Chapter Fifty-Four: The Suizhou Inn (1)

At that moment, the woodcutter was arguing with two bailiffs. "Gentlemen, this is unreasonable. I went up the mountain to gather a load of firewood; must I pay a two-coin tax upon my return?" One bailiff replied arrogantly, "This wood was felled on the mountain, and you must understand that this mountain belongs to the Great Ming Empire. How can there be no tax for taking timber from imperial land?"

The woodcutter dared not argue further. Spreading his hands, he said, "I have no money on me. Where am I to find two coins for a tax?" The bailiff retorted, "If you have no money, leave this load of firewood to settle the debt." Seeing the woodcutter’s reluctance, the bailiff glared, snarling, "What? Do you want to face a lawsuit?" Helpless, the woodcutter sighed, "Consider my hard work wasted, then. Take the firewood." With that, he shook his head and walked away, swallowing his resentment. The two bailiffs chuckled as they carried the load of firewood to a servant who was boiling tea by a shed.

Jian Liang, witnessing this, realized that Liu Ping’s words were true; these bailiffs were indeed engaging in extortion and robbery. His anger flared, and he walked forward. Inside the shed, the bailiffs noticed the five cargo carts approaching and beamed with excitement, exchanging knowing, sly smiles. One who appeared to be the leader stretched, stood up, and said, "Business has arrived. Watch me." He walked out of the shed, blocked the path, and commanded, "Stop! Stop! We need to inspect these."

Jian Liang stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, "Greetings, officer. My village is suffering from a famine, and the adults and children have been surviving on wild vegetables every day. The taste is quite poor, so I went to another region to buy a few carts of rice to bring back for relief. I hope you might extend some convenience to us." The bailiff raised his eyebrows. "Rice? Rice is subject to even higher taxes and transit fees. I must search it first." He moved to inspect the carts. Liu Ping and the others turned pale at the sight.

Jian Liang hurriedly took the pouch of stones from his robe and presented it to the bailiff. "Please, officer, do us a favor. This is a small token for you and your companions to buy some wine."

Seeing the heavy cloth bag, the bailiff’s face lit up. He reached out to take it, but as he moved to undo it, Jian Liang pushed it into his chest and simultaneously struck a pressure point under the bailiff’s ribs with a chess piece he had concealed in his hand. The bailiff froze as if petrified, unable to speak, his eyes wide with shock and terror.

Seeing the move had succeeded, Jian Liang leaned into the bailiff’s ear and whispered, "You bastards are quite skilled at extorting money from people. Today, you shall taste the consequences." He patted the bailiff on the shoulder, nodded with a smile, and turned to Liu Ping and the others. "This officer says we may pass. You go ahead first."

Liu Ping and the others, feeling as if they had been granted amnesty, didn't stop to ask questions; they hurriedly pushed their carts and left. Two of the other bailiffs in the shed thought about standing up to stop them, but seeing the friendly, intimate way the officer was acting after receiving the bag, they assumed their colleague had secured a great deal and decided to let them pass. They sat back down. Seeing that the others did not intervene, Jian Liang did not use the other chess pieces he had prepared.

Once Liu Ping and the others were out of sight, Jian Liang whispered to the terrified, statue-like bailiff, "Consider this a lesson. Find a way to remove this checkpoint and never engage in extortion again. If you have the guts, follow me later; I will be waiting for you ahead."

With a laugh, Jian Liang said loudly, "Thank you, officer, for your grace today! I will have a grander reward for you when I pass through again. Well, I have business to attend to, so I shall be off. No need to see me out!" He bowed to the bailiffs in the shed with a smile and strode away. He knew the pressure point strike would last for half an hour, so he left without looking back, having thoroughly intimidated the lot of them.

After traveling a distance, Jian Liang stopped to wait. Seeing no sign of pursuit, he knew the bailiffs had been cowed and that Liu Ping’s group was safe. He took out a chess piece, held it before his eyes, and smiled. "I suppose this counts as using chess to save the world." In high spirits, he chose a different path and continued on his way.

***

One day, Jian Liang reached the borders of Suizhou, Hubei. He entered the city at dusk and checked into a large inn.

After dinner, with nothing to do, Jian Liang lay on the bed, deep in thought. "I wonder where Brother Fang Guohuan has gone? Is there any news of the master eunuch Li Ruchuan? I have been out for over two months, and wandering aimlessly like this is truly ineffective. I must find a better way. Right, from Suizhou one can reach Wuchang, where the world-renowned Yellow Crane Tower stands. Why not set up a chess board there and challenge the world’s masters? It will spread within days. Li Ruchuan, by his very nature as a chess master, will surely be drawn to it. By waiting for him there, it will be far easier than searching the whole world. Yuchi Yunlu of the Jade Chess Villa once tried to lure Li Ruchuan to a tournament to kill him, but failed, alerting the eunuch and causing him to flee. If I set an ambush at the Yellow Crane Tower, challenging the world's masters first, once I have no opponents left, it will surely provoke the eunuch’s interest. Confident that his 'Ghost Chess' is invincible, he will come to face me. He will never suspect that the game was set specifically for him. This will also give me a chance to see what other high-level masters remain in the world of chess." With this resolution, Jian Liang relaxed slightly.

He pondered further, "Brother Fang mentioned that the 'Ghost Chess' of the Earth-Origin Transcendental Realm is a technique that defies the natural principles of chess. How does it actually move? How does it generate such destructive force? Brother Fang said it involves the collision of 'chess spirits'—a pressure that drains the opponent's mental strength and disrupts their state of mind. How could such a technique exist? Master Zhong Shiyuan only survived by using fast play and the sound of slamming pieces to protect his focus. Zhong once told me that while the eunuch’s moves sometimes defy common logic, there is nothing inherently strange about the moves themselves. It seems the confrontation remains one of mental states; only transcendental chess can counter Ghost Chess. Even so, the outcome remains unpredictable."

Jian Liang felt a flicker of realization, followed by confusion. "It seems only by playing a game against him can I understand the true nature of that Ghost Chess. Regardless of how high his skill is, he cannot be better than Brother Fang." Feeling relieved, he stood up and opened the window. It was dark, and lanterns had been lit in the courtyard below.

On the floor across from him, a middle-aged man stood by his window, peering down repeatedly with an anxious expression, as if waiting for someone. Jian Liang’s gaze met the man’s briefly; seeing the man’s unease, he ignored it, closed the window, and returned to his bed.

Before long, Jian Liang heard someone pass by his door, and a low voice whispered, "I wonder whom the Minfeng Pavilion on Snake Mountain has invited..." "Snake Mountain!" Jian Liang noted. He knew Snake Mountain was located in Wuchang, where the Yellow Crane Tower stood.

After lying in bed for a while, feeling bored, he went downstairs. Hearing street vendors, he left the inn and bought several local snacks to take back to his room.

As he returned to the inn with his arms full of food, he heard a voice behind him: "Sir, you dropped something." Turning, Jian Liang saw he had indeed dropped a bag of cakes. He thanked the man who had alerted him—the same middle-aged man he had seen earlier. The man nodded without a word and went back to the inn entrance to watch.

Watching the man’s retreating back, Jian Liang thought, "He is waiting very anxiously. I wonder if the person he is expecting will show up."

Jian Liang asked the inn servant for a pot of tea and went back upstairs. He piled the food on the table, but as he turned, he realized someone was behind him. Before he could react or use a chess piece for defense, a hand struck the Jianjing point on his shoulder, and his entire body went numb and immobile.

The assailant laid him gently on the bed and whispered, "Sir, do not be alarmed. I have no ill intent; I only wish to borrow your room for a while. My apologies."

Jian Liang saw that his attacker was an elderly man over sixty, with a kindly face. The old man blew out the candle, crouched by the window, and peeked through a crack at the courtyard below.

Though paralyzed, Jian Liang felt no fear. He wondered, "His movements are secretive; is he a thief? There are so many people in this inn acting strangely tonight. Something is about to happen." Feeling the numbness in his shoulder, he remembered Qiu Hailin’s technique of guiding energy through the meridians with one's intent. He relaxed his body and focused his consciousness on the Jianjing point.

Jian Liang had reached a high level of mental discipline. Before long, he felt a jolt at the pressure point, and his body suddenly went limp. He had unlocked the point himself. He felt a surge of joy, subtly moved his limbs, and found he had regained control.

Seeing that the old man, despite his intrusion, had no intention of harming him and seemed to have another goal, Jian Liang remained on the bed, waiting to see what would happen, while secretly holding a chess piece in each hand for protection. The old man, focused entirely on the courtyard, never suspected that Jian Liang had already undone his immobilization.