A Pawn's Passage

As soon as the goat cart stopped in front of the gate of Nanhua Place, Qi Xuansu got off the cart and stepped inside the neighborhood.

Although Jade Palace imitated the layout of ancient neighborhoods, it did not have a neighborhood market system. Therefore, there were no obstacles between the neighborhoods. There was no curfew, nor were there guards stationed at the neighborhood gates.

Qi Xuansu entered Nanhua Place and quickly found Sun Yongfeng’s residence after some inquiries.

As one of the Upper Eight Blocks, every inch of land in Nanhua Place was precious, priced equally with gold. To own a standalone courtyard in this neighborhood, one needed to be at least a third-rank Daoist master. Higher-grade residences were reserved for sages.

Sun Yongfeng was just a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, so his residence was a two-story building facing the street, with bedrooms on the second floor.

Qi Xuansu reached into his chest pocket and took out a second-hand pocket watch that Madam Qi had passed down to him. He opened the cover and checked the time.

It was already a quarter past three in the afternoon, so the superintendent should have returned from Tiangang Hall.

Qi Xuansu put away the pocket watch, walked up three steps in front of the door, and tugged on the copper doorbell with a thin rope connected to it.

After a moment, a door opened from inside, and a young girl with hair tied into double buns appeared in front of Qi Xuansu. She looked Qi Xuansu up and down with a scrutinizing gaze and asked, “Who are you?”

Qi Xuansu handed over his name card with both hands and said, “I am Qi Xuansu, here to visit Mage Sun. Will you please inform him of my arrival?”

The respectful title for a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master was Mage, just as Sage was for a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master.

The maid glanced at the name card, which was just made of ordinary locust wood, and did not move her feet. Qi Xuansu understood what she wanted, so he took out a small Taiping coin and handed it to the maid.

"Please wait a moment.” The maid then took the name card from Qi Xuansu to inform her master.

After a moment, the maid returned, opened both doors, and stepped aside. “The Mage would like to invite you inside.”

As soon as Qi Xuansu entered the two-story building, the maid closed the door behind him and led him through the entryway into the living room.

Since this was the residence of a fourth-rank Daoist master, the living room was quite spacious. A rosewood tea table with a marble top was parked in front of the north wall, and two carved rosewood chairs were placed on both ends of the table.

Along the east and west walls were four sets of rosewood stools and tea tables. The most remarkable feature was the floor, which was all marble. Each piece was inset with fragments of jasper.

At the same time, a man dressed in casual attire walked down the stairs from the second floor, holding a closed folding fan.

He was a superintendent of Tiangang Hall who had lived in comfort and appeared to be around 40 years old.

There were strict requirements for the formal attire of Daoist priests, mainly in three aspects: headwear, clothing, and footwear.

The formal clothing Daoist priests were required to wear was the hechang, a wide-sleeved, full-length robe that resembled a crane’s wings when both arms were extended wide open.

The ancient hechang was the attire of Immortal Beings and was made from crane feathers. The commonly seen hechang evolved into a wide outer robe with broad sleeves and a symmetrical collar fastened with ties. They were no longer made from crane feathers but from various types of common fabrics.

The hechang was worn all year round, with the added function of keeping warm in the spring, autumn, and winter months. It was also favored by high-ranking Daoist priests. Since the hechang reached the ankles, the shoes that Daoist priests wore tended to have pointed tips to support the hem of the robe and prevent tripping. Men’s shoes had square-pointed tips, while women’s shoes had rounded tips.

The most crucial aspect of the Daoist formal attire was the headwear. After the revival of the Daoist Order, various traditional headwear styles were abolished. There were also new rules regarding headwear based on status.

The Great Sage of the Quanzhen Sect wore a Fish-Tail Crown, while the Great Sage of the Zhengyi Sect wore a Hibiscus Crown, and the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect wore a Ruyi Crown.

The other Great Sages and Sages wore Lotus Crowns, resembling a blooming lotus flower.

Third-rank Daoist masters wore the Five Peaks Crown, which was shaped like an inverted stamp. It was also known as the Five Peaks True Map Crown because it had the map of the Five Mountains’ True Form engraved on it.

Fourth-rank Daoist priests wore the Chunyang Headdress; fifth-rank Daoist priests wore the Hunyuan Headdress; sixth-rank Daoist priests wore the Nanhua Headdress; seventh-rank Daoist priests wore the Xiaoyao Headdress; eighth-rank Daoist priests wore the Haoran Headdress; ninth-rank Daoist priests wore the Taiji Headdress; and Daoist attendants wore the Bao Headdress.

However, since it was not a formal occasion, neither Sun Yongfeng nor Qi Xuansu wore the hechang or headwear. Qi Xuansu even wore a pair of flat-tipped boots.

"I, the humble disciple, Qi Xuansu, would like to pay respects to the Mage.” Qi Xuansu kowtowed to him.

In ancient times, kowtowing was the most formal type of greeting. However, it was just a common courtesy in the Daoist community and was neither grand nor required kneeling.

Sun Yongfeng nodded slightly, walked to the living room, and sat down on the chair to the left of the center table. He asked knowingly, “Do you want to enter the Tiangang Hall?”

"Yes,” Qi Xuansu replied while standing.

Sun Yongfeng leaned back in the chair and slowly unfolded the fan in his hand while saying casually, “I already know your situation. At this critical age, where you end up in the future depends entirely on the next two years.”

Qi Xuansu had experienced significant changes and life’s ups and downs. He had long learned to adapt to his environment. At this moment, he restrained his arrogance and assumed a humble stance. “Yes, Mage. I have been foolish in the past and have wasted a lot of time.”

Sun Yongfeng lightly fanned himself. “The Daoist Order has always valued young people. If you’re still a seventh-rank Daoist priest by the time you are thirty, the Nine Halls won’t accept you. You'll only be able to seek a position in a local Daoist mansion. While your peers are flourishing in the Ancestral Court, you’ll be left behind in some provincial office. Can you accept that?”

Qi Xuansu replied, "Of course, I can’t accept that. I have thought about seeking a position in the Ancestral Court before. Unfortunately, I didn’t seek out the right people.”

Sun Yongfeng snapped his folding fan shut and smiled faintly. “What can headless flies achieve when they just buzz around aimlessly? You need influential figures to speak for you at crucial moments. Otherwise, you won’t be able to step foot into the Ancestral Court even if you bring a whole pig as an offering.”

Qi Xuansu knew that it was time. He quickly took out two large notes from his sleeve pocket, stepped forward, and placed them next to Sun Yongfeng on the rosewood tea table inlaid with marble.

Then, Qi Xuansu spoke softly. “That’s why I’m here to pay my respects to you, my true deity.”

Sun Yongfeng glanced at the two cash notes on the table from the corner of his eye and nodded slightly, a smile playing on his lips. He pointed to the seat below him. “Very well, young man. Please have a seat.”

Qi Xuansu, who had been standing all this time, finally sat down on the chair on the upper left side of the living room.

Sun Yongfeng lightly tapped his palms with the folding fan and spoke calmly. “Young man, I wouldn’t dare claim to be an influential figure. But if I can’t solve your problem, then you’ll just have to accept your misfortune.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Yes, of course.”

Sun Yongfeng continued, “This time, Tiangang Hall is appointing a new Deputy Hall Master. So, we’ll need to hire two superintendents, six deacons, and other personnel. The Great Sage has already selected the Deputy Hall Master. The Hall Master will decide on the superintendent, and the Deputy Hall Master will select the deacons.

"This is an opportunity for you to just secure a position for now. Don’t worry about the specifics or what you’ll be in charge of. All that can be arranged later.”

Qi Xuansu clasped his fists and said respectfully, “I will leave it all to you, Mage Sun.”

"Since you’ve come to me for help, I’ll do my best to assist you. However, I can’t guarantee your success. Whether you get picked by the Deputy Hall Master will depend entirely on your abilities.” Sun Yongfeng stared at Qi Xuansu, not wanting to make any promises.

Qi Xuansu deliberately feigned a humble and fearful expression. “Of course, Mage Sun.”

Sun Yongfeng took out an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Qi Xuansu. “This is your credential. Present this credential at Tiangang Hall on the 16th day of August, at the Dragon Hour[1].”

Qi Xuansu accepted the envelope with both hands and nodded in acknowledgment.

At this moment, a maid gently approached and arranged the tea set on the tea table. She then carried a shiny copper kettle, lifted the lid of the gaiwan, and poured hot water into it. The green tea leaves slowly floated to the surface of the gaiwan, suspending vertically in the water.

Sun Yongfeng set down his folding fan and picked up the gaiwan, but he did not drink from it. This was a signal for Qi Xuansu to leave.

Qi Xuansu stood up and bid him farewell. “Thank you, Mage Sun. I shall take my leave now.”

Sun Yongfeng remained seated in his chair, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

These unwritten rules did not come naturally to Qi Xuansu. It was Madam Qi who had taught him all these. Though learning these rules was not entirely beneficial, they were undeniably practical, so that Qi Xuansu would not accidentally offend anyone.

Qi Xuansu left Sun Yongfeng’s residence, opened the envelope, and pulled out a stiff piece of paper bearing his name and relevant information. It was evident that Mage Sun had prepared this in advance.

Some people might not be able to help him succeed, but they could easily cause him harm. So, offering the 200 Taiping coins was unavoidable. Otherwise, Qi Xuansu would not have handed over the money that he earned by risking his life and killing others.

However, Madam Qi was right. Qi Xuansu was currently in a position where it was better to go with the flow. No matter how irritated he was, he could only endure it for the time being.

Furthermore, the key to this situation was not Qi Xuansu himself, but the Qingping Society. For a seventh-rank Daoist priest, 200 Taiping coins was quite a hefty sum. The real question was, what would it take for a fourth-rank Daoist master to feel justified in accepting this money and performing the task? This was where the Qingping Society came into play.

The Qingping Society opened the doors for Qi Xuansu, giving him the opportunity to progress as he pleased. From this perspective, this second reward was indeed far superior to the Divine Dragon Pistol with twenty engraved talisman bullets.

The influence of the Qingping Society was indeed vast.

While Qi Xuansu wanted to break free from the Qingping Society, he could not deny that they were a strong backer. It gave him more confidence than if he were an ordinary seventh-rank Daoist priest.

Qi Xuansu had another practical problem to consider. There was a month left until the 16th of August. Considering how expensive the tickets were for the flying ship, Qi Xuansu could not leave the Jade Capital.

However, the cost of living in the Jade Capital was high. He recalled that the inns in the Jade Capital cost one Taiping coin per day. This was just for accommodation. There were other expenses to consider as well. With only less than 200 Taiping coins left, it would be too costly for him to stay in an inn for a month.

Qi Xuansu stood on the roadside, lost in thought for a long time. Finally, he made up his mind to go to Haichan Place, the neighborhood where he used to live.

1. 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. within the Chinese Zodiac 12-hour timekeeping system. ☜