A Game of Life and Death

"Come in," Zhang Sheng said. Bao Yun entered the guest hall and gracefully took a seat, resting both hands on her lap with poised, impeccable courtesy. She appeared to glance casually around the room, but was in truth quietly observing Zhang Sheng. Then she remarked, "With a presence like yours, Martial Aunt, it is no wonder you made such a name for yourself in the Palace of Grand Beginning back then. Your generation was hailed as the strongest in a hundred years." Zhang Sheng replied mildly, "All of us have run into one problem or another by now, and your generation has already surpassed us." "How could there be no ups and downs on the path to the Dao? As long as one's Dao heart remains intact, any hardship can be overcome." Zhang Sheng nodded. "True enough. As long as the Dao heart remains sound." Bao Yun's gaze drifted casually over Zhang Sheng once more before she said, "Speaking of which, I haven't properly thanked you for that push back then, Martial Aunt! It seems every sip and every bite is truly ordained by Heaven." Zhang Sheng chuckled. "What nonsense about heaven's ordination? When heaven and earth are unjust, our generation naturally moves against heaven. Yuan'er's aim is to alter heaven and earth—surely you know that?" "Whatever he wishes to do, I will do my utmost to help him." Zhang Sheng smiled faintly. "How is the construction of your new city coming along? Why haven't I seen the Bao family offering any support?" Bao Yun replied, "A few of my great-grandfathers wanted to lend a hand, but I declined. If I take the Bao family's money, goods, and people now, that city will truly bear the surname Bao. My thought was that there will inevitably come a time when I must rely on the family's backing. Asking later, when the city is built better, will let me secure far more resources." "Truly, a daughter whose heart turns outward." Bao Yun shook her head. "Martial Aunt jests again. It isn't as though there is no strife within the Bao family. Not long ago, because my Dao Foundation was damaged and my talent deemed insufficient, I was nearly sold off to an island in the Eastern Sea to be bred like livestock. Every bit of family resources I can claim now means one less bit for those competing against me. So I do this for myself as well." Hearing that her Dao Foundation was damaged, Zhang Sheng's expression softened. "There are many ways to mend a Dao body. We'll keep an eye out for relevant treasures for you in the future; things will get better. But those Bao family elders are truly ridiculous, trying to sell off a junior like you! Hmph, had I been born a century earlier, I would have bought you myself." Bao Yun bowed her head slightly and murmured, "It seems your troubles have been resolved, Martial Aunt. To achieve great success on the immortal path in only a hundred years is truly worth celebrating." Zhang Sheng nodded. "I can see the road ahead in broad strokes. Once I think through the last few matters, I can begin rebuilding my cultivation." "Martial Aunt is indeed an extraordinary genius of our time! Allow me to wish you smooth sailing in advance!" Zhang Sheng smiled, then said, "You clever girl, what you want isn't out of the question to grant. Yuan'er, come inside!" Wei Yuan had already slipped out of his courtyard and was creeping along the edge of the main peak, intending to flee under the cover of night. But Zhang Sheng's voice suddenly rang in his ears, instantly freezing him into a statue. He turned sluggishly and began shuffling toward Zhang Sheng's small courtyard step by step, moving at a speed comparable to a septuagenarian crone or a mortally ill tortoise. Zhang Sheng's voice sounded in his ears once more: "Hurry up!" With a bitter smile, Wei Yuan had no choice but to activate his movement technique. With a flicker, he appeared in the main hall. Before him sat Zhang Sheng and Bao Yun, like two sublime mountain peaks, each possessing its own breathtaking scenery. At this moment, Wei Yuan felt that if all the beauty under heaven were measured out into ten pecks, eight of them were gathered right here in this room. Wei Yuan fixed his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, settling his mind and emptying his thoughts, not daring to utter a word. At that instant, several perilous questions that might be thrown at him crossed his mind. Sensing impending doom, he turned on his heel to flee! Zhang Sheng smiled faintly. "Halt right there! On Little Bao's behalf, I have a question for you: between the two of us, who do you think is prettier?" Wei Yuan's vision went black! This question was truly a matter of life and death, where every answer spelled doom. Inside the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, everything went dead silent, as if it had expired on the spot. In that split second, countless thoughts raced through Wei Yuan's head. He even found time to reflect on his entire life, lamenting his ill-fated destiny. Yet no matter how much he thought, no answer came. He could not answer, yet he could not refuse to answer. He had to declare a victor, yet declaring a victor was impossible. Answering too quickly was wrong; answering too slowly was wrong; not answering at all was equally wrong. In sheer desperation, Wei Yuan blurted out, "This disciple suffers from face blindness and cannot tell whether a woman is attractive or not..." Both women stared in dumbfounded disbelief. Bao Yun covered her mouth with a light chuckle. "Look how hard you've pushed Junior Brother—he's already talking nonsense." Zhang Sheng waved a hand. "Fine, you may leave." As if granted an imperial amnesty, Wei Yuan vanished on the spot. Once he was gone, Zhang Sheng picked up her teacup, took a slow sip, and said, "You won this round. Are you satisfied?" Bao Yun shook her head. "He simply feels more guilt toward me, that's all. I would rather he had said you were prettier; that would have been a real victory." Zhang Sheng snorted. "Praising me to the skies only for you to push me down?" Bao Yun smiled. "How could that be? Naturally, I would enjoy the scenery from high above alongside Elder Sister." Zhang Sheng felt somewhat helpless against her. Glancing at Bao Yun's newly regenerated left hand, which remained noticeably pale and weak, her heart softened. Otherwise, as a disciple of Sky Azure Hall, Zhang Sheng's sharp tongue far exceeded her swordplay; even if she could not win an argument, she could infuriate her opponent to death. Knowing when to quit while ahead, Bao Yun shifted the topic. "Regarding that Karma Great Curse last time, I heard a traitor surfaced in Qingming. Was there any follow-up on that?" Zhang Sheng said, "We have a general idea of who it is, but he doesn't want to investigate any further, and I have little desire to either." "In that case, it must be someone from either Sky Azure Hall or Water Moon Hall. That is an act of betraying one's sect and ancestors—why not investigate? If you find it awkward to do so, Elder Sister, then let me! Had Junior Brother not been lucky that day, he would have been claimed by the Karma Great Curse long ago! You two may be magnanimous enough to let it slide, but this enmity is far too deep; I must have vengeance!" Zhang Sheng considered this for a moment, then said, "If you wish to do so, go ahead. But wait until I report to Patriarch Xuanyue first, and make sure you inform Patriarch Huangyun as well." "Naturally." With that, Bao Yun prepared to take her leave. Right before departing, she suddenly asked, "Have you been sleeping well lately, Elder Sister?" "No more than three times—call me Martial Aunt from now on. I currently inhabit a mortal body and need to sleep every day. Why, is there an issue?" "Nothing, just asking." Bao Yun took her leave and returned to her residence in the new city a short while later. Seeing that dawn had not yet broken, she lay down fully clothed, applied a fresh disguise to her divine sense, and slept soundly until morning without so much as a single dream. Meanwhile, Zhang Sheng had already completed several tasks from her seat; she was now capable of handling sixteen tasks simultaneously. Wei Yuan sat in his study, fidgeting restlessly. He knew he had definitely answered wrong, yet had no idea what the correct answer should have been. He had already submitted the problem to the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, but no answer had emerged, leaving him thoroughly exasperated. If it always operated at this pace, he would have been sent to the afterlife several times over. Yet everything else within the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World was running smoothly; only this single question remained stuck with no answer. Perhaps it truly was an impossible problem. Just then, a cultivator entered bearing a book box, announcing that it had been sent from the State of Wu. Wei Yuan took the box and opened it. Inside were ten volumes of Go manuals bearing the title *Ten Doodle Matches*. Below the title on the cover was a line of small characters: *Commentary by Chenzhou and Qiuyue*. Wei Yuan's spirits lifted. He promptly picked up a volume and read it with great care. Examining a particular move, he saw Chenzhou's commentary: "...This move embodies supreme skill concealing all artifice. It appears clumsy and vulgar at first glance, but in truth lays a far-reaching foundation whose genius only unfolds tens of moves later. It is like an exquisite boulder in the deep mountains—seemingly crude, yet formed by the essence of heaven and earth, already verging on the Dao!" Monk Qiuyue had likewise noted: "...To place a stone such as this—is he mortal, or immortal?" As Wei Yuan read, karmic luck steadily poured into him from all directions, split evenly between azure and purple. It seemed this Go manual had already been printed across the world and begun circulating, with an increasing number of people studying it. Friends of Chenzhou, Qiuyue, and the Seventh Elder were naturally the first to read it, and those who could count as their peers shared comparable levels of cultivation. Consequently, the purple qi Wei Yuan harvested at this moment was exceptionally abundant. As for how to utilize this purple qi, he would look into it later. For now, Wei Yuan was entirely absorbed in reading the commentary. To tell the truth, although Wei Yuan had played those games himself, he hadn't understood a single thing about his own moves. Only after reading the commentary and annotations did he realize where their brilliance lay and just how formidable they were. Credit was due to Chenzhou and Qiuyue; across ten entire volumes of Go records, they hadn't repeated a single compliment. The corners of Wei Yuan's mouth curled upward. He pored over the notes carefully, reading them again and again without tiring of the praise, completely forgetting his narrow escape from death moments before.