A Pawn's Passage

The Heavenly Preceptor did not even ask Qi Xuansu what he intended to do in Lingshan Paradise.

Perhaps there was no need to ask because the Heavenly Preceptor already knew. Moreover, he was not displeased by it. If this matter were to estrange Qi Xuansu from the Quanzhen Sect, then he would certainly lean toward the Zhengyi Sect.

In that case, it would amount to the Heavenly Preceptor profiting at the Earthly Preceptor’s expense and the Zhengyi Sect snatching him away from the Quanzhen Sect.

The Heavenly Preceptor’s two days of lectures were devoted entirely to discussing systems of power.

At the level of a second-rank Taiyi Daoist, one was unquestionably part of the Daoist upper echelons, so it became necessary to explore and study matters of a metaphysical nature.

At this level, the Daoist Order would no longer teach these Sages how to handle concrete affairs, as that was the curriculum for fourth-rank Jijiu Daoists. Instead, their focus was on cultivating a broader vision and some other abstract qualities.

For example, the famed Art of War by Sunzi did not dwell on specific tactics such as scouting terrain, commanding troops, or arranging formations. Instead, it discussed theories from a strategic perspective. This was the distinction between commanding generals and commanding soldiers.

This round of lectures was extremely abstract. How much one could comprehend from it was an initial round of selection by the Daoist Order.

One must plan according to one’s station. If one still could not grasp the metaphysical Dao upon reaching the second rank, then one’s progress would halt there. Conversely, if one could gradually comprehend the metaphysical Dao, cultivate a broad vision, and learn to view matters from a macro level, then one could continue onward toward the ranks of Omniscient Sage or Virtuous Great Sage.

Twenty days passed in the blink of an eye. Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu concluded this brief yet exceptionally high-quality course and prepared to return home.

This time, there was no graduation ceremony. Everyone already held important official posts, and a single round of advanced study would not result in an immediate promotion, so a communal meal sufficed as the conclusion.

Before departing, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu paid a visit to the Lower Palace, revisiting familiar ground.

In the past, there would have been strict rules emphasizing the separation between the Upper and Lower Palaces. Now, however, Qi Xuansu was a well-known alumnus, the walking advertisement of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. Thus, he enjoyed many privileges. After all, a renowned alumnus returning to reminisce about his place of study could simply be regarded as coming home.

Qi Xuansu had lived in the Lower Palace for over a decade and was thoroughly familiar with the place, so there was no need for a guide. After changing into casual clothes, he went to the Lower Palace with Zhang Yuelu.

He had originally intended to stroll around with Zhang Yuelu, introducing her to the places where he had once lived. But a small incident arose.

The fellow Sages from his cohort understood propriety and were mature enough not to provoke Qi Xuansu, but the youths of the Lower Palace did not recognize him. Of course, they had heard of the formidable senior named Qi Xuansu, yet they had never seen him nor known what he looked like. They certainly never imagined he would visit the Lower Palace.

Seeing that Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were unfamiliar faces and somewhat older than themselves, several youths assumed they were newly arrived trainee instructors. These youths were bold. Seeing that Zhang Yuelu was older yet not much different in age and strikingly beautiful, they grew less respectful in their speech and began to flatter her.

This was hardly strange. Youths were going through puberty and newfound urges, so even with the Wanxiang Daoist Palace’s strict discipline, it was difficult to completely eliminate teenage lust.

These restless youths were always driven and controlled by instinct, willing to pay any price for a single night’s pleasure. The thriving business of taverns and inns around the Wanxiang Daoist Palace was no coincidence.

Upon seeing a beautiful woman, those who observed the rules merely lingered with their gaze, while those bold ones felt compelled to act, hoping for something to happen.

Zhang Yuelu had not been in such a situation for a long time. The last time she encountered this was with Li Tianzhen, but this Young Master Li had ended up in Little Yin’s hands, shackled and thoroughly humiliated.

Zhang Yuelu coldly rejected the youths’ flattery and admonished them to focus on their studies rather than waste their time on such matters.

Having been in a high position for a while, Zhang Yuelu’s didactic tone inevitably carried a hint of condescension.

The youths likely felt their pride wounded, so they grew irritated and embarrassed.

Though they knew that defying an instructor would invite punishment from the Daoist Palace, these youths were reckless. But they did not want to strike a woman, so they redirected their hostility toward Qi Xuansu.

One of the youths could not restrain himself and reached out to shove Qi Xuansu. As a result, Qi Xuansu did not budge, while the youth’s wrist was shattered on the spot.

Qi Xuansu had no intention of flaunting his might before a group of teenagers, nor did he deliberately feign weakness. He had merely been observing coldly. After all, Zhang Yuelu could have dismissed these boys with a casual gesture. So it would seem somewhat insulting if he were to make a show of protecting her.

Unexpectedly, these people turned their attention to him.

Qi Xuansu did not counterattack. It was merely a slight rebound from his Martial Arts Practitioner physique.

However, the youths failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Thinking Qi Xuansu had used some hidden force, they immediately surrounded him, hurling curses and shouting accusations of him striking a child.

Qi Xuansu did not bully the kids nor engage with them. He simply contacted Ning Yuqing and asked her to come over without saying anything specific.

Ning Yuqing arrived in a hurry with others in tow. She was much older than Qi Xuansu and had only recently been promoted to a Special-Rank Golden Purple Instructor, which was why she was now in charge of the daily affairs of the Sages.

Upon seeing a Special-Rank Golden Purple Instructor, the youths immediately panicked. For them, a second-rank Taiyi Daoist was far too distant and abstract. However, a Special-Rank Golden Purple Instructor was a tangible source of intimidation.

Ning Yuqing was somewhat apprehensive as she quietly asked Qi Xuansu what had happened.

The youths were even more frightened than Ning Yuqing and could only swallow nervously on the side as they thought, An ordinary instructor would never warrant such cautious treatment from a Special-Rank Golden Purple Instructor. Could this be a new Deputy Palace Master or an Assistant Deputy?

The Wanxiang Daoist Palace was unlike the other Daoist Palaces. With the Great Sage as the Palace Master, all Deputy Palace Masters were at the second rank. So they also had special Assistant Deputy positions held by third-rank Youyi Daoists—a post rarely seen elsewhere.

Both Assistant Deputies and Special-Rank Golden Purple Instructors were at the same third rank, so there was no reason for such deference.

So that left only one possibility—a Deputy Palace Master. In other words, a Sage.

Thinking of this, the youths felt their legs turn weak.

Qi Xuansu briefly explained what had happened, then instructed Ning Yuqing, “We’re all from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, so a light punishment will suffice, just enough to teach them a lesson. Don’t affect their future prospects, and don’t blow this out of proportion.”

Ning Yuqing nodded. “I know what to do.”

Qi Xuansu lost any further interest in revisiting old grounds and turned to leave with Zhang Yuelu.

Only after Qi Xuansu had gone far did Ning Yuqing turn to look at the youths who failed to know their place with an icy expression. “You’ve got some nerve provoking Chief Deputy Qi and Second Deputy Zhang. You lot should thank the heavens that you’re in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. If this were to happen outside, even if they didn’t say a word, there would be others teaching you what it means to offend people of this stature.”

The youths collapsed to the ground as if they were struck by lightning.

“You’re lucky this time. Chief Deputy Qi and Second Deputy Zhang considered you ignorant and showed you mercy.” Ning Yuqing then turned to the guards. “Take them away. They’ll be confined for seven days and will receive a major demerit on their record. Each of them is to submit a written self-reflection of no less than 10,000 words to me.”

With that, Ning Yuqing also turned and left.

After leaving the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu went to see Mo Qingdi and Shi Yu, who were both Qi Xuansu’s classmates in the Lower Palace.

Zhang Yuelu knew Shi Yu. Back then, Shi Yu had sought out Qi Xuansu regarding the Qingping Bookstore publication. He happened to be absent at the time, so it was Zhang Yuelu who stepped in to resolve the issue.

They met in a private room at the Taiping Inn. Zhang Yuelu and Shi Yu went into the inner room to chat, leaving the space to the two men.

Qi Xuansu looked Mo Qingdi over. Although they had already met once at the previous alumni gathering, Qi Xuansu’s impression of him was still fixed in their Lower Palace days. At that gathering, Qi Xuansu had been preoccupied with dealing with Yue Liuli and had not paid much attention to Mo Qingdi. Seeing him now, he could not help but feel that Mo Qingdi had changed greatly.

Though Qi Xuansu recognized Mo Qingdi at a glance, he was no longer the boy of his memory.

Compared to before, Mo Qingdi was noticeably chubbier and had also grown more melancholic and taciturn, as if he had endured some harsh trials and lost the vitality of his youth.

Mo Qingdi wore ordinary clothes. His eyes were narrowed, perhaps from overusing them, and his whole body was slightly hunched.

At first, Qi Xuansu was quite happy. He had many things he wanted to say—reminiscing about the past, talking about sneaking out of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace together and all sorts of amusing incidents, or discussing Mo Qingdi’s new book. Yet when the words reached his lips, they did not come out.

Mo Qingdi was a little stiff, his hands clasped between his knees. A mixture of delight and reverence showed on his face. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

After a moment, his attitude finally became formally respectful as he softly addressed the man before him, “Sage Qi.”

Qi Xuansu shuddered. He suddenly realized that a sorrowful, thick barrier now stood between them.