In just that short moment, Gu Qingfeng had tossed out eleven flying swords as if they were trash, and every single one was an Upper Mystic-Grade Flying Sword.
Within the pavilion, Jin Zhong, Bai Yue, Qing Xi, and Qing Lian all stared at Gu Qingfeng as if beholding a ghost or deity.
It wasn't that they had never seen so many high-grade flying swords before; it was just that for someone with only Golden Core cultivation to pull out eleven Upper Mystic-Grade Flying Swords was utterly inconceivable.
"You brat...
Where in the world did you get so many Upper Mystic-Grade Flying Swords?"
"Didn't I tell you? I found them in a cave dwelling."
Found them?
Was that even possible?
Even if this kid had stumbled into some ancient cave dwelling by some heaven-defying stroke of luck, finding one or two might be believable. But this was eleven! And from the sound of it, his storage bag seemed to hold even more.
What kind of cave dwelling could possibly have so many flying swords?
Why had he himself never encountered one?
Besides, ancient cave dwellings were always riddled with traps and mechanisms. With only Golden Core cultivation, whether this kid could even enter was questionable. Even if he had followed other experts inside, if there were flying swords to be found, they certainly wouldn't have let him have them!
The four of them had no idea where the swords came from, only feeling a deep sense of strangeness.
"Eleven Upper Mystic-Grade Flying Swords, plus the three I won from you, along with all this miscellaneous stuff—isn't that more than enough to wager against your single lifebound Mystic-Grade apex flying sword?"
Though Jin Zhong was reluctant, he had to admit that so many Upper Mystic-Grade Flying Swords were already excessive as a wager against his own apex-grade sword.
"Since that's the case, let's begin."
Looking at Gu Qingfeng's nonchalant attitude—still reclining lazily, leisurely sipping his wine as if he were wagering not over a dozen Upper Mystic-Grade Flying Swords but a pile of scrap metal, as if winning or losing didn't matter at all, or perhaps it should be said, as if he simply didn't regard Qing Xi as a worthy opponent—Jin Zhong, who had originally been brimming with confidence in Qing Xi, began to have doubts. He wanted to remind Qing Xi, but the words died on his lips.
He was an old gambler; he knew all too well that the more critical the moment, the less pressure one should feel, or it would affect performance.
He could only pray silently in his heart.
Dear grand-niece, this is your grand-uncle's lifebound spirit treasure. You must be extremely careful when you play! If you lose, your grand-uncle's efforts over these past few centuries will have been in vain. You absolutely must not lose!
Absolutely not!
Just as he was praying, Qing Xi spoke up. "Grand-Uncle, isn't the wager a bit too large?"
Jin Zhong's heart skipped a beat, but on the surface, he maintained his carefree demeanor. "Grand-niece, just play with peace of mind. Don't feel any psychological pressure; just perform at your usual level."
"But what if I lose...
That's your lifebound magical treasure."
If possible, Qing Xi very much wanted to use other items to replace her grand-uncle's lifebound treasure. The problem was, all the magical treasures on her person combined weren't worth a single Mystic-Grade apex treasure.
"Grand-niece, your grand-uncle has faith in you."
Yes!
Faith.
If not for that, Jin Zhong wouldn't have staked his very life on this. In his mind, this grand-niece of his had simultaneously defeated two reincarnated great powers in a game of chess when she was just twelve years old. No matter how high this kid's chess skills were, he absolutely could not defeat his grand-niece.
"Alright."
Qing Xi took her seat on the chair. "Young Master Gu, please."
Beside them, Bai Yue had remained silent the whole time. He was very much looking forward to the match between Gu Qingfeng and Qing Xi, because he knew that Qing Xi possessed extraordinary talent in chess. At the age of eight, she had defeated Cangsong Daozun, one of the Nine Solitaries of Wuse Mountain renowned as a chess master. At twelve, she had simultaneously defeated two reincarnated great powers. In the following years, many reincarnated great powers had heard of her fame and come to challenge her, but without exception, none had ever won to this day.
This time, Gu Qingfeng used the black stones, while Qing Xi used the white.
Once the game began, Jin Zhong grew nervous. Though he had absolute confidence in Qing Xi, he couldn't help but worry deep down, especially since he had staked his lifebound treasure. He didn't even dare to think about how he would live if he lost.
Especially as the two placed more and more stones on the board, Jin Zhong grew increasingly tense, his palms sweating.
It shouldn't have been this bad.
But the casual, leisurely air exuded by the guy opposite made Jin Zhong feel very uncertain. Gu Qingfeng just sat there, drinking his wine, a faint smile on his lips, not even glancing at the board. His gaze shifted occasionally to Jin Zhong, then to Qing Xi, sometimes shaking his head, sometimes sighing, as if he were merely watching a spectacle. Particularly when it was his turn to move, he didn't hesitate at all, simply picking up a black stone and placing it cleanly and decisively.
In contrast, Qing Xi's expression grew more serious the longer they played, her brows furrowing deeper. She held a white stone in her hand, hovered without descending, hesitating, unsure what she was pondering.
What was even stranger was that, judging from the board position, Qing Xi clearly held the upper hand, while that kid was at a disadvantage. So why was it that the kid moved without hesitation, while Qing Xi, who held the advantage, grew more and more hesitant with each move?
Time passed bit by bit. Qing Xi's slender jade-like hand still held a stone suspended in mid-air, unable to place it for a long time. She looked up and gave Gu Qingfeng a deep glance, her small mouth opening slightly as if to say something, but then she stopped herself. A flicker of unwillingness passed through her eyes—unwillingness mixed with a hint of indignant, and also a trace of guilt.
By this time, beads of sweat had appeared on Jin Zhong's forehead. He wiped them with his sleeve, unable to hold back any longer, and said in a low voice, "Grand-niece...
Judging from the board, you have the upper hand. Why aren't you placing your stone? Hurry up and defeat this kid."
"I..." Qing Xi wore a troubled expression. She looked up at Gu Qingfeng again, then finally placed the white stone in her hand back.
Yes.
Placed it back—not on the board, but into the stone container.
"Grand-niece, what are you doing? Why did you put it back?"
"Grand-Uncle...
I'm sorry...
I...
I've already lost."
Qing Xi's voice wasn't loud; in fact, it was very soft. Yet, to Jin Zhong's ears, it was like a thunderclap exploding beside him, leaving his mind blank and his legs unsteady. He shook his head fiercely, his old face crumpling as if about to cry. "Lost?
Grand-niece, you can't joke like that! Your grand-uncle is old; he can't take this kind of joke!"
"Grand-Uncle...
I'm not joking. I...
really have lost."
"This...
This...
This..." Jin Zhong's face turned deathly pale. He stared wide-eyed, pointing at the board. "This is impossible!
The game has barely begun!
You're in the lead right now—how can you have lost?"
"I've already lost."
"Impossible!"
Jin Zhong picked up a white stone and placed it on the board. "You could play here."
"If I play there, his black stone will definitely go here. Then he can use my twenty-first variation to Move Qiankun."
"If not there, then you can play here!"
Qing Xi shook her head. "If I play there, he can borrow my sixteenth variation, first achieving 'Xun Below Broken,' then 'Qian as Sovereign,' 'Kun as Multitude'—that also leads to Moving Qiankun."
"Then play here!"
"No. Playing there would assist his four-nine derivation: first change, Zhen as Thunder; second change, Xun as Wind; third change, Kan as Water; fourth change, Li as Fire... all the way until he can Move Qiankun..."
"Then...
play here!"
Qing Xi shook her head, on the verge of tears. "No. The entire board is filled with traps and schemes he laid. No matter where I move, he can Move Qiankun..."