Xuanqing, who had been seriously playing chess with Wang Ping, raised his head and glanced at Lieyang upon hearing his words. Once he confirmed that Lieyang was joking, he placed a piece and said, "Isn't ruling the sun alone enough for you?"
After Wang Ping's battle with Di Wen, the True Lords' opinion of Wang Ping had undergone an earth-shattering change. For instance, Lieyang now seemed to realize that his earlier words had been somewhat improper. He instinctively weighed his words and tried to make amends: "I was merely speaking on a whim. If you really filled my Daoist temple with all these flowers and grasses, I wouldn't be used to it." He sat up straight, his gaze falling upon the chessboard. "Besides, Huoxing is merely closer to the sun. I do not rule the sun—it is the sun that restrains us."
With a flick of his Sleeve Robe, he said, "If not for the sun's restraint, I would have beaten Tiangong until he hid in his Daoist temple like a turtle."
Xuanqing raised his head to look at Lieyang again and said, "Fellow Tiangong merely has somewhat different ideas. He has never done anything out of line, and with his supervision, we are less likely to make mistakes."
Lieyang seemed long accustomed to Xuanqing's argument. Hearing this, he let out a light laugh and did not refute him. Clearly, they had argued over this matter before, and Lieyang had obviously gained no advantage in those arguments. Otherwise, he would not have worn such an expression.
He carefully studied the chessboard for a moment, then leaned back, picked up some fine wine, and drank alone. Wang Ping and Xuanqing merely continued their silent game. Time passed without a sound, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the