A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 1369: The Northern and Southern War (I)

Huangfu Ji was not only responsible for intelligence. With Qi Xuansu sharing the burden, he also oversaw military law. Traitors had to be captured, and other offenders could not be ignored either.

After more than half a month of war, two Deputy Generals were caught selling military supplies. Huangfu Ji executed them on the spot, and their heads still hung beneath the city gates.

No one else had such authority. Only someone of Huangfu Ji’s rank could make that decision. At times like this, the Western Daoist Order’s control over the military became evident.

Gong Fu focused on battlefield command and simply handed logistical matters over to Huangfu Ji.

Huangfu Ji had just finished dealing with military discipline when he had to oversee ammunition supply. The Holy Court’s logistics were strained, and the Tawantin Empire was hardly wealthy either. Whether cracking down on profiteering or boosting production, it all came down to securing logistics.

“Before troops move, supplies must move first.” This was a truth proven over thousands of years. War was ultimately a contest of logistics.

With Huangfu Ji’s attention divided, intelligence work naturally fell to Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu’s responsibilities were equally complex, having to manage both external and internal fronts.

Externally, his role was straightforward—countering the Evangelical Ministry.

Internally, however, he had to monitor certain ideological trends.

Since ancient times, war required a just cause. One had to stand on moral high ground. Yet within the Tawantin Empire, some people constantly tried to undermine their own legitimacy and rights, distorting history into ambiguity, myth, or rumor to serve hidden agendas.

Recently, voices emerged claiming that the Northern Continent was the rightful territory of the Steam Evangelical Sect, that the destruction of the Evangelical Ministry was an act of aggression by the Western Daoist Order, and that the war itself had been initiated unjustly by them.

Others went further, adopting the logic that might makes right. Since the Steam Evangelical Sect was powerful, it was therefore just and virtuous and could rule the world.

At a joint meeting of Juesheng Hall and Beichen Hall, Qi Xuansu said, “Recently, some people have been chattering that we intend to follow the First Emperor’s path of burning books and burying scholars. I say, some people are simply guilty and projecting themselves into the accusation. Discussion and conflict are everywhere in the world. The issue is that some people insist on inserting their own unique interpretations into clearly documented public records. That’s not rigorous. It’s smuggling in bias, creating false narratives and harmful influence, even using Tawantin’s name to oppose it from within.

“They’re like rotting flesh infested with maggots, already decaying themselves, yet dragging others into decay, spreading continuously. This must be dealt with, and it cannot be ignored.”

Under Qi Xuansu’s direction, Juesheng Hall launched a series of internal investigations, only to discover that the mastermind actually came from within the Western Daoist Order itself.

This was not surprising. The Western Daoist Order was not wealthy and could not compare to the Steam Evangelical Sect next door. Their cities were magnificent, with skyscrapers everywhere. Entire cities were divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers. They even had a legendary New Atlantis beneath the sea.

In contrast, in New Paititi, even three-story buildings were rare, let alone multi-tiered districts. Whether admiring strength or coveting wealth, the human heart always aspired upward, just as water flowed downward.

But no matter how good those things were, they belonged to others, not to oneself. Always seeking shortcuts and scraps from others was a sign of weakness.

Meanwhile, reports of the war in the Southern Continent gradually reached Jade Capital, drawing widespread attention.

In those reports, Qi Xuansu’s name appeared from time to time. Among the officially recognized Sages of the Western Daoist Order participating in the war, Qi Xuansu ranked sixth.

That was because the Nine Sages of the Western Daoist Order were all treated on par with Great Sages or Omniscient Sages. Though Qi Xuansu carried the responsibilities of a Great Sage, he was still just an ordinary Sage. Ideally, the Daoist Order should have sent a Great Sage to oversee matters personally, but circumstances did not allow it.

Of course, the Western Daoist Order had deployed far more than five Sages. However, including Gong Fu and Huangfu Ji, only five were formally recognized by Jade Capital. Many others held the title only within the Western Daoist Order and lacked official recognition from the Daoist Order.

Within the Daoist Order, there were many opinions and voices regarding this war.

“Losing Del Rio is one thing, but holding it for only three days and two nights is far too short. Throughout history, even when great cities fell, they held out for months until supplies ran dry. In my view, the situation in this war is not optimistic. The Western Daoist Order has grown arrogant and even tried to escalate the conflict. Luckily, the Daoist Order did not agree. Otherwise, who knows how bad things would be now?”

There were those who simply enjoyed stirring things up.

“Tian Yuan has had smooth sailing for so long. This time, he’s finally stepped into the quagmire of the Southern New Continent. He’s probably going to stumble hard.”

There was also no shortage of those who took pleasure in others’ misfortune.

“The key right now isn’t mocking Tian Yuan. The Westerners are serious this time. If they sweep through and take Cusco, then march on to New Paititi, the entire Southern New Continent will collapse. Will the Daoist Order intervene? After all, it hasn’t openly broken ties with the Holy Court. Appearances remain cordial despite whatever happens behind the scenes. But the Southern New Continent cannot be lost. The Daoist Order’s finances have only just begun to recover, so what should we do?”

Some were deeply concerned.

“It shouldn’t be that bad. Right now, the Holy Court has only reached the outskirts of Monclova and hasn’t launched a direct attack. The preliminary judgment is that logistics is the issue. Their mechanized large-scale warfare is formidable, but these steel behemoths require massive supplies. The more they advance, the longer their supply lines stretch, and the harder resupply becomes. Their momentum will slow eventually. If you ask me, it’s not Tian Yuan who’s stepped into the quagmire of the Southern New Continent, but the Holy Court.”

There were also people who held views similar to Huangfu Ji.

Zhang Yuelu happened to be in Jade Capital these past few days. Since Nanyang was one of the Daoist Order’s key financial pillars, the Shibo Hall and Duzhi Hall invited her to a joint council meeting. They assigned her tasks and tactfully indicated that the Golden Tower Council had already begun preparing for the worst possible outcome in the Southern New Continent. At such a time, Nanyang had to remain stable.

Naturally, Zhang Yuelu understood what “the worst outcome” meant.

She also understood why the Golden Tower Council had made such a decision. As Qi Xuansu had mentioned, one could not fight on two fronts at the same time. Once a war was launched externally, internal conflicts had to be put on hold.

Zhang Yuelu walked out of the Chiming Palace after the meeting in a heavy mood, hearing all kinds of differing voices around her.

She had taken a few steps when all the voices suddenly fell silent.

Zhang Yuelu looked up and saw that Sage Cihang had arrived. The Golden Tower Council had just concluded a meeting attended by the Three Daoist Heirs. As the Tiangang Hall Master, Sage Cihang’s presence was indispensable.

Sage Cihang gestured for her accompanying secretary to leave and had Zhang Yuelu walk with her instead. She joked, “Looks like your tiger can’t be brought down anymore, can it?”

Zhang Yuelu sighed. “Some of the measures in Nanyang may not be sustainable. I’ve heard preparations for the worst-case scenario have already begun. But with so many problems, are we really just going to let them be and place all our hopes on the Southern New Continent?”

Sage Cihang said, “The situation isn’t as bad as it seems. Some people are deliberately making an issue of it under the guise of preparing for a rainy day. It’s hard to refute them.”

Zhang Yuelu sighed again. “If only the war in the Southern New Continent could end sooner...”

Sage Cihang replied, “The reports submitted by the Western Daoist Order may not be entirely true. Depending on their purpose, they may exaggerate or conceal things. If you want to know the real situation, why not ask Tian Yuan? He’s on the frontline and oversees both internal and external intelligence. He knows the truth better than anyone.”

Zhang Yuelu sighed softly. “I know. I’m just afraid he’ll only report good news and hide the bad.”

“Some men do like to play that game.” Sage Cihang nodded. “Sometimes, it makes them feel noble and great, so much so that they move themselves to tears. On the surface, it’s about not wanting women to worry, but at its core, it’s another way to look down on women, thinking we can’t help anyway and should just wait quietly for news. Yet when they need reinforcements, why don’t they hide the bad news then? Of course, some women truly can do nothing but worry. Whether Tian Yuan would act like that depends on how he sees you.”

Zhang Yuelu felt somewhat reassured.

She was not a burden. If she truly were, Qi Xuansu would not have recommended her as the Chief Deputy of the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

After returning to her residence, Zhang Yuelu quickly contacted Qi Xuansu through her license.

As soon as the connection was established, she heard continuous cannon fire that sounded like rolling thunder.

Sage Cihang had been right. Qi Xuansu seemed to be right at the frontline.

Then, she heard Qi Xuansu speaking to someone else. “...Go find Sage Huangfu and let him handle it. Alright, I still have other matters here...”

Zhang Yuelu finally spoke. “Where are you? Why is the cannon fire so loud?”

“Can’t you guess where I am?” Qi Xuansu’s tone was relaxed. “I’m in Monclova, just one wall away from the Holy Court’s army. Both sides are in the middle of an artillery battle right now.”

Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are you alright over there?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Nothing too serious. Don’t be fooled by how fierce the Holy Court’s artillery is. These storms don’t last forever. Their shells are nearly spent. We just need to hold our ground in the pounding rain, then it’ll be the Holy Court’s turn to panic.”