A Pawn's Passage

After officially assuming the position of Chief Deputy Mansion Master, Qi Xuansu’s first priority was not to join Zhang Yuelu in investigating the case, but to deal with the Yu royal family.

In principle, the matter should have been handled by the Mansion Master, but Wang Jiaohe still hoped to lay low and get through this unscathed, so he deliberately avoided involving himself as a way to cut ties. Thus, the responsibility was handed to Qi Xuansu, and the justification was clear. Since Qi Xuansu had been in charge of this case from the start, it was most appropriate for him to conclude it.

Qi Xuansu did not decline. He adhered to one principle only, which was to punish the main culprits without implicating others.

After all, the times had changed. This was no longer the Confucian era, so the old practice of exterminating the entire clan was no longer acceptable in the Daoist era.

But two issues remained. The first was how to punish the main culprits. The second issue was who would take over the Yu royal household and fulfill the duties of a King.

The main culprits were Yang E, Chen Shuhua, and the Yu King. Yang E was already dead. Chen Shuhua was now a fugitive. The Golden Tower Council would dispatch a Great Sage to personally hunt her down, so she was no longer Qi Xuansu’s concern. That left him with the Yu King.

Qi Xuansu had risked his life and fought a vicious battle with True Lord Siming to capture the Yu King. Though the King was barely breathing, he was still alive and had fallen into Qi Xuansu’s hands.

He deliberated whether to execute the Yu King. Keeping him alive could serve as bait to lure Chen Shuhua, but the likelihood was slim. If she had truly cared for her brother, she would not have used him as a furnace. Thus, Qi Xuansu quickly dismissed this option.

If the King was to be executed, it had to be a public, formal punishment to serve as a warning to all, not a secret killing by poison or other discreet means.

At the end of the previous Wei Dynasty, the realm fell into chaos and devastation. The young emperor was still a child without the means to rule. So when the Daoists seized power, they did not harm him and merely forced him to abdicate. However, the Empress Dowager, who had truly governed the nation, was imprisoned for days before being publicly executed in the Imperial Capital.

The Daoists’ actions clearly dismantled the sanctity of the emperor, who was known as the Son of Heaven. This showed that the old Confucian rule of the law not applying to the nobles did not apply.

Thus, the Yu King had to be executed. The question was—should he be transported to the Jade Capital or be executed on the spot?

On this matter, the Golden Tower Council gave no explicit order. If Chen Shuhua were captured alive, the Golden Tower Council would no doubt stage a grand execution at the Demon-Vanquishing Platform or the Immortal Execution Terrace.

But for a minor figure like the Yu King, Jade Capital had little interest in him, so Qi Xuansu could decide as he saw fit.

Qi Xuansu had not yet made up his mind, so he asked Shangguan Ya to keep the Yu King alive while ordering Fengxian Hall to finalize the charges as quickly as possible. After all, they had to execute the King before he took his last breath.

If they did not execute the King, the people could not be appeased, nor could the world be properly warned.

In the end, as the King’s condition worsened, Shangguan Ya informed Qi Xuansu that ordinary methods would soon fail. Forcibly prolonging the King’s life would be too costly.

As such, Qi Xuansu abandoned the idea of sending the King to Jade Capital and decided to execute the Yu King in Thanglong Prefecture, ordering all members of the Yu royal family to witness the execution.

This was a warning for the rest to abandon all thoughts of treason.

Since the King was guilty, his sons were stripped of their status as well. Though the Daoists did not believe in exterminating entire clans, that did not mean there would be no consequences.

In truth, Chen Jianchou was an excellent candidate to be the King. After all, the Daoists did not care too much about bloodline proximity; having the same last name was good enough. The Yu royal family also had no right to oppose.

However, Chen Jianchou was currently Qi Xuansu’s personal secretary. Though his position now was far lower than a King’s, given Qi Xuansu’s rising momentum, it was hard to say where Chen Jianchou might end up. Perhaps one day, he might even return to Poluo to become the Mansion Master.

The second candidate was Chen Jianqiu, the former King’s daughter. She was of direct royal lineage and had Western blood. But given her position, she was unlikely to marry and bear children. The future successor would likely be her nephew.

Her being a woman was even less of a concern. Though the Daoists had never produced a female Grand Master, the Central Plains once had precedents of female rulers.

With precedent, any decision could be justified and would not be considered heretical.

Qi Xuansu’s only concern was whether Chen Jianqiu might harbor resentment, since her biological father was about to be executed. If she grew resentful and estranged from the Daoist Order, it would be understandable. Qi Xuansu would not blame her, but he had a responsibility to the Daoist Order. He could not choose her if she posed any risk, since it would be unacceptable to breed another Chen Shuhua.

So Qi Xuansu contacted Qi Muyu, asking her to invite Chen Jianqiu over. This served both as a preliminary probe and a gesture of comfort. After all, this concerned her father’s impending death.

Truthfully, setting aside all practical considerations, Qi Xuansu found the whole thing somewhat absurd. He was about to kill the girl’s father and then ask her to take the throne and swear loyalty to the Daoist Order. But when power was involved, everything suddenly became justified and reasonable.

Many people, for the sake of ascending the throne, would eagerly kill with their own hands. For some, having the Daoists perform the dirty work for them was something they might even secretly be grateful for.

This was why people said that power was the deadliest poison in the world—even Immortals were not immune.

The meeting was arranged inside the Water Palace since Qi Xuansu was still injured and unfit to move around. The heavy security there also ensured his safety.

Zhang Yuelu was investigating a case, so she did not remain by Qi Xuansu’s side the whole time. Once he regained consciousness, she frequently went out to gather information. During this period, Ke Qingqing no longer served beside Qi Xuansu and officially followed Zhang Yuelu to assume her secretarial role with her new boss.

Instead, Zhang Yuelu left Little Yin at Qi Xuansu’s side as protection. Although she looked like a child, her cultivation was astonishing. Even Xu Jiaorong could not confidently claim she could defeat her. It was more than sufficient for Little Yin to act as Qi Xuansu’s bodyguard or even fight in his stead.

Chen Jianchou was initially curious upon seeing Little Yin, because he knew that Daoist law forbade excessive rejuvenation. So this little girl clearly was not an elder in disguise. Moreover, seeing how close Little Yin was to Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, he assumed the girl was a younger member of their lineage, perhaps a junior sister or niece.

But when Little Yin casually revealed she was a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, Chen Jianchou’s worldview nearly collapsed. He felt indignant, thinking that the Daoist Order was no different from the royal courts. Being from a noble clan would allow one to ascend to impossible heights at such a young age. But after Little Yin briefly displayed her Wuliang-stage might, Chen Jianchou’s resentment faded. After all, a Wuliang-stage cultivator holding a fourth rank was severely undervalued. It was not favoritism.

From this, Chen Jianchou roughly deduced that Little Yin was likely not a human, which explained her youthful appearance. Creatures like flood dragons could live for centuries, so their “childhood” could easily last decades.

Qi Xuansu brought only two people—Chen Jianchou and Little Yin—to meet Chen Jianqiu, who came with Qi Muyu.

The meeting took place in a small reception room that was furnished in a Western style, without the hierarchical seating of traditional arrangements.

That was because Qi Xuansu did not want the meeting to be overly formal. This was a private conversation, so it was best to keep things relaxed.

Even so, Chen Jianqiu still bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Sage Qi.”

Qi Xuansu motioned for them to sit and asked, “How have you been recently?”

Chen Jianqiu replied, “Everything is fine.”

Qi Xuansu nodded and continued, “You should already know about your father’s charges. Do you have anything you wish to say?”

Chen Jianqiu shook her head. “He violated the law, so I have nothing to say.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What do you truly think? Do you hate me? Or perhaps resent the Daoist Order because of this?”

Little Yin stared steadily at Chen Jianqiu. As Old Master Yin’s granddaughter, Little Yin possessed the uncanny ability to see through the human heart.

Chen Jianqiu stayed silent for a long time before answering, “I am sad, but I dare not bear any resentment.”

Qi Xuansu said, “I would have spared him for your sake and your service to the Daoist Order. But unfortunately, his crimes were too grave. They shook the very foundation of the Daoist Mansion, so no one can protect him.”

Chen Jianqiu whispered, “I understand.”

Qi Xuansu glanced at Little Yin, who nodded.

Seeing this, he moved to the main point. “I trust that Daoist Qi has explained the matter in detail to you. As they say, a nation cannot go a single day without a ruler. Now that the throne of the Yu Kingdom sits vacant, I intend for you to assume the position as the sovereign. What are your thoughts?”

Chen Jianqiu fell into an even longer silence.

Qi Xuansu did not urge her and simply waited quietly.

After a long time, Chen Jianqiu asked, “Sage Qi, is this your decision?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “It is my decision to make. The Daoist Mansion has already granted me full authority to handle this matter.”

Only then did Chen Jianqiu say, “I will oblige and follow the Daoist Mansion’s arrangement.”

Finally, Qi Xuansu said, “He was your birth father, so it would be unrealistic to say you feel nothing. But a man reaps what he sows. Even if I spared him, he wouldn’t survive for long with his illness. I know this decision is difficult for you, but I must ask you to accept it anyway, even if you are reluctant.”