Chapter 1097: Surreal

The history of the Qingping Society went back a long way, even earlier than the Holy Xuan’s revitalization of the Daoist Order. Back then, the Daoist Order was fractured into countless pieces, while the Confucian School was the ruler of the world. It maintained equilibrium by exploiting the conflicts among the Daoist sects. Thus, during that era, the Qingping Society became a secret organization that opposed the Confucian School and the Wei Dynasty.

The Taiping Inn and the Qingping Society were originally one entity. The Qingping Society was the core, while the Taiping Inn was the periphery. Both were established by the Holy Xuan and later dissolved by him.

Before the Holy Xuan passed away, some people had already reformed the Taiping Inn and simply renamed it The Inn. It was no longer tied to the Qingping Society. Instead, The Inn was closely affiliated with the Green Phoenix Guard.

After the Holy Xuan’s passing, the third Earthly Preceptor rebuilt the Qingping Society.

After the Daoist Order was restored, the first Earthly Preceptor was Shangguan Wan, the second was Elder Yao. From Elder Yao onward, the position of Earthly Preceptor remained firmly in the Yao family, marking it as the third greatest Daoist family after the Zhangs and Lis.

Across all three sects, the Holy Xuan Era was the only time when all Deputy Grand Masters were not from the Zhang, Li, or Yao families.

Even during the tenure of the fifth-generation Grand Master, when he replaced all three Deputy Grand Masters, the replacements were still drawn from the three great families, young members of the Zhangs, Lis, and Yaos replacing their elders. It was just like how Zhang Yuelu could replace Zhang Jucheng or Li Changge could replace Li Wugou. The Heavenly Preceptor remained a Zhang, and the Imperial Preceptor remained a Li.

That was because this was the only way to minimize resistance within the Three Sects. Even the three replaced Deputy Grand Masters had little will to resist, ultimately choosing to yield their personal interests for the benefit of their families.

Had the fifth-generation Grand Master attempted to replace the three Deputy Grand Masters with outsiders, it would not have been so easy. To put it bluntly, those three would never have stepped down quietly, and the fifth-generation Grand Master might end up getting deposed himself.

From then on, an unwritten rule formed within the Daoist Order. Only families capable of holding one of the Three Deputy Grand Master positions for generations could be considered true elite clans; hence, the structure of the Three Great Daoist Families was established.

However, in this seventh generation, the Zhang family was running thin on descendants, and it appeared likely that a second non-Zhang Heavenly Preceptor would arise, namely, Sage Cihang.

It was the same for the Yao family. If Sage Donghua failed to win the Grand Master position, he would almost certainly assume the Earthly Preceptor’s seat.

Overall, the Daoist Order’s internal hierarchy had become increasingly rigid. Though not hereditary in name, this concept had strayed far from the Holy Xuan’s original intent.

There was no way to truly eradicate it, because such rigidity stemmed from human nature itself. The Confucian School understood this and tried to reform people at the root, hoping to establish order through etiquette. That way, everyone knew propriety and could exist in harmony.

Thousands of years passed, yet the harmony that Confucians longed for was neither visible nor even remotely within reach.

After the third Earthly Preceptor rebuilt the Qingping Society, its structure remained the same, but its nature had already shifted. In practice, the Qingping Society had become the private army of the Quanzhen Sect, much like how the Heavenly Court served as the private army of the Taiping Sect.

Due to this, the leader of the Qingping Society became a critical figure, a counterpart to Golden Patriarch of the Heavenly Court. This meant that the Head of the Qingping Society was highly likely to be an Immortal.

A supporting clue was the dream meeting. When Qi Xuansu entered the Heavenly Empress’s Dragon Palace, it materialized into physical form, just like the dream meeting, making it indistinguishable from the real world.

This made Qi Xuansu increasingly suspect that the dream meeting was actually a special kind of divine kingdom, and the ritual to enter it resembled a form of worship. If this speculation were true, then the never-present Head of the Qingping Society was most likely a true Immortal.

However, this Head of Society seemed to be under certain constraints. Or perhaps, as Madam Qi suggested, he or she was in deep slumber. Thus, they never revealed themselves or intervened, even when a high-ranking subordinate, Drenched Green Robes, was assassinated by The Inn.

Perhaps their hundred-year term in the mortal realm had passed, so they could only reside within their divine kingdom.

Of course, this was just speculation, not a confirmed fact. Whether the Head of the Qingping Society was truly an Immortal was something only the Earthly Preceptor and Madam Qi might know.

Qi Xuansu originally intended to ask Madam Qi, but a series of events unfolded, like Chen Shuhua’s betrayal and the divine descent of True Lord Siming. Thus, he had no chance to question her. By the time the chaos ended, he had fainted, and when he finally woke again, Madam Qi had already departed.

However, the conversation between Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu further supported Qi Xuansu’s suspicions.

Qi Xuansu could not help but wonder if Madam Qi left him some tremendous opportunity that was connected to the Head of the Qingping Society, something only transmissible to its members. Was this why she insisted on keeping him within the Society?

Although this trope was somewhat cliché, Qi Xuansu did not mind a fortuitous encounter.

But knowing Madam Qi, things were almost certainly not so simple. She always had a new trick up her sleeve.

Qi Xuansu decided to set this topic aside for now and asked, “Oh, you mentioned a special envoy from the Golden Tower Council. Who is it this time? Do I know them?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “Well...an old acquaintance, I suppose. We once worked together, though the process and the outcome were less than ideal.”

Qi Xuansu noted her use of the word “we” and rapidly searched his memories. Before coming to Poluo, he had spent nearly all his time with Zhang Yuelu, so if things had gone poorly, it could only refer to the second Jiangnan case in Jinling Prefecture. However, the seven-person investigative team from that case covered a wide range of people.

Zhang Yuelu added, “I’ll give you another hint. It’s someone from the Taiping Sect, but not from the Li family.”

Qi Xuansu immediately had a candidate in mind. “Lu Yushu?”

“Yes.” Zhang Yuelu nodded. “Now that the Imperial Preceptor is in charge, it’s perfectly reasonable to use someone from the Taiping Sect.”

After everything he had been through, Qi Xuansu naturally tended to think one layer deeper. His thoughts immediately linked to Lu Yuting beside him, as the two women were cousins.

But Qi Xuansu said nothing more. There was no need to make Zhang Yuelu worry. He could handle it himself. So he simply asked, “Where is the envoy?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “She’s waiting for you. All arrangements regarding the Daoist Mansion were settled while you were unconscious. Officially, nothing severe was done to Wang Jiaohe due to insufficient evidence. So he was merely reprimanded and recorded with a demerit. It’s a form of appeasement. Right now, Wang Jiaohe still hopes to get through this unscathed. As long as he clings to that hope, he won’t dare act rashly. We must prevent him from lashing out like a cornered dog, so for now, nothing more will be done to him.”

Qi Xuansu nodded in understanding.

Handling an Omniscient Sage required the public’s acceptance so as to maintain the Daoist Order’s dignity and credibility. In short, one needed solid evidence.

This time, Wang Jiaohe not only failed to aid Chen Shuhua but even attacked her at the crucial moment—a clear act of distancing himself. He could be faulted for negligence, but with Great Sage Lan holding the highest authority in the Poluo Daoist Mansion, it made the situation tricky. Moreover, Wang Jiaohe’s negligence alone was not enough to bring him down.

That was because the Mansion Master did not hold supervisory responsibilities, as it was the role of the Second Deputy Mansion Master.

The Daoist Mansion’s tripartite power structure was to ensure checks and balances. If the top authority also held supervisory power, it would create a power imbalance and allow the Mansion Master to investigate, judge, and sentence alone, hence destroying the entire system.

As the Second Deputy, Qi Xuansu had fulfilled his duties. He had exercised his right to supervise the Chief Deputy and Mansion Master, which was how he had exposed Chen Shuhua’s plot. The key was that Chen Shuhua had schemed in Poluo for many years, long before Qi Xuansu arrived, so no one could blame him for events before his tenure.

As expected, Zhang Yuelu continued. “There must always be someone held accountable. Normally, the Great Sage would never be held responsible, especially after he shattered the divine vessels of two Ancient Immortals. The Golden Tower Council still needs to reward and commend him. Since Wang Jiaohe only received a reprimand, and you achieved merit, the main responsibility falls on the former Second Deputy Mansion Master. This isn’t unjust, as he spent years in Poluo accomplishing nothing. Instead, he even became a puppet for Wang Jiaohe and Chen Shuhua once they held leverage over him, which caused the current chaos. It’s simply consequences catching up to him.”

Qi Xuansu was not surprised.

When the Golden Tower Council handled matters, justice, rules, and appearances were secondary. The primary concern was balance, maintaining the equilibrium of the power structure. The former Second Deputy Mansion Master was the perfect scapegoat, who was hardly innocent to begin with.

This time, the blame for Chen Shuhua’s defection was placed on Qi Xuansu’s predecessor. On the surface, the matter ended there. It was a gesture meant to soothe Wang Jiaohe. If they wished to bring Wang Jiaohe down later, they would need to pursue a different approach.

However, Wang Jiaohe’s faction was greatly impacted by Chen Shuhua’s betrayal. Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu would rise further. The balance between offense and defense had completely shifted.

Qi Xuansu finally asked, “Then what arrangements have been made for me?”

Zhang Yuelu smiled faintly. “Congratulations.”

Qi Xuansu’s heart stirred. He already had a guess, though he pretended not to. “What am I being congratulated for?”

Zhang Yuelu did not expose him and played along instead. “Congratulations on becoming the youngest second-rank Taiyi Daoist master! My second rank is merely attached to my post as Second Deputy.”

Although Qi Xuansu had anticipated it, he still froze for a moment when he heard the words.

His long-held aspiration was fulfilled, just like that. It felt surreal that he could finally carry the Sword of Wisdom.