A Pawn's Passage

Over the next few days, Qi Xuansu needed to seriously consider whether to take Sage Donghua as his master.

Such a major matter was actually similar to a marriage. Ideally, it should involve a formal ceremony, with many people present as witnesses. Considering the special statuses of Sage Donghua and Qi Xuansu, if it were truly conducted on a grand scale, more than half of the Daoist Order’s upper leadership would attend the ceremony.

This was both good and bad. Qi Xuansu’s concerns were about his past feelings for his master, morality, and potential damage to his reputation.

Sage Donghua also had his own concerns. This would mean a full confrontation with the Earthly Preceptor. Although it was still unclear what role the Earthly Preceptor had played in the matter or what relationship he had with Qi Haoran, one thing was undeniable—the Earthly Preceptor was certainly connected to it.

For the moment, Sage Donghua did not wish to force such an open confrontation. With powerful enemies outside, he did not have absolute confidence in defeating Sage Qingwei.

Thus, Sage Donghua and Qi Xuansu reached a consensus that the apprenticeship could be postponed for now. At the very least, they could wait until Beichen Hall issued a formal investigative report and officially identified Qi Haoran before proceeding with the apprenticeship.

However, it would also be inappropriate to wait until Qi Xuansu returned from the New Continent. If Qi Xuansu achieved great merit, only for Sage Donghua to accept him as a disciple then, the optics would look rather ugly.

Though they should not rush the matter, they could not delay it for too long either. Striking the right balance required considerable finesse and judgment.

In the end, Sage Donghua decided to temporarily set the matter aside.

If Qi Xuansu went to the New Continent, it would not be a short assignment. This was the fundamental reason Sage Qingwei did not want to go himself. With the grand election only a few years away, leaving the center of power for too long would practically guarantee his defeat to Sage Donghua.

However, Qi Xuansu was different. He belonged to the next generation and still had at least 30 years ahead of him. Thus, leaving the center of power now was no major issue. Rather, it was the perfect opportunity to gain experience abroad, strengthen his résumé, and build up his strength.

Of course, Qi Xuansu would inevitably return to Jade Capital briefly to report on his duties. It would not be too late to hold the formal ceremony during such an interval.