Chapter 1004: Lan Hexu

Chapter 1004: Lan Hexu

When Qi Xuansu first went to the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, he was merely a superintendent. Even the lowest-ranking Deputy Mansion Master outranked him. Later, in the Ziwei Hall, he was the lowest-ranking Deputy Hall Master, hardly someone with a voice of authority.

But this time was different. Within the Poluo Daoist Mansion, Qi Xuansu now ranked fourth, a position comparable to Li Tiangang of the Fenglin Daoist Mansion. Only three figures were above him—Great Sage Lan Hexu, Sage Wang Jiaohe, and Chief Deputy Chen Shuhua. There was also a first-rank Spirit Guard, but he was placed beneath Qi Xuansu in the official order since Spirit Guards were not considered Daoist priests and had a ranking system of their own.

Upon arrival, the first task was to introduce Qi Xuansu to everyone, and the second was to introduce everyone to him. The welcoming ceremony’s real purpose was to break the ice between both sides. Of course, if a Zhang family scion were sent to Wuzhou Daoist Mansion or a Li family descendant were appointed to Qizhou Daoist Mansion, the reception would be entirely different.

Yao Shu, in his capacity as the Chief Deputy Ziwei Hall Master, formally represented the Golden Tower Council and announced Qi Xuansu’s appointment. “From this day forth, Qi Xuansu shall serve as the Acting Second Deputy Mansion Master of the Poluo Daoist Mansion.”

Then, Great Sage Lan Hexu personally introduced Qi Xuansu to the other Mansion Master and the other eight Deputies.

Among the seven Virtuous Great Sages, three belonged to each of the major sects, while the remaining four were neutral mediators. Of these, the Taiping Sect was represented by Zhang Qihan of the Fenglin Daoist Mansion, and Lan Hexu stood as the representative of the Quanzhen Sect.

From his name, Qi Xuansu knew that he was a sixth-generation disciple, the same generation as the three Deputy Grand Masters. To the eighth-generation disciples, he was like a grandfather, and to the ninth generation, he was nothing short of an ancestor.

His last name, Lan, was uncommon among Daoists, since it was not one of the noble families. However, its ancestry could be traced back to one of the original 36 Omniscient Sages, who was from the Ancient Gezao Sect.

Back when the Golden Horde conquered the Central Plains, chaos swept the land. Cities burned, fields withered, and the ghostly world thrived amid death and ruin. The Gezao Sect established a vast Ghost Kingdom within Beimang Mountain, seeking to unify all Daoist sects by force. This provoked an alliance of other Daoist factions who stormed Beimang Mountain.

At first, the Gezao Sect held its ground, but when the Golden Horde withdrew and order returned under the Wei Dynasty, the human world flourished again, while the ghostly world waned. The Gezao Sect was destroyed almost entirely, leaving only a few remnant branches scattered abroad.

One branch fled north to the Golden Horde, merging with the Shamanistic Sect. Another migrated east to Fenglin, blending into the Onmyodo. The other journeyed south to Shakya, where it merged partially with the local Buddhist Sect.

Elder Lan hailed from that southern branch, cultivating both Buddhism and Daoism. However, unlike the Cihang lineage, which sought a synthesis of the Three Religions, Elder Lan specialized in more macabre arts involving white bones; hence, he carried a grim aura.

Lan Hexu was a descendant of Elder Lan. Like the Lis and Zhangs, the Lan family had also preserved a vast treasury of ancestral techniques and insights, passed down through the generations.

Before coming here, Qi Xuansu had already done his homework. At this moment, all he needed to do was match each name to a face.

That said, it was highly unusual for every official beneath the Great Sage to be present for the installation of an Acting Second Deputy. This was a rare show of formality and respect.

The brief welcoming ceremony was presided over by Great Sage Lan Hexu. After the formal announcement of Qi Xuansu’s appointment, the new Acting Second Deputy gave a short inaugural speech, akin to an oath of office.

Lan Hexu then personally introduced him to his new colleagues, and afterward, the welcome banquet commenced.

Those qualified to attend were all Daoists who had transcended the need for ordinary food. Thus, dining was not about sustenance, but about ritual. More importantly, it was for networking.

As the banquet drew to an end, Sage Wang Jiaohe was the first to excuse himself, citing urgent matters.

From start to finish, Wang Jiaohe’s demeanor had been lukewarm, almost detached. He had barely spoken a word throughout, which was unusual given his position as one of the Poluo Mansion Masters.

The exact nature of Qi Xuansu’s assignment was known to only a handful, namely, the Earthly Preceptor, Heavenly Preceptor, Sage Donghua, Sage Cihang, Great Sage Lan Hexu, as well as Qi Xuansu himself and Gong Jiaojun. Of course, Gong Jiaojun would never leak such matters, as doing so would mean cutting himself off from Sage Donghua and destroying his own career.

Most observant people could only speculate vaguely that the Quanzhen Sect intended to make some adjustments within the Poluo Daoist Mansion, which meant that some people would be implicated. However, no one knew just how far those adjustments would go.

Shaking things up could mean killing a few small fry to make an example to the masses or even uprooting the entire Wang family. The difference between the two was enormous.

Yet few believed that the Quanzhen Sect would truly go as far as to eradicate the Wang family because it would involve an Omniscient Sage. Most assumed this was just a warning strike, not an extermination.

As one of the Poluo Mansion Masters, Wang Jiaohe had certainly caught some rumors. He was also aware of the feud between Wang Danqing and Qi Xuansu. So naturally, he showed no warmth toward Qi Xuansu.

However, Wang Jiaohe also did not believe the Golden Tower Council had truly decided on a purge. To him, Qi Xuansu’s conflict with the Wang family was no secret. Sending Qi Xuansu here as a Second Deputy was likely a political gesture, meant to irritate and monitor him, to prevent any collusion while simultaneously signaling the Golden Tower Council’s displeasure.

If the Golden Tower Council truly intended to make a move, past cases dictated that Wang Jiaohe be transferred to Jade Capital as a Hall Master. This was the classic move of luring the tiger away from the mountain. Once separated from the Wang family and isolated in Jade Capital, his family in Poluo would become leaderless, paving the way for a new Mansion Master to systematically dismantle their network. But since the Golden Tower Council had not done this, it seemed they did not plan to go to such extremes.

The other Mansion Master, Great Sage Lan Hexu, was an elderly with limited years left in this world. He showed little interest in mundane affairs and was mostly a hands-off figurehead.

What Wang Jiaohe could not foresee was that the Golden Tower Council was deliberately doing the opposite to trick the Wang family into complacency.

When the banquet finally ended, Great Sage Lan Hexu instructed, “Chief Deputy Chen, please show Chief Deputy Yao to his quarters in my stead.”

He then turned to Qi Xuansu and said, “Second Deputy Qi, come with me.”

Qi Xuansu was not the one leading this operation. His role was to assist and coordinate with this Virtuous Great Sage. Therefore, it was essential for the two of them to have a private discussion.

However, in the eyes of outsiders, it looked more like Wang Jiaohe had walked out first, leaving behind a mess and forcing the normally detached Great Sage Lan Hexu to step in personally.

After all, Chen Shuhua was equal in rank to Qi Xuansu as a Deputy Mansion Master. Neither held true authority over the other.

The Sheji Palace was divided into five main sections, once aligned with Confucian virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, faith, and wisdom. However, it was now restructured to match the Five Elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. This was part of the de-Confucianization process to assert Daoism’s independence.

Entering through the main gate led directly to the Earth Palace, the central element among the five. It was solemn and dignified, yet otherwise unremarkable and indistinguishable from countless Daoist Palaces across the realm.

At this moment, Great Sage Lan Hexu was leading Qi Xuansu toward the Water Palace.

Upon entering the Water Palace, all Qi Xuansu could see was a vast lake. It was summer, and countless lotus blossoms were in full bloom. Winding covered walkways stretched across the lake, leading toward its center, where a cluster of structures floated upon the water’s surface. All around were waterside pavilions and buildings.

Lan Hexu walked ahead, explaining, “Second Deputy Qi, you and I will both be stationed here in the Water Palace. Sage Wang and Chief Deputy Chen would be in the Fire Palace.”

Qi Xuansu’s heart stirred slightly at the symbolism. Water and fire were opposites, inherently incompatible. This arrangement was indeed interesting.

The two men crossed the winding corridors and entered the main palace. Lan Hexu went straight toward his office.

Since the fifth-generation Grand Master’s reforms, all Daoist office chambers shared a standardized layout. However, Poluo’s version bore some distinctions. As an important hub of East-West maritime trade, it combined Central Plains architecture with local features and even a touch of Western influence.

Lan Hexu did not head to his study. Instead, he settled in the sitting room, which contained a tea table and a set of Western-style sofas. He raised a hand and pointed to the seat across from him. “Tian Yuan, sit.”

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Earlier, when they were in public, Lan Hexu had addressed him formally, as Second Deputy Qi. Now, in private, he switched to using Qi Xuansu’s courtesy name, Tian Yuan, signaling a more personal tone.

As Qi Xuansu sat down. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Lan Hexu went straight to the point. “Tian Yuan, your post as the Second Deputy Mansion Master will not be an easy one. You are a thorn in their eyes and a nail in their flesh. So, you must be prepared.”

Qi Xuansu immediately replied, “I’ve just arrived and am unfamiliar with the situation, so I was hoping for your guidance, Great Sage.”

Between superior and subordinate, the superior might be approachable, but the subordinate must never forget the hierarchy. Though Lan Hexu addressed Qi Xuansu by his courtesy name to show goodwill, Qi Xuansu understood that it did not mean they were equals or friends.

Lan Hexu said, “The reason you’ve been sent to the Poluo Daoist Mansion may seem like there are many layers to it. But in truth, there’s only one real reason, which rests on one key element.”

They were inside Lan Hexu’s office, equipped with privacy barriers, so there was no risk of their conversation being overheard.

Qi Xuansu nodded. “You’re absolutely right, Great Sage. In your view, where does that key point lie?”

Lan Hexu did not beat around the bush. “It lies within the Sheji Palace—Sage Wang Jiaohe.”

Of course, Qi Xuansu knew this already. If not for Wang Jiaohe, he likely would not have been sent to Poluo at all.

Lan Hexu continued, “The challenge is that the Daoist Order cannot kill without first teaching the Way, nor can we punish without cause. Last time, Sage Donghua summoned Wang Jiaohe to Jade Capital, which was already a warning. But Wang Jiaohe remained obstinate. So this isn’t a case of punishment without first teaching. Even if the Daoist Order decides to make a move, we must stand firm in righteousness and law, with reasons enough to convince others. That requires solid evidence, which leads to a problem.

“If we wait until the Wang family actually does something, it will already be too late. The consequences will be severe, and the damage significant. But to prevent trouble before it happens, it’s difficult to gather significant evidence.”