A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu personally prepared two sets of records for Long Xiaobai.

One was the truthful record, prepared specifically for Sage Donghua. He could conceal the truth from anyone, but not from his own master.

The other was an embellished record meant specifically for outsiders, as well as for Long Xiaobai’s second-rank Daoist Priest Kindred application.

For Sage Donghua, Qi Xuansu simply wrote everything as it was, including his own thoughts on the matter.

The other record omitted Long Xiaobai’s fortuitous encounter in Yunmeng Marsh. Instead, he made up another fortuitous encounter for her, saying that she had managed to reach the Pseudo-Immortal stage at the age of 70 because she had received enlightenment from the sixth-generation Grand Master.

Imprisoning Long Xiaobai in the Tianshui Core Tower had likewise been a protective measure taken by the sixth-generation Grand Master. It was just that the sixth-generation Grand Master had later forgotten about her. After all, his premature ascension had been so sudden that no one had anticipated it.

There was plenty of room for ambiguity here. Since the main person involved was no longer in the mortal world, there was no way to verify what had actually happened. That meant whatever the Wanxiang Daoist Palace said had happened was taken as the truth.

With that, Long Xiaobai now had an established connection to the Daoist Order, making it perfectly reasonable for Qi Xuansu to apply for a second-rank Daoist Priest Kindred on her behalf.

Qi Xuansu had also considered another question. Would the future seventh-generation Grand Master repudiate the sixth-generation Grand Master? In the end, Qi Xuansu concluded that this would not happen.

The first reason was that repudiating a Grand Master who represented the Daoist Order would amount to repudiating the Daoist Order itself, with potentially endless repercussions. Therefore, the best approach was to avoid discussing the matter and quietly let it fade away, rather than launching a high-profile campaign of criticism and repudiation.

Some issues could be discussed within a small circle of senior leadership, but they could not be opened up for nationwide public debate. They could not even be discussed openly among the middle and upper ranks, as that would also lead to serious problems.

Second, the Three Deputy Grand Masters had participated in it as well and could not disentangle themselves from the matter. Settling accounts with the sixth-generation Grand Master might very well cause the flames to spread to the Three Deputy Grand Masters, which would implicate more people than intended. On this point, the Three Daoist Sects could reach a consensus on disagreeing with this repudiation.

In fact, there were already signs that such a repudiation would not happen. The campaign to criticize the fifth-generation Grand Master had already been halted, while the sixth-generation Grand Master’s secret reports had been sealed. The sixth-generation Grand Master’s premature ascension was not discussed in detail either. Those directly involved kept their lips tightly sealed, conveying a clear stance. It was all in the past, and there was nothing worth discussing. It was better to look forward.

This was how Qi Xuansu inferred that the sixth-generation Grand Master would not be criticized or repudiated. Moreover, the sixth-generation Grand Master had no close confidants of his own, so there was no need for a new Grand Master to purge his remaining followers or eliminate his lingering influence.

As long as the sixth-generation Grand Master continued to receive incense offerings from later generations in the Ancestral Hall and remained a Grand Master officially recognized by the Daoist Order, then applying for a second-rank Daoist Priest Kindred status for a flood dragon who was enlightened by the sixth-generation Grand Master would not be a ticking time bomb waiting to explode in the future.

After Qi Xuansu finished writing the two reports, he handed the second one to Yan Yongzhen and asked him to polish it. This was a good time to put Yan Yongzhen’s talents as a penman to use. Once polished, the report would be sent to Ziwei Hall through the normal channels in the form of an official memorandum.

Meanwhile, the truthful report did not require such formalities. Qi Xuansu simply used the original draft and had it delivered directly to Sage Donghua through a dedicated channel.

After receiving the report, the Ziwei Hall still needed to review the matter and go through the proper procedures, which would take some time.

With that matter temporarily settled, Qi Xuansu devoted himself fully to preparing his lesson.

He had considerable pressure, since quite a few of the fourth-rank Jijiu Daoists who had come for advanced studies were older than him. As such, he could easily make a fool of himself if he made even one careless mistake.

Finally, the sixth day of the new term arrived. Qi Xuansu once again came to Kan Garden, where the main teaching area was located.

At first glance, Kan Garden did not seem much different from an ordinary academy. It consisted of all kinds of classrooms, with the fourth-rank Jijiu Daoists occupying the largest and best one among them. Each person had their own desk, complete with brushes, ink, and books. The desks were arranged in neat rows and columns, perfectly aligned from front to back and side to side, like a chessboard.

The last time Qi Xuansu had come here, he had been sitting among the students. This time, he would be standing at the front. It was quite the contrast.

After Qi Xuansu entered the classroom, all the Daoists attending the advanced course at the Upper Palace rose to their feet and saluted him.

At first glance, Qi Xuansu spotted Little Yin sitting in the front row. After all, she was simply too short and too young. Quite a few of her classmates looked at least two generations older than her.

Qi Xuansu motioned for everyone to sit down, then swept his gaze around the room.

He noticed that aside from Little Yin, there were two other young people under the age of 30. He did not know whether they belonged to the tail end of the eighth-generation disciples or if they were ninth-generation disciples. Qi Xuansu might have prepared carefully for his lesson, but there was no way he could go through every single student’s records beforehand. That would have been far too laborious.

Qi Xuansu had participated in numerous deliberations and had even spoken before the Golden Tower Council, so he was not particularly nervous. “Let’s begin the lesson. Before we formally begin, allow me to introduce myself. Some of you may know me, while others may not. My name is Qi Xuansu, and I currently serve as the Wanxiang Daoist Palace Master. Today, we will be discussing conduct and discipline as part of moral development.

“First, we need to clearly define a concept. What is moral development? It is an umbrella term encompassing a whole series of initiatives that could be broken down further to include politics, ideology, organization, institutions, conduct, discipline, and various other aspects. Today, we will mainly be discussing conduct and discipline.

“Regarding this point, the fifth-generation Grand Master had clearly put forward his ideas...”

Qi Xuansu began delivering the lesson at his own pace.

Down below, Little Yin felt that Old Qi sounded as though he were chanting scriptures. A wave of drowsiness immediately swept over her.

No matter how high Little Yin’s cultivation became, she always went to sleep on time every day. But after moving into Zhen Garden by herself, she had become less disciplined. She had stayed up playing until very late the previous night, so she simply could not hold out any longer.

Thus, Little Yin began bobbing her head up and down like a chick pecking at rice. Before long, her head was close to kissing the desk.

Although Little Yin was trying her hardest to keep her eyes open, the drowsiness came on far too fiercely for her to resist. Her willpower had already been drained.

Suddenly, Little Yin noticed that the boring chants disappeared. As she shook her head, her drowsiness receded slightly. She then glanced around and discovered that all her classmates were staring at her. Some looked shocked, while others were smiling smugly, taking delight in her misfortune.

Finally, Little Yin realized that something was wrong. She felt as though needles were pricking her back, so she slowly turned her head like a wooden puppet and found herself looking straight into Qi Xuansu’s eyes.

This was the first time Little Yin had ever seen such a stern look from Old Qi. It reminded her of Old Zhang.

“Stand up!” Qi Xuansu commanded.

Little Yin obediently stood up. But since the desks and chairs at the Upper Palace were designed for adults, only her head could be seen above the desk. Her feet could not even touch the floor when she sat in her chair.

Qi Xuansu could not be bothered to scold her. He pointed toward the door and instructed, “Go stand outside. You’re not allowed to leave without permission. After class, meet me in my office.”

He thought to himself, How dare she sleep during my first lesson?! It looks like she’s eager to copy the “Book of the Way and Its Virtue.”

Little Yin muttered something under her breath and walked outside.

Qi Xuansu swept his gaze around the classroom and said, “Let’s continue the lesson.”

Overall, aside from the little episode involving Little Yin, Qi Xuansu’s lecture was quite successful.

Next came the time for open discussion and questions.

At this point, one of the two young people that Qi Xuansu had noticed earlier raised a question.

The two happened to be a man and a woman, and they seemed to be a couple as well.

They truly were a well-matched pair, able to attend classes at the Upper Palace together.

Qi Xuansu’s first thought was, How enviable! Qing Xiao and I never enjoyed such treatment back then. It was not until our advanced training as second-rank Taiyi Daoists that we finally got to be classmates for once.

The young woman among the pair stood up and said, “Sage Qi, I have a question, though I’m not sure whether it would be appropriate to ask.”

Qi Xuansu said, “This is a classroom, not a deliberation hall. There aren’t so many rules and restrictions here. You may say whatever you wish.”

Only then did the woman say, “Sage Qi, you just mentioned the efforts to rectify conduct and discipline during the fifth-generation Grand Master’s era. But as far as I know, during the sixth-generation Grand Master’s era, those rectification efforts were subsequently reexamined and repudiated. A Sage even wrote an article specifically criticizing a series of measures taken during the fifth-generation Grand Master’s era, arguing that they stifled thought and hindered development.”

Qi Xuansu frowned slightly.

This was an extremely sensitive topic. Especially with so many people watching, Qi Xuansu could not speak carelessly. Fortunately, he had anticipated such a situation and had reviewed the relevant materials beforehand.

Thus, Qi Xuansu took a more roundabout approach and said, “You must be referring to Sage Yan. During the fifth-generation Grand Master’s era, Sage Yan was criticized by the fifth-generation Grand Master for issues concerning conduct. In the end, not only did he fail to become a Virtuous Great Sage, he did not even retire as an ordinary Great Sage. In the end, he only retired as an ordinary Sage, so he harbored resentment toward that era, which was why he later wrote that article and repudiated it in its entirety.

“Whether we are evaluating a person or an event, there is one very important prerequisite—we must be objective and impartial. Was Sage Yan objective and impartial? I don’t believe he was. As someone personally involved in those events, his article contained far too much personal emotion, to the point that he completely repudiated that entire era. Yet that was also an era in which the Daoist Order expanded its territories on all fronts. If everything was wrong, as he claimed, then how could those actions have produced the right results?

“My view is that his article is insufficient to serve as conclusive evidence. We should look at such issues dialectically rather than treating everything as black or white and insisting on binarism.”

However, the woman did not give up and even seemed somewhat unconvinced. She continued, “Even if Sage Yan may not have been entirely objective or impartial, the matters he described were not fabricated out of thin air. Palace Master, I don’t agree with your approach of dismissing Sage Yan outright. After all, no one can ever be absolutely objective and impartial. Everyone has certain inclinations, so we cannot dismiss Sage Yan as a person simply because he criticized certain things. I believe we must be able to tolerate critical voices.”

That final sentence was the key, and it was difficult to dispute. If Qi Xuansu handled it poorly, he could easily be accused of suppressing free expression.

Qi Xuansu smiled. “Very well. Then let me ask you a question in return. Can you tolerate my voice criticizing Sage Yan?”

The woman opened her mouth but did not know how to respond.

Qi Xuansu said, “Freedom is not absolute and inevitably comes with boundaries. Our ancestors wisely said that without rules, there can be no order. You may see it as stifling thought and hindering development, while I see it as unifying thought and laying a solid foundation for development. Which interpretation is correct is something that can be discussed. Everything must be viewed from both sides. With every benefit, a corresponding drawback will inevitably arise. The key lies in weighing the advantages against the disadvantages and getting the right balance of both. But that falls outside the scope of today’s lesson. Alright, that will be all for today’s lesson. Class dismissed.”