Chapter 52 Don’t Reason with a Backward Player of Go

Since the rain stopped and the sun showed up before they came to the tavern, Wang Yanqing thought it was not the right time for him to see that old master yet, so he wasn’t anxious to go to the tavern. He just told the coachman to walk along the official road slowly and listened to Chunshui who was reading the book Travel around the World at the Age of Sixty. He nodded occasionally and his expression didn’t change.

 

The book Travel around the World at the Age of Sixty in Chunshui’s hand was written by a poor scholar, who was travelling for a lifetime. That scholar was at a low stage and wasn’t learned enough, and his writing skill was not very good in Wang Yanqing’s eyes, but the words were affectionate and sincere, and it was a nice book. The scholar whose name wasn’t remembered had only one book handed down in the world. The emperor of Yanling loved this book very much. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen it in person and told Chunshui to take it out of the imperial palace and read for Wang Yanqing.

 

After reading the last sentence of this book, Chunshui who had read for half a day didn’t hurry to open a new book but found the water bag first. She drank some water and then laughed in a soft voice, “Master, you seem to be in a bad mood these days. I thought it was because the heavy rain disturbed you, but now it is sunny. Why are you still like before? Do you have other plans?”

 

Wang Yanqing smiled peacefully, “I have been blind for years and can’t see anything no matter it is raining or sunny. How can the rain disturb me? I just remember that I didn’t bring the broad of Go and stones on this trip, so I feel bored. I have nothing to do every day except for listening to you reading.”

 

Chunshui asked softly, “Master, you play Go with yourself. Won’t you feel bored?”

 

Hearing that, Wang Yanqing just smiled and didn’t say anything. Even the best player in Yanling was no match for him. How could he find an opponent equal to him in this empire? Who could he play with except for himself?

 

But this scholar whose only hobby was playing Go except for reading really wanted to find an opponent to play the game.

 

However, it was so difficult.

 

The carriage crossed a wooden bridge and there was a pavilion in the front. They had travelled for half a day, and the horse must be tired, so the coachman turned around and asked, “Mr. Wang, there is a pavilion in the front. Shall we stop for a short break?”

 

Wang Yanqing nodded and agreed, “It’s great.”

 

The carriage stopped near the pavilion, and Chunshui helped Wang Yanqing get out and walk to the pavilion to sit at a stone table. He remained calm and stretched out his hand to stroke his sideburns and hair. After he became blind, he had to rely on his senses to fix his hair and sideburns and he didn’t know if he had fixed them well. After a moment, Wang Yanqing turned to Chunshui with interest and asked with a smile, “Do you think my face is good-looking?”

 

Chunshui reached out to help Wang Yanqing put some messy hair behind his ears and replied with a smile, “Master, you are the most good-looking person I have seen.”

 

Wang Yanqing chuckled, “But why have I heard that the most beautiful man in Yanling is just in Luoyang City. Haven’t you seen him?”

 

Chunshui blushed and whispered, “But you are the most good-looking when you smile.”

 

Wang Yanqing’s old face became red and he didn’t say more.

 

While that coachman walked far away to find some food for the horse, he didn’t pay attention to what happened in the pavilion, in case that he got hurt.

 

However, as soon as the coachman walked to the river, he saw an old guy standing in the distance and looking at him with a big smile.

 

The coachman was shocked, about to speak when he found that the old guy didn’t stand on feet but floated in the midair. He was not a cultivator but often met cultivators, so he wasn’t scared but wondered why there was a ghost in such a small river.

 

He asked loudly, “Where are you from, you wild demon?”

 

He just wanted Wang Yanqing, a cultivator at the Sanctification Stage to know what was happening.

 

The old guy stood in the distance for a short while and ignored this ignorant coachman. He just walked into the pavilion and came to Wang Yanqing. He put the stuff under his arm on the stone table and sat quietly. Chunshui next to them opened her eyes wide, but the old guy didn’t care. He ignored her astonished expression and smiled peacefully, “Wang Yanqing, you are the best player in Yanling. How about you play a round with me?”

 

Wang Yanqing “looked” ahead blankly. In his senses, he didn’t know there was another person in front of him before he heard this voice.

 

The old guy waved his hand, “I came out of my body and wander with my soul. How can you feel me when you are at this stage? You are inferior to the ordinary people. At least, they can see me when they open their eyes.”

 

Come out of his body and wander with his soul!

 

Wang Yanqing soon felt relieved and smiled. How could he, a cultivator at the Sanctification Stage see through such a master whose soul could come out of his body? He pondered for a while before speaking, “Sir, you must be the old master in that tavern. You are the one who has killed the cultivator in the army from the North Military Government?”

 

The old Confucian scholar whose soul came out of his body when he was drunk laughed, “It turns out that I remember correctly. You, Wang Yanqing, are not only the best player of Go in Yanling but also a cultivator official from the Ministry of Penalty. What? Do you want to reason with me?”

 

Wang Yanqing unfolded the board on the table and laughed, “Old master, you are at such a stage. Why do you need to reason? I can only see if I will upset you when we are playing Go.”

 

The old Confucian scholar put the white stones in front of Wang Yanqing and laughed while he was angry, “Wang Yanqing, do you think that you are really the best player in Yanling?”

 

Wang Yanqing didn’t express his opinion but asked, “Sir, you have the black stones?”

 

The old guy snorted and put a stone on the board.

 

Although Wang Yanqing was blind, every time he played Go, somebody would tell him where the other party put the stone, and then he remembered every stone’s location on the board, so he would play the game. But only Chunshui was with him, so after the old Confucian scholar put the stone, she hurriedly lowered her head and told Wang Yanqing where the black stone was.

 

Then Wang Yanqing whispered, and Chunshui placed a white stone on the board.

 

The old Confucian scholar asked with a smile, “Wang Yanqing, you came out of Luoyang City this time in order to chase those two teenagers?”

 

Wang Yanqing responded calmly, “This is His Majesty’s decree.”

 

The old Confucian scholar nodded and put a black stone down before saying, “I won’t lie to you. The teenagers are in that tavern, but I can’t let you take them back to Luoyang City.”

 

Wang Yanqing looked peaceful, “I am all ears.”

 

The old Confucian scholar smiled with satisfaction. The last thing he wanted was to reason with an unreasonable person. Since the best player of Go in Yanling was willing to reason things out, the old scholar would just reason with him.

 

“The teenage girl has a powerful background and can’t be offended. Of course, you have the Yanling Confucian Temple behind Yanling, so you might dare to offend her, but if you really kill this girl, perhaps the one behind her would be unwilling to reason with you like I do. However, this is not the reason to let you give up, but I know the cause and effect, and Yanling is unreasonable. As for that boy, I have to protect him.”

 

Wang Yanqing asked with a frown, “Why?”

 

The old Confucian scholar smiled bitterly, “Seven years ago, I met Chao Qingqiu when I was on the demonic land.”

 

As soon as the words Chao Qingqiu came out of the old Confucian scholar’s mouth, Wang Yanqing held his breath unconsciously because this name was too famous. If the names of other sages in the human world were worshiped by ordinary cultivators, Chao Qingqiu’s name was venerable when they heard of it.

 

This Sword Immortal’s killing intent was the most powerful in the world, and he was at the top when it came to the number of people he had killed. All of the twelve sages in the human world and several great demons from the demonic land would frown when meeting this Sword Immortal’s sword Qi.

 

The old Confucian scholar stated peacefully, “I owe him a favor, so I decided in my heart to help him protect the later generation of swordsmen for once. In these seven years, this teenage boy was the first swordsman I have met, so I certainly need to fulfill my commitment. In fact, when the case by the Luosang River happened, this bloke was at the first stage and must not have the chance to take actions.”

 

Wang Yanqing put one stone down and smiled, “It doesn’t matter. As you are here, I can’t do anything.”

 

The old Confucian scholar asked in astonishment, “You are so easily persuaded?”

 

Wang Yanqing responded, “When I came out of Luoyang City, His Majesty made it clear in his decree that I should do my best. It doesn’t matter if I can’t stop them at the border and I don’t need to chase them. Now you protect them, so I can’t make it even if I give up my cultivation base. Then why would I stop them? But I don’t dare to believe your one-sided statement, so I still want to see that boy. What do you think, Master?”

 

The old Confucian scholar nodded but soon pulled a long face.

 

Wang Yanqing didn’t tell Chunshui to drop a stone but laughed, “It seems that although I am at a lower stage than you, I am more capable of playing Go.”

 

The old Confucian scholar looked terrible. On the board in front of him, the party of black stones was defeated, and the party of white stones seemed not to have tried his best.

 

The old Confucian scholar praised sincerely, “Great job, Wang Yanqing!”

 

The game in the pavilion was over, and the old Confucian scholar out of his body left alone. Wang Yanqing returned to the carriage and told the coachman to drive the horse to that tavern.

 

From beginning to end, Chunshui didn’t know why that old strange man came and disappeared now.

 

Wang Yanqing didn’t say anything. The cultivators in the human world were from the three religious sects and there were swordsmen, but their stages were generally the same. A cultivator whose soul was able to come out of his body was at the Dawning Stage at least. Since the old man was a cultivator at the Dawning Stage, in fact, no matter how much Wang Yanqing said and how reasonable he was, it was useless. Usually, the cultivator at a higher stage would reason with the one at a lower stage. But under the situation, obviously, Wang Yanqing was at a lower stage, and the old Confucian scholar was the one who could reason with others.

 

The carriage came to that tavern, and Wang Yanqing went out, coming to the shabby tavern. He sniffled and asked with a smile, “Can I drink wine here?”

 

The middle-aged woman standing at the counter glanced at Wang Yanqing in surprise and soon found that this man with a good-looking face was a blindman unexpectedly. She replied in a low voice, “Yes.”

 

Wang Yanqing didn’t know what happened in the tavern. He took a few steps and walked to Li Fuyao who was standing up, asking with a smile, “The rain stops, but can you stay here for a while, young man?”

 

Li Fuyao frowned and asked, “Why?”

 

Wang Yanqing responded, “I need to ask you two about something.”

 

Before Li Fuyao spoke, Wang Yanqing added solemnly, “I am Wang Yanqing, a cultivator official from the Ministry of Penalty in Yanling.”

 

Li Fuyao felt nervous and looked at this cultivator official silently.

 

Wang Yanqing asked, “More than ten cultivators from Yanling were killed by the Luosang River one month ago. Did you do that? Or either of you?”

 

Qing Huai frowned and was about to step out. She planned to start fighting.

 

Li Fuyao grabbed her arm and answered calmly, “Yanling intruded our Dazhou. As a member of Dazhou, I certainly should take actions. Not only more than ten cultivators, but even the commander of the Chen Country was also killed by me. If you want to investigate this case, I won’t await my doom.”

 

Wang Yanqing smiled, “It’s reasonable to fight for your country.”

 

Li Fuyao furrowed his brows and asked, “Sir, why did you come to me?”

 

Wang Yanqing didn’t say anything but told Chunshui to take out the board and stones of Go and put it on the wooden table. After he sat down, he stated, “Let’s play a round. After that, I will let you leave the border of Yanling and I am going back to Luoyang City.”

 

Li Fuyao sat down without hesitation and responded, “Okay.” In his opinion, some of these Confucian cultivators could be called scholars, and some of them could only be cultivators, but it happened that he thought this man in front of him was a real scholar, the third one he had met after Huang Jin and the old Confucian scholar.

 

Before playing, he asked the question Wang Yanqing had asked, “Sir, you have the black stones?”

 

Wang Yanqing shook his head and stated seriously, “Nobody in Yanling can defeat me when playing Go. If I have the black stones, I am afraid that you won’t insist for long.”

 

Li Fuyao also expressed with seriousness, “But I like white stones.”

 

Wang Yanqing smiled and didn’t say more. He just told Chunshui to hold the black stones and put one on the board.

 

Then Li Fuyao pondered for quite a while before placing a white stone on the board cautiously.

 

Chunshui glanced at Li Fuyao in surprise and then whispered in Wang Yanqing’s ear. The latter couldn’t help but laugh and put another stone after a moment’s silence.

 

This time, Li Fuyao thought for a long while again and then dropped the second white stone.

 

Chunshui said something softly next to Wang Yanqing for the second time, and he felt it strange. He shook his head and declared gently, “I won’t play this round.”

 

Li Fuyao raised his head and looked stunned.

 

The old Confucian scholar whose soul came back to his body stood up and watched the game, to find that Li Fuyao moved twice without reason and just played randomly as he didn’t know how to play. The old scholar laughed while he was angry, “Li Fuyao, Wang Yanqing is the best player in Yanling, the No. 1 in Yanling, and you are also the No. 1, the last one.”

 

Wang Yanqing felt bored and stood up, sighing with emotion, “It turns out that the most boring thing is to play Go with a backward player.”

 

Hearing that, the old Confucian scholar doubled up with laughter.

 

Even Qing Huai’s lips made an arc.

 

The middle-aged woman showed a smile on her face.

 

While Li Fuyao put down the stone in his hand helplessly, he didn’t say that he knew how to play Go.

 

After finishing this game, Wang Yanqing walked out of the tavern, but before he crossed the threshold, this cultivator official from the Ministry of Penalty in Yanling talked to the middle-aged woman, “The border is not peaceful. If you can behave yourself, I will certainly explain to the North Military Government and try to ensure your safety, but everything is under the condition that you are well-behaved. Otherwise, I will come out of Luoyang City once more.”

 

The middle-aged woman looked at this gentle scholar and nodded to promise, “Okay.”

 

He walked out of the tavern and got into the carriage, going back to Luoyang City.

 

Chunshui sat in the carriage and asked Wang Yanqing with curiosity, “Master, why did you decide to return to Luoyang City after playing a round?”

 

Wang Yanqing replied meaningfully, “Because he is a backward player of Go.”

 

Chunshui frowned and wondered what this reason was.

 

In the tavern, the old Confucian scholar waved his hand impatiently, “Li Fuyao, don’t ask too much. I am not in the mood to explain everything to you. If you really want a reason, you can think that the girl beside you is your savior, but in fact, I believe that as long as this girl wants to leave, nobody can stop her. Perhaps Wang Yanqing can only kill you.”

 

Li Fuyao was speechless.

 

The old Confucian scholar rubbed his head and continued with a smile, “Get out and go to the Sword Mountain now. I can’t wait to see if someday you can make me think that it’s worthwhile to help you this time.”

 

Li Fuyao saluted him and was about to go with Qing Huai. She hesitated for a while and spoke to the old Confucian scholar, “My father once talked about an old guy in this human world who didn’t stay at school for long but liked to travel around. He is at a low stage and becomes bad-tempered after drinking, and he doesn’t say anything nice, but his only merit is his moral quality.”

 

She said that without any clue, and Li Fuyao was confused to hear it.

 

The middle-aged woman was in a trance.

 

The old Confucian scholar came to his senses after standing blankly for a long while. Looking at the two teenagers’ receding figures, he laughed in a low voice, “Your father is also bad-tempered after drinking, but he is at a high stage and whatever he said makes sense.”

 

After a long time, the old Confucian scholar turned to the middle-aged woman and suddenly laughed, “Lady, eat that pill and go to the demonic land after your wound is cured. I have stayed in this tavern for long, and I haven’t enjoyed all the scenery in this world. I have to go around when I can walk.”

 

The middle-aged woman was furious, “It’s fine that you will leave. Pay your debt first.”

 

The old Confucian scholar responded helplessly, “Lady, can you be reasonable? I have helped you solve such a problem. How can you ask me to pay for several pots of wine?”

 

“Several pots?”

 

The middle-aged woman crossed her arms before her chest and laughed, “Remember, sixteen pots of wine, three hundred taels of silver. If you can pay it, I will let you go right now.”

 

The old Confucian scholar covered his forehead with both hands and mumbled, “Forget it. Bring me a few more pots of wine.”

 

The middle-aged woman grinned, “What? Do you have money?”

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The old Confucian scholar said heroically, “I have no money. I owe you.”

 

The middle-aged woman pursed her lips as she had never seen anybody who could take it for granted to owe money.