Chapter 191: The Chessboard of Heaven and Earth
Qiao Wan was surprised, "How...how did you all end up here?"
The young man extended his hand cheerfully, "Are you coming up or not?"
"I am!"
Jia Yin glanced casually and saw Xiu Quan pulling Qiao Wan onto the rooftop.
Qiao Wan turned her head to look at Jia Yin, hesitantly found a place, and sat down next to the man.
She and Jia Yin weren't very familiar, and she didn't quite understand why he would appear in Kunshan. But if he appeared in Kunshan, he definitely had his own reasons. To be on the safe side, Qiao Wan wisely chose not to ask anything.
Instead of asking anything, she would rather have a drink now.
On the other hand, Xiu Quan squatted in front of her with curious puppy eyes, "Girl, aren't you curious about how I and His Majesty ended up in Kunshan?"
"Drinking."
Before Qiao Wan could speak, a cool and deep voice interrupted.
Jia Yin handed over a wine flask, his expression unchanged and unaffected by any external forces.
Qiao Wan hugged the wine flask and stared at Xiu Quan for a while, suddenly realizing something.
"Is it because of...Mrs. Cen?" Qiao Wan wondered if Mrs. Cen would also be present at this gathering.
Xiu Quan had seen the little girl holding a wine jar, talking to herself under the moonlight. It seemed pitiful. He had initially thought of teasing the girl, but unexpectedly, it was the girl who ended up teasing him.
Xiu Quan froze for a moment, sighed helplessly, and raised his paw to slap Qiao Wan. "Come on, girl, that was too straightforward of you."
Qiao Wan, holding the wine jar, took a sip of wine, looked up at the moon in the sky, pursed her lips, and remained silent.
She had hoped that someone had come specifically for her.
Although she guessed that this gathering in Kunshan was arranged for Mrs. Cen, and inviting her along was just a side act, the thought made Qiao Wan feel a bit frustrated and disappointed.
Silently, she drank another mouthful of wine.
Well, let's just drink.
Being melancholic and sorrowful didn't match her personality. Everyone was just strangers passing by, no one owed anyone anything.
But when she thought about it, Qiao Wan felt a bit uncomfortable and upset. She quietly reached up and gently touched the "dog paw" on top of her head.
The young man suddenly shivered with surprise and asked, "Taoist Friend Qiao, what are you doing?"
Qiao Wan froze.
The dog paw on top of her head felt too comfortable, and she couldn't resist it for a moment.
"Well..." Qiao Wan blushed slightly and asked in a soft voice, "Can I touch your paw?"
She originally wanted to say "meat pad," but that seemed a bit too much.
Jia Yin glanced over here.
Qiao Wan felt a bit nervous. Was this request too much? Although they were indeed dogs, they had become human-like after all. It would be rude to directly ask to touch someone's paw, right...
Bang!!
In the next moment, the young man crouching on the roof suddenly turned into a sturdy big yellow dog out of thin air.
Qiao Wan looked at the chubby dog paw in her hand, her heart trembled, and even her poker face couldn't hold back.
It was a meat pad.
No girl can resist the power of a furry cushion! Qiao Wan is no exception!
"Do you want to pet me?" The big golden dog solemnly patted Qiao Wan's hand with the cushion. "Go ahead, pet me."
Qiao Wan startled him for a moment, thinking she wanted something else, but it turned out she just wanted to pet him. Xiu Quan, who was used to being touched by people, quickly transformed into a dog shape and placed his paw on Qiao Wan's hand.
Qiao Wan held the dog paw in her hand with sincerity, and both she and the big golden dog looked at each other in silence.
After a second or two, the desire to pet the dog temporarily overpowered the thought of being impolite, so Qiao Wan cautiously stroked the dog's head.
They say dogs love it when humans pat their heads!
She quietly observed how the big golden dog reacted.
There was no other response.
And so, Qiao Wan felt confident and boldly continued to play with the dog. It must be said that in her past life, she was very skilled at playing with dogs. While petting the dog, Qiao Wan observed the big yellow dog squatting in front of her. It looked similar to a native four-eyed yellow dog in her home country, with a large white patch on its chest and white paws.
Just as Qiao Wan was enjoying herself and smiling.beside her suddenly spoke up, "Do you like it?"
Realizing that she had gotten carried away, Qiao Wan felt a bit embarrassed and brought out a bowl using her magical powers. She poured a bowl of wine for the big yellow dog in front of her and said, "Well... I don't really love it. It's just okay."
Jia Yin calmly looked away, clearly showing no desire to continue the conversation.
The three of them, one woman, one badger, and one dog, sat quietly for a while.
It seemed as if Jia Yin had appeared here just to get a barrel of wine. After finishing it, he called Xiu Quan and left without any hesitation, in a decisive and swift manner.
As Qiao Wan watched the tall and proud figure of the man, she hesitated for a moment.
Actually, she wanted them to spend more time with her.
*
In a side hall of the inn in Kunshan.
The fragrance of incense lingered in the Bo Mountain incense burner.
A handsome young man, wearing a cloak on his shoulders, lazily leaned against a soft couch, his clothes in disarray.
The guards around him carefully observed any changes in the young man's expression, not daring to say a word.
Upon closer inspection, this young man actually bore a striking resemblance of Xiao Huan.
This was Xiao Sui, Xiao Huan's half-brother from a different mother.
He also belonged to the legitimate line of the Xiao family. However, unlike Xiao Huan, he was born to Lady Cheng, the second wife. Lady Cheng, who was childhood sweethearts with the head of the Xiao family, was married off to Xiao Huan's mother, Lady Qi, due to pressure. Lady Qi tragically passed away after giving birth to Xiao Huan, and the head of the Xiao family then brought Lady Cheng back home.
It was said that the head of the Xiao family preferred Xiao Sui to inherit the family business over Xiao Huan.
Xiao Sui crossed his fingers and propped his chin, looking gloomy at the paper on the table.
Compared to his brother, Xiao Huan, a charming and gentle man, Xiao Sui's character was indeed sinister and cunning, reminiscent of the family patriarch. Being born from the Bai family, it was only natural that the family patriarch favored him. However, what was unexpected was that Xiao Huan and Xiao Sui, despite not being biological brothers, had an excellent relationship.
Xiao Sui also had a great relationship with Mu Xiaoxiao, a woman.
"Didn't catch them?" Xiao Sui's expression showed impatience. "Mu sister will become a part of our Xiao family in the future. Anyone who loses face for her will lose face for our Xiao family."
The guard looked slightly distressed as he glanced at the sinister young master in front of him. He dared not offend and cautiously said, "After all, Yuqing Spiritual Master and the Lu family are present."
"Yuqing Spiritual Master?" Xiao Sui suddenly laughed absent-mindedly, "If the spiritual master truly cared about Qiao Wan , there would have been no need for our Xiao family to worry on the execution platform and treat his disciple so cruelly."
Guard: "But I heard... the spiritual master seems to regret it and wants to save Qiao Wan ."
Xiao Huan scoffed, "What difference does regret make? Can it compare to Sister Mu? In order for Sister Mu to have a comfortable life when she marries into our family in the future, the spiritual master will not offend our Xiao family, let alone reject our eldest brother's request. Didn't you see that when our eldest brother said he wanted to see Qiao Wan , the spiritual master brought him to fetch her?"
Even if this matter was originally the fault of the Phoenix Sect, what's the big deal? Yuqing Spiritual Master wouldn't dare to offend our Xiao family.
At the mention of "marriage," Xiao Huan eyes darkened slightly.
"Let's not talk about that. Have you heard that Qiao Wan will be climbing the White Tower in three days?"
Having served by Xiao Sui 's side for a long time, the guard asked in a very polite manner, "What does Young Master intend to do?"
The young man looked up, with a touch of gloom and disdain in his eyes. He chuckled, closed the scroll in his hand, and said, "Let's go see Mu sister first, and then decide if we need to deal with this woman, Qiao Wan."
"Mu sister is too kind, but I'm not so easy to handle."
The next day, Qiao Wan woke up on the rooftop. When she woke up, she was alone on the roof, except for an empty wine jar.
She brushed off the snow, shook off the chill from her shoulder, and hurriedly made her way to Emerald Island.
She hadn't forgotten her promise to reach the White Tower in three days.
The White Tower was still closed, and now she couldn't even get a number. She sat there for a while, then called Lu Cixian's phone. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a group of outer disciples, looking somewhat conflicted.
"Have you heard? Taoist Friend Mu is also climbing the tower."
"Mu Xiaoxiao, Taoist Friend Mu?"
*
At Buping College,
Lu Cixian, or should I say Qiao Wan, followed Li Pan as they wandered through the old corridors of Buping College.
After receiving the invitation, Li Pan decided to take Qiao Wan to Kunshan and made time for it today.
Buping College is located in the southern parts of Thirteen Provinces. The climate there is somewhat similar to the Jiangnan of the past, with misty rain, fluttering curtains in the breeze, and vibrant apricot blossoms. The corridor was damaged, with broken bricks and scattered debris.
After walking all the way, they finally arrived at a quiet room.
Li Pan, with his slender and courteous hand, closed his black umbrella, folding the bamboo frame inside.
Li Pan said calmly, "Before you go to Kunshan, let me take you somewhere first."
Qiao Wan glanced at the quiet room. During this period of time, most of her energy was focused on her studies, so even though she had been at Buping College for a month or two, there were still many things in this old site that she hadn't seen.
"What is this, senior?"
Li Pan adjusted his sleeves and pushed open the door, saying, "Go inside."
Upon entering, Qiao Wan was stunned.
She couldn't help but be amazed.
This may be a quiet room, but when you step inside, it's like entering another world.
The floor is like a chessboard, with nineteen rows and columns intersecting each other. The roof is like the sky, and on the front of the roof, it seems as if there are gaps where the stars shine through, with constellations hanging upside down, just like in a dream.
Li Pan, a calm and confident man, spoke from behind.
The man casually twisted some mist from the doorway and lightly outlined mountains and rivers on the chessboard. The mountains stood tall and the rivers stretched for miles, creating a beautiful landscape.
"This was originally created by Meng Shan for the purpose of strategic military planning."
Qiao Wan was stunned by the scene before her and struggled to speak, "Meng Guangze... senior?"
"It's also something I will teach you in the future."
"Buping College has always been known for its strategic planning. We, the disciples of Buping College, are all skilled in planning and strategy. While strength is important, bravery without strategy is simply recklessness."
"This is something I want to teach you before you go to Kunshan."
Qiao Wan was startled and stood frozen for a while before she regained her ability to speak. She pondered for a moment and slowly, uncertainly asked, "Senior, do you...want to teach me how to arrange troops?"
"But how do you arrange troops on this chessboard?"
Although it was shocking, Qiao Wan reached out her hand and looked at the faint, sparse starlight that leaked through the crack in the sky. She asked in confusion, "Are you not teaching me how to arrange troops, but how to play chess?" Li Pan glanced at her sideways.
Then, he reached out his hand and plucked a star from the sky, placing it on the chessboard.
"In the art of war, there are five important factors: 'Tao,' 'Heaven,' 'Earth,' 'Commander,' and 'Method.'"
Qiao Wan had heard of "The Art of War" before. These were the five essential elements that determine the outcome of a war.
Tao refers to political governance that is in line with the will of the people.
Heaven refers to the weather conditions.
Earth refers to the geographical terrain.
Commander refers to the military leader.
Method refers to the military strategy and system.
The man's gaze was calm, like the faint sparkle of a falling star, as he slowly said, "In this world, you will learn about three things: 'heaven', 'earth', and 'warriors'."
Qiao Wan suddenly understood and looked towards the quiet room.
This quiet room was designed to resemble the heavens and earth of the cultivation realm. Here, the sky and earth could simulate the weather of day and night, cold and heat, clear and rainy. It also had various terrains with differences in height, distance, difficulty, width, and danger.
So, to put it simply, it is like a chessboard.
With the involvement of the stars, everything in the heavens and earth was within reach. Meng Guangze, the abbot of Buping College, looked very...very handsome!
Qiao Wan's eyes gleamed.
She wondered what kind of outstanding and admirable person Meng Guangze, the abbot, was.
Li Pan glanced at her and asked, "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about Abbot Meng," Qiao Wan couldn't help but say, "If Abbot Meng is still here... what an outstanding and admirable person he must be."
"Do you want to meet him?" Li Pan suddenly asked.
Qiao Wan was momentarily stunned.
She had seen the Hanqing Scroll of Buping College before, but it was mostly blurry profiles or silhouettes.
Li Pan said, "Here is his Souvenir Image from back then."
As soon as he finished speaking, a man with a faint starry glow suddenly appeared among the nineteen chessboards.
He looked to be around thirty years old, wearing a loose blue robe. There were slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his brows and eyes were gentle and handsome. His black hair was loosely tied into a low ponytail that hung at the back of his head. He had a bit of light stubble on his chin, but it didn't look untidy. There was also a single lens glasses hanging from a platinum chain on his nose, adding to his gentle and refined yet lazy appearance.
This was just a Souvenir Image.
The man smiled with curved brows and eyes, with starlight shining above his head and mountains and rivers beneath his feet.
A strange feeling surged up in Qiao Wan 's heart, and she stuttered, "Is this... Meng Shanchang?"
But before she could ask clearly, in the next second, this Souvenir Image suddenly extinguished.
Li Pan turned and walked forward: "Bravery in battle is not as good as wisdom in strategy."
"A skilled strategist can defeat a million soldiers."
"Victory through strength is not as effective as victory through planning."
Standing on the opposite side of the chessboard.picked up a star and calmly made a move: "Do you know how this group cultivation competition will be held?"
Qiao Wan answered cautiously, "I've heard some rumors."
It seems to be related to a secret realm immortal palace.
"This time we're going to Kunshan." Li Pan looked up, a slight smirk on his face. "Do you still think you can rely on strength alone to compete against those elite disciples in close combat?"
The senior's meaning was that she relied too much on brute force and planned to improve her intelligence?!
Qiao Wan couldn't help sitting up a little straighter, lowering her eyes quietly. "Please instruct me, Senior."
"If you used some strategies, you wouldn't have ended up in this situation in Kunshan."
"From today onwards, you will play chess with me here."
