Chapter 997: Chaos

Chapter 997: Chaos

It could not be denied that the Wang family had rendered great service in establishing the Poluo Daoist Mansion, but the Daoist Order was not the Imperial Court, so they could not grant the Wang family a hereditary title to rule Poluo forever. Such a practice ran contrary to the Daoist Order’s philosophy.

Of course, this was a double standard, because one could insist on bringing up the Li family’s rule in Qizhou and the Zhang family’s rule in Wuzhou. One could question why the Li and Zhang families were considered representations of the Daoist Order. But this was a taboo subject.

Both Qizhou and Wuzhou were within the Central Plains, where the Daoist Order’s power was absolute, leaving no room for secession or self-rule. In contrast, Poluo was isolated overseas, where the Daoist Order’s control was weaker. Thus, vigilance was necessary.

To put it more bluntly, the Li and Zhang families had invested heavily into the Daoist Order before it was even formed. They already possessed immense strength before the Holy Xuan rebuilt the Daoist Order. Even without the Order, they were already regional overlords. Like the imperial family of the Great Xuan Dynasty, they were original shareholders in the Daoist Order’s reconstruction. The first three Deputy Grand Masters of the Order all came from these three houses. Without their support, the Holy Xuan would have found it nearly impossible to restore order, so he had no choice but to compromise.

From this perspective, the Yao family had always been somewhat weaker, unable to dominate the Quanzhen Sect in the same way that the Zhang family controlled the Zhengyi Sect and the Li family controlled the Taiping Sect.

In the eyes of the Zhang and Li families, the Yao family had at least contributed to the Daoist Order’s revitalization back then. But the Wang family were latecomers, building their success on the Daoist Order’s existing foundation. How could they possibly be compared with the old, established houses?

Sage Cihang had already made things clear to Qi Xuansu.

If the Earthly Preceptor wanted to take action against the Wang family, he had to first be on the same page with the Heavenly Preceptor, who readily agreed. The Imperial Preceptor’s reach did not extend so far, and moreover, this concerned the internal structure of the Daoist Order, so he could not openly oppose it.

This was factionalism, a split within the Daoist Order.

Of course, there was an unspoken pact among the Zhang, Li, and Yao families to join forces when necessary to crush rising powers so that they could continue to dominate the Daoist Order.

It was like the parliament of the Lune Kingdom, where two major parties alternated in power, battling openly and covertly. However, their greatest tacit understanding was to jointly suppress the rise of any third party. The same principle applied here.

The three families did not bother to conceal their double standard, nor did they pretend to be saints. For them, absolute power that spoke for itself was the only thing that mattered.

The Daoist Order had never been a place of pure radiance. It was much like the yin-yang symbol, black and white with a speck of white within the black and a speck of black within the white.

Qi Xuansu was no longer the idealistic, hot-blooded youth he once was, so none of this surprised him anymore.

In his view, both the Zhang and Li families were still acceptable. At the very least, they pursued real benefits rather than empty fame. Their demand for reputation was due to them wanting to produce the next ruler of the Daoist Order.

What was most dangerous were those who sought both fame and profit, who wanted to seize all benefits in their hands while also coveting the title of a saint. The Confucian scholars of the past were exactly this type, saying all the fine words yet committing all manner of vile deeds. They spoke of loyalty to the sovereign, but behind the scenes, they murdered the emperor.

But whether it was the Confucian School or the Daoist Order, both faced the same problem. When a forest grew large enough, all kinds of birds gathered. Once one became the master of the world, it was inevitable that the ranks would be filled with people of mixed quality. Many opportunists would find ways to infiltrate, and gradually indolence would spread. The few lazy ones would grow into a majority until laziness became the trend. Though competent individuals might exist, it could not reverse the tide, or remedy the decay. Driven by ambition and the lust for achievement, factions would rise and fight each other. When talent became depleted and responses grew strained, the situation inevitably became complex.

Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a surge of emotions.

He was caught within this surging tide. Where should he go? Should he drift with the current, or struggle against it?

Sage Cihang spoke with Qi Xuansu for about an hour, but did not demand that he accomplish some specific mission. It was more like laying the groundwork for him so that he could understand the bigger picture. That way, he would have a sense of what to do.

At the same time, Sage Cihang highlighted the complexity of the environment Qi Xuansu would face. It was far more complicated than either the Imperial Capital or Fenglin. After all, Fenglin involved just three factions—the Daoist Order, the Sonno-joi faction, and the neutral faction. The Imperial Capital was roughly the same, with only some degree of intermingling between sides.

But Poluo was far from simple. Externally, the Holy Court kept a covetous eye on Poluo. At sea, there was the Heavenly Court. On land, apart from the royal families of the local kingdoms, there were countless regional overlords of the native tribes. Add to that the secret societies and Buddhist Sect that had come from the Central Plains. The place was nothing but a tangled mess.

In comparison, the Fenglin Daoist Mansion was still united from top to bottom, with no Sonno-joi faction infiltrating within. But the Poluo Daoist Mansion was not so monolithic. In addition to dealing with external troubles, it also had to internally purge the entrenched Wang family’s influence. There would be fighting both internally and externally.

This would be no small test for Qi Xuansu. If he succeeded, it would prove that he was competent. He was not some pampered scion rising only by the protection of his elders. If he failed, the Earthly Preceptor and Sage Donghua would inevitably be disappointed. Qi Xuansu’s career in the Daoist Order would not end there, but they would surely lessen their support for him, and the Zhang family would have their own reaction as well.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Thus, Qi Xuansu was under considerable pressure.

Sage Cihang had mentioned Madam Qi and the Eight Tribes because she was looking out for him as her future son-in-law. It was an implicit reminder to Qi Xuansu that if he encountered problems he could not resolve, he could turn to Madam Qi for help since that mysterious woman had her own network of influence there.

What was strange was that Madam Qi herself never mentioned it. Instead, it was Sage Cihang who reminded Qi Xuansu. The one who could help stayed silent, while the one who spoke would not help him. Who knew what these two powerful women had discussed in private?

Qi Xuansu took his leave from Tiangang Hall and went off to attend Lei Xiaohuan’s farewell banquet.

Lei Xiaohuan was leaving Jade Capital today, and Qi Xuansu had to see her off.

The fact that Lei Xiaohuan was asked to join the joint council when she was about to depart for her new post was something Qi Xuansu found puzzling initially. But on second thought, she was probably included in the Deputy Mansion Masters that had special clearance to join this mission, like him.

On a personal level, Lei Xiaohuan had shown much care for Qi Xuansu in the past. She was a woman of genuine character, so Qi Xuansu had a good relationship with her and was wholeheartedly willing to see her off as a show of respect.

When he arrived at the private room in Phoenix Tower, there were only a little over ten people. Some were familiar with Qi Xuansu. Quite a few, like him, had come straight here after the joint council. But since Sage Cihang had retained him after the meeting, Qi Xuansu was the last to arrive.

Qi Xuansu apologized and sat in the only vacant seat, right next to the host, Lei Xiaohuan. On his right was a Daoist priestess he did not know. She appeared to be in her thirties. Unlike Zhang Yuelu’s phoenix eyes, this woman had alluring eyes that were brimming with charm. When she blinked, a gleam rippled within them. Though she was clearly older than Qi Xuansu, she still carried a hint of girlish demeanor.

The two were forced to introduce themselves. In truth, Qi Xuansu hardly needed an introduction. After all he had been through, he was already something of a celebrity, though not as legendary as Zhang Yuelu. Barely anyone in the Daoist community had not heard of him.

The woman sitting beside Qi Xuansu was also Qi. But she was Qi Muyu, from the Qi family of Shuzhou.

Since they shared the same last name, Qi Muyu took the chance to joke, “So that makes us family, right, Deputy Hall Master Qi? Shouldn’t you call me ‘Elder Sister?’”

Qi Xuansu thought to himself,

How absurd.

He was always extremely cautious about relationships and disliked the way others called each other brothers or sisters so easily. He would also never casually acknowledge someone as an elder or younger sibling. Even with Little Yin, with whom he had real affinity, he never addressed her as “Little Sister.”

Moreover, he disliked flattering women. Even with Zhang Yuelu and Madam Qi, the rare compliments he gave were tinged with a teasing tone. Most of the time, when dealing with women with whom he had no connection with, he kept his face stern and his words blunt. This was why some would consider Qi Xuansu detestable.

His harsh disposition made it easy to provoke enmities. Yue Liuli was one such case, which nearly cost Qi Xuansu his life. So after that ordeal, Qi Xuansu had learned his lesson. No matter what he thought, he would always keep a polite facade.

So, he simply said, “I wouldn’t dare.”

Qi Muyu laughed and teased, “What’s there to fear? It’s not as though I’m asking you to be my elder brother.”

Qi Xuansu found it utterly distasteful, yet still forced himself to reply, “If word got out, people would think I was seeking to join the Qi family’s registry. So I dare not be so presumptuous.”

“Tian Yuan, you’re blowing things out of proportion! If you truly had such intentions, my elder brother would probably wake up laughing in his sleep. These days, so many people have asked me if you were from my family. I really wish I could say yes, but unfortunately, we’re not blood related.” Qi Muyu giggled as she spoke.

Without even asking for his consent, Qi Muyu had already switched her form of address from “Deputy Hall Master Qi” to simply “Tian Yuan.”

Moreover, Qi Muyu kept speaking in a voice far too youthful for her age. If one closed their eyes, they might have thought she was a young girl chattering away. The others present played along and laughed heartily, egging her on with a touch of mischief.

A flicker of irritation flashed in Qi Xuansu’s eyes, not because of how she addressed him, but because of Qi Muyu’s lack of restraint and disregard for boundaries. What irked him even more was that she seemed to be doing it deliberately, intentionally teasing Qi Xuansu in front of a crowd.

Unfortunately for her, Qi Xuansu was not the sort of man to accept whatever was thrown his way. He did not fall for such tricks. More often than not, he preferred to keep his distance from these women.

One could hardly blame him. After all, he had been surrounded by women—mother, wife, two mothers-in-law, and several female friends—who were not easy to deal with. So he would hardly wish to entangle himself with yet another complex creature.

Sensing the tension, Lei Xiaohuan stepped in to help Qi Xuansu out. “Alright, that’s enough, lest this reaches Deputy Hall Master Zhang’s ears. She isn’t one to take things lightly.”

Qi Muyu was not the least bit intimidated by Lei Xiaohuan. “What did I do? I only mentioned being siblings, not becoming Daoist companions. Even if Deputy Hall Master Zhang is bossy, she can’t possibly manage something so trivial, can she?”

Qi Xuansu calmed himself slightly. He finally realized that Qi Muyu had come to this banquet to target him in particular.