Hu Yun had originally thought he cultivated diligently enough, but whenever he considered the possibility of encountering Lord Lu in the future, he immediately felt he had to work even harder. At the very least, he needed a chance to explain himself; otherwise, being swallowed whole the moment they met would be far too unjust.
Alas, even Mister Ji isn't saying anything... Looks like I truly haven't cultivated hard enough...
Hu Yun thought this sorrowfully.
In truth, Ji Yuan knew all about Hu Yun's cultivation over the years. He had worked far harder and more diligently than ordinary monsters, and his progress had been astonishingly swift as well. Ji Yuan simply did not wish to interfere with Xiezhi's method of teaching his disciple, and he also knew that Lord Lu would not truly do anything to Hu Yun.
Who knew what went through Hu Yun's head? He clearly understood that Lord Lu actually wished him well, but understanding was one thing—he was genuinely terrified. He always felt that Lord Lu might casually eat him at any moment. Even at his current cultivation, whenever he saw more than two dogs in Ning'an County, he would still take a detour.
Though Ji Yuan was playing chess, it was much like when he derived methods from books; he was also using the game to derive and calculate. The benefit was that he did not need to keep his mind fixed upon the chessboard at all times. Once the pieces were set down, so long as they were not moved about carelessly, they would remain there, allowing the derivation to continue without interruption.
At this moment, Ji Yuan held a black piece in his hand and swept his gaze over the entire board. Yet the board seemed no longer to be merely nineteen lines