Wen Ning was holding his wine and enjoying the spectacle of Nezha poking Lu Ming's antlers.
Someone suddenly grabbed the back of his collar, making him jump.
He looked back to find the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning's smiling face right beside him. A wine gourd hung at his waist, and his other hand had already seized Wen Ning's sleeve.
"The banquet's over. We can play chess now, can't we? I've been waiting half the day. Those old fellows are all busier than the next. You're the only one with nothing to do."
Wen Ning pointed at Lu Ming.
"I've still got someone passed out here. I need to take him back to the Thunder Department office."
The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning waved a hand.
"Bai Lu's looking after that little deer. He won't die."
With that, he dragged Wen Ning through several corridors. Immortals stepped aside all along the way, and someone muttered under their breath,
"The old fellow's caught someone else to play chess with him."
Beneath the old pine in the Imperial Garden, a chessboard had already been laid out on the stone table, with black and white pieces arranged on either side. Beside it sat the wine gourd the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning never went anywhere without.
But someone was already sitting on a stone stool.
He wore gray-white Daoist robes and had a lean face, with white hair and a white beard. Seated there, he seemed like a mountain.
It wasn't the oppressive feeling Wen Zhong gave off, like the warning signs of a thunderstorm, but something older and more tranquil.
He held a Chinese chess piece and was looking down at the endgame on the board.
The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning approached, his tone becoming a little more restrained.
"Senior Brother,