A Pawn’s Passage

During his days in the army camp, Qi Xuansu remained occupied with his official duties, yet still managed to find time to establish contact with a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master named Yao Qi through official Daoist communication channels.

In truth, Madam Qi had not officially left the Daoist Order. She still retained her title as a Daoist and had even equipped her incarnation with the robes of a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. However, she simply did not want to advance within the Daoist Order. Hence, it was entirely reasonable for Qi Xuansu to reach out to a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

Qi Xuansu mainly asked Madam Qi to handle two matters. The first was regarding the accusation made by that so-called classmate who had slandered him. The second concerned Genki.

He had already given Genki a Daoist Priest Kindred title, and now, she was preparing to rebuild a fleet and head out to sea. Naturally, she would need Mogul Yao's support for trade matters. As compensation, Qi Xuansu offered Madam Qi a 40% share, with Genki holding 60%. Qi Xuansu himself would take no profit for being the intermediary. He only required that Genki follow his orders when necessary.

Such a partnership model was common in the Daoist Order. Prominent family members would develop within the Daoist Order to uphold their lineage, while those with average aptitude from the side branches would turn to commerce, amassing wealth to support the clan. Otherwise, these aristocratic families could never survive by living off their meager official stipends.

As long as there was money to be made, Madam Qi would not give Qi Xuansu trouble.

The reason Qi Xuansu could never expect discounts at Seven Treasure Pavilion was that Madam Qi had already stepped down and was no longer the Acting Mogul, so her words carried no weight.

However, now that she held 40% of the shares, this was no issue. After all, her connections remained even though she was no longer the acting mogul, so she could still grant small favors.

So, whether Madam Qi's words still held sway in Seven Treasure Pavilion remained an unanswered question.

In fact, Madam Qi had a genuine interest in Genki.

Madam Qi had once gone to sea herself and was familiar with maritime affairs. In this era, it was exceedingly rare for a woman to live at sea, for voyages were long and isolated. A confined space with men and women often gave rise to complications, which was not conducive to unity.

But things had been different when Madam Qi sailed. She had disguised herself as a man.

Thus, across the Eastern Continent, female captains were nearly unheard of. It was like a female emperor. Regardless of her achievements, the very fact of being a woman in that role would secure her a place in history. A female captain was the same. Her very existence was a story that could be easily spread and remembered.

Given all this, it was not difficult for Madam Qi to look into Genki's background.

After her investigation, Madam Qi was fairly satisfied with Genki, finding her to be an independent and capable woman, ambitious and bold, yet self-aware. Too many talented people were burned alive by the fire of their own ambition. Though Madam Qi did not care whether such people lived or died, they always left behind a mess for others to clean up. Genki, however, stood out as a rare, promising talent.

As a seasoned voyager, Madam Qi did not mind lending a hand to this junior.

Though Madam Qi appeared young, perhaps only a few years older than Genki, in truth, she was of the same generation as Sage Cihang, Sage Donghua, and Sage Qingwei. In terms of seniority, she stood on equal footing with the three Deputy Hall Masters, making it completely accurate to call her an elder.

That said, as a seasoned businesswoman, Madam Qi knew how to play her cards. She would place her own people into Genki's fleet to ensure she retained control. Simultaneously, she would assign others to thoroughly investigate Genki's background, ensuring the latter was not a spy from some rival power.

As for Qi Xuansu, he was destined for an official career within the Daoist Order, a public face, so he could not have a speck of dirt on him. Thus, he did not need to be involved in any of the specifics or even know the details. A rough outcome was enough.

Of course, Qi Xuansu was not just a figurehead. He would offer official cover, help smooth over connections, and provide access to insider information, such as the latest trade regulations from the Shibo Hall.

These favors were not free. In critical moments, Genki might have to take a loss to help Qi Xuansu solve certain issues. Once he was assigned to a regional Daoist mansion, he would need more money if he wanted to make any headway, especially when the local government lacked sufficient budget. Whoever could legally and effectively raise money to get things done would stand out, securing a foundation for future promotion.

When the war in Fenglin ended, Qi Xuansu could even arrange for Genki to be granted noble status there, like a Shishaku, via the Chancellor's Office. Toyotomi Hidemochi would surely grant him that favor.

A wealthy, noble-born, and Daoist-friendly female maritime merchant from Fenglin could then be publicly acknowledged. Her bond with Qi Xuansu was forged during the Fenglin campaign, which was a story that could hold up to scrutiny. After all, war involved death and chaos, so many things would remain murky and untraceable, which was a convenient gray area.

This way, Madam Qi could remain hidden in the background, avoiding unnecessary complications.

As for Zhang Yuelu, she would likely hold office in Wuzhou or Jiangnan, essentially within her own territory that was backed by the Zhang family's main branch and the Cihang lineage. It was no issue at all, so Qi Xuansu need not worry about her.

What pleased Madam Qi the most was that, after these few years of tempering, Qi Xuansu had clearly grown to have a basic understanding of how to navigate within the Daoist Order's rules. Every place and every organization had its own set of rules—both written and unwritten. First, one must learn them. Then, within that tangled mess, one must find a loose end and weave through without crossing red lines, in pursuit of maximum gain.

One must also clearly understand that different roles came with different duties and responsibilities. As the public face, one must not do the inner workings, as it would soil their hands. If one were assigned to be the underbelly, one should never fantasize about becoming the face. No matter how much one tried to clean the past, the underbelly would never be pure.

Qi Xuansu's collaboration with Genki was a long game and not urgent. The immediate priority was addressing another issue—the slander accusing Qi Xuansu of heartlessly abandoning a woman after seducing her.

Since he was the public face, he must be polished and spotless without even a speck of dust. If there was blood, the underbelly must contain it. If it spilled onto the surface, then it would become a disastrous affair. Thus, when the public face was smeared with dirt, the underbelly must eliminate someone.

This matter was not critical, but it was not exactly trivial either.

Spreading a rumor was easy, but disproving it was much harder.

Fortunately, this matter was contained by the Heavenly Preceptor before it could spread. Had it circulated, whether true or not, it would have dealt irreparable damage to Qi Xuansu's reputation. Especially since many women tended to empathize with each other, they would attack Qi Xuansu fiercely, regardless of the truth.

By the time Qi Xuansu managed to clear his name, the public interest would have already faded, and no one would care anymore. To most, he would have already been branded as heartless and unfaithful, a label nearly impossible to shake for the rest of his life. Whenever people spoke of him, it would be about abandoning his wife and child, which could even jeopardize his future.

If cutting off someone's stream of income was like killing their parents, then ruining someone's official career would be akin to killing them and crushing their soul.

As such, Qi Xuansu's fury was understandable.

Naturally, Madam Qi had to step in to protect her cub at a moment like this.

Put another way, if Qi Xuansu were ruined, then Madam Qi's years of effort and heavy investment would go to waste. As a notorious miser, would she not be furious at that?

So before the Shangyuan Festival, Madam Qi had already tracked down and detained the woman in question.

Qi Xuansu had to follow the rules, but Madam Qi did not. If she were to play by the rules, what would be the point of operating within a secret society? Besides, rules were man-made, not divine law.

Madam Qi could have made the woman vanish without a trace, leaving not even a ripple. But she had other plans. She wanted to see who was the mastermind behind this smear campaign.

So Madam Qi brought the woman to Bohai Prefecture and placed her in Sycamore Villa.

That place was practically the personal property of Li Qingnu.

Being a "fair mother," Madam Qi exploited her adopted children equally. She often stayed in Sycamore Villa for several days, planted her own people, and was gradually turning it into one of her private strongholds.

Madam Qi assumed that this scandal most likely had something to do with Li Tianyue. Since Li Qingnu was Li Tianyue's hand-picked successor, she ought to have heard something about it. But to Madam Qi's disappointment, the matter had nothing to do with the Li family.

Upon careful thought, it could be the Zhang family or the Yao family. The Zhang family's fear of Zhang Yuelu and the Yao family's fear of Madam Qi could make Qi Xuansu a good target.

With that realization, the situation became much more complicated.

So Madam Qi began a slow and meticulous interrogation, determined to uncover the mastermind behind it all.

While Qi Xuansu was attending the Sonno-joi faction's assembly in Ichishi District, Madam Qi was lounging on a chaise lounge with a tobacco pipe in hand, packed with fine tobacco. All she lacked was a maid to massage her legs. Her demeanor was truly like an old feudal matriarch.

Before long, Li Qingnu walked in, carrying a lingering scent of blood on her.

Internal power struggles within the Daoist Order had always been ruthless. No one was exempt from the bloodbath, and no one could afford to be a moral saint. Madam Qi would not dirty her own hands in such matters, so this was more about training Li Qingnu. Since Li Qingnu had no future in the Daoist Order and could never be the public face, she could only become the underbelly.

That woman who slandered Qi Xuansu would never be able to walk away unscathed. After all, Madam Qi was the ruthless leader of not just one but two secret societies. How could this mogul let an offender go untouched?

Madam Qi was not wearing her oversized sunglasses at this time. She raised her eyelids and asked nonchalantly, "So?"

Li Qingnu replied, "I told her this was her last chance. If she didn't speak, I'd have no choice but to use the Soul-Searching Technique on her. In the end, she confessed."

Madam Qi sat upright. "What a waste of time. What did she say?"

Li Qingnu said, "According to her confession, they're a team. They saw Tian Yuan as a poor nobody with no background who's just starting to rise. Since he's not yet connected with the upper echelons of the Daoist Order and lacks the foundation, they tried to use this scandal to extort Tian Yuan."

Madam Qi gave a cold snort. "Nonsense! Does she think I'm an idiot? She was given a chance and spat on it. Since she's so ungrateful, there's no need to wait. Start the soul-searching now."

Li Qingnu's expression turned solemn. "Understood."