Chapter 12 Why are you asking me anything?

Wait, something's not right...

Could he have noticed something?

Gu Heng raised his eyebrows slightly, touched his cheek, and muttered with feigned confusion, "Is there something on my face? Why is the Old Ancestor staring at me like that?"

As soon as those words were spoken...

Ye Wentian's heart nearly stopped.

My goodness! How can you talk to the Old Ancestor like that?

He was just about to shout a reprimand when he saw the Qingxuan Old Ancestor withdraw his gaze and shake his head thoughtfully. "Hmm... it's nothing. I just find your clothes quite striking. The style looks a bit like something I saw back then in... in some place."

The Old Ancestor waved his hand, seemingly losing interest, and turned his gaze toward the center of the hall.

Gu Heng breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment,

In the center of the hall.

The Young Master of Wanshou Valley directed his Disciples to carry the massive golden cage to the very front.

"Old Ancestor, Sect Master Ye, Fairy Lin."

The Young Lord adjusted his clothes and cupped his hands toward everyone. "This is a grand gift presented by my Wan Shou Valley! To capture this beast, three Elders of my valley were injured in the Far North Ice Field, and it was only after forty-nine days of waiting that we finally caught it!"

With that, he waved his hand.

"Open it!"

Whoosh—

The red cloth was pulled away.

In an instant, an icy chill swept through the hall.

Everyone looked closely.

Inside the golden cage, the Little White Fox was curled up; it did not have nine tails, only a single small tail hanging limply.

It seemed extremely weak, and its sapphire-like eyes were filled with terror.

*Gasp*, a Nine-Tailed White Fox!"

"It really is the legendary Ancient Exotic Species!"

"With such quality, if it grows up, it will definitely be a Divine Beast capable of guarding a Sect!"

The guests exclaimed, their eyes full of envy.

Lin Qingyue looked at the shivering little fox, a glint of light flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Seeing this, the Young Master of Wanshou Valley felt completely reassured.

This wave of favorability was definitely maxed out!

He took a step forward, preparing to introduce this white fox and how heroically he had subdued it.

"Hmm..."

From the main seat,

A sudden low hum was heard.

Without anyone noticing when, the Qingxuan Old Ancestor had stood up. With his hands behind his back, he slowly walked down the steps and came before the golden cage.

The Young Master of Wanshou Valley was incredibly excited, his whole body trembling.

The Old Ancestor was actually attracted to it!

If he could receive a single word of praise from the Qingxuan Old Ancestor, Wan Shou Valley's status in the East Continent would skyrocket like a rocket!

"Old Ancestor, look at this white fox..." The Young Lord bowed and scraped with a flattering expression.

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor was sizing up the cage's... bars.

He reached out and stroked the intersecting horizontal and vertical gold bars, a look of obsession clear in his eyes.

"Wonderful... simply wonderful!"

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor praised aloud.

The Young Master of Wanshou Valley was stunned. "Eh? Is the Old Ancestor saying this spirit fox is wonderful?"

"What spirit fox? Move aside, don't block the light."

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor impatiently pulled the Young Lord to the side and then pressed himself against the cage.

His fingers traced along the bars as he muttered under his breath,

"Fifteen horizontal, fifteen vertical... the grid distribution of this cage secretly matches the number of stars in the sky; horizontal and vertical, clearly defined as longitude and latitude..."

The Old Ancestor suddenly slapped his thigh. "A natural fifteen-way chessboard! Truly wonderful! I like this 'chessboard' very much!"

"..."

The entire hall fell into a dead silence.

Everyone: "..."

The guests who were originally full of praise all stood with their mouths agape, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.

Gu Heng, who was drinking the tasteless divine tea, almost spat it out upon hearing this.

Wait...

Old man, isn't your focus a bit too skewed?

That's a cage for a fox! Who on earth uses a cage as a board to play chess?

The Young Master of Wanshou Valley felt like he had been struck by lightning, frozen in place.

A... chessboard?

This is a Beast-Trapping Cage forged from Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Gold!

To forge this cage, his father had almost emptied the Wan Shou Valley treasury! And in your eyes, it's just a board with a grid drawn on it?

However, whether the Old Ancestor called a deer a horse or a cage a chessboard, as long as the Old Ancestor liked it, it was right!

The Young Master of Wanshou Valley was wild with joy; this was practically a double blessing!

The white fox given to Lin Qingyue could win a beauty's smile, while the cage being favored by the Old Ancestor could help them climb onto the high branch of the Qingyun Sect!

He was winning big!

"The Old Ancestor has a Wisdom Eye!"

The Young Lord said loudly with a face full of admiration, "To tell you the truth, when my father forged this cage, he incorporated his supreme insights into the Way of Chess! I didn't expect the Old Ancestor to see through it at a glance! It is truly Wan Shou Valley's fortune that this cage could enter the Old Ancestor's Dharma Eye!"

As he spoke, he asked tentatively,

"May I ask, Old Ancestor... are you also someone proficient in the Way of Chess?"

As soon as those words were spoken...

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor suddenly turned his head and grabbed the Young Lord's shoulder. "...Could it be that you also understand that?"

"Uh, this Junior does not..."

"Why the hell are you asking if you don't know!"

The Old Ancestor rolled his eyes. "Wasting my feelings."

"..."

The Young Lord felt a critical hit to his heart, but he was unwilling to give up; after all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

His eyes darted around as if he had thought of something, and he cupped his hands tremulously. "Old Ancestor, please calm your anger! Although this Junior does not understand, my... my father, the Valley Master of Wanshou Valley, has recently become obsessed with the Way of Chess! He often stares at a chessboard alone in a daze for an entire day!"

As those words were spoken,

But...

His father wasn't in a daze because he was obsessed with chess, but because Wan Shou Valley had a recent financial deficit, and he was so worried his hair was almost gone.

But in this kind of setting, beautifying the facts a little wasn't too much, right?

"Oh?"

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor's eyes lit up again. "Your father is obsessed with the Way of Chess? And he stares at it alone?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The Young Lord nodded frantically.

"Good! Good! Good!"

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor suddenly stood straight and waved his hand. "Then what are we waiting for? Send the order now and have him come over!"

"Ah?" The Young Lord was dumbfounded. "Ri... right now?"

This was the Qingyun Sect! It was thousands of miles away from Wan Shou Valley!

"What? Is there a problem?" The Qingxuan Old Ancestor frowned.

"No! No problem!"

The Young Lord gritted his teeth. "This Junior will send word immediately to have my father... no, have the Valley Master come over overnight! Even if he has to crawl, he will crawl here to play chess with the Old Ancestor!"

With that, he took out a communication Jade Slip and began summoning his father on the spot.

At the main seat.

Ye Wentian watched this absurd scene, feeling a headache coming on.

How did the vibe of this perfectly good victory banquet suddenly change?

He glanced down at the bewildered Lin Qingyue and could only brace himself to step out and smooth things over.

"Ahem... Old Ancestor."

Ye Wentian reminded him in a low voice, "Um... the Valley Master of Wan Shou Valley has a long way to go and won't be able to get here for a while. Shouldn't we handle the official business first?"

"Official business?" The Qingxuan Old Ancestor looked back blankly. "What official business?"

"This banquet is to celebrate my niece Lin's achievements and to discuss the journey to open the heaven-reaching tower..."

Ye Wentian desperately signaled the Old Ancestor with his eyes.

The heaven-reaching tower! That was a major event concerning the Sect's Luck! Weren't you the one most concerned about this?

"The heaven-reaching tower?"

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor waved his hand and said impatiently, "What's there to discuss about that shabby tower? Just let Qingyue go in and look around. Don't delay my study of the chess game."

"..."

Ye Wentian took a deep breath, leaned into the Old Ancestor's ear, and said in a very sorrowful tone, "Old Ancestor! Don't forget, you are about to undergo Ascension! Time is pressing, we must hurry and arrange your final affairs... no, arrange the Sect's Legacy!"

As those words were spoken,

The hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone pricked up their ears.

Ascension!?

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor was going to undergo Ascension!?

This was a massive bombshell!

Everyone was pale with shock, then they all stood up and congratulated him in unison:

"Congratulations to the Old Ancestor! The Great Dao has been attained, and you shall ascend to the Upper Realm!"

"Heaven blesses Qingyun! The Old Ancestor is mighty!"

At this moment, everyone's expressions were incredibly excited; after all, no one in the East Continent had ascended for thousands of years!

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor was stunned.

He looked up blankly at the ceiling, then at the excited crowd.

"Ascension? Oh... right."

The Old Ancestor realized and nodded. "I am indeed going to ascend."

Ye Wentian breathed a sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, the Qingxuan Old Ancestor pointed at the golden cage and said with emotion, "Once I solve this Five-in-a-Row Puzzle, I can leave without any lingering attachments!"

"..."

Ye Wentian said in deep pain, "Old Ancestor! Ascension is a major event! Can you stop thinking about playing chess all the time? What if you miss the Divine Light of Induction?"

"You're right!"

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor slapped his thigh, his expression serious.

Ye Wentian felt a surge of joy in his heart.

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor said with a look of worry, "Wentian, you're right. After Ascension, I wonder if there are any chess friends in the Upper Realm?"

"Quick! Wentian, hurry and prepare a few more chessboards for me! And this cage... this cage has a good grid, I want to take it too!"

"I'll take it to the Upper Realm to play moves! If I can't find anyone to play with, I'll just play against myself!"

"..."

Ye Wentian clutched his chest.

The Old Ancestor was beyond saving.

Below the stage.

Gu Heng was desperately holding back his laughter.

However...

A Five-in-a-Row Puzzle?

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow, having a vague guess.

At this time,

Lin Qingyue sat in her place, her brow slightly furrowed.

She glanced at the cage, and at the pitiful fox inside.

At this rate, I'm afraid this fox won't be given away tonight.

No.

That's a walking Spirit Stone.

Lin Qingyue took a deep breath and raised her eyes.

"Old Ancestor."

"The matter of the spirit fox can be set aside for now. Since the Old Ancestor is so dedicated to the Way of Chess, this Junior is untalented..."

"But I also have some understanding of the Way of Chess. Perhaps I can resolve the Old Ancestor's worries."

As soon as these words came out, everyone looked over.

"As expected of Fairy Lin! She is proficient in the four arts: zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting!"

"Indeed, as a Saintess, Fairy Lin's chess skill must be extraordinary!"

"With Fairy Lin taking action, she will surely be able to solve the Old Ancestor's puzzle!"

The sounds of praise from the crowd were endless.

Lin Qingyue raised her chin slightly, feeling quite confident.

The Way of Go emphasizes the overall situation and calculation power. Although she wasn't a top-tier master, she had studied it for several years, which was enough to stand above her peers at this age.

Upon hearing this, the Qingxuan Old Ancestor turned his head and sized up Lin Qingyue.

"You also understand it?"

"I know a little," Lin Qingyue said reservedly.

"Good!"

The Qingxuan Old Ancestor pointed at the flat top of the golden cage. "Since you understand, then come and take a look."

"This is a new style of chess I discovered in an ancient Incomplete Manual and improved myself!"

"Its rules seem simple, but they actually contain the supreme principles of heaven and earth, and the changes of Yin and Yang!"

"I have named it... Five-in-a-Row!"

The voice echoed in the hall.

Everyone looked blank.

"Five-in-a-Row?"

What kind of chess is that? I've never heard of it.

Could it be a legendary chess game lost since ancient times?

"Pfft—"

Gu Heng finally couldn't hold it in and coughed as he spat out his tea.

Huh?

Five-in-a-Row?

Isn't that just freaking Five-in-a-Row!?

You call this an ancient Incomplete Manual? And the supreme principles of heaven and earth?