This Rhino Emperor Game had been passed down in Bauhinia Village for countless generations. Few people ever studied it, and even those who did rarely gained anything from it.
Only Xiao Yan seemed to have a natural talent for it from a young age. Not long after he first encountered the Rhino Emperor Game passed down in the village, he solved the first endgame and eagerly went to find the Mountain Ghost, who guarded the only way out of the mountains.
But the Mountain Ghost was far stronger than Xiao Yan had expected. He was defeated almost without being able to fight back.
Though the Mountain Ghost defeated him, it didn't hurt him.
This made Xiao Yan suspect that the Mountain Ghost might not be guarding the exit with ill intentions after all.
Yet, deep down, Xiao Yan felt a voice repeating over and over: "Beyond the mountains, become the ruler of the world..."
"The ruler of the world? What the hell?"
Xiao Yan was confused, but that didn't dampen his curiosity about the world beyond.
"No matter what, I have to go out and see for myself." With Sister Yun's retort leaving him speechless, Xiao Yan could only resort to wishful thinking. "And if the outside world really is dangerous, I'll apologize to the Mountain Ghost. Then I'll guard the passage with it!"
With that, Xiao Yan jumped out of bed and ran outside without looking back.
"Hey, hey, hey! Xiao Yan, drink your medicine first!"
Xi Yun hurried after him.
Though Xiao Yan had solved the first endgame and had been helpless against the Mountain Ghost, he was already like a superhuman compared to ordinary villagers in Bauhinia Village. By the time Xi Yun had just gotten to her feet, he had already vanished.
"That little brat..."
Xi Yun stamped her foot in frustration, but all she could do was pour the medicine into a clay jar, tie a rope around it, and prepare to take it to Xiao Yan.
Before leaving, Xi Yun glanced back at the bed where Xiao Yan had just been lying.
A slightly yellowed scroll hung on the wall beside the bed. It depicted a kind-looking woman holding a gray-haired baby.
Looking at the woman in the painting, Xi Yun sighed and prayed, "Godmother, with Xiao Yan's personality, I doubt he'll settle down and spend his whole life in Bauhinia Village. Please watch over him from heaven."
With that, Xi Yun turned and left with the jar of medicine.
It was afternoon, and people came and went along the village's dirt roads.
Though Xiao Yan had dashed off in the blink of an eye, Bauhinia Village was tiny, with only a few hundred households. As the saying went, a monk could run away, but his temple couldn't. Xi Yun knew exactly where Xiao Yan would go, even with her eyes closed.
"Xiao Yun, taking medicine to Xiao Yan?"
"That's right, Grandpa Fang."
"That boy's probably at the Old Temple right now. You can't go wrong looking for him there."
"Got it."
Villagers stopped to greet Xi Yun and chat as she walked, and she answered each of them with a smile.
The people of Bauhinia Village were simple and kindhearted.
Xiao Yan's father had died young, leaving his mother to raise him alone. Later, she adopted Xi Yun, and the two children had received plenty of help from their neighbors as they grew up. After Xiao Yan's mother passed away a few years ago, they had practically grown up eating at everyone's table.
The Old Temple stood in the center of the village, and Xi Yun soon arrived.
Just as expected, the moment she stepped into the ancient temple, she saw Xiao Yan crouched in front of a stone platform, staring intently at the enormous book with its golden cover.
Xi Yun was still annoyed with him for running off, so she didn't bother being gentle. She walked up and smacked him on the back of the head, scolding, "You little brat, drink your medicine before studying the endgame!"
"Ow!"
Xi Yun had put some force into that slap. Caught off guard, Xiao Yan yelped, clutched the back of his head, and turned around with tears in his eyes. "Sister Yun, what if you damage this clever brain of mine?"
His smooth talk made Xi Yun laugh despite herself. She said crossly, "Aren't you the great Master Xiao Yan, solver of endgames? How could a frail little woman like me possibly make you stupid with one slap? Besides, it'd be just as well if you were stupid. Then you'd stop thinking about going outside all the time."
Xiao Yan's face darkened, but he had no confidence to argue back. He took the medicine jar and muttered, "The Rhino Emperor Game grants you abilities. Your physical constitution doesn't noticeably improve until you've solved more than five hundred endgames..."
"If you know that, then hurry up and drink! You just woke up and ran straight here. You're such a worry." Xi Yun glared at him, silencing him at once. He lifted the jar and gulped it down.
The medicine was bitter, and Xiao Yan drank too quickly, choking and coughing.
Xi Yun gently patted his back. "Slow down, slow down. You're so reckless..."
After coughing a few times, Xiao Yan suppressed the bitterness in his mouth and smiled at Xi Yun. "All right, Sister Xi Yun, I've finished the medicine. I need to get back to studying the endgame. Sorry for the trouble."
"Who are you being so polite to, you little brat?" Xi Yun pretended to still be angry and snorted, though the smile on her face gave her away. "Be more careful from now on. You had everyone worried for nothing... I'll bring you dinner tonight. Take your time studying."
With that, Xi Yun packed up the medicine jar and left the Old Temple.
Xiao Yan watched his adoptive sister leave, silently thanked her, then turned back to the endgame.
Spring turned to autumn, and winter to summer.
It seemed that after his defeat by the Mountain Ghost, Xiao Yan had truly learned his lesson. He settled down and began diligently studying the Rhino Emperor Game in the Old Temple of Bauhinia Village.
The Rhino Emperor Game had a strange profundity to it. Once you calmed your mind and studied it, it felt as though you had entered a special state of thought, with your brain running millions of times faster.
Xiao Yan truly did seem to have a gift for it. Over the course of five years, the gray-haired boy had grown into a tall young man, and the young girl had blossomed into a striking beauty with a bold, spirited air.
Xiao Yan had solved 1,999 endgames and was just one step away from solving the 2,000th.
"How am I supposed to solve this 2,000th endgame?"
In front of the stone platform in the Old Temple, Xiao Yan frowned as he stared at the golden-covered book, looking troubled.
The midday sun was scorching, but Xiao Yan wasn't affected in the slightest. Not a drop of sweat appeared on his wheat-colored skin.
"Xiao Yan, it's time to eat!"
A pleasant voice came from behind. Though his train of thought had been interrupted, Xiao Yan wasn't annoyed. He turned around and waved a hand, and a huge swath of clouds covered the sun.
Seeing Xi Yun, glistening with sweat, Xiao Yan couldn't help saying, "Sister Yun, haven't I told you? With how much I've studied the endgames, I could go without eating and be perfectly fine. Why come all this way in this heat?"
"How could that be the same?"
Xi Yun shook her head in disagreement. "Have you forgotten? Godmother always said that a family should act like a family. We're family, so of course we should eat together."
Xi Yun had used his mother's own words against him, and Xiao Yan immediately raised his hands in surrender. "I've never been able to win an argument with you. I give up."
A sly glint flashed in Xi Yun's eyes. Satisfied, she took the food from her basket, and the two of them ate together in the Old Temple.
Xiao Yan wondered if he should just go home whenever it was time to eat. With the "abilities" he now wielded over heaven and earth, all he had to do was teleport home.
The problem was that whenever he became absorbed in an endgame, he easily lost track of time. Usually, he only came back to himself when Xi Yun called out to him.
After eating their fill, Xiao Yan helped Xi Yun put away the bowls and chopsticks, then held out a hand. "Take my hand. I'll send you home."
"Okay."
Xi Yun nodded and took his hand as well.
"Whoosh!"
A green whirlwind swirled around their feet. Then they rose into the air and sped toward the old house.
Naturally, they drew a few curious stares along the way.
Xi Yun noticed the villagers watching them. Remembering the conversations she'd had with the women and aunties in the village, she blushed and closed her eyes.
Xiao Yan, beside her, didn't notice a thing.
When Xi Yun opened her eyes again, they were already at her door. "We're here, Xiao Yan. You can go—"
Before she could finish, Xi Yun noticed Xiao Yan gazing grimly at the roof.
Following his gaze, she saw a huge figure, three meters tall, floating in the air, entirely shrouded in a black robe.
"You're... the Mountain Ghost?!"
Xi Yun exclaimed in shock.
The Mountain Ghost was worshipped by Bauhinia Village, and there was an image of it in the village. But this was the first time Xi Yun had seen the living Mountain Ghost.
"Mountain Ghost, what do you want?" Xiao Yan asked in a low voice, looking up at it.
"...Xiao Yan."
The Mountain Ghost murmured in a deep voice, then fixed its gaze on Xiao Yan. Beneath its black hood, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed eerily. "Fight me. Pass the trial, and you'll earn the right to leave the mountains. Otherwise... you die!"
At the word "die," the weather changed abruptly. Dark clouds covered the sky, and a crushing pressure descended. Xi Yun felt as if she were drowning, barely able to breathe. She clenched her teeth, refusing to kneel.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Yan's cold snort echoed through the heavens. A translucent white shield sprang up, protecting Xi Yun and their little house.
"Mountain Ghost, this isn't the place to fight. How about we battle deep in the mountains?" Xiao Yan shouted.
If they fought here, he wasn't confident he could protect Xi Yun and the entire village.
"Fine..."
The Mountain Ghost replied coldly, then vanished. Even so, Xiao Yan could sense a gaze fixed on him from somewhere beyond.
If he didn't follow at once, the Mountain Ghost would surely return.
Xiao Yan rose into the air, preparing to pursue it.
"Xiao Yan!"
Xi Yun cried out anxiously beside him.
Xiao Yan turned to look at her and smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Sister Yun. I'll definitely defeat the Mountain Ghost."
With that, he shot toward the horizon like a streak of light.
Xi Yun watched the streak disappear, worry deepening on her face. But she knew that, for some reason, the Mountain Ghost had come looking for him. The entire village of Bauhinia was likely being held hostage to force Xiao Yan's hand. He couldn't run away.
She hurried into the house and knelt before the painting of Xiao Yan's mother, clasping her hands in prayer. "You have to win, Xiao Yan."
While Xi Yun prayed for Xiao Yan's victory, he and the Mountain Ghost had already reached the depths of the mountains, outside the cave where the Mountain Ghost usually stayed.
In midair, the tall figure in the black robe faced off against the gray-haired young man.