Chapter 109: A Wise Bird Chooses Its Tree
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“Who is there?”
The Flamebright Perfected One, traversing the air, swept the entire area with his formidable divine sense. At once, he keenly detected subtle fluctuations from an array formation on an apparently deserted, secluded rock.
The formation was exceedingly well concealed. A Foundation Establishment cultivator would find it nearly impossible to notice, but before a Golden Core cultivator, such concealment was far too crude.
However, Flamebright could only detect the formation. Unlike the middle-aged man, he could not see through it to the people and events within. With a flicker of his figure, he arrived before the formation in the next instant, raised his palm, condensed a mass of crimson flame, and slammed it into the defensive array, forcibly tearing open an opening.
From the moment Flamebright turned his head and discovered the formation to the moment he broke through it—
it took no more than a breath.
Yet when he saw the woman seated before the chessboard, he frowned slightly and recognized her.
“It’s you?”
The instant Flamebright turned his head, Jiang Min had already become fully alert. Countless possible situations and the means by which she might respond raced through her mind.
But when she saw that Flamebright could see only her, seemingly treating the middle-aged man as though he were nonexistent, she could not help feeling puzzled. Could it be that Flamebright could not see the person seated opposite her? Was she the only one who could see him? Had this senior’s cultivation truly reached such an unfathomable level?
She rose to her feet.
With an expression of trepidation, she hurriedly clasped her hands toward Flamebright. Her courtesy remained flawless.
“Greetings, Perfected One.”
Looking down at Jiang Min from above, Flamebright immediately revealed a trace of surprise in his eyes.
To be honest, given his cultivation, status, and several centuries of life, he would never have paid attention to such a minor figure. Even if they had once conducted business together, he might have forgotten her the moment he turned away. At most, thanks to his remarkable memory, he could recognize her at first sight.
Yet Jiang Min’s speed of cultivation genuinely astonished him.
What spirit root had she possessed again?
A Five-Element Spirit Root, was it not?
How long had it been since they last met?
Two or three years?
To a Golden Core cultivator, two or three years passed in the blink of an eye. Yet upon meeting again, she had advanced from a lowly Qi Condensation cultivator at the sixth level to Foundation Establishment?
If she had possessed a single spirit root, Flamebright might still have understood.
But she had a Five-Element Spirit Root!
While Flamebright was still astonished, his gaze passed over Jiang Min and landed on the Yin-Yang Profound-Penetrating Jade chessboard. His deep-set eyes shifted once more.
Jiang Min’s knowledge was limited, and she did not recognize the material from which the chessboard was made. But he did.
Yin-Yang Profound-Penetrating Jade.
A heavenly treasure a hundred times rarer than Thunderfire Jade Marrow.
Ordinarily, a palm-sized piece of Yin-Yang Profound-Penetrating Jade was already priceless. Yet this chessboard and its pieces had been carved from such a massive slab of jade that the chess set itself far exceeded the category of magical artifacts. With further refinement, it might even surpass magical artifacts and touch the higher realm of spirit treasures.
“His Majesty the Patriarch has always loved chess. His eight-hundredth birthday is fast approaching, yet I have still been unable to find a suitable birthday gift. Would this chess set carved from Yin-Yang Profound-Penetrating Jade not be just the thing...?”
Upon seeing the precious chessboard, Flamebright’s thoughts immediately began to stir. However, not the slightest abnormality appeared on his face.
He would first have to probe whether the opportunities behind Jiang Min had been obtained by her alone or whether she had some powerful backer.
Only then would he know how to proceed...
As for the middle-aged man, Flamebright truly could not see him. He assumed Jiang Min was alone.
In the brief instant between lightning and flint, Flamebright’s mind raced. On his face, however, he immediately replaced the stern and cold expression he had worn years ago with one of benevolent warmth. Curiously, he asked, “What are you doing here?”
Seeing his change in attitude, Jiang Min grew even more vigilant. Maintaining a proper and respectful demeanor, she replied, “In answer to the Perfected One, I heard that an ancient chess formation had emerged here, so I came to take a look.”
“Mm.”
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Flamebright nodded faintly and said, “This place has already been requisitioned. However, since you are a disciple of the Eastern Spirit Sect, I can say a word to the person in charge. You may continue studying the chess formation here.”
“Thank you, Perfected One.”
Jiang Min hurriedly expressed her thanks and clasped her hands once more.
Whatever medicine Flamebright was hiding in his gourd, at least for now, there was nothing wrong with his attitude. He had even allowed her to remain here.
Next, Flamebright’s gaze fell upon the Yin-Yang Profound-Penetrating Jade chessboard. In a casual tone, he asked, “Are you playing chess?”
“Yes.”
“Have you managed to deduce the ancient chess formation?”
The moment Jiang Min heard this, she knew that Flamebright could not understand the chess game. She therefore lied as well.
“No.”
After speaking, Jiang Min cast a glance at the middle-aged man from the corner of her eye. This senior knew perfectly well that her words were untrue. Yet she saw that he was looking at her too, giving her a leisurely expression that seemed to say, You carry on.
Flamebright could not see the glance she had cast, nor could he see the middle-aged man. He continued, “It seems you are fond of chess. This chessboard is no ordinary object.”
The instant he said this, Jiang Min understood Flamebright’s purpose.
He had taken a fancy to the chess set?
Flamebright’s next words confirmed her suspicion.
“A chessboard made from Yin-Yang Profound-Penetrating Jade—I have never even seen one myself. It is truly rare. Nephew-disciple, where did you acquire this chess set?”
Anyone familiar with the ways of the world could easily hear the implication behind his words—
I like this chess set. I am your senior. Give it to me.
Jiang Min naturally understood as well.
But she had just refused the senior’s gift, and this chessboard did not belong to her. Even if it had belonged to her, she would never have given it away.
“This chess set does not belong to me. A friend merely lent it to me,” Jiang Min said truthfully.
Flamebright, however, took it for an excuse.
He needed only a few probing remarks to see Jiang Min’s submissive manner and realize that she had no powerful backing. After all, those with someone powerful behind them possessed a natural confidence when they spoke—a confidence Jiang Min did not have.
He drew out a meaningful smile, and his voice suddenly carried a hint of pressure.
“Nephew-disciple, for a Foundation Establishment cultivator as young as you, even with a Five-Element Spirit Root and a menial-servant background, you would still be a highly coveted talent in the inner sect.”
“Your future is naturally boundless, but you must also learn how to conduct yourself and manage relationships. Perhaps in the future, we will often encounter one another in the inner sect. Building good relations with others can only benefit you; it will bring you no harm.”
Hearing this, Jiang Min sneered inwardly.
It was the same trick again.
On the surface, this Perfected One always acted according to the rules, yet he adopted the guise of acting for her own good, using his authority to pressure her. He could accomplish his aim while leaving others unable to find fault with him.
“My time is limited. That is all I have to say, and I say it for your own good.” Flamebright spoke with profound implication, then sighed. “There are things your current strength cannot protect. If you keep them, they will only bring you disaster.”
Hearing this naked threat, Jiang Min sighed softly.
Then she said something that made Flamebright’s eyelids twitch.
“Senior, do you understand why I refused to accept this chess set earlier?”
Since the chess set had brought about this trouble, Jiang Min naturally had to make its rightful owner step forward. She had no intention of taking the blame.
With a century of experience and the shrewdness of a seasoned fox, Flamebright was no ordinary man. From Jiang Min’s few words alone, he instantly guessed much of the truth. Cold sweat suddenly broke out across his back, leaving him with only a sliver of hope that Jiang Min was merely trying to frighten him.
But in the next moment—
a voice rang out from nowhere, completely shattering that final trace of hope.
“Of course I understand.”
As the words fell, the middle-aged man’s figure slowly appeared in Flamebright’s eyes.
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The instant he saw the middle-aged man’s face, Flamebright’s scalp went numb and his blood ran cold. His spiritual power faltered, and he plunged straight from the sky, landing awkwardly before the man. He staggered, nearly unable to remain standing, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
He hurriedly bent at the waist and clasped his hands in salute. In a humble and flustered voice, he said, “True Lord, this junior Flamebright pays his respects to the True Lord.”
Jiang Min saw clearly that Flamebright’s legs were trembling incessantly.
She was quite astonished. Just who was this senior, that he could frighten Flamebright so thoroughly? Even a Nascent Soul cultivator should not have been reduced to such a state, should he?
Before the chessboard, the middle-aged man remained as relaxed and unhurried as ever. He slowly raised his eyes to look at Flamebright, his tone filled with undisguised contempt.
“Hundreds of years ago, I already found your old fellows from the Eastern Spirit Sect impossible to stomach. I never expected that, hundreds of years later, you people would still be exactly the same.”
Plop!
Under Jiang Min’s wide-eyed, stunned gaze, Flamebright merely heard those words and his legs gave way. He fell to his knees and repeatedly kowtowed to the middle-aged man.
“True Lord, spare my life!”
“Flamebright was wrong! For the sake of my master, please spare my life, True Lord!”
The Flamebright Perfected One, who had been so arrogant moments earlier, now lay prostrate on the ground like a stray dog, begging for mercy again and again. Jiang Min was utterly shaken.
The middle-aged man paid no attention to Flamebright’s kowtows and pleas. Instead, he lifted his eyes toward Jiang Min and spoke in the same casual tone one might use while chatting about everyday matters, though his voice held a note of surprise.
“I saw that your cultivation had reached a respectable level, so I assumed you had inherited a lineage. I did not expect you to come from the Eastern Spirit Sect. You have yet to take a master?”
Jiang Min gathered her thoughts, nodded, and answered seriously, “After reaching Foundation Establishment, this junior has not yet had the opportunity to return to the sect. Thus, I have not taken a master.”
The middle-aged man understood the implication in her words. A satisfied smile spread across his face as he said leisurely, “There is no need for you to return to that Eastern Spirit Sect of yours.”
As he spoke, he seemed to recall something.
Suddenly, he lowered his head and looked at the chess game on the table.
At the end, when the white and black stones had become locked in stalemate, several white stones waiting ahead had turned the tide and saved the entire game.
Looking at the pattern of the board, he understood everything and smiled in relief. Raising one hand, he tapped the arrangement on the board with his slender finger and said earnestly, “I brought the ancient chess formation into the world precisely to seek a disciple who felt right to me. A fine bird chooses a worthy tree to perch upon. Are you willing to come to Taiji Mountain and become my disciple?”
The middle-aged man paused, then added with a faint smile, “So long as you are willing, I have plenty of ways to take you away.”
Changing allegiance to another master—
in any sect, it was a grave violation of sect law.
Yet the middle-aged man spoke of it as casually as eating or drinking. Beneath his relaxed tone lay a formidable power that inspired unquestioning belief.
The moment these words were spoken, Flamebright hurriedly raised his head to look at the middle-aged man. All color abruptly drained from his face.
In her astonishment, Jiang Min followed the direction of the middle-aged man’s gesture and looked toward the chessboard. She too understood what he meant.
On the third move after she had won the entire game—
this senior had been the final outside force that turned the tide at the critical moment.
And because she had solved the chess formation, the senior was willing to enter the game as well.
Taiji Mountain?
Jiang Min thought of Jia Fugui, who had died by her hand.
Jia Fugui had naturally been a fake, but Flamebright’s attitude had already made it clear that this man was the real one. Earlier, she had refused the gift of the chess set merely as a calculated choice. But as for becoming his disciple...
Was this not precisely what she had wanted?
Under Flamebright’s ashen gaze, Jiang Min gathered up the hem of her robe and solemnly performed a formal kowtow before the middle-aged man.
“This disciple, Jiang Min, pays respects to Master.”
This chapter is 3,000 words.
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