Chapter 100: Why Are We Playing Chess?

Chapter 100 How Did We End Up Playing Chess?

"What should we do now?" Fu Ze instinctively asked Qing Xuan.

As hired muscle, he was accustomed to being ordered around and controlled.

Though Qing Xuan hadn't explicitly stated it, Fu Ze quickly found his own place.

After all, barring any accidents, they were already on the same side.

In that case, he also wanted a share of the Xuan Ji family's secrets!

Qing Xuan lowered his gaze, composed himself, and asked Fu Ze, "How is this body treating you?"

Fu Ze frowned slightly and said, "This Lian Chi is indeed a monastic cultivator. During the Soul Possession, my spirit was also impacted. Fortunately, I have a secret Soul Possession technique, and my cultivation level is higher than his, so I narrowly won. However, I haven't fully taken control of this body. That cultivator named Lian Chi is still inside it—I can't consume his soul."

Qing Xuan said, "No rush. There will be ways to purge him eventually."

His demeanor, though only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, made Fu Ze feel he had a commanding presence—

Not everyone could casually order a soul possession of a fellow student.

Moreover, he was equally ruthless toward someone he fancied. Fu Ze admired and appreciated this kind of ruthlessness.

That was why he was willing to submit and serve as the other's hired muscle.

"So, what should we do now?" Fu Ze asked.

"Now?" Qing Xuan paused and said, "Now you can tell me that secret. I hope it won't disappoint me."

Fu Ze then recounted everything he had observed to Qing Xuan.

Qing Xuan was slightly taken aback and somewhat puzzled. "You're saying that Xuan Ji's mundane family members are mostly at the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Stage cultivation levels?"

Fu Ze said, "You find it hard to believe too, right? But it's true. Xuan Ji's younger sister has guards who are all at the Golden Core Stage—ten of them. And from what I know, those guards are all related to her. She occasionally slips up and calls them by their courtesy names like 'Brother [Name].' Their appearances are somewhat similar too, clearly not ordinary guards but family members serving as guards."

Qing Xuan's mind raced intensely, but his expression remained exceptionally calm. "Is this the secret you mentioned? You haven't found any evidence. If that's the case, I think saving you and offending Xuan Ji is hardly worth the trouble."

Fu Ze was stunned and immediately said, "No evidence is needed. If an entire family is like this, there can only be a few possibilities. First, they have a special cultivation method. As the saying goes, true masters lie hidden among the masses—this is highly possible.

Second, there's something unusual about their bone and bloodline. I'm an evil cultivator. Evil cultivators refine Human Pills from cultivators and consume them. Although these pills provide obvious benefits, it's like a quick fix with deadly consequences—it easily attracts karmic consequences, making it highly likely to fail the Tribulation Transcension."

Fu Ze paused. "But I’m getting off track... My friend Dong Sheng once refined a Human Pill from a cultivator with Sword Bone. That cultivator was only twenty-eight years old but had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. When refined, he became a shining Golden Core. After consuming it, Dong Sheng's cultivation rose an entire realm, jumping directly from the third layer of Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core Stage."

"I would never consume a Human Pill," Qing Xuan said calmly.

Fu Ze replied, "I know. I just wanted to point out that the Great Xia Royal Family might have special bone. However, in cases like this, conventional wisdom suggests that marrying within their own lineage is necessary to maintain pure bloodlines and bone. But I’ve investigated—the Great Xia Royal Family doesn’t restrict marriage to within the family. Both the main and branch lines have married the children of court officials."

Qing Xuan said thoughtfully, "That is indeed suspicious. Even if they possess a spirit vein, it doesn’t guarantee reaching Foundation Establishment in their teens.—Have you heard of ants?"

"Of course."

Qing Xuan said, "Though tiny, ants are extremely united. Their leader is the queen, who continuously produces offspring, and the hatched ant guards protect the nest."

Fu Ze was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Qing Xuan said, "I just thought of it suddenly."

A faint smile appeared on his cold face, still icy. "Don’t you think they’re similar? As long as the queen is exceptional, she can produce an endless stream of ant guards.

—Even if each has special bone and bloodline, bone and bloodline are separate from cultivation aptitude. Some people have outstanding bone and bloodline but average comprehension, making it hard for them to achieve greatness. Others have average bone and bloodline but exceptional comprehension, allowing them to break through the constraints of their bone."

"This world is fascinating. As long as one thing stands out, one can always achieve prominence."

Fu Ze opened his mouth, feeling from the bottom of his heart that he had found a better companion than Dong Sheng.

He was terrifyingly intelligent!

Both smart and ruthless.

Qing Xuan said, "If that’s the case, then Xuan Ji reaching the Golden Core Stage in his teens isn’t so strange after all."

Though he hadn’t verified it yet, Qing Xuan inexplicably felt that his guess was probably close to the truth.

Xuan Ji’s cultivation level defied the heavens. Even the top immortal sects of Wanqiong Province might not have a genius as outstanding as him.

If it was innate cultivation granted by the 'queen,' then it made sense.

Fu Ze asked, "How do we verify this? Let me clarify first—the Great Xia Royal Family has many powerful cultivators. I didn’t dare go out to investigate. The princess inadvertently revealed that there are several in their family who have faced heavenly tribulations."

Qing Xuan said, "Verification is easy."

He smiled slightly, his expression frighteningly calm. "Xuan Ji is in seclusion, but he brought a young acolyte. That acolyte, in all likelihood, is also from the Great Xia Royal Family. After all, they have a habit of using their relatives as guards, don’t they?"

Fu Ze was profoundly impressed. He asked, "Are you really a monastic cultivator? Or are all monastic cultivators like this now?"

Qing Xuan understood his meaning and said lightly, "I’m only in Zizai Province to study. I won’t take monastic vows in the Buddhist sect. As cultivators, the first thing we must do is cultivate, improve our cultivation, and ultimately, ascend to immortality. I’m only doing what I should do—"

He paused, then continued, "Refining Human Pills is not an option—it’s like drinking poison to quench thirst. I need more detailed experiments regarding the secrets of Xuan Ji’s family. Once we have solid evidence..."

The corners of his lips lifted slightly into a smile as he looked at Fu Ze. "...Brother Lian Chi’s family will have a role to play."

"But if Brother Lian Chi’s family has cultivators at the Integration Stage or higher, they might discover my Soul Possession secret."

Qing Xuan said with extreme indifference, "They might discover it... but so what? If you can offer them benefits, what does it matter if you’ve possessed someone?"

Fu Ze’s thoughts instantly cleared. "You... make a good point. This is the cultivation world. Even if they discover Brother Lian Chi has been possessed by me, as long as I can offer them benefits, we’re in the same boat. They’ll have to turn a blind eye!"

Qing Xuan said, "After the secret realm ends, I’ll find a way to take Brother Long away. Then, I’ll have Ming Xin kidnap that young acolyte."

"What about me?" Fu Ze asked.

Qing Xuan said, "Since you’ve already taken possession, don’t show yourself in Luopo again."

Fu Ze understood and said with a tone of respect, "Then I’ll await your orders."

*

Outside the Tiangang Secret Realm, Xiao Qiu sneezed loudly and said delightedly, "It must be Brother Aotian missing me."

Wu Yunsu shot him a contemptuous glare.

Xiao Qiu noticed and snorted coldly. "Do you think I don’t know? Brother Aotian warned you not to bully me when he entered the secret realm. You fiend, don’t you know that using gu worms is a lowly tactic? We human cultivators are forthright and honorable. Even if you become a human cultivator, you’re a hollow shell. You’ll never learn the moral fiber of us human cultivators."

He said smugly, "This is called class. You, well, you have none."

"..." Wu Yunsu twitched his fingers slightly, and a gu worm silently landed on Xiao Qiu’s skin, quickly seeping into it.

"Go dig for two li," Wu Yunsu ordered.

Xiao Qiu opened his mouth angrily and said, "You’re doing it again! When Brother Aotian comes out, I’ll tell on you! You’re done for!"

Wu Yunsu taunted, "The flow of time in the secret realm is different. It'll be seven days before they come out. For these seven days, you’ll obediently dig up the field for me. When Dad comes out, I’ll just smooth things over. Being pretty is a talent, but you—tsk tsk—are just plain-looking, nothing to write home about."

Xiao Qiu shot back angrily, "No one from our Great Xia Royal Family is plain-looking! Don’t you dare belittle me! Once I grow up, I’ll be a drop-dead gorgeous man too!"

"Now get to digging. After you’re done, heat up some water for my bath and give me a shoulder massage." With a wave of his hand, Wu Yunsu laid out Xiao Qiu’s schedule for the next seven days.

Xiao Qiu: "…"

Brother Aotian, your warning was useless! This demon isn’t afraid at all! Boo hoo...

*

Chi Yu sneezed several times, feeling antsy, and said, "Brother Xuan Ji is missing me."

Xie Xiyi listened and remarked amusedly, "You’re like a baby who’s still nursing."

Chi Yu wasn’t surprised by his words.

He didn’t respond directly and instead said, "Hurry up and help me take them out. I don’t want your eyes. Even though you didn’t ask, I know you’re aware in your heart—what exactly is the connection between you and my Brother Xuan Ji? I could never use something that belongs to Brother Xuan Ji. It would feel like I’m hurting him, hurting the Brother Xuan Ji who has been so kind to me."

Xie Xiyi said, "Even if these eyes possess mystic powers, you still don’t want them?"

Chi Yu nodded. "Some things are more important than cultivation resources."

Xie Xiyi asked, "What is it?"

Chi Yu replied, "The bond between me and Brother Xuan Ji."

Xie Xiyi said, "Although it touches me a little that you see me as your Brother Xuan Ji, you can still tell us apart. Across the three thousand worlds, there may be others in similar situations, but I don’t consider them to be me."

He smirked and added, "After all, I wouldn’t raise a child and have them cling to me so much, calling out 'Brother Xuan Ji, Brother Xuan Ji, Brother Xuan Ji' like they’re calling for their mother."

He sighed with exaggeration, "Could it be a mother-son bond between you? How touching."

Chi Yu: "…"

This was the first time he’d seen someone self-ship.

Eye-opening.jpg

Seeing that Xie Xiyi was determined not to help, Chi Yu said, "Forget it. If you won’t help me, I’ll just ask Brother Xuan Ji to dig them out for me when I return."

Xie Xiyi: "Fine by me. Once I’ve given something away, I won’t take it back."

Although the person before him was somewhat different from Brother Xuan Ji, Chi Yu couldn’t help but relax a little. He asked Xie Xiyi, "Speaking of which, Brother Xuan Ji, why did you defect from the Buddhist order? Clearly, you were a Future Bodhisattva with a bright future ahead. As long as you cultivated within the order, you would’ve ascended to immortality sooner or later."

"Defect? No, no, I didn’t defect." Xie Xiyi didn’t mind elaborating. After all, the secret realm was a rift in time. Outside the Tiangang Secret Realm, there was another Chi Yu—the leader of the Demon-Slaying Army. This Chi Yu before him was merely an illusion brought by the turbulent flow of time, unable to leave this realm.

Because, in the same world and the same timeline, two identical individuals cannot coexist—such is the Heavenly Dao.

Xie Xiyi said with great interest, "I officially left the clergy, handed back the Buddhist sacred items, and abolished my cultivation in the Anuttara Buddhist School’s methods. I had no reason to defect. —You ask this… Could it be that your Brother Xuan Ji defected from the Buddhist order?"

Chi Yu couldn’t help but nod. "Yes."

He asked in surprise, "Why is it different? Then why did you leave the Anuttara Buddhist School, Brother Xuan Ji?"

Xie Xiyi curled his lips and said, "Because I discovered a loophole in the Heavenly Dao."

Chi Yu’s eyes widened. "What?"

Xie Xiyi said, "This world is pretty interesting."

He took out a Go board and pieces, sat on the ground, held a piece, and placed a black stone. "Everyone in this world is a chess piece, and the Heavenly Dao is the player moving them. The pieces are like toys in its hands, always moving, battling, and taking each other out according to the rules it has set."

Chi Yu: "…"

Is the original villain becoming a philosopher now?

Xie Xiyi asked, "Do you know how to play Go?"

Chi Yu: "A little…"

Xie Xiyi gestured for him to go ahead.

Chi Yu picked up a white stone and placed it, then quickly realized, "…Wait, why are we suddenly playing a game of Go?"

Xie Xiyi said, "I have an itch to play."

Chi Yu: "…"

Talk about a simple reason.