Whether a person was good or bad might have something to do with their background, but there was no direct correlation between the two.
Li Minghuang came from a humble background, but that did not prevent him from being a thoroughly rotten individual. Zhang Yuelu came from an aristocratic family, but that did not prevent her from being a good person.
Qi Xuansu had once read a rather thought-provoking story about two sheep discussing what direction they should take in the future.
One sheep believed they should move to a place with lush grass and abundant water, where food would be plentiful, and they could produce more offspring.
The other sheep argued that places with lush grass and abundant water would also attract predators, making it more dangerous. Instead, they should move somewhere relatively barren but safer, where more of their offspring would have a better chance of surviving.
In the end, they went to neither place. Instead, they were all sent to the slaughterhouse and ended up as meat on the chopping block.
Though there was nothing wrong with either of their reasoning, their mistake was that they had fundamentally misunderstood their relationship with those who actually made the decisions.
They had mistakenly assumed that their relationship with the decision-makers was that of a flock of sheep and leading sheep. In reality, it was the relationship between a flock of sheep and its shepherd.
A leader bore responsibility for the welfare of the flock, whereas a shepherd only cared for his own interests.
If one misunderstood the nature of that relationship, one would inevitably misjudge the ultimate objectives of the group whose interests truly matter.
That was why Zhang Yuelu could be considered a good person. Her goodness did not lie in how vigorously she upheld justice but rather in the fact that she saw herself as the leading sheep. She was always thinking about the future of the flock, instead of placing herself in the position of a shepherd who concerned herself with the so-called greater picture.
But the same could not be said of everyone else. Within the Daoist Order, there were countless individuals who regarded themselves as shepherds rather than members of the flock.
Qi Xuansu had always been wavering between the two.
The selfish desires inherent in human nature urged him to become a shepherd, to accomplish achievements that would allow his name to be remembered for eternity, regardless of whether the common people lived or died. However, the wisdom passed down by his predecessors, Zhang Yuelu’s influence, the restraints imposed by morality, and the voice of his own conscience constantly reminded him that he ought to be a leading sheep instead. He should place the interests of the Daoist Order above his own and always keep the welfare of the people in mind.
That was why Qi Xuansu was always hoping that he might somehow find a way to satisfy two conflicting choices. Nothing could be better than achieving both objectives at once.
But there was no such thing as having the best of both worlds. Difficult dilemmas simply would not resolve themselves.
No matter how much Qi Xuansu pondered the matter, he could not find a solution that would satisfy both sides. Thus, he could only continue wavering between them.
This contradiction manifested itself in the way Qi Xuansu was becoming increasingly like a conventional powerful figure obsessed with authority and political influence, while simultaneously advocating moral reform in an attempt to change the Daoist Order. These two opposing tendencies made his entire character seem deeply bipolar.
When one was poor and powerless, one should cultivate one’s own virtue. When one attained power and influence, one should strive to benefit all under heaven.
Having reached this point, one could either become a carefree Immortal and stay out of politics, or embrace the responsibilities that came with power. Since Qi Xuansu aspired to become Grand Master, he could no longer just strive to take good care of his family. He had to concern himself with the welfare of all beings under heaven. Otherwise, he would be unworthy of the position he sought.
In fact, the evolution of Qi Xuansu’s thinking could be clearly seen in his changing attitude toward laws and regulations.
In the beginning, Qi Xuansu had been rather naive. Although he had committed his fair share of acts that violated the law, such as killing Wan Xiuwu, he still held a deep reverence for the legal system and remained troubled by questions of so-called procedural justice.
Gradually, Qi Xuansu lost his reverence for the law. He came to understand that laws were merely rules established by those who held power, rather than some manifestation of the Heavenly Dao.
Later on, Qi Xuansu began to obey the law. This might seem strange, because why would someone start following the rules after losing his reverence for them? The reason was that Qi Xuansu had gradually begun to discover the underlying workings of the game. He learned how to avoid breaking the rules and understood that by playing within the established framework, he could preserve his own life.
However, as Qi Xuansu rose to higher positions and witnessed more of how those at the top conducted their affairs, his perspective changed once again. Was it people who violated the law, or could the law itself violate the interests of people? Everything he had witnessed taught him that laws were neither sacred nor inviolable. As long as one was willing to pay the price and could afford it, one could even choose not to obey them.
Eventually, after becoming an Omniscient Sage, Qi Xuansu came to fully understand the true nature of law. Law was an expression of the ruling class’ will, a tool used to maintain its rule. Laws depended on enforcement, and making them effective came at a cost. This was why there was cost-based justice. Once the sanctity, solemnity, and other lofty ideals were stripped away, law was fundamentally nothing more than a tool. What that tool could accomplish ultimately depended on the person using it.
At this stage, one could begin to define principles such as special circumstances calling for extraordinary measures and adapting to changing circumstances.
That was why Qi Xuansu did not blindly believe in the power of rules. He had never imagined that everything would automatically fall into place once Sage Donghua became Grand Master. He also did not believe that the Taiping Sect would simply surrender without resistance at a single command from the Grand Master.
At this moment, his greatest concern was that Sage Donghua might make a disastrous misjudgment and attempt to exploit this seemingly perfect opportunity to destroy Sage Qingwei through legal and procedural means.
If Sage Donghua defeated Sage Qingwei openly and fairly through a legitimate election, perhaps the Taiping Sect would be willing to accept their defeat. At worst, they could simply wait until the election of the eighth-generation Grand Master and make another attempt at gaining power. But if Sage Donghua fell into the Buddhist Sect’s trap and tried to settle everything in one fell swoop, shattering the last remaining shred of mutual understanding and tacit agreement between the Three Daoist Sects, the situation would truly spiral beyond anyone’s control.
Qi Xuansu paced back and forth with a dark expression as he muttered to himself, “Their intentions are utterly despicable!”
Zhang Yuelu naturally understood that Qi Xuansu was condemning the sinister intentions of the Buddhist Sect. She also had to admit that the Buddhists had made an exceptionally clever move. They had grasped the very essence of factional struggle. Throughout history, factional interests had always taken precedence over affairs of state. If an opportunity arose to defeat one’s political rivals, what did the death of a mere Omniscient Sage matter? Looking back across the countless dynasties in history, such things had happened time and time again.
However, at this moment, there was nothing either Zhang Yuelu or Qi Xuansu could do. The incident had occurred so suddenly that the Golden Tower Council had convened its council meeting without any prior preparations. Neither of them had even had time to communicate with their respective masters. All they could do was wait helplessly for the outcome.
By this point, the Golden Tower Council’s deliberations had reached a critical stage. Just as Qi Xuansu had predicted, the council had indeed reached a unanimous agreement that retaliation was necessary. No one opposed the decision. In fact, the Taiping Sect was particularly aggressive, practically itching to launch a war immediately.
However, the most pressing priority was to determine who would succeed Chen Zhengxian and stabilize the situation in the Western Region Daoist Mansion.
Since Madam Wu was the newly appointed Great Sage in charge of the Western Region Daoist Mansion, her opinion carried considerable weight. She attended the deliberations in place of Great Sage Shi, who had not yet arrived in Jade Capital.
Before discussing specific candidates, Sage Donghua addressed the council. “Today’s discussion concerning the appointment of a Mansion Master for the Western Region Daoist Mansion is different from our usual personnel deliberations. The Western Region is currently unstable, and merely maintaining the status quo will not be enough. Whether we choose to launch a military campaign or eliminate traitors within our own ranks, neither task will be simple. If we entrust such responsibilities to someone incapable of shouldering this great burden, it would be a grave dereliction of our duty to the Daoist Order. Therefore, I hope the Golden Tower Council will exercise the utmost caution when nominating candidates before submitting the recommendation to the Great Sage Lunzhi.
Sage Cihang was coordinating with Sage Donghua, and she immediately followed up. “Sage Pei, during the previous military campaign in the Western Region, you personally commanded the troops as the Sage Commander. As such, you are far more familiar with the situation in the Western Region than most of us. My suggestion is that you nominate a candidate.”
Once these words were spoken, Sage Qingwei found himself in a difficult position to intervene.
Although he had also served as Sage Commander, his military expedition had been to Fenglin. One campaign had taken place in the west, while the other had been fought in the east, with a distance of far more than 5,000 kilometers separating them. One region consisted of the vast Gobi Desert, while the other was dominated by oceans and islands. Their geography, cultures, and local conditions were entirely different.
Moreover, the Western Region had always been the traditional sphere of influence of the Quanzhen Sect. When it came to matters concerning the Western Region, Sage Qingwei simply could not claim the same authority or influence as Sage Donghua.
Sage Donghua seized the opportunity to continue speaking. “I have indeed given considerable thought to proposing a suitable candidate. To be honest, this is not an easy appointment to make. The Western Region Daoist Mansion is essentially the very front door of Jade Capital. We must station a fierce and capable general there. Previously, we have employed a more defensive strategy. But this time, we intend to take the offensive, so we must strike like a ferocious tiger descending from the mountains, achieving victory with a single decisive blow.”
Xu Dacheng interjected, “Military affairs have always been the responsibility of the Great Sage overseeing the Daoist Mansion. Great Sage Qi is a senior figure within the Daoist Order with extensive experience, so there shouldn’t be any problems on that front.”
Sage Donghua replied, “Precisely. I have no concerns about Great Sage Qi. However, military operations in the Western Region cannot proceed without provisions and logistical support. The person responsible for supplying, coordinating, and allocating those resources is none other than the Mansion Master, which is why this appointment is of critical importance.”
Great Sage Tang said, “In my opinion, we should appoint someone mature, experienced, and prudent. I suggest selecting a candidate from among the seventh-generation disciples.”
Sage Cihang disagreed. “Not necessarily. I, for one, believe we should send someone from the younger generation—someone talented, ambitious, and full of vigor. Throughout history, those who have distinguished themselves on the battlefield and achieved great military accomplishments have predominantly been younger individuals under the age of 50. For maturity and prudence, we already have Great Sage Qi. She can oversee the overall strategic direction. So I think it would be better to appoint someone younger to complement her, balancing experience with youthful vigor and preventing the leadership from becoming overly conservative and lacking in initiative.”
By the time the discussion had reached this point, everyone attending the council understood perfectly well what was being implied.
Sage Cihang had rejected the proposal to appoint a seventh-generation disciple, which meant she intended to nominate someone from the eighth generation instead.
But looking across all the eighth-generation disciples, who among them possessed the qualifications to serve as a Mansion Master? Zhang Yuelu? Li Changge? Yao Pei? Or perhaps someone like Bai Yingqiong?
Unfortunately, none of them were qualified.
There was only one person who fit the bill, and that person was none other than Sage Cihang’s son-in-law and Sage Donghua’s prized disciple—Qi Xuansu.
Madam Wu, who had remained silent throughout the discussion, finally spoke. “Sage Su, that’s a great suggestion. In that case, I believe Sage Taiwei would be a suitable candidate. When we went to the New Continent, the two of us worked together as partners. We cooperated well and developed a strong mutual understanding. If someone else were appointed, we would have to go through the process of learning to work together all over again.”
Sage Donghua did not rush to express his own opinion. Instead, he turned toward Sage Qingwei and said, “Sage Li, you were Sage Taiwei’s former superior. During the Fenglin Campaign, he served under your command. Later, he became the Chief Deputy of Beichen Hall as well. I wonder what your assessment of him would be?”
Sage Qingwei pondered for a moment before replying, “Tian Yuan participated in both the Fenglin Campaign and the Northern and Southern Continent Campaign. He can certainly be considered someone with a sound understanding of military affairs. Apart from his rather young age, I can’t identify any other significant shortcomings.”
Sage Donghua immediately responded. “It seems that Sage Li and I have arrived at the same conclusion independently. In my opinion, aside from having participated in two major military campaigns, Sage Taiwei also previously served as the Chief Deputy of Beichen Hall, giving him extensive experience in covert operations and intelligence work.
“It was Sage Taiwei who uncovered Hun Chowen of the Western Daoist Order. The several Great Sages of the Western Daoist Order, as well as Sage Huangfu, have spoken very highly of his abilities. This time, the responsibilities of the Western Region Daoist Mansion Master will extend far beyond merely overseeing logistical support. The appointee will also be responsible for identifying and eliminating traitors within the Daoist Mansion. Therefore, my proposal is for Sage Taiwei to temporarily assume the duties of Mansion Master of the Western Region Daoist Mansion.”