Chapter 1329: Four Problems
In a certain sense, Zhang Yuelu was not suited to being a “tool” because she had too many ideas of her own. She was firm and unyielding, preferring to follow her own approach.
Qi Xuansu was the opposite. His background meant he did not have many ideas of his own, most had been instilled in him by others. This made him well-suited to being a “tool.” One could just give him a problem, and he would solve it. As such, he was often able to complete tasks efficiently, from Wuxing Mountain to Poluo. Moreover, he did not mind being both the black glove and the white glove, which meant that he could be flexible when necessary. Regardless of whether such methods were right or wrong, Qi Xuansu was certainly more likable than Zhang Yuelu.
Due to this, both Sage Donghua and Sage Qingwei were fond of using Qi Xuansu and continually entrusted him with important responsibilities.
A tool most often ended up doing the hard work while others took the credit. But for various reasons, Qi Xuansu avoided this fate. Each time, he received the credit he deserved. As a result, he was no longer merely a tool but gradually accumulated enough capital of his own.
Since tools were not supposed to have any thoughts, they did not have the concept of betrayal or loyalty. The key was in how they were wielded. An axe could chop wood, but if one accidentally swung it onto one’s own head and killed oneself, one could not say the axe betrayed them. One could only blame oneself for using the axe poorly.
Since Qi Xuansu was treated as a tool, one should not expect him to offer loyalty in return. He could be loyal to the Daoist Order but not necessarily to any specific individual.
Sage Qingwei had learned this the hard way. On the battlefield of Fenglin Continent, Qi Xuansu had been very useful. But at the critical moment of the final battle in Yomi-no-Kuni, Qi Xuansu did not indulge Sage Qingwei and simply acted as he saw fit.
Qi Xuansu was merely a tool. If Sage Qingwei could use him, so could the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor. It all depended on whose hands he was in.
The Earthly Preceptor also treated Qi Xuansu as a tool, which was what drove Qi Xuansu to seek answers in the Lingshan Paradise.
If a ruler treated a subject as their own limbs, the subject would treat the ruler as their heart. If a ruler treated a subject as disposable, the subject would not stay loyal to the ruler either.
Thus, Sage Donghua had already changed his approach and proposed to take Qi Xuansu as his disciple. That way, Qi Xuansu was no longer a tool but a successor of the Donghua lineage. In return, Qi Xuansu would have to pledge his loyalty.
When Qi Xuansu returned to Jade Capital to report on his duties, he would need to give Sage Donghua a clear answer.