A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu was already well-practiced in handling such matters. Back in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, when he could not move against Wen Weng directly, he had started by targeting one of his subordinates, Old Master Gao. Later, in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, when neither he nor Zhang Yuelu could do anything to the officials of the Daoist Mansion, they began cracking down on the Beggar Gang. That was what he meant by finding the breakthrough point.

Thus, when Qi Xuansu left the restaurant, his mood was not particularly foul or grim.

He had just been worrying about lacking a place to begin, and this Young Master Sun had conveniently delivered himself right to his door.

Qi Xuansu was not surprised by Superintendent Huang’s conduct. The previous Second Deputy had been manipulated by others, so naturally, the superintendents below would have followed whichever way the wind blew. Moreover, Superintendent Huang was not one of the nine direct subordinates under the Second Deputy’s command. Otherwise, he would never have failed to recognize Qi Xuansu.

Since Qi Xuansu had also brought back Superintendent Tian from Phnom Penh Prefecture, he had two superintendents caught in his grasp. It gave him more than enough to work with. At the smallest scale, it could serve to establish his authority. But on a larger scale, it could become a convenient excuse to dig much deeper into their backer.

Still, after such an incident, Qi Xuansu had no desire to continue strolling about the city.

He decided instead to visit the prison, a place where no more mistakes could be tolerated, to ensure that Qian Xiangyun’s incident did not happen again.

Qian Xiangyun’s case was now Zhang Yuelu’s burden to carry. Rumor had it that both Qian Xiangyun and Wen Weng had fled to Lingnan. Though the region was not as chaotic as Nanyang, it encompassed the vast Nanhai and bordered Nanyang, which became a perfect refuge for those who wished to disappear.

Strictly speaking, the disorderly Nanyang would have been the better hiding place. However, Qian Xiangyun had gone to Lingnan specifically for Tongzhen Palace, which was left behind by Lin Lingsu.

The legacy of a Longevity-stage Immortal was an irresistible lure. Without her Daoist identity, Qian Xiangyun’s only remaining hope for her later life now rested entirely on this palace.

By now, Zhang Yuelu had already assumed office as the Second Deputy of the Lingnan Daoist Mansion. Her circumstances were far better than Qi Xuansu’s, since Wuzhou—her hometown—lay just north of Lingnan. Moreover, the Zhengyi Sect still held dominance within Lingnan. Whether one was of the Zhang family or from the Cihang lineage, all had to show Zhang Yuelu due respect.

Finally, Zhang Yuelu was enjoying the same status once held by Li Changge and Yao Pei.

When Qi Xuansu took office, he had brought only three people with him—Ke Qingqing, Han Yongfeng, and Lu Yuting.

Zhang Yuelu’s entourage was not large either. Mu Jin had gone to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, so Zhang Yuelu had only taken Tian Baobao and Xu Kou with her, the equivalents of Lu Yuting and Han Yongfeng by Qi Xuansu’s side. One man and one woman made a balanced pairing that would ease the workload. It also stayed true to the Daoist Order’s ideal of equality.

Many Daoist companions had been formed this way because working long hours side by side under the same superior would make them close colleagues. Over time, some of them progressed into a romantic relationship.

Though Xu Kou was stubborn and full of flaws, he was capable and far more willing to work than old foxes like Sun Yongfeng. That was why Zhang Yuelu had brought him along.

Zhang Yuelu’s assignment this time was to implement the joint council’s directives and assist Qi Xuansu’s efforts. Besides that, she was also tasked with pursuing Qian Xiangyun. Thus, she needed someone who would get things done, not someone just drifting through the days.

The secretary position was left temporarily vacant, reserved for Ke Qingqing.

Besides that, Zhang Yuelu also brought Little Yin and Lin Yuanmiao along.

Using the Zhang family’s resources, Zhang Yuelu helped Lin Yuanmiao regain his cultivation to the Zaohua stage. The Daoist Order was not afraid of Lin Yuanmiao going rogue because they had more than enough strength to suppress him. Moreover, Lin Yuanmiao, being one of Lin Lingsu’s Three Corpse incarnations, was a key figure in locating the Tongzhen Palace.

Little Yin had not been invited, but she had stubbornly followed Zhang Yuelu and Lin Yuanmiao on her own. After finishing the dragon meat feast, the little girl not only ascended to the Wuliang stage but even gained full mobility, no longer confined to places filled with yin energy. She was now no different from ordinary people, so she refused to return to the Ghost Kingdom.

Using a talisman given by Sage Qingwei, she “smuggled” herself into Jade Capital, where she only knew two people—Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

When Little Yin arrived, Qi Xuansu had already departed for Poluo to assume his post, so she settled for finding Zhang Yuelu instead.

Although Jade Capital was vast, Zhang Yuelu’s fame was greater still, so finding her was a breeze. Little Yin carried her fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist insignia and entered Xuan City without hindrance.

No one dared to treat such a young girl with such high credentials lightly. Thus, when they heard she was seeking Zhang Yuelu, they took her seriously and escorted her to meet the legendary woman at once.

Upon seeing Zhang Yuelu, Little Yin clung to her without letting go. She pleaded, pouted, and came up with all sorts of reasons for joining the mission.

“The world is so big! I want to see it!”

“Old Lin is such a nice person. I really can’t leave him!”

In short, Little Yin refused to return to the Ghost Kingdom no matter what.

Helpless, Zhang Yuelu could only take Little Yin in and keep her close by.

Beyond that, Zhang Yuelu had other considerations. Little Yin was far too unusual. After her great feast in Fenglin, she advanced an entire realm, progressing in cultivation even more easily than Qi Xuansu, the manmade Banished Immortal.

Unlike ordinary yin creatures, Little Yin was more like a living being than the Three Yin Beings. Her existence was mysterious and unpredictable, so she was not to be underestimated. Thus, having her nearby was a potential asset.

Though Zhang Yuelu lacked a formal secretary, she actually had more attendants than Qi Xuansu. Those unaware of the truth simply assumed Little Yin was her secretary. They were left wondering in amusement whether the tiny secretary was tending to the Second Deputy or if the Second Deputy was looking after the little girl.

After arriving in Lingnan, Zhang Yuelu made far less noise than Qi Xuansu. After all, the Golden Tower Council had no plans to shake up Lingnan, so many assumed she was merely sent there to gild her résumé. She was there to be a peaceful Second Deputy.

Following the customary welcome banquet, Zhang Yuelu began her inspection of the entire region, unknowingly echoing Qi Xuansu’s approach. She abandoned the prescribed route and chose her first stop to be Dongdu Prefecture.

In ancient times, the Dongdu Prefecture had been part of the Central Plains. Later, when sections of land sank and seawater flooded in, a strait separated both shores, turning Dongdu Prefecture into an island. Thus, to reach Dongdu Prefecture, they had to set sail across the sea.

According to Lin Yuanmiao, the Tongzhen Palace was located somewhere out on the sea. Lin Lingsu had drawn inspiration from the Heavenly Empress’s Dragon Palace; hence, he had built a palace upon the sea as well. Due to this, the palace remained difficult to find.

However, Zhang Yuelu and Qian Xiangyun had different goals in finding the Tongzhen Palace. Zhang Yuelu had little interest in the legacy of an Immortal. She merely wished to use the palace as a lead to capture Qian Xiangyun.

Strictly speaking, Lingnan, Dongdu, Qionghua, and Nanhai were the true core of Heavenly Empress worship. Nanyang was more of a peripheral area. After all, before her ascension, the Heavenly Empress had lived mainly along the Lingnan coast, a true native of Lingnan.

In other words, when storms appeared, even Lingnan had access to the Dragon Palace. The Lingnan and Poluo Daoist Mansions were likely the two that revered the Heavenly Empress most deeply. Each year, they could not miss offering incense at her temples.

From both faith and geography, Lingnan and Nanyang were intimately connected. This made the Golden Tower Council’s decision to assign Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu to these two regions, respectively, deeply intentional.

Traveling north from Lingnan led to the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, which were both still within Nanhai’s coast. The Jiangnan Daoist Mansion had undergone a complete reshuffle. Aside from the Second Deputy, who remained, the Mansion Master was now Zhang Jucheng, and the Chief Deputy was Lei Xiaohuan. All the threads were now connected.

A flying ship flew at a low altitude as it passed the strait.

Zhang Yuelu stood upon the ship’s deck, leaning on the railing as she gazed down at the rolling waves below.

Beside her was Little Yin, who was shorter than the railing. She clutched the railing tightly with both hands, her small legs dangling in the air, her head poking out, and her eyes sweeping eagerly over the sea’s surface.

Little Yin had long heard that the sea was full of edible creatures, far more than on land. On land, most demons had either submitted to the Daoist Order or been exterminated by them. But the sea belonged to the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Empress, not the Daoist Order. Since the Heavenly Empress was no longer in the mortal realm, many great sea demons still roamed free.

At this moment, Little Yin was salivating just thinking about how she would like to eat these “delicacies” raw.

Lin Yuanmiao stood silently not far from the two. For many years, he had lived alone, enduring a solitude few could bear. That long isolation had made him taciturn, so much so that people often forgot he was even there.

The Lingnan Daoist Mansion did not have a first-rank Spirit Guard nor any Great Sage. Thus, Lin Yuanmiao had effectively taken on the duties of Spirit Guard Ding Chou, serving as a bodyguard to Zhang Yuelu.

However, Lingnan was a core stronghold of the Daoist Order, unlike the turbulent Nanyang, so no one would dare to raise a hand against Zhang Yuelu here.

Zhang Yuelu suddenly called out, “Old Lin.”

“Yes, Young Lady,” Lin Yuanmiao replied. His sense of identity was rather peculiar, somewhat like a secretary.

To help Lin Yuanmiao recover his cultivation, Zhang Yuelu had to tap into the Zhang family’s resources because her own measly stipend was far from enough. Of course, she would have to explain where this money went. But she only needed to report to the Heavenly Preceptor and no one else. Thus, the Heavenly Preceptor became aware of Lin Yuanmiao’s existence.

The Heavenly Preceptor met with Lin Yuanmiao once, giving him sufficient assurance. First and foremost, it was clarified that Lin Yuanmiao was not the same as the former Jin Dynasty Imperial Preceptor, Lin Lingsu. The two had been completely severed from each other. Lin Lingsu was dead, and Lin Yuanmiao could no longer be regarded as an elder of the Daoist Order. Thus, the Heavenly Preceptor treated Lin Yuanmiao as an entirely new being.

Still, Lin Yuanmiao’s unique connection to both Lin Lingsu and True Lord Qingxu Yuanmiao could not be ignored. So, Lin Yuanmiao was granted an appropriate Daoist identity with special exemption. Considering his potential for attaining immortality, he was generously given the second rank.

However, Lin Yuanmiao’s identity was too unusual. This Daoist title was just an empty shell. It was impossible for him to follow the official path like Qi Xuansu or Zhang Yuelu and gain real power. That formal path depended heavily on having a clean background, not on one’s last name.

For example, Qi Xuansu was raised in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. He was, in every sense, a child of the Daoist Order, pure and untainted. He might lack a family’s political power, but his origin was clean.

By contrast, those of demonic lineage or from Fenglin, Poluo, or even the royal family were subtly and inevitably excluded. For instance, Chen Shuhua’s future was entirely predictable. She would never rise to greatness simply because she was born into the royal family of the Yu Kingdom.

As for Qi Xuansu’s involvement with the Qingping Society, it could be seen as a momentary deviation. But hardly anyone knew of it. Moreover, the Qingping Society had countless subtle ties to the Quanzhen Sect. It could even be interpreted as laying the groundwork for Qi Xuansu to take over the Qingping Society one day.

If one were to truly investigate, could Li Changge really claim no connection to the Heavenly Court? None of the Three Daoist Sects were truly spotless, so none dared to dig too deeply. The key was simply to avoid any entanglement with the Lingshan Witch Cult and the Cult of Fates.

Lin Yuanmiao was not “clean.” No matter how powerful his cultivation was, he could never become a Mansion Master or a Hall Master. However, he was more than qualified to serve as a secretary or Deputy Palace Master, formally placed under the Shangqing Palace of Yunjin Mountain.

Following the example of the Heavenly Preceptor’s secretaries, Lin Yuanmiao addressed Zhang Yuelu respectfully as Young Lady.