A Pawn’s Passage

When the Holy Xuan first established the Golden Tower Council, there were four factions: the Taiping Sect, the Quanzhen Sect, the Zhengyi Sect, and the Grand Master's lineage, corresponding respectively to the three Deputy Grand Masters and the Grand Master himself.

The so-called Grand Master lineage was actually the neutral faction. The Wanxiang Daoist Palace belonged to this group. Its primary purpose was to prevent the Grand Master from being sidelined by the three major sects. At its height, the neutral faction even produced a Grand Master who had all Nine Halls under his control, leaving the three sects in charge of only the local Daoist mansions. However, being far looser in structure than the three sects, the neutral faction ultimately never developed into a true fourth sect.

Of course, whether successive Grand Masters could control the neutral faction depended on their own ability. The sixth-generation Grand Master disbanded the Zixiao Palace, losing the neutral faction's support entirely. He reaped the consequences, being completely sidelined, with decrees unable to leave the Zixiao Palace. By contrast, the fifth-generation Grand Master held the neutral faction firmly in his grasp, making it his power base. He skillfully exploited the rivalries among the three sects, winning over one, suppressing another, and provoking internal conflicts so they could never unite against him. He wielded the imperial art of balance to perfection, even to the point of replacing the Deputy Grand Masters.

This was why even an alliance between the Zhengyi Sect and Quanzhen Sect could not guarantee winning the Grand Master's seat. First, the Zhengyi and Quanzhen Sects each harbored reservations and guarded against one another. Second, if the Taiping Sect secured the neutral faction's backing, it could still seize the Grand Master's position. This was why the Li family needed to ensure victory in the Fenglin campaign.

Whether an Omniscient Sage could be promoted to a Great Sage followed an unwritten rule. Apart from Immortals, who were guaranteed promotion, those from the neutral faction had an easier path to becoming a Great Sage. A Pseudo-Immortal Omniscient Sage from the neutral faction was almost certain to be promoted once passing the age and seniority requirements, whereas those from the three sects needed enough merit and achievements to command respect.

Of course, this had its pros and cons. In the Grand Master elections, the three sects held a significant advantage, while the neutral faction was almost sidelined and could only wait for the result on who they were going to serve. Thus, this easy promotion rule was essentially a form of compensation.

Officially, the Golden Tower Council elected the Grand Master by a vote from its 36 Omniscient Sages. However, to prevent deadlocks, the Great Sages also had voting rights. To safeguard their lofty position, these Great Sages were difficult to bribe or sway, making them relatively fair.

The neutral faction was considered a loose organization with no clear leader like the other three sects, but had a few Great Sages at its helm. Thus, its members lacked strong allegiance. The Quanzhen Sect was, similarly, not that united.

This, too, was a problem left behind by the Holy Xuan.

When Holy Xuan redefined the three sects back then, the Taiping Sect was centered on the Li family, and the Zhengyi Sect was centered on the Zhang family, supplemented with other lineages such as the Qingqiu and Cihang lineages, respectively. But the Quanzhen Sect was harder to structure, as there was no concept of the Yao or Pei families yet. They were just a handful of people, not even true clans. The other lineages were evenly matched, which was an inherent weakness.

At the time, the Holy Xuan felt that the Quanzhen Sect was too divided to stand as an equal to the other two sects. So to prevent it from being oppressed, he needed to increase its size. Thus, after assigning members to the Grand Master's lineage, he grouped the remaining people into the Quanzhen Sect. Even later, various orphans were placed under the Quanzhen Sect's banner by default.

As a result, the Quanzhen Sect did indeed become the largest of the three sects in terms of size, but it was also far more fragmented internally, lacking the cohesion of the other two major sects.

Under such circumstances, internal strife among the Quanzhen Sect was the most intense of all.

After the establishment of the Borneo Daoist Mansion, the Grand Master lineage declined even further due to the sixth-generation Grand Master's dissolution of Zixiao Palace's power. According to the old rules, this faction was reassigned to the Quanzhen Sect, where its power had grown steadily over the years.

The Wang family was nominally part of the Quanzhen Sect, but how much loyalty they actually felt toward it was highly questionable.

For the Quanzhen Sect, which was accustomed to infighting and often nicknamed the "Mini Daoist Order," eliminating the Wang family posed no issue at all.

In the Taiping Sect and the Zhengyi Sect, various marital alliances meant that even if a family fell from power, it still remained wealthy, like the Yan family. But the Quanzhen Sect had no such tender sentiments. Oftentimes, losers simply vanished altogether.

Over the years, many Quanzhen Sect aristocratic families had perished, with the highest number among the three sects, so losing one more would make little difference.

Moreover, the old-established families harbored hostility toward upstarts. If the Yao and Pei families decided to make a move, the Qi, Shangguan, and Ji families would not only refrain from stopping them but would even take a share of the spoils.

Qi Xuansu immediately thought of something. "If the Wang family falls, what will happen to the Borneo Daoist Mansion?"

Madam Qi smiled. "Of course, we won't hand it over to someone else. The Quanzhen Sect is never short of people. If the Wang family won't do the job, there are plenty of others who will. If worse comes to worst, the two of us can take it on ourselves!"

Qi Xuansu stared at Madam Qi, unsure of what to say.

Madam Qi warned, "You're now the Deputy Hall Master of the Ziwei Hall. But don't you think that being Deputy Hall Master is just one step away from being the Hall Master! There are still several significant hidden steps between these two positions. The Daoist Order has a rule that high positions are assigned based on the person, not on seniority. That's why it's rare for a Hall, Mansion, or Palace to produce its own head. Nine out of ten top leaders are transferred from elsewhere.

"If you want to become a Hall Master, you must first serve as a high-ranking Deputy Mansion Master in a local Daoist Mansion, then be promoted to the Second Deputy Mansion Master. After that, you'll be transferred back to Jade Capital to serve as the Chief Deputy Hall Master in another hall. Next, you'll head back to a local Daoist Mansion to serve as Mansion Master. Only then can you return to Jade Capital to become a Hall Master. Count it yourself—how many steps is that? While you'll likely be promoted to a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master after becoming the Second Deputy Mansion Master, you'll still have to become a Mansion Master somewhere before being promoted to Omniscient Sage.

"There are 36 Omniscient Sages, each seat fixed and unshakable. Unless someone is promoted to Great Sage, you'll have to wait for someone to step down before you can rise, and such chances are rare. When the time comes, I'll swallow my pride and personally go to the Earthly Preceptor to get you the post for the Borneo Daoist Mansion Master, which will also settle the rank for Omniscient Sage. What do you think?"

Qi Xuansu's jaw fell open.

If this really happened, it would be a monumental favor, enough to make many second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, who had languished for years without advancement, willing to kneel and worship Madam Qi.

If Madam Qi had stayed in the Daoist Order, she would have been one of the Nine Hall Masters by now. By giving up that resource and now pushing Qi Xuansu upward, it truly was a way of reclaiming her family's share for the Yao family.

Of course, in principle, these high offices and honors within the Daoist Order were not anyone's private property. They did not "belong" to anyone, nor was there any such thing as "asking" for them.

But when it came to implementation among so many prestigious families, everyone knew the unwritten rules.

Seeing Qi Xuansu's expression, Madam Qi grew irritated. "Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world. From now on, don't say you're my son. Instead, you should tell people you're Qi Haoran's son or Zhang Yuelu's man. Leave me out of it!"

Qi Xuansu gave a light cough to hide his embarrassment. In the meantime, he schooled his expression to one that fit the image of a formidable third-rank Youyi Daoist master.

Madam Qi sized him up and said in satisfaction, "Now, that's better. The key is that you've made something of yourself with so many real, tangible merits as your base. I can confidently pave the way and speak on your behalf, and no one can object. If you were like Wang Danqing, only interested in petty rivalries and lazing your life away, I wouldn't have the cheek to go to the Earthly Preceptor to ask for your promotion."

Qi Xuansu dared not grow complacent.

Though Madam Qi spoke lightly, Qi Xuansu knew exactly how things really worked. Without her, no matter how great his achievements, he would never claim them entirely for himself. Others would certainly take a large share. The one who promoted him would be credited with "recognizing talent," while the one who directed him would be credited with "superb command." The biggest rewards would go to them, while Qi Xuansu, who risked his life, would only get scraps, and at best, become a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master.

It was precisely because of Madam Qi's protection that no one dared to claim a share of his merits, which all went to Qi Xuansu. This allowed him to rise through the ranks quickly, in a way that seemed perfectly reasonable and beyond reproach. After all, Madam Qi was someone capable of giving even Sage Donghua a headache. Most people would think twice before crossing her, the ignorant Wang Danqing being the exception.

Similarly, the Three Daoist Prodigies followed much the same path, with abundant resources, greater backing, strong ability, and enough room for trial and error, which made earning merits easy. Once merits were earned, every bit went to the individual. No one would hold them back for "further training," so their rise to power was naturally swift. If anyone investigated, it would all appear reasonable, legitimate, lawful, and proper, without the slightest trace of fabrication.

This was also why Zhang Yuelu, though admittedly difficult to get along with, could still win people's loyalty. She never withheld the rewards or merits others deserved. What amount due to her subordinates was exactly what they would receive. She would also never use her position for revenge on personal grudges. For example, Xu Kou had openly provoked her, yet she still promoted him to Superintendent. That was why Xu Kou respected her completely. This principle even extended to Qi Xuansu himself.

Zhang Yuelu kept rewards and punishments clear, which was enough for many to consider her a rare and excellent superior. Against that, her strictness and rumored difficult personality became mere trifles. Many who thrived on scheming naturally steered clear, but many who were truly earnest and capable instead gathered around her.

Madam Qi continued, "Of course, the future looks bright, but only if we can topple the Wang family first. We must do it in a way that's reasonable, lawful, and within the rules. These big families rule their territories like local kings, so they've long been accustomed to throwing their weight around. None of them are clean. It's only a question of whether you choose to investigate."

Qi Xuansu sighed. "Madam Qi, you've dangled a giant carrot in my face, and honestly, it looks hella delicious."