am-books Chapter 502: Good News
Chapter 502: Good News
Chapter 502: Good News
As night fell, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu decided to stay overnight at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality and descend the mountain early the next morning.
The Chongyang Palace of Immortality had a designated guest lodging called the Taiping Temple, which inevitably reminded people of the Taiping Sect. However, the Taiping Temple had no actual relation to the Taiping Sect. It was merely a name, and it served as a guesthouse.
Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu each requested a room when they arrived at the Taiping Temple. Being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master, Zhang Yuelu stayed in a suite reserved for high-ranking Daoists, while Qi Xuansu was given a standard single room.
The two accommodations were quite a distance apart, as if to prevent Qi Xuansu from harboring any improper intentions.
The next morning, Qi Xuansu awoke from meditation, pushed open the door, and saw someone sitting at the stone table in the courtyard—it was none other than Pei Xiaolou.
“Sage Pei?” Qi Xuansu was surprised. “When did you get back from Jade Capital?”
“I just got back less than an hour ago. I heard you happened to be at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality, so I came straight here,” Pei Xiaolou replied, not hiding his exhaustion. It was not physical fatigue but mental weariness.
Qi Xuansu sat down on a stone stool by the table and asked, “Where is Sage Lei? Didn’t she return with you?”
Pei Xiaolou replied, “Though Qing Xiao was exempted from questioning, Li Tianlan was added, so there are still 7 of us under interrogation. Since I was the least involved and from the Chongyang Palace of Immortality, I was the first to be released.
“The other six still need more time. Xiaohuan is the investigation team leader, so she will likely be the last to finish. However, my elder brother assured me there wouldn’t be major issues and instructed me to return first. I didn’t dare refuse, so I left ahead of them.”
Qi Xuansu asked, “What was the outcome of the Golden Tower Council deliberations?”
Pei Xiaolou sighed. “It’s a complete mess, with endless shirking of responsibilities. Everyone involved has powerful backers, so as long as they hadn’t committed serious offenses like desertion, nothing severe would happen.
“At most, they’ll get a demerit or charged with dereliction of duty. Li Tianlan, that old fox, was clever. By contributing at the very end in the siege against True Lord Siming, he overshadowed his previous failures. That gave others a reason to speak on his behalf.”
This outcome did not surprise Qi Xuansu, but thinking about all the effort expended in Jinling Prefecture only for it to end like this still left him somewhat disappointed.
Qi Xuansu took out his backup voice retention talisman and recounted the details thoroughly. Since Pei Xiaolou already knew about Wan Xiuwu, Qi Xuansu held nothing back.
After listening to Qi Xuansu’s account, Pei Xiaolou put away the voice retention talisman and nodded. “That’s not a major problem. Leave it to me. I’ll handle it together with Sage Xu. Since this involves a Deputy Wuxu Palace Master, it makes sense for the two Deputy Chongyang Palace Masters to deal with it together."
Qi Xuansu was completely at ease.
Pei Xiaolou suddenly changed the topic. “By the way, there’s another matter concerning you and Qing Xiao. Go bring her here, and I’ll tell you both at once.”
Qi Xuansu was just about to get up when he heard Zhang Yuelu’s voice coming from outside the courtyard. “No need, I came uninvited.”
“You little brat, you have quite the ambition, huh?” Pei Xiaolou scolded with a laugh. “Qing Xiao hasn’t even moved up yet, and you’re already thinking about becoming a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master?”
Qi Xuansu waved his hand dismissively. “By the time I become a Sage, Qing Xiao will probably already be an Omniscient Sage.”
Sage Pei did not deny it. “I think the position of Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master is quite suitable for Qing Xiao since all Sage Cihangs will eventually take a turn in that role.”
Zhang Yuelu cleared her throat lightly.
Sensing her mood, Qi Xuansu tactfully changed the subject. “By the way, what are the benefits of being a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master?”
While Zhang Yuelu might not care much about such benefits, Qi Xuansu certainly did, especially since he had only 100 Taiping coins left to his name.
Pei Xiaolou replied, “I did a rough calculation. A fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master in Ziwei Hall will receive a monthly salary of 200 Taiping coins. With various allowances, the total is around 300 Taiping coins per month, which amounts to 3,600 Taiping coins annually.”
Qi Xuansu was both surprised and delighted. “That’s a lot! Back when I was traveling the world, braving storms, and risking my life, I couldn’t even make that much in a year.”
Pei Xiaolou explained, “The high salary is meant to prevent corruption. In the past, many officials caught embezzling would argue that their salaries were too low to survive. Now, with these increased salaries, there is more than enough to support a household comfortably. So there won’t be any more excuses for being corrupt.”
Qi Xuansu did some quick math and asked, “One fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist master earns 3,600 Taiping coins a year; 10 of us would make that 36,000 Taiping coins; 100 would be 360,000 Taiping coins; 1,000 would be 3.6 million Taiping coins. If I recall correctly, there are over 3,000 fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters in the Daoist Order.
“At that rate, the total cost is over 10 million Taiping coins annually without even accounting for other Daoist priests and Spirit Guards. Wouldn’t this be a huge financial burden on the Daoist Order?”
Pei Xiaolou explained, “Well, not all Daoist priests receive such high salaries, nor do they all get subsidies. You were first in Tiangang Hall, which has the highest subsidies among the Nine Halls, and then you moved to Ziwei Hall, which offers the highest salaries.
“The benefits of those working in the Nine Halls are also far superior to those of local Daoist mansions. Most fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters don’t receive as much as you. Typically, they only get around 1,500 Taiping coins a year.
“You’ve previously received subsidies as an Apprentice Mage and a Prospective Mage, but these subsidies are strictly limited by age, so very few people actually qualify for them.
“The calculation isn’t as straightforward as you make it seem, so the actual expenditure for over 3,000 fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters is around 5 million Taiping coins.
“Another thing to account for is that the number of Spirit Guards exceeds that of Daoist priests, yet their salaries are much lower. According to Duzhi Hall’s statistics, the Daoist Order generates an annual income of around 100 million Taiping coins, from which 35 million is allocated to support all Daoist priests and Spirit Guards.
“However, Spirit Guards only account for about one-third of this expenditure. Moreover, most Daoists spend their salaries within the Daoist Order—on housing rentals in Jade Capital, expenses in Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall, daily necessities, and many others. This creates a significant financial recirculation, essentially keeping the money within the system.
“Another thing to consider is the higher the rank, the better the benefits, but the fewer the people. There are over 3,000 fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters, but fewer than 500 third-rank Youyi Daoist masters. The number of second-rank Taiyi Daoist masters is strictly limited to 108 ordinary Sages and 36 Omniscient Sages, totaling fewer than 200. There are only a handful of Great Sages, and at that level, they get private estates and don’t receive a salary.
“So while there is financial pressure on the Daoist Order, it’s still sustainable. Currently, the Daoist Order maintains an annual surplus of around 10 million Taiping coins. As long as maritime trade, which constitutes the bulk of the income, remains stable, there won’t be major issues.”
Qi Xuansu finally understood. “I see.”