A Pawn's Passage

When great figures applied pressure or issued warnings, they usually did so subtly, concealing their true intentions without laying them bare. Under normal circumstances, they would not openly speak harsh words, as that would diminish their status and also leave evidence that could later be used against them.

Sage Qingwei said, “Are you implying that Li Tianlan colluded with a secret society?”

Qi Xuansu thought for a moment before replying, “Not necessarily. If there were no interest entanglements involved and it were merely friendship, then it could not be called collusion. After all, the Daoist Order has already begun normalizing certain secret societies. Both the Heavenly Court and the Qingping Society are on the normalization list, categorized as organizations centered on commerce with armed capability as a secondary function.”

Sage Qingwei continued, “You just said that Wu Guangbi intended to obstruct and interfere with the Daoist Mansion’s investigation.”

Qi Xuansu said, “It’s true that Wu Guangbi intervened, but this must be analyzed under two separate scenarios. One possibility is that Li Tianlan invited him. The second possibility is that Wu Guangbi came of his own initiative. If it were the second scenario, then it would be difficult to place responsibility upon Li Tianlan.”

Sage Qingwei asked, “Did Li Tianlan have financial or interest ties with the Heavenly Court?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Based on the evidence we have currently verified, we still cannot prove that Li Tianlan had direct improper exchanges of interests with the Heavenly Court. According to the Daoist Order’s presumption of innocence principle, we cannot accuse Li Tianlan of colluding with a secret society.”

This was indeed the truth. After the second major Jiangnan case, Li Tianlan had already begun cleaning up these old accounts. After so many years, he naturally managed to erase the traces thoroughly. This time, the case against Li Tianlan was ultimately built upon evidence from the first major Jiangnan case.

However, this was a gray area that could be interpreted in multiple ways. If one analyzed the regulations word by word, one could indeed arrive at this conclusion. But in practical enforcement, based solely on what Wu Guangbi had done, directly convicting Li Tianlan would not have been impossible either.

This was the ambiguity that lay between two equally plausible interpretations.

Now Sage Qingwei was forcing Qi Xuansu to clearly state that it did not constitute collusion.

Sage Qingwei’s tone softened again. “So in other words, Li Tianlan is merely suspected of smuggling and embezzlement, correct?”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Yes.”

If the one sitting before Sage Qingwei right now were Zhang Yuelu, she would probably have slammed the table and stood in anger. But Qi Xuansu would neither openly vouch for Liu Hu nor abandon her outright. Instead, he chose compromise.

This was the reason why Qi Xuansu rose through the ranks faster than Zhang Yuelu.

Sage Qingwei finally stopped pressing so aggressively and returned to his usual gentle demeanor. In his younger years, this Daoist heir had once been praised as being gentle and refined, admired by many female Daoists. He was also one of the few high-ranking figures in the Daoist Order who had chosen to marry.

The reason Sage Qingwei said all this was not because he genuinely wanted to protect Li Tianlan. From a personal standpoint, he was not angry and might even have been pleased. More importantly, he needed to present a certain stance. The Imperial Preceptor did not have much time left in the mortal world. Regardless of whether Sage Qingwei ultimately became the seventh-generation Grand Master, he would still become the head of the Li family. As the head of the Li family, he had to consider the bigger picture. Especially with external enemies nearby and the situation so complicated, it was not appropriate to purge dissidents. Instead, he needed to unite the Li family as much as possible. Preserving Li Tianlan’s life was still necessary for consolidating the hearts of the clan.

Beyond that, Sage Qingwei also intended to give Qi Xuansu a warning. He had deliberately mentioned the Qingping Society. Given Sage Qingwei’s status, he would never need to personally speak up in order to deal with someone like Liu Hu. The real issue behind Liu Hu was Qi Xuansu himself.

There was no need to make things too explicit. Merely mentioning Liu Hu’s issue was already a warning to Qi Xuansu. Sage Qingwei could hardly say outright that he would target Qi Xuansu since he was not exactly clean. That would have been far too crude and beneath his stature.

Qi Xuansu wisely chose to back down immediately, and Sage Qingwei did not bring up Liu Hu again.

“Let’s not discuss official business today.” Sage Qingwei changed the topic. “There is a story recorded in A New Account of the Tales of the World. I wonder if you have heard of it. It asks, is the sun nearer, or is Xijing nearer?”

Xijing had been the old capital of the Li family’s Qi dynasty.

Over these years, Qi Xuansu had continuously strengthened his cultural education during his spare time, so he no longer made a fool of himself.

Qi Xuansu replied, “I have heard it. When Emperor Ming was young, someone had arrived from Xijing. His father asked Emperor Ming whether the sun was nearer or Xijing was nearer. Emperor Ming answered that the sun was farther away because no one ever came from the sun. The next day, Emperor Yuan hosted a banquet for the ministers and asked the same question again. This time, Emperor Ming replied that Xijing was farther away, because when they looked up to the sky, they could see the sun but not Xijing.”

Sage Qingwei said, “I would also like to ask you this question. Is the sun nearer, or is Xijing nearer? Or to put it another way, the Confucian tradition speaks of the moon reflecting upon ten thousand rivers. So tell me—which is nearer, the moon or Jade Capital?”

As Sage Qingwei finished his sentence, the sun beyond the mountains suddenly disappeared, replaced by a bright full moon and a vast sea of stars.

Such was the might of an Immortal.

Qi Xuansu once again felt tremendous pressure.

The previous pressure had been psychological, stemming from authority and status. This pressure came from the tangible power of an Immortal.

Qi Xuansu pondered seriously for a while before replying, “When we look up, we see the moon but not Jade Capital. The moon seems near, yet it’s unreachable. Jade Capital is far, yet we can reach it. But from another perspective, the moon reflects upon ten thousand rivers. No matter whether one stands at the ends of the earth or across the vast ocean, wherever we go, the moon still shines upon us. Today, we stand within Qizhou Daoist Mansion, and the moon hangs high above us. Tomorrow, we may go to Jade Capital, and the bright moon will remain above my head.”

Sage Qingwei smiled faintly. “Explain further.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Whether it is the moon or the sun, there is only one. In our hearts, there is only one sun.”

“That’s not entirely accurate,” Sage Qingwei said. “There cannot be two suns in the sky, yet the sun and moon coexist. The sun illuminates the earth during the day, while the moon shines upon us at night.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “The moon is essentially reflecting the sun’s light. The relationship between the moon and the sun is like the relationship between the Grand Master Consort and the Grand Master.”

Sage Qingwei asked, “The Daoist Order has only one sun, so who is this sun?”

Qi Xuansu thought carefully for a long time before answering, “I believe it should be the Grand Master. The Grand Master is the sun, and the Grand Master Consort is the moon. The other Sages are the stars, surrounding and safeguarding the sun and moon. Yesterday, the Grand Master may have been in Jade Capital, but today, he may have gone to the auxiliary capital. So is it Jade Capital that illuminates the Daoist Order, or the auxiliary capital? My understanding is that wherever the Grand Master is, that place shines upon us. It is the Grand Master who is nearer to us.”

Sage Qingwei said, “But the position of Grand Master currently stands vacant. Are you implying that drifting clouds are obscuring the sun?”

That accusation was far too serious.

Qi Xuansu’s expression turned solemn. “I did not say that, nor do I think that. Some of my thoughts and understandings may be flawed, as I have neglected my studies in my youth. As everyone knows, I am not especially well-read...”

Sage Qingwei raised a hand to interrupt him. “You passed the grand examination, obtained your Daoist priest status, rose steadily through promotion, and even studied multiple times at the Wanxiang Daoist Upper Palace. You can hardly claim to be poorly educated. However, your understanding of loyalty to the Daoist Order and loyalty to the Grand Master is not wrong. The position of Grand Master cannot remain vacant forever. The three Deputy Grand Masters have realized this as well, which is why they have begun advancing the election of the seventh-generation Grand Master.”

Sage Qingwei continued, “If the seventh-generation Grand Master is chosen, but that person is not the ideal candidate in your mind, would you still remain loyal to the Grand Master?”

Qi Xuansu looked at Sage Qingwei in shock.

It was not merely because those words had been unusually direct and explicit, but more so because Sage Qingwei was so confident that he could surpass Sage Donghua.

Sage Qingwei merely met Qi Xuansu’s gaze calmly.

Qi Xuansu’s thoughts raced rapidly. “What about you, Sage? Would you yourself uphold this principle?”

“I am the one asking you.” Sage Qingwei’s tone became firmer. “Even if both of us are to answer, you should answer first.”

Qi Xuansu had no choice but to answer first. “Of course, one must remain loyal to the Grand Master. One must accept the outcome of the gamble. Though the word ‘gamble’ sounds rather unpleasant, I cannot find a more fitting term to replace it.”

Sage Qingwei said, “Since you have answered me, then I shall answer you as well. I will remain loyal to the Grand Master.”

If Sage Qingwei became the Grand Master, then he would merely be loyal to himself. But if Sage Qingwei failed to become Grand Master, would he truly swear loyalty to Sage Donghua?

Qi Xuansu was half-convinced, unsure of what to say.

Sage Qingwei did not force Qi Xuansu to respond and instead changed the subject. “In a few days, you will be heading to the New Continent.”

Qi Xuansu went along with it and asked, “Do you have any further instructions for me, Sage?”

Sage Qingwei said, “Everything that needed to be said has already been discussed during the Golden Tower Council deliberations, mainly concerning the investigation into Kukulkan. Necessary measures may be taken as you see fit. This time, you will serve as the special envoy and possess the greatest possible degree of autonomy. You have the authority to speak and decide matters regarding the new port and the new Daoist Palace in the New Continent. Be cautious.”

Qi Xuansu responded, “Understood.”

Sage Qingwei finally said, “Do a good job in the New Continent. When you return, the Golden Tower Council will have important responsibilities waiting for you.”

Qi Xuansu nodded seriously.

Sage Qingwei waved his hand lightly. “Very well, you may go.”

“Yes, Sage.” Qi Xuansu withdrew from the pavilion.

No one else was around the pavilion. Only Shen Yuqing stood waiting in the distance. Seeing Qi Xuansu emerge, Shen Yuqing stepped forward once more and led him out.

Qi Xuansu turned back for one final glance. Sage Qingwei still sat within the pavilion, gazing at the moon.