A Pawn's Passage

Upon entering the Earth Palace, the first sight that greeted them was a towering statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor.

Wang Jiaohe circled the statue from the left, while Qi Xuansu passed from the right.

The two entourages surged forward like two tides, and the statue stood like a rock between them, splitting the waves neatly into two halves.

Once they passed the rock, the stream merged again as one.

Since there were many participants, the meeting was held at the assembly hall, which was shaped like a rectangle. One side was open, serving as the entrance. Directly opposite it were the seats for the Mansion Master and Deputy Mansion Masters, facing south. On either side of the hall were two rows of chairs, facing each other and angled toward the main seats in front.

As everyone entered, the Mansion Master and Deputy Mansion Masters took their places at the main seats, while the aides moved to the left and the Spirit Guards to the right.

Chen Shuhua sat on Wang Jiaohe’s left, close beside him. Qi Xuansu took the seat to his right. However, a vacant chair lay between them, as it was reserved for Great Sage Lan.

Even though Great Sage Lan could not attend, his seat had to be kept empty as a gesture of respect and protocol.

After everyone was seated, Wang Jiaohe opened the session with a few formal remarks as the Mansion Master. It was the usual rhetoric about the importance and necessity of this council, nothing more than ceremonial platitudes.

Then came the main agenda. Since Qi Xuansu had been the one to propose this council, he would speak first.

Qi Xuansu swept his gaze across the room before speaking. “The agenda of this meeting is simple. It’s a matter often discussed yet never truly resolved—the secret societies. Since the Holy Xuan rebuilt the Daoist Order, these secret societies have remained the gravest affliction upon us. In their most dauntless days, seven Ancient even dared to storm Kunlun Paradise. Over two centuries, some have ascended, and others have fallen. Today, only three Ancient Immortals remain active. They are the target of worship for the infamous Three Secret Societies. Among the three, the more depraved and unrestrained ones were the Lingshan Witch Cult and the Cult of Fates.

“I happened to have crossed paths with these two secret societies more than once. When the flying ship crashed at the Kunlun Mountain Pass, I was there. When the Yinglong Warship fell in Cuowenbu, I accompanied Sage Cihang to the scene. During the second major Jiangnan case, True Lord Siming had descended upon Jinling Prefecture, where I became a firsthand witness. I’ve seen their methods and their madness, so I know full well how far they will go.