The Sound of Go Is Dao Sound; Playing Go Is Also Discussing the Dao
"Disciple Wu Chu, along with his wife (Houtu, Qingqiu Li) and disciples (Huanglong, Feng Yi, Di Kun), pay respects to Master (Grandmaster)!"
In the Main Hall of the first building on Jade Capital Mountain, Wu Chu, along with Houtu, Qingqiu Li, and three disciples, paid their respects to the white-bearded old Daoist priest who sat cross-legged on a futon.
Little Moon Spirit and the Little Fox waited outside the hall.
"Get up, all of you!"
The old Daoist priest, with a kind expression, gently lifted them all up with a flick of his sleeve.
Wu Chu then said, "Previously, my cultivation was too low, and I was ashamed to face Master. I was unable to personally go to Jade Capital Mountain to pay my respects and serve Master. Please forgive me, Master."
The patriarch glanced at him and said, "Now that you have disciples, you should understand your master's thoughts. It's good enough that you don't bother me. As for serving me, Little Hao and Little Yao are there, so you don't need to do it. Just focus on your cultivation."
As he spoke, the ancestor casually took out three High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure and gave them to Little Yellow Dragon and his two young disciples. It seems that the ancestor probably doesn't have many Supreme-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure by his side.
However, Wu Chu never expected that his patriarch would say this so bluntly to everyone. Although he didn't particularly like his three disciples who didn't know how to flatter him, he was different from them.
Houtu and Qingqiu Li couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this.
They hadn't expected that this seemingly kind but actually quite dignified patriarch would be so disrespectful to his disciple Wu Chu, telling him directly not to bother them.
The three of them, including Little Yellow Dragon, bowed and thanked their grandmaster, happily accepting the treasures bestowed upon them. Then, they secretly glanced at their master, wondering: Could it be that their master, like their grandmaster, didn't want them, as disciples, to disturb them?
"Master's words are wise. This disciple will certainly work harder in my cultivation." Wu Chu remembered the lesson of standing at attention after being beaten, and then added, "However, it is still necessary to pay my respects to Master. This disciple will come to Jade Capital Mountain to visit Master often in the future."
If the patriarch were an arrogant person, he might say no but secretly want it!
To ensure his status as the senior disciple of Jade Capital Mountain remained unshaken, Wu Chu to the basic principles of a disciple, frequently offering favors and trying his best to please his master.
The old ancestor stroked his long beard and smiled, whether out of relief or disbelief, he simply beckoned to Little Moon Spirit outside the hall, "Little Moon Spirit and Xiao Yu are here too, come in!"
So, Little Moon Spirit and her friends, along with a group of Little Flower Fairies and their three pets, entered the hall to pay their respects to this mysterious old senior.
After they had paid their respects, the patriarch lifted them up with a flick of his sleeve before saying to Wu Chu, "I heard from the old Qiankun that your chess skills have greatly improved. How about playing a game with your master?"
Hearing this, Wu Chu was a little suspicious. Did his master find him too long-winded and insist on playing chess with him? Couldn't they just have a private chat like this?
Playing chess with his master, Wu Chu didn't know whether he should use his true skills or cheat.
In short, this game of chess left Wu Chu quite conflicted. Although he was at the Daluo Realm, his mental agility was comparable to that of a supercomputer, the person sitting opposite him was even more superhuman than a supercomputer!
Wu Chu failed to win the ancestor's favor, but Little Moon Spirit and the Little Fox did it with ease. Little Moon Spirit used gourmet food, while the Little Fox used Tea Dao.
While Wu Chu was playing chess with his master, Little Moon Spirit provided them with exquisite desserts, while the Little Fox sat aside brewing tea.
In comparison, Qingqiu Li and Houtu were not as relaxed and at ease in front of the Ancestor as Little Moon Spirit and the Little Fox; they were somewhat restrained.
This sense of restraint made everyone feel cautious and apprehensive.
When the patriarch saw Wu Chu's improved chess skills, he frowned.
After a long while, the Ancestor Hongjun placed a white piece on the chessboard. When the piece struck the board, Wu Chu felt as if he heard not the sound of a piece being placed, but a Dao Sound.
Upon hearing this Dao Sound, Wu Chu suddenly understood and placed his white piece.
Despair...
The sound was crisp yet had a distant quality, like ripples spreading across the heart, spreading in concentric circles.
Qingqiu Li and Houtu listened from the side, their expressions changed, and they gradually relaxed from their previous cautiousness, and then frowned and began to think.
Only Little Moon Spirit and the Little Fox looked at them with puzzled expressions.
Tap, tap, tap...
To them, it was just the ordinary sound of chess pieces falling onto the board.
But to Wu Chu and the others, it sounded completely different.
Under the guidance of the patriarch, Wu Chu asked his master a question while playing chess, and the patriarch took the opportunity to answer Wu Chu's questions. Only Wu Chu and his companions, who were all Daluo Immortals, could understand that those Dao Sound were the trembling of the Great Dao Laws, and not just the sound of pieces being placed.
For them, playing chess is not just about playing a game of chess, but about discussing philosophical principles.
This back-and-forth, this game of chess, from fast to slow, went on for several years.
Little Moon Spirit and the Little Fox were already very familiar with Jade Capital Mountain, but Wu Chu and Houtu had not yet stepped out of the main Main Hall.
"Very good!"
Years later, the old ancestor stroked his beard and smiled.
Wu Chu bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Master, for enlightening me and giving me a much better understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, the Great Dao of Dao of Qiankun and Yin Yang Dao, and even the Spatial Dao."
"Get up! A teacher's duty is to impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts; there's no need for thanks." He paused, then added, "Go and spend some time with Little Hao and Little Yao! I won't interfere in your affairs. They're both bound to this Jade Capital Mountain by me, rarely venturing out, and dare not bother me. They must be quite bored!"
Wu Chu chuckled and said frankly, "Master told me not to bother you before, so no one would dare to disobey!"
Ancestor Hongjun shook his head and said, "That is not an empty statement. I dislike such formalities and even more so, I dislike crowds. If you have nothing to do with cultivation, it is best not to bother me."
"..."
Seeing that his master disliked him so much, Wu Chu felt somewhat helpless.
To avoid having to wait indefinitely for his master to go into seclusion, Wu Chu brought up another purpose of his trip. "Master, I'd like to ask about the Jianmu."
"That is also a Chaos Spiritual Root, but the main stem has long been shattered, just like the Chaos Enlightenment Tea Tree. If you can cultivate it, then cultivate it; if you don't want to, then leave it alone."
Wu Chu nodded slightly, and finally asked, "Master, what are the functions of this Jianmu? Does it bear fruit? What are the effects of that fruit?"
"I'm not entirely sure about these things either; you'll know once you try!"
"Then, Master, do you know that the Jianmu was broken by the Great God Pangu when he created the world?"
"I am not entirely sure about these matters either, but I suppose so!"
Hongjun smiled, waved his hand, and sent Wu Chu and the others out.
Hongjun seemed reluctant to discuss the matter of Great God Pangu creating the world. It's unclear whether he simply knew very little about it or if there were other hidden reasons he didn't want to reveal.