A Pawn's Passage-Chapter 1208: Auntie

Qi Xuansu was about to visit his future father-in-law’s home once again. He had a good impression of his future father-in-law due to the latter’s sound character. In this regard, Zhang Yuelu resembled her father far more.

Though Qi Xuansu could understand his mother-in-law’s way of thinking, he did not agree with it.

The moment they left the Dazhen Mansion, Little Yin, who had scarcely dared to breathe the entire time, was like a fish returned to water, instantly coming back to life. This was no exaggeration. She truly had not been breathing, as though she were dead.

When the Heavenly Preceptor glanced at her, she tried to force a smile. But her little face stiffened completely.

In truth, Little Yin had met Great Sage Jiang before and had not been nearly this miserable. When Great Sage Jiang addressed her as Little Daoist, she accepted it calmly. So why did she fall into such a state upon seeing the Heavenly Preceptor? Even if the Heavenly Preceptor was somewhat stronger than Great Sage Jiang, she should not have feared him to this extent.

Qi Xuansu thought it over carefully and felt that Little Yin had probably listened to too many operas and stories—ones where the Heavenly Preceptor always used thunder techniques to subdue demons and capture ghosts. Since she was a little ghost, she inserted herself into those tales and ended up scaring herself half to death.

They left the Dazhen Mansion and headed toward Shangqing Town.

Along the way, they passed by many members of the Zhang family. The Zhang family members greeted the couple with complex expressions on their faces.

Although the Zhang family ranked among the top two Daoist clans and never lacked Sages, it was rare to see a Sage this young, together at that. After all, age determined one’s future prospects, so everyone could foresee that the power couple before them would one day become part of the very small group truly holding the Daoist Order’s lifeline and destiny—true great figures.

Yet many members of the Zhang clan found it difficult to adjust in such a short time. They wanted to curry favor with the couple, but could not put aside their pride. That was because, before, they had looked down on the couple. But now, they had to look up to the two.

Who could have imagined that Qi Xuansu would rise so quickly? Had this process taken 20 years, or even 10 years, it would not have been nearly so hard to accept.

Then, they noticed a little girl walking between the couple, one hand holding Qi Xuansu’s right hand and the other holding Zhang Yuelu’s left. They looked like a cute family of three.

This was even more startling because it all seemed like an illusion. How long had it been for the two of them to already have a child together? Had they remembered wrongly? Perhaps it was not merely three years that had just passed, but ten. If so, then everything would make sense.

Before long, Qi Xuansu arrived at his future father-in-law’s residence in Shangqing Town.

It was an ancient residence. After enduring wind and rain for over a hundred years, the doors and windows had grown somewhat dilapidated, the paint peeling to the point that its original appearance was no longer visible, but the bricks and stones remained solid. The ground was paved with bluestone.

There were reception halls, a front veranda, and winding corridors. The thick gable walls, carved lattice windows, green moss, and overgrown bamboo formed a rustic and serene aesthetic. In such surroundings, applying a fresh coat of paint would only destroy that harmony, making it less beautiful instead.

A gatekeeper spotted the two and hurried inside to report, “High Mage, the Young Lady has returned.” 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Soon, Zhang Juqi came out of the house. “Qing Xiao, Tian Yuan, you’re back.”

Zhang Juqi could have simply called them “Yuelu” and “Xuansu,” but as their statuses rose, even parents and elders seemed compelled to show them a measure of respect.

In the old Confucian era, filial piety came first. Even a Grand Chancellor would have to bow and kneel before his parents, because ritual propriety and social norms weighed heavily upon him. If he did not kneel, he would be condemned by all. That was because, to Confucians, parents were the highest beings and thus could never be wrong. Only children could make mistakes.

But after the Daoist Order replaced the Confucian School, it advocated equality. Children and parents were equals, not the parents’ appendages.

However, the imprint of Confucianism remained in a diluted form. At the very least, children now had a philosophical basis for resistance, making parent-child relationships increasingly subtle.

Qi Xuansu exchanged greetings with Zhang Juqi in a casual manner, the kind of ease shared by people who could sit together and drink wine.

After another moment, Tantai Qiong finally appeared.

Qi Xuansu also bowed in greeting, properly and without fault. “Greetings, Auntie.”

Tantai Qiong nodded slightly and replied out of courtesy, “Greetings, Sage Qi. Please take a seat in the reception hall.”

Both her words and tone conveyed a hint of aloofness.

Qi Xuansu paid it no mind. He crossed the moss-covered courtyard and entered the reception hall, as though he were in his own home.

After all, Qi Xuansu had gone alone to Nanyang and weathered the storms stirred up by Wang Jiaohe, Sun Heyu, and Chen Shuhua. He could argue his case calmly before the entire Daoist Mansion and stabilize the situation without a change in expression. So, there was no reason for him to become timid the moment he stepped into his future mother-in-law’s home.

What was there to fear? He was not afraid that his future mother-in-law might be dissatisfied with him because he was likewise dissatisfied with her.

Madam Qi had taught Qi Xuansu never to fixate on pleasing others to curry favor and certainly never to lower himself of his own accord. She hated people who adopted a servile attitude for no reason, as these people would indulge in the bad habits of others and encourage unhealthy dynamics. Some even took pride in doing so.

The reception hall was furnished entirely in a traditional style, without the slightest trace of Western influence. After all, placing a set of Western sofas in such an antique courtyard would only make it look awkward and out of place.

After taking her seat, Tantai Qiong said, “I am a rather blunt person. If anything I say offends you, I hope you will forgive me, Sage Qi.”

Qi Xuansu was no longer the young man he once was. Years of experience had made him adept at handling such situations. He replied, “There’s no need for talk of forgiveness. I’ll simply listen. You’re being too polite, Auntie. There’s no need to call me Sage Qi. Please just call me by my courtesy name, Tian Yuan.”

Tantai Qiong acted as if she had not heard him at all and asked, feigning ignorance, “May I ask what business brings you to our home today, Sage Qi?”

Qi Xuansu did not insist on the form of address. She could call him Sage Qi for all he cared. He was not losing out anyway. Even if it was veiled sarcasm, Tantai Qiong could not compare to Madam Qi. He was long accustomed to being mocked by his adoptive mother.

He answered frankly, “To be honest, I’ve taken the liberty of visiting today to discuss the marriage between Qing Xiao and me.”

Tantai Qiong narrowed her eyes. “Marriage.”

Qi Xuansu keenly sensed the trap and immediately amended his words. “Strictly speaking, it’s not marriage, but Daoist companionship. There are still differences between the two. After all, the Daoist Order has abolished Confucian practices like matchmakers and betrothal rites.”

Tantai Qiong found herself stifled by this response and felt somewhat irritated.

She had forgotten the sort of people Qi Xuansu had been dealing with recently and how many were waiting to seize upon any weakness of his. Without such alertness, he would never have made it this far.

But Tantai Qiong had no intention of letting the matter rest so easily. “The Daoist Order may have abolished the role of matchmakers, but what about parental consent? Is that no longer considered either?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Naturally, it’s still important to seek the opinions of parents and elders. After all, this isn’t merely a matter between two individuals but between two families.”

Tantai Qiong immediately sensed how troublesome this young man was because he deliberately added elders. Was he planning to use the Heavenly Preceptor to pressure her?

So, she shifted her approach. “Since parental consent is important, it ought to be discussed by elders from both sides. Surely, your elder wouldn’t be Sage Qi Jiaozheng, would it?”

“Of course not,” Qi Xuansu said with a smile. “I don’t have parents. I’m an orphan of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, so I can only come to discuss this in person. I hope you understand.”

Tantai Qiong feigned surprise. “But I’ve heard that you have an adoptive mother. Is that true or not?”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “I do have an adoptive mother.”

“Then why hasn’t she come? Does she look down on our humble household?” Tantai Qiong finally bared her claws.

Qi Xuansu remained perfectly composed. “Of course not. My adoptive mother is extremely busy. She travels all over the world and even goes out to sea. I rarely get to see her, too.”

Tantai Qiong scoffed. “She’s so busy that she can’t even spare time for her son’s marriage.”

Qi Xuansu smiled faintly. “After all, she’s my adoptive mother, not my birth mother.”

This pair of mother and son had never shied away from speaking ill of each other. Madam Qi had bluntly accused Qi Xuansu of forgetting his mother once he had a wife, so Qi Xuansu was allowed to say this now. Madam Qi certainly wouldn’t mind, though she would likely pretend to and use it as an excuse to fiercely berate him.

Tantai Qiong pressed on. “But how is it that I heard she went to see Sage Cihang? She has time to see Sage Cihang, yet no time to come to Yunjin Mountain? That seems awfully snobbish.”

Of course, Qi Xuansu could not admit that Madam Qi really did not bother to speak with Tantai Qiong. He explained, “My adoptive mother didn’t go to Jade Capital to see Sage Cihang specifically. She went to purchase a new residence for me. After all, with my stipend, I’d never be able to afford a home in Taishang Place. My adoptive mother is a merchant with substantial means, so she bought it on my behalf. It just so happened that Sage Cihang was also in Jade Capital at the time, which was why they met. It certainly wasn’t intentional that she didn’t come to see you. You simply weren’t in Jade Capital then.”

Pure defense was never Qi Xuansu’s style. He immediately shifted from defense to offense. “All of this is really beside the point. Elders’ opinions are certainly important, but what truly matters are the parties involved. Rather than focusing on my adoptive mother, why don’t you ask Qing Xiao what she thinks?”

Tantai Qiong’s chest rose and fell. She had a vague illusion that this was no longer a conversation with a future son-in-law but a Daoist Mansion Council, and Qi Xuansu was at an advantage.

Even Wang Jiaohe had lost to Qi Xuansu, so how could she possibly win?

Unable to confront him head-on, Tantai Qiong was forced to take a step back. She did not bother asking Zhang Yuelu’s opinion but sighed instead. “It’s rather pointless when you think about it. What’s the use of bearing and raising children? Ten months of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth, and years of upbringing all come to naught when the child grows up and flies away, belonging to someone else.”

Those words sounded all too familiar. Madam Qi had used similar tactics before.

Zhang Yuelu was about to speak, but Qi Xuansu raised a hand to stop her. He did not want to intensify the rift between mother and daughter.

In any case, he was already the villain in Tantai Qiong’s eyes, so he might as well see it through.

So, Qi Xuansu said, “Auntie, I must disagree. Qing Xiao doesn’t belong to anyone. She’s neither yours nor mine. She belongs only to herself.”

Tantai Qiong sprang to her feet, clearly furious. “If she belongs only to herself, then why ask me at all?”

With that, she turned and left without looking back.

Qi Xuansu showed not the slightest ripple of emotion, but he still rose symbolically and called after her retreating figure twice. “Auntie! Auntie...”