Chapter 1124: Arrival of the Great Sage

Though Qi Xuansu suffered severe damage to his cultivation from the backlash of the Scripture of Zuriel, there was a silver lining—his processing of the Xuan Jade accelerated. The power that had previously accumulated within him was now being used to fill the void left behind.

Qi Xuansu estimated that once his injuries healed, he would be able to absorb new Xuan Jades. As he advanced further, his demand for Xuan Jades would only increase. With his current cultivation, he would likely need two more high-grade pieces to reach the Zaohua stage. Moreover, it would be ideal if they were varieties other than the Xuan Jade of Life so that his development could be more balanced.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu was not lacking in divine power. Last time, he had drawn 10,000 marks of divine power from the Daoist Mansion to deal with True Lord Siming’s divine descent. After the various expenditures, about half remained. The Golden Tower Council did not punish him for using it without authorization. Rather, they allowed him to keep the remainder for emergencies as an indirect form of reward.

Thus, although Qi Xuansu had little personal wealth, he hardly needed to spend on anything. The Daoist Order covered most necessities.

But Qi Xuansu’s easy days did not last. Soon, the Golden Tower Council summoned him back to Thanglong Prefecture’s Sheji Palace to prepare for the arrival of a pursuit team dispatched from the Jade Capital.

This team, led by a Virtuous Great Sage, consisted of several high-profile individuals, including first-rank Spirit Guards and Zaohua-stage Heavenly Beings.

The leading Virtuous Great Sage was Jiang Hedao, who did not belong to any of the three major sects. Rather, he was part of the Grand Master lineage and served as the Zixiao Palace Master.

Though the sixth-generation Grand Master’s legacy and the current vacancy of the position had weakened the Zixiao Palace’s influence so that it was no longer able to rival the Golden Tower Council, it remained the foremost among the Daoist Palaces. It outranked the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, the Chongyang Palace of Immortality, the Shangqing Palace, and the Qingling Palace.

Without a Grand Master, the current Zixiao Palace Master was no longer the Grand Master’s chief secretary. Instead, he functioned more like a crisis troubleshooter, sent wherever trouble appeared. If the world were peaceful, he would be idle.

Now that trouble had erupted in Poluo, and Chen Shuhua was still at large, Great Sage Jiang had to intervene.

Thus, Qi Xuansu had to hurry back to receive him.

This was not Qi Xuansu’s first time meeting Great Sage Jiang. Last time, it was at the Penglai Pool in the Imperial Capital. But back then, Qi Xuansu was as good as a Daoist attendant. At least now, he stood in a position similar to Shi Bingyun.

Due to special circumstances, Xie Jiaofeng did not need to return and remained in Lion City.

Since Qi Xuansu had to return to Thanglong Prefecture temporarily, someone had to oversee Lion City. As soon as Chief Deputy Qi left, Second Deputy Zhang appeared out of nowhere.

Xie Jiaofeng had long known that Second Deputy Zhang had come to Nanyang to investigate, but he had not expected her to be right under his nose the entire time.

Logically speaking, Second Deputy Zhang had no authority over him, as they belonged to different Daoist Mansions. But things were not so simple. Putting aside the immense power of the Zhang family, which few dared to offend, Xie Jiaofeng knew about the relationship between Chief Deputy Qi and Second Deputy Zhang.

Of course, this arrangement was out of the ordinary. But Qi Xuansu truly could not trust the unreliable Xie Jiaofeng. If trouble broke out in Lion City while he was away, Xie Jiaofeng would be as good as useless. But Zhang Yuelu was reliable.

Qi Xuansu would not cling to procedure at extraordinary times. Besides, Zhang Yuelu would not give formal orders. She would merely offer guidance, and Xie Jiaofeng would issue the commands. Xie Jiaofeng could also choose not to listen, but that depended on whether he had the courage.

Qi Xuansu returned to Thanglong Prefecture one day before Great Sage Jiang’s arrival, and Xu Jiaorong personally came to receive him.

After boarding the carriage, Qi Xuansu asked, “Second Deputy Xu, is there anything major happening in Thanglong Prefecture lately?”

“Everything is fine,” Xu Jiaorong replied, seated across from him. “There’s little left to be done here. Princess Furui has become the new Queen, and Mansion Master Wang is keeping his distance, rarely interfering with anything. The real trouble is in Lion City. I’ve heard about the riot. You’ve had it worse.”

Qi Xuansu closed his eyes. “It’s nothing. No matter how many fronts they come at us from, we just need to advance on one. As long as we keep tightening our grip on the Nanyang United Trading Company, they’ll eventually fail to hold.”

Xu Jiaorong did not pursue the topic further. Instead, she looked at Chen Jianchou, who had followed Qi Xuansu. “I hope Chou Zheng hasn’t caused you any trouble, Chief Deputy Qi.”

Qi Xuansu smiled. “Not at all. He’s doing well. Now, it’s just a matter of waiting for the August examination.”

The carriage proceeded smoothly without ambushes. Soon, they arrived at the Sheji Palace.

Qi Xuansu’s office had now been moved to the Fire Palace, which previously belonged to Chen Shuhua. Meanwhile, Xu Jiaorong had taken over Qi Xuansu’s former office in the Water Palace.

Qi Xuansu motioned for Chen Jianchou to accompany Xu Jiaorong to the Water Palace so that the mother and son could speak privately. As a former secretary herself, Xu Jiaorong also would have much practical guidance to impart.

The Fire Palace felt unfamiliar to Qi Xuansu. It was essentially Wang Jiaohe’s territory. However, Wang Jiaohe was away for now. Once Qi Xuansu stepped inside, the entire palace fell silent. No one dared stand in his way or offend him, especially those who had served under Chen Shuhua. Though many had been punished due to their involvement in Chen Shuhua’s rebellion, those who remained were cautious and fearful, as they were uncertain of their fate. After all, it would be all too easy for Qi Xuansu to reopen Chen Shuhua’s accounts and purge them. Thus, none dared to act defiant.

Qi Xuansu entered the office and summoned the Chief and Deputy Superintendents. “How are the preparations for receiving Great Sage Jiang and his group coming along?”

The two superintendents reported, “Everything is ready. There are clear standards for receiving a Virtuous Great Sage, and we have arranged everything at the highest level.”

Qi Xuansu recalled the previous reception for Yao Pei and added, “Don’t assign Daoist children again, especially the young ones. In this sweltering heat, making a group of kids who aren’t Xiantian Beings stand around is pointless.”

The two superintendents acknowledged the order.

Early the next morning, all personnel responsible for the reception had gathered. Besides the Mansion Master, Chief Deputy, and Second Deputy, four Deputy Mansion Masters arrived, as did two first-rank Spirit Guards, three Deputy Palace Masters, the superintendents of each division, and Yao Pei.

This scene was far grander than Qi Xuansu’s welcoming party. When Qi Xuansu arrived in Thanglong Prefecture, only Chen Shuhua had represented the Daoist Mansion to receive him, while the others waited in the Sheji Palace. This time, everyone except Great Sage Lan had come out to the shore of Guijian Lake.

How things had changed—in a short span of time, Qi Xuansu had replaced Chen Shuhua. The last time he met Great Sage Jiang, he had merely been a Chief Superintendent. Now, he was a Chief Deputy Mansion Master.

Soon, a Yinglong Warship descended slowly toward Guijian Lake.

The massive vapor it carried manifested as a torrential rain, mist billowing all around.

No one attempted to shield themselves from the moisture because they had to maintain a respectful posture, looking upward.

At last, the enormous Yinglong Warship landed on the lake, stirring ripples on the jade-colored waters.

Once the Yinglong Warship had settled completely, an excessively long ramp descended. A figure appeared on the deck, dressed in a black hechang, with a Sword of Wisdom hanging at his waist. He wore a golden-purple lotus crown. It was none other than Great Sage Jiang Hedao.

Wang Jiaohe walked in front to greet him. Qi Xuansu and Xu Jiaorong followed half a step behind, one on each side.

Great Sage Jiang exchanged brief formalities with Wang Jiaohe before turning to Qi Xuansu. “Sage Qi, when I last saw you, you were still a superintendent under Sage Shi. In the blink of an eye, you’ve become the Chief Deputy of the Poluo Daoist Mansion. The saying that one must look at a man with new eyes after a mere three days is indeed true.”

Qi Xuansu replied modestly, “Great Sage, you flatter me.”

In the past, Great Sage Jiang could still regard these eighth-generation disciples purely as juniors. Now, however, his attitude had to shift. With more of the eighth-generation disciples advancing to the second rank, their influence would grow rapidly. Before long, the seventh-generation Grand Master would be selected, and so would the successor.

In contrast, sixth-generation disciples were becoming fewer. Some died of old age, some ascended, while others retreated into seclusion.

The seventh-generation disciples remained relatively stable as the backbone of the Daoist Order.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Great Sage Jiang praised him. “You’ve done exceptionally well in Poluo lately, accomplishing in one month what would take others a year, even ten. You exposed Chen Shuhua and saved the Yu Kingdom. The three Deputy Grand Masters, Virtuous Great Sages, and the Omniscient Sages all speak highly of you. You are truly worthy of being the youngest second-rank Taiyi Daoist master.”

Qi Xuansu could only respond, “Thank you for your praise, Great Sage. I will not betray the trust that the Golden Tower Council has placed in me.”

Great Sage Jiang then looked at Xu Jiaorong. “How is Old Lan’s injury?”

Xu Jiaorong bowed slightly and answered, “Great Sage Lan’s injuries have stabilized. His life is no longer in danger, and he should be able to emerge from seclusion soon.”

Jiang Hedao nodded. “Good. I have so few old Daoist friends that I can count them on one hand. Each meeting is one less we’ll have.”

No one knew what awaited in the heavens, nor whether they would ever reunite up there. Thus, a trace of the unique melancholy of old age lingered in Great Sage Jiang’s words.

With that said, Jiang Hedao walked forward at the head of the group, which was still arranged based on rank.