Chapter 879: Western Chu Overlord (6)

Someone is working backstage and will reply as soon as possible!

Southern Jiang was covered in countless rolling mountains. Someone darted across the peaks of these ranges, swiftly passing by. A sharp flying sword relentlessly followed that person. He suddenly stopped on the branch of a towering tree at a mountaintop and looked up.

The flying sword also halted its pursuit on the previous mountain peak, hovering mid-air and vibrating slightly. A plain-looking middle-aged man stood near the sword, also gazing at the sky. He sighed, then adopted a "golden rooster stands on one leg" pose, lifted one foot, and bent down to remove his hemp shoe and shake it out.

The scholar-robed man, who had been chased all the way from Tai'an City to the remote mountains of Southern Jiang, burst into laughter and said, "Deng Tai'a, oh Deng Tai'a, Cao Changqing sought his own death, and the Western Chu Empress Jiang Si has also left the Western Chu capital. Before long, even you will feel the thunderous collapse of Western Chu's pillar of destiny! The ones who will benefit greatly, besides that old woman Tantai Pingjing replacing me, Xie Guanying, and stealing a portion, will be none other than Chen Zhibao and Zhao Zhu! Once Chen Zhibao absorbs the destiny of half of Western Chu, as the most crucial supporter of the new emperor, let's see how you, Deng Tai'a, can kill me!"

Not to mention the Four Grandmasters of Martial Arts, but among all fourteen martial arts experts, Peach Blossom Sword God Deng Tai'a would likely seem the least like a master at first glance. Yet, this unassuming middle-aged man had managed to pursue Xie Guanying, the top-ranked individual on the Land Immortal Chart, into such a disheveled state.

Deng Tai'a put his shoe back on, pursed his lips, and grumbled, "Are you saying that a pure martial artist like me, after reaching the Land Immortal realm, will be harmed by destiny if I personally kill someone burdened by it? My apologies, but years ago, there was an old Daoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain who had returned to his true self. I killed him right as he was about to ascend, and nothing happened."

Xie Guanying sneered, "How can I be compared to Wu Lingsu from the Celestial Master's Residence?"

Deng Tai'a rolled his eyes and said, "In my opinion, there's truly no difference."

Xie Guanying laughed heartily, "Then I shall wait and see how your cultivation drops!"

Deng Tai'a shed his slightly casual expression and said sternly, "I don't care who is destined to suppress whom in this life, or who should follow the heavenly dao to hex whom. I'm also too lazy to care about how the world's destiny flows to different families. I don't concern myself with these matters. Forget proving the Dao and ascending; I'm not even interested in whether I can become an earthly immortal."

Xie Guanying angrily exclaimed, "You lunatic! You're even more unreasonable than Lu Dongxuan and Li Chungang!"

Deng Tai'a turned to look at the flying sword, which was made of the most ordinary material, and laughed heartily, "For me, Deng Tai'a, this three-foot sword is enough for this life."

Xie Guanying clearly felt an overwhelming murderous aura, which flashed and vanished, making his escape even faster than before, like streaking lightning. The mountain peak Xie Guanying had stood on was already sliced flat by a single sword strike!

Deng Tai'a did not immediately give chase. He looked up again, observing the unusually low-hanging sea of clouds. "Cao Changqing, oh Cao Changqing, Li Chungang is gone, Wang Xianzhi is gone, and now even you have left."

Deng Tai'a suddenly smiled. Alone, with his sword, he soared into the sky, pierced through the clouds, and reached the sun-drenched sea of clouds above. Deng Tai'a stood cross-legged on his flying sword. He looked up at the golden, radiant sun in the sky. Deng Tai'a was completely bathed in golden light, standing on his sword, lost in thought. Finally, Deng Tai'a gave a thumbs-up to the sky, then slowly turned towards the ground.

Deng Tai'a declared loudly, "I, Deng Tai'a, am here in this life, and this life has reached this point. What can you do to me? Who dares to challenge me, Deng Tai'a, with a single sword?"

No immortals in the heavens answered this question.

On the ground, Xie Guanying muttered repeatedly, "Madman, Deng the madman... Cao Changqing is a madman, and so are you, Deng Tai'a!"

An official, dressed in a court robe with a golden embroidered pheasant insignia, walked onto the city wall with a stern face. He was in the prime of his life, just over forty. If it had been during the stable Yonghui years of the Liyang dynasty, he would undoubtedly have been a prominent figure. To become the head of the Ministry of Justice, a high-ranking official of the second rank, before the age of forty, was surely a moment of triumph. His name was Liu Yiyou, a *tong jinshi* from the eighth year of Yonghui, a few years later than the renowned "Spring of Yonghui" group, which included Yin Maochun. Liu Yiyou's scholarly talents were not outstanding, and his family was obscure, giving him only a poetic name. However, his character was ironically dubbed by Tai'an City as a "stubborn rock in the latrine." He had served as a Ministry of Justice *Yuanwailang* for nearly ten years, sitting on the "cold bench" for just as long. Then, in the first year of Xiangfu, he was promoted to *Langzhong*, last year to *Shi lang*, and finally, this spring—in fact, just three days ago—he was elevated to Minister of Justice of Liyang, becoming the nation's "Autumn Official" overnight. Besides overseeing the four departments of the Ministry of Justice, he nominally held the power of life and death over all of Liyang's martial artists and secretly managed the issuance of copper fish pouches. Accompanying Liu Yiyou onto the city wall were individuals, each with a copper fish pouch hanging from their waist, including thirty-six renowned swordsmen, eighteen master blade-users, and fourteen martial arts grandmasters. The appearance of Liu Yiyou and this group of nearly seventy martial arts experts immediately imbued the city wall's walkway, which already lacked a spring ambiance, with a chilling autumnal aura.

Liu Yiyou, a frail scholar, showed no less imposing presence even when standing alongside the Old Ancestor of the Wu Family Sword Mound, Chai Qingshan of the East Yue Sword Pool, and Xuanyuan Qingfeng of Daxueping.

Wu Jian stood behind the battlements with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression grave. Chai Qingshan had borrowed a second sword, "Qing Li," from the young girl Shan Eryi; he stood with his sword, eyes closed, cultivating his energy. The purple-robed figure sat brazenly directly on the merlon, arms crossed, gazing into the distance with narrowed eyes.

Facing three martial grandmasters who could easily disregard kings and nobles, Liu Yiyou calmly said, "The sixty-eight individuals from the Ministry of Justice are willing to create an opportunity for the three of you. I hope that the three of you can cooperate sincerely and absolutely prevent Cao Changqing of Western Chu from continuing to run rampant in our capital."

Wu Jian remained silent, Chai Qingshan nodded slightly, but only Xuanyuan Qingfeng sneered, "I act because Cao Changqing is worthy of my action. Do you think you're fit to order me around?"

Compared to the other heads of the Department of State Affairs, Liu Yiyou was indeed a junior. He said expressionlessly, "As long as Huishan Daxueping remains within Liyang's martial world, as long as Jianzhou remains within Liyang's territory, I, Liu Yiyou..."

Before the Autumn Official of this dynasty could finish speaking, Xuanyuan Qingfeng braced her hands on her knees. Chai Qingshan had, at some unknown point, stepped in front of Liu Yiyou, but a streak of blood still appeared on the latter's cheek, and strands of hair fluttered to the ground from his temples. Liu Yiyou didn't even bother to wipe the wound. He gently pushed Chai Qingshan aside and stared at the beautiful woman, known for her arrogance and self-importance throughout the court and common folk. "You may kill me, and I may die, but as long as you, Xuanyuan Qingfeng, appear on the city wall of Tai'an City, as long as you are within my sight, you must go out of the city to fight. It's not that I, Liu Yiyou, am using the Ministry of Justice's authority to coerce you, nor am I begging for your help. In this city where I stand, no one is indispensable except His Majesty the Emperor!"

Xuanyuan Qingfeng leaned back, tilted her head, and for the first time looked directly at the young Minister. She sneered, "You must be Liu Yiyou, the poor scholar from Guangling Dao, right? Did I misremember your hometown?"

Liu Yiyou's eyes were dim, whether from the deep calculation expected of a high-ranking official or the self-cultivation of a scholar. He did not become enraged, but calmly said, "Those who follow different paths cannot walk together."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng smiled, "Oh?"

The Old Ancestor of the Wu Family Sword Mound, standing between Xuanyuan Qingfeng and Chai Qingshan, frowned. He reached out a hand and casually swiped, causing a bang in the air. He turned to the purple-robed figure, who was quick to kill, and earnestly said, "Little girl, if you don't change this temper of yours, you won't become the foremost expert in the world."

For some unknown reason, Xuanyuan Qingfeng showed more respect to this elder, while treating Chai Qingshan of the East Yue Sword Pool with cold disdain. Upon hearing Wu Jian's kind reminder, she remained noncommittal. As she turned her head to continue looking outside the city, the *qi* within her body began to circulate rapidly, her aura surged, and her purple robes fluttered and rustled loudly. Sitting on the city wall, she was like a unique landscape of the martial world. It seemed no one in this world had ever truly understood what this woman was thinking: why she suddenly became the Xuanyuan family head of Daxueping, why she went to Guangling River to intercept Wang Xianzhi, why she challenged the new King of Liang in Tai'an City, and why she was going out to face Cao Changqing today.

Perhaps she was like a wild child, without parents, without upbringing, who never truly grew up, unwilling to reason in anything she did. Yet, her cultivation was too profound, her ascent too swift, and her opportunities too good, leaving no one qualified to make her a gentle lady adding fragrance to a scholar's lamp, or a demure young lady from a prestigious family.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng looked up at the sky. Above her head, the sea of clouds surged, a scene that now covered the entire Central Plains. She narrowed her eyes, a hint of sadness in them. She, too, could love someone, but she didn't know how to let him know, or perhaps she dared not and wouldn't let him know. Then let him remember her name. In the martial world, on the battlefield, in the imperial court—no matter where he went in the future, her deeds would be known throughout the land! Since he couldn't love only her for his entire life, like her father loved only her mother, then she would rather have nothing at all.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng suddenly dashed out from the city wall, completely disregarding any cooperation with the Ministry of Justice's copper fish pouch experts, and even less willing to join forces with Wu Jian and Chai Qingshan, two contemporary sword masters. She came to Tai'an City alone, and she left Tai'an City alone. The purple-robed figure once again charged towards Cao Changqing, full of passionate vigor, as if embracing death. Even Liu Yiyou, witnessing this magnificent display, couldn't help but be impressed. The existence of such a woman prevents the world from being utterly lonely.

Cao Changqing's lips curled into a smile. Ignoring Xuanyuan Qingfeng's charging attack, he simply smiled faintly, gazing at the chess board. "Unaware in a grand dream, how can one truly know their life?"

Long after, in a martial world where only Yu Dilong and Gou Youfang remained, there was, in fact, an unknown ten-year pact. Every ten years, she would emerge from her seclusion on time, sitting alone on the rooftop of Lackmoon Tower at Daxueping. Dressed in purple, she would pull a jar of ten-year-old osmanthus wine from under an osmanthus tree, waiting for someone to keep their ten-year appointment.

After three times, on the fourth occasion, a torrential downpour fell. He couldn't find her; she had missed their appointment. Only a jar of osmanthus wine remained on the rooftop, battered by the rain.

Outside the window, rain fell thickly and the wind howled. The purple-robed woman sat before her dressing table. In the bronze mirror, the woman faintly showed white hair. Perhaps it was better not to see. Her skirt was tied in a small knot. At her feet lay an umbrella she had cherished for over forty years. She leaned on the dressing table, falling into a drowsy sleep, seemingly dreaming a beautiful dream, for she was smiling.

An old man, aged but not appearing old, entered the room without knocking. He folded his wet oiled-paper umbrella, stood at the doorway, and asked with a smile, "It's raining so heavily outside, enough to drown many fish. Shall we go and see together?"

She slept, not waking.

Everyone in Tai'an City witnessed an absurd scene: the purple-robed figure clearly charged towards Cao Changqing of Western Chu and seemingly passed right through him, yet Cao Changqing remained seated in his original spot, while Xuanyuan Qingfeng stood still several *zhang* south of Cao Changqing, as if an old monk in deep meditation.

Cao Changqing gazed straight ahead, picked up a chess piece from the box, placed it gently, then turned his head and smiled, "It's time to wake up."

As if awakening from a forty-year dream, Xuanyuan Qingfeng suddenly came to, her back to the robed grandmaster. Unbeknownst to her, tears streamed down her face. She didn't turn around. She stretched, wiped her hands across her face, and smiled, "What a good dream."

Hearing this, Cao Changqing smiled faintly, "That's good."

Just as Xuanyuan Qingfeng hesitated, on the verge of speaking and wondering whether to turn and thank him, Cao Changqing slowly retracted his gaze. He looked back at the chessboard, now with over ninety pieces, and smiled faintly, "I'm fine; just don't follow my example. The world is vast; there are clear winds, bright moons, and grand rivers in Guangling of Jiangnan, and vast yellow sands and vigorous *qi* in Jiliang of the Northwest. See it all before speaking of life and death. Life and death are the most important matters in life, especially when one is young; do not decide them lightly. To live is not easy, to die is simple. And between life and death, there are karmic comings and goings. One lives a lifetime; they should always live it more brilliantly than a single autumn of plants."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng nodded, "As long as I, Xuanyuan Qingfeng, live for one day, I will try my best to ensure one less Western Chu survivor dies."

Cao Changqing dismissed it with a smile. Xuanyuan Qingfeng vanished in a flash.

At the end of that grand dream, she clearly knew she hadn't woken up, or rather, had already died, yet she could see that scoundrel with the umbrella, standing alone at the door, his lips trembling, unable to speak, looking very sad. Xuanyuan Qingfeng suddenly threw her head back and laughed loudly, "You old bastard!"

The purple-robed figure's abrupt and inexplicable departure did not delay Liu Yiyou from ordering the Ministry of Justice's honored experts to sally forth and fight the enemy. Sixty-eight martial arts experts, urgently summoned to Tai'an City by the Ministry of Justice and Zhao Gou from various regions, exited the city together, like a flock of birds sweeping from high branches.

This time, Cao Changqing placed a piece in the corner of the board, then gently pressed on it with two fingers and pushed it forward. And so, between Cao Changqing and Tai'an City, stretching north to south, a surging river of *qi* like the Guangling River arose. The sixty-eight experts were like trying to cross the flooded Guangling River; it was arduous and slow. Constantly, some exhausted their *qi* and fell to the ground.

Chai Qingshan drew his sword and rushed out. With a single sword strike, he cut through that great river of *qi*. Cao Changqing picked up a piece with his right hand, placed it on his left side, and gently swept it horizontally to the right. Instantly, a surge of sword *qi* erupted, moving from left to right. Cao Changqing then picked up another piece and placed it on the board from top to bottom. In the sky, a particularly magnificent and brilliant pillar of light fell straight down, from top to bottom. Between heaven and earth, two sword *qi* strikes, one horizontal and one vertical. They struck Chai Qingshan of the East Yue Sword Pool and Wu Jian of the Wu Family Sword Mound, respectively.

Cao Changqing did not hurry to pick up another piece. He gazed at the board and murmured to himself, "I, Cao Changqing, also possess the Grand Righteous Sword."

Chai Qingshan, holding a broken sword, landed twenty *zhang* north of Cao Changqing, with a large stain of blood on his chest. Wu Jian stood a dozen *zhang* in front of Chai Qingshan, his clothes at the shoulder shredded. The old man extended his right hand, fingers curled as if gripping something, and in his hand was a three-foot long, almost material, pure white sword *qi*. He said in a deep voice, "Cao Changqing, are you truly willing to be destroyed body and soul, just to finish this game of chess?!"

Cao Changqing did not reply.

On the city wall, the Minister of Justice, Liu Yiyou, pressed his hands against the battlements, his hands trembling. As a humble scholar from Guangling Dao, he recognized Cao Changqing—not as a figure from Western Chu, but from Liyang, Western Chu's enemy state, right here in Tai'an City.

However, before Cao Changqing and Empress Jiang Si of Western Chu arrived in the capital in the first year of Xiangfu, Liu Yiyou, then an unregarded official in the Ministry of Justice, knew only a travelling scholar whom he had met by chance. This outsider, a literary man, would invite him for drinks whenever he occasionally visited the capital. Liu Yiyou couldn't afford a house, so he rented a secluded small courtyard in the southeast of the capital. In those years, every time he saw the smiling middle-aged man standing at the cold entrance of his home, Liu Yiyou would be particularly surprised and happy. The usually taciturn Liu Yiyou in official circles enjoyed complaining to this elegant senior scholar, confiding his grievances to this "Mister Cao," whose surname was all he knew. After getting drunk, he once spoke of his former mentor as the Grand Secretary with countless disciples. He had been the top scorer in his year's imperial examination and his palace examination essay was no worse than those ranked in the top three of the first class that year, yet he only received the *tong jinshi* degree. He believed Grand Secretary Zhang Julu had intentionally slighted scholars from Guangling, which was why the world only knew "Blue Eyes" and his students like Yin Maochun, Zhao Youling, Yuan Guo, and others, but never him, Liu Yiyou. And Grand Secretary Zhang never considered him a disciple, let alone a favored one. After listening to his examination essay word for word, Mister Cao smiled and said that such an essay was exactly like "Blue Eyes'" when he was young, deeply understanding the essence that discussions should avoid being too high-flying and scattered, and principles should avoid being too empty and remote – it was a good essay. But precisely because of this, Grand Secretary Zhang would make him sit on the "cold bench" for many years, just like himself, and thus Liu Yiyou should not be impatient. After that, Liu Yiyou was partly relieved and partly resigned, dutifully and diligently working as a minor official in the Ministry of Justice. But what truly disheartened him was that even when the Grand Secretary's reputation was ruined, he defied public opinion to visit his mentor, solely for the sake of their teacher-student bond. Yet, the Grand Secretary not only refused to see him but also had his doorman convey the message, "Who is Liu Yiyou? Does Zhang Julu have such a disciple? I don't remember." That twilight, Liu Yiyou returned to his humble courtyard, utterly drunk.

But.

However, after the Grand Secretary's death, Qi Yanglong, after Liu Yiyou was promoted to Deputy Minister of Justice, had someone deliver a very ordinary classic to him, claiming it was something accidentally found in someone's home. Liu Yiyou discovered two yellowed old examination papers夹in the book. An essay of just over a thousand characters surprisingly contained sixteen comments totaling more than five hundred words. At the end was the line: "Good timber comes from Guangling; it can also become a pillar of the nation. I shall diligently cultivate it for the country. When I die, it will be put to great use."

Liu Yiyou's eyes welled up. He strained to keep his eyes wide open, standing on the city wall, staring intently at the green-robed figure. "Mister Cao, I was born in Great Chu; I dare not forget my roots. Therefore, in the future, I will strive to secure peace for all Western Chu survivors within the imperial court. Mister Cao, I am Zhang Julu's student; I dare not forget his kindness. Therefore, today I must stand here and be your adversary."

Cao Changqing suddenly turned to look at the Minister of Justice, who had risen swiftly through the Liyang bureaucracy. He smiled faintly, his eyes filled with nothing but contentment. Everything was conveyed without words. To die heroically for a nation and a single surname is not as good as to live humbly for the common people of the world. Liu Yiyou, you scholar, don't learn from me, Cao Changqing.

Cao Changqing straightened his posture again, facing the chessboard, his gaze unwavering. Utterly still. Heaven and Earth resonated. Heaven and man, both forgotten.

Inside Tai'an City, Sun Yin, the eccentric scholar who had once again found an excuse to skip reporting for duty at the yamen that day, galloped on horseback after leaving his home. He first sought out the young Grand Astrologer, nicknamed 'Little Bookshelf,' then pulled the boy along and rushed straight to the Hanlin Academy. There, he found Fan Changhou, the only "Ten-Dan National Master" of the Liyang Dynasty, and requested two boxes of chess pieces. Choosing a window-side room used for storing miscellaneous items, he had Fan Changhou and the young Grand Astrologer squat on the floor with him and began to review Cao Changqing's chess game. The Grand Astrologer was responsible for explaining where Cao Changqing's "moves" were placed, while Fan Changhou systematically set out the pieces, simultaneously elucidating their profound intricacies. However, as the game progressed, especially after twenty moves, both Fan Changhou and the young Grand Astrologer remarked that "the person" playing black, who moved first, had mediocre chess skills. Their first dozen or so moves were passable, but only because they were familiar with the subtle opening sequences of older Western Chu national masters. At this person's level, let alone entering Liyang's chess bureau, even Sun Yin himself could have easily won. Sun Yin, ignoring the sarcastic comments directed at him, fell into deep thought. Fan Changhou, with one hand grasping a handful of both black and white pieces, ready to make a move, and the other pinching his chin, also frowned deeply.

Sun Yin muttered to himself, "Cao Changqing, truly the foremost master of endgame in this era, is this his last game of chess in this life, 'nothing more than this'? Can he really entangle himself for a hundred moves against such a mediocre opponent?"

Fan Changhou remained silent.

The young Grand Astrologer sneered, "What do you know? Can you tell how many opening sequences the black player used? Cao Changqing's opponent is clearly a rotten chess player who only knows how to memorize moves. They're probably someone who frequently interacts with Western Chu's national chess masters, from Li Mi, who was once hailed as making Western Chu players exclaim 'Heavens above!', to Wang Qingxin, the imperial chess master acknowledged as only needing to yield the first move to Li Mi, and then Gu Shiyan, who Wang Qingxin could beat by almost one stone. All the brilliant moves of Western Chu's many national masters have been crudely applied by the black player in this game. The clever thing is that despite such a jumbled, unreasonable play, black and white are somehow evenly matched, meaning Cao Changqing, who plays white, deliberately arranged it this way. Otherwise, who in the world would dare to place their first move at the center of the board against Cao Changqing? My Grand Astrologer grandfather can't, Huang Longshi can't, no one can! Even a thousand years from now, no one will be able to!"

Sun Yin looked at Fan Changhou, who nodded slightly. Sun Yin slapped his forehead, speechless.

Tai'an City continued to tremble. After each tremor, Fan Changhou would precisely place a piece under the direction of the young Grand Astrologer. Fan Changhou suddenly looked up and asked, "It's almost the end of the game; aren't you going to say goodbye?"

The young man paid no heed, muttering, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. I still want to live a few more years, and I still want to leave this city and see the world."

Sun Yin, sharp-eared, couldn't help but tease, "You kid, not only do you have a foul mouth and deserve a beating, but you're quite sly too."

The young man, known only by his nickname 'Little Bookshelf,' sneered, "Little Cat, I wouldn't even deign to speak to you!" "Little Cat" was a crude nickname the young man gave Sun Yin, playing on the characters of his name.

Fan Changhou swept away the chess pieces, disrupting the board, and smiled, "Let's not play this game anymore. As for Mister Cao's chess skill, only the old Grand Astrologer and... well, only two people can truly comment on it. And as for what Mister Cao is like outside of chess, it's even less for us to comment on."

Sun Yin stared fixedly at the young man, who was now dressed in white common clothes instead of official robes. The latter hesitated, glanced out the window, and finally spoke: "The Liyang Zhao imperial family's fortune has dissipated considerably. If not for that, I would have long ago run to complain to Empress sister. From the looks of it, Cao Changqing also shows signs of dispersing his own destiny entirely into Guangling Dao. It's utterly boring; if he had known this, why bother restoring the kingdom..."

Sun Yin suddenly roared angrily, his eyes red, "Shut up!"

Fan Changhou also sighed softly, "Little Bookshelf, don't say any more."

The young man, mortified, flung his sleeve and left. Sun Yin squatted there, his chin resting on his folded arms, muttering to himself, "Cao Changqing is trying to let Liyang know that 'he who controls Guangling controls the world'."

Fan Changhou nodded, "It's a good thing. Many people in Guangling Dao will be spared."

Sun Yin said blankly, "Sentiment, of course, cannot be eaten as food. But without sentiment, it's like cooking without seasoning. Every meal is plain rice with tasteless dishes. After a long time, there's truly no zest left. Some flavors can make your eyes water from spiciness, your teeth chatter from sourness, and your liver and gallbladder feel like they're about to burst from bitterness. Perhaps that's sentiment."

Fan Changhou remained silent, beginning to gather the chess pieces. Sun Yin asked, "Why do people mock those with sentiment?"

Fan Changhou thought for a moment. "People who are too clever aren't willing to have sentiment. People who are too dull can't have sentiment. So neither group appreciates it."

Sun Yin grinned, "I must be the former."

Fan Changhou slowly put the pieces back into the box and smiled, "I must be the latter."

Sun Yin's eyes suddenly became sharp as knives. "Then what about Huang Longshi?"

Fan Changhou's expression remained normal. He countered, "Then what about Xu Fengnian?"

The two exchanged a smile. A mere hint, light as clouds and gentle as wind.

Heaven and Earth trembled. This massive tremor was especially violent. The two men inside the room both fell to the ground simultaneously, then felt a suffocating sensation. Countless dust spilled from the roof and beams. Sun Yin simply lay sprawled on the ground. Fan Changhou continued gathering the chess pieces.

Outside Tai'an City, before Cao Changqing, both the black and white chess boxes contained only one last piece. Wu Jian of the Wu Family Sword Mound and Chai Qingshan of the East Yue Sword Pool remained unable to breach that ten-foot distance. Cao Changqing remained composed throughout. Tai'an City continued to tremble repeatedly. Outside the city, not a single cavalryman could stay on their horse. How could they charge into battle? The archers outside the city were already convulsing in their arms, their quivers empty of feathered arrows. How could they unleash a rain of arrows?

Chai Qingshan was covered in blood, even though the green-robed figure had not deliberately targeted him with each sword strike. Wu Jian's palm was also a bloody mess, with bone visible. Chai Qingshan spat out a mouthful of blood and forced a bitter smile, "Having first witnessed Xu Fengnian receiving that sword strike, and now seeing your unyielding stillness, Cao Changqing, my life's experiences are almost complete. Cao Changqing, if you were to rise and enter the city now, I would no longer be able to stop you, so I won't block your path here."

Chai Qingshan slowly turned and walked back towards the city gate, his figure hunched, showing his full old age. Wu Jian, who had initially stood between Cao Changqing and the city gate, yielded the path. He sighed, "Although this old man still has the strength for one more sword strike, I certainly cannot block you. My Wu Family Sword Mound has done its utmost for the Central Plains. It's time to stand by. After all, saving a bit of strength might be useful later."

As Cao Changqing ceased placing pieces, silence descended between heaven and earth. Cao Changqing smiled as he looked across. The last black piece finally leapt out of the chess box, as if the black player was indecisive, wavering, unwilling to fall, or rather, unsure where to fall. Cao Changqing leaned forward slightly, holding the piece with two fingers of one hand, and extending a single finger from his other hand to point at a certain spot on the board. He said softly, "You might as well place it here."

The black piece indeed landed on that spot. Cao Changqing lowered the hand that held the piece, smiling silently, as if admitting defeat. Over two hundred black and white chess pieces densely hovered in the air. Cao Changqing closed his eyes. "You won. But I, Cao Changqing, never felt I lost. This game of chess is my proudest achievement in this life."

Cao Changqing's lips curled slightly. The arm that held the piece suddenly swept its sleeve. That chess piece, moving from south to north, entered the city and surged straight along the long imperial road, smashing through the imperial city gate, the palace gate, and the Wuying Hall gate. Only after smashing the dragon throne, which successive Liyang emperors had sat upon, did the chess piece turn to dust.

Cao Changqing opened his eyes, tears streaming down his face, yet showing no trace of sorrow. He slowly extended a hand forward. Only at this moment did fresh blood instantly seep through his old green robe. A clear breeze swept through heaven and earth. It scattered the scent of blood and also dispersed the essence of his refined spirit. Cao Changqing's five fingers began to dissipate, then his arm, then his body. The black and white chess pieces also vanished into thin air. In the end, the green-robed figure was no longer seen outside Tai'an City. In the world, there was no longer Cao Guanzai.