A Pawn's Passage

For Yao Shu, a single letter was not enough to frighten him into backing down completely. This was ultimately a matter of weighing the trade-offs. Between the potential gains and the potential risks, which carried more weight?

There was another reason. If he retreated in fear simply because someone had sent him a letter, it would make him seem guilty. This was not the demeanor befitting an Omniscient Sage.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if the matter were brought out into the open, it might not necessarily spell disaster for Yao Shu. At worst, both sides would suffer. After all, the case had already been closed years ago. If it were reopened now, Zhang Jucheng, as one of those who had handled the case, would also bear responsibility.

Of course, Yao Shu could not openly make an issue of the letter. After all, he really did have something to hide, so he could not afford to draw fire onto himself. Moreover, the letter had been written flawlessly. It contained nothing of substance, much less anything that could be construed as blackmail. Its meaning could only be understood, not spoken aloud. An outsider unaware of the details would see nothing unusual and simply take it for an unsigned letter of greeting.

Zhang Jucheng had also spent many years in the Daoist Order, so naturally, he understood this principle. He would never leave behind an obvious handle that someone could seize and use against him.

Since that was the case, Yao Shu could only counter with stillness.

Zhang Jucheng and Zhang Yuelu had arranged for the letter to be delivered because they wanted to see how he would react. He could likewise keep his composure and wait to see what other moves the Zhangs had in reserve.

Thus, Yao Shu put the letter away and said nothing.

This was within Zhang Yuelu’s and Zhang Jucheng’s expectations. Otherwise, Zhang Jucheng would not have had Shi Jiaosan prepare another detailed and specific written account. This was precisely the follow-up move that Yao Shu was waiting to see.

However, how to play this follow-up move so that it would force Yao Shu into a compromise without allowing the situation to spiral out of control required careful handling.

Zhang Yuelu certainly could not step forward personally. First, she did not carry enough weight. Second, it would be inconvenient in more ways than one.

But there was a suitable candidate—Great Sage Lan, who held a sufficiently high position above Yao Shu. Moreover, Great Sage Lan had every legitimate reason to intervene. Other Great Sages were certainly high-ranking enough as well, but they had no direct relationship with Yao Shu. Those who did not hold the office had no business meddling in its affairs.

Since Great Sage Lan was already on Zhang Yuelu’s side, she went to see the old man and handed the written account to him.

Though Great Sage Lan disliked getting involved in affairs, he was still familiar with all the twists, turns, and schemes within the Daoist Order. Otherwise, he could never have risen to the position of Great Sage of a Daoist Mansion. He had already been playing these games before juniors like Zhang Yuelu were even born, when even Zhang Jucheng, Yao Shu, and the others were still babies. Thus, Great Sage Lan needed only one glance to understand what it meant. There was no need for Zhang Yuelu to offer further explanations.

Great Sage Lan only said, “I understand. I’ll have a talk with him.”

Before long, Yao Shu received word that Great Sage Lan wanted to see him.

“Here it comes,” Yao Shu muttered to himself. He calmly straightened his clothes and brought the letter with him.

When he arrived at Great Sage Lan’s office, the old man gestured for Yao Shu to sit in the chair opposite him, with only a desk separating the two. Sun Yongfeng served Yao Shu tea before withdrawing, leaving the two alone.

“Great Sage Lan, you wanted to see me about something?” Yao Shu spoke first, deliberately asking the question whose answer he already knew.

Great Sage Lan said, “Ren Ming[1], I had some reservations about summoning you here today. From the standpoint of our friendship as fellow Daoists, I feel that I may be making too much of a minor matter. But from the standpoint of organizational procedure, I have no choice but to speak with you on behalf of the Daoist Mansion and the Daoist Order...”

Yao Shu smiled. “Great Sage Lan, I understand. I’ve been in the Daoist Order long enough to know how these things work. You wouldn’t call me over for a talk without good reason, so let’s just be open and frank with each other.”

Great Sage Lan nodded. “I’m glad you understand. When one holds an office, one must fulfill its responsibilities. Since something like this has come up, I must say what needs to be said and ask what needs to be asked. All you need to do is answer truthfully.”

Yao Shu leaned back against his chair. “I will answer truthfully.”

Great Sage Lan also leaned back in his chair. Both men appeared completely relaxed, as though they were merely having a casual conversation. “Ren Ming, I recently received some material concerning you. More precisely, it concerns an old case from many years ago in which you were involved. At the time, you were the Chief Deputy of the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion, while the person implicated in the case was your former secretary, Shi Jiaosan. I wonder if you still remember him?”

Yao Shu replied, “Of course I remember. Back then, he acted recklessly behind my back while using my name. I failed to keep him in check and bore responsibility for my lack of oversight. At the time, I made a thorough self-criticism during the Zhongzhou Daoist Mansion council meeting.”

Great Sage Lan said, “I conducted a preliminary investigation into these materials, reviewed the relevant records from that time, and contacted the person who handled the case back then.”

Yao Shu asked casually, “Would that be Sage Zhang of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion?”

Great Sage Lan did not deny it. “Indeed. Mansion Master Zhang personally oversaw the case. However, Mansion Master Zhang said that so much time has passed that some details have become hazy. He needs to go back and look into it carefully before giving me an answer. So I decided to speak with you first. After all, you’re much closer at hand.”

Yao Shu asked again, “Perhaps I shouldn’t ask, but I still can’t help but wonder, who sent these materials?”

Great Sage Lan replied, “They were submitted anonymously.”

There was unmistakable sarcasm in Yao Shu’s voice. “What extraordinary powers they must possess to actually evade the senses of an Immortal! Did Chen Shuhua’s ghost send these materials?”

Great Sage Lan remained unmoved. “I’m not in my office at all times. There will always be times when I’m away. All one needs to do is choose the right moment. There’s no need for Immortal-level cultivation.”

Yao Shu said, “What a coincidence. I also just received an anonymous letter conveying someone’s regards.”

Great Sage Lan said, “That’s hardly surprising. Relationships within the Daoist Order are deeply intertwined. Some people fear drawing fire onto themselves or suffering retaliation, so they dare not use their real names. Such things happen, and they are permitted.”

Yao Shu’s words carried a hidden edge. “I wonder who might retaliate against them. Me? Or you, Great Sage Lan?”

Great Sage Lan said, “That question falls outside the scope of today’s discussion. Let’s return to the matter at hand. Was there more to Shi Jiaosan’s case than what appeared on the surface? Please answer my question directly.”

Yao Shu had no choice but to answer directly. He recounted the case from all those years ago once again, his account almost entirely consistent with what was recorded in the case files.

After finishing, Yao Shu said with some indignation, “How can this be allowed to continue? Nowadays, people outside call a Sage’s secretary a ‘Junior Sage.’ Inside the Sage’s office, he is merely a secretary, but once he steps outside, he is no longer treated as one. He becomes the Sage’s representative, using the Sage’s name to throw his weight around and lord it over others.

“There are plenty of people like this. We needn’t look far. Just look at Xie Jiaofeng. He used to be Sage Donghua’s secretary. Now that Xie Jiaofeng is behind bars, are we supposed to say that Sage Donghua ordered him to do those things? At most, Sage Donghua was like me, having failed to keep his subordinate properly in check. So he would bear responsibility for his lack of oversight.”

Yao Shu’s argument was quite shrewd. By placing himself alongside Sage Donghua, his implication was clear. Both of their secretaries had gotten into trouble, so if Yao Shu was to be held responsible, shouldn’t Sage Donghua be held responsible as well?

Great Sage Lan did not fall for it. “No one can be responsible for another person for their entire life, not parents, nor superiors.

“If Xie Jiaofeng had committed these offenses while he was still a secretary, then Sage Donghua would naturally bear responsibility. But it has now been established that Xie Jiaofeng committed these serious offenses while serving as Deputy Mansion Master here in Poluo. He was no longer Sage Donghua’s secretary, so how can you implicate Sage Donghua?

“Ren Ming, just a few days ago at the Daoist Mansion Council, you said that the Chief Deputy should bear responsibility for failing to exercise proper oversight. How is it that today, the failure suddenly belongs to Sage Donghua? By your reasoning, should the Wanxiang Daoist Palace also be held responsible for failing to educate Xie Jiaofeng properly?”

Yao Shu had never expected Great Sage Lan’s words to be so sharp. This old man had easily defused his offensive and turned his argument back against him. Experience truly came with age.

In the past, Yao Shu had always assumed that Great Sage Lan had grown senile. Now it seemed that Great Sage Lan merely wanted a quiet life. He simply did not want to get involved. But that did not mean he lacked the ability to do so.

Yao Shu could only concede, “I misspoke. I shouldn’t have dragged Sage Donghua into this without justification.”

Great Sage Lan did not dwell on the point and continued, “Xie Jiaofeng’s case is not the focus of our discussion today. Let us return to Shi Jiaosan’s case. These materials claim that Shi Jiaosan took the blame on your behalf back then. Strictly speaking, he took the blame on behalf of your wife. How do you explain that?”

“It’s completely groundless.” Yao Shu actually had no major problems himself. After all, with his position, minor benefits were hardly enough to tempt him. The trouble was with his wife. In the end, he was still the one who had to clean up the mess.

Great Sage Lan chuckled. “I’m also inclined toward that conclusion, but we cannot close the case just yet. We still need to see what Sage Zhang of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion has to say. Before this, Sage Zhang already made his position clear to me. Although he handled the case and served as its convener at the time, if there was indeed something wrong with the case that needs it to be reopened, he will not stand in the way. Whatever responsibility he ought to bear, he will bear it. I believe Sage Zhang will seek truth from facts in this matter.”

How could Yao Shu still fail to understand? Zhang Jucheng’s declaration was a naked threat, a demonstration of his resolve. If the two of them were to drag each other down, Yao Shu would suffer the greater loss. After all, mishandling a case would at most earn Zhang Jucheng a demerit. Surely, they would not remove him from his position as Mansion Master over something that had happened so many years ago. It would not even affect Zhang Jucheng’s future prospects. He could still be promoted to Hall Master.

Yao Shu was different. Though both men were Mansion Masters, Zhang Jucheng had just brought down Li Tianlan and now wielded considerable authority, while Yao Shu found himself constrained at every turn. If he became tangled in a scandal like this as well, his future would become uncertain. He might very well reach the end of his career as a Mansion Master.

Once again, it came down to a trade-off.

1. Yao Shu’s courtesy name. ☜