preceptor was merely making polite remarks.

Powerful figures might not intentionally speak in riddles or bureaucratic jargon, but too many people were obsessed with interpreting every word they uttered, forcing them to avoid plain speech. This allowed for ambiguity, avoiding being caught by opponents.

Of course, they could choose to speak plainly, but the people to whom they did so were few and far between.

The Heavenly Preceptor then asked, “Has everything been prepared for the festival?”

Zhang Jucheng replied, “Everything has been settled.”

The Dazhen Mansion used red fruit as its filling for the glutinous rice balls.

Red fruit, which blossomed and bore fruit once every hundred years, was an extreme yang food. If an ordinary person consumed it raw, they would burn to death internally from its intense heat. But if one could endure the heat, the medicinal properties could greatly enhance one’s cultivation.

These fruits were exceedingly rare, with only a few thousand-year-old trees growing in Yunjin Mountain and Kunlun Paradise. Ordinary people could hardly catch a glimpse of them. Even if they were lucky enough to obtain a red fruit, they would not dare consume it hastily.

Thus, the Dazhen Mansion had pre-processed its red fruit, reducing some of its intense heat and balancing it with other herbs, making it a powerful tonic with great benefit to one’s cultivation.

The Heavenly Preceptor nodded without commenting and led Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu toward the Dazhen Mansion.

The many members of the Zhang family naturally parted to form a path, then followed behind in an order dictated by their rank and status.

The last time Qi Xuansu came to Yunjin Mountain, he had no right to enter the Dazhen Mansion and could only wait outside. This time, as a guest of the Heavenly Preceptor, the Zhang family members had to fall in line behind him.

The Dazhen Mansion, praised as being the best in the south and the number one estate of Xijiang, spanned a large area. It had an ethereal aura, with majestic cranes circling the blue sky, spiritual deer leaping through verdant forests, fish swimming in clear ponds, and lush greenery stretching as far as the eye could see. Everything was meticulously crafted.

It was the Zhang family’s ancestral estate, not that of the Zhengyi Sect. However, since the Zhang family and Zhengyi Sect were one and the same, the Dazhen Mansion made no distinction between internal and external boundaries.

With the Shangyuan Festival only a few days away, the Heavenly Preceptor’s gesture was not simply to invite Qi Xuansu to attend the banquet. It implied an offer of an extended stay. Qi Xuansu would be staying within the Dazhen Mansion until he returned to Jade Capital, which was an immense honor.

The Heavenly Preceptor had said nothing outright, yet his every action spoke louder than a thousand words.

To onlookers, the Heavenly Preceptor would not elevate Qi Xuansu like this if he did not hold this young man in high regard.

Upon entering the Dazhen Mansion, the Heavenly Preceptor instructed Tang Jiaohua, “Xuansu and Yuelu will be staying at the Dazhen Mansion for the next few days.”

Tang Jiaohua acknowledged softly.

The Heavenly Preceptor made his way alone to the Weiyu Study, while Tang Jiaohua led Qi Xuansu to the guest quarters called the Guanyu Pavilion. The last time Sage Qi Jiaozheng had visited the Dazhen Mansion, he too had stayed here.

Zhang Yuelu was arranged to stay in Wangyun Pavilion. This location was rather meaningful, as each generation of Sage Cihang would stay here when visiting the Dazhen Mansion. Thus, it was deeply symbolic that Zhang Yuelu had the honor of staying there.

Many Zhang family youths formed small groups, whispering about today’s events.

The members of these groups were mostly of similar age and background, with shared topics of interest. Born into comfort, their lives revolved more around pleasure than struggle. Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu did not quite fit into these circles.

Some were out of the loop, asking, “Who exactly is this guy? Sage Qi’s son? I’ve never heard that Sage Qi has a son, though I did hear he has a nephew.”

“You don’t even know who he is?”

“Why? Is he famous?”

“Duh! With the Old Master raising him up like this, can he not be famous?”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Though his last name is Qi, he has no ties to the Qi family in Shuzhou. His background is a complete mystery, but he must be well-connected. He first came around in December two years ago as a seventh- or sixth-rank Daoist. Yet now, he’s suddenly become a third-rank Deputy Hall Master. Apart from Qing Xiao, only he could achieve such a feat. Who would believe he doesn’t have backing?”

“I heard he’s under Sage Donghua. Could he be Sage Donghua’s illegitimate son?”

“Who can say for sure? But Sage Donghua doesn’t have a Daoist companion. If he truly had a child, he could just acknowledge him openly. Why hide it? Besides, if this guy were Sage Donghua’s son, his identity would not have been revealed so abruptly.”

“You can’t say that for certain. Maybe Sage Donghua sowed some wild seeds in his youth and only recently learned he had a son. Right now is a crucial time in the competition for the Grand Master’s seat. So maybe Sage Donghua doesn’t want to rock the boat. Once the seventh-generation Grand Master is chosen, Sage Donghua may acknowledge him.”

“This is getting ridiculous. We’d best not talk about this because we’ll be in for it if Sage Donghua hears of this. Don’t forget, our sects are allied now. If gossip spreads and stirs up alarm among our allies, we could be accused of undermining the alliance.”

“You’re right. It’s best not to talk about the affairs of these Sages.”

“But this Deputy Hall Master Qi does have real skill. He’s been to both the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion and the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion—neither was an easy task. The Jiangnan incident is when Qing Xiao rose to prominence. I heard that Deputy Hall Master Qi also went through the catastrophe in Jinling. I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent incident in the Imperial Capital, where the three prodigies were present. Even Great Sage Jiang got involved. It was a big commotion, and from what I’ve gathered, this guy was the superintendent in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion at the time. As soon as he returned to Jade Capital, he was promoted to a third rank Deputy Hall Master.”

“Hmmm...is the old master planning to marry off Qing Xiao?”

“Marry her off? What a joke! Qing Xiao’s now the Junior Tiangang Hall Master, on par with Li Changge and Yao Pei. Giving her away like that would be a huge loss!”

“Then is she going to take a matrilocal husband?”

“That’s the fear. If she does, she remains part of the Zhang family, but once the Old Master ascends, who knows what will happen?”

“I think it might just be a political marriage. These things are hard to predict.”