Chapter 1009: Important Pawn

Jin Yuanxun returned to Chu Tianqiu's side as quickly as possible and discovered that Chu Tianqiu was calculating something on the wall.

"Ah! Brother!" Jin Yuanxun called out, panting heavily.

Chu Tianqiu turned back with a puzzled expression, then smiled lightly."I don't often see you out of breath... What's going on? What about Yueqian?"

"I can't really explain it, Brother..." Jin Yuanxun steadied his breathing and shook his head."Yueqian seems a bit uncooperative... I can't use it..."

"You can't use it...?" Chu Tianqiu stared at Jin Yuanxun for a moment, then asked,"Has something happened to you in the past couple of days?"

"No... it's not that, Brother." Jin Yuanxun shook his head."It seems like everyone's Hui Xiang can't be used here... I have no idea why."

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu narrowed his eyes and looked up at the Long and Qinglong standing high above.

Although this was his first time entering the Long's game arena, he quickly figured it out.

To be precise, this strange space was no longer considered Zhong Yan Zhi Di, so the abilities unique to Zhong Yan Zhi Di were hard to activate here.

But that made things too dangerous...

If they had to give up Hui Xiang entirely, he and Wen Qiaoyun might manage, but what about those who relied on it to survive, like Yan Zhichun, Jin Yuanxun, and Zhao Yisheng?

"But it's okay, Brother." Jin Yuanxun said."I'll make sure to get a good feel for it."

"What happened at the front line just now?" Chu Tianqiu asked.

"Yes!" Jin Yuanxun nodded."Jiejie Wen Qiaoyun just had a fight with Gege Chen Junnan."

"A fight...?" Chu Tianqiu raised an eyebrow."Who won?"

"Well..."

Jin Yuanxun truly couldn't determine the winner of that contest.

From the results, Chen Junnan had won, but on the surface, it looked like he had fled in defeat.

Thinking about it, he quickly summarized everything that had happened and told Chu Tianqiu.

Chu Tianqiu listened carefully, saying nothing, and during that time, he kept touching his forehead with his index finger.

"So that's the situation, Brother." Jin Yuanxun said."Who lost? Do you think he has a Pao on him?"

Chu Tianqiu didn't respond. He wasn't concerned about whether Chen Junnan had a Pao; he was focused on something else.

"From start to finish... only Chen Junnan showed up?" Chu Tianqiu asked.

"Yes, Brother." Jin Yuanxun said."At the beginning, there was another person who came to Chu He Han Jie and greeted Gege Zhang Shan, but then left quickly."

"In other words, Chen Junnan might really be carrying several Zi." Chu Tianqiu said."It's a shame I wasn't there... Otherwise, I would have had you all join in to seize them. We might have missed the best opportunity."

"Ah...?" Jin Yuanxun was stunned."But is that really possible, Brother... Would that person really bring all the Zi over to provoke us?"

"It's precisely because you all know it's impossible that Qi Xia could pull off this strategy." Chu Tianqiu replied."Only during the first meeting can we guess the Zi on the opponent. The next time we see Chen Junnan... even I couldn't say for sure how many Zi he has. That's the true purpose of this scheme. If we rush in next time to seize them, we might only get one Zi."

"But now..." Jin Yuanxun sighed."Jiejie Wen Qiaoyun, Jiejie Yan Zhichun, and Jiejie Xu Liunian have already gone to the other side for the invasion. Should I bring them back?"

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu's face darkened, and he said to Jin Yuanxun,"Jin Yuanxun, do you recognize the Zi in your hands?"

Jin Yuanxun nodded."It's Zu, right...? Brother, we also have Chinese classes, it's just that the classmates don't speak it."

"That's right, it's Zu." Chu Tianqiu responded."Then do you know why I gave this Zi to you?"

"Because Zu... is a bit like me?" Jin Yuanxun said."I'm just a small Zu, like that."

"No." Chu Tianqiu said."In my calculations, Zu is the most important Zi we have right now. I'd even feel uneasy carrying it myself, so I had to give it to you. After all, you're Yueqian."

Chu Tianqiu's brief statement contained so much that Jin Yuanxun couldn't grasp it all at once.

"Zu is the most important...?"

"Yes." Chu Tianqiu nodded."If we lose Zu, we've already lost half the game. And now that your Yueqian won't activate, it's pretty much the worst-case scenario. So, if you go to the front line rashly to call them back, it's a bit risky for this game."

"But Brother, I still don't understand... Why?" Jin Yuanxun asked."Gege Zhang Shan, Jiejie Wen Qiaoyun, and Jiejie Yan Zhichun all seem more reliable than me..."

"They are too 'strong'." Chu Tianqiu said."Jin Yuanxun, Zhang Shan would use that Zi to fight the opponent head-on, and Wen Qiaoyun and Yan Zhichun would use it as a bargaining chip to gamble against the opponent. It's all because of their 'strength'—they're too confident."

"What...?"

"And Zhao Yisheng and Xu Liunian are too timid." Chu Tianqiu said."In the whole team, only you would protect that Zi with your life. No one else would."

Jin Yuanxun looked at Chu Tianqiu in disbelief, finding it hard to comprehend.

It was just a Zu... Why was Zu so important?

In xiangqi, each side has five Zu, and these can be used as cannon fodder from the opening to the end. But now, Chu Tianqiu was telling him that this Zu was more important than the other pieces.

"I suspect Qi Xia's thinking is similar to mine." Chu Tianqiu said."Their Bing is just as important, but they have some formidable people too, so I can't figure out who has the Bing."

"So what should I do now, Brother?"

"The situation is tricky right now." Chu Tianqiu said."I suspect we're about to start losing Zi. Wen Qiaoyun, Yan Zhichun, and Xu Liunian's invasion wasn't wise. The rest is up to their individual abilities... Jin Yuanxun... For now, you just observe until the invasion ends."

"What if they lose Zi at the front line? Doesn't that matter?" Jin Yuanxun asked.

"It doesn't matter." Chu Tianqiu replied."The opponent is Qi Xia. Thinking you can beat him without losing a single piece is just wishful thinking."

"Okay... I understand..." Jin Yuanxun agreed.

"Oh, right..." Chu Tianqiu furrowed his brow slightly, remembering something else."Jin Yuanxun... You just said... Chen Junnan kept signaling to Zhao Yisheng?"