Yue Yang made the first move, and the middle-aged scholar held a chess piece between his fingers without speaking.
After a long while.
He finally let out a leisurely sigh. "I merely wanted to take back what belonged to me. What was wrong with that?"
But Yue Yang pressed him relentlessly. "Who cares whether you're right or wrong? All I'm saying is, as long as I'm here, nothing from the Heaven-Piercing Tower—not even a single grain of sand—will be taken by you! Because nothing here belongs to you!"
The middle-aged scholar gently shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Young man, perhaps you once shed some blood and sweat for the Heaven-Piercing Tower, but compared to me, what I gave was more than a thousand times greater than yours. I gave everything, yet ended with nothing. Is that fair? It isn't fair! I gave so much; I should have my reward. I should receive what I deserve—at the very least, my share cannot be denied! Now that I have returned, I am here to reclaim what is mine... Before that, I believe that no matter the reason or the person, no one has the right to question me, a 'family member' who once shed every drop of blood and sweat for the Heaven-Piercing Tower."
"If you give, you will gain. That is certain!"
Yue Yang nodded in agreement.
But then he shook his head again. "If your efforts bring no reward, you should look for the reason within yourself instead of blaming Heaven and everyone else! If you believe you gave everything and received nothing in the end, then it can only prove one thing: you never truly gave! And so, you never truly gained!"
That denial made the middle-aged scholar unable to maintain his composure and grace any longer.
Yue