A Pawn’s Passage

Thanks to Master Yin backing Qi Xuansu and Sage Qingwei granting him immense autonomy, as long as Qi Xuansu did not violate core principles, he could make any decision or promise. Suzuka Gozen gravely misunderstood Qi Xuansu's standing within the Daoist Order. One could even say she had nearly mistaken him for Li Changge, assuming he was Sage Qingwei's most trusted confidant.

In truth, Qi Xuansu was still far behind Zhang Yuelu, Li Changge, and Yao Pei, both in terms of cultivation and real influence. No matter how dearly Madam Qi cherished and protected him, she was not a Deputy Grand Master, and that made a world of difference.

Qi Xuansu was happy to let the misunderstanding persist and did not bother to clarify. Instead, he began directly discussing the terms of cooperation with Suzuka Gozen.

Suzuka Gozen was a thoroughly pragmatic woman. She did not care about right or wrong. Just as she had once used Ootakemaru's head to cleanse her past and turn a new page, she could now stand with the Daoist Order to exchange that alliance for a higher status.

Currently, Suzuka Gozen was called a Mountain God, yet she had never received formal investiture, with no official title or recognition. If this were in the Central Plains, she would be classified among illicit cults. Addressing this precisely, Qi Xuansu's first promise was to officially recognize Suzuka Gozen under the joint authority of the Daoist Order, the Great Xuan Court, and the Fenglin Court. She would receive a grant of 200,000 Taiping coins for the construction of a new shrine, and the entirety of Mount Suzuka and the surrounding 400 kilometers would be placed under her domain.

Qi Xuansu dared to make such a promise mainly because they were in Fenglin.

Had he made a promise of 400 kilometers in the Central Plains, he would be condemned mercilessly. Accusations like "transgression," "treason," "reckless conduct," or "subversive action" would rain down upon him. After all, the Holy Xuan and Emperor Gaozu had worked painstakingly to survey the realm's lands and break the Confucian monopoly on land ownership. So what were Qi Xuansu's intentions now?

But Fenglin still followed a feudal allotment system. What Qi Xuansu was really doing was carving out a piece of the Ise-jingu's territory and gifting it to Suzuka Gozen. It was not his own property, so he did not care. All the Daoist Order would lose was a nominal title and 200,000 Taiping coins, a sum well within the 1-million-Taiping-coin budget granted by Sage Qingwei, which Qi Xuansu could freely draw from.

In addition, Qi Xuansu promised another 150,000 Taiping coins as compensation for the casualties among Mount Suzuka's people.

Of course, these material incentives were not enough to truly win over Suzuka Gozen. At most, she would pledge superficial allegiance to the Daoist Order and would not go all-out to fight on its behalf.

Thus, Qi Xuansu made a second promise.

Qi Xuansu asked Suzuka Gozen a single question, "Do you not wish to leave Mount Suzuka and ascend to the heavens?"

Suzuka Gozen countered, "Is that something the Daoist Order is capable of?"

Qi Xuansu smiled. "The Daoist Order has great powers and is capable of all things. If you help us take Ise Province, I can promise you one-tenth of Tenmon Sect's divine power. As for anything more, that would depend on your direct negotiations with the Sage Commander, and of course, your sincerity."

Hearing this, even though Suzuka Gozen had lived for centuries and possessed the strength of a Pseudo-Immortal, her breathing still grew slightly heavier.

One-tenth might sound trivial, but this was 10% of Tenmon Sect's divine power.

The Tenmon Sect had nine main divine shrines, and over 10,000 other large and small shrines scattered across its domain. Now that the Tenmon Sect had been endorsed by the royal family as the state religion, the sheer scale of its divine power—though not quite on par with the Daoist Order or the Holy Court—was still astronomical from an individual's perspective.

Divine power was nearly omnipotent, capable of changing almost anything.

If Suzuka Gozen obtained enough divine power, she might well be able to alter her current fate.

Such a promise made it impossible for Suzuka Gozen not to be tempted.

However, the precondition was defeating the Sonno-joi faction and the Tenmon Sect.

That was exactly why Qi Xuansu dared to make such an offer. To put it bluntly, the divine power belonged to the Tenmon Sect. The Daoist Order was not giving up anything of its own.

Naturally, Suzuka Gozen was moved, so much so that she found it a little hard to believe. She could not help but ask, "What proof do you offer?"

Qi Xuansu retrieved an envelope from his magical receptacle and held it out to Suzuka Gozen.

Suzuka Gozen hesitated for a moment before taking the envelope.

Qi Xuansu said, "This is a handwritten letter from Sage Qingwei, complete with official seals."

Sage Qingwei did not know Suzuka Gozen's exact situation, nor had he met her, so naturally the letter did not include specific terms. It was mostly general remarks to convey his stance. The details of the negotiations were left to Qi Xuansu's discretion. Still, the letter held great significance. Anyone could see at a glance whether Qi Xuansu's promises aligned with Sage Qingwei's tone.

What constituted "proof" ultimately came down to credibility—whether one could trust the Daoist Order. If one could, this letter would be evidence enough. If not, even Sage Qingwei's presence would be meaningless.

Fortunately, the Daoist Order had maintained a strong reputation in recent years. After years of collaboration with the Daoist Order, everyone in the Chancellor's Office hoped the Daoists would intervene when crisis struck, and they did. The Daoist Order did not abandon them but entered the fray directly, stabilizing the situation and turning defense into offense.

That was a clear demonstration of not betraying trust. Over time, the Daoist Order's credibility took root. Any promise they made—when backed by their overwhelming strength—earned more credibility, even without written contracts or formal pledges. Whether brokering peace or soliciting surrender, things became much easier. After Sage Qingwei's two public speeches, the ghosts and gods across Fenglin stirred in response, which was an embodiment of that reputation.

Had the Daoist Order been fickle, burned bridges, or exacted retribution after the fact, even short-term gains would have proved deeply damaging in the long run.

Internally, they emphasized reform and innovation; externally, they prioritized credibility and unity. These were the mandates passed down from the Holy Xuan Era that had remained unchanged for many years.

Reform mainly meant giving heavy responsibilities to the younger generation. The emphasis on technological advancements and creations was part of the innovation initiatives. As for external matters, whether it be credibility or unity, it all boiled down to one principle—the more friends, the better, and the fewer enemies, the better.

Suzuka Gozen only glanced at the lacquer seal on the envelope, yet she already believed in Qi Xuansu's promises without even opening it.

Qi Xuansu then carefully took out a small box and presented it to Suzuka Gozen.

Suzuka Gozen accepted the box and asked, puzzled, "What is this?"

Qi Xuansu smiled and suggested, "Why not open it and have a look?"

Only then did Suzuka Gozen open the box, where she saw two notes made of a special material. They were impervious to water and fire, with intricate and sophisticated engravings that surpassed even many talismans.

"What's this...?" Suzuka Gozen asked, hesitating.

Qi Xuansu explained, "These are bearer official notes issued by the Taiping Bank, each worth 100,000 Taiping coins. These two equate to 200,000 Taiping coins. They can be cashed on demand. Consider this the advance payment for the previously agreed 150,000 Taiping coins for relief funds and part of the funds for temple construction. The remaining 150,000 will be delivered to you soon."

These official notes were not actual currency but deposit certificates.

That said, Taiping Bank's reputation spoke for itself. These notes were as good as cold, hard coins.

Suzuka Gozen, unable to leave Mount Suzuka, had never seen such high-denomination cash notes from the Central Plains before.

Money meant little to her personally. It was merely an external possession. But for Mount Suzuka, it was crucial. Her people needed money, too. Without wealth, how could she win hearts? During these times, it would be hard to even coax a chicken if one did not have a handful of grain. Having once been the bandit leader Tate Eboshi, Suzuka Gozen understood this truth deeply.

Still, Suzuka Gozen also knew that taking Daoist money meant boarding the Daoist ship, and getting on was always easier than getting off. If she did not take their money and did not side against them, she remained an outsider. The Daoist Order would treat her gently. But once she took the Taiping coins, she was part of their camp. The Daoist Order had an entirely different attitude toward its own people. At times, one could even call them ruthless.

That said, being paid to do a job was perfectly fair and reasonable. However, this money felt a little too hot to the touch.

But Suzuka Gozen still decided to accept it. She had no choice. The Daoist Order offered too much. The lure of a tenth of divine power was simply too hard to resist.

On the other side, Yamada Castle in Watarai District was currently quite lively.

The last time it had been this "lively" was when the former regent, Kampaku Toyotomi Hidesugu, led the Chancellor's army to suppress a rebellion and marched into Ise Province.

This time, it was still a rebel-suppressing force, but now it was the Daoist Order's army.

The lord of Yamada Castle personally came out to the gates, visibly uneasy.

Soon, the ground began to rumble.

The sound of hooves and the thick dust clouds raised by the cavalry approached from afar.

These were no ordinary hoofbeats. They sounded like a herd of elephants migrating, shaking the very ground, causing small pebbles to bounce.

Then, a dense, black wave-like line appeared in everyone's field of view.

A massive force of Black Robes Cavalry was approaching Yamada Castle.

Though they were not charging and were merely marching in formation, the solemn and intimidating aura they exuded still made it oppressive and suffocating.

Soon after, a large fleet of flying ships appeared above the cavalry. The fleet was led by the Purple Flood Dragon and Yellow Hornless Dragon flying ships, along with a massive Yinglong Warship, like a moon among stars.

They blotted out the sky, creating storm clouds that pressed down upon the city.

Under the leadership of Sage Qingwei, the Xiujing field command launched an offensive strike, titled "Dragon Rising." They assembled over 3,000 heavy cavalry in black armor, 2 Yinglong Warships, 12 Purple Flood Dragons, 1,400 artillery pieces, over 4,000 Spirit Guards, 12,000 Black Robes, and over 30,000 auxiliary troops from the Chancellor's Office. This force of nearly 50,000 strong was marching westward from Xiujing. They captured Kai, broke through Owari and Mikawa, advanced into Mino, and successively seized Naegi, Yawata, Iwamura, Ogaki, Imao, Takasu, and Kano.

More than a dozen daimyo chose to commit seppuku.

A jokai-ranked guji was killed on the spot by a Grade-A Series Two Dragon Eye Bomb.

On February 12, the Daoist army entered Ise territory, linked up with the remaining forces of the Chancellor's Office stationed there, and planned a full assault on Ise Province for February 14, aiming to eliminate all Sonno-joi faction rebel forces within the region.

The Daoist army camp issued another warning that all civilians and unrelated personnel must evacuate Ise Province immediately to avoid accidental injury.

After February 14, the Daoist Order would impose a total blockade on Ise Province.