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S T E L L A R C L O U D
[Azurixa] [Celeste S.] [Christine G.-L.]
O R A N G E S T A R
[Fazzienaz] [K.Rom] [Manon] [Smurfinbatik] [Tori D.] [Ziana K.-P.]
Y E L L O W S T A R
[Chlaudette P.] [Gwyneth T.] [Mel Melz] [Passerby] [Xena]
G O L D S T A R
[Cindy] [Debra W] [Nanashi D. Y.] [Nevy] [Nicole]
R A I N B O W S T A R
[Allie] [Amanda] [Kiiayame] [kuroneko_chan] [Liznel M.]
T H E S U N
[Caroline] [Haruka N.] [Hong] [Lily J.] [Malinkat]
[Michelle K.] [onepiece] [Reece P.]
Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧?≦*)
To call it chess was actually a bit of a stretch. It was just a crooked chessboard made of old wooden planks, with stones serving as the pieces, and each of them were irregularly shaped. The black pieces merely had a drop of ink on them as well.
The man felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Were they really that poor?
Wasn't it said that they live in Bishui Alley? That was near the Imperial Academy, where housing prices were sky high.
Moreover, he had seen the things that little monk had. Any one of them could be sold for a fortune. If they were really struggling, why not sell some of the little monk's items?
Why resort to begging on the streets?
On second thought, being so poor, could this girl even play chess?
The man glanced at the chessboard with the mentality of ‘if she doesn’t know how to play, I can reluctantly give her some pointers.’
At first glance, he didn't feel much, just a vague discomfort.
He took another glance, a third, and a fourth.
Then his expression froze.
No way, right? Could he be mistaken? How could he see this chess game here, on the streets of the State of Zhao... more precisely, in the hands of a little beggar girl?
Everyone knew that the Chess Saint of the six states, Old Master Meng, created numerous chess puzzles throughout his life, with the eight great puzzles being the most famous. There were only a few who could decipher them, especially the Qian and Kun puzzles. It was recently said that the Crown Princess of the State of Zhao had deciphered the Kun puzzle, becoming the person who had deciphered the most of the eight great puzzles among the six states.
But no one knew that Old Master Meng actually had another set of chess games—the six life-and-death formations!
These were truly a set of forbidden games that no one could decipher.
The reason they were forbidden was that the six life-and-death formations were filled with an overwhelming murderous atmosphere, often driving the chess players insane before they could decipher the formation.
He had luckily seen the first of the six life-and-death formations but chose to give up before it drove him crazy. Unexpectedly, after several years, he was able to see it again.
How was it possible that this girl was completely unaffected?
Looking at her, she even seemed so relaxed. Hadn't she been influenced by the murderous aura of the chess game?
"You..." The man shifted his gaze away from the chessboard.
Gu Jiao pointed to the broken bowl in front of her.
The man looked stupefied for a moment before he seemingly understood, taking out two gold ingots from his pocket and placing them into the bowl.
Gu Jiao finally spoke to him, "Do you need something?"
Indeed, money could make ghosts grind millstones and make people speak.
The man sighed and tapped his folding fan, saying, "How do you feel about this chess game?"
"Well, it's quite interesting." Gu Jiao replied.
Interesting? Was that all?
"Don't you find it hard..."
Hard?
"Well, it's a bit challenging." Gu Jiao admitted.
The man was perplexed. Was that what he was talking about? Shouldn’t she be suffering by now?!
Just what kind of freak was this girl? How could she talk so lightly about a chess game with such heavy killing intent?
No, shouldn't he be curious about where this girl learned such a profound game?
The six life-and-death formations were not widely circulated within the six countries like the eight great puzzles. After all, they had been prohibited by the State of Yan’s imperial family, and ordinary people had never even seen them.
One moment, it was the black fire bead of the State of Yan's imperial family, and the next moment, it was Old Master Meng's six life-and-death formations. What exactly was the relationship between this girl and the State of Yan?
"Lass!"
Just then, the old beggar came out of the alley holding some silver bits.
The man didn't want to interact with other people for the time being to avoid leaving any unnecessary information behind, hence he turned and returned to the teahouse.
The old beggar approached Gu Jiao, crouched down, and handed her a handful of shiny silver bits with a smile, saying, "Lass, look, I won!"
Then he lowered his head to see the broken bowl at his feet now containing two shiny gold ingots!
In addition to the gold ingots, there were also many copper coins and bits of silver.
The old beggar was dumbfounded, "This... Where did all this come from?"
Gu Jiao pondered for a moment and said lightly, "Oh, it's from passersby."
The old beggar looked at the bowl full of gold, silver, and copper coins, then glanced at the few meager silver bits of ingot in his hand. Suddenly, the silver bits of ingot didn't seem so appealing anymore!
He had worked his fingers to the bone playing with a bunch of idiots, and yet this girl earned more in a short while just by crouching here!
Gu Jiao opened her mouth, wanting to ask him if he still wanted to play chess.
The old beggar raised his hand in distress, "Don't talk to me right now. I need to calm my mood first!"
It was too painful!
"Fine then."
Gu Jiao continued to crouch by the roadside, drawing circles with chess pieces.
Suddenly, a splendid carriage stopped in front of them.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted and a fragrant breeze wafted out. Gu Jiao felt a tickle in her nose, causing her to sneeze!
A court lady dressed in pale pink palace attire descended from the carriage. She covered her nose with a handkerchief and stopped at a distance of three steps from the old beggar. She didn't bother to look at Gu Jiao crouching on the ground, instead she looked down at the old beggar and said, "Sir, my master requests your presence. Please accompany me to the Brisk Wind Tower."
"I'm not going." The old beggar refused without thinking.
The court lady said, "I heard that you were expelled from the Qinghuan Chess Club, and since then, you haven't been able to play chess there. My master was deeply saddened by this news."
Only then did Gu Jiao glance at the old beggar. So he was kicked out by the chess club? No wonder he switched to another club.
The old beggar retorted, hands on his hips, "They didn't kick me out! It was this old man's decision not to go to that trashy chess club anymore! Make me pretend to lose? Is that how they make things difficult for people?"
It wasn't a tall tale, but the truth. He really didn't know how to lose to a bunch of rookies!
The court lady struggled to keep her face from falling apart, "My master sincerely invites you to play a game of chess with her. Please accompany me, change your clothes, and meet my master at Brisk Wind Tower."
The old beggar chuckled, "I have to change my clothes to see your master? Who is your master, the Emperor or the Empress?"
The court lady replied sternly, "My master's identity cannot be revealed, but it is certainly a prestigious status that you wouldn't expect. With my master's protection, no chess club in the capital will dare to expel you again."
"I'm not going!" The old beggar stubbornly refused.
An impatient look flashed across the court lady’s face. "Sir, you might want to reconsider."
The old beggar waved his hand, "I said I'm not going, can't you just leave me alone? You're interrupting me and this lass from playing chess! Go away!"
Having been turned away, the court lady furrowed her brows coldly as she glanced at Gu Jiao, who was studying the chessboard while crouching on the ground. Her eyes flickered.
It was her?
The court lady headed back to a private room in Brisk Wind Tower, "Reporting to the Crown Princess, he refused to come."
"Why did he refuse?" The Crown Princess wondered.
The old beggar was someone the Crown Princess had hesitated for a long time before deciding to extend an invitation to. Initially, she didn't pay much attention to him, but he repeatedly defeated Master Maoshan, making it impossible for the Crown Princess to ignore him any further.
The court lady respectfully replied, "He wants to play chess with someone else."
"Who?" The Crown Princess set down the teacup in her hand and asked.
The court lady answered, "The daughter of Marquis Ding'an Estate, the one who grew up in the countryside."
The Crown Princess had witnessed Gu Jiao playing chess with the old beggar before, but at that time, she hadn't paid much attention. Now, she couldn't help but be a little curious. How did she come to know that old beggar?
The court lady pondered and said, "I heard that the old beggar used to set up chess games on Liuzhu Street, but everyone thought he was crazy, so no one played chess with him. It's possible that this Young Miss Gu happened to come by, and through repeated encounters, they got to know each other. Only a rustic girl from the countryside would have the audacity to sit on the roadside and play chess with a beggar. It's quite a disgraceful act, considering she is the daughter of Marquis Ding'an Estate and the wife of the newly appointed Zhuangyuan."
The Crown Princess valued dignity and would never degrade herself by associating with a beggar in public.
"Never mind, let him be." The Crown Princess still didn't think highly of the old beggar. "Is there any news from Old Master Meng?"
The court lady answered, "There is still no news from the State of Yan. As for the State of Liang, the State of Chen, and the State of Qing..."
The Crown Princess interrupted her, speaking with arrogance, "I'm only interested in news from the State of Yan. What I need is recognition from Old Master Meng."
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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