Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 504 The Chess Game at Kongdong Mountain
"Master Xianyuan! Master Faran!" Gu Zhao greeted them.

When Daoist Xianyuan and Daoist Faran looked up and saw Gu Zhao, their eyes lit up.

"Mr. Gu!"

It was Tonghui who spoke. The young Taoist priest was scrolling through his phone under the eaves when he saw Gu Zhao appear, and he immediately stood up.

Master Xining and Master Miaozhen returned a few months ago, bringing the three of them a golden bracelet, qi-boosting medicinal wine, and also sharing some information that wasn't exactly a secret.

So the three of them had been waiting for Gu Zhao to come to their door.

So there's nothing to explain. Gu Zhao gave the three of them the Thunder Seeds and told them to go to Yangcheng to find Daoist Xu Ning.

……

Northwest, Kongdong Mountain.

Kongdong Mountain is also one of the famous Taoist mountains. Legend has it that Guangchengzi lived on Kongdong Mountain, and the Yellow Emperor also went up the mountain to ask questions, so it has a very high status in Taoism.

But rumors are just rumors, and Kongdong Mountain is too remote to be among the four famous Taoist mountains.

Later, due to its widespread fame, Buddhist and Confucian temples were also built, making it a famous mountain that integrates the three religions. However, it has the deepest Taoist foundation and is also known as Kongdong Mountain, so people still regard it as a famous Taoist mountain.

Gu Zhao strolled on Mount Kongdong.

It must be said that the location is indeed remote.

In the densely populated southeast and even Guanzhong Plain, a small Taoist temple is always bustling with worshippers. However, Kongdong Mountain is located in the northeast of Gansu Province and the southeast of Ningxia Province. Although it is not in the Northwest, it is not a prosperous place.

Moreover, the Taoist faith is not particularly strong here, so there are fewer tourists at Kongdong Mountain than at Xiyue Mountain.

However, it's good that there are fewer tourists; Gu Zhao hasn't seen such tranquility on a famous Taoist mountain in a long time.

As Gu Zhao ascended the mountain from the visitor center, his steps appeared slow but were actually swift. To onlookers, he seemed to be walking leisurely, but in the blink of an eye, he was already far away.

Kongdong Mountain truly lives up to its reputation as a famous Taoist mountain, with many palaces and temples built during the Tang and Song dynasties and renovated during the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Zixiao Palace, Wangmu Palace, Taiqing Palace, Leizu Hall, and Yuzhen Palace.

Far from the bustling Central Plains, the buildings in the mountains were less likely to suffer from war.

Of course, in addition to Taoist architecture, there are also Taoist sites such as Guanyin Temple, Amitabha Temple, and She Shen Cliff, as well as Confucian sites such as the Imperial City and the Three Religions Zen Forest.

There are both Taoist priests and Buddhist monks on the mountain, and the scenic area is even larger than Gu Zhao had expected.

Gu Zhao strolled up the mountain, and with a thought, scanned the entire scenic area.

With a slight raise of his eyebrows, Gu Zhao headed southwest towards Lao Jun Peak.

Lao Jun Peak, She Shen Cliff, and Mo Zhen Terrace truly embody the unity of the three religions.

When Gu Zhao arrived at the grinding platform, he saw two old Taoist priests playing chess under an ancient pine tree, and two young Taoist priests scrolling through their phones next to them.

Gu Zhao then came to the group and stood there to watch the game.

The two old Taoist priests ignored him, and the two young Taoist priests next to him glanced at him but didn't pay any attention. However, they still put away their phones and sat down next to their master to watch the game with a serious expression.

To date, Gu Zhao has recruited dozens of experienced Taoist priests for the Daluo Palace, more than half of whom can play chess.

Gu Zhao originally didn't know how to play chess, but after watching others play from time to time, he learned it himself. However, his skill level was not high, and he always lost to anyone he played against.

At this point, Gu Zhao couldn't help but feel a little regretful, as the Five Thunder Token could only enhance one's own cultivation level, not various skills.

But thinking that he had only been in the world for three or four years, yet had nearly five thousand years of cultivation, Gu Zhao felt better.

However, because Gu Zhao was bad at chess, some of the old Taoist priests who couldn't beat him liked to play chess with him.

This also meant that although Gu Zhao was a terrible chess player, he still had a decent eye for strategy and could tell who had the upper hand. Looking at the board, the old Taoist on the left, playing black, had already surrounded a large group of white stones and was launching a fierce attack. However, the old Taoist on the right was also playing white stones cautiously and steadily, and had not lost his chance to win.

Let's take a look at the two people playing chess.

The old Taoist priest, dressed in black, had a lean and refined appearance with three long strands of beard under his chin. He looked peaceful and kind.

The old Taoist priest holding the white robe was broad and stout, with a full beard, bright and piercing eyes, and a dignified and solemn demeanor.

Unexpectedly, his playing style was quite different.

Similar to the two Taoist priests, Fang De, the founder of the Nanshan Chinese School, and Wu Zhi, the founder of the Shaoyang School, playing chess was clearly for entertainment and they did not think for long.

Gu Zhao watched for less than half an hour before the old Taoist priest, playing black, broke through the white's defense in one fell swoop, capturing a large dragon and forcing the old Taoist priest, playing white, to resign.

"Young friend, are you also a lover of chess?" Daoist Yun Chang stroked his long beard and looked at Gu Zhao.

Seeing that Gu Zhao was dressed in casual clothes and had neither a backpack nor a hiking stick, Master Yun Chang assumed that Gu Zhao was a local resident who had bought an annual pass for Kongdong Mountain and would occasionally come to the mountain for a stroll.

This also explains why he didn't visit the scenic spot but instead spent half an hour watching them play chess.

Although they may look unfamiliar, there are many unfamiliar faces.

So Master Yun Chang didn't mind, and instead invited, "Are you itching for a game? How about we have a match?"

Gu Zhao rubbed his hands together, somewhat tempted.

Although he was utterly humiliated by the old Taoist priests in the Daluo Palace, his skills had also improved. At least he was now able to put up a fight against some of the less skilled old Taoist priests.

Gu Zhao had just watched the game and felt that these two old masters weren't that skilled.

You can give it a try!
So Gu Zhao nodded, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Another Taoist priest, Hai Zhao, who had just played white, stood up to offer his seat, smiling, "It's rare to meet a young person who loves playing Go."

Gu Zhao smiled and sat down. "Several of my family elders like to play, so I learned from them, but my skill level isn't very high."

Master Yun Chang and Gu Zhao tidied up the chess pieces together, and then Master Yun Chang took the black pieces and moved first.

Although playing black gives one an advantage, the rule of komi (kick points) actually makes white's winning probability slightly higher. Therefore, Master Yun Chang playing black is actually giving Gu Zhao a handicap.

Then the two began to lay out their pieces, taking turns placing them.

In the initial stage, both of them made their moves very quickly. After a dozen or so moves, Master Yun Chang raised an eyebrow, and Master Hai Zhao's eyes lit up as well.

Gu Zhao's layout was very well-organized and distinctive, showing the style of a master.

Master Yun Chang was overjoyed at the sight of his prey, exclaiming, "I've encountered a master!"

After Gu Zhao began to make arrangements based on the experience of the experienced Taoists, he found that his current situation was quite good.

Gu Zhao nodded confidently and continued playing chess.

The two young Taoist priests next to him also knew how to play chess. When they saw Gu Zhao sit down at the table, they put down the phone they had just secretly picked up and sat down to watch the game.

As the game unfolded, their expressions shifted from surprise and amazement to contemplation and doubt.

Master Yun Chang also looked puzzled, glancing at the chessboard and then at Gu Zhao.

Gu Zhao rubbed his chin, clicking his tongue in confusion, "Huh? This is so strange, why does the situation seem to be getting worse the further we go down?"

(End of this chapter)