When the mother-child mirror connected, Qi Jiaozheng was quite surprised to see Qi Xuansu.

They had just met at the apprenticeship ceremony, where Qi Jiaozheng had been an invited guest. He personally offered his congratulations and had only just returned to Shuzhou. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Strictly speaking, there was no bad blood between them. Through Qi Muyu’s business, they even had some interactions.

Their relationship was generally amicable. But Qi Xuansu contacting him with the mother-child mirror meant this was official business, not personal.

“Tian Yuan, what couldn’t you say in person back in Jade Capital?” Qi Jiaozheng asked casually, still unaware of the situation.

Qi Xuansu glanced at Qi Wangui and said, “Sage Wanmiao, I am currently at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. The day before yesterday, a female instructor was murdered. With Senior Brother Qi’s case as a precedent, I suspected this was also the work of cult demons. So after reporting to Great Sage Shi, Sage Qingwei, and Sage Cihang, I launched a thorough investigation to uncover any infiltrators within the Daoist Palace. However—”

Qi Jiaozheng was no fool. He immediately sensed something was wrong, so his expression turned serious. “However, what?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “The case has been solved. But it was not the work of any cult demon. It involves a certain high-ranking figure within the Daoist Palace.”

Having spent years navigating officialdom, Qi Jiaozheng quickly identified the likely suspect, Qi Wangui.

There were only two among the Qi family’s core members who were connected to the Wanxiang Daoist Palace—Qi Jianyuan, who had died there, and Qi Wangui, who served as a Deputy Palace Master.

Qi Jiaozheng’s expression darkened. “Is it related to Qi Wangui?”

“Yes.” Qi Xuansu nodded. “Qi Wangui hired a killer. The assassin from The Inn has already confessed, and there’s even an audio recording. The evidence is conclusive.”

Qi Jiaozheng fell silent for a moment, rapidly analyzing everything—Qi Wangui’s motives, Qi Xuansu’s intentions, and more.

He soon reached a preliminary conclusion. This was likely not Qi Xuansu provoking him, but Qi Wangui causing trouble.

Qi Jiaozheng knew Qi Wangui’s nature. He was overly ambitious but incapable of real achievement and prone to causing trouble.

Otherwise, Qi Jiaozheng would not have looked down on this uncle or reprimanded him so often.

Causing such an incident was entirely in line with Qi Jiaozheng’s impression of Qi Wangui.

In other words, Qi Xuansu was not provoking him but demanding an explanation. If Qi Jiaozheng could not provide one, Qi Xuansu would take matters into his own hands.

The question was, should he protect Qi Wangui or not?

Qi Jiaozheng did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked, “Why did Qi Wangui hire someone to kill the instructor?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “The investigation is ongoing. But according to the assassin Gu Dalin’s confession and recording, Qi Wangui personally stated it was related to the position of Palace Master.”

Some things did not need to be spelled out.

Qi Jiaozheng understood immediately. Rumors had been circulating that Qi Xuansu might become the Wanxiang Daoist Palace Master, so what Qi Wangui might do in response was obvious.

The motive was nothing more than framing Qi Xuansu, a familiar tactic. Qi Jiaozheng had seen plenty of such things over the years.

At this point, Qi Jiaozheng only felt a headache coming on.

Provoking Qi Xuansu was bad enough, but getting caught red-handed made it worse.

Qi Xuansu had come to notify him out of courtesy. Even if he had not, and had dealt with Qi Wangui directly, what could Qi Jiaozheng have done?

Personally, Qi Jiaozheng had no desire to help Qi Wangui. That man deserved it, and his death would even spare him the trouble. But as the head of the Qi family, he could not ignore it. Even if he knew Qi Wangui could not be saved, he still had to make an effort for the sake of appearances.

However, if he tried and still failed, others would say he had been overshadowed by Qi Xuansu.

After all, Qi Xuansu had not even entered the Golden Tower Council yet. Being overshadowed now would be a major blow to Qi Jiaozheng’s authority. He knew Qi Xuansu’s achievements would eventually surpass his own, but eventually was different from now.

If Qi Xuansu were already a Great Sage or a Grand Master, surpassing him would be perfectly natural. No one would question it. But for a mere ordinary second-rank Taiyi Daoist to overshadow an Omniscient Sage would seem improper, making him appear weak.

There was a simple logic at play. The future Grand Master would likely come from among the Four Prodigies, yet no current senior official would humble themselves before them just because of potential future status. They were not humble servants but dignified Daoists, so appearances and respect still mattered. Even a Grand Master would treat an Old Sage who had contributed greatly with courtesy.

Though being overshadowed seemed to be an abstract problem, it could not be ignored. Like a duel, when strength and skill were equal, the braver one would win.

Most conflicts began subtly. No one started with open hostility. There were always probes and signals first, testing the opponent’s reaction before deciding the next move.

Little Yin’s case was a good example. The move was not major. It was merely a probe. But Zhang Yuelu, being emotionally involved, lost her composure and chose to back down. That signaled weakness, so others assumed she and Qi Xuansu were retreating and seeking to smooth things over.

A lack of a clear stance equated to ambiguity, which became a form of encouragement for others to encroach on boundaries.

By apologizing and leaving, Zhang Yuelu effectively encouraged Qi Wangui to continue his attacks rather than stop.

To put it plainly, targeting Little Yin was a signal of attack. Zhang Yuelu should have been alert, but she was preoccupied with reforms and lacked the bandwidth. It was understandable, but still consequential.

Thus, objectively, Zhang Yuelu played the role of drawing the enemy deeper in.

Thus, when others saw Qi Xuansu as weak, they pushed further, escalating their actions. If he had backed down again in the female instructor’s case, more would have followed suit. Instead, by decisively bringing down Qi Wangui, he made his stance clear, and that would deter others from doing the same.

Qi Jiaozheng now faced the same dilemma. If he showed weakness, it could invite trouble. Some might interpret Qi Xuansu’s move against Qi Wangui as a signal of targeting Qi Jiaozheng and would seize the opportunity to attack.

But confronting Qi Xuansu head-on was neither his intention nor in the Qi family’s interest.

The balance of yin and yang and the art of compromise were useful, but difficult to calibrate.

Qi Jiaozheng finally broke the silence. “He has broken the law, so I have nothing to say about that. Tian Yuan, I appreciate that you informed me in advance. However, I have one request.”

“Please go ahead, Sage Wanmiao,” Qi Xuansu immediately replied.

Qi Jiaozheng said, “How Qi Wangui is judged, and whether he faces formal punishment will be handled by the Fengxian Hall. I have only one request that the impact of this matter be minimized. Don’t let it be widely known and handle it as discreetly as possible.”

Qi Xuansu did not hesitate in the slightest. “Of course, that can be arranged.”

Qi Jiaozheng was momentarily taken aback. He had not expected such a ready agreement. But upon meeting Qi Xuansu’s gaze, something stirred in his mind.

Qi Jiaozheng had weathered countless storms, so he was keenly perceptive of matters that could not be spoken outright. He understood immediately.

When Qi Xuansu said “it can be arranged,” it did not necessarily mean that it would be done.

In other words, there would be conditions.

Qi Jiaozheng caught on immediately and shifted the topic. “Tian Yuan, if I recall correctly, you’ll soon be accompanying the Western Daoist delegation to Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, right?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Yes. The Western Daoists wish to visit Jiangnan. After all, development depends on economic strength. Since the Wei Dynasty, Jiangnan has been a major taxation hub with a strong economy. It’s only natural for them to study and observe there.”

The Central Plains’ three major taxation regions were Qizhou, Jiangnan, and Lingnan because they were coastal, with excellent ports and thriving commerce. However, since Huangfu Ji had already visited Nanyang, they skipped Lingnan this time and chose only Jiangnan and Qizhou.

Qi Jiaozheng paused deliberately. “I happen to have some free time in the coming days, so I’ll make a trip to Jiangnan.”

Qi Xuansu understood immediately. Qi Jiaozheng wanted a face-to-face discussion.

Hearing this, Qi Xuansu said, “Speaking of which, Uncle Zhang and Sage Wanmiao are old acquaintances. Aside from occasional official meetings in Jade Capital, you haven’t really interacted since the 41st year of the Jiushi Era.”

He was referring to the end of the 41st year of the Jiushi Era, when Qi Jiaozheng led 36 high-ranking Daoists of the Quanzhen Sect to Yunjin Mountain, presenting gifts and greetings from the Earthly Preceptor to the Heavenly Preceptor. He also represented the Quanzhen Sect to pay respects at the ancestral temple of the Dazhen Mansion, honoring Shangguan Wan, the first Earthly Preceptor after the Daoist Order’s revival. On the night of December 8th, the Heavenly Preceptor personally hosted a banquet, with Zhang Jucheng leading a group of Zhengyi Sect Daoists as accompanying guests.

Qi Xuansu happened to be there as well, accompanying Zhang Yuelu to visit her family. Back then, he could only look up to these two senior figures. In the blink of an eye, he now stood on equal footing with them.