Pawn Crossing the River

Zhang Yuelu said: "Actually, the same is true for me. I have just been promoted to the fourth level of Taoist priest. Even if I have done enough, it will still take more than two years to advance to the third level. As for the second level, it depends on luck. "

"After the second level, the shortest time for each level is nearly ten years. According to the calculation of an ordinary real person promoted to the second level at the age of thirty, the promotion to a real person at the age of forty will have the qualifications to be elected as a great leader, but it is almost impossible. If he is selected, he will continue to be promoted. He will be promoted to the Great Master Ping Zhang at the age of fifty, and he will be promoted to the Deputy Head Master at the age of sixty. Therefore, the sixty-year-old Grand Master may seem to have plenty of time, but in fact he is very tight. "

"This is still a very ideal situation. The previous generation of great masters paved the way, and the people below are expected to return home, with almost no obstacles. In fact, it is almost impossible to be so smooth. There are thorns everywhere and opponents blocking the way. Thank God for being able to become a master of Shenzhi at the age of sixty. ”

"Among Taoist sects, thirty-year-old third-grade Taoist priests are not uncommon, and thirty-year-old second-grade Taoist priests can also be seen, such as Qingwei Zhenren, who happened to be promoted to second-grade Taiyi Taoist priests in his 30s, but now he is only a first-grade Taoist priest. He is just the top ranked Master Shenzhi. There is nothing he can do about it. Those Pingzhang Masters are all very old and refuse to move. No matter how powerful he is, he cannot rise up. Therefore, being promoted to the fourth rank is just the beginning. There’s still a long way to go.”

Qi Xuansu sighed: "No wonder they say that if you can't keep up with one step, you won't be able to keep up with every step."

Zhang Yuelu said: "The premise of this situation is that you have enough merit, but most people don't have so much merit at all. How many of the sixth-grade Taoist priests can make up three 'Xuan Zi Gong'? Can they use three 'Yellow Zi Gong'?" It is normal to gather enough "Xuan Zi Gong" and then be promoted to a fifth-level Taoist priest by excelling in three years of assessment. In some Qingshui yamen, such as the Daozang Division and the Anhun Division, there is no chance of meritorious service throughout the year, and they can only rely on time. , it may take more than ten years of hard work to reach the first level, so there are many gray-haired sixth-level Taoist priests and fifth-level Taoist priests.”

"If you plan to be promoted to the third-grade Youyi Taoist priest within seven years, you cannot go through qualifications and can only be promoted by merit. To advance from a sixth-grade Taoist priest to a fifth-grade Taoist priest, you need three 'Xuan Zi Gong', which is also one 'Di Zi Gong'; To be promoted from a fifth-grade Taoist priest to a fourth-grade wine-offering Taoist priest, two 'di-zigong' are required; to be promoted from a fourth-grade wine-offering Taoist priest to a third-grade youyi Taoist priest, three 'di-zigong' are required, which is one 'tian-zigong'."

Qi Xuansu asked curiously: "Two 'Earth Character Skills'? How did you save them?"

Zhang Yuelu suddenly fell silent, and after a while he slowly said: "It mainly depends on luck. In fact, I just joined Tiangang Hall this year. I used to be in charge of Beichen Hall and was affiliated with Jiangnan Division. I have been watching for forty years. At that time, the deputy head of the hall sent a group of us to inspect, and by chance, we discovered a major case in which people from Jiangnan Province colluded with secret associations to embezzle maritime trade payments. The amount involved was about 5 million Taiping money. , hundreds of people were involved.”

The imperial court's income mainly comes from various taxes. Of course, the Taoist sect's income does not rely on incense money, but an extremely large commercial and trade system, from ginseng, fur, and medicinal materials in Liaodong, to tea, porcelain, silk, and ironware in the Central Plains, and then There are spices from the Western Regions, horses from the grassland, wood from the Posu State, gold and silver from the Fenglin State, glass, firearms from the Western Continent, etc. .

In this huge commercial system, sea trade accounts for half, and Jiangnan is the largest part of sea trade.

Qi Xuansu was taken aback: "This is a big case. I've heard about it even when I'm not in the ancestral court."

Zhang Yuelu hummed softly: "In the end, about two million Taiping money was recovered. The ancestral court executed a second-grade Taiyi Taoist priest, three third-grade Youyi Taoist priests, and twelve fourth-grade Jiujiu Taoist priests. They were expelled from the Taoist priests. There are countless people who have been demoted, demoted, and recorded demerits. The head of the Jiangnan Dao Palace was also recalled to the ancestral court for negligence, and was questioned by the rotating deputy head master Da Zhenren in Jinque. Although he retained his identity as a counselor, he He was also transferred away from the prosperous Jiangnan Province and transferred to the relatively harsh and cold Liaodong Province. "

Although Zhang Yuelu's tone was understated, Qi Xuansu could still hear the danger in it. It was related to his family and life. People involved in this case would not sit back and wait for death. They would definitely fight to the death.

Qi Xuansu was silent for a moment and asked softly: "This case... I'm afraid it's very dangerous, right?"

Zhang Yuelu's expression was a little sad: "More than just danger, my ability to come back alive is mostly due to luck. At that time, we had three principals and six deacons, and I was the only one who returned to the ancestral court alive. The rest were all killed. Jiangnan. It is said that they died at the hands of a secret society, but I know that they were actually killed. If the master had not appeared in time, I would not have been able to escape the fate of being destroyed. "

Qi Xuansu finally understood why Zhang Yuelu had the ambition to change the Taoist sect. After so many years of development, the Taoist sect has indeed produced many shortcomings. If you want to change these shortcomings, you must at least reach the high position of deputy head master Da Zhenren.

Zhang Yuelu sighed: "In fact, it is definitely not enough for me to solve such a major case. Master also played a great role in it. However, Master did not take credit and let me get a day afterwards." "Zi Gong", and I myself have a "Di Zi Gong". Apart from the two "Di Zi Gong", there are still two "Di Zi Gong". Because of this, I fell into the eyes of the Earth Master. Embark on the journey to Qingyun and become a fourth-level wine-sacrifice Taoist priest. According to the convention, the remaining two "Di Zi Gong" can only be converted into two ordinary treasures or one high-grade treasure, but the Earth Master made an exception and converted it into a semi-immortal item for me. , and later appointed me as the deputy head of Tiangang Hall."

Qi Xuansu couldn't help but sigh in his heart, no wonder Qiniang said that Zhang Yuelu didn't rely on his family background to achieve his current status, but mainly because of his own success.

Zhang Yuelu gradually fell into memories, looking blankly at the sky above his head, and said slowly: "Those who died were all friends who had been with me day and night. Of course we had unpleasant experiences when we worked together, but I still feel that they should not Just die."

Qi Xuansu did not comment.

Since the death of his master, he has no clear black and white, more like a touch of chaotic gray.

This is the biggest difference between Qi Xuansu and Xuansheng. It is recorded in the book that Xuansheng was shocked when he accidentally saw Cai Renshi, and from this he developed the ambition to save the world, in order to benefit the world at the same time. But Qi Xuansu has been walking in the world for many years, and what he has seen, heard, and experienced may not be less than Xuan Sheng, but he just wants to go to higher places and get rid of this situation in order to be alone.

This is probably the reason why the two are different.

Xuansheng's starting position is very high. His father is the world-famous Great Sword Immortal, his teacher is the first generation earth master, and his father-in-law is Emperor Daxuan Gaozu, so Xuansheng is a natural chess player.

Qi Xuansu has no father, no mother, no brothers or sisters, and his master is a fourth-grade wine-sacrifice Taoist priest who cannot protect himself, so he is just a pawn on the chessboard struggling to survive.

If you are successful, you can help the world; if you are poor, you can only take care of yourself.

Qi Xuansu only wants to take care of himself, because now he can't even take care of himself. Isn't it a joke to talk about helping the world at this time?

This is the most obvious reality.

So Qi Xuansu didn't know what to say. He knew Zhang Yuelu was right, but it was still too absurd and unrealistic for him to think about the future of Dao Sect. It was like a pawn who had just crossed the river talking to the other side's warriors, prime ministers, With all the chariots, horses, and artillery available, if you want to crush the opponent's commander, you may not be able to protect yourself even before you reach the nine-square grid.

Zhang Yuelu calmed down, regained his mood a little, and then said: "Last time I killed Diswen, I got a 'Xuan Zi Gong' and a 'Huang Zi Gong', if I add the four 'Xuan Zi Gong' this time, 'And one 'Huang Zi Gong', let's count it as six 'Xuan Zi Gong', that is, two 'Di Zi Gong', only one 'Di Zi Gong' is missing to make up for the promotion to the third rank Youyi Taoist priest, so I I won’t be polite to Tianyuan.”

Qi Xuansu said: "This is what you deserve, no matter how polite you are."

Zhang Yuelu smiled: "It's not polite, it's the truth. Without you, I will never be able to thwart the plot of this group of monsters."

Qi Xuansu did not continue this topic and instead asked: "Since I cannot be promoted to a fifth-grade Taoist priest immediately due to the suspension system, then there is no other use for these credits?"

Zhang Yuelu said: "It also has a use. When you have made enough contributions but cannot be promoted, the ancestral court will improve your salary. When the spring of next year comes, you will be a sixth-grade Taoist priest, and the basic silver is thirty yuan of Taiping money per month. Tiangang There is a special subsidy for you, which is about twenty yuan of Taiping money per month. Because you are not yet thirty years old, you will prepare wine for the sixth grade Taoist priest, and you will also receive a monthly subsidy of ten yuan of Taiping money. Your remuneration has been upgraded from preliminary wine offering to candidate offering wine. The basic standard is fifty yuan of peace money per month, Tiangang Hall's subsidy is thirty yuan of peace money per month, and the candidate's wine offering subsidy is twenty yuan of peace money per month. That adds up. I can earn one hundred yuan of peace money every month.”

Qi Xuansu said: "This is how a sixth-grade Taoist priest enjoys the treatment of a fifth-grade Taoist priest, right?"

Zhang Yuelu nodded and said, "That's right."

Qi Xuansu asked again: "What if I make meritorious deeds before being promoted to the fifth rank? Should I continue to save? Or..."

Zhang Yuelu said: "At this time, the Taoist sect will convert your merits into spiritual objects, treasures, special magical powers, and peace money to reward you. This is also the reason why many skills are not publicly shown to others."

Then Zhang Yuelu stretched out a finger: "A 'Tian Zi Gong' is equivalent to a semi-immortal object. An 'Earth-Character Skill' is equivalent to an ordinary treasure. "

Qi Xuansu asked: "Can I directly exchange for treasures without increasing my treatment?"

Zhang Yuelu shook his head and said: "The order cannot be messed up. The treatment must be improved before the treasure can be exchanged."