Jiuyi Mountain.
Che Province.
Under the jurisdiction of Miao City.
The river rushed on, winding like a bow.
A forest of assorted trees stood beside a bend in the river, quiet and secluded.
A mottled wall showed between the branches and leaves. It belonged to a secluded little courtyard, whose main gate bore a plaque that read: "Xiwu Academy."
Rumble...
The mighty rain seemed endless, beating chaotically against everything in the courtyard and kicking up a thin veil of mist.
Soft thunder rolled, and cool breezes shook countless drops of pearly rain from the trees.
The last room in the academy stood empty and dim.
A bean-sized flame could barely illuminate a chessboard.
Scattered black and white pieces faced off in a stalemate.
Two figures sat opposite each other beside the board.
The figure wrapped in a black robe had a pale face that seemed to embody all the terror, calamity, mystery, and strangeness in the world. Seated across the board from him was a delicate-looking woman in a loose, simple black robe. Only her eyes stood out: pure white and utterly cold.
At that moment, the two stared at each other in silence.
Suddenly, Mo Lilan picked up a white stone and placed it on the board with casual ease.
"Tap."
Seeing that her opponent had finally made a move, the black-robed figure also took out a black stone and set it down.
The instant the black stone touched the board, it vanished without a sound, like a drop of water falling into a lake.
Mo Lilan placed another white stone.
"Tap."
The black-robed figure took out another black stone and set it down in the same spot as before.
Just like last time, the black stone disappeared the moment it landed, as if the stones the black-robed figure