A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu was all too familiar with Wangyun Pavilion. Back when she had first become Sage Cihang’s disciple, she had not gone to Putuo Island but had stayed on Yunjin Mountain instead. At the time, Sage Cihang was still the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master and would occasionally visit the Dazhen Mansion, taking the chance to teach Zhang Yuelu the Cihang Sword Sequence.

Whenever Sage Cihang came to the Dazhen Mansion, she would stay in Wangyun Pavilion. It was in this very courtyard that Zhang Yuelu had studied the Sword Series of the Cihang Sword Sequence. Since her lessons were so intense, she often stayed overnight here. On those nights, Sage Cihang would sit on the stone bench in the courtyard while Zhang Yuelu practiced swordsmanship in the moonlight, so she was very familiar with the place.

But back then, Zhang Yuelu never would have imagined that she would return to this same courtyard years later, under entirely different circumstances.

Zhang Yuelu still stayed in the same room from those days and did not enter her master’s quarters. As she walked around the room, she saw some well-preserved little trinkets from her childhood. This was a small, unexpected joy, like reuniting with an old friend.

She left those keepsakes where they were and planned to head over to Guanyu Pavilion to find Qi Xuansu.

But just as she stepped out, she ran into Tantai Qiong and Zhang Yuyue, along with Zhang Juqi, who clearly did not want to be there but had no choice.

Both women looked visibly upset. Tantai Qiong radiated an aggressive air, clearly intent on questioning her, while Zhang Yuyue seemed a bit lost and dazed.

Zhang Yuelu sighed helplessly, stopped in her tracks, and saluted her elders.

Tantai Qiong cut to the chase. “Qing Xiao, why did you bring that brat here again?”

“What brat?” Zhang Yuelu feigned ignorance.

Tantai Qiong narrowed her eyes. “You know exactly who I mean. Qi Xuansu!”

“Oh, him. Why shouldn’t he come here?” Zhang Yuelu replied calmly. “If you have any objections, you can take it up with Grandpa.”

“Grandpa?” Tantai Qiong’s tone turned even colder. “I wasn’t aware you’d become so close to the Heavenly Preceptor. Now that you’ve got his backing, it’s no wonder you no longer respect your mother!”

Zhang Yuyue’s expression grew sour as well.

Zhang Yuelu did not wish to confront her mother, so she replied, “Tian Yuan was invited to the Dazhen Mansion with the Heavenly Preceptor’s consent. That’s why I said that you may bring any concerns with him if you have any objections.”

Tantai Qiong let out a cold snort. “Don’t try to use the Heavenly Preceptor to pressure me. If it weren’t for you, would the Heavenly Preceptor even have invited that man to the Dazhen Mansion?”

Zhang Yuelu countered, “Why shouldn’t I be allowed to invite Tian Yuan to the Dazhen Mansion? Just because you dislike him? Mind you, he’s not under your command, nor does he need to cater to your mood. He’s a Daoist priest of the Quanzhen Sect, and more importantly, the Deputy Ziwei Hall Master.”

“As my daughter, must you oppose me at every turn? Isn’t the fact that your mother dislikes him reason enough?” Tantai Qiong snapped back.

“I’m not merely your daughter. I am also a Daoist priest of the Zhengyi Sect and a person with an independent will, with my own thoughts and emotions. Can you not consider how I feel, Mother? This was a decision made after careful thought, not just to defy you. It’s simply an important part of my own life.”

Throughout the exchange, Zhang Yuelu deliberately used the formal address of “Mother” rather than a more casual term like “Mom” to underline her firm stance.

Before Tantai Qiong could retort, Zhang Juqi interjected. “No matter how you feel, Tian Yuan saved Qing Xiao by risking his life in that breathtaking leap. Shouldn’t we at least show some gratitude? The last time he came to Yunjin Mountain, you all made so many underhanded moves, yet he never held it against anyone. Shouldn’t that be made right, too? If we’re to thank him and make amends, we should definitely invite him here.”

Tantai Qiong shot her husband a sharp glare.

Zhang Juqi pretended not to notice. The truth was that one’s status within the family was closely tied to one’s political standing. If he were an Omniscient Sage, he would have real clout. If so, there would not be such a mess with Zhang Yuelu’s marriage. But without that rank, his position at home was weak as well. Whether he liked it or not, Tantai Qiong always had the upper hand.

Zhang Yuyue took a deep breath and tried to reason with Tantai Qiong as well. “He’s already here, so surely, we’re not going to kick him out. Let’s not dwell on this anymore.”

Tantai Qiong’s chest heaved heavily, but she said no more.

After all, they were family. Zhang Yuelu did not want things to get too ugly, especially since she had a good relationship with her father. So she gave up on seeing Qi Xuansu for the moment and welcomed the three of them into Wangyun Pavilion.

Zhang Yuelu did not just defend herself. Once in the main hall, she proactively said, “I once heard a crude saying that men want other men’s wives to be independent but want their own wives to be submissive. Likewise, parents often want their children to grow up and live independently, yet also want them to obey every command, as if they are personal vassals. The Confucians see that the father is the guide to the son and the husband is the guide to the wife. But we Daoists don’t follow this principle. We believe in equality. As I’ve said before, I am not merely your daughter. I am a Daoist priest, and I will not do something that goes against Daoist principles. I hope you won’t, either.”

Tantai Qiong’s face immediately turned an ugly shade of gloom.

Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu, who was likewise thinking of visiting Zhang Yuelu, ran into an unexpected guest—Zhang Juping.

Zhang Yuelu’s uncle, who maintained a good relationship with Zhang Juqi, was a third-rank Youyi Daoist master serving as the Deputy Shangqing Palace Master.

This was not their first meeting. Back when Qi Xuansu first visited Yunjin Mountain, Zhang Juping had already met him. He was also among the few elders who had laid eyes on Qi Xuansu, unlike Zhang Jucheng and others, who had not found it worthwhile at the time, since Qi Xuansu had not even been qualified to step into the Dazhen Mansion.

The last time Qi Xuansu met Zhang Juping, he was a junior in age and subordinate in rank. Naturally, the two stood on unequal footing. While Zhang Juping had been courteous, the condescension inherent in the situation had not disappeared simply because of his good manners. Qi Xuansu had occupied a lower status and behaved accordingly.

But now, things were very different. In terms of official rank, the two were evenly matched, and their positions were effectively equal.

Qi Xuansu invited Zhang Juping in. If not for Zhang Juping being Zhang Yuelu’s uncle, Qi Xuansu could very well address the man as Brother Zhang. However, with that relationship, it felt inappropriate. Since he and Zhang Yuelu had not made their relationship official, calling him “Uncle” was a bit presumptuous. So he chose a more formal title. “It has been over a year since we parted ways in Shangqing Palace, Deputy Palace Master Zhang. How have you been?”

Zhang Juping replied with a faint smile. “All is well, unlike you, Deputy Hall Master Qi. Your past year has been far from peaceful, fighting in battles covering almost half the realm.”

“I dare not claim such,” Qi Xuansu replied modestly.

Zhang Juping sighed with some sentiment. “Last time we met, you asked me what I thought of you. I said we’d only met once, so I couldn’t offer much of an opinion. But now, after hearing all your deeds, I dare not judge rashly. I can only borrow my elder brother’s words that the younger generation is truly formidable.”

The elder brother he referred to was none other than Zhang Jucheng, the Shangqing Palace Master.

Qi Xuansu had no choice but to reply, “You flatter me, Deputy Palace Master Zhang.”

At the same time, Qi Xuansu quickly pondered the reason behind Zhang Juping’s visit.

Ordinarily, Qi Xuansu would have cut straight to the point, asking, “What brings you here?”

However, that would not do if he wanted to foster a good rapport with his future in-laws. He had to respect decorum, so he would have to figure out the purpose of Zhang Juping’s visit on his own.

The two chatted some more—half business, half personal—about the war in Fenglin and topics that revolved around Zhang Yuelu.

Truth be told, Qi Xuansu was not particularly good at this kind of talk. But as Zhang Yuelu once said, he was a quick study, so he managed to hold his own.

After about half an hour of idle conversation, Zhang Juping finally got to the point. “The Heavenly Preceptor serves as the head of the Zhang family. But we all know he doesn’t have much time left in the mortal realm. As far as I know, the Heavenly Preceptor has no intention of attempting a tribulation. So some years ago, he began preparing for the future. Besides matters concerning the Daoist Order and the Zhengyi Sect, he’s also made arrangements regarding the Zhang family, gradually transferring patriarchal authority to my elder brother.”

A sudden flash of insight struck Qi Xuansu. “The Palace Master wants to see me?”

Zhang Juping glanced at Qi Xuansu and replied, “Yes.”

In a sense, Zhang Jucheng was showing respect to Qi Xuansu. He had not casually sent a random subordinate to summon Qi Xuansu, nor had he come personally. Instead, he had sent Zhang Juping—someone who got along well with Zhang Yuelu and had previous contact with Qi Xuansu. This not only extended proper courtesy to Qi Xuansu but also hinted at a desire to feel out the young man’s intentions.

Clearly, Qi Xuansu had not yet reached that level of influence. This showed just how much the Heavenly Preceptor’s recent actions had shaken the Shangqing Palace Master, causing him to think deeply and act with caution.

Qi Xuansu did not decline the invitation. As Zhang Yuelu had said, some matters must be faced sooner or later, and these problems must be resolved. Avoidance was never the solution. Furthermore, if Zhang Jucheng was willing to meet, then there was room for discussion. A man of his stature and intellect was not likely to pull a stunt like offering Qi Xuansu 500,000 Taiping coins to leave Zhang Yuelu.

So he asked, “When?”

Zhang Juping replied, “My elder brother will be reporting to the Heavenly Preceptor today about the affairs of the Shangqing Palace and the Zhang family. Since the Heavenly Preceptor has been away from Yunjin Mountain for half a year, there’s quite a lot of backlog of work. So it’ll likely take most of the day. How about noon tomorrow? You could have lunch together.”

Qi Xuansu considered it briefly before nodding. “No problem.”

Zhang Juping rose from his seat. “In that case, I’ll return to inform my elder brother.”

Qi Xuansu stood to see him out.