A Pawn's Passage

After the messenger left, the standoff between Zhang Yuelu and Tantai Qiong continued.

Tantai Qiong could not help but ask her daughter, “I just don’t understand. What exactly do you see in him?”

Truth be told, even Tantai Qiong herself felt a bit guilty asking this. After all, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were the only third-rank Deputy Hall Masters under thirty in the entire Daoist Order.

Given Zhang Yuelu’s current status, there were only four possibilities. She could either devote herself to the Dao and never marry, get into a marriage alliance, marry below her status, or take a matrilocal husband. The notion of marrying above her station did not exist for someone of her rank. Even if she were to marry Li Changge, it would merely be considered a political alliance, not marrying up.

Devotion to the Dao and never marrying was not a good option either. This was a path often chosen by Daoist women after experiencing heartbreak, a form of retreat into isolation. Zhang Yuelu had no such intentions. She was not one to make life difficult for herself and preferred to let things happen naturally.

Given that, marrying beneath her station was highly unlikely, as such an arrangement would be a loss for the Zhang family. If she married below her status, it implied the man was inferior and might not benefit the Zhang family. He might even become a burden requiring support. Why give others such an advantage for nothing?

That left only two options—taking in a matrilocal husband or forming a marriage alliance.

Taking in a matrilocal husband sounded good in theory, but it was not realistic. In the Daoist Order, master-disciple relationships were akin to parent-child relationships. Some people spent over a decade just to find a good disciple. There were also people like the Li family, who aggressively recruited adopted sons and sons-in-law, allowing them to rise to a position of power. So, truly talented and capable young men were snatched up long before they would ever need to become a matrilocal son-in-law. Those who did end up in such a role were often overly ambitious types. If they were left unchecked, they might even bite back, like Li Minghuang.

If she truly tried to bring in a matrilocal husband, it would be extremely hard to find a suitable candidate. It would likely end up being someone whose only purpose was to sire children, and that was absolutely unacceptable to Zhang Yuelu.

Thus, only the path of political marriage remained. Such marriage alliances demanded matching status.

As Zhang Yuelu’s status rose, the pool of suitable candidates changed accordingly.

At first, it was Yan Mingchen. Back when Zhang Yuelu’s position was not yet prominent, he was a good match. But as Zhang Yuelu climbed ever higher, Yan Mingchen became unsuitable—their union would have become a marriage beneath her station. In any case, there had been no verbal promises or formal contracts, only tentative talks. Also, Zhang Yuelu had strongly opposed the idea from the very beginning, so it naturally fizzled out.

This could not really be considered a broken engagement, as Yan Mingchen had not lost anything. So there was no basis for some dramatic fallout. Besides, he was even older than Qi Xuansu, so it was unlikely that he would fare any better.

After that, Zhang Yuelu’s marriage situation grew more complicated. Considering family background, ability, talent, and future prospects, only two people matched her: Li Changge and Yao Pei. But the Li family was a sworn enemy of the Zhang family, so he was ruled out. Within the larger context of the alliance between the Quanzhen Sect and the Zhengyi Sect, Yao Pei appeared to be a perfect match. Yet, Yao Pei was a woman.

In principle, the Daoist Order did not oppose two women becoming Daoist companions. However, a centuries-old family that clung to tradition, like the Zhang family, could not accept such a thing. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu had clearly stated that she liked men and had no romantic feelings for women. Yao Pei did not seem to be interested in women either. She was more likely to devote herself to the Dao and not marry for life.

At that point, Qi Xuansu emerged as a very fitting alternative to Yao Pei.

After all, he was also a Deputy Hall Master and a Heavenly Being.

Their backgrounds were also evenly matched, with Zhang Yuelu being from the minor branch of the Zhang family and Qi Xuansu being Madam Qi’s adopted son, so by association, he was from the Yao family.

Thus, Zhang Jucheng quickly accepted reality without trying to break their relationship. Instead, he planned to have a proper conversation with the two and start laying plans for the future.

If their union could not be stopped, then one should at least aim for the greatest benefit.

That was the mindset a mature family patriarch ought to have.

Tantai Qiong, on the other hand, was acting purely out of spite. It was starting to look a bit like senseless fussing.

But to Tantai Qiong’s surprise, Zhang Yuelu did not bring up anything about Qi Xuansu’s Deputy Hall Master position, Heavenly Being cultivation, or promising future. Her daughter simply said, “He’s nice.”

“He’s nice?!” Tantai Qiong was momentarily caught off guard.

Those two words were far too vague that they were basically meaningless to her.

Zhang Yuelu elaborated, “This isn’t his first time here. The last time he came, he was mediocre and unimpressive, yet I still brought him. At first, I really was just trying to fool you, but somewhere along the way, I changed my mind. I decided to make the act real.”

Tantai Qiong retorted, “That boy is full of schemes. How is he ‘nice’?”

Zhang Yuelu said, “What’s honey to me may be poison to you. We don’t necessarily need to see eye to eye on everything.”

Tantai Qiong took a deep breath, her chest heaving. “So you’re deliberately going against me.”

Zhang Yuelu did not hold back. “You’re the one going against me.”

That nearly made Tantai Qiong lash out on the spot.

However, Zhang Juqi reacted swiftly, stepping between his wife and daughter, silently diffusing the confrontation before it escalated.

Tantai Qiong said angrily, “You’ve really grown wings now, haven’t you?”

Zhang Yuelu calmly replied, “When a fledgling’s wings become strong, it leaves the shelter of its parents, and the parents no longer interfere with whom it chooses as a partner.”

Parents making decisions about their child’s marriage was because the child was not strong enough. The child could not build a household on their own and still had to rely on their parents. If they needed their parents’ support, how could they have the confidence to oppose?

However, Zhang Yuelu was different. She had left her parents’ protection early on and naturally had that confidence.

When Zhang Yuelu said that Qi Xuansu was nice, she was not referring to common morality but something deeper.

Ordinary women often sought material things in a man, like a house or financial security. All they wanted was to be clothed and fed after marriage. In addition, they might seek emotional value, such as good looks, charm, and sensitivity.

However, at Zhang Yuelu’s level, pursuing those things was meaningless. She lacked nothing materially. Her mental state was strong, and she didn’t need superficial emotional fulfillment. She did not even need security or support. So, her focus shifted to the most fundamental level—whether a person was nice or not. In a way, her thinking was like a child untouched by the world.

Many people believed themselves to be good, but that was often because they had not faced enough temptation. They had not seen true beauty, wealth, or power.

They appeared open-minded and calm only because they thought such things were irrelevant to them. Thus, gain or loss did not matter. But the moment they realized those things did concern them, their composure would vanish.

For example, many people gossiped about Zhang Yuelu behind her back, saying she was just an average-looking, bad-tempered, fake noble lady putting on airs. But if she ever showed the slightest interest in them, they would immediately change their tune and would not hesitate to fawn over her.

In this world, most people judged others by their actions, not intent.

Qi Xuansu had seen more than his share of beauties. In terms of looks, Li Qingnu surpassed Zhang Yuelu. In terms of background, Yao Pei outclassed her, too. There were even many stunning female Daoists willing to throw themselves at him, yet he had never been moved, nor had he harbored any thoughts of playing the field.

After all, Qi Xuansu was not even tempted by 200,000 Taiping coins offered to him. Instead, he chose to confront the Tianchen Division head-on. To this day, he has not chosen the evil path. Aside from the occasional looting, he lived modestly on his stipend.

As for power and influence, Qi Xuansu had earned real battle merits and had never sought promotion through luck or shortcuts. Connections and backing certainly played a role, but if he were not capable, neither Sage Donghua nor the Heavenly or Earthly Preceptors would give him a second look just for Madam Qi’s sake.

Their first meeting was a lovely coincidence. What truly moved Zhang Yuelu was their journey to the Western Region, the slaying of Desmond the vampire, and the subsequent journey back to Yunjin Mountain.

These events weren’t grand in scale, but they were filled with danger for the two of them at that time.

One’s true character was often revealed at the brink of life and death.

Not to mention, there was also that oft-mentioned and unforgettable leap off the flying ship.

Some might say it was not a big deal since Qi Xuansu did not die. But when he jumped, he did not know he would survive it. He leapt off the flying ship with the resolve to die.

That was why Zhang Yuelu could never forget Qi Xuansu. However, she was emotionally reserved due to her life experiences. She rarely expressed joy or anger, let alone put feelings into words. So, she might not seem passionate.

But to Zhang Yuelu, Qi Xuansu was a good person. Though outwardly he might not appear like one, once she got to know him, she realized he was far better than most people, who were all shine and no substance.

Of course, Qi Xuansu had his flaws as well. He lied to her and liked breaking rules. But to her, these were minor issues, mostly caused by improper guidance. She was confident that, given time, she could set him straight.

Qi Xuansu once swore silently to himself never to do anything that would betray Zhang Yuelu. Zhang Yuelu had also long made up her mind that she would not marry anyone but Qi Xuansu.

Zhang Yuelu stared at Tantai Qiong and said resolutely, “My mind is made up, Mother. You needn’t say any more.”

Elsewhere, yet another Zhang family Heavenly Being was sent flying, his back slamming hard into a massive tree. However, the tree was resilient, so it did not snap and merely trembled. A flurry of falling leaves scattered everywhere as the man slid slowly down the tree trunk.

At this point, Qi Xuansu had already summoned his Spiritual Statue.

However, this Spiritual Statue was quite unusual. Its left side was dominated by moon-white tones, and the right by purple hues, with clearly distinct styles of clothing on each side. Fortunately, both halves were feminine, so the contrast was not too jarring.

Behind the Spiritual Statue was a full moon resembling the halo behind a Buddha’s head, surrounded by twinkling stars. It formed a tableau of stars and moon rising together, the stars seemingly venerating the moon.

Qi Xuansu did not quite understand why his Spiritual Statue had become like this. He only knew that ever since True Lord Ziguang’s divine descent, his Spiritual Statue had undergone a mutation, and its power had greatly increased.

He then merged with his Spiritual Statue and manifested his Spiritual Body, launching another punch at another Heavenly Being. Though it was just one punch, his body spirits and Spiritual Body struck in unison, sending the Heavenly Being flying 60 meters backward.

The Zhang family scions did not have the courage to swarm him. Instead, they took turns, engaging Qi Xuansu in a revolving-door-style battle.

But these Zhang family juniors were arrogant and self-conceited, completely unaware of Qi Xuansu’s capabilities. This gave Qi Xuansu the advantage of surprise. While their cultivation levels were not weak, they did not know how to deal with a freak like Qi Xuansu and lacked practical experience. Thus, several Heavenly Beings lost to Qi Xuansu one after another.

After that Heavenly Being was knocked back 60 meters, he lost all courage and dared not step forward again.

Qi Xuansu looked around and asked, “Who’s up next?”