The Rotten Axe Go Board  

"Is there something wrong?" Qing Qiu asked, noticing Fan Li's silence.

"No, nothing's wrong," he replied, shaking his head.

Qing Qiu was so straightforward that she hadn't even considered the implications of her words. Her entire clan had perished during their tribulations, and she simply accepted it? Was she naive, or simply heartless?

Fan Li had always felt that something was… off about Qing Qiu. Her directness, her detachment from worldly affairs, bordered on the unnatural. But what exactly was the problem? He knew too little about her past, her personal life, to even guess.

"We should go," Qing Qiu said simply.

She retrieved the Banner of Summoning Demons, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Listen," Fan Li began.

"What is it?" she asked.

"How about I hold you instead?" he suggested, unable to bear the feeling of being held by a woman. It made him feel like a kept man. At least if he held her waist, he would be eating his "soft rice" with a bit of dignity.

"It's the same," Qing Qiu replied, releasing him and stepping closer, allowing him to wrap his arm around her slender waist.

Her skin was incredibly soft.

As Fan Li was about to compliment her, the space around them twisted, the world blurring and spinning.

When his vision cleared, they were back at the gnarled tree on the dusty hill, beneath a clear, sunny sky. Aside from the wind whipping at his face, there wasn't a single living creature in sight.

"Fan Li, I'll escort you to Peng City, then return to… the Great Ci Dynasty."

As she spoke, Qing Qiu frowned slightly. It was clear she preferred the peaceful isolation of the Pure Land to the newly established dynasty.

"There's no need to trouble yourself," Fan Li said with a smile. "We're still within the Great Chu. I can return on my own."

A few miles away, a Great Chu military camp stood ready. Tens of thousands of border troops were stationed there, capable of responding to any threat. Unless Emperor Jiajing or Emperor Yao Guang personally arrived, Fan Li doubted anyone could abduct him.

As he finished speaking, he felt something hard and round beneath his foot.

"What's this?"

He moved his foot, revealing a black Go stone.

"Go?" He picked it up, examining it closely.

The stone was a deep black, like ink or polished jade. He couldn't tell what material it was made from, but he could tell it was incredibly valuable, perhaps even surpassing the raw materials used for many high-rank spirit treasures.

"How did something like this end up in the middle of nowhere?" he wondered aloud.

"Fan Li! Throw it away!" Qing Qiu's voice, laced with a rare note of urgency, reached his ears.

Before he could respond, another voice, seemingly coming from all directions, echoed through the air.

"Nineteen lines, crisscrossing, weaving tales of heaven, earth, and man. I have long heard of Duke Jin's reputation, how your writings once manifested a celestial phenomenon, shaking the heavens with your literary talent. I am Bai Shijiu. I have come to request a game of Go with you."

Fan Li's skin crawled at the self-important title "I."

He was about to refuse when a powerful force enveloped him, threatening to tear him from this world.

"Help…"

He didn't even have time to call for Qing Qiu's assistance. In an instant, he was swept away, landing in a strange, otherworldly space.

"Another trick from the Sage Rulers of the Pure Land?" he thought. "What kind of place is this?"

He looked around, noticing that the sky and the earth were gone. He was standing on a giant Go board, trapped within a strange pocket dimension.

Meanwhile, back at the gnarled tree, another figure had appeared.

"Qing Qiu, sister, it's been a while," a woman said with a smile. She was dressed in white, her hair as white as snow, but her face was youthful, untouched by age. She held a Go board in her hand, no larger than a teacup.

"Bai Shijiu, release Fan Li. Your actions violate the laws of the Pure Land," Qing Qiu said coldly.

"What are you talking about, sister? Once someone enters my Rotten Axe Go Board, they cannot leave until a game is finished. You know that."

Qing Qiu's expression hardened. "I don't want to fight you. But don't force me."

Bai Shijiu, the Sage Ruler of Chess, also lost her smile. "I came here on my elder sister's orders, Qing Qiu. Do you really want to turn against me?"

"Elder sister…" Qing Qiu frowned. "I've already retrieved Emperor Xin's Human Sovereign Sword and the Imperial Seal of the Shang Dynasty. I'm going to deliver them to her now. Release Fan Li."

"Wrong, wrong, wrong," Bai Shijiu said, shaking her head. "One thing at a time, sister. I know your secrets, Qing Qiu. Even if others don't, I do. You were taken in by the previous Supreme Sage Ruler when you were a child. You've yet to repay that debt. Now, my elder sister has inherited the position of Supreme Sage Ruler, and she's also inherited your debt to the Pure Land. The Human Sovereign Sword, the Imperial Seal, even Emperor Xin's tomb - all of these are merely repayment for the kindness you received. What does Fan Li have to do with any of this?"

She stared at Qing Qiu with a sense of superiority.

The ten great Sage Rulers of the Pure Land came from diverse backgrounds. Some, like Yao Guang and Bai Shijiu, inherited their positions from the previous generation. Others, like Han Yue and Qing Qiu, were exceptional talents who had reached the Great Vehicle realm at a young age and were granted the title of Sage Ruler as an exception.

Bai Shijiu was known as "Shijiu" because she was the nineteenth generation inheritor of the Sage Ruler of Chess. Every Sage Ruler of Chess, from her predecessors to the first Chess Sage, had been a direct descendant. This unique lineage came with a sense of inherent pride.

"Just return to the capital, sister," Bai Shijiu said impatiently, dismissing Qing Qiu. "Elder Sister is waiting for you to present your gifts. Don't delay…"

She trailed off, her eyes widening in shock as she realized that Qing Qiu hadn't moved. In fact, her aura was intensifying.

She couldn't understand. Qing Qiu was ranked ninth among the Sage Rulers. She should only be slightly stronger than the deceased Sage Ruler of Blood. How could she…

Qing Qiu had grabbed Bai Shijiu's wrist, her grip unbreakable. Bai Shijiu couldn't even activate the Rotten Axe Go Board, let alone harm Fan Li trapped within.

"Release him, and I'll release you."

"Helping an outsider? Qing Qiu, do you want to betray the Great Ci Dynasty?" Bai Shijiu exclaimed. "I've already heard that you offended Jin De. Now you want to make an enemy of me? Are you mad?"

Qing Qiu ignored her threats, her other hand slowly reaching for Bai Shijiu's head.

An aura of death?

Bai Shijiu stared at Qing Qiu in disbelief. How could she suppress her with a single hand? Only her elder sister, Yao Guang, possessed such power!

"Listen to me, Qing Qiu!" she cried out. "My elder sister truly did send me here. I was only ordered to play a game of Go with Fan Li. If you don't believe me, I swear to Heaven. Once the game is over, I'll release him, and I won't harm him again. He can go wherever he pleases."

She spoke quickly, hoping to appease Qing Qiu, and the hand hovering above her head paused.

Bai Shijiu swallowed hard, feeling the warmth radiating from Qing Qiu's hand. It felt as if a slight squeeze could crush her skull.

"Fine," Qing Qiu said. "Swear it."