Chapter 54: Canghai Yusheng (2)

Han Xi was about to say the chess path Zi Hao taught her, but suddenly changed her mind: "Empty words have no proof. You can also deny it if I say it right. Let's write it down for comparison." She ordered people to take pen and ink one after another.

Huang Fei smiled and shook his head, continuing to sip his tea unhurriedly. Only after Han Xi turned around and finished writing down the chess positions did he flick his sleeve. While still holding the teacup in one hand, he picked up a brush with the other and casually wrote a few characters on the jade plate held up by the maid. Han Xi stepped forward to look and immediately clapped her hands, laughing, "Kan Three-Six position, I guessed it right after all!" She unfolded her own note and snatched a black piece to place on the board for him. "However, although this move of yours is clever, it is a case of one oversight in a hundred; this mid-game contains a formidable heavenly tribulation!"

Huang Fei saw the changes in the chessboard, and his expression was suddenly shocked: "Nine Stars Anti-Yin!"

Han Xi said happily: "How? Nine Stars Anti-Yin, everything is gone, admit defeat now!"

The whole chessboard was like an ancient starry sky, vast and shining. Under the dots of light, it seemed to turn the space in front of him into an infinite void. The strange scene in his heart flashed and disappeared. Huang Fei suddenly raised his head: "This chess was not taught to you by Zi Rao."

Han Xi took the lead, and was proud of herself, but couldn't help but blurt out: "Who said it was taught by Zi Rao sister? You are all guessing blindly. This, this was taught by Zi Rao sister's brother!"

Huang Fei raised his eyebrows, and the essence flashed in his eyes, almost like a cold star shining on the sun. What a game of Tongyou chess full of illusions! Reality hides reality, reality enters emptiness, East Emperor Zi Hao, actually able to calculate his chess path step by step, without any difference. He was terrified in his heart, his handsome face under the lamp was like water, but he was calm and expressionless. After a while, he suddenly got up and walked out.

Han Xi was stunned, chased out and said: "Hey! You don't have to be like this if you lose the game. Why do you leave as soon as you say?" But he saw Huang Fei stop in front of the main hall, stood with his hands behind his back and looked up at the night sky, his bright and handsome eyes reflecting the stars, full of thought. After about half a cup of tea, the corners of his lips pulled upward, revealing a confident smile that was always unchanged, and turned around: "Nine Stars Anti-Yin is a game of emptiness hidden in emptiness. The heavenly plate is added to the earthly plate Dui Palace, and the eight gates have no master, so the emptiness is closed and heaven and earth return to nothing, but it is not unsolvable. Han Xi, I will drop the next piece in the Kan Gong Rest Gate main position. Why don't you think carefully? Three days later, I will ask you for the response."

"Kan Gong Rest Gate? Huang Fei thought of this move in such a short time, it seems that the reputation is well-deserved."

After two days of continuous drizzle, the clouds finally cleared. Fallen flowers were flying on the cliff, and the red was dancing lightly. Zi Hao and Han Xi walked down from the high place. Dots of flower rain occasionally swept across the cloak fluttering on him. In that pale color, it added a few points of elegant style.

Han Xi followed him and said: "It rained for two full days, I was suffocated in the palace and thought for two days, and there was no good way. Huang Fei said he would give me three days, and today is the last day."

Zi Hao stepped on a ground of fallen red and walked forward, seeing the bamboo forest turning over the hot spring pool, and going inside was two hermitages half-hidden in the green shade. A furnace of white sandalwood incense was burning in the room, rendering a quiet atmosphere in the freshness after the rain, lingering by the zither by the case. He beckoned Han Xi to enter, stood in front of the bamboo mat, took a white piece, thought for a while, and put it into the chessboard: "Kan water belongs to Yin, although the Rest Gate main position can resolve the robbery of Nine Stars Anti-Yin, it is also suppressed by it, making it difficult to raise soldiers to attack, otherwise falling into good luck will become ominous, and it will be difficult to save. Huang Fei can only stand still now. You should respond to him in the middle palace."

Han Xi stepped forward to see, the case was exactly that game of chess, and Huang Fei's solution was also in it, but this move neither attacked nor defended, it was truly plain. Couldn't help asking: "Just like this?"

"That's enough." Zi Hao said faintly. Han Xi looked at it for a long time and asked: "Then what will Huang Fei do next?"

Zi Hao sat down and smiled and shook his head. Han Xi didn't understand: "You said Huang Fei's chess path was accurate just now, why can't you guess it now?"

Zi Hao looked at the chess game: "It's not that it's impossible, but it's a bit more mental. Well, I'll tell you three more chess moves. If there is no accident, Huang Fei's chess path should be among them. You remember the response method in turn, then you can suppress him one step every time."

Guessing the opponent's three chess moves, and then thinking of three responses, the difference of one son, the difference of heaven and earth. These few moves must consider the different changes of the overall situation, and consider everything that may happen. One to three, three to nine, nine to thousands, changes are endless. Facing an opponent like Huang Fei, if you want to be foolproof and step by step, what kind of mental effort is this?

Han Xi was happy at first, but suddenly threw down the chess piece and said: "Forget it, playing chess is not fun, it's too mental. By the way, I brought you a pair of top-quality Qingshan Jade Ganoderma, just handed it to Li Si, I don't know if it suits you. And this," she took out a small bag from her sleeve, "This is a candied fruit made of Fuluo fruit, sweet but not greasy, and tastes very good. In the future, when you take medicine, hold one, and you won't feel so bitter." She paused, seemingly having something to say, but hesitated, one hand twisting the jade ring pendant on her belt, secretly looking at him, suddenly her pink face was full of rosy clouds, and finally hid the words in her heart.

Zi Hao's smile was as light as before, and there was a kind of calm that was not surprised by the black and deep eyes. Until she handed the candied fruit to his hand, a slight wave appeared in his eyes, like the broken bamboo shadows falling in the warm wind, the ice pool rippling with spring water, and the cold snow dyed with tenderness. He looked at Han Xi and smiled slightly: "Since I promised to teach you to play chess, I won't let you be troubled by Huang Fei. By the way, I have to thank you for the snake gall. That Zhu Jiuyin was originally a spirit beast you tamed, but it lost its life because of me."

Han Xi hurriedly said: "It doesn't matter, if I knew Zi Rao sister was to treat your illness, I... I would have let Bailong'er not resist."

Zi Hao seemed to be quite interested in this, and asked her about Zhu Jiuyin. Han Xi knelt beside him, while teasing Xuezhan, and told him the fierce battle in Wangliang Valley from beginning to end.

The fragrance was full in front of the mat, and the delicate words were like orioles. Zi Hao leaned leisurely on the case, holding the spiritual stone bead string in his hand and playing with it slowly, his eyes gradually covered with the shallow shadows of the long years. It was not that he hadn't asked about Wangliang Valley before, but Zi Rao's vague and obvious avoidance made him listen to her dangers, and his mood was difficult to say, but he was only light on the surface, until he heard that Ye Xuanshang had to let Zi Rao leave the island first after being injured, then he raised his head and asked: "What did he say?"

Han Xi said: "He said Bailong'er was killed by him, and it has nothing to do with Zi Rao sister. However, the uncle saw early that he was injured. It turned out that he had been hit by a fierce crane to save Zi Rao sister, and his injury was triggered by my Shexu Duoxin technique. At that time, he was just forcibly suppressing it with the acupoint closing method."

"Oh." Zi Hao responded faintly, nodded, and didn't say anything, continuing to listen to her.

After Han Xi left, he stood by the window, stood with his hands behind his back, the deep luster of the obsidian sank between his fingers, quiet as the dark night, and his eyes were also this deepness that could swallow everything. Outside the window, bamboo shadows were swaying, the courtyard was quiet, and there was still a bit of rain and coolness. Occasionally, fallen flowers drifted past with the wind, light red and faint, reflecting into those quiet eyes, just a turn, and disappeared without a trace. He didn't know what he was thinking, just looked at the bamboo forest in a daze. After a while, he walked out.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 55 =====

Zi Hao's smile was as faint as ever, and there was a kind of calm, unruffled peace in his dark, deep eyes. It was not until she handed the candied fruit to him that a slight ripple appeared in the depths of his eyes, as if fragmented bamboo shadows were scattered in a warm breeze, the icy pool rippling with spring water, and cold snow stained with tenderness. He looked at Han Xi and smiled slightly. "Since I promised to teach you chess, I won't let you be stumped by Huang Fei. Besides, I must thank you for the snake gall; that Zhu Jiuyin was originally a spirit creature you tamed, yet it lost its life because of me."

Han Xi said hurriedly, "It doesn't matter. If I had known Sister Zi Rao was doing it to cure your illness, I... I would have told Bailong'er not to resist."

Zi Hao seemed quite interested in this and asked her about Zhu Jiuyin in passing. Han Xi knelt beside him, playing with Xue Zhan while telling him the whole story of the fierce battle in Wangliang Valley from beginning to end.

Fragrance filled the area before the mat, and her sweet voice was like an oriole's. Zi Hao leaned idly against the desk, slowly playing with the spirit stone bead string in his hand, his eyes gradually covered with the faint shadows of long, passing time. He had asked about the events in Wangliang Valley before, but Zi Rao had been vague and clearly evasive. Now that he heard the details of her dangerous journey, his feelings were indescribable, but his face remained entirely calm. It was not until he heard that Ye Xuanshang had been injured and had insisted that Zi Rao leave the island first that he looked up and asked, "What did he say?"

Han Xi said, "He said he was the one who killed Bailong'er, and it had nothing to do with Sister Zi Rao. But Uncle had long seen that he was injured. It turned out that he had taken a direct hit from the Fierce Crane to save Sister Zi Rao, and my Soul-Absorbing Heart-Stealing Art had aggravated his injuries. At that time, he was just using the acupoint-sealing method to forcibly suppress them."

"Oh." Zi Hao responded faintly, nodded, and said nothing more, continuing to listen to her.

After Han Xi left, he stood up and paused by the window, his hands behind his back. The deep luster of the obsidian sank into his fingers, quiet as the dark night, and his eyes held the same depth that could swallow everything. Outside the window, the bamboo shadows rustled, the courtyard was silent, and there was still a hint of cool rain. Occasionally, fallen flowers drifted past with the wind, light red and faint, reflecting into those silent eyes, only to vanish without a trace in a single turn. He didn't know what he was thinking, just staring blankly at the bamboo forest. After a while, he stepped out.

(End of Chapter)