am-books Chapter 529: July
Chapter 529: July
Chapter 529: July
Early the next morning, Qi Xuansu arrived at the classroom in Kan Garden, where he ran into Ning Yuqing, who was carrying a stack of books.
“Why haven’t I seen you around these past few days?” Ning Yuqing asked.
“I’ve been learning from Sage Sun these days.” Qi Xuansu immediately used the elderly Sage as a shield.
Ning Yuqing remarked with a smile, “Sage Sun has been giving you special tutoring, huh? Not many people catch his attention.”
As they spoke, Yao Pei walked over alone, exuding an aura that discouraged strangers from approaching.
Ning Yuqing had other matters to attend to, so she stopped chatting with Qi Xuansu and took her leave.
Yao Pei acted as if she did not see Qi Xuansu. She neither greeted him nor made eye contact, brushing past him and walking straight into the classroom. No one would have guessed that the two had any familial ties.
Qi Xuansu also entered the classroom.
By this time, several people were already seated inside, engaged in casual conversation.
These fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist masters came from all over. Some had never received formal training, surviving through sheer grit and crawling out of heaps of corpses—they were the definition of true wild Daoists.
Others were merely flowerbed Daoists, having never seen a cult demon, let alone personally killed one. The disparity between the two groups was immense.
Qi Xuansu took his seat, where the required books had already been placed. He picked up one and quickly flipped through the table of contents, finding the material to be dry and theoretical.
The books provided a broad discussion of Daoist governance and detailed explanations of handling various affairs. As expected of high-level Daoist courses, they were completely different from what he had studied in the Lower Palace.
After a while, those willing to attend class had mostly arrived, filling roughly two-thirds of the seats. Many seats remained empty, indicating that quite a few, like Qi Xuansu, missed classes for various reasons.
Then, right on cue, Ning Yuqing stepped into the classroom, not to lecture them, but to announce the course schedule.
Ning Yuqing wasted no time and announced, “Starting today, there will be seven days of lectures by several Sages. On the 21st of June, Deputy Palace Master Sun will lecture on the self-cultivation of high-ranking Daoists. On the 22nd of June, Deputy Palace Master Ning will present a summary of the Golden Tower Council’s resolutions for the first half of the year. On the 23rd of June, Deputy Palace Master Zhang will discuss an overview of trade relations with Fenglin.
“On the 24th of June, Deputy Palace Master Yao will lecture on the summary of the Western Region’s war and future projections for the Grasslands. On the 25th of June, Deputy Palace Master Zhou will cover the history of the Western Continent’s nations and the Holy Court. On the 26th of June, Deputy Palace Master Xu will discuss the post-classical developments of Mohist thought.
“The Palace Master was originally scheduled to deliver a lecture personally on the 27th of June, but as he is still in Jade Capital with no set return date, the topic has yet to be determined and will be decided based on the situation. Does anyone have any objections?”
The course schedule had already been set. Unless there was a significant reason, it would not be changed. Asking for opinions was merely a formality, so naturally, no one objected.
Ning Yuqing nodded and continued, “I hope everyone will prepare seriously so that you can ask high-quality questions during the Deputy Palace Masters’ lectures. If you have any other concerns beyond the coursework, you can come to me.”
After that, Ning Yuqing did not linger and turned to leave the classroom. Not long after, Sun Hewu entered. Since it was June 21st, he was the first to lecture, delivering the topic on self-cultivation for high-ranking Daoists.
When there was no Grand Master, this faction simply supported whoever had the strongest lead. This was why building one’s rapport and launching targeted political attacks were so crucial to winning the election.
By tarnishing Zhang Yuelu’s reputation while boosting Li Changge’s, they employed a two-pronged approach with immediate results.
Since they were building rapport with the masses, they could not afford to do it last minute when Li Changge was already competing for the position of Grand Master. After all, influence was not built in a day but cultivated subtly and consistently.
Naturally, they had to plan ahead, ensuring that Li Changge frequently appeared in the public eye, with various positive news circulating about him. Over time, when the topic of selecting the Grand Master arose, people would naturally think of Li Changge, making everything fall into place seamlessly.
Moreover, after the martial arts competition, Li Changge became a Heavenly Being, demonstrating that he could advance to the next stage whenever he wished.
Following this, Li Changge was promoted to the fourth rank and would participate in next year’s training at the Upper Palace.
It was a matter of gains and losses. Since Li Changge wanted to seize the opportunity to shine at the Three Religions Assembly, he had to forgo this year’s training at the Upper Palace, falling a step behind.
Yao Pei, on the other hand, did the opposite. She voluntarily gave up her spot in the debate against the Confucians, not only advancing one step ahead but also subtly avoiding Li Changge’s spotlight.
After all, only one person could stand out at the Three Religions Assembly.
In the blink of an eye, July arrived.
During this period, Qi Xuansu felt as if he had returned to the Lower Palace, rekindling the familiarity of the past. Every day was a repetition of a similar routine. It was structured and peaceful, devoid of the many dangers and uncertainties he had grown accustomed to after graduation.
Previously, Qi Xuansu had only learned the skills of a foot soldier—how to wield firearms and crossbows, how to sail and ride, all without needing to understand the reasons behind them because he only had to follow orders. Now, he was beginning to grasp the art of command, learning to think from a strategic, overarching perspective.
This newfound perspective stirred deep thoughts within Qi Xuansu.
Reflecting on the series of events he had experienced, he found that many things he previously could not understand or needed Zhang Yuelu and Madam Qi to explain now made sense in a completely new light.
The establishment of Tiangang Hall’s Yaoguang Division, the incidents at Kunlun Pass, Yishan City, and Cuowenbu, the cases at Purple Immortal Mountain, Jiangling Prefecture, and Jinling Prefecture, all the way to the ongoing Three Religions Assembly, seemed unrelated on the surface. Yet, they all revolved around a single, unchanging objective.
All of this was like a game of Go, and everyone involved was a mere chess piece, forming two massive interwoven dragons of black and white that were locked in a deadly struggle on the board. Places like Jinling Prefecture were mere corner battles, while Jade Capital was the central battlefield. Pieces were constantly being captured, while new ones were continuously played. Even outside the board, the bowl still held many unplaced pieces waiting for their turn.
This game was far from reaching its end; it would continue for a long time. To claim victory, one could not be overly concerned with the gains and losses of a single region. A broader vision was required.
Some people would inevitably become sacrificial pieces, discarded by the players in pursuit of triumph.
Qi Xuansu had already been drawn into this immense vortex, unable to extricate himself. However, he did not want to become a sacrificial pawn.
Suddenly, he recalled something Zhang Yuelu once said, “May we never regret anything by the time we reach the end of our journey.”
Once in the game, there was no turning back.