Chaotic Fools

The fastest update to Seeking the Dao in the Mortal World!

At this moment, Qin Yi came to Peek Heaven Peak alone to find Tai Huang Jun.

When I met Tai Huang Jun, he was playing chess with a Daoist priest, and there was a scholar-looking man watching from the side.

Upon seeing Qin Yi ascend the mountain, Tai Huang Jun looked slightly surprised but remained silent, continuing his chess game. Qin Yi also kept quiet for the moment, walking to the side to watch.

After watching for a while, Qin Yi's face contorted as if he had swallowed a dozen rotten duck eggs.

I initially thought it was just random, ruleless gameplay, and I was curious how they would determine the winner. But after watching, I realized that the rules were still the same as normal Go rules; it's just that people's rules were different...

Qin Yi watched helplessly as Tai Huang Jun stole a black piece from his opponent, breaking up the opponent's two dragons that were clearly connected, rendering them unable to live.

The opponent ignored it and quietly added a white piece to the corner of Tai Huang Jun's living stones, turning the stones that were originally alive with two eyes into a one-eyed dragon.

Tai Huang Jun also ignored it.

That wasn't all; the bystander even pointed with his fan, saying, "That move was too small. They should have broken free here first and grabbed this spot... at least they could have gained three points..."

Even Qin Yi, who wasn't an expert in Go, knew that everyone was stealing and filling each other's pieces, and entire areas were about to die. Why bother with big or small points? What was the point of fighting for points? The only way things should develop was to just fight.

Or are you referring to the number of points remaining after they've mutually destroyed each other's pieces?

And what happened to the agreement to remain silent while watching the game? Won't you get beaten up for all this chattering?

As it turned out, they weren't beaten. Upon hearing this, Tai Huang Jun was overjoyed. "This makes sense."

Then, openly and honestly, he took back his move, picked up the piece he had previously placed, and moved it to a new position.

Qin Yi: "..."

The scholar watching the game turned to look at him. "Young man, you look delighted. Have you gained something?"

"What joy?!" Qin Yi, barely holding back a mouthful of blood, forced a smile and said, "I am ignorant of chess and have gained nothing."

The man persisted, saying, "It was just a casual remark."

It's one thing for you to interrupt while watching the game, but you also expect me to be like you?

Qin Yi said angrily, "I don't know chess, but I can draw. If I'm going to just copy and fill in the pieces like these two, I might as well pick up a pen and change the colors of all their pieces to my own, then I'll win."

The Daoist priest was taken aback, then overjoyed!

He then quickly pulled out a calligraphy brush used for drawing talismans, and with two swift strokes, the entire chessboard turned black.

Tai Huang Jun glared angrily at Qin Yi: "Who the hell are you on?"

Qin Yi was half open, and he didn't know how to respond.

The scholar looked at Qin Yi and bowed respectfully. "Young brother, your cultivation is profound. May I ask where you cultivate?"

Profound skill? Are you serious?

Qin Yi's lips twitched for a long time before he managed to say, "Qi Wu, Rogue Person, greets everyone."

Now that I'm wanted by the authorities, it's best not to use my original name. Actually, using the pseudonym "Qi Wu" isn't good either, it might attract the Profound Yin Sect... But Tai Huang Jun knows the name "Qi Wu," I can only go along with it.

"Qi Wu..." the scholar said, stroking his chin, "That name sounds familiar..."

"Well..."

"It doesn't matter where I've heard it before," the scholar said. "I am Chess Watcher and a great lover of watching chess. Young Master Qi seems to possess superb chess skills. Would you like to play a game so I can observe and learn?"

Who wants you to watch them play chess? How dare you call yourself Chess Watcher?

Qin Yi was speechless and could only say, "I have something to discuss with Tai Huang Jun this time, and my companions are waiting for me in the city below, so I won't be playing chess."

The Chess Watcher sighed in disappointment. The Daoist priest patted Qin Yi on the shoulder with an extremely friendly expression. "Young Brother Qi, at such a young age, your insight is so profound. You are far superior to those so-called masters of the Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting Sect. Unlike those chess fanatics, who are utterly incompetent..."

Qin Yi: "???"

Of course! With the way you guys play, it's a miracle if Uncle Chess Maniac doesn't die on the spot! It seems Uncle Chess Maniac has some very painful memories to recall here...

The Daoist priest did not insist, and stood up, saying, "Our fun is over for today. Since Brother Qi has business with Taihuang, let's play again next time."

Seeing the Daoist priest and the Chess Watcher drift away, Tai Huang Jun finally glanced at Qin Yi and asked, "What are you doing here again?"

Qin Yi finally managed to shake off his eccentric chess-playing mindset and bowed, saying, "Thank you for stopping Xuan Hao when we escaped from the Profound Yin Sect last time..."

Tai Huang Jun said irritably, "I already have a grudge against the Profound Yin Sect. Sending you there wasn't for any good reason. What's there to thank me for? Even if I were to thank you, my previous attempt to kill you and steal your treasure already makes up for it."

"Now that we've settled our scores, why are you still being so mean to me?"

"Because you made me lose the game! That's much more important!"

Qin Yi was speechless. "Can you really call this a loss?"

"Calculate!"

"... What was the bet?"

Tai Huang Jun angrily said, "Next time I see them, I'm going to meow like a cat."

He paused for a moment, then stroked his chin and said, "... Fine, I'll just renege on the debt. Yeah, it's no big deal."

Qin Yi found the people in this Land of Chaos really interesting; the more he interacted with them, the more fun it became.

Tai Huang Jun said impatiently, "What exactly are you here for? Stop beating around the bush and just spit it out."

"I'd like to know, within this radius of a thousand miles, are there any sects that have been established for less than a thousand years?"

Why should I tell you?

Qin Yi took out a Heavenly Heart Lotus: "I took a few back then, and there are still some left. According to the agreement, I should give one to you, Senior."

Tai Huang Jun paused, his gaze towards Qin Yi becoming rather strange. "Do you know that if you had just flattered me a couple of times, I might have said it, it's such a small matter... The Heavenly Heart Lotus is priceless, and you just gave it away like a dog's tail?"

Qin Yi smiled nonchalantly, "I should be a senior, after all."

"Tsk... I don't really like your serious attitude. But people like you..." Tai Huang Jun sighed and took out a bright red fruit, "This is the Burning Flame Fruit that I tricked you into believing in. Whether you want to refine pills or combine fire seeds, consider this a trade between us."

Qin Yi didn't stand on ceremony, accepted the Burning Flame Fruit, and said with a smile, "Thank you, senior."

Tai Huang Jun also smiled. This was an agreement that had been made a year or two ago. The result of meeting again with a smile after so much time had passed had a sense of cause and effect, which made people feel much more at ease.

Qin Yi said, "Now that we're friends, senior, can you answer my question from earlier?"

Tai Huang Jun replied nonchalantly, "Of course! Within this area of a thousand miles, there isn't a single sect that has been established for less than a thousand years, right?!"

Qin Yi: "... Is this the answer? Why did you brag about telling me before?"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Qin Yi really wanted to slap that old man's face, but swallowed his anger and asked, "Then... what about the Rogue Cultivator who moved to the nearby spiritual mountains within the last thousand years?"

"There are plenty of those, and I am one of them!" said Tai Huang Jun. "Besides, there aren't really any sacred mountains to speak of. The good ones have already been taken. Rogue Cultivator miserable and can only find a few useless places that others don't care about. If someone is lucky enough to find a hidden sacred land, that's a blessing, and no one dares to go around claiming how good their sacred land is."

Qin Yi frowned and thought for a while, "Do you know where there are large Red Rock Landform? And places with mandrills and the like...?"

Tai Huang Jun hesitated for a moment. "That's true. But that place is very troublesome. Are you sure you want to go?"

Qin Yi's spirits lifted. "What?"

"That place is occupied by a Ghost Cultivator from who-knows-where. It's eerily Ghost Qi, and what was once a beautiful Red Rock Mountain has become a ghostly realm, with the red rocks reduced to piles of bones."

"Ghost Cultivator?"

"Yes. Since the Netherworld Realm collapsed a long time ago, there haven't been any genuine Ghost Cultivator left in the world. I really don't know where this one came from. I've heard he's extremely powerful, but I certainly wouldn't dare touch him." Tai Huang Jun said, "That Red Rock Land isn't anything special. It's not fertile soil for mortals and has no Spiritual Qi for cultivators. It's been a barren place for a long time. What do you need it for?"

Qin Yi pondered for a moment, "I just want to visit that Ghost Cultivator."

Tai Huang Jun glanced at him sideways. "If you want to go, go by yourself. Don't bring any of those companions you mentioned waiting in the city."

"Why?"

"You must have brought a woman with you..."

"I am ashamed to say that you understand me so well after only one meeting."

"I'll only separate you two, and I've heard that the more a man and woman that Ghost Cultivator sees together, the more gruesome their death." Tai Huang Jun stroked his beard and said, "If I weren't afraid of being inexplicably killed by it, I'd like to get to know it. We're all human beings!"