# Chapter 383: The Colorful Clouds Game
At dawn, Chen Ping'an had just finished his Heaven and Earth Stance training when a sleepy-eyed Pei Qian knocked on the door from outside. He went to open it and saw a dejected-looking charcoal stick of a girl. It seemed that Cui Dongshan's well-intentioned warning last night had scared Pei Qian quite badly. Chen Ping'an told her to catch up on sleep in his room. Pei Qian, as if granted a reprieve, fell onto the bed and was asleep instantly. After tucking her in properly, Chen Ping'an sat at the table and flipped through the alchemy book gifted by Lu Yong, an Earth Immortal of the Green Tiger Palace. Although it expounded on the path of alchemy, it was nonetheless the unique secret manual of a Nascent Soul cultivator, containing many exquisite insights on the Great Way. Every time Chen Ping'an calmed his mind to study it, he gained something—it truly deserved the phrase "opening a book brings profit."
The inn was crude, providing only one to three meals a day, requiring guests to go out and find their own food. From the shopkeeper to the waiters, all were quite temperamental. When Chen Ping'an's group first checked in, they saw the inn arguing loudly with a group of traveling merchants, each side despising the other. However, since Chen Ping'an had Cui Dongshan, Lu Baixiang, and Sui Youbian to deter trouble, the inn treated them much more warmly, even proactively recommending several local delicacies.
Chen Ping'an took Pei Qian, who had finished her nap, out for breakfast. After eating, he also brought back a portion. Instead of returning to his room, he stood at the inn's entrance and instructed Pei Qian to deliver the food to Cui Dongshan and the others. He also told her to inform them that they would be staying in the county town for two days, as he wanted to wander around alone. Pei Qian was naturally delighted to have two days of rest—no traveling meant no tedious six-step stance practice. Perfect.
While Chen Ping'an strolled through the county town alone, the four from the scroll painting and Cui Dongshan gathered to eat the breakfast Pei Qian had brought. Cui Dongshan looked grateful, saying that the Master was helping his student fill in gaps and correct mistakes with such thoughtful intentions. Where else could you find a Master who cared so much for his students? Pei Qian didn't dare talk back, but muttered inwardly: "Fill in gaps? It's obvious he just doesn't trust you to get things done."
After finishing breakfast, Cui Dongshan was in high spirits. He smiled at Pei Qian and said, "Want to play a game of Five-in-a-Row? Let's have a small wager for fun. One copper coin per game. What do you say?"
Pei Qian had played Five-in-a-Row before—Lu Baixiang had taught her the simple rules. She often dragged Wei Xian to borrow Lu Baixiang's board and pieces, battling it out on the board until the skies went dark. They were evenly matched, and unlike the dull and dreary games between Lu Baixiang and Sui Youbian, Pei Qian and Wei Xian's games were lively affairs, each slamming down pieces with gusto, as if trying to smash a hole in the board. Lu Baixiang regretted teaching them every time.
Playing against Wei Xian, who was a terrible player, Pei Qian won more than she lost. When she was ahead, she couldn't help showing off; when she fell behind, she loved to take back moves. Fortunately, Wei Xian didn't care much about winning or losing or playing etiquette.
Now, hearing Cui Dongshan propose a gambling game, Pei Qian shook her head vigorously. She wasn't stupid. Even though Cui Dongshan said he wanted to learn chess from Lu Baixiang, Five-in-a-Row was a trivial game with no real barrier to entry. Pei Qian had no confidence she could win money—after all, blockheads like Old Wei were rare in this world.
Cui Dongshan chuckled. "You and I playing a game, as fellow students of the Master, we naturally shouldn't damage our harmony at all. Whether you win or lose, you get money!"
Pei Qian's eyes lit up. Losing a game and still earning a copper coin? Could such a wonderful thing really exist in this world?
So in Pei Qian's room, Lu Baixiang brought the chess set, and Cui Dongshan and Pei Qian—temporarily unclear on their seniority as fellow disciples—started a game of Five-in-a-Row that threatened to desecrate the board.
The four from the scroll painting exchanged knowing glances and stood by to watch.
Pei Qian placed her stones haphazardly, each move a thousand miles apart from the last. Cui Dongshan played just as chaotically, sometimes following right behind Pei Qian's stones, sometimes placing one in each cardinal direction, dabbling in some rudimentary Go opening patterns. It looked like Pei Qian was more likely to lose. But as the empty spaces on the board grew smaller, Pei Qian found to her dismay and astonishment that she was increasingly close to getting five in a row. By the time the board was filled with a chaotic jumble of black and white stones, Pei Qian actually won! No matter how she placed her stones, they always formed a glorious five-in-a-row.
Thus, having lost one copper coin in such a humiliating way, Pei Qian regretted it bitterly. She wished she could eat the board and take back every move. But glancing at Cui Dongshan, who was sitting cross-legged, cracking sunflower seeds, she didn't dare renege.
Cui Dongshan looked at the board from the corner of his eye and said regretfully, "Missed a move, missed a move. It seems I'm a bit luckier at gambling than you. Shall we play again? If you find one board insufficient to display your full skill, Pei Qian, we can add one, two, or three more boards. But for each additional board, the wager must increase by one copper coin. When I win, I'll immediately pay you out of my pocket. But you, Pei Qian, can keep adding boards until you lose and win the money. Fair enough?"
Pei Qian hesitated. "But the table can't hold two boards."
Cui Dongshan pointed at the floor. "We can play on the ground. What's there to fear? If we have more boards, we can even go out to the corridor. Right? The more boards, the more money you win. I know you have a good memory. I'm decent too. Let's have Lu Baixiang or Sui Youbian borrow two pieces of charcoal from the inn. I'll draw the boards with charcoal, and we won't need pieces. If anyone misremembers, that counts as a loss."
Pei Qian turned and looked at Old Wei. Wei Xian probably thought this method of deliberately trying to lose was completely brainless, so he just walked away. Zhu Lian rolled his eyes and left the room.
But the two Go masters who had once been national champions in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land—Lu Baixiang indeed went to borrow charcoal and returned, while Sui Youbian stood by with an indifferent expression—instead stayed patiently in the room, watching this absurd game between the fellow disciples crouching on the floor.
Chen Ping'an and the four from the scroll painting had long known that Pei Qian's memory was extraordinary—truly outstanding. This innate talent left both Chen Ping'an and Lu Baixiang, skilled at reviewing games, feeling inferior.
So after using up the two boxes of pieces, Pei Qian and Cui Dongshan were competing not only in shamelessness but also in memory.
On the floor, they had drawn two additional boards with charcoal. If Pei Qian didn't add another board, she would still win, so she reluctantly made Cui Dongshan draw another one.
Lu Baixiang silently left the room. Sui Youbian followed.
In the corridor, Sui Youbian asked, "Can you see how deep he is?"
Lu Baixiang shook his head. "Five-in-a-Row is too simple. Even if she drew ten boards, Pei Qian still wouldn't be able to gauge this person's chess strength."
Sui Youbian asked, "If you stopped holding back and went all out, how big is the gap between us?"
Lu Baixiang smiled. "To be honest, you probably wouldn't be able to make me play a 'hand move.'"
The term "hand move" referred to a brilliant move on the board, often arising from a fiercely contested, evenly matched game—saving a lone group, killing a great dragon—where such godlike moves would appear.
Lu Baixiang's implication was that he could simply proceed step by step, like a bricklayer "laying down moves" steadily, and he would safely win against Sui Youbian.
Sui Youbian felt no anger at being insulted. The disparity in chess skill was clear as day. During their journey, she had played many games with Lu Baixiang. Either she pushed the board aside or threw in her stones—both silent admissions of defeat. Although Sui Youbian had a strong competitive spirit, Go was something she considered a trivial pastime. Winning or losing wouldn't affect her swordsmanship, which was far more important. So she could take a loss.
Moreover, according to what Zhu Lian occasionally mentioned about "future chess circles," the Go champions and top players of various nations in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land had the highest praise for Lu Baixiang's chess skill, the founding patriarch of the demonic sect. If selecting the strongest player, experts from different eras and schools might disagree, but if picking the top three in the history of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, Lu Baixiang would definitely have a place. This showed how highly Lu Baixiang was regarded in the chess world.
The other two were Wang Jiyuan, called the "Chess Sage of the Ages," and "Huang Ting," who was later confirmed to be a banished immortal—also the founding ancestor of the Lakeside Sect of the Pine Lute Kingdom, and the master of Yu Zhenyi's master. It was this man who, with his enormous sect prestige and unparalleled chess skill, abolished the "fixed star" system, creating a watershed in the chess world of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, dividing it into the Ancient Chess School and the New Chess School. Wang Jiyuan was sixty years younger than Huang Ting, who disappeared at the age of seventy, so the two never had a chance to play a game. As to which of the three from different eras was strongest, later chess masters argued fiercely. Lu Baixiang was undoubtedly the pinnacle of the Ancient Chess School, while Wang Jiyuan was the apex of the New Chess School and a master of all standard patterns and killing moves. Thus, some firmly believed that if Wang Jiyuan had the chance to play against Lu Baixiang, he could definitely give him a two-stone handicap; Lu Baixiang wasn't even qualified to sit at the same table as the Chess Sage of the Ages. But experts who studied ancient game records claimed that if Lu Baixiang was allowed to familiarize himself with the New Chess School for two or three months, playing against Wang Jiyuan would only result in one more Chess Sage disciple bowing in submission. In short, opinions varied. Since no national champion of comparable skill to these three appeared afterward, and no one gave a universally convincing fair assessment, the question of their relative strength became an unsolved mystery.
Sui Youbian suddenly said, "Don't lose to that guy."
Lu Baixiang smiled slightly. "Wait and see."
Meanwhile, in Pei Qian's room, Cui Dongshan crouched on the floor cracking sunflower seeds. Pei Qian's face was scrunched up, on the verge of tears.
She was about to lose six copper coins.
Cui Dongshan consoled her, "There's still enough charcoal. The outcome isn't decided. Draw another board. Bigger bets, bigger wins."
Pei Qian raised her arm and wiped her eyes. From her sleeve, she pulled out the sachet that Aunt Gui had given her as a money pouch, and fished out seven copper coins. These were her hard-earned money. She clutched the coins, stood up hesitantly, and gently placed them on the table, looking pitifully at the guy named Cui, hoping he would show the demeanor of an immortal and just walk away. But Cui Dongshan grinned, walked to the table, swept his hand over the coins, and they disappeared. Then he headed toward the door, turning back to remind her with a smile, "Remember to return the chess set to Lu Baixiang and wipe the marks off the floor. If Chen Ping'an finds out we gambled, he'll scold me bloody, and make you copy books until your arms fall off. As for the money, well, you lost fair and square. Chen Ping'an won't ask for it back for you."
Cui Dongshan put his hands behind his head and swaggered out. "What a fine day! Made some money, time to go buy some sugar-coated hawthorns!"
Pei Qian stood by the table, crying miserably.
Suddenly, Cui Dongshan walked backward, leaning his body back, and stuck his head in. "Pei Qian, since I'm going to learn chess from Lu Baixiang, I thought I'd ask for a good omen. Every time you call me 'Chess Immortal,' I'll give you one copper coin."
Pei Qian's eyes lit up. She zipped out the door and trotted after Cui Dongshan, eagerly calling out "Chess Immortal!"
In less than an hour, besides returning the chess set to Lu Baixiang, she had called "Chess Immortal" so many times that her voice was hoarse. When they returned to her room, Pei Qian was making croaking sounds, unable to utter a single word. With a bright smile, she held out her hand to demand payment. When Cui Dongshan didn't react, she quickly wrote a number on the table.
Cui Dongshan smiled. "I was just fooling you. You actually believed that?"
Pei Qian was shattered. She couldn't speak, so she just flailed her arms and legs.
Cui Dongshan squinted, reaching out a finger toward Pei Qian's eyes. "Keep babbling, and you'll not only be a temporary mute, but also go blind. No matter how angry Chen Ping'an gets, he can't kill his student, right? But you'd be in trouble—a little blind girl. What hope is there in life? Isn't that right?"
Cui Dongshan stood up and pretended to be blind, reaching out and groping around.
Pei Qian's face darkened. She pressed her lips together, not daring to pick up her walking stick and beat this bastard to death. The more she thought about it, the more hopeless she felt. Her expression went blank. She plopped down on the edge of the bed, heart like dead ashes, tears streaming down.
Suddenly, Cui Dongshan pulled something that looked like a silver ingot from his sleeve and lightly tossed it to Pei Qian. "Since you're sensible, I'll lend it to you for a few days. If my chess learning goes smoothly, I might be in a good mood and give it to you. But when I'm playing chess with Lu Baixiang, remember to give it back first."
Pei Qian caught the heavy silver ingot with both hands and burst into tears of joy.
Cui Dongshan left again.
Pei Qian placed the big silver ingot on the table, looking at it from every angle—horizontal, vertical, left, right, over and over. She couldn't get enough of it. She was just pondering how to find a way to keep this silver ingot in her hands forever, when suddenly her eyes widened. The "silver ingot" began to squirm and wriggle, then turned into a pure white grasshopper. It hopped toward the window and disappeared in an instant. Pei Qian snapped out of it, immediately climbed onto the windowsill, jumped down, and began frantically searching for her "silver ingot" in the backyard. She spent a full half hour searching through weeds, walls, and crevices in stones, even starting to dig in the dirt with her hands. In the end, she still couldn't find that "silver ingot" that had turned into a "bug." Exhausted, Pei Qian sat blankly in the mud. This time, she didn't even have the strength to cry.
When Chen Ping'an returned to the inn after wandering around the Confucian Temple, he saw Pei Qian's dejected, thin silhouette. He called out to her a few times, but she didn't react.
Chen Ping'an had to jump out from the window ledge. Pei Qian turned stiffly. Seeing Chen Ping'an, she hung her head, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands.
Chen Ping'an sighed. He returned to his room and went directly to find Cui Dongshan. Soon, he stood at the window and called to Pei Qian, "Seven copper coins. If you have the skill, win them back yourself. If you can't, then admit defeat. But this 'Silver Bug' ingot of Cui Dongshan's, you can play with it. Whenever he says to give it back, you still have to do it."
Although Pei Qian was still heartbroken, she quickly stood up, climbed onto the windowsill, jumped down, and cupped her hands, carefully taking the "Silver Bug" that had reverted to its ingot form.
Chen Ping'an grabbed Pei Qian by the ear and dragged her to the table. "Well, well, you've gotten quite bold, gambling behind my back?"
Pei Qian sat nervously at the table, clutching the Silver Bug tightly.
Chen Ping'an asked, "You like gambling so much? Then I'll take out the Treasure Box from the bamboo case. Since you're quite wealthy now, you and Cui Dongshan can gamble many more times. Should I get it for you, or will you go get it yourself?"
Pei Qian looked panicked and shook her head vigorously.
Chen Ping'an slammed the table. "Go get the Treasure Box! From now on, you carry it yourself!"
Pei Qian turned her head stubbornly, her face expressionless. She neither cried nor begged for mercy. She refused to look at Chen Ping'an or listen to him.
Chen Ping'an was furious.
Pei Qian gritted her teeth and suddenly hurled the silver ingot out the window.
Chen Ping'an stood up, went to the next room, opened the bamboo case, and pulled out the Treasure Box. He returned to Pei Qian's room, threw it on the table, and left.
But soon after, just as Chen Ping'an had taken a sip of medicinal wine in his room, Pei Qian rushed in holding the Treasure Box. With lightning speed, she stuffed it back into the bamboo case and ran out.
Chen Ping'an took the Treasure Box out again and walked to the next room. But Pei Qian had already bolted the door.
Chen Ping'an was furious. He almost kicked the door down and tossed this girl and the Treasure Box out of the inn together.
He stood outside the door for a moment.
Inside, Pei Qian, who had bolted the door, pressed her back against it, raised her thin arms, and covered her charcoal-like little face with the backs of her hands.
On the inn's rooftop, the white-robed youth who had caused all this trouble lay on his back, his head resting on his arms, wearing an ambiguous smile.
In his room, Lu Baixiang was deeply absorbed in studying a game record.
It was the highly renowned "Colorful Clouds Game Record" in the Bright World. The Colorful Clouds Ten Games, and various game records derived and evolved from them. Some experts specialized in "hand-cutting" the Colorful Clouds Game, while others only delved into the exquisite life-and-death situations of the ten games. It was said that this record had supported countless itinerant chess masters who made a living on the road.
When it came to playing chess, Lu Baixiang had been undefeated in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. When he first arrived in the Bright World, he thought highly of his chess skill. But after he happened upon this "Colorful Clouds Game Record," he learned what it meant to say, "there is always a sky beyond the sky, and people beyond the people." The more he studied, the more he realized the profound depth of both players. Not to mention the city lord of White Emperor City, who "offered to concede the first move to anyone under heaven," just the master who was qualified to play with this demonic titan amid the colorful clouds—although he lost many games, if you looked past White Emperor City's every "second move," and isolated this master's opening strategy, every move was brilliant. It made all later players feel as though thunder and wind were bursting through the paper, hitting them in the face, leaving them breathless.
So much so that Lu Baixiang had painstakingly searched for and collected most of this master's game records. In the end, he came to a conclusion: this person's chess skill could be described as "flawless, approaching the Way." The Go masters of the Bright World mostly held this person in extremely high regard, for roughly three reasons. First, by sacrificing local positions to gain a broader perspective, he broke the established notion that "corners are gold, sides are silver, and the center is grass." Second, although his playing occasionally showed sharpness and bloody tactics, overall, he deserved the praise of "graceful and restrained, achieving the profound and the far-reaching through the finest details." Third, he pioneered many ingenious ideas, including the "Great Snow Avalanche Inside Turn" and the "First Small Knight's Move Under Heaven." Although, in the following hundred years, most of these had been cracked one by one by Go masters, or even in the Colorful Clouds Ten Games themselves, when first revealed, they had been seen through by the city lord of White Emperor City. Nevertheless, all who observed these games through the Colorful Clouds Game Record could not help but be shocked and amazed by this person's brilliant ideas. It felt as though this person and all contemporary players were not playing the same kind of chess.
As for why he lost to the city lord of White Emperor City, Lu Baixiang could only say that this person had been born in the wrong era, unfortunately encountering such an unprecedented and unrepeatable monster, because the latter "had already attained the Great Way."
Lu Baixiang repeatedly studied this "Colorful Clouds Game Record," and after much thought, he could only describe this infamous Confucian master with the words: "No mistaken moves, no blunders."
Lu Baixiang had once joked to Chen Ping'an that his greatest wish in life was to travel to White Emperor City. But deep in his heart, the person he most wanted to play against was not the city lord of White Emperor City, but this former chief disciple of the Confucian Sage: "Cui Can," Grandmaster Cui.
Lu Baixiang put down the game record and sighed.
He should be able to visit White Emperor City—it was just a matter of time. But whether he could play ten games with Cui Can was quite uncertain.
Although Cui Can was now the National Preceptor of the Great Li Dynasty, where Chen Ping'an's hometown was located, judging from his chess style, one could roughly tell that this person had extremely high aspirations. Even if Lu Baixiang could meet him face to face, it would be very difficult to get him to play a game.
Because Lu Baixiang knew his own chess skill was still insufficient.
Moreover, in later generations, due to the person's reputation being tarnished, especially in Tongye Prefecture and Vase Prefecture, the evaluation of Grandmaster Cui's chess skill had been deliberately lowered.
Lu Baixiang was fascinated by the three bold declarations this person left to posterity:
"It doesn't matter how you play the opening as Black."
"The endgame is just cleaning up the battlefield. Anyone who boasts of being 'invincible in the endgame' is merely making a fool of themselves."
"Black plays like Ma Lei, White plays like me, Cui Can, and handicap games play like the city lord of White Emperor City. Those who study Ma Lei can learn seven or eight tenths. Those who study Cui Can can learn five or six tenths. Those who study the city lord of White Emperor City... they learn nothing, and they study in vain."
Lu Baixiang took a deep breath. He glanced at the chessboard on the table and was about to go find that Cui Dongshan. He estimated that a best-of-three series would be enough to test this man's mettle.
Just as Lu Baixiang walked out of his room, he saw Wei Xian returning with a strange expression on his face.
Lu Baixiang turned the corner in the corridor and went to knock on the door of the farther room. Wei Xian stood at the intersection and asked, "Looking for Cui Dongshan?"
Lu Baixiang nodded.
Wei Xian waved his hand. "Don't bother. That guy also made a bet with Zhu Lian. He's already left the county town. Sui Youbian went with him."
Lu Baixiang asked in confusion, "What did they bet on?"
Wei Xian said, "Cui Dongshan said he wanted to spar with Zhu Lian. If Zhu Lian won, he would give him an 'At Hand' spatial treasure. If Zhu Lian lost, he would have to cook him a midnight snack every day."
Lu Baixiang laughed. "And Zhu Lian agreed?"
Wei Xian hesitated, scratched his head. "At first, of course, Zhu Lian didn't agree. After all, Pei Qian had been tricked so badly, and he was afraid of suffering the same fate. But Cui Dongshan said he would stand still and not move. Zhu Lian still didn't nod. Then that guy said he wouldn't move his hands or feet either. Zhu Lian asked if he was a flying immortal swordsman. Cui Dongshan said he absolutely was not a swordsman. So Zhu Lian agreed. Sui Youbian went along to watch."
Only half an hour later, Cui Dongshan swaggered back to the inn with a grin, followed by a grim-faced Sui Youbian, and of course, a thoroughly humiliated Zhu Lian.
Zhu Lian went straight to his room and slammed the door shut.
Lu Baixiang, who was meditating in his room, didn't ask any questions. Sui Youbian walked in, sat down opposite him, and said to Lu Baixiang, "Cui Dongshan said he'll come soon to learn chess from you."
Lu Baixiang asked with a smile, "How did Zhu Lian lose? Didn't he just secretly break through to the Eighth Rank Martial Artist not long ago?"
Sui Youbian said helplessly, "That guy indeed didn't move an inch. But this person... had too many treasures on him. From start to finish, Zhu Lian couldn't get within ten zhang of him. It was like walking a dog. Even if I faced him, I wouldn't fare much better than Zhu Lian."
Lu Baixiang poured Sui Youbian a cup of tea, but she didn't drink it. She shook her head. "You two play chess. I won't watch."
Lu Baixiang asked with a smile, "What, you don't think I have good odds?"
Sui Youbian stood up. "I don't think this person's chess skill is particularly high. But I do believe one thing: whenever he gambles with someone, he doesn't seem to lose."
What chilled Zhu Lian the most was that this man, standing still, had used "an endless stream, a dazzling array" of treasures to not only beat Zhu Lian so badly he couldn't lift his head, but also cheered him on, sighing with regret and saying that a mere ant like Zhu Lian, following their Master, was only fit to cook in the kitchen.
And what nearly made Sui Youbian draw her sword was that after finishing with Zhu Lian, this guy had glanced sideways at her and said, "You're a bit better—at least you're pleasant to look at. Our Master probably sleeps facing the right side every night."
Lu Baixiang fell into deep thought. After Sui Youbian left, he habitually flipped through the "Colorful Clouds Game Record."
Before long, the white-robed youth swaggered in, cracking sunflower seeds along the way. After entering, before even sitting down, he spotted the game record that Lu Baixiang had just set aside, and stared blankly. "You study this stuff to learn life-and-death, vital moves, standard patterns, and chess principles?"
Lu Baixiang asked back, "Is there something wrong?"
Cui Dongshan let out a mournful sigh, plopped down opposite Lu Baixiang, and said with a woebegone face, "Forget it. I'm not learning chess from you."
Lu Baixiang frowned, twirling a chess piece between his fingers. "Why is that?"
Cui Dongshan held the sunflower seeds he had tricked from Pei Qian in one hand. With the free hand, he extended his index finger, casually pointed at Lu Baixiang, then turned his thumb toward himself. "You should learn chess from me."