Chapter 1748: Official Bulletin

After bidding farewell to Shi Bingyun, Qi Xuansu made another trip to Xuannu Palace.

Su Yuanzai had acted swiftly and had already drafted a brief report, consisting of just a single page, intended to inform the Golden Tower Council of the incident. The two of them went through the wording together, carefully considering and refining it. After making a few minor adjustments to the details, they finalized the document. Su Yuanzai would submit the report as the principal signatory, with Qi Xuansu’s name appearing beneath his.

The comprehensive report would have to be submitted officially in the name of the Daoist Mansion. That would require far more than a single sheet of paper. It would need a detailed file covering the cause of the incident, the sequence of events, the Daoist Mansion’s investigative findings, and its recommendations. Afterward, they would wait for the Golden Tower Council’s decision. This was precisely what Su Yuanzai intended to discuss at the Daoist Mansion Council he had convened.

Fortunately, none of the Daoist Mansions lacked skilled writers. Under the guidance of the Mansion Master, they would undoubtedly produce an excellent report, meticulously worded and leaving no loopholes.

Since Qi Xuansu was not a member of the Xiangzhou Daoist Mansion, he saw no reason to linger and returned to the Wanxiang Daoist Palace with Long Xiaobai.

Whatever the circumstances, Qi Xuansu had already missed two classes. Apparently, Sun Hewu had stepped in to cover for him at short notice. As a veteran instructor, handling a couple of extra classes was hardly a difficult task for him.

Then there was Little Yin. Qi Xuansu knew her all too well. The moment no one was around to keep her in check, she would start running wild like a dog let off its leash. She was particularly adept at putting on an innocent appearance to lull her elders into complacency, while secretly devising all manner of little schemes to slack off and shirk her responsibilities. She also knew exactly how to charm older people and win their affection. People like Yan Yongzhen and Lu Yujue simply could not keep her under control.

When Qi Xuansu returned to Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Great Sage Shi did not even ask where he had been or what he had been doing.

After all, Qi Xuansu was not a student at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace who had to report everything to his instructors and request permission whenever he wanted to take leave.

He was also not an instructor or Deputy Palace Master. He was one of the 36 Omniscient Sages, a senior figure within both the Daoist Order and the Golden Tower Council. To put it bluntly, rules were an expression of the will of the rulers. They were not made to constrain people like them.

Having risen to his current position, Qi Xuansu had effectively crossed that threshold and become a member of the ruling class himself.

As part of the Daoist Order’s upper echelon, Qi Xuansu naturally had his own affairs to attend to. Some might be official business, while others might be personal matters. Regardless of their nature, as long as they did not cause any significant disruption, it would be inappropriate for Great Sage Shi to pry into them without good reason, lest he provoke unnecessary resentment.

The first thing Qi Xuansu did upon returning to the Wanxiang Daoist Palace was instruct Yan Yongzhen to summon Little Yin.

Looking distinctly guilty, Yan Yongzhen informed Qi Xuansu that Little Yin was not currently at Wanxiang Daoist Palace. She had gone to Longmen Prefecture.

Qi Xuansu slammed his palm on the table. “Isn’t advanced training at the Upper Palace supposed to be conducted under a closed-campus format? Who gave her permission to leave?”

Yan Yongzhen gave a bitter smile. “Miss Yin has already reached the Zaohua stage, so no one could possibly stop her from sneaking out. We can’t exactly report something like this to the Great Sage as well. Besides, she always comes back on time for her classes.”

Qi Xuansu pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation. He then gestured toward Long Xiaobai and ordered, “Go find her and bring her back.”

Yan Yongzhen and Long Xiaobai acknowledged the order and departed.

Qi Xuansu felt that Little Yin was becoming increasingly disobedient and unruly, her behavior growing more outrageous by the day. He had completely forgotten that, back when he was studying at the Wanxiang Daoist Lower Palace, he was not much better than Little Yin. Even though he knew his instructors would punish him, he had still insisted on sneaking out. In fact, whenever he attended a reunion with his former classmates, they would invariably bring up those escapades and reminisce about the old days.

He glanced at the pile of documents accumulated on his desk. Among them was an official bulletin issued by the Daoist Order.

Unlike the ordinary official bulletins he had received in the past, this one was clearly of a much higher classification and contained considerably more detailed information. It was even marked with the words “Top Secret.” It could essentially be regarded as an internal intelligence briefing circulated among the Daoist Order’s senior leadership.

The Daoist Order had established a tiered system for distributing such bulletins. Ordinary Daoists received different versions from high-ranking Daoists, high-ranking Daoists received different versions from the Sages, and the Sages received different versions from Omniscient Sages. The higher the recipient’s rank, the more sensitive the information contained in the bulletin, the smaller its intended readership, and the stricter the confidentiality requirements.

The first item was the formal appointment of Virtuous Great Sage Qi Wu as the Great Sage of the Western Region Daoist Mansion. Great Sage Qi would assume supreme authority over military affairs throughout the Western Region, commanding the first-rank Spirit Guards and the various divisions of Spirit Guards.

In an ordinary bulletin, the report would probably have ended there. However, this particular bulletin was different. Beneath the announcement were two additional pieces of information that had not been disclosed to the public.

The first was a summary of several recent meetings held by the Spirit Guard Office, which issued an early warning to the Tiangang Hall reporting that the Buddhist forces in the Western Region had been unusually active lately. Various indications suggested that the Buddhists were gathering their strength and preparing to undertake some kind of operation. Although the potential threat could not be compared in scale to the Shamanistic Sect’s rebellion or the Tenmon Sect’s rebellion, the Spirit Guard Office believed that a localized military conflict might break out in the Western Region in the near future.

The second piece of information stated that the Tiangang Hall believed these developments were connected to personnel changes within the Western Region Buddhist Sect. The rise of the younger, more militant faction had caused the Western Region Buddhist Sect to adopt an increasingly aggressive stance. Thus, the Daoist Order needed to make preparations well in advance.

These two pieces of intelligence explained why Great Sage Qi had been appointed to the newly established position of Great Sage of the Western Region Daoist Mansion.

Clearly, the Daoist Order did not intend to dispatch a Sage Commander this time. Instead, the Great Sage would assume primary responsibility for handling the situation.

Qi Xuansu was not particularly surprised, because this was indeed the best moment for the Buddhists to make their move. With the Daoist Order’s grand election fast approaching, the Daoists would inevitably concentrate all its strength on internal affairs rather than external threats. Given the current situation among the Three Daoist Sects, there was even a possibility of fierce internal conflict erupting. Therefore, it was entirely reasonable for the Buddhist Sect to test the Daoist Order’s resolve at this particular moment. Doing so was perfectly aligned with their interests.

If the Daoist Order ultimately descended into internal strife over the election results, the Buddhists could seize the opportunity to act and reclaim their former position in the Western Region.

The Daoist Order would likely take further action in response. After all, when it came to dealing with the Buddhist Sect, there were no disagreements among the Three Daoist Sects. This was one of the few areas of consensus they still shared.

The second major development was that the Holy Court had dispatched a special envoy to visit the Daoist Order. The Ciji Hall Master—Sage Ning Lingge—had been assigned to receive the envoy.

Similarly, two pieces of confidential information that had not been publicly disclosed were included beneath this announcement.

The first stated that, according to the Ciji Hall’s assessment, the Holy Court had finally resolved to settle the internal conflicts involving the Lune Kingdom, the Nederland Kingdom, and the Ibia Kingdom. However, the Holy Court was also concerned that the Daoist Order might intervene in these disputes, introducing unpredictable complications. Thus, they wished to establish communication with the Daoist Order in advance, secure certain assurances from its leadership, and reach a formal agreement.

The second piece of information stated that the Holy Court also intended to resolve the New Continent question once and for all. It proposed establishing an official border between the Northern and Southern Continents, recognizing the areas actually controlled by each side as an established reality, and bringing the war between the two to an end.

Although this was a matter between the Steam Evangelical Sect and the Western Daoist Order, everyone knew that the Holy Court stood behind the Steam Evangelical Sect, while the Daoist Order stood behind the Western Daoist Order. An arrangement of this magnitude could only proceed with the approval of both the Holy Court and the Daoist Order.

This was also the typical approach of the Westerners—seize whatever they could while they had the strength to do so, and once further conquest became impossible, suddenly develop a fondness for peace, rushing to claim the moral high ground before anyone else. However, completely resolving the conflict between the Northern and Southern Continents would require continuous negotiations. This visit was merely an exploratory move, intended to test the waters and gauge the Daoist Order’s attitude.

The matter had already been submitted to the Golden Tower Council for deliberation.

There was considerable disagreement within the Golden Tower Council over this issue. The radicals, who had previously shown little regard for the indigenous peoples, were now invoking their interests as an argument, claiming that only by driving the Westerners out of the New Continent and seizing control of the entire landmass could the indigenous population be truly liberated. On the other hand, the conservatives argued that under present circumstances, completely defeating the Steam Evangelical Sect was unrealistic. The Western Daoist Order should instead prioritize its own development, which required a stable environment. Therefore, establishing a formal border and bringing the war to an end were necessary.

The third major development concerned several important personnel changes within the Daoist Order.

In summary, the sixth-generation disciples were gradually relinquishing their authority and retiring from public affairs, while the seventh-generation disciples were steadily stepping onto the grand political stage of Jade Capital, preparing to begin their own performances.

The fourth major development was that, following deliberations by the Golden Tower Council, and with the consent of the Three Deputy Grand Masters, the Daoist Order had decided to formally commence the election of the seventh-generation Grand Master no later than the Shangyuan Festival of the following year.

Upon reading this announcement, Qi Xuansu had an indescribable feeling.

The moment had finally arrived.

The Council of Three Era was finally drawing to a close. The Daoist Order would inevitably welcome a new Grand Master.

Neither Sage Donghua nor Sage Qingwei was a good-natured man without a solid power base like the sixth-generation Grand Master. Each of them represented the interests of a particular group and had a substantial following. They were the representatives of powerful factions within the Daoist Order. Whichever one ascended to the position would undoubtedly become a Grand Master who wielded genuine authority.

This would undoubtedly shatter the existing balance within the Daoist Order. Many people would seize the opportunity to rise to prominence, while many others would be plunged into irredeemable ruin.

Qi Xuansu closed the official bulletin and set it aside for the time being. He then picked up several letters.

Not everyone had access to Qi Xuansu’s personal contact information. Those who could not reach him directly had no choice but to send letters. However, such correspondence generally passed through Yan Yongzhen first. As Qi Xuansu’s secretary, Yan Yongzhen would screen out irrelevant or unimportant letters before forwarding the remainder to him.

That was precisely why secretaries were so important. To a certain extent, they determined what their superiors were allowed to see and hear. They might not possess enough authority to ensure the success of an undertaking, but they certainly had more than enough influence to bring about its failure.

Qi Xuansu briefly flipped through the letters and discovered that quite a few were complaints reporting misconduct. The complainant was a member of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace reporting about their superiors or colleagues.

Some of these accusations were genuine, while others were malicious fabrications. There were even allegations based on nothing more than rumors and unfounded speculation.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu had no time to investigate each accusation personally. He issued a blanket instruction to forward these complaints to the local branches of the Beichen Hall and the Fengxian Hall for investigation.

However, there was one other letter that had been submitted anonymously.

Qi Xuansu opened the envelope and took out the letter. The paper was covered in characters he could not understand. They were even more incomprehensible than the wildest mystical scribbles, resembling wriggling earthworms or swimming tadpoles.

He frowned, unable to understand why Yan Yongzhen had allowed such a bizarre and inexplicable letter to slip through his screening.

However, upon closer inspection, the strange characters seemed to possess an uncanny power that captivated his mind.

Caught off guard, Qi Xuansu found his consciousness drawn into the writing. In an instant, he felt as though he had been transported into the vast expanse of the night sky, with an enormous sphere that completely filled his field of vision.

The sphere resembled the sun, yet at the same time, it also resembled the moon.

But upon closer examination, the sphere was neither the sun nor the moon. It was half yin and half yang. Countless tiny, almost imperceptible tentacles extended from its edges.

Qi Xuansu abruptly snapped back to his senses and no longer dared to look at the letter in his hand. Only then did he realize just how dangerous it was. He also understood that Yan Yongzhen could not be blamed for allowing the letter through. This was a calamity that Qi Xuansu himself had brought upon himself.

Qi Xuansu carefully put the letter away and decided that he would have to discuss matters concerning the Azure Heaven with either the Heluo God or True Lord Ziguang when he had the chance. These ancient gods had existed for countless ages, so they should have a much deeper understanding of what exactly the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons were.