Early the next morning, Qi Xuansu and the Zhang family headed to the Ziwei Hall.

All guests could enter the Ziwei Hall in the Purple Mansion with their invitations, and from there, they could proceed to the Emerald Plain in the Kunlun Paradise. Although many guests were frequent visitors to the Purple Mansion, quite a few were there for the first time and were essentially benefiting from the occasion.

As Qi Xuansu’s group arrived at the entrance of the Ziwei Hall, two Deputy Hall Masters stepped forward to offer congratulations.

Qi Xuansu asked Zhang Yuelu to first escort her parents and Little Yin to the Emerald Plain while he stayed behind to receive guests. After all, this was his apprenticeship ceremony.

Surprisingly, Yao Pei also attended. Qi Xuansu felt awkward because, in a sense, Sage Donghua intended to use him to replace Yao Pei. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

It was not because Sage Donghua had any issue with Yao Pei, but rather that he was unwilling to remain merely a transitional figure for the Yao family.

Qi Xuansu had assumed Yao Pei would find an excuse not to attend, yet she came anyway, hence the surprise.

“Su Yi, long time no see. How have you been recently?” Qi Xuansu asked.

Yao Pei maintained her usual expressionless face as she said flatly, “Tian Yuan, after today, you’ll have to call me senior sister.”

Qi Xuansu replied, “In public, we should use titles. You should call me Chief Deputy Qi. In private, we can address each other differently. I’ll call you senior sister, and you can call me uncle.”

Yao Pei said expressionlessly, “Let’s just use courtesy names.”

Qi Xuansu stepped aside. “Go on in. Sage Donghua is waiting at the Emerald Plain.”

Yao Pei said nothing more and walked into the Ziwei Hall.

People were always fickle. Although the members of Ziwei Hall still welcomed Yao Pei warmly and without fault, there was still a subtle difference compared to before.

No matter what, no one would offend Qi Xuansu or Yao Pei, as they were both figures of status. On the surface, everything seemed normal between these two. But there was no guarantee that nothing might occur behind the scenes. Even if nothing did, any lingering resentment could easily be taken out on others.

Naturally, the people of Ziwei Hall chose to remain neutral.

After Yao Pei, another special guest arrived.

Li Changge did not come with Sage Qingwei but with Princess Chiying, the adopted daughter of the Great Xuan Emperor. They were part of the Qin and Li family marriage alliance.

Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh inwardly. No matter how unwilling Li Changge might have been, he had still accepted his fate, just like Sage Qingwei. In the end, they still had to compromise to be part of the Li family.

That said, the Li family always seemed to produce such people who were rebellious in youth, yet ultimately yielded to the family.

Qi Xuansu stepped forward to greet him. “Brother Yong Yan, long time no see. How have you been lately?”

Li Changge smiled faintly. “All is well. Congratulations, Brother Tian Yuan. I heard you made quite a mark on your trip to the New Continent. I regret not being able to go.”

Qi Xuansu said, “The ancients say that when a nation prospers, the people suffer; when it falls, the people suffer. But there’s also a saying that it’s better to be a dog in peaceful times than a man in times of chaos. In any case, prosperity is better than decline. I’ve barely made a mark. Resisting the Holy Court is only half of it. The other half is helping the Southern Continent emerge from poverty and move toward civilization. Brother Yong Yan, you need not regret it. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”

Li Changge stayed quiet. As a member of the Li family, he naturally did not share that view. Qi Xuansu had said it deliberately and dressed it up in grand rhetoric.

Princess Chiying said, “But helping the Southern Continent out of poverty will surely cost a lot of money, won’t it? That money belongs to the Daoist Order. Even among brothers—”

“Even among brothers, accounts must be kept clear!” Huangfu Ji suddenly interrupted. “A so-called win-win cooperation means each side takes what it needs. If one side alone bears losses while the other side takes all benefits, that’s exploitation. Only when both sides gain without losing can it be considered development. That gain isn’t necessarily measured purely in Taiping coins. It can be land, resources, or even the people’s support.”

Qi Xuansu smoothly shifted the topic. “Brother Huangfu, you’ve arrived as well.”

Huangfu Ji briefly considered adopting a Western-style hug. But in the end, he simply cupped his hands in greeting. “Congratulations, Tian Yuan.”

Li Changge kept his smile, nodded to Huangfu Ji, and then led Princess Chiying into the Ziwei Hall.

Huangfu Ji looked at Li Changge’s departing figure. “The famed Junior Imperial Preceptor has quite the composure.”

Qi Xuansu said softly, “Among the Three Daoist Prodigies, Qing Xiao is the worst at maintaining composure. She’s just too straightforward by nature. The other two aren’t the type to look down on others or resort to aggression at every turn. Though there are wastrels from noble families, these carefully cultivated elites are another matter entirely.”

Huangfu Ji said nothing more and stepped into Ziwei Hall.

As time went on, the arriving guests only grew more and more distinguished.

First came the various Omniscient Sages, such as Zhang Jucheng, Yao Shu, Qi Jiaozheng, Ye Qingshuang, and others. Then several Virtuous Great Sages and the top Omniscient Sages arrive.

Great Sage Jiang, Great Sage Shi, Great Sage Lan, and Old Sage Sun Hewu arrived together. It seemed these elders had been drinking all night. They drank to loosen up, break down barriers, and reminisce about the past. At their age, whether it be ascension or passing on, their time in this world was growing short, and their state of mind had naturally changed.

All four elders had good relations with Qi Xuansu, so there was no shortage of warm congratulations from them.

Then came the two Daoist heirs, neither accompanied by secretaries. Sage Cihang brought her youngest disciple, Xiao Yueru, while Sage Qingwei brought his adopted daughter, Li Zhuyu.

These two Omniscient Sages arrived at exactly the same time.

“Besides congratulating Sage Donghua, I should also congratulate Sage Cihang,” Sage Qingwei spoke first, as if the verbal clashes at the Golden Tower Council meeting had never happened.

Sage Cihang pretended not to understand. “What do you mean by that, Sage Qingwei?”

Sage Qingwei said, “Tian Yuan and Qing Xiao have formed a marriage alliance. Now that Tian Yuan is Sage Donghua’s disciple, you and Sage Donghua are in-laws. Shouldn’t that be congratulated?”

“I’ve heard that Yong Yan and Princess Chiying’s marriage is also about to be arranged. Although Yong Yan’s seniority is higher, within the Daoist hierarchy, you are still his senior. I should be congratulating you as well,” Sage Cihang replied with a smile.

“The joy is mutual,” Sage Qingwei said, still smiling.

As they spoke, the two ascended the steps together.

Qi Xuansu stepped forward to greet them, bowed, and then invited them inside.

Qi Xuansu was the last to enter the Emerald Plain. The venue had already been fully set up.

There were many exotic beasts here called the Tulu, with sheep heads and four horns. Divine birds known as Qinyuan, shaped like bees but as large as mandarin ducks, flew in the air. A single sting from them could kill any bird or beast, and any tree would wither.

These were guardians of the Kunlun Paradise. They were extremely formidable. Back when the Six Enlightened Witches entered Kunlun Paradise and clashed with God Luwu, many witches accompanying them were killed by these two kinds of creatures.

Aside from the guardians, there were also many white cranes soaring upward, circling gracefully in the sky, their calls echoing continuously.

These large white cranes were the ones Little Yin had been longing for, the kind that could carry people.

Little Yin pointed up at the white cranes in the sky. “Big white cranes! Big white cranes!”

She wanted to ride one.

The many high-ranking Daoists present showed no surprise at Little Yin. After all, there were also representatives of Qingqiu Mountain here, and not all of them were human.

There were also many auspicious beasts walking across the grass. Wherever they passed, flowers bloomed.

The Daoist Order believed in frugality, not luxury. That was why Sage Donghua chose the Emerald Plain, where rare beasts from the Kunlun Paradise could be used as part of the setup. Since these were naturally present and reusable, it did not count as extravagance or waste.

This time, Ziwei Hall did not prepare seats, so everyone stood.

Only a single chair was placed. That was for Sage Donghua to sit on while receiving the rites during the ceremony.

Fortunately, the Daoist Order emphasized equality, so kneeling rituals were also eliminated. Qi Xuansu did not need to kneel or kowtow. A respectful bow was sufficient.

As soon as Qi Xuansu entered, two female Daoists from Ziwei Hall came forward to check his attire and appearance. They even carried a makeup kit and sewing kit, ready to fix anything on the spot if needed. After confirming everything was in order, they asked Qi Xuansu to wait for the signal.

At that moment, Sage Donghua was giving a speech, mainly expressing thanks to the guests. These were mostly formalities. Nearly everyone present, except for a few like Little Yin, could have given such a speech themselves.

Once the speech ended, Qi Xuansu stepped forward, walking along the carpeted aisle between the guests. At the end of the carpet was Sage Donghua, seated on the chair.

Daoist rituals were kept simple, unlike the complex Confucian rites.

When Qi Xuansu was about 10 meters from the chair, he paused, adjusted his clothing, composed himself, and then stepped forward to bow in salute.

Sage Donghua accepted the gesture.

Qi Xuansu then presented the apprenticeship gift, and Sage Donghua returned the courtesy.

This completed the ceremony.