A Pawn's Passage

The hand was not large. At the very least, it was smaller than Qi Xuansu’s—clearly belonging to a woman. It was also youthful, without the slightest wrinkle, ruling out any of the elderly Sages within the Wanxiang Daoist Palace.

Who among young women could so effortlessly restrain Qi Xuansu in the midst of his frenzied state?

Qi Xuansu jerked his head to the side. As expected, he was met with a pair of cold, emotionless eyes. They were a stark contrast to his own, which were filled with killing intent and madness.

It was Yao Pei, ranked second among the top three Daoist prodigies. She was just below Li Changge, yet surpassing Zhang Yuelu.

Qi Xuansu struggled fiercely, the veins on the back of his hand bulging as his innate qi surged forth.

However, Yao Pei’s hand seemed to be forged from steel, completely motionless. Whether it was his Martial Arts Practitioner’s brute strength or Rogue Cultivator’s innate qi, they were no more than a gentle breeze brushing against a mountain, completely futile in moving the massive mound.

A Heavenly Being was not something a mere Xiantian Being could easily shake.

Moreover, Yao Pei was no ordinary Heavenly Being. She was a prodigy nurtured by the Quanzhen Sect with all their resources. It was no surprise that she could appear at Qi Xuansu’s side without a sound and so effortlessly catch his wrist.

After a brief moment, the bloodshot veins in Qi Xuansu’s eyes slowly faded, restoring some clarity to his gaze.

“Awake now?” Yao Pei finally released her grip and bent down to examine Chen Longtu’s injuries.

Qi Xuansu lowered his head and glanced at his wrist, seeing five distinct fingerprints. Yao Pei had nearly crushed his bones.

Qi Xuansu sheathed Flying Shadow, flexed his wrist, then covered his face with both hands as if he were still groggy after a long sleep.

Meanwhile, Yao Pei used some unknown methods to stop Chen Longtu’s bleeding. After all, a slashed throat and internal bleeding would not be fatal to a Guizhen-stage cultivator. However, if his head had been severed, he would have died for sure.

That was precisely why Yao Pei had intervened at the last moment.

After confirming that Chen Longtu was no longer in mortal danger, Yao Pei casually closed the arrogant man’s eyes, sending him into a deep slumber.

Yao Pei then stood up and looked at Qi Xuansu. “You’ve learned the Demonic Blade? Do you realize what happens if it goes out of control and you publicly kill someone in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace? You’d be destroying your own future, and no one would be able to save you—not even my master, Sage Donghua. He could at most keep you alive. But at that point, your only option is to leave the Daoist Order and join a secret society.”

The Taishang Emotionless Sutra removed all emotions but did not affect rationality. In fact, without emotional interference, one’s mind became even clearer and sharper.

That was why, while Yao Pei might appear somewhat peculiar, she was not insane.

By this time, Qi Xuansu had gradually regained his senses. He said softly, “Thank you.”

“I don’t need your thanks. I just want you to answer one question.” Yao Pei spoke in an unwavering tone.

Qi Xuansu immediately understood. “You want to ask about my relationship with Mogul Yao of the Seven Treasure Pavilion, right?”

Yao Pei nodded. “You can rest assured. I don’t carry any voice retention talismans or the like, nor will I use this matter to blackmail you. I won’t resort to such underhanded methods against you.”

Qi Xuansu still did not answer. Instead, he asked her back, “What is your relationship with Mogul Yao? You both share the same last name after all.”

Yao Pei’s tone remained unwavering. “As a show of sincerity, I will answer you. Mogul Yao of the Seven Treasure Pavilion is indeed an elder in my family. However, I must clarify in advance that most of what I know about Mogul Yao comes from my elders. I have neither witnessed nor personally experienced these matters.”

Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment before saying, “I’m all ears. If you are truly sincere, then I shall respond with equal honesty.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “truly sincere.”

Yao Pei did not dwell on Qi Xuansu’s verbal maneuvering. She explained, “The Yao family once followed and assisted the Holy Xuan in reviving the Daoist Order. Though we cannot compare to the Zhang and Li families, we are not inferior to the Pei, Lu, Yan, or Shen families. We are considered a notable lineage. The current Earthly Preceptor is from the Yao family, two generations above me in my grandfather’s generation.

“Just like the Heavenly Preceptor, the Earthly Preceptor has no spouse or children, so I am not his granddaughter. My grandfather was merely an Omniscient Sage who had waited his whole life to become a Great Sage, only to pass away with regret. My great-grandfather, however, did achieve that rank.”

Qi Xuansu was not surprised by Yao Pei’s distinguished background. Moreover, her casual mention of “merely an Omniscient Sage” spoke volumes about her lineage. After all, not just any family could so lightly dismiss such a prestigious title.

The age difference was reasonable. Daoist cultivators had longer lifespans than the common folk, so they typically married and bore children later in life. Even without considering the exaggerated generational ranks of noble families, it was common for three successive generations in a Daoist family to have age gaps spanning what would be five or six generations among ordinary people.

The Zhang family was a prime example. Zhang Yuelu was the grandniece of the Heavenly Preceptor, yet in terms of actual age, the Heavenly Preceptor was old enough to be her great-grandfather or even great-great-grandfather.

Of course, compared to Li Changge being in the same generation as the Imperial Preceptor, such matters hardly seemed noteworthy. This discrepancy arose from the Daoist Order’s unique ranking system, which prioritized the time of initiation and apprenticeship over biological lineage.

There were explicit rules regarding the age at which one could accept a final disciple. Anyone attempting to bypass these rules by taking disciples on behalf of their masters had to apply for special approval. This was a measure put in place to prevent generational and age-related inconsistencies.

This also led to the paradox that, within the Daoist hierarchy, the Imperial Preceptor was five generations removed from the Holy Xuan. Yet within the Li family’s lineage, he was actually the Holy Xuan’s grandson.

The specific range of a generation was left somewhat ambiguous and not explicitly defined. Generally speaking, someone must be at least 20 years older than another to be considered a full generation ahead, and at least 50 years older to be considered two generations above.

Sage Cihang and Sage Donghua were in their fifties or sixties, so to Qi Xuansu, they were akin to parental figures, one generation above him. Meanwhile, most Great Sages were over eighty, placing them two generations above Qi Xuansu.

Kinship also followed this principle. In other words, once Li Changge officially entered the Daoist Order with an official position, he would be considered of the same generation as Li Tianzhen, even though Li Tianzhen was two generations below him in the Li family lineage.

Likewise, though Li Changge was in the same generation as the Imperial Preceptor Li Changgeng in the family, he was classified as two generations below the Imperial Preceptor within the Daoist Order’s ranks.

Yao Pei continued, “You are likely aware that the Li family has a long-standing tradition of adopting godsons and goddaughters. For instance, Li Minghuang the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master is an adopted son of the Li family. Some even say that the Li family is essentially a sect disguised as a family. It is undeniable that this practice has contributed to their enduring prosperity, which is why the Yao family had once attempted to follow suit.

“According to my elders, my great-grandfather once took in an abandoned baby girl. Seeing her exceptional potential, he intended to adopt her. At that time, my great-grandfather was already 90 years old, and my grandfather had reached his forties. My grandfather offered to adopt the child under his name, but for some unknown reason, my great-grandfather refused his request and instead acknowledged her as his own daughter. As a result, my grandfather suddenly had a new younger sister—my grandaunt.”

Yao Pei fixed her gaze on Qi Xuansu. “This grandaunt was the youngest and the seventh child among my grandfather’s generation.”

At this point, Qi Xuansu finally understood. The youngest daughter...ranked seventh in the Yao family. Yao Pei might as well name her directly—Mogul Yao, also known as Madam Qi[1].

As for why Madam Qi interacted with Pei Xiaolou and others as equals, it once again came down to the fact that family lineage did not necessarily align with Daoist ranking. From the perspective of the Daoist Order’s ranking, even Li Changge was considered a junior to Sage Qingwei.

Hearing this, Qi Xuansu found himself at a loss for words.

After all, Madam Qi had always called herself his mother and treated him as her son. He could not exactly turn to Yao Pei and say, “Daoist Yao, I am Madam Qi’s adopted son, so according to the Yao family’s lineage, you should address me as Uncle. I will still call you Daoist Yao.”

Even though Yao Pei had cultivated the Taishang Emotionless Sutra and had muted her emotions, there was no guarantee she would not attack him over such bold words.

If Yao Pei were to lose her mind, as Zhang Yuelu had warned, the mildest consequence would be a setback in her cultivation, while the worst case could mean instant death. If anything were to happen to Yao Pei, the Yao family would surely stop at nothing to seek vengeance against him.

Qi Xuansu coughed slightly and shifted his gaze.

Yao Pei stared fixedly at him. “Daoist Qi, do you still find my sincerity lacking? Very well, I shall say more. I trust you will keep all this information to yourself. Should anyone else learn of this, don’t blame me for disregarding your relationship with Qing Xiao.”

Having said this, Yao Pei continued, “My father was actually not much younger than my grandaunt, which is why my grandfather initially wished to adopt her in my great-grandfather’s stead. However, when my father married my mother, my grandaunt left without a word and was never seen again.”

Qi Xuansu’s heart sank, silently bemoaning his fate. Madam Qi, oh Madam Qi! Did she have a past romance with Yao Pei’s father in your youth?! Wouldn’t that bump my generation down a notch? But then again, it’s not taboo since they have no blood relation. If they were childhood sweethearts, watching her beloved marry a young lady from the Pei family must be heartbreaking. She would have felt like an orphan with no place in the vast Yao family. Was that why Madam Qi simply left home for good?

Yao Pei stared at Qi Xuansu, noticing his odd expression. She seemed to have guessed his thoughts. For the first time, a slight fluctuation appeared in her otherwise emotionless tone as she abruptly cut off his wild speculations. “My father has always treated Seventh Grandaunt with utmost respect, without the slightest impropriety.”

Qi Xuansu, caught red-handed in his conjectures, felt thoroughly embarrassed. “Of course, of course.”

Yao Pei took a moment to compose herself before continuing, “In truth, Seventh Grandaunt had long wanted to leave the Yao family, but the Earthly Preceptor stopped her. Later, for reasons unknown, he stopped interfering and let her go. As such, the others could not intervene either.

“That’s why, on the day of my father’s wedding, Seventh Grandaunt slipped away without a sound, leaving only a letter without mentioning her destination.

“Later on, someone named Mogul Yao appeared in Jianghu. We suspected it was her. After a thorough investigation, we confirmed that she was indeed the Seventh Grandaunt who had left. My elders reported this to the Earthly Preceptor, but he seemed unsurprised, simply saying, ‘Let her be.’

“Since Mogul Yao rarely showed herself, we didn’t dwell on the matter. Yet, to our astonishment, during the great calamity of Jinling, Seventh Grandaunt reappeared and even competed against the Heavenly Court’s Grand Leader, Wu Guangbi, for the Xuan Jade.

“From what I know, you were the greatest beneficiary of that incident. That is why I must ask—what exactly is your relationship with Mogul Yao? I’m not one to deceive myself, unlike Qing Xiao. I hope you will answer me truthfully.”

Under Yao Pei’s piercing gaze, Qi Xuansu realized he could no longer evade the question.

He thought to himself, Madam Qi definitely has ties with the Quanzhen Sect and the Pei family. The Yao and Pei families are in-laws, making Yao Pei’s words about 80% credible. If I expose Madam Qi’s identity, the Yao family won’t escape responsibility either. So I suppose we’re in the same boat. If so, I don’t have to worry too much about revealing my identity. Besides, Madam Qi keeps calling herself my mother, using her status as an excuse to take money from me. I can’t be the only one losing out here, so I might as well claim some real kinship with the Yao family!

Thus, Qi Xuansu steeled himself and declared, “Mogul Yao is my adoptive mother.”

1. This particular 七(Qī) means the number seven. ☜