Chapter 222: Telling Lies
During this excursion from the mountain, he had indeed encountered many acquaintances. Song Yan could not help but marvel at how small the State of Chu truly was.
For reasons unknown, Rong Xiaofeng’s eyes were brimming with joy. “Daoist Song, since we parted that day, years have already passed!”
Rong Xiaofeng’s enthusiasm exceeded Song Yan’s expectations.
He somehow felt that he and this couple were not yet so familiar as to warrant such warmth.
Though slightly puzzled, Song Yan still cupped his fists and smiled. “Daoist Rong, your bearing surpasses even that of former days. To speak with shame, when the grand Flower Festival was held, I too was invited to North Watch Mountain. However, I was burdened by affairs and never managed to pay my respects.”
“Not at all, not at all!” Rong Xiaofeng laughed heartily, his gaze falling upon Wang Ke beside Song Yan. “This must be the Daoist Wang Ke, who has recently risen to prominence in the world of Go?”
Wang Ke scratched his head shyly. “I advanced by sheer luck… Daoist Rong, are you also versed in the Way of Chess?”
Rong Xiaofeng produced a gilded jade talisman from his Cosmos Bag. “I will not keep it from you all. This Go tournament is jointly organized by the Yan family, Cold Flower Valley, and the Wu clan.”
A flicker of curiosity appeared in Song Yan’s eyes.
Just how far had the Wu clan developed by now?
“The clan elders specifically instructed that if we encountered any masters of Go, we must invite them to the estate for a visit.”
He then turned to Song Yan. “Daoist Song is also an honored guest of our Wu clan. Why not come with me?”
Song Yan was about to respond when he noticed Wang Ke signaling him with a glance.
“Daoist Rong’s generosity is hard to refuse.” Song Yan understood at once. “However, Daoist Wang has been wearied by the journey and should return to the villa to rest for a few days. Perhaps we can meet after the tournament.”
Wang Ke quietly pulled Song Yan aside.
In his palm lay a single white jade chess piece.
The chess piece crumbled abruptly, transforming into a length of vine suffused with gilded spiritual light.
It was the second segment of the True-Fallen Vine.
“Please keep this safe, Daoist Song.” Wang Ke lowered his voice. “I have observed that this chess valley is heavily guarded, and with the cultivators of North Watch Mountain attending to security, there should be no danger.”
“You go visit your friends, and return in five days to watch the match.”
The vine was warm and gentle with spiritual energy in his hand.
Song Yan regarded Wang Ke deeply, then nodded. “Very well. Take care of yourself. If anything seems amiss, send word at once.”
“Good.”
This employer of his was certainly easy to please.
Since he had come all this way, a visit to the Wu clan would not be amiss.
…
North Watch Mountain City, southern foothills.
Only after officially entering the bounds of this mountain city did Song Yan feel things grow somewhat familiar.
Rong Xiaofeng led Song Yan and his two companions through the streets and alleys. Along the way, cultivators periodically greeted Rong Xiaofeng with bows and salutations.
Song Yan formed a rough estimate in his mind. It seemed the Wu clan now held no small standing in the city.
Then again, being able to co-host the grand tournament with the Yan family and Cold Flower Valley was proof enough of the Wu clan’s present strength.
“How fares Daoist Wu these days?” Song Yan asked casually.
“She is quite formidable.” Rong Xiaofeng’s steps paused slightly at the question, a touch of pride surfacing on his face. “She is now the head of the Wu household. All affairs of the clan, great and small, are decided by her.”
Song Yan was somewhat surprised.
When they had parted years ago, Wu Huaguo had been nothing more than a down-on-her-luck independent cultivator, constantly worrying about her clan’s development. Who could have imagined that in just a few short years, she would now be ruling the clan?
Turning into a narrow lane, the foot traffic thinned.
The Wu clan estate.
Upon the stone stele before the entrance, the characters for “Wu Clan” were carved.
Stepping through the gate, before they had gone far, a hearty laugh rang out from within the garden. “Could it be that Daoist Song has arrived?”
Before the words had faded, a woman in a green robe strode quickly out to meet them.
Her features were as fine as a painting, and in her bearing there was a natural air of capability. It was none other than Wu Huaguo.
It seemed Rong Xiaofeng had sent word ahead by voice transmission.
“Daoist Song!” Wu Huaguo’s eyes sparkled with surprise. “After years apart, your bearing is even more distinguished than before!”
Song Yan returned the greeting with cupped fists. “I did not expect that Daoist Wu would now be the clan head. My congratulations.”
Wu Huaguo shook her head with a smile. “It is merely the kindness of the clan elders.” Her gaze shifted to Xiao Ju and Xiao He. “And these two are…”
“This is Xiao Ju, my companion. And this is Xiao He, my… also a companion.” Song Yan had been about to say spirit pet, but since Xiao He was currently in human form, he refrained.
Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng knew that Song Yan kept a small serpent spirit pet, but they had never seen her transformed appearance.
Xiao He grinned mischievously, hands on her hips, seemingly hoping the two would recognize her.
But Wu Huaguo merely looked Xiao He over a few more times, smiled, and asked no questions, warmly ushering everyone into the inner hall.
Sandalwood incense curled through the hall. Spiritual tea and fresh fruit had already been arranged upon the tables.
The group took their seats and conversed idly. When the discussion turned to the current state of the Wu clan, Wu Huaguo’s expression brightened.
The incomplete volume of the “Artless Scripture” they had brought from Lin Qinglong’s tomb years ago was now one of the Wu clan’s foundational assets.
This couple, Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng, were truly remarkable people. Having obtained such a precious technique, they had not hoarded it in secrecy but gave it freely to the clan.
“Over these years, my husband and I have studied that Daoist text and discovered that its earth-element and wood-element techniques possess a complementary relationship with the methods of the Compassion Flower Understanding Speech Art.”
“Now the younger members of our clan cultivate our own clan techniques to build their foundation first. Only after reaching the third layer of Qi Refining do they take up that Artless Scripture.”
Thanks to this Daoist text, the Wu clan had seen several late-stage Qi Refining cultivators emerge in just these few years.
“All of this is thanks to Daoist Song’s magnanimity from years past.”
The Wu clan of today was still far from matching those great cultivation families, but being able to co-host this Go tournament with the Yan family and Cold Flower Valley showed that the other two powers recognized the Wu clan’s potential.
But it was certainly no longer the small, humble household it had once been.
As the group chatted, the conversation naturally turned to the upcoming Go tournament.
“Speaking of which, my friend Wang Ke seems quite fixated on this Go tournament.” Song Yan took a sip of spiritual tea. “I wonder what prize the champion of this tournament receives?”
Wang Ke had said he merely enjoyed playing chess, but Song Yan could not entirely believe such a reason.
As it happened, the Wu clan was one of the organizers. He might as well ask directly.
Rong Xiaofeng started at the question, then an apologetic expression appeared on his face. “Though I participated in the preparations, I have no real aptitude for Go. I am afraid I did not look into the details.”
“There is indeed one special prize,” Wu Huaguo said from beside them. “I have seen it myself. It is a golden page of a chess manual, said to have been unearthed from the cave dwelling of some ancient cultivator.”
A chess manual…
Wang Ke had mentioned something of the sort.
Though the origin of this manual was unknown, any game preserved by such means must have been left by ancient masters who had attained profound mastery of the Way of Chess.
It would typically contain records of games that had never been made public.
Chess manuals, like musical scores, were much like the authentic calligraphic and painterly works of the Dao of Writing and Dao of Painting — they often concealed hidden wonders.
Some recorded lost cultivation methods, while others contained the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.
To use chess manuals as an example, in ancient times, certain great powers would conceal their techniques within chess games. The placement of pieces corresponded to the flow of meridians, and the shifting patterns of the board mirrored the cycles of the heavens.
However, unlike conventional techniques or secret scrolls, if one did not possess sufficient attainment and insight in the Way of Chess, even a hundred years of studying a chess manual would yield no understanding.
“I see.”
Song Yan murmured thoughtfully. “No wonder Wang Ke is so fixated.”
The man’s love for Go was genuine, but perhaps what truly drew him was this golden page of the chess manual.
If one’s attainment were sufficient to glean even a fragment of insight from it, that would be an immeasurable gain.
Especially since this man was genuinely skilled in chess. Presumably, he possessed the confidence to decipher this ancient manual.
As for chess manuals, Song Yan had no interest.
After all, even if one were given to him for free, he would likely discern nothing of use.
While the group was still chatting, the sound of a wooden fish drum approached from a distance.
Song Yan looked up to see a young monk in gray cloth robes approaching at a measured pace.
His features were gaunt, and he held a string of ebony prayer beads.
Song Yan had not expected to find a Buddhist cultivator among the Wu clan’s retainers. He asked in puzzlement, “And this is?”
Wu Huaguo rose hurriedly. “This is Master Yuanzhen. The clan elders recently befriended him in a secret realm. He is a Buddhist cultivator of great learning from the Central Domain’s Temple of Pure Karma.”
From the Central Domain?
Song Yan was somewhat surprised.
Would a cultivator from the Central Domain truly need to travel all the way to a minor place like the State of Chu to endure hardship?
Though, come to think of it, this situation fit perfectly with his stereotypical impression of Buddhist cultivators.
Among Buddhist practitioners, there was a class known as ascetic monks.
They pursued spiritual liberation by reducing all cultivation resources to the barest minimum, the simplest possible level, praying to be freed from the endless suffering of reincarnation.
They believed that the more suffering they endured themselves, the less suffering all sentient beings would have to bear.
In that light, simply traveling through the State of Chu did not seem so remarkable after all.
The monk pressed his palms together and intoned softly, “Amitabha. This humble monk has traveled here and been taken in by the Wu clan head. I apologize for the imposition.”
Wu Huaguo said, “Master Yuanzhen arrives at just the right time. This is Daoist Song Yan of the Eastern Abyss Sect. We were just speaking of the Go tournament.”
“So this is Benefactor Song.” Yuanzhen’s gaze settled upon Song Yan. “This humble monk was just playing chess at Four Palace Chess Valley and observed Benefactor Song traveling with Benefactor Wang Ke.”
Song Yan returned the greeting with cupped fists, but inwardly he was somewhat startled.
At Four Palace Chess Valley — when had this monk noticed them?
He had failed to detect the man’s observation once again.
First there had been Wang Ke, and now Yuanzhen.
Sometimes Song Yan had to wonder whether his own formidable divine sense had gone faulty.
He also took a careful measure of the other person. Before him, this Buddhist cultivator Yuanzhen from the Central Domain seemed nothing out of the ordinary.
His cultivation was merely at the perfection stage of Qi Refining.
Rong Xiaofeng laughed. “Daoist Song may not be aware, but Master Yuanzhen is also a master of the Way of Chess.”
“He is, in fact, one of the eight Daoists who will compete for the championship at Four Palace Chess Valley in a few days’ time.”
This Go tournament, while placing no restrictions on cultivation level or region, had drawn mostly Qi Refining cultivators from the State of Chu as participants.
Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely took part in such impromptu events that offered no clearly valuable prizes.
At higher realms, there were naturally higher platforms and broader horizons.
Moreover, playing chess against a group of junior Qi Refining cultivators — winning would be unremarkable, but losing would be truly humiliating.
Among the eight who would compete at Four Palace Chess Valley in a few days, only one was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“This humble monk happened to pass by upon returning to my quarters and heard that the clan head had received honored guests. I came to pay my respects so as not to be discourteous.”
Yuanzhen pressed his palms together and bowed slightly.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yuanzhen excused himself, citing the need to return to his quarters for scripture recitation.
Song Yan’s gaze shifted, and he noticed that Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng, as they watched Yuanzhen leave, carried a look of wariness in their eyes.
They even exchanged a glance with each other.
Song Yan was inwardly curious but showed nothing on his face, merely lifting his teacup for a small sip.
After Yuanzhen had gone far enough, the smile returned to Wu Huaguo’s face. “Daoist Song rarely visits North Watch Mountain. Allow my husband and me to give you a tour of the Wu clan estate.”
A tour of the estate? Was that truly necessary…
Song Yan sensed something amiss but nodded in agreement.
“It would be rude to decline.”
The Wu clan’s prosperity was indeed flourishing. Training grounds, pill furnaces, artifact workshops — everything was present.
After completing the tour, the sky had already darkened.
Song Yan was about to take his leave when he saw Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng exchange another glance.
“Daoist Song.” Wu Huaguo’s voice transmission reached his ears. “Please, may we speak privately.”
So there was indeed something.
He turned to Xiao Ju. “You and Xiao He wait in the main hall for a moment. I will come find you when I return.”
Xiao Ju did not know what had happened but nodded obediently.
The three of them arrived at a concealed stone chamber in the rear courtyard.
The moment the stone door closed, Rong Xiaofeng formed a hand seal and deployed a sound-isolation barrier.
What matter could possibly warrant such elaborate measures within their own estate…
Song Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for what came next.
“Daoist Song, to speak frankly, my husband and I have never placed this much trust in an outside cultivator…”
Wu Huaguo’s expression turned bitter, a stark contrast to the confident clan head who had just been boasting of the Wu clan’s prosperity.
“From the first time we met you at the Spirit Origin Market, to the events at Senior Lin Qinglong’s tomb…”
As Wu Huaguo spoke, she noticed that Song Yan had raised a hand.
“Spare me.”
Song Yan’s voice was steady and composed. “Daoist Wu, let us not dwell on the past.”
“We are acquainted enough. Whatever the matter is, speak freely.”
Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng paused, then laughed softly.
After so many years apart, this Daoist Song gave one an impression of even greater purity of spirit.
Wu Huaguo took a deep breath. “To be perfectly honest, we suspect that Master Yuanzhen has some ulterior motive.”
“Oh?” Song Yan recalled the wary glances the couple had exchanged moments ago. “What makes you say so?”
“Daoist Song, do you still remember my secret art?”
Song Yan started slightly, then nodded. He understood a measure of what was coming.
“The ability to judge whether someone speaks the truth or a lie.”
“Exactly.” Wu Huaguo nodded.
“So it is because Master Yuanzhen spoke a lie?”
Song Yan felt the reason was somewhat tenuous.
Though monks were said never to speak falsely, one could not presume ill intent from a mere small lie.
There was no need to be so on guard.
“In this cultivation world, everyone deceives and schemes against their conscience. Someone as forthright as Daoist Song is truly rare.”
“If others merely tell inconsequential lies or withhold certain things, how could we suspect them arbitrarily?”
Wu Huaguo shook her head.
Song Yan frowned. “What has he said? Which parts were true, and which were false?”
“That he comes from the Central Domain — true.”
“That he studied under the Temple of Pure Karma — also true.”
“That he is devoted to the Way of Chess — false.”
“That he is merely traveling here without any particular purpose — also false.”
Song Yan’s gaze sharpened.
If traveling here without purpose was false, and if Wu Huaguo’s secret art was reliable, did this not mean that Yuanzhen had come with some other objective?
Another objective would mean either fleeing pursuit or hunting someone down.
Or else.
There was something here that he wanted to obtain.