Zhang Yuelu wanted to subtly change Qi Xuansu and turn him into a like-minded, good person. Qi Xuansu also welcomed this change because he wanted to get back on the right track.
Therefore, they had a tacit understanding. Zhang Yuelu would not probe into Qi Xuansu’s past, and Qi Xuansu would try to get rid of his bad habits, including lying.
Qi Xuansu did not want to deceive Zhang Yuelu, but when push came to shove, he had no choice but to go against his will.
He had to think carefully about how to cover up the past because Zhang Yuelu was not a silly girl who would believe whatever he told her. She was cautious and clever. If he did not come up with a good excuse, he would not be able to help cover up Li Qingnu’s identity and would even get himself into trouble.
Qi Xuansu could not imagine what Zhang Yuelu would do to him if she ever discovered his true identity. She would certainly be furious, and she might even kill him in a fit of anger.
Based on Qi Xuansu’s past experience, the best way to deceive Zhang Yuelu was to tell her some truths with a lie thrown in the mix.
In this situation, the truths were:
The secrets that needed to stay hidden were:
However, these truths alone were not enough, because Zhang Yuelu was already aware of them. Thus, he needed to muddle the situation with some other information to cover up their identities as members of the Qingping Society.
Qi Xuansu suddenly thought of the news that Madam Qi had passed on to him as well as the politics going on in the Daoist Order that Zhang Yuelu told him about. A bold idea gradually took shape in his mind.
He asked Li Qingnu. “Does your cultivation come from the Li family or the Qingping Society?”
“Both, but mainly the Li family,” Li Qingnu replied.
Qi Xuansu inquired, “What’s the Li family’s reaction regarding your presence in Shangqing Prefecture?”
“Nothing, because the Li family doesn’t restrict my freedom. They only care about how much money I make for them. After all, no one can escape from the clutches of the Li family.”
Li Qingnu added, “That’s why I hate people who only care about money.”
Qi Xuansu ignored Li Qingnu’s snub, stood up, and walked to the door.
At this moment, Zhang Yuelu was standing outside with her arms folded across her chest. When she saw Qi Xuansu, she asked, “What did you find out?”
Qi Xuansu did not answer her question. “Are we just going to let her go?”
“Yeah. What else can we do? Make a big fuss here in Jiaqing Villa, then take her to the Dazhen Mansion?” Zhang Yuelu quipped.
She pursued. “So, what did you find out?”
Qi Xuansu replied, “A lot. Her cultivation was given to her by the Li family, and she’s here on a mission to gather information for them.”
“Gather information?” Zhang Yuelu was a little surprised. “You mean, the Li family asked her to gather information using the guise of visiting relatives in Shangqing Prefecture?”
Qi Xuansu nodded. “Probably.”
Zhang Yuelu looked thoughtful. “What kind of information?”
Qi Xuansu pulled an answer from thin air. “Shangqing Prefecture is the core of the Zhengyi Sect, and many descendants of the Zhang family live here. If someone from the Zhang family can fall for her charms, it’ll be akin to the Li family planting a spy in the Zhang family. That way, she will get to know of any troubles in the Zhang family or the Zhengyi Sect.”
“Are they trying to instigate a rebellion in the Zhang family?” Zhang Yuelu frowned. She was not surprised by such methods. Before the Holy Xuan united the Daoist Order, the various sects always fought among themselves.
This kind of espionage was common. The secret societies and the Daoist Order would each send spies to infiltrate the ranks. One of the responsibilities of Beichen Hall was to get rid of these spies within the Daoist Order. In a sense, Qi Xuansu was also one of the targets.
Zhang Yuelu added, “Since the reconciliation between the Zhang and Li families, they have stopped such behavior. But it has been more than 200 years since, so I’m not surprised that the Li family has taken action. But what’s their intention this time?”
Qi Xuansu looked solemn. “The reason is very simple—the esteemed position of Grand Master.”
Zhang Yuelu was shocked.
Recalling some of the Daoist Order’s inside stories that Zhang Yuelu told him, Qi Xuansu continued, “The position of Grand Master has been vacant since the ascension of the sixth-generation Grand Master. There have been recommendations for a new Grand Master, but none have been successful. Now, the three Deputy Grand Masters are all over 80 years old.
“Due to their age, they’re not eligible for this position. The most likely candidates to become the new Grand Master are Sage Qingwei of the Taiping Sect, Sage Cihang of the Zhengyi Sect, and Sage Donghua of the Quanzhen Sect. Since the Holy Xuan era, there have been many women serving as Deputy Grand Masters, but the Daoist Order has never had a female Grand Master. That’s why Sage Cihang has garnered more support.”
Although Zhang Yuelu aspired to be the Grand Master, she did not expect to become the seventh-generation Grand Master. Her goal was actually to become the eighth-generation or even the ninth-generation Grand Master decades later. The ones who truly qualified to compete for the seventh-generation Grand Masters were the three Omniscient Sages that Qi Xuansu mentioned.
Zhang Yuelu nodded pensively. “It makes sense that the Taiping Sect and the Li family will take action for the sake of the Grand Master position.”
To support this statement, Qi Xuansu added, “Li Qingnu also said that Sage Qingwei has gone to the Imperial Capital to meet the Emperor, along with an entourage of 36 high-ranking Daoist priests from the Taiping Sect. The Taiping Sect has always had a close relationship with the Imperial Court. If Sage Qingwei goes to the Imperial Capital at this time—”
Zhang Yuelu was not in Jade Capital during this period, so she was unaware of Sage Qingwei’s movements. That was why she was surprised to hear this.
Qi Xuansu observed her expression and followed through. “The Emperor is the Great Sage Ziji. Will he be able to interfere with the Daoist Order’s election of the Grand Master?”
“Theoretically, no. But that’s only if the Daoist Order has a unified opinion. If the Taiping Sect decides to break the rules, then anything can happen.” Zhang Yuelu’s face was solemn.
Qi Xuansu stopped talking, as he had successfully diverted Zhang Yuelu’s attention to Sage Qingwei.
Zhang Yuelu murmured, “He has an entourage of 36 high-ranking Daoist priests accompanying him, which indicates this isn’t an ordinary visit to the Imperial Capital. It’s a formal meeting with the Emperor. This matter will definitely cause an uproar within the Daoist Order. That’s why the Taiping Sect is sending out their people to gather information and observe the reactions of the other sects. If the other sects had strong reactions, they would take a step back. But if the other sects did not have much of a reaction, the Taiping Sect would take it a step further.”
Qi Xuansu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, Li Qingnu, who was still inside the room, held her round fan over her agape mouth. She looked at Qi Xuansu with a complicated gaze.
Li Qingnu was not surprised by Zhang Yuelu’s analysis. Instead, she was startled by how close the nonsense Qi Xuansu came up with was to the truth.
The Taiping Sect had the intention to test the reactions of other sects, but that was not her task. Her only job was to make money. The Li family thought it would be too wasteful for their cash cow to become a spy. In fact, the Taiping Sect, which was led by the Li family, did not need to deliberately send out manpower to gather information. They only needed to contact their spies and secret agents who had been lying in wait for a long time.
Of course, the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect were not completely ignorant. They would also respond accordingly.
When Zhang Yuelu returned to her senses, Qi Xuansu asked tentatively, “What about Li Qingnu?”
“Don’t worry about her. If the Li family really wants to gather information, they won’t just send one person.” Zhang Yuelu said, “Let’s go to Shangqing County now.”
Qi Xuansu was startled. “Didn’t you say that we should stay in Shangqing Prefecture for a few days? We’ve already paid for the room at the Taiping Inn.”
“Forget it. I want to report this matter to the Dazhen Mansion immediately,” Zhang Yuelu said with urgency.
Qi Xuansu knew that most of what he said was made up based on his speculation, so he suddenly felt guilty. “The Dazhen Mansion probably knows about it already, so we don’t need to report it.”
Zhang Yuelu was serious about matters relating to the Daoist Order. She did not leave room for negotiation as she stated, “Whether the Dazhen Mansion knows about it is irrelevant, but it’s my business whether to report it or not.”
Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered Madam Qi’s warning that a group of Qingping Society members were eyeing him because of the Xuan Jade incident in Yulan Temple.
He and Zhang Yuelu were too big of a target. Moreover, Zhang Yuelu was unaware of the existence of this group of people, so she would not deliberately conceal her whereabouts, making it hard for him to avoid this group of people.
Qi Xuansu could not explain to Zhang Yuelu how he got to know about this group of people to avoid arousing her suspicion. He also could not tell her the truth about the Xuan Jade, let alone persuade Zhang Yuelu to act with caution.
Remembering this, Qi Xuansu thought that it was a good choice to go to Shangqing County immediately.
Shangqing County was the center of Shangqing Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of the Zhengyi Sect. Zhang Yuelu mentioned before that Xie Qiuniang was from the Confucian School, so it would be difficult for that group of people to sneak into Shangqing County.
Although Qi Xuansu would have to face Madam Tantai ahead of schedule, he could avoid Xie Qiuniang’s group.
After the New Year, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu would not have to go back the same way. They could take a flying ship from Shangqing Palace back to Jade Capital. That way, they could completely escape from the pursuit of this group of people.
Qi Xuansu suggested, “In that case, let’s go to Shangqing County now. But let’s get a refund on the room first. Anyway, you’ll need to change out of this getup.”