Chapter 75 – A Game of Go

  The days aboard City Lord Han’s flying ship passed in a blur of drifting clouds for Jun De.

  The vessel cruised high above the land, its formations absorbing ambient Qi from the surroundings and combining it with the energy drawn from the copious amounts of spirit stones fueling its flight to create a calm and stable environment that was perfect for cultivation.

  Jun De took full advantage of his time, since it seemed that he would once again be thrown into the fight against the demonic cultivators.

  He spent his mornings seated cross-legged in his private quarters, refining his Qi and drawing in the essence-rich air, deepening his cultivation at a steady pace. In the afternoons, he would train on one of the ship's open-air platforms. The wind would whip around him as he practiced the Heaven-Piercing Starfall Sword Art.

  The Cloudvein Jade Edge was a nimble and elegant weapon, and each time he used it, he found that it was becoming increasingly natural in his hands.

  Yet, despite all the cultivation and training, Jun De wasn’t alone. Shen Ruolan would find him every morning and stay beside him until the sun set and they retired to separate rooms.

  She had a way of suddenly appearing beside him as he walked, sometimes offering him tea, or requesting that he sit with her and share a meal while discussing his interests. But most often, they talked about her and the things she enjoyed doing.

  At first, Jun De had found her presence a distraction, and he was always wary around her. She would frequently bring up marriage and how he should accept entering into her family, and Jun De would reply that he was only interested in the Dao.

  But, as the journey stretched on, Jun De found it harder to resent her company. She was intelligent, with a witty sense of humour that he enjoyed and appreciated. Her beauty was truly stunning, especially when she smiled.

  And when she laughed, it was genuine, warm, and so disarmingly natural that Jun De couldn’t help but join her.

  What surprised him the most, however, was her love of ‘Go.’

  One afternoon, she had sauntered over to where he was meditating with his sword on his lap, as Elder Mu had taught him, holding a hand-carved spirit-jade board and a pouch of polished black and white stones.

  “Would you like to play a game with me?” She had asked, her tone was light and playful, but her eyes were sharp with expectation.

  Jun De’s eyes opened wide in surprise as he recognized the game immediately.

  “You play Go?”

  “I have beaten everyone in the City Lord’s Mansion, including my father. Shall I teach you how to play?” Shen Ruolan said, smiling proudly as she set the game board on a table that was shaded from the sun and wind by an awning.

  Jun De smiled as he placed his sword into his storage bag and stood up.

  “That won’t be necessary. I have a small amount of skill in the game as well.” Jun De said humbly as he sat down across from her.

  “That’s a bold claim.” Shen Ruolan replied as she took her own seat. Jun De picked up the bags and took a white stone and a black one in each hand. Placing them behind his back, he shuffled them between his palms until even he didn’t know which was which anymore.

  Placing both of his hands in front of him, he kept the stones concealed as he offered Shen Ruolan the chance to pick.

  “Are you bold enough to test it?” Jun De asked tauntingly, and Shen Ruolan arched an eyebrow as she reached forward and tapped his right hand. Jun De turned it over to reveal the black stone.

  Shen Ruolan plucked the stone from his hand with a smug look and studied the board for a moment before carefully placing it near the center.

  Jun De had studied Go extensively in High School and University back on Earth. He had even been ranked amongst the top amateurs in his region. It was one of the few extracurricular activities that he had enjoyed.

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  To his surprise and delight, Shen Ruolan was no beginner herself. She played aggressively, cutting into his territory with clever invasions and unusual moves. It had forced him to adapt quickly and abandon his preferred defensive tactics to match her boldness.

  The game ended in a narrow win for him, but not without several moments where Shen Ruolan nearly had the upper hand.

  Shen Ruolan took her loss well, something that Jun De hadn’t expected. She promised to beat him next time, and she looked thoughtful as she packed the board up and left him for the evening.

  If Jun De had known that the young woman was as pleased as he was to find a worthy partner and opponent, he would likely have stopped playing with her immediately. In fact, it was one of the things she looked for in a marriage partner.

  After that, playing Go became a regular event between them. They would often play when they had a spare moment after cultivating or training. Sometimes they would play in the open air and sun, other times in Shen Ruolan’s richly furnished chamber, where servants brought snacks and tea.

  But, even in their most lighthearted moments, Shen Ruolan never forgot to bring up the subject of marriage.

  “You know, if we were married, we could play every day. You could live in Yunlai City without worrying about cultivation resources or competing with your fellow Disciples.” Shen Ruolan said to him as she delicately placed a white stone.

  Jun De glanced up from the board, meeting her eyes.

  “As enjoyable as that would be, we have only known each other for a few days. You hardly know anything about me, Ruolan. I would think you would like to become more acquainted with each other before proposing.” Jun De replied.

  “That’s enough time. In Yunlai City, most engagements are arranged before people even meet.” Shen Ruolan responded.

  It was clear to Jun De that she meant what she was saying, and that the marriage proposal wasn’t a joke.

  “And what happens if you regret it? I may play ‘Go’ with you, but I can be incredibly boring. I don’t leave my courtyard much, and I dislike fighting. I also don’t have much interest in seeing the world.” Jun De admitted truthfully, and Shen Ruolan frowned.

  “You won’t dissuade me, Jun De.” Shen Ruolan threatened, and Jun De sighed.

  “Your move.”

  As the ship soared over rivers and mountains toward the suspected stronghold of the demonic cultivators, Jun De started to find himself becoming more at ease. He was cultivating and learning the sword art Elder Mu had given him. Better yet, he was spending his days with a brilliant young woman who enjoyed ‘Go’ as much as he did.

  Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The journey had been tranquil for too long, and the gentle hum of the flying ship had lessened the vigilance of the cultivators on board.

  The ships were travelling high above the clouds, while the stars cast soft silver light across their hulls. Cultivators strolled across the decks or meditated in silence.

  Shen Ruolan sat across from Jun De in her chambers, another Go match in progress between them. She was edging toward a win, and her laughter was echoing throughout the room as softly as wind chimes.

  Then the night was torn apart.

  A violent explosion ripped across the air with a scream, and in the next instant, the spiritual energy barriers of both ships flared to life with dazzling brilliance. Shockwaves cracked across the skies as more explosions erupted against the protective formations.

  The peaceful voyage was instantly shattered by the screams of demonic cultivators who clashed against the crews of both ships. Demonic Qi pressed in from every direction as flying swords and beasts descended from the sky, and enemies landed on the deck.

  Jun De shot to his feet as alarms rang from within the ships. The sky outside the windows blazed as streaks of light swept past them. Shen Ruolan, a step slower, was still looking around in shock as Jun De grabbed her arm and forced her to stand.

  The pair had just come onto the deck when a burst of radiant energy tore the air apart above them. City Lord Han appeared, while his Nascent Soul cultivation blazed around him like the rising of the sun. His appearance alone sent the demonic attackers reeling backwards, but it was his spiritual pressure that turned them to ash or bloody mist as he ruthlessly crushed them.

  “You dare attack my ship!?” City Lord Han roared, and for a moment, there was complete silence as he dominated the battlefield. The gap between the Nascent Soul stage and Core Formation was so wide, so unbridgeable, that no one other than another Nascent Soul cultivator could resist it.

  Even Jun De and Shen Ruolan, who were protected from City Lord Han’s wrath, could feel the spiritual pressure he was exuding.

  It seemed as if the battle would end as quickly as it had begun when a single, cold snort sounded out.

  It echoed through the hearts of everyone who heard it, and the light around City Lord Han dimmed slightly.

  A second figure emerged from the darkness, cloaked in a bloody red light. Shadows seemed to cling to his figure as he flew in the air.

  Xun Beiming had arrived.

  His black robes fluttered around him, and his body seemed to be even more emaciated than Jun De remembered. Vengeful spirits twisted and screamed around him, their faces pale echoes of the cultivators they had once been.

  He had refined their bodies, harnessed their blood essence and bound their souls to him to increase his own power.

  His cultivation had ascended, and Xun Beiming had reached the Early Nascent Soul Stage.

  The aura that surged around Xun Beiming was powerful, but it was clear that his foundation was weak and on the verge of collapse. It would fluctuate wildly, sometimes being much weaker than Core Formation, and other times exceeding Han Zhengwu’s own Nascent Soul cultivation.

  The air was heavy with the smell of blood and death.

  “You have grown complacent, City Lord Han. While you basked in your city’s comforts, I have ascended. One soul, one death, at a time.” Xun Beiming called out, and his words ended in crazed laughter.