Chapter Fifty-Three: The Formless Chess, Part Four

At this moment, the young man said to the man, "Big brother, why not open the coffin to verify? Otherwise, if we bury Mother incorrectly, it would be a grave act of unfilial piety for us brothers." The man hesitated for a moment, then suddenly resolved, "Since that is the case, let us open the coffin and verify." Having said this, he stepped to the coffin and pushed the lid aside, for it had not yet been sealed. Inside lay an old woman of over sixty years, her expression calm and serene, as if she were in a deep sleep.

Qiu Hailin nodded upon seeing this. He reached out to check the old woman’s pulse and said, "The pulse is steady; how could there be any reason for death?" He then produced three silver needles. He inserted the first into the Baihui point on the crown of her head, and the second into the Taichong point on the back of her right foot. The old woman showed no reaction to these two needles. However, when Qiu Hailin inserted the third needle into her Renzhong point, a sudden "gurgling" sound of air escaped her throat. Miraculously, she opened her eyes, looking around in bewilderment, unaware of what had transpired. Jian Liang and the onlookers were stunned, and then the villagers broke into thunderous cheers.

The man cried out in joyful surprise, "Mother!" He immediately knelt and kowtowed to Qiu Hailin, exclaiming, "A celestial being has descended to save my mother!" He was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down his face. Qiu Hailin hurriedly helped him up, saying, "Your mother’s condition was 'qi stagnation.' Due to a sudden fit of anger, her internal energy became disconnected, leading to a temporary faint. It was false death, not a true passing. When the energy within the human body is disharmonious, dangerous conditions arise; when family members are not in harmony, they drift apart. Remember this: in the future, your family must live in harmony, or else further calamities will surely arise."

The man replied gratefully, "What you say is absolutely true, sir! Absolutely true!" At that moment, the old woman in the coffin suddenly sat up and asked groggily, "My child, why have you put your old mother in a coffin?" The onlookers could not help but burst into laughter. The woman who had been kneeling and weeping by the roadside sighed with relief and slumped to the ground, exhausted. Those who had been mourning surged forward, surrounding the old woman with joyous cries, turning a funeral into a celebration. Qiu Hailin smiled with satisfaction, took the bewildered Jian Liang by the arm, and quietly departed.

After they had traveled a distance from the village, Jian Liang remarked with awe, "Sir, you are truly a divine physician! The person in that coffin was indeed not dead." Qiu Hailin laughed, "A healer must possess the discernment to distinguish life from death."

Jian Liang asked curiously, "How did you revive her with just three needles?" Qiu Hailin explained, "It was a case of qi stagnation causing a death-like coma. Had she truly died, even a deity could do nothing. There is no such thing as bringing the dead back to life; the most skilled healer can only treat the living, not awaken the deceased. Her anger caused her internal energy to flow poorly, leading to a faint. It was not serious in the short term. By stimulating the Baihui point to clear the mind and the Taichong point to regulate the meridians, I restored the flow of her energy, and she naturally recovered."

Jian Liang sighed in admiration, "Your acupuncture skills are truly supernatural!" Qiu Hailin smiled and handed him the three silver needles, saying, "Take these. If you encounter patients in the future, apply the needles according to the symptoms, guide the qi with your intent, and you will achieve great results. Not everyone in the world knows how to play chess, but everyone will eventually fall ill. When it is time for chess, play; when it is time for needles, use them. This will serve you well wherever you go."

Jian Liang was overjoyed and accepted them with a bow. Qiu Hailin patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Brother Jian, we must part ways here. I hope you find that eunuch and use your chess skills to subdue him. We shall meet again!" With a bow, he turned and drifted away. "Take care, sir!" Jian Liang said, bowing through his tears. He watched until Qiu Hailin had vanished from sight, then sighed deeply and went on his own way.

After parting from Qiu Hailin, Jian Liang continued his search for the grandmaster eunuch, Li Ruchuan. More than a month passed without any news, so Jian Liang, feeling lonely, wandered the world, observing the landscapes to cultivate his own "chess state." Since Qiu Hailin had taught him the "Formless Chess," his ability to project his intent through chess pieces had grown daily. When the mood struck, he could deploy his chess pieces with complete freedom, reaching a level where even he was astonished by the supernatural precision of his technique. He felt deeply grateful to Qiu Hailin for unlocking this self-defense skill beyond mere chess.

One day, Jian Liang was walking along a government road. Under the shade of trees by the roadside ahead, five pushcarts loaded with goods were parked, and five men were resting beside them.

Seeing Jian Liang approach, one of them stood up and greeted him, "Brother Jian, where are you headed?" Jian Liang recognized him as Liu Ping, a trader from his hometown who often traveled to transport goods. He walked up and saluted, "So it is Brother Liu! What brings you here?"

Liu Ping replied, "I am transporting some goods with a few friends and stopped here to rest. What a coincidence to run into you! Are you out for a leisurely stroll?" Jian Liang said, "Just wandering about. By the way, when are you returning home? Please pass a message to my father that I am doing well and will return later, so he need not worry." Liu Ping promised to do so. He then sighed, "Brother Jian, you travel the world alone—what a free and easy life! Unlike us, running about and exhausting ourselves for a few meager profits."

Jian Liang smiled, "There is sweetness in every bitterness. You must have made a fortune over these years, which makes one envious."

Liu Ping pulled a long face, "Brother Jian, do not mock me. If we can just return home safely this time, it will be a blessing." Jian Liang was startled to see the others also frowning with worry. He asked, "Brother Liu, have you encountered some trouble?"

Liu Ping sighed, "Since we are fellow villagers, I will be honest. We have been trapped here for three or four days because of this cargo." Jian Liang asked, "What is the reason for this delay?" Liu Ping explained, "To make more profit, we are transporting some private salt to sell back home. But there is a new checkpoint ahead, and they are cracking down hard on private salt. As small-scale traders, our entire capital is invested in this. We cannot even turn back to sell it at cost. We are truly in a dilemma." "Oh!" Jian Liang said, "Is that checkpoint difficult to pass?"

Liu Ping replied, "This is a government road; there should not be a checkpoint here. I do not know why, but some officials who act like local tyrants have set one up. They are heartless and extort money even from ordinary travelers. For those with carts and goods, they demand taxes. Since we are carrying private salt, if they catch us, they will seize everything and throw us in jail. We hoped to sneak past at night, but they check strictly both day and night."

Jian Liang said, "Public officials are always greedy. Why not offer them some silver to buy your way through?" Liu Ping shook his head, "If only it were that simple. We would gladly give up half our capital, but those people are extortionists. If you give too much, they suspect you have more and want more; if you give too little, it only makes things worse. Yesterday, a merchant transporting cloth had two carts; they seized one and demanded thirty taels of silver in taxes. He gave up his goods in anger and left. We have little capital and cannot endure such things."

Jian Liang said indignantly, "This is not inspecting goods or collecting taxes; this is highway robbery!" Liu Ping sighed, "Robbers only take your wealth, but these officials threaten to send you to the magistrate's office. Without paying, you cannot get away. How can small businessmen like us survive?"

Jian Liang grew angry, "This is preposterous! These bullying officials are detestable! Very well, Brother Liu, follow me. I guarantee you will pass safely with your goods, and without spending a cent." Liu Ping and the others looked at each other in confusion. Jian Liang asked, "Brother Liu, do you not trust me?"

Liu Ping hesitated, "Brother Jian, you are a capable man in our village. If you can help us pass safely, that would be wonderful. Once we sell the salt and make a profit, we will give you a share."

Jian Liang laughed, "Keep your hard-earned money. Just pass a message of safety to my family for me, and that will be enough." Liu Ping consulted with the others, and one of them said, "We are at a dead end anyway; let us take the risk and follow him." The others nodded helplessly.

Jian Liang comforted them, "Do not worry. I do not take those people seriously. Just follow my lead, and there will be no trouble." Liu Ping and his companions bowed in gratitude and pushed their carts forward. Jian Liang, for some reason, picked up a few stones by the road, wrapped them in a cloth, and hid them in his robe. Liu Ping and the others were puzzled.

As they moved forward, they saw the checkpoint ahead. A dozen bailiffs were drinking tea under a shed, and two were interrogating a woodcutter. Liu Ping and his men grew nervous, some regretting their decision. But it was too late to turn back, so they steeled themselves.

Liu Ping whispered nervously, "Brother Jian, this is the gate of hell. What... what is the plan?" Jian Liang replied calmly, "Do not be nervous. Just keep walking." With that, he strode forward confidently.