Ye Buhui could naturally feel the gazes converging from all directions and the hushed discussions. She clenched her fists and silently told herself, "I must seize the Chess Sage's honor!"
In this chess tournament, she had to take first place!
When she raised her eyes again, she was already calm.
As the tournament began, crisp clacks of chess pieces rang out, and the discussions gradually faded away. Everyone present was either a player or an old chess enthusiast; they understood that one should watch a game without speaking.
Plum Hall
Still clad in thin cotton robes, Wild Daoist looked like an elderly scholar as he strolled in from outside, unhurried and unruffled.
The chess hall's Plum Hall was elegantly styled, a row of bamboo-and-wood buildings. A corridor ran before the rooms, and not far away lay an artificial lake. The corridor led to the lakeside, where a row of willow trees had been planted in the open space. Their tender green shoots had unfurled and swayed in the breeze, lending the place an air of leisure.
Even before he entered, faint music drifted out from Plum Hall. Once Wild Daoist stepped inside, it became all the more melodious and pleasing to the ear.
Spring was in full bloom now, and the music carried the breath of spring as well, matching the scenery beyond the corridor perfectly.
"My lord." After entering, Wild Daoist did not look at the several young women dancing with swords to the music. Instead, he went directly to salute Su Ziji.
Only then did he smile. "You are certainly in a fine mood. The scenery here is quite lovely—listening to music and watching sword dances. Though you are not playing chess, you have not let the elegance of Plum Hall go to waste."
Su Ziji chuckled softly