Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 46 Chess Pieces, Light and Darkness
As night fell, the once bustling Zilan Pavilion gradually returned to tranquility.

In a side room at the far end of the second floor, the candles had long been extinguished, and only the moonlight shone through the window, casting a silvery glow on the floor. A dark figure silently pushed open the window and slid into the room like a ghost.

The newcomer moved very lightly, without even disturbing anyone. He arrived at the boy's side and then drew his sword.

The snoring continued, and the sword tip stopped steadily half an inch in front of the boy's neck. The person stood there for a while, then shook his head.

A gust of wind blew past the window, and the dark figure disappeared into the room.

Twenty breaths later, the young man's lips curled into a strange smile. The sword, devoid of any killing intent, seemed more like a unique greeting.

A soft rustling sound came from the fourth-floor window. Wei Zhuang flipped inside, and the Shark Tooth Sword clattered back into its rack.

Zi Nu was leaning against the table, pouring wine. The amber liquid rippled in the cup. Noticing the movement, she asked without looking up, "How is it?"

Wei Zhuang scoffed coldly.

"He has no martial arts skills. If my sword had gone in half an inch further, it would have killed him, but he was still sleeping like a dead pig."

Zi Nu paused, a barely perceptible hint of regret flashing in her eyes. To be honest, she actually quite hoped that this little guy named Xiu Yuan would know martial arts.

At least it's enough to survive in this chaotic world. For an ordinary person, the chances of survival in such a chaotic world are too slim.

"You don't seem happy with this answer. Do you want that kid to know martial arts?"

Wei Zhuang glanced at Zi Nu, who didn't seem happy with the answer.

"No, so what if you know martial arts? Even you and I are just pawns in this world, insignificant pawns."

Zi Nu gently shook her head.

In today's world, in present-day Korea, she and Wei Zhuang, both skilled in martial arts, are, in a sense, pawns. Even those powerful figures who wield absolute power, like the great general Ji Wuye of Korea, are, to some, pawns.

Before the overall situation is determined, everyone is a pawn, there are no players.

"piece."

Wei Zhuang gave a cold laugh, but did not continue speaking. Whether a chess piece or a chess player, all he cared about was the result.

The next day, Hongdou pushed open the door to Chen Xiuyuan's room as usual, but this time, she found the room empty.

"He went out."

Upon hearing Hongdou's report, Zi Nu smiled and waved her hand.

As soon as Zilanxuan opened its doors, Zinu saw Chen Xiuyuan walk out.

"Really?"

Hongdou nodded, then muttered somewhat discontentedly, "Honestly, they didn't even tell me they were going out beforehand, making me come all this way for nothing."

Zi Nu chuckled softly upon hearing this.

"What, you took his gold, so now you're even monitoring his whereabouts?"

Red Bean blushed and said reproachfully, "Sister~~"

Zi Nu looked at her, then continued, "He's probably just going out for a walk; he'll be back."

On the street, a boy wandered aimlessly, observing the local customs and culture of Xinzheng.

In this era, there wasn't much entertainment. The streets were lined with restaurants and gambling dens, but he wasn't interested in those. Until he accidentally saw a little girl being dragged into an alley by two men, stuffed into a sack, and sneaking off in one direction.

Recalling what Zi Nu and Nong Yu had said before, Chen Xiuyuan finally understood what it meant. Xinzheng is a city, and not all places are main streets. There are always some places where the sun doesn't shine.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xiuyuan followed.

After many twists and turns, he arrived near a stone bridge. Looking at the bridge in front of him, Chen Xiuyuan paused. If he was not mistaken, this place was in the middle of the North City, which meant that this bridge divided the most chaotic North City into two parts.

"Seven Absolutes Hall and Poison Scorpion Sect?"

In Xinzheng City, besides the night, there are also some local criminal gangs, and these two are representatives of them.

Chen Xiuyuan looked into the distance and saw the group of people turn into a courtyard and disappear.

Seeing this, Chen Xiuyuan did not immediately follow. Instead, he pinched his chin with interest and then sat down at a nearby stall.

If he guessed correctly, regardless of which faction made the move, their actions had already broken the rules.

Kidnapping someone on the other side's territory is a blatant slap in the face, so neither the Seven Absolutes Hall nor the Poison Scorpion Sect will stand idly by.

"What would you like to order, sir?"

A waiter came over and was slightly taken aback when he saw Chen Xiuyuan, since Chen Xiuyuan looked like a child. However, he noticed that Chen Xiuyuan was composed and then addressed him as "sir".

Chen Xiuyuan glanced at the signboard. It seemed to be a drink stall. There weren't many people sitting there. A few men were chatting casually, but none of them had bought anything. They seemed to be just taking a break.

So Chen Xiuyuan waved his hand.

Seeing Chen Xiuyuan's actions, the waiter immediately guessed what Chen Xiuyuan meant. Without saying anything more, he simply said "make yourself at home" and turned to go back inside.

In business, everyone is a customer, and popularity is often quite important. This waiter clearly knew this, so he didn't drive away customers who were just stopping by.

Not long after, Chen Xiuyuan saw a group of about ten people walk out of the street. The leader of them cursed and said, "Damn it, they've invaded our territory to steal people. The boss said that this time we brothers can go all out and kill them."

Chen Xiuyuan's eyes flickered slightly. These gang battles were all driven by self-interest, and these forces hidden in the shadows seemed to exist in every dynasty and every place, no matter how hard they tried to eradicate them.

Just as there will always be darkness under the light.

"The unity of opposites".

A word flashed through his mind, and then he chuckled and shook his head.

Only through firsthand experience can one truly understand and reflect. This time, he witnessed two completely different scenes: the main streets were bustling with people, while the alleyways were sparsely populated and desolate.

In the streets and alleys, two different scenes appear in one city, as if light and darkness are intertwined and opposite, one in the sunlight and the other in the darkness, but in the end they both appear in one city.

This is like the two ends of Tai Chi, where the yin and yang fish intertwine to form a perfect cycle.

Aside from Xinzheng, it seems that the same is true in other places as well.

Chen Xiuyuan sat there for a while longer, gradually bringing his scattered thoughts back to the present, and gaining some insights.

Looking at the other side of the stone bridge, he thought for a moment, then mingled into the crowd and walked across.

There might be darkness in the world there that he had never seen before, but there were some things he felt he should see, after all, the world is not all light.

(End of this chapter)