Chapter 867: The Truth
Over the long years, Suzuka Gozen had learned to speak the official language of the Central Plains fluently. “Are you honored guests from the Celestial Empire?”
Qi Xuansu replied, “Greetings, Suzuka Gozen. I am Qi Xuansu, a third-rank Youyi Daoist master of the Daoist Order. I have come in accordance with the directive of the Sage Commander to visit Mount Suzuka.”
Suzuka Gozen looked at Qi Xuansu and asked, “May I know what the Sage Commander has to offer?”
“The Sage Commander would like to invite you to Xiujing to jointly discuss important matters and seek the path to peace,” Qi Xuansu replied with neither arrogance nor deference.
Suzuka Gozen was a title of respect. Her real name was Soshi. Later, when she transformed from the infamous bandit, Tate Eboshi, into the wife of a general, she adopted “Suzuka” as her last name and “Gozen” as a respectful title.
Qi Xuansu had not known this before. He had assumed “Tamamo-no-Mae” and “Suzuka Gozen” were their real names. It was not until he was preparing for this mission that he learned both were honorific titles, comparable to Sage Donghua, Sage Qingwei, or Sage Cihang. The Daoist Order shared a similar tradition. With the exception of a few like Madam Qi, few dared address the three Deputy Grand Masters and their heirs by their given names. Over time, their real names became virtually unknown, especially to the masses.
For that reason, Qi Xuansu simply addressed her as “Suzuka Gozen,” without adding another honorific.
Suzuka Gozen scrutinized Qi Xuansu, then suddenly asked, “Forgive my boldness, but may I ask what position you currently hold?”
Qi Xuansu replied, “I currently serve as the Deputy Hall Master of the Ziwei Hall, concurrently a strategist under the command of the Sage Commander at the Xiujing army camp.”
His position as a strategist had no formal rank, and his actual authority was highly ambiguous. It depended entirely on the Sage Commander’s trust. If favored, the strategist’s words carried great weight, and the entire region treated them with reverence. If ignored, they were no different from a minor clerk.