A Pawn's Passage

Du Yuhua loved the sea but disliked Lion City, so she chose to settle down in Wu’an Prefecture.

She owned a residence here that was far grander than the Wang family estate. It was built along the coast, offering a view of the sea the moment one opened a window.

Du Fuzhou usually lived here as well. He was accustomed to being held firmly in his mother’s grasp and deferred to her in everything.

In fact, when Du Fuzhou and Sun Yaozhen had just married, the young couple’s relationship was fairly good. However, the struggle between Sun Yaozhen and her mother-in-law strained their relationship because Du Fuzhou always sided with his elderly mother.

Sun Yaozhen simply gave up and began indulging herself recklessly. Of course, this was not entirely Du Yuhua’s fault. Sun Yaozhen herself enjoyed a life of debauchery.

This showed how domineering Du Yuhua was, but circumstances changed her. Back then, when the Great Sage ascended, Du Yuhua’s position became untenable, so she had no choice but to step down.

Now that Wang Jiaohe had appeared in Du Yuhua’s home, she was likewise powerless to resist the circumstances.

At this moment, the two were seated in a waterside pavilion. Though called a waterside pavilion, it was not built atop the water but on an artificial rock formation. Diverting water into the estate was already a grand undertaking. The fact that the artificial rock was large enough to support a pavilion showed just how lavish the entire residence was.

This pavilion resembled a gazebo, open on all sides with bamboo blinds hanging down. Since it was built atop the artificial rock, it rose above the courtyard walls and offered a nice view of the sea.

However, the weather today was far from pleasant. It was dark and overcast, as though a violent storm was about to hit land.

Wang Jiaohe sat facing Du Yuhua, holding a cup of tea without drinking it. He sighed and said, “Back then, the three of us were on the same boat, working together in the Poluo Daoist Mansion. By all logic, once the winds and waves rose, whoever was on the boat should have shared the same fate. Yet now, you stand safely on dry land, while Elder Sun and I have fallen over the capsized boat.”

Du Yuhua was a beautiful woman. In terms of appearance, she far surpassed Madam Qi. Her temperament was more approachable than the aloof Sage Cihang, but she was also not as frivolous as Qi Muyu and Wang Jiaoyan. She was intelligent, capable, and dignified, yet friendly enough to not keep others at a distance. The balance she struck was exceedingly difficult to achieve. Thus, with that balance, she could very easily control men.

Some older Daoists did not care for flamboyant young girls, deeming them too shallow, frivolous, and noisy. Instead, they preferred sensible, mature women with considerable life experience. Though their youthful splendor might have faded, they knew very well how to attend to others, always striking just the right balance and leaving people feeling pleased.

Without such abilities, Du Yuhua could never have risen to her former position back then.

At this moment, Du Yuhua remained fairly composed. She managed a smile and said, “Mansion Master Wang, what are you saying? No one has removed you from office. You are still the Poluo Daoist Mansion Master.”

Wang Jiaohe scoffed. “Daoist Du, now that you’ve reached dry land, you’ve begun to play dumb at our troubles, huh? What difference does it make now whether I’m dismissed or not? The Three Prodigies are watching my every move, so I can’t even voice my displeasure. There’s no helping it, since the Zhang, Li, and Yao families are all behemoths. If I leave them alone, I may still have a slim chance of survival. But if I touch any one of them, I’ll be dead ten times over.”

Du Yuhua did not know how to respond for a moment. After a short pause, she finally said, “Mansion Master Wang, surely you didn’t come here just to complain to me, right?”

Wang Jiaohe let out a laugh. “Fret not, the person I’ve been waiting for has already arrived.”

As he said this, Qi Xuansu appeared by the lakeside with Little Yin in tow.

Little Yin was curiously surveying her surroundings.

Du Yuhua rose to her feet. “Chief Deputy Qi, you’re here.”

“Daoist Du, you recognize me,” Qi Xuansu said in a gentle tone. “Mansion Master Wang, you’re here as well.”

Wang Jiaohe did not stand. “Chief Deputy Qi, you’ve been in the Poluo Daoist Mansion for some time now, yet we have rarely interacted. On the rare occasions we did meet, it was always during official deliberations, so verbal sparring was unavoidable. This will be our first private conversation.”

Qi Xuansu led Little Yin into the waterside pavilion. “May I ask what guidance you wish to offer, Mansion Master Wang?”

“I wouldn’t dare speak of guidance,” Wang Jiaohe replied, his demeanor gentle, without the slightest hint of hostility. “Though I’m older than you, you’re the Chief Deputy, while I’m the Mansion Master, so we’re considered partners. Since this is a private setting, I’ll address you by your courtesy name. I trust you have no objection, Tian Yuan.”

Qi Xuansu leaned forward slightly, indicating he had no objection.

“Tian Yuan, you’ve been in the Poluo Daoist Mansion for only a short while, yet you’ve done quite a lot,” Wang Jiaohe said unhurriedly. “All of it has been earthshaking. Even though you started off in an advantageous position, considering that I am older than you and held the advantage of being a local, I must wholeheartedly admit defeat.”

Qi Xuansu did not speak. He could, of course, pretend not to understand, but that would be meaningless and fake.

But he could not respond by delivering a victory speech in front of Wang Jiaohe, because that would be excessively arrogant.

So the best course of action was to remain silent.

Wang Jiaohe did not mind and continued on his own. “Chief Deputy Qi, you managed to bring me down only because there were people behind you who wished to topple me. Once I am gone, Great Sage Jiang will return to Jade Capital, and Great Sage Lan will still remain detached from worldly affairs. As the new head of the Poluo Daoist Mansion, how will you keep the largest Daoist Mansion in the Daoist Order operating normally?”

Qi Xuansu finally spoke. “First, by following the example of those who came before, and then, in the process of emulation, I will learn, comprehend, and gain insight.”

Wang Jiaohe continued, “If the common folk and Daoist priests were likened to the great rivers of the Central Plains, then the Daoist Mansion Master is the one who controls the waters. When a sage appears, the river runs clear. But when has the river ever truly been clear? Can a sage turn everyone in the world into good people? I doubt it. Both good and bad people will still exist, and the people’s hearts will remain unpredictable. As a Mansion Master, you can only guide them, like a person managing the waters.

“Water itself isn’t purely good or evil. It can irrigate fields, or it can cause floods and bring disaster. People are the same. A person can be upright and honest or greedy and corrupt. Does this depend solely on the person?”

Qi Xuansu understood what Wang Jiaohe was getting at. “Water has no fixed form and changes according to external conditions. Mansion Master Wang, are you saying that the reason you became what you are today lies in the external environment?”

Wang Jiaohe sighed. “The human heart is fickle and can only change with the environment. We call this going with the flow. Being a good person in the past and in the present does not mean one will continue to be good in the future. Being an evil person in the past and in the present does not mean one will always be evil. People are constantly changing, and these changes are silent and hard to detect. By the time you notice them, you may no longer recognize your former self.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Mansion Master Wang, may I understand this as you expressing remorse?”

“I never regret anything.” Wang Jiaohe flatly denied it. “Chief Deputy Qi, do you think you can truly control the Poluo Daoist Mansion?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Whether it can be done or not, I ought to try to know.”

Wang Jiaohe nodded. “I have served in the Poluo Daoist Mansion for decades and still hold feelings for this place. I cherish every blade of grass and every tree here. No matter how I end up, I ask that you treat it kindly.

“Also, if one day you reach that position and wish to accomplish something significant, relying solely on handling cases will be far from enough. Even if you kill me, there will be others who will pop out. The killing will never end. This is because of the environment. Anyone who enters such an environment must first adapt their form like water to fit in. If you wish to eradicate this phenomenon, focusing only on individuals treats the symptoms but not the root. You must address the fundamental cause by changing the overall environment, which is the Daoist Order itself.”

Qi Xuansu was wondering if a man would suddenly become kinder before he was about to die. However, he was not at all moved by Wang Jiaohe’s advice. He merely said, “Thanks for your guidance, Mansion Master Wang.”

At that moment, an anomaly appeared on the distant horizon.

Soon, a massive palace made of white jade could be seen slowly rising into the air, like a great sun hanging in the sky.

Although this was the first time Qi Xuansu had seen it, he guessed this must be the Tongzhen Palace.

That meant Great Sage Jiang had officially made his move.

Wang Jiaohe chuckled. “The time is about right. Daoist Qi, I wish you a future of soaring success. I shall take my leave now.”

With that said, Wang Jiaohe prepared to stand up and depart.

Qi Xuansu suddenly spoke. “We have yet to conclude matters, so where do you intend to go, Mansion Master Wang?”

Wang Jiaohe countered, “What matters are still unresolved?”

Qi Xuansu took out the written order that Great Sage Jiang had given him from his sleeve and declared, “By order of the Golden Tower Council, I request that you immediately submit to investigation. Should you intend to resist the Golden Tower Council, I may employ any means necessary...”

At this point, Qi Xuansu paused slightly and raised his voice. “Even though you are an Omniscient Sage, Mansion Master Wang.”

Wang Jiaohe was not surprised. “Chief Deputy Qi, you have finally lost your patience. Even if you use the Earthly Preceptor’s methods to temporarily step into the Zaohua stage, I’m afraid you still can’t be my opponent. You wouldn’t last an hour.”

Qi Xuansu did not deny this. Instead, he took out the Three Treasures Scepter.

Wang Jiaohe jolted. “The Grand Master’s token?!”