A Pawn’s Passage

The fall of Kobe meant that the gateway to Mie District was wide open, allowing the Daoist army to march straight in and press on to the gates of Komono Castle.

For the Daoists, Komono Castle itself was not of great importance, but the Ise-jingu located right beside it was of tremendous significance.

In past wars on Fenglin, the Ise-jingu had always maintained a detached stance. Even if someone attacked Komono Castle, it would not be implicated. But this time was different. The Daoists had come precisely for the Ise-jingu. The ultimate goal of the entire February offensive was this grand shrine, and only by capturing it would their mission be considered complete.

The Daoists raised their rallying cry and advanced toward the Ise-jingu.

But before that, some of the Daoist high command boarded flying ships back to the Xiujing encampment to attend the Imperial Preceptor's welcome banquet.

The banquet was not held at the field camp but in Xiujing City itself, at the Fenglin Daoist Mansion.

Central Plains banquets tended to be overly formal. Since the Imperial Preceptor did not wish to create too tense an atmosphere before the great battle, he chose a Western-style banquet with a lighter and livelier tone. Among the invited guests were the new Kampaku, Toyotomi Hidemochi, the swordmaster Yagyu Sosei, Lady Fukimiya, Princess Tamako, as well as other senior ministers of the Chancellor's Office.

Princess Tamako had not yet relented, but her attitude had wavered somewhat. At the very least, she no longer harbored the thought of committing seppuku. Moreover, since her cultivation was sealed, she was also asked to attend this banquet.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, the two rising stars who had shone brightly on the Ise battlefield, were naturally invited as well. Not only that, but they also had the honor of accompanying Sage Qingwei, Great Sage Zhang, the Fenglin Daoist Mansion Master, the Chief Deputy, and the Second Deputy to welcome the Imperial Preceptor's flagship.

The massive Yinglong Warship slowly descended upon the sea, lowering its ramp to connect with the jetty extending into the waters.

Since the jetty had limited space, only a select few could step onto it to greet the Imperial Preceptor. This represented a special mark of status. The order of positions on the jetty was just like the ranks of civil and military officials at court. The higher one's standing, the closer to the front.

Of course, Sage Qingwei stood in the first position on the left, while the first position on the right was taken by Great Sage Zhang Qihan.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stood right in the middle ranks, almost at the forefront of the Deputy Hall Master level. Ahead of them were all second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters.

Finally, the Imperial Preceptor, Li Changgeng, appeared on the ramp and waved to the assembled crowd.

Everyone bowed in unison.

After the Imperial Preceptor descended the ramp, Sage Qingwei and Zhang Qihan stepped forward to salute him. "Greetings, Imperial Preceptor."

"You two have worked hard." The Imperial Preceptor returned their salute.

After the Imperial Preceptor disembarked, Li Changge and Yao Pei also descended the long ramp of the Yinglong Warship.

Li Changge's words had come true, as the two of them had indeed journeyed to Fenglin together aboard the same ship.

People often spoke of the three Daoist prodigies plus Qi Xuansu, but after the February offensive, a gap had opened among the four.

Qi Xuansu, having earned tremendous merit by pacifying Suzuka Gozen, should have left the others far behind. However, in pursuit of a semi-immortal object, he deliberately ceded part of the credit to Zhang Yuelu, allowing the two to advance side by side.

On the other hand, Li Changge and Yao Pei lagged behind completely. By the war's end, it was almost certain that Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu would be promoted to Second Deputy or Acting Second Deputy of some local Daoist Mansion or Palace, while Li Changge and Yao Pei would have to stay in the same lower-ranking Deputy Hall Master positions for a while longer.

Sage Qingwei had not intended to give all the credit to Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu. Rather, the Tsuchimikado Onmyoji he had first sent to pacify Suzuka Gozen had failed their mission, so he had no choice but to send Qi Xuansu.

In truth, this was no simple mission. Without the protection of the Three Yin Beings, Qi Xuansu would never have been able to meet Suzuka Gozen at all. Since the mission was on par with one designed for a Pseudo-Immortal, it would have been normal for Qi Xuansu to fail. Thus, his success was wholly unexpected.

Later, in the assault on Hisai Castle and the slaying of Hinnyo, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu took up the role of a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being, equivalent to the lower-ranking Omniscient Sages.

These two had been rising to the challenges time and time again—a reality that Sage Qingwei could not ignore.

Externally, the Daoist Order needed to win the people's hearts and maintain a righteous stance. Internally, they had to ensure smooth progress in the war while minimizing casualties. Beyond burning through artillery shells regardless of cost, they also had to frequently employ elite forces to break through the battlefield. At such a time, it was impossible to keep the talented Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, who wielded the Heavenly Preceptor's Twin Swords, on the sidelines.

As the Taiping Sect had repeatedly emphasized, achieving victory in the Fenglin campaign was the most important matter. Everything else was a trivial detail.

That said, was it really possible that the vast Zhengyi Sect could not find a single semi-immortal object suitable for Zhang Yuelu, and that only the Heavenly Preceptor's personal swords would do? Not necessarily. It was precisely because the Heavenly Preceptor recognized this that he deliberately handed over his Twin Swords to them, allowing the two to establish merit on the Fenglin battlefield and secure an early advantage.

Only now did Qi Xuansu gradually come to understand that this was what it meant to make use of the situation and go with the flow.

The Heavenly Preceptor appeared to have done nothing, yet he lost nothing in the process. The junior he valued, Zhang Yuelu, was likely to become the youngest ever second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. The one he supported, Zhang Jucheng, used the special timing of the Fenglin campaign to force the Li family into compromise so as to become the next Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master. From that position, rising further to the position of Hall Master one day was almost inevitable. Meanwhile, Bai Yingqiong of the Zhengyi Sect also advanced with the tide, now only one step away from becoming an Omniscient Sage. Given her age, she could very well become Zhang Yuelu's right-hand aide.

In fact, it was almost tacitly accepted that Sage Cihang had no strength to contend for the position of seventh-generation Grand Master. Knowing that the seat was beyond reach, the Heavenly Preceptor had already begun planning for the next generation 30 years later, and with remarkable results.

Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. The Heavenly Preceptor seemed like a kind, amiable old man. In daily life, he neither played tricks nor spoke in unfathomable riddles. Yet his methods were truly sharp and decisive. He slew his own sister and brother-in-law without hesitation—a true act of sacrificing family for righteousness, of severing one's arm to save the body. Whether it was the granddaughter of a close brother or that of a cousin, so long as they showed talent and ability, he would treat them as his own grandchildren, displaying great tolerance.

The Heavenly Preceptor carried out a series of arrangements and strategies calmly without making a big commotion, embodying the sense that the greatest generals could achieve victory without flaunting grand achievements.

The Imperial Preceptor's style was entirely different, leaning more toward domineering authority.

For many years, the three Deputy Grand Masters had been evenly matched, maintaining a delicate balance, each with their own strengths.

When the banquet began, the Imperial Preceptor gave a brief speech, primarily on behalf of the Daoist Order and the Golden Tower Council, to affirm the series of achievements that the Xiujing field camp had accomplished during this period.

Since this was a Western-style banquet, the atmosphere was more relaxed. It was divided into three stages. The first stage was a mingling session, where each person held a glass of wine while wandering around the room to network. The second was the main dinner. While most Central Plains banquets favored round tables, Western banquets used long rectangular ones. The third was the post-dinner reception, where men and women were separated. This was the time to discuss serious matters.

Since the Daoist order had begun interacting frequently with the Holy Court, they had gradually learned certain Western etiquette in order to entertain guests. The Central Plains had always been keen to learn and adopt what they saw fit. An example of such was doing away with the custom of kneeling in discussions to sitting on chairs.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stayed next to each other. Zhang Yuelu, being a booze lover, would never miss such an opportunity. She asked one of the Daoist attendants for a fine glass of Western white wine and savored it slowly.

Soon, the couple encountered Li Changge and Li Zhuyu. In terms of clan relations, Li Zhuyu was technically two generations behind Li Changge. Yet in terms of Daoist hierarchy, Li Zhuyu was actually Li Changge's senior sister, and the two shared no blood ties.

Qi Xuansu initiated the conversation. "Brother Yong Yan, I have heard that your name has been cleared. It's truly a matter worth celebrating."

Li Changge smiled. "I cannot escape the guilt of negligence and dereliction of duty. I have returned to Fenglin this time to atone for my failings with battle merit. The two of you, on the other hand, have repeatedly distinguished yourselves in battle. Your deeds are well-known to me even in Jiangnan."

"Brother Yong Yan, you flatter me. I have merely done my duty for the Daoist order," Qi Xuansu replied humbly.

Zhang Yuelu did not particularly enjoy such social exchanges. Since Qi Xuansu handled the conversation, she spoke little and simply continued drinking on her own.

It was not without reason that many complained that Zhang Yuelu was difficult to get along with.

Of course, there was someone even less sociable than Zhang Yuelu—Yao Pei.

At this moment, Yao Pei stood alone in a corner. Most of those present were second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters, or at the very least, third-rank Youyi Daoist masters. Thus, Yao Pei certainly did not stand out in terms of rank or status, yet she maintained a distance from everyone. Compared to Zhang Yuelu, who at least had someone accompanying her, Yao Pei seemed more like one who stood apart from the world.

However, Yao Pei seemed to enjoy this solitude, drinking alone and finding her own pleasure in it.

In the short span of the mingling session, Zhang Yuelu had already consumed at least one bottle of white wine, half a jar of yellow rice wine, and a cup ofbaijiu. An ordinary woman would be utterly drunk by now, clinging to Qi Xuansu for support. However, even without using her cultivation to dispel the effects, Zhang Yuelu remained bright-eyed and sharp, showing not the slightest hint of intoxication.

There was little to say about the main dinner itself. Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were seated at the far end of the long table, far from the Imperial Preceptor. Li Changge and Yao Pei were no exceptions either. They were arranged opposite Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

During the post-dinner reception, Qi Xuansu mingled with Li Changge and others, while Zhang Yuelu, Yao Pei, and Li Zhuyu gathered together. In truth, there was little serious business to discuss. After all, they were all from different sects with different allegiances, and thus, they had no common ground for deep discussions. They merely exchanged trivial anecdotes.

However, the others, including the senior figures of the Chancellor's Office, gathered in groups of three to five within various smaller rooms, thick tobacco smoke enveloping them. From time to time, one would emerge with the stench of smoke, only to move on to the next circle.

Servers bustled back and forth, carrying all types of wines and other necessary items.

At this time, the Imperial Preceptor and Sage Qingwei also held a private conversation.

The two sat on Western-style sofas, facing each other across a coffee table.

"Wugou, I came here this time not because I distrust you, but as a precaution." The Imperial Preceptor leaned back against his chair. "They all say that war is the continuation of politics, but they fail to realize that to achieve the ultimate strategic goal, it is still the outcome of war that matters. Once war begins, it inevitably follows its own logic and rules. No one can defy it, nor will it bend to the will of a single man. It only changes through concrete actions. War is not a horse that can be tamed and ridden at will. It will not acknowledge notions of right and wrong or of positions and stances. One careless move is all it takes to suffer a bitter defeat and a tragic death."

Sage Qingwei was silent for a moment. "Imperial Preceptor, do you mean that in the final battle, there will be no more holding back?"

The Imperial Preceptor replied calmly, "By adhering to the objective laws of war, what we want is the result."