Chapter 47: Should the Day of Discovery Come, Do Not Forget to Inform Those Who Came Before

A banner was strung up in the center, inscribed with the words: "Jianguo Road Residential District Chess Tournament Finals." A crowd stood gathered around, some chattering with commentary, others holding their breath in deep thought, but every gaze was fixed upon the chessboard at the heart of the circle.

With a soft click, the final move was placed. The game was settled.

The crowd erupted instantly, a cacophony of praise for the national pastime, discussions, and tactical analysis. Amidst the persistent din, the loser slowly rose to his feet and solemnly shook hands with his opponent.

"Brother Zhou, your chess skills are truly formidable. I concede defeat with full respect."

The man asked with earnest curiosity, "Where did you learn to play like this? A level like yours... it doesn't look like that of an ordinary person."

Zhou Qing withdrew his hand and replied, "I learned it from a friend."

"A friend? What kind of friend could teach you such a style of play?" The man exclaimed, "Your friend must be a professional, right?"

"Of course! Can a friend of our little Zhou be anything less than a master?"

Old Man Wu, who had been watching from the side, chimed in at the perfect moment. He continued, then turned to Zhou Qing: "I've heard you mention this chess-playing friend of yours for a long time. When are you going to invite him over for a match with us?"

"It’s been a while since I last saw him," Zhou Qing said. "I'll get in touch when I have the time."

If he were to calculate it, it had been about six hundred years.

Since re-entering the mortal realm, he had yet to seek out any of his old friends from the world of immortality. With the burden of his soul’s instability weighing on him, he had planned to rest for about a decade, waiting until he had completed his tempering of the heart in the dust of the world and fully restored his condition before setting out to look for them. After all, he had survived hundreds of years; a few more wouldn't make a difference.

Over the millennia, he had encountered many people, but few could be called friends. Back when he was a guest elder at the Immortal Alliance, he had dealt with tens of thousands, yet only two could truly be considered close confidants: one was Ye Qiansheng, and the other was Yuan Tiangang.

Ye Qiansheng had been dead for many years now. If Yuan Tiangang were still living a normal life, he would be the oldest friend he had.

He and that "legendary sorcerer" had first met after spending months traveling together to sever the dragon veins.

After the task was complete, Yuan Tiangang accepted an invitation from the Jiuli Immortal Alliance, returning with him to operate as a practitioner in the cultivation world.

As a rare master of divination, Yuan Tiangang was frequently consulted by the Alliance to survey fortune, assess omens, and provide guidance for various operations. Zhou later accompanied him on many occasions, fighting side-by-side in over a thousand battles during a span of thirteen hundred years.

Of course, a cultivator's life was not just about meditation, enlightenment, and the business of slaying demons; occasionally, there was time for recreation.

...

"Chess?"

Zhou Wuqing looked at the board before him, slightly puzzled. "You, a master of divination, need to use something like this?"

After the new Emperor, Li Longji, ascended to the throne, conflicts across the land had gradually subsided, and there was less need for guest elders to take the field. Having nothing better to do today, he had intended to leave the Immortal Alliance to clear his head, only to run into Yuan Tiangang tinkering with a chessboard along the way.

"Divination is nothing more than observation and deduction, and the way of chess is the distillation of such things. It is naturally suitable for cultivation."

Yuan Tiangang sat behind the board, placing the pieces back in their starting positions. "But setting aside cultivation, this game is an excellent pastime for amusement. Would you like to try, Brother Zhou?"

Zhou Wuqing scanned the pieces marked with characters for "soldier," "chariot," and "horse," pondering for a moment.

He was bored today, anyway; finding some amusement to pass the time wouldn't be bad.

He leaned over and sat on the opposite side of the board. "How does one play this?"

"The horse moves in an 'L' shape, the bishop flies across the field, the chariot runs in straight lines, the cannon leaps over pieces, the foot soldiers cross the river to advance, the general and his advisors never leave the palace, and the guards stay by the general's side."

Yuan Tiangang hummed a folk rhyme he had picked up, setting down the final piece. "Those are the rules. As for the specifics, you'll see once we start playing."

"What could be difficult about that?" Zhou Wuqing picked up a piece and pushed it forward.

An incense stick later.

Click. A chariot landed on the flank, pinning the opponent's piece against the cannon, executing a skewer.

"Check." Yuan Tiangang withdrew his hand and sat back down, beaming. Opposite him, Zhou Wuqing stared at the board, a rare look of astonishment crossing his face.

"Brother Zhou, you truly have an excellent aptitude. You've become familiar with it after only two games."

Yuan Tiangang laughed. "It's just that your style is too fierce. You focus entirely on offense while neglecting defense. In terms of divination, it is a sign of being 'too rigid and prone to breaking.' You must temper your edge to go further."

Zhou Wuqing did not answer; he simply stared at the board as if reviewing the game. After a long moment, he swept his hand across the table, and the scattered pieces automatically returned to their starting positions.

"Again."

"I am happy to oblige." Yuan Tiangang nodded and pushed a piece forward.

Another incense stick later.

"Oh my, I never expected the invincible Brother Zhou to have a day like this. Truly rare."

Yuan Tiangang made his final move, leisurely fanning himself. "To reach such a level without the aid of divination while just beginning... it is quite impressive. You have given me a truly satisfying game."

"Then let's stop here for today. If you are interested another time, Brother Zhou, we can..."

His smile suddenly froze, and he found himself unable to stand. An invisible pressure weighed down on him, pinning him firmly to his seat.

"Again." Zhou Wuqing wiped his hand across the table, and the board was reset once more.

The leisurely fan stopped in mid-air. The smile on Yuan Tiangang's face gradually faded; he felt as if he had kicked an iron plate.

Why hadn't he heard that this man had such a competitive streak?

He suddenly realized that most people who had dared to compete with this man were already dead.

"Uh... Brother Zhou, I recall the Fourth Elder saying he wanted to speak with you about the recent campaign against the Turks. Perhaps we should stop here for today..."

"We'll talk after we finish this game."

...

"...Brother Zhou, didn't the Hall of Elders commission you to investigate the situation in the Western Regions? Perhaps you should go first..."

"I'll go after we finish this game."

...

"Ahem, Brother Zhou, my fan spirit seems a bit fatigued. Let me go perform a spirit infusion first, and then—hey, hey, what are you doing?"

"Infusion complete. Start another game."

"What? How did you do that?"

"..."

...

"In the end, I played him for seven full days and nights. The disciples in the sect thought we had been in seclusion for so long because we had suffered a qi deviation, and they were so frightened they specifically ran over to 'rescue' us."

In the quiet room of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, Yuan Tiangang stroked the chessboard in front of him and chuckled. "That's just how he is—he refuses to swallow even the slightest bit of frustration."

"Your old friend is truly... very individualistic." Luo Mingxian searched his vocabulary for a long time before settling on that word.

If the first story Yuan Tiangang told had made him sigh at the sight of a prodigy, this second story had sent the man tumbling from the heavens to the earth, leaving him with the feeling that his illusions had been shattered.

"That is natural," Yuan Tiangang said. "Back then, his temper was as famous as his strength. Whenever anyone mentioned his name in the Immortal Alliance, they could launch into a long-winded debate."

"But eventually, those people all died, and so those stories were no longer told."

The room fell silent. Luo Mingxian, sitting before the table, lowered his gaze, pretending to glance casually at the back of Yuan Tiangang's hand resting on the board.

The skin on the back of his hand was covered in wrinkles, extending up his arm as if time were seizing him from there.

In the world of cultivation, this phenomenon had a specific term: The Five Decays of Heaven and Man.

"Practicing divination has allowed me to live for seventeen hundred years and see too many lives and deaths. Before long, it will be my turn to go."

As Yuan Tiangang spoke, the faint smile remained on his face. "I am taking this time to reminisce, lest there be no one left who knows these old stories after I am gone."

Luo Mingxian took a deep breath. "Master, I have reported this to the capital and all regional units. We are mobilizing the power of the entire nation to search; we will surely find a way to extend your life..."

"There is no need for such polite platitudes. I have told you many times: violating the Heavenly Prohibitions will inevitably damage one's health and shorten one's lifespan, and there is no cure. No one knows better than I how much time the Heavenly Dao has left me."

Yuan Tiangang closed his eyes slightly. "It has been over six hundred years since Zhou Wuqing vanished. In these six hundred years, I have tried countless methods to find a clue to his whereabouts, even attempting to peer into the secrets of heaven, yet I have never gained so much as an inch of progress."

"In the time I have left, I will gradually tell you all those old stories one by one. Once my life ends, you will take up the mantle. Without violating the Heavenly Prohibitions, you must continue to develop the way of divination and search for his traces in my stead."

"If there comes a day when you find him, do not forget to inform those who came before you."

"..."

Luo Mingxian looked at the wrinkles on his hand, wanting to speak several times but stopping himself.

These days, Yuan Tiangang was lecturing and setting up formations more frequently. The members of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion assumed the Master was in good spirits and spreading his wisdom, but only a very few, including himself, knew the true reason.

He was preparing for his own funeral.

Luo Mingxian remained silent for a moment, then finally bowed his head, resting his hands on his knees.

"I will strictly follow the Master's command."