Daoists were fond of the number three, believing it to be the most stable. That was why the Daoist Order was a tripartite balance between the Taiping Sect, the Quanzhen Sect, and the Zhengyi Sect.0

Similarly, all local Daoist Mansions had a power balance between three individuals—the Mansion Master, the Chief Deputy Mansion Master, and the Second Deputy Mansion Master. The Chief and Second Deputies could unite against the Mansion Master and effectively counterbalance the latter. After all, a Mansion Master had no authority to dismiss or deal with the Chief and Second Deputies, unless they used special means, which, if unsuccessful, would surely backfire and bring endless trouble.0

The one presiding over the welcome banquet was the Chief Deputy Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion Master, Zhou Jiaoxian. Like Qi Xuansu, he was from the Quanzhen Sect and hailed from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. Thus, it was no easy feat for him to have risen this far, being just one step away from becoming a Mansion Master and an Omniscient...0