Hurry and Play

Moqi Feng said nothing, but he indeed slowed his offensive afterward. He was helping He Lingchuan deal with Yu Zecheng now precisely to build up a bit of credit and earn some goodwill before his own negotiation with He Lingchuan. Under his deliberate foot-dragging and stalling, another half hour slipped by, and Yu Zecheng grew increasingly anxious. Suddenly, he turned to He Lingchuan and said, "I must attend to the cycle of the five grains." With that, he headed upstairs. Denying a man a trip to the latrine would be an outright insult. He Lingchuan replied with several polite "Please"s and gestured for the bystanders not to stop him. In any case, the battle on the eastern side of Suoding Island was already over. Going upstairs to direct things by remote at this point would be far too late anyway. Yu Zecheng went upstairs, shut the door, and returned to inspect the tray. Dabbing a fingertip in water, he wrote: *Situation?* After all this time, the operation to capture Zhu Erniang should have yielded results by now, shouldn't it? Yet he had been stuck downstairs playing a board game, gnawed by impatience. He waited for a while, but the tray showed no reaction. The water remained just water. Those two characters sat unchanged, without shifting in the slightest. Yu Zecheng's heart sank. Even if the squad's hunt had failed, they should have sent some word while withdrawing. The eastern end of Suoding Island was some distance away, and the storm was an obstacle; they could not possibly reach this place on foot within half an hour. Could it be...? The thought of *total annihilation* had barely surfaced in his mind before he struck it down. Impossible. Utterly impossible! How could that brat surnamed He have such power? How could the Burrow Spider Queen and her brood alone possess that kind of strength? Right, they said He Xiao could also command yin hui, but once monsters like that crawled ashore, they couldn't possibly play much of a role in a fight of this scale. Just where had things gone wrong? He dipped his finger in water and wrote several more times, but each message was like a clay ox cast into the sea, vanishing without a trace of response. Half an incense stick's time passed, and a soft rapping came from the wooden door. "Master Yu?" He Xiao's men were here to urge him. Just as Yu Zecheng prepared to step out, the water droplets on the tray suddenly converged at high speed. Word at last! Yu Zecheng's spirits lifted. Several bold, sharp characters clearly took shape across the tray's surface— *Hurry down and play.* In that single instant, Yu Zecheng turned to stone. *** Downstairs, Moqi Feng watched as He Lingchuan drew out a mirror. He looked at his own reflection first, straightened his robes, smoothed the hair by his temples, and traced a few strokes across its surface with a finger before chuckling softly to himself. A few breaths later, the guest room door upstairs creaked open. Yu Zecheng walked out, his eyes locked dead on He Lingchuan. Moqi Feng noticed his face was livid, his eyes practically spitting fire. He had only gone in and come out—how had he ended up like this? He Lingchuan waved the mirror toward the upper floor with a brilliant grin. "Come down quickly, Master Yu. The match isn't finished yet." In Yu Zecheng's eyes, that smile was sheer mockery. A strange glint flashed in his gaze, his lips pressing into a hard, thin line. Only after a long pause did he say, "I'm not playing anymore! He Xiao, come up here. Let's speak openly without beating around the bush." If that board had been on a tabletop, he would have overturned it right then and there! "Not playing?" He Lingchuan glanced at the board with a hint of regret. "Does that mean you forfeit, Master Yu?" Yu Zecheng said darkly, "Do you want to win that badly?" "What a thing to say." He Lingchuan chuckled. "Once a game begins, it must reach a conclusion; and once it concludes, there must be a victor and a loser." He turned to Moqi Feng. "In your view, who takes this match?" Moqi Feng caught on quickly. He carried the black piece two spaces forward, then moved the white piece three spaces, before announcing: "Without a doubt, Island Master He wins." He laid out the optimal next moves for both sides, and the onlookers around them nodded in agreement. "Yes, exactly. Those two moves are the best Black could possibly play." "Even so, it's hopeless." "He's bound to lose. White's pieces are nearly all borne off; Black can never catch up in time." "Very well, that concludes the game." Satisfied, He Lingchuan raised a hand to summon the staff. Nuanxiang Chamber's attendants stepped forward at once to reset the pieces and wipe down the board. "If any of you distinguished players itch for a turn, feel free to give it a try." He Lingchuan first greeted the surrounding guests politely before calling up to Yu Zecheng on the second floor, "I'm famished. Not a bite of food or a drop of water has passed my lips all day; my stomach is practically glued to my spine. Master Yu, how about we talk over a meal?" Moqi Feng took a step forward. "Island Master He..." After finishing a board game, they were going to eat? Were these two never going to end? When would he finally get a word with Island Master He? His four hundred clansmen were still outside enduring the driving wind and rain. "You did well! Transgressions deserve punishment, but merit deserves reward. Your reward shall be dining with us." He Lingchuan seized his arm and dragged him toward the back of the hall without allowing any protest. Although they stood close together, Moqi Feng watched the hand reach for him and found himself entirely unable to dodge it! He instinctively struggled to pull free, but He Lingchuan's fingers were like bands of steel, firmly clamped around the inside of his upper arm. At the same time, He Lingchuan tilted his head back toward Yu Zecheng: "Master Yu, after you!" Moqi Feng felt a sudden shock. Island Master He's cultivation was actually this formidable? Truth be told, he had previously entertained thoughts of getting close to He Lingchuan and taking him hostage. After all, during his months on the island, everyone had claimed that Qiu Hu was far better at fighting than Island Master He. Now, he felt profoundly grateful that he hadn't acted rashly. Otherwise, his predicament would only have been far worse. The guards stationed along the second-floor gallery stepped forward several paces at the call. Faced with such an imposing show, Yu Zecheng had no choice but to come down. After all, he was standing on the man's own territory. Seeing He Lingchuan already turning forward, he let out a cold snort and strode down the stairs. With the game concluded and the principals departing, the patrons of Nuanxiang Chamber saw that the show was over and began to disperse. Only then did Wang Xingyi's plainclothes guard rise, pay for his tea, and leave Nuanxiang Chamber to report everything he had witnessed to his master. Passing through the back hall of Nuanxiang Chamber and crossing a courtyard corridor brought them to the dining area. The dining quarters of Nuanxiang Chamber not only featured a main hall and private dining rooms, but would also offer dedicated elegant pavilions in the future for refined guests seeking quiet conversation over meals. However, that was for later. For now, He Lingchuan could only host distinguished guests in the existing private rooms. The moment he, Moqi Feng, and Yu Zecheng walked inside, a dozen guards took up positions surrounding the room, barring all outsiders. The conversation to follow was far too important to let even a whisper leak out. Once inside the room, He Lingchuan pointed to a chair at the side and said to Moqi Feng, "Sit." After a brief hesitation, Moqi Feng took the seat. Yu Zecheng strode in, taking the initiative the moment he spoke: "He Xiao, you've brought immense trouble upon yourself." Everyone present understood his underlying meaning: Beijia would never let this matter rest! He Lingchuan was not someone easily intimidated. He found a chair and sat down directly across from Yu Zecheng. "How considerate of you, Master Yu, but there's no need to worry on my behalf. You'd best resolve your own pressing crisis first. Come, please have a seat." He made an inviting gesture toward another chair. Yu Zecheng gave a cold grunt and sat down in a broad, domineering posture. Delicacies were promptly served in a continuous stream. Three platters of mountain delicacies, three of seafood, all made from the finest ingredients. With an outsider present, Yu Zecheng found it difficult to open his mouth. After all, the matters they needed to discuss were rather humiliating.