Chapter 385: Rainbow Cloud Bureau

As dawn painted the sky, Chen Ping'an finished his Heaven and Earth Stance practice. Sleepy-eyed Pei Qian knocked on his door. Opening it, Chen Ping'an saw a listless, charcoal-smudged girl. Clearly, Cui Dongshan's "well-intentioned" reminder last night had frightened her. Chen Ping'an told her to catch up on sleep in his room. Pei Qian was overjoyed, collapsing into bed immediately. Tucking her in, Chen Ping'an sat at the desk and began to peruse the alchemy manual gifted by Lu Yong, the Earth Immortal of the Azure Tiger Palace. Although it detailed the path of alchemy, it was, after all, the secret knowledge of a Nascent Soul cultivator, containing profound insights into the Great Dao. Every time Chen Ping'an calmed his mind to study it, he reaped rewards, proving the saying, "Opening a book is always beneficial."

The inn was simple, with guests needing to find their own meals outside. From the innkeeper to the staff, all were quick-tempered. When Chen Ping'an and his party arrived, they witnessed the inn arguing with a group of traveling merchants. However, with Cui Dongshan, Lu Baixiang, and Sui Youbian in their group, the inn treated them with more warmth, actively recommending local delicacies.

Chen Ping'an went out with Pei Qian, who had just woken up from her nap. After breakfast, he packed an extra portion. Not returning to the inn, he instructed Pei Qian to deliver the food to Cui Dongshan and the others, and to tell them that he would be staying in the county for two days, wanting to wander alone. Pei Qian was naturally delighted to have two days of rest, meaning no tedious Six Step Stance. How wonderful!

While Chen Ping'an wandered the county alone, Cui Dongshan and the four from the painting received the breakfast Pei Qian brought. They gathered to eat, Cui Dongshan looking grateful. "This is Master helping his student find and fix shortcomings," he said. "Where can you find such a thoughtful Master?" Pei Qian didn't dare argue, only grumbling in her heart. "What 'find and fix shortcomings'? He clearly doesn't trust you to do things well, okay?"

After breakfast, Cui Dongshan was in high spirits. He smiled at Pei Qian, "Do you know how to play Go-Moku? Let's have a little fun, just one copper coin per game. How does that sound?"

Pei Qian knew how to play Go-Moku. Lu Baixiang had taught her the trick. The rules were simple, and Pei Qian often dragged Wei Xian to use Lu Baixiang's Go board, playing until the world was spinning. The two had back-and-forths, their games far more lively than the dull matches between Lu Baixiang and Sui Youbian. Their stones slammed onto the board with great force, as if trying to punch holes in it, making Lu Baixiang regret teaching them.

Playing against Wei Xian, that slow-witted player, Pei Qian won more than she lost. She would get carried away when winning, and want to take back moves when losing. Luckily, Wei Xian didn't care much about winning or proper etiquette.

Now, hearing Cui Dongshan suggest a game with a wager, Pei Qian shook her head vigorously. She wasn't stupid. Even though Cui Dongshan claimed he was learning Go from Lu Baixiang, Go-Moku was a simple game. Pei Qian wasn't confident she could win money. After all, there were few as blockheaded as Old Wei in this world.

Cui Dongshan chuckled, "We're both disciples of Master, so of course, we can't let a game harm our harmony. The loser wins the coin!"

Pei Qian's eyes lit up. Losing a game and still winning a copper coin? Could such a wonderful thing exist?

So, in Pei Qian's room, Lu Baixiang brought out the Go set. Cui Dongshan and Pei Qian, two disciples whose seniority wasn't yet clear, began to play Go-Moku, seeming to abuse the board.

The four from the painting watched, understanding each other without words.

Pei Qian placed her stones randomly, some separated by vast distances. Cui Dongshan played just as erratically, sometimes following Pei Qian's stones, sometimes scattering them in all directions, employing some rudimentary Go formations. It seemed Pei Qian was more likely to lose, but as the empty spaces on the board dwindled, Pei Qian was both distressed and surprised to find that she was making five-in-a-rows more and more easily. When the board was filled with a chaotic mix of black and white stones, Pei Qian had actually won. No matter where she placed her stone, it would create a five-in-a-row.

Having lost a copper coin in such a frustrating way, Pei Qian felt remorse eating at her, wishing she could swallow the board. She wanted to take back moves, but glancing at Cui Dongshan, who was across from her, legs crossed and eating melon seeds, she didn't dare cheat.

Cui Dongshan glanced at the board, lamenting, "One wrong move, just one wrong move. It seems my luck is slightly better than yours. Shall we play again? If you think one board isn't enough to showcase your Pei Qian's skills, we can add one, two, or three more boards. But for each board we add, the bet increases by one copper coin. If I win, I'll immediately pay you. But you, Pei Qian, can add as many boards as you want until you win the money. Is that fair enough?"

Pei Qian hesitated, "But two boards won't fit on the table."

Cui Dongshan pointed at the ground, "We can play on the ground. What are you afraid of? If there are too many boards, we can play outside on the corridor, right? Anyway, the more boards there are, the more money you'll win. I know you have a good memory, and I'm decent too. Let Lu Baixiang or Sui Youbian borrow some charcoal from the inn. I'll draw the boards with charcoal, and we won't need stones. If anyone misremembers, they lose."

Pei Qian turned to look at Old Wei. Wei Xian probably thought this kind of deliberately losing strategy was idiotic and left directly. Zhu Lian rolled his eyes and left the room as well.

However, Lu Baixiang, and Sui Youbian, two former Go masters from Lotus Flower Paradise, remained. Lu Baixiang even borrowed charcoal and returned, while Sui Youbian stood silently by. They patiently stayed in the room, watching the master and disciple make a mess of things on the ground.

Chen Ping'an and the four from the painting already knew how good Pei Qian's memory was. It was exceptional. Chen Ping'an, and even Lu Baixiang, with his superb Go skills and knowledge of game analysis, admired her innate talent.

So, after using up two boxes of Go stones, Pei Qian and Cui Dongshan were competing not only on who was more shameless, but also on who had a better memory.

Two more boards had been drawn on the ground with charcoal. If Pei Qian didn't add another board, she would still win, so she had Cui Dongshan draw another one.

Lu Baixiang silently left the room, with Sui Youbian following closely behind.

In the corridor, Sui Youbian asked, "Can you see how deep his skill goes?"

Lu Baixiang shook his head. "Go-Moku is too simple. Even if you draw ten more boards, you can't test his true strength."

Sui Youbian asked, "If you stopped holding back and gave it your all, how big would the gap between us be?"Lu Baixiang smiled, "To be honest, you probably won't be able to force me to play a 'tesuji' move."

A "tesuji" is a brilliant move in the game of Go, often arising from closely matched and intensely fought board positions. Isolating stones or capturing a large group of stones often gives rise to such divine moves.

Lu Baixiang's implication was that he only needed to proceed methodically, like a bricklayer steadily "paving the way," solid and unhurried, to ensure victory over Sui Youbian.

Sui Youbian did not feel humiliated or annoyed. The difference in Go skill was undeniably evident. Throughout their many games, Sui Youbian had either overturned the board or surrendered by placing her stones down. Most Go masters in the world would never utter the words "I lost," but overturning the board or placing stones down were both silent admissions of defeat. Although Sui Youbian was fiercely competitive, she regarded the game of Go as a leisurely pursuit. The outcome would not affect her swordsmanship, which she valued far more. Therefore, Sui Youbian could afford to lose.

Moreover, according to Zhu Lian's occasional remarks about the "later Go world," the Go officials and top masters of each nation in Lotus Root Paradise held the founding patriarch of the early Demonic Sect, Lu Baixiang, in the highest esteem for his Go skills. Selecting the strongest player might cause disagreements among the various schools and eras of Go masters. However, if asked to choose the top three players in the history of Lotus Root Paradise, Lu Baixiang would undoubtedly hold a place. This shows Lu Baixiang's great reputation in the game of Go.

The other two were Wang Jiyuan, known as the "Go Sage of All Time," and "Huang," who was later proven to be a banished immortal. He was also the reviver of the Lake and Mountain Sect in Songlai Country, and Yu Zhenyi's grandmaster. It was this person who, with the great prestige of his sect and his own unparalleled Go skills, abolished the "placement stone" rule. This created a watershed moment in the Go world of Lotus Root Paradise, dividing it into the Ancient Go school and the New Go school. Wang Jiyuan was sixty years younger than Huang. Huang disappeared in his seventies, so the two never had the opportunity to play a game. Later generations of Go masters argued endlessly about which of the three men's Go skills were superior. Lu Baixiang was undoubtedly the peak of the Ancient Go school, while Wang Jiyuan was the pinnacle of the New Go school, and also the master of various set openings and "flying knife" tactics. Some firmly believed that if Wang Jiyuan had the opportunity to play against Lu Baixiang, he could definitely give a two-stone handicap. Lu Baixiang was not qualified to be on equal footing with the Go Sage of All Time, Wang Jiyuan. However, Go masters who studied ancient Go scores claimed that if Lu Baixiang was given only a few months to familiarize himself with the New Go school, then playing against Wang Jiyuan would only result in another Go Sage disciple bowing down to him. In short, opinions varied. Because there were no other players whose Go skills were roughly equivalent to the three, and no one could give a sufficiently convincing fair evaluation, the debate over the ranking of the three players' Go skills was destined to become an inconclusive mystery.

Sui Youbian suddenly said, "Don't lose to that person."

Lu Baixiang smiled slightly, "We shall see."

Meanwhile, inside Pei Qian's room, Cui Dongshan squatted on the ground, cracking melon seeds. Pei Qian frowned, on the verge of tears.

She was about to lose six copper coins.

Cui Dongshan comforted her, "There's still enough charcoal. The outcome is not yet decided. Just draw another picture, bet big and win big!"

Pei Qian raised her arm and wiped her eyes. She took out the fragrant pouch that Aunt Gui had given her as a money bag from her sleeve and took out seven copper coins. These were all her hard-earned money. She clenched the copper coins, hesitated, and stood up. She gently placed them on the table, pitifully looking at the guy named Cui, hoping that he would display immortal demeanor and leave, never to return. Unexpectedly, Cui Dongshan walked to the table with a smile and swept the coins away. Only then did Cui Dongshan walk towards the doorway. He turned back and reminded her with a smile, "Remember to return the Go set to Lu Baixiang, and erase the marks on the ground. Otherwise, if Chen Ping'an finds out we were gambling, he will scold me mercilessly and make you copy books until your arm breaks. As for the money, you gambled and lost, so Chen Ping'an won't help you get it back."

Cui Dongshan put his hands behind his head and swaggered away, "Today is a good day. I earned money and I'm going to buy candied haws!"

Pei Qian stood by the table, weeping miserably.

Cui Dongshan suddenly walked backwards, leaning back and poking his head out, and said with a smile: "Pei Qian, I'm not going to learn Go from Lu Baixiang, so I'm planning to get a good omen. For every time you call me Go Immortal, I'll give you a copper coin."

Pei Qian's eyes lit up. She ran out of the doorway and followed behind Cui Dongshan, diligently calling him Go Immortal.

In less than an hour, besides returning the Go set to Lu Baixiang and repeatedly calling him Go Immortal, Pei Qian had already lost her voice. When the two returned to her room, Pei Qian was making incoherent sounds. She couldn't say a word. She smiled brightly and reached out to ask for money. Seeing that Cui Dongshan didn't respond, she quickly wrote a number on the table.

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, "I was just kidding you. Did you really believe it?"

Pei Qian broke down. She couldn't speak, so she just waved her arms and legs.

Cui Dongshan narrowed his eyes and reached out to poke Pei Qian's eyes, "If you keep chattering, you will not only temporarily become a little mute, but also become blind. Even if Chen Ping'an is angry, he can't beat me, his student, to death, right? But you're miserable. If you become a little blind girl, what hope will you have in this life? Is that the truth?"

Cui Dongshan stood up and pretended to be blind, reaching out and groping around.

Pei Qian's face darkened and she pursed her lips. She didn't dare to pick up her Walking Mountain Staff and beat this bastard to death. The more she thought about it, the more desperate she became. Her expression was dull. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her heart as ashes, and tears fell like rain.

Cui Dongshan suddenly took out something that looked like a silver ingot from his sleeve and gently threw it to Pei Qian, "Seeing that you are sensible, I'll lend it to you for a few days. If I learn Go smoothly, maybe I'll be in a good mood and give it to you. But when I play Go with Lu Baixiang, remember to return it to me first."

Pei Qian held the heavy silver ingot in both hands and suddenly smiled through her tears.

Cui Dongshan left again.

Pei Qian put the big silver ingot on the table, looking at it horizontally and vertically, from left to right, never tiring of it. She was wondering how to keep this silver ingot in her hands by any means. She suddenly widened her eyes and saw that the "silver ingot" was actually wriggling. Then it turned into a snow-white grasshopper and jumped towards the window, disappearing in an instant. Pei Qian came back to her senses and immediately climbed onto the window, jumped down, and began to search the backyard for the "silver ingot". She searched the weeds, the base of the wall, and the cracks in the stones for a full half an hour. In the end, she even started digging the ground with her hands. In the end, she still couldn't find the silver ingot that had turned into a "bug". Exhausted, Pei Qian sat blankly on the dirt. This time, she didn't even have the strength to cry.Having strolled back from the Wen Temple, Chen Ping'an saw Pei Qian's desolate and thin figure. He called out a few times, but she didn't respond.

Chen Ping'an had no choice but to leap out from the windowsill. Pei Qian turned her head stiffly. Seeing Chen Ping'an, she drooped her head, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.

Chen Ping'an sighed, returned to the room, and went straight to find Cui Dongshan. Soon, he stood at the window and called out to Pei Qian, "Seven copper coins. If you have the ability, win them back yourself. If you can't, then admit defeat. But this silver ingot named 'Insect Silver' from Cui Dongshan, you can take it and play with it. If he ever says he wants it back, you still have to comply."

Although Pei Qian was still heartbroken, she still nimbly stood up, climbed onto the windowsill, jumped to the ground, held up her hands, and carefully took the "Insect Silver," which had returned to its ingot form.

Chen Ping'an grabbed Pei Qian's ear and dragged her to the table, "You've become quite the gambler, haven't you?"

Pei Qian sat timidly at the table, clutching the Insect Silver tightly with both hands.

Chen Ping'an asked, "You like gambling so much? Then I'll get the treasure box from the bamboo chest for you. Anyway, you have quite a bit of wealth now. You can gamble with Cui Dongshan many more times. Should I go get it for you, or will you go yourself?"

Pei Qian looked panicked and shook her head vigorously.

Chen Ping'an slammed the table, "Go get the treasure box and carry it yourself from now on!"

Pei Qian turned her head away fiercely, her face stern, neither crying nor begging for mercy, not looking at Chen Ping'an or listening to him.

Chen Ping'an was furious.

Pei Qian gritted her teeth and suddenly threw the silver ingot out the window.

Chen Ping'an stood up, went to the next room, opened the bamboo chest, found the treasure box, returned to Pei Qian's room, threw it on the table, and left.

Unexpectedly, a moment later, Chen Ping'an had just taken a sip of medicinal wine when Pei Qian rushed in, holding the treasure box, and with lightning speed, stuffed the treasure box back into the bamboo chest and ran away.

Chen Ping'an took out the treasure box again and went next door, but Pei Qian had already bolted the door shut.

Chen Ping'an was infuriated, wishing he could kick the door open and throw the girl and the treasure box together outside the inn.

Chen Ping'an stood outside the door for a while.

Inside the door, Pei Qian, who had bolted the door shut, pressed her back against the door, raised her slender arms, and covered her charcoal-like little face with the back of her hands.

On the roof of the inn, the white-robed youth, the culprit, lay on his back, his head resting on his arms, with a teasing smile.

Lu Baixiang was diligently studying a score in his room.

It was the renowned in the vast world, the Colorful Clouds Ten Games, from which various chess scores were derived and evolved. Some people specialized in "hand-cutting" the Colorful Clouds Games, while others only delved into the exquisite tactics within the Colorful Clouds Ten Games. It was said that this score had supported countless wandering chess masters.

In terms of chess alone, Lu Baixiang was invincible in Lotus Flower Paradise. Upon arriving in the vast world, he held himself in high regard when it came to the art of chess, but after he unintentionally obtained this book, he realized the meaning of "there is always someone better." The more he studied, the more he appreciated the profound chess skills of both players. Not to mention the White Emperor City Lord, who "humbly yields the first move to all under heaven," but just considering the layouts of the master who was qualified to play against this demonic giant in the Colorful Clouds, although he lost a great deal, his strategy was brilliant at every step. It was as if all those who studied the score later could only feel bursts of thunderous sounds emanating from the paper, rushing towards them, suffocating them.

As a result, Lu Baixiang painstakingly searched for and collected most of the master's chess games, and ultimately came to the conclusion that this person's chess skills could be described as "flawless and approaching the Dao." Most of the grandmasters of chess in the vast world held this person in high regard, mainly for three reasons: first, he broke the existing notion of "golden corners, silver edges, and grass bellies" by using the perspective of sacrificing local gains for the sake of the overall situation; second, although this person's moves occasionally revealed a sharp and aggressive style, on the whole, he deserved the praise of "elegant and refined, pursuing the subtle and reaching the grand"; third, this person pioneered many ingenious ideas, including the avalanche inward bend style and the world's first small tip, although most of them had been deciphered by chess masters in the following centuries, or were directly seen through by the White Emperor City Lord when they first appeared in the Colorful Clouds Ten Games, but all those who watched the Colorful Clouds Score had to be shocked and amazed by this person's ingenious ideas, giving people the feeling that this person was not playing the same kind of chess as all the other chess players in the world at all.

As for why he lost to the White Emperor City Lord, Lu Baixiang could only say that this person was born at the wrong time, meeting such an unprecedented and unparalleled monster, stemming from the latter's "attainment of the Great Dao."

Lu Baixiang repeatedly studied this book, and after thinking about it, he could probably only use "no wrong moves, no foolish tricks" to describe this infamous Confucian master.

Lu Baixiang once smiled and told Chen Ping'an that his greatest hope in this life was to travel to White Emperor City, but deep down, the person Lu Baixiang most wanted to play chess with was not the White Emperor City Lord, but this "Cui," Master Cui, the former first disciple of the Literary Saint.

Lu Baixiang put down the chess score and sighed.

He should be able to go to White Emperor City, sooner or later, but whether he could play ten games with Cui was extremely unlikely.

Although Cui was now the national preceptor of the Great Li Dynasty, Chen Ping'an's hometown, judging from chess, one could roughly see that this person had a very high spirit. Even if Lu Baixiang could see Cui, it would be very difficult to fulfill his wish of playing chess.

Because Lu Baixiang knew that his chess skills were not good enough.

It was just that later generations, because of the person, ruined the chess, especially in Tongye Continent and Baoping Continent, deliberately lowering the evaluation of this Master Cui's chess skills.

Lu Baixiang yearned for the three bold and unrestrained words that this person left to posterity.

"It doesn't matter how you play the first move."

"The endgame is just cleaning up the battlefield. Anyone who says that the endgame is invincible is just making a fool of themselves."

"Black chess should learn from Ma Lei, white chess should learn from me, Cui, handicap chess should learn from the White Emperor City Lord. Those who learn from Ma Lei can learn seven or eight points, those who learn from Cui can learn five or six points, and those who learn from the White Emperor City Lord will learn nothing."

Lu Baixiang took a deep breath, glanced at the chessboard on the table, and was about to get up and go find that Cui Dongshan, estimating that a best-of-three series could test the person's weight.

When Lu Baixiang walked out of the room, he found Wei Xian walking back to his room with a strange expression.

Lu Baixiang turned around the corridor to knock on the room a little further away. Wei Xian stood at the intersection and asked, "Looking for Cui Dongshan?"

Lu Baixiang nodded.Wei Xian waved his hand and said, "No need to go. That fellow made a bet with Zhu Lian too. He's already left the county town, and Sui Youbian followed him."

Lu Baixiang asked in confusion, "What bet?"

Wei Xian replied, "Cui Dongshan said he wanted to spar with Zhu Lian. If Zhu Lian won, he'd give him a treasure. If Zhu Lian lost, he'd have to make Cui Dongshan a midnight snack every day."

Lu Baixiang chuckled, "Zhu Lian actually agreed?"

Wei Xian hesitated, scratching his head. "Zhu Lian initially refused, of course, considering how badly he was tricked by Pei Qian. He was afraid of repeating the same mistake. But Cui Dongshan said he'd stand still. Zhu Lian still wouldn't agree. Then that fellow said he wouldn't even move his hands or feet. Zhu Lian asked if he was a terrestrial immortal swordsman. Cui Dongshan swore he wasn't a swordsman. So Zhu Lian agreed. Sui Youbian went along to watch the fun."

Barely half an hour later, Cui Dongshan returned to the inn with a playful grin, followed by Sui Youbian, who had a strange expression, and of course, the disheveled Zhu Lian.

Zhu Lian went straight to his room and slammed the door shut.

Lu Baixiang, who was meditating inside, didn't ask any questions. Sui Youbian entered the room, sat opposite Lu Baixiang, and said, "Cui Dongshan says he'll be here soon to learn Go from you."

Lu Baixiang asked with a smile, "How did Zhu Lian lose? Didn't he secretly advance to become an Eighth-Realm Martial Artist not long ago?"

Sui Youbian said helplessly, "That fellow indeed didn't move a muscle. It's just that he... has quite a few magical artifacts on him. Zhu Lian couldn't get within ten zhang of him from beginning to end; it was like walking a dog. Even if I faced him, I wouldn't fare much better than Zhu Lian."

Lu Baixiang poured a cup of tea for Sui Youbian, but she didn't drink it. Shaking her head, she said, "I won't watch you play Go."

Lu Baixiang asked with a smile, "What, you think I have little chance of winning?"

Sui Youbian stood up. "I don't think his Go skills are that great, but I believe one thing: whenever he makes a bet with someone, he doesn't seem to lose."

What chilled Zhu Lian to the bone was that this fellow stood still, wielding countless magical treasures, overwhelming Zhu Lian. He would cheer Zhu Lian on, then look regretful, saying that someone like Zhu Lian only deserved to cook meals by his Young Master’s side.

What almost made Sui Youbian draw her sword was that after dealing with Zhu Lian, that fellow glanced at her with the corner of his eye, saying she was slightly better, since she was pleasing to the eye. Maybe his Young Master slept facing right every night.

Lu Baixiang fell into thought, habitually flipping through the Go manual after Sui Youbian left.

Not long after, the white-robed youth swaggered in, munching on melon seeds the whole way. After entering, he hadn't even sat down when he saw the Go manual Lu Baixiang had just placed nearby. He was stunned and said, "You're studying this stuff? Learning about life and death, key stones, joseki, and Go principles?"

Lu Baixiang retorted, "What's wrong with that?"

Cui Dongshan sighed and slumped down opposite Lu Baixiang, looking distressed. "Forget it, I'm not learning Go from you."

Lu Baixiang frowned, picking up a Go stone and twirling it in his fingers, asking, "And why is that?"

Cui Dongshan held the melon seeds he'd swindled from Pei Qian in one hand. With his other hand, he extended an index finger, casually pointing at Lu Baixiang, then raised his thumb, pointing at himself. "You should learn Go from me instead."