Chapter Fifty-Eight: The God of Chess (1)

In a clearing within the forest, Jisang and four other lamas stood solemn and still, evidently having waited for some time. Min Fengpao was bound to a nearby tree, his hair disheveled and his clothes in disarray, his face drained of all color from terror. Seeing Zhu Weiyuan and Jian Liang approach, he seemed to spot his salvation and rasped, "Chief Zhu! Scholar Jian! Save me!" Upon seeing Jian Liang, Lama Jisang tensed, signaling the other four lamas to be on guard.

Jian Liang stepped forward and said, "Reverend masters, please release this Mr. Min." Lama Jisang pressed his palms together in a bow and replied, "This donor Min is obsessed and refuses to listen. We have asked many times, yet he will not reveal where the Kunwu Divine Blade is hidden. Please do not blame us; we will not release him until we recover our sacred relic."

Zhu Weiyuan, seeing that the lamas held Jian Liang in great respect and seemed to fear him, took the Kunwu Blade, wrapped in yellow silk, and handed it to Jian Liang. "Scholar Jian, please give this to them and exchange it for Mr. Min," he said. Jian Liang took the bundle, stepped forward a few paces, and declared, "The Kunwu Blade is here. Please release him."

Seeing this, Min Fengpao was struck by shock and rage. "Who told you to bring the Kunwu Blade? That is my treasure! How dare you make decisions for me and give it away!" Jian Liang, seeing Min Fengpao in such a state yet still so covetous, merely shook his head, ignoring him. He continued, "Well? Reverend masters, shall we make the exchange?" A flicker of surprise crossed Lama Jisang’s eyes. He hesitated and looked back at his companions; two of them shook their heads, clearly doubting that the object in Jian Liang’s hands was the true Kunwu Blade.

Lama Luoqi spoke up from the side: "You people of the interior are full of deceit. How do we know if the Kunwu Blade in your hands is real or fake?" Jian Liang laughed upon hearing this. "You are indeed cautious, and that is well! I shall let you see for yourselves, but..."

Jian Liang added, "The Kunwu Blade has been lost for many years. Do you masters even recognize its form? I would hate for you to be fooled." Lama Jisang replied, "Our sect’s classic, the 'Gulu Sutra,' depicts the shape of the Kunwu Divine Blade. It is said to have been forged from the essence of the moon and possesses the properties of 'shaking upon contact with earth and vanishing into water.' We will know if it is real at a single glance."

Jian Liang was surprised. "This Kunwu Blade is truly miraculous!" With a flick of his wrist, he removed the yellow silk. The half-foot-long, crescent-shaped crystalline blade was revealed, its subtle brilliance shimmering like the moon hanging in the sky. Upon seeing it, Jisang and the four other lamas were filled with joy. They bowed in unison, weeping with emotion.

Overwhelmed, Lama Jisang chanted a few lines of an unintelligible scripture before stepping forward to bow deeply to Jian Liang. "It is indeed our sect’s sacred Kunwu Divine Blade! Our sect leader once instructed us that whoever returns the sacred relic becomes a great benefactor of our sect; we are forbidden to treat such a person with disrespect. It seems this Donor Jian has a profound connection with our sect." Having said this, Lama Jisang reached out with both hands to receive it.

Jian Liang pulled the blade back and smiled. "Wait! You masters did not trust us, and we do not trust you either! We cannot hand over the blade until Mr. Min is released." Zhu Weiyuan nodded in agreement. Lama Jisang immediately apologized. "Please forgive us, Donor Jian; we were so overcome by the sight of the sacred relic that we forgot to release our captive." He turned and ordered, "Luoqi, release Donor Min."

As soon as his ropes were loosened, Min Fengpao scrambled to his feet and scurried toward Jian Liang. Jian Liang reached out to steady him. "Mr. Min, are you unharmed?" But before he could react, Min Fengpao suddenly snatched the Kunwu Blade from his hand.

Having secured the blade, Min Fengpao retreated, clutching it tightly. With bloodshot eyes, he snarled, "This is my treasure! How could you let them take it?" Jian Liang, caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, cried out in alarm, "Mr. Min, you must not! This object is ill-omened; just give it to the masters."

Zhu Weiyuan also stepped forward to persuade him. "Mr. Min, it is a miracle that you survived this ordeal; why must you persist in clinging to this object?" But Min Fengpao could hear nothing. He brandished the blade and shrieked, "Get back, all of you! If anyone stands in my way, I will kill them, and I will let you see the power of this Kunwu Blade!" He had clearly lost his reason.

Jisang and the other lamas were caught off guard by this unexpected turn and were startled. Lama Jisang rushed forward. "Donor Min, this is not yours; return it to us." As he spoke, he reached out with his right hand to grab the blade. Seeing the lama move, Min Fengpao knew he was trying to seize it. He let out a yell and swung the blade several times in the direction of the monk. A "chi-chi" sound was heard, and the invisible blade energy sliced five strips off Lama Jisang’s crimson robe, causing them to flutter to the ground.

Lama Jisang felt his skin sting as if whipped by a willow branch. Terrified, he scrambled back. Zhu Weiyuan, Jian Liang, and the other four lamas were stunned. Seeing that he had forced Lama Jisang back with a few empty swings, Min Fengpao laughed wildly. "If I had known, I wouldn't have been afraid of you lamas!"

Horrified and enraged, Lama Jisang waited for the moment Min Fengpao was distracted by his own arrogance. He suddenly lunged forward, moving with such speed that he appeared behind Min Fengpao, and struck a palm against his flank. Before Min Fengpao could even realize what had happened, he felt half his body go numb, collapsed to the side, and dropped the blade he could no longer hold. The Kunwu Blade carved an arc through the air and struck the ground with a loud "thud," bouncing up and creating a small crater in the earth. As it flew back into the air, it tumbled toward Jian Liang.

Jian Liang caught it and exclaimed, "It truly does shake upon contact with earth!" Min Fengpao, struck in a vital spot by the enraged lama, lay limp on the ground, unconscious.

Seeing the blade back in Jian Liang’s hands, the five lamas looked on in terror. They already feared Jian Liang, and having witnessed the power of the blade, they worried he might decide to keep it for himself. They braced themselves for a fight to the death.

Jian Liang observed the situation and shook his head. "Though the Kunwu Blade has some strange powers, I, Jian Liang, have no desire for it. Here, take it back." He extended the blade toward them. The five lamas, assuming he was about to attack, recoiled in alarm.

Jian Liang sighed. "When you didn't have it, you tried to seize it; now that I offer it, you dare not take it. Such suspicion is truly unworthy." He walked to a small tree, gently placed the blade in the fork of its branches, turned around, and walked back to stand beside Zhu Weiyuan.

Zhu Weiyuan nodded at Jian Liang in admiration. The five lamas realized they had misjudged him and, filled with shame, bowed in unison. Lama Jisang walked to the small tree, reached out with trembling hands to retrieve the blade, and tucked it carefully into his robes. He turned to Jian Liang and Zhu Weiyuan and bowed again, saying gratefully, "Many thanks to you two righteous men for your help. Our journey to the interior has not been in vain; we have finally reclaimed our sect’s sacred Kunwu Blade, fulfilling a wish held for hundreds of years. Such kindness is hard to repay. Please accept our bows." After the five lamas bowed three times, they retreated a few paces, turned, and vanished into the forest.

Zhu Weiyuan and Jian Liang stepped forward to lift Min Fengpao. Though he still breathed, he was unconscious, his body stiff as a board. Zhu Weiyuan examined his flank and saw a blood-red handprint imprinted there. Shocked, he cried, "Mr. Min has been struck by the 'Great Vajra Palm' of the Red Sect lamas! Though it will not kill him, he will be crippled for life." He shook his head and sighed.

Jian Liang sighed, "One cannot blame the lamas; he was obsessed with that blade even in the face of death. The lama held back his strength; this is but a punishment." Zhu Weiyuan carried Min Fengpao on his back, and he and Jian Liang returned to the Lotus Pavilion.

Min Fengshan and Min Fengzhong, seeing their brother being carried back by Zhu Weiyuan, cried out in alarm and rushed to help. After they settled him on a bed, Min Fengpao slowly regained consciousness, but he could neither speak nor move. His lips trembled, and his eyes were filled with terror, as if he still harbored deep resentment.

Min Fengshan looked on in astonishment. "Chief Zhu, what happened? Since the Kunwu Blade was given to those lamas, why did they use such a poisonous strike?" Zhu Weiyuan recounted the events. Min Fengshan sat down, defeated, and sighed. "Big brother! Why did you do this? If something is not meant for us, we cannot force it. Alas!" Zhu Weiyuan comforted him, "The matter is done; you need not be overly grieved. Fortunately, the lama showed mercy and spared Mr. Min’s life; that is one small blessing in this misfortune."

Jian Liang also offered consolation: "Perhaps in the future, we can find a master physician to cure Mr. Min." Zhu Weiyuan shook his head in secret. Min Fengshan mourned, "He is like a living corpse; even a deity descending from heaven could not heal him." Min Fengzhong stood by, weeping in silence and regret.

That evening, Jian Liang was in his room contemplating the chess match at the Yellow Crane Tower for the following day. Someone knocked on the door. "Scholar Jian, are you resting?" Hearing Zhu Weiyuan’s voice, Jian Liang rose to open the door. "Chief Zhu, please come in." After Zhu Weiyuan sat down, he asked, "I heard from Mr. Min the Second that you plan to set up a chess board at the Yellow Crane Tower tomorrow to challenge the world's masters, with the intent of luring someone out through the game?"

Jian Liang replied, "That is correct. A series of murders linked to chess have occurred across the land, and the culprit remains elusive. I am setting a trap to wait for him and settle things on the board." Zhu Weiyuan sighed, "Who would have thought that a refined art like chess could lead to death! It seems you and Scholar Guohuan are looking for the same person—the master chess player and eunuch who kills while playing 'Ghost Chess'."

Jian Liang said, "I once made a pact with Brother Fang to search for this man across the land. Do you know if there is any progress on his end?" Zhu Weiyuan replied, "Our Right Envoy, Mr. Sun Qi, acting on behalf of Scholar Guohuan, ordered our brothers in every branch to track the eunuch. But he is a master of stealth, and he has powerful protectors; for now, there is no news."