Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 223 Lying

During his trip down the mountain, Song Yan indeed encountered many familiar faces, and he couldn't help but marvel at how small the Chu Kingdom was.

For some reason, Rong Xiaofeng's eyes were filled with joy: "Fellow Daoist Song, it has been several years since we last met!"

Rong Xiaofeng's enthusiasm exceeded Song Yan's expectations.

He always felt that he wasn't close enough to the couple yet.

Slightly doubtful, Song Yan still cupped his hands and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Rong's demeanor is even more impressive than before. To be honest, I was invited to Beiya Mountain for the previous Flower Festival, but I was too busy with other matters to pay my respects."

"No problem, no problem!" Rong Xiaofeng laughed heartily, her gaze falling on Wang Ke beside Song Yan: "This must be Fellow Daoist Wang Ke, who has recently gained fame in the world of chess?"

Wang Ke scratched his head somewhat shyly: "I advanced by luck... Fellow Daoist Rong also understands the way of chess?"

Rong Xiaofeng took out a gilded jade talisman from her Qiankun bag: "To be honest, this Chess Tournament is jointly organized by the Yan family, Linghua Valley, and the Wu family."

A hint of curiosity appeared in Song Yan's eyes.

To what extent has the Wu family developed today?

"The clan elders specifically instructed that if we encounter any masters of chess, we must invite them to our residence for a chat."

Then he turned to Song Yan and said, "Fellow Daoist Song is a distinguished guest of our Wu family. Why don't you come with me?"

Just as Song Yan was about to reply, he suddenly saw Wang Ke wink at him.

“Fellow Daoist Rong’s hospitality is too kind to refuse,” Song Yan said politely. “However, Fellow Daoist Wang must be tired from his journey. Perhaps he should return to his villa to rest for a few days. How about we meet again after this meeting?”

Wang Ke quietly pulled Song Yan aside.

A white jade chess piece lay quietly in his palm.

The chess piece suddenly shattered, transforming into a vine shimmering with golden light.

It was the second section of the fallen vine.

"Fellow Daoist Song, please accept this." Wang Ke lowered his voice. "I observe that Chess Valley is heavily guarded, and with the help of cultivators from Beiya Mountain, there should be no problem."

"Go visit your friends, and come back to watch the battle in five days."

The vines feel warm and inviting.

Song Yan gave Wang Ke a deep look, then nodded: "In that case, be careful. If anything unusual happens, send a message immediately."

"it is good."

My employer is quite easy to deal with.

Since we're already here, it wouldn't hurt to visit the Wu family.

……

Beiya Mountain City, at the southern foot.

Once Song Yan officially entered the area of ​​this mountain city, he felt much more familiar with it.

Rong Xiaofeng led Song Yan and the other two through the streets and alleys. Along the way, cultivators would greet Rong Xiaofeng with bows and salutations.

Song Yan had some guesses in his mind; it seemed that Wu Shi's status in the city was not low.

Come to think of it, being able to co-host the conference with the Yan Clan and Linghua Valley is enough to demonstrate the Wu Clan's current strength.

"How is Fellow Daoist Wu these days?" Song Yan asked casually.

“She’s so powerful.” Rong Xiaofeng paused slightly upon hearing this, a hint of pride appearing on her face: “She’s now in charge of the Wu family, and she makes all the decisions, big and small, in the clan.”

Song Yan was slightly surprised.

When they parted ways, Wu Huaguo was just a down-on-his-luck rogue cultivator who was always thinking about the development of his family. Unexpectedly, just a few years later, he had taken charge of the family.

As I walked down a narrow path, there were fewer pedestrians around.

Wu clan territory.

The words "Wu Family" are engraved on the stone tablet in front of the mansion.

As soon as they stepped through the courtyard gate, before they had gone far, they heard a hearty laugh coming from the garden: "Is it Fellow Daoist Song who has arrived?"

Before he finished speaking, a woman in a green robe quickly came out to greet him.

The woman had beautiful features and an air of competence in her every move; she was none other than Wu Huaguo.

It seems that Rong Xiaofeng had sent a message in advance to inform them.

"Fellow Daoist Song!" Wu Huaguo's eyes sparkled with delight. "Years have passed since we last met, and your charm is even greater than before!"

Song Yan returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "I never expected that Fellow Daoist Wu would now be the head of a family. Congratulations!"

Wu Huaguo smiled and shook her head: "It's just the elders in the clan showing their favor." She turned her gaze to Xiao Ju and Xiao He, "These two are..."

“This is Xiao Ju, my companion. This is Xiao He, my… also a companion.” Song Yan originally wanted to say spirit pet, but Xiao He was in human form now.

Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng knew that Song Yan had a small snake spirit pet, but they had never seen what it looked like in its human form.

At this moment, Xiao He was grinning and had her hands on her hips, seemingly hoping that the two of them would realize it.

However, Wu Huaguo glanced at Xiao He a few more times, smiled, but didn't ask any more questions. She warmly led everyone into the inner hall.

The hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood incense, and fine tea and fresh fruit were prepared on the tables.

The group sat down and chatted. When they talked about the current state of the Wu family, Wu Huaguo beamed with joy.

The "Wushu Fragment" brought out from Lin Qinglong's tomb years ago is now one of the foundations of the Wu clan.

Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng, this couple, were also extraordinary people. Having obtained such a precious skill, they didn't hide it at all and gave it directly to their clan.

"Over the years, my husband and I have studied that book and discovered that the earth and wood element spells in it complement the spells in the Lianhua Jieyu Gong (a type of Taoist magic).

"Nowadays, the disciples of the clan first learn the clan's own techniques to lay a foundation before cultivating the 'Incomplete Scroll of No Skills' after reaching the third level of Qi Refining."

Thanks to this Daoist book, the Wu family has produced several late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in the past few years.

"All of this is thanks to Fellow Daoist Song's help back then."

The Wu family today is certainly far inferior to those cultivation families. The fact that they can co-host this Chess Tournament with the Yan family and Linghua Valley is because the other two forces have their eyes on the potential of the Wu family.

But it is certainly no longer the small, insignificant place it once was.

As everyone chatted, the topic naturally turned to the upcoming Go Tournament.

"Speaking of which, my good friend Wang Ke seems extremely attached to this Chess Tournament." Song Yan took a sip of spiritual tea. "I wonder what kind of reward the winner of this tournament will receive?"

Wang Ke said he simply enjoyed playing chess, a reason Song Yan couldn't fully believe.

Fortunately, Mr. Wu is one of the organizers, so we can just ask him directly.

Rong Xiaofeng was taken aback upon hearing this, and then an apologetic look appeared on her face: "Although I participated in the preparation, I don't actually have much expertise in the art of chess, and I really haven't looked into it in detail."

“There is indeed a special reward,” Wu Huaguo said from the side. “I have seen it before. It is a golden page, which is said to be a chess manual unearthed from an ancient cave.”

Chess notation...

Wang Ke did mention this.

Although the origin of this chess manual is unknown, a game that is qualified to be preserved by such means must have been left by those senior masters who were proficient in the art of chess.

These records often contain some matches that have not been made public.

Chess scores, like musical scores, and calligraphy and painting masterpieces, often contain hidden secrets.

Some records contain lost cultivation methods, while others contain profound truths about the universe.

Taking chess manuals as an example, in ancient times some powerful figures would hide their cultivation techniques in chess manuals. The placement of pieces corresponds to the flow of meridians, and the changes in the chess position subtly correspond to the circulation of Qi in the body.

However, unlike normal cultivation methods and secret scrolls, if one does not have sufficient attainments and insights into the art of chess, even if one studies chess manuals for a hundred years, it will be difficult to grasp the basics.

"I see."

Song Yan pondered, "No wonder Wang Ke is so persistent."

This person is indeed fond of the game of Go, but perhaps what attracts him most is the gold pages of the Go manual.

If one has sufficient expertise and can glean even a little insight from it, that would be an immense gain.

This person is indeed a master of chess, and must have enough confidence to decipher this ancient score.

Song Yan wasn't interested in chess scores or anything like that.

After all, even if it were given to us for free, we probably wouldn't figure out anything about it.

As the group was chatting, they suddenly heard the sound of a wooden fish drum approaching from afar.

Song Yan looked up and saw a young monk in a gray robe walking slowly towards him.

He had a thin face and held a string of ebony prayer beads in his hand. Song Yan was surprised to find that there was a Buddhist disciple among the Wu family.

He asked in confusion, "Who is this?"

Wu Huaguo quickly stood up: "This is Master Yuanzhen. A few days ago, the elders of our clan met him in a secret realm. He is a Buddhist monk from the 'Jingye Zen Temple' in the Central Region."

From the Central Region?

Song Yan was slightly surprised.

Is it necessary for cultivators from the Central Region to come to a small place like the Chu Kingdom to suffer?
However, this situation also fits his stereotype of Buddhist monks.

In Buddhist practice, there is a type of monk called ascetic monks.

They seek spiritual liberation by minimizing all the spiritual resources required for cultivation to the simplest possible level, in order to escape the endless cycle of suffering.

They believe that if they suffer more, the masses will suffer less.

From this perspective, it seems that simply traveling to the State of Chu was nothing special.

The monk put his hands together and said in a low voice, "Amitabha, this humble monk has been traveling here and is grateful for the hospitality of Master Wu. I apologize for disturbing you."

Wu Huaguo said, "Master Yuanzhen has arrived at the right time. This is Fellow Daoist Song Yan from Dongyuan Sect. We were just talking about the Chess Tournament."

“So this is Benefactor Song.” Yuanzhen’s gaze fell on Song Yan: “This humble monk was playing chess with someone in the Four Palaces Chess Valley just now and saw Benefactor Song traveling with that Benefactor Wang Ke.”

Song Yan returned the greeting with a cupped hand, but was somewhat surprised.

When did the monk notice them in Shinomiya Go Valley?
He hadn't even noticed that he was spying on him.

There was a Wang Ke in front, and a Yuan Zhen behind.

Sometimes Song Yan even doubted whether his powerful divine sense had malfunctioned.

He also took a quick look at the other party. This Buddhist cultivator Master Yuanzhen from the Central Region didn't seem to have anything special about him.

His cultivation level was only at the Qi Refining Perfection stage.

Rong Xiaofeng smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Song, you may not know this, but Master Yuanzhen is also a master of chess."

"He is one of the eight fellow Daoists who will enter the Four Palaces Chess Valley in a few days to determine the champion of the Chess Tournament."

This Chess Tournament has no restrictions on cultivation level or region.

However, most of the cultivators participating in the competition were Qi Refining stage cultivators from the Chu Kingdom.

Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely participate in such impromptu competitions with no clearly defined or valuable rewards.

Reaching a higher level naturally brings a higher platform and a broader perspective.

Moreover, playing chess with a group of Qi Refining stage juniors, winning is fine, but losing is truly shameful.

Of the eight people who will compete in the final battle at the Four Palaces Chess Valley in a few days, only one is a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"I was passing by on my way back to my room when I heard that the head of the household had welcomed distinguished guests, so I came to pay my respects so as not to be impolite."

Yuanzhen clasped his hands together and bowed slightly.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yuanzhen excused himself and left, saying he needed to return to his room to chant sutras.

Song Yan glanced over and saw that Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng, the couple, had a wary look in their eyes as they watched Yuanzhen leave.

They even exchanged a glance.

He was surprised, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

After Yuanzhen walked away, Wu Huaguo smiled again: "Fellow Daoist Song, it's rare for you to come to Beiya Mountain. Why don't my wife and I show you around the Wu clan's territory now?"

Visiting the ancestral home? Is that really necessary...?

Song Yan sensed something and nodded in agreement.

"Being respectful is worse than obeying orders."

The Wu family's fortunes were indeed improving day by day, with training grounds, alchemy rooms, and equipment rooms all readily available.

After we finished walking around, it was already getting dark.

Just as Song Yan was about to take his leave, he saw Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng exchange a glance.

"Fellow Daoist Song," Wu Huaguo transmitted his voice, "please allow me a moment to speak."

Something did happen.

He turned to look at Xiao Ju: "You and Xiao He wait in the main hall for a while, I'll come back to find you later."

Xiao Ju didn't know what had happened, and just nodded obediently.

The three of them arrived at a secluded stone chamber in the backyard.

The moment the stone door closed, Rong Xiaofeng made a hand seal to set up a soundproof barrier.

What could possibly cause these two to make such a grand show of things within their own family...?

Song Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for the next part to continue.

“Fellow Daoist Song, to be honest, my husband and I have never trusted an outsider cultivator so much before…”

Wu Huaguo looked bitter, a stark contrast to the man who had just spoken of the Wu family's prosperity.

"From the first time we met you in Lingyuanze Market, to later with Senior Lin Qinglong..."

As Wu Huaguo was speaking, she noticed that the other person had extended a hand.

"no."

Song Yan's voice was steady and calm: "Fellow Daoist Wu, let's skip the reminiscing about the past."

"We're fairly familiar with each other, so please feel free to speak your mind."

Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng were taken aback, then chuckled.

After many years, this fellow Daoist Song gives people a more pure feeling.

Wu Huaguo took a deep breath: "To be honest, we suspect that Master Yuanzhen has a problem."

"Oh?" Song Yan recalled the wary looks the two had given him earlier. "How do you know?"

"Fellow Daoist Song, do you still remember my secret technique?"

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, then nodded, already understanding somewhat.

"Being able to judge whether a person is telling the truth or lying."

“Not bad.” Wu Huaguo nodded.

"So, is it because Master Yuanzhen lied?"

Song Yan felt that this reason was a bit far-fetched.

Although it is said that monks do not lie, it cannot be said that telling a small lie means that someone has ulterior motives.

There's no need to be so alarmed.

"In this cultivation world, everyone is cheating and playing tricks against their conscience. There are very few people as sincere as Fellow Daoist Song."

"Others are just telling trivial lies and hiding things, so why should we make wild guesses?"

Wu Huaguo shook her head.

Song Yan frowned: "What did he say? Which of his statements were true, and which were false?"

"He said he came from the Central Region, and that's true."

"It is true that he studied under Jingye Temple."

"But his claim of being obsessed with the game of Go is false."

"His claim that he was just traveling here and had no destination is also false."

Song Yan's gaze sharpened.

The journey here is a pretense. If Wu Huaguo's secret technique is not flawed, wouldn't that mean that Yuanzhen came with a different purpose?

Other purposes are nothing more than escape or pursuit.

Or perhaps...

There's something here that he wants to get.

(End of this chapter)