Red Pine!
Lu Zheng took a deep breath, calming his racing heart.
Under Wan Song’s gaze, which seemed to pierce through one’s soul, Lu Zheng gave an awkward smile, deeply regretting his earlier curiosity.
Damn it, how could he hide his emotions in front of such a figure?
And now, he’d revealed himself. What excuse could he use to cover it up naturally?
However…
“Baiyun Temple truly has a profound heritage,” Wan Song said with a smile. “I didn’t expect there to be records of Red Pine.”
Huh? A misunderstanding?
Lu Zheng scratched his head, saying awkwardly, “During casual chats at my sect, I overheard my master mention it once, but I don’t know the details.”
As expected, Wan Song didn’t grow suspicious. He merely nodded and said, “That immortal mentioned he lives in seclusion in the mountains, rarely appearing in the world. It seems those who inherit his teachings are likely of a quiet nature, often solitary cultivators who don’t establish grand sects.
Perhaps one of his successors had some connection with a disciple of Baiyun Temple, which is why his name appears in your sect’s records.”
Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly, agreeing that Wan Song’s explanation made perfect sense.
He’d finally dodged that bullet…
Song Kaichuan eagerly sat across from Wan Song, waved his hand to clear the chessboard, and the two began a new game.
Lu Zheng didn’t watch. Instead, he strolled away from the mountaintop, taking in the scenery.
Wan Song’s mountain was surrounded by endless clouds.
As Lu Zheng looked around, he found that everywhere his eyes reached was pure nature.
Eagles and sparrows soared in the sky, tigers and deer roamed the mountains, mighty rivers surged, clear springs trickled, lush greenery flourished, and wildflowers peeked through.
Lu Zheng focused his energy in his eyes, his vision extending nearly a hundred miles. Only in a distant valley by a riverbank could he faintly see wisps of cooking smoke rising.
This Wan Song Mountain was truly deep!
…
Lu Zheng admired the sea of clouds, resting with his eyes closed until the next morning when the soft purple glow of dawn touched his face. He opened his eyes, exhaled a three-foot-long breath of white mist, which slowly dissipated.
He stood up, turned back, and arrived at the stone platform under the ancient pine tree. There, he saw Song Kaichuan’s game already heavily disadvantaged.
Lu Zheng blinked, marvelling at how boundless the art of chess truly was.
When he first met Song Kaichuan, his chess skills had already astonished him.
Back then, Lu Zheng was already quite skilled. Even professionals like Shen Ying and the chess-savvy Taoist Yu Ting were no match for him, let alone amateurs like Liu Qingyan or his master, Taoist Ming Zhang.
Yet, even so, he had to enhance his skills several times in the modern world to solve the endgame that had troubled Song Kaichuan for thirty years, barely surpassing him.
That gave him the foundation to further improve, dominating the Jinhua Sect during the New Year and winning a copy of the *Mysterious Secrets of the Golden Palace*.
But if he had come to Wan Song Mountain with his skills back then, he likely wouldn’t have passed even Wan Song’s first test.
And now, Wan Song, whose skill was roughly on par with his own, had been tackling a dream chess game for two thousand years!
Honestly, Lu Zheng felt a bit intimidated. Could he really solve the chess game set by Red Pine?
Perhaps sensing Lu Zheng’s unease, Wan Song looked at him with a gentle smile. “Young friend, no need to worry. If you can solve the dream chess game, great. If not, there’s no shame.
Besides, solving the game isn’t the goal. The joy lies in the process.
In the course of solving it, I’ve already gained many insights, my state of mind has grown immensely, and I’ve reaped great rewards. This, in itself, is a form of teaching from an immortal.”
Lu Zheng nodded. Then, Wan Song pointed at his forehead.
A green light entered his spirit, and a text of several thousand words, the *Qing Song Calming Mantra*, flashed through Lu Zheng’s mind like flowing water.
“This is a mantra for cultivating the mind that I comprehended from it. Recite it often to focus and calm your spirit. Whether cultivating or handling tasks, it helps you stay composed and achieve twice the results with half the effort.”
“Thank you, Senior, for bestowing this technique!” Lu Zheng hurriedly bowed in gratitude.
“It’s just a small technique,” Wan Song said with a wave of his hand, unconcerned.
Lu Zheng mentally reviewed the technique, roughly understanding its purpose.
To put it simply, Wan Song was no ordinary master, and his modesty was almost excessive.
Though this mantra was called “Calming,” it wasn’t a cultivation method itself. Instead, it enhanced cultivation practices, essentially acting as a boosting aura for other techniques.
Moreover, after practising this mantra, one’s mind would become clear. In combat, it allowed for calmer spell-casting, conserving energy. Until a spell was fully mastered, this mantra would help save energy and amplify its effects.
In other words, Lu Zheng had already mastered spells like the Exorcism Mantra, so the Calming Mantra had little effect there. But for the more challenging Flowing Cloud Demon-Slaying Mantra, which he couldn’t yet cast with minimal energy for maximum effect, the Calming Mantra would be highly effective.
Wan Song’s immediate purpose in teaching Lu Zheng this technique was to help him focus, suppress anxiety, and concentrate fully on chess.
So extravagant!
But I love it!
Lu Zheng didn’t hold back. He turned, sat on a large rock facing the sea of clouds, closed his eyes, and began cultivating the *Qing Song Calming Mantra*.
A heart as clear as ice, unshaken by a collapsing sky…
Wait, no…
A heart as still as a pine, evergreen through all beginnings…
…
In the days that followed, Lu Zheng consumed a few pine nuts daily and focused on cultivating the *Qing Song Calming Mantra*. In just three days, he mastered its basics.
“Jade Seal, enhance!”
“Buzz!”
At the same time, the cooldown for enhancing his chess skills ended.
“Jade Seal, enhance!”
“Buzz!”
Lu Zheng opened his eyes, feeling his entire being clear-minded, his true qi agile, his spirit refreshed, and his vitality abundant.
“Hmm?”
Wan Song and Song Kaichuan turned to look at Lu Zheng.
Wan Song was slightly surprised. “You’ve mastered the Calming Mantra already?”
Song Kaichuan nodded. “Young Lu is exceptionally gifted. Two years ago, he had only a century’s worth of cultivation. Now, meeting him again, he’s already formidable.”
“Truly remarkable,” Wan Song said with a nod, then beckoned to Lu Zheng. “Young friend Lu, how about another game?”
“Gladly!” Lu Zheng was eager to test his current chess skills.
Lu Zheng took white, starting with a move at the star point. Wan Song took black, responding with a diagonal layout.
Song Kaichuan sat to the side, watching intently without a word.
…
Over three full days, they played two games. Lu Zheng drew one and lost one, slightly behind.
But Wan Song looked delighted, clearly in high spirits.
Lu Zheng took out a water flask and tea leaves, brewing tea while reflecting on the insights from playing Wan Song, working to shorten the cooldown period.
After watching Wan Song dominate Song Kaichuan for a day, he enhanced his skills again and sat across from Wan Song once more.
Then…
January 25: Lost, drew.
January 29: Lost.
February 3: Drew, lost.
February 7: Drew.
February 11: Drew, won.
February 15: Won, drew.
February 18: Won.
February 23: Won.
Song Kaichuan: w(°o°)w
Wan Song: o_O???
