I Can See Through All Things Information

Chapter 296: Chapter 218: The Rhythm of the Spiritual Pearl, Leisure Time

“Old Doctor Chen, to speak frankly, my disciple and I are not merely traveling; in truth, we are being pursued and hunted down…”

Fang Tao relayed their plight truthfully to Old Doctor Chen.

“…Old Doctor Chen, I honestly don’t know when those disciples from the Flowing Cloud Sect might catch up to us.

But they are not kind-hearted people, and if they come to this Taoist temple, I fear they might implicate you and the others.

Thus, if possible, it might be better for you and the others to leave sooner rather than later.”

“I had no idea, Estate Master Fang, that you had been through such a traumatic ordeal. However, with the wind howling and the rain pouring heavily outside, the roads are flooded and muddy; our carriage would have a hard time traveling, and even if we left now, we wouldn’t get very far.

...
Moreover, since we’ve come, we may as well stay; given that the Flowing Cloud Sect is a major force in Yunzhou, I’d like to think that they would not be so unreasonable. We have no grudge with them, and even if they indeed follow through here, it wouldn’t make sense for them to take it out on us. You need not worry, Estate Master.”

After listening to Fang Tao’s explanation, the elder doctor did not show a hint of panic but instead spoke words of comfort.

Da Shi, who was standing by, couldn’t help but say, “Old Doctor Chen, you don’t understand; although the Flowing Cloud Sect claims to be a righteous sect, their conduct is extremely domineering.

In Yunzhou, any family or minor force that slightly displeases them might get beaten as a warning, or worse, they might be robbed and annexed.

You really shouldn’t hold too much hope for their character.”

“Is the Flowing Cloud Sect so overbearing that there are no other sects in Yunzhou that can check them?” Lu Qing asked, curious.

Fang Tao sighed, “In Yunzhou, there are three top-tier sects, and among them, the Flowing Cloud Sect has the strongest power. It is said that there are more than one Innate Realm patriarchs within the sect. So even if their actions are domineering, other forces can’t do anything against them.”

“I see,” Lu Qing nodded.

“So, Old Doctor Chen, I’m afraid that offending the Flowing Cloud Sect might embroil you as well, and I hope you will be more careful,” Fang Tao said once again with sincerity.

“Alright, we will set out and leave after the rain stops,” the elder doctor agreed with a nod.

Fang Tao’s mouth opened slightly; he had hoped that the elder doctor would leave earlier.

But looking at the weather outside, he felt that was unrealistic; it wouldn’t be appropriate to send his benefactors out into the storm.

So, in the end, he closed his mouth and stared out at the sky with a look of deep concern.

Ma Gu found humor in the situation.

These people had no idea how formidable the individual before them truly was.

It was no wonder, after all, as Lu Qing and the elder doctor’s skills in concealing their presence were incredible.

Both were only showing the cultivation level of someone in the Qi Blood Realm. Among their company, the most powerful on the surface were only he with his Muscle Bone Realm Great Success, and Zi’an with his Muscle Bone Realm Small Success.

Such strength was nothing to a major sect, so Fang Tao’s worry was understandable.

However, this Fang Tao seemed decent, not one to repay kindness with ingratitude; helping them was not in vain.

Because of Fang Tao and others’ silence, the atmosphere in the great hall became somewhat oppressive.

However, Little Yan and Little Li didn’t share these worries and, feeling bored and with Lu Qing’s permission, they took out Beast Fighting Chess from their luggage and started playing.

The elder doctor also took out a medical classic and began to read leisurely.

Even Lu Qing and Ma Gu were busy with their own things.

For example, Lu Qing immersed his Heart and Spirit into the spiritual cavity between his eyebrows and silently began refining the Earth Spirit Pearl.

Although he had previously left the imprint of his Heart and Spirit within the Earth Spirit Pearl, making it recognize him as its master,

he was still far from complete control and still needed to consecrate continually with his Heart and Spirit.

Moreover, as an Earth Element Treasure, the Earth Spirit Pearl inherently possessed Daoist charm.

During the refining process, he was also perceiving these charms.

Lu Qing had an Intuition that if he could comprehend even a small portion of their principles, it would be enormously beneficial for him.

And so, after Lu Qing and others stopped speaking, the great hall finally became utterly quiet.

“`

However, the clear, rhythmic sound of chess pieces quickly caught the attention of Fang Tao and the others.

Initially, they thought Lu Qing and his company were playing chess, but when they turned around, they saw Little Yan and a small black beast sitting opposite each other, earnestly engaged in the game, and their mouths slowly fell open in surprise.

They had some impression of the small black beast, Little Li, as it was often seen nestled in Little Yan’s arms.

But they had thought it was merely a pet.

After all, based on their attire, Old Doctor Chen and his company did not seem like ordinary folk.

It was not unusual for a family of means to keep a pet.

But now, seeing Little Li sincerely playing chess with Little Yan threw Fang Tao and his companions into disarray.

A chess-playing little beast? They had neither seen nor heard of such a thing!

“Do not take offense, Esteemed Guests. Little Li has been Little Yan’s playmate since childhood. They’re used to frolicking together. If they’re disturbing you, I’ll ask them to quiet down,” said the elder doctor, who was reading a medical book when he looked up and noticed the astonished expressions of Fang Tao and the others.

“No, no trouble at all,” Fang Tao quickly waved his hands.

Yet, he couldn’t hide his intense curiosity.

“Elder Doctor Chen, can this beast truly play chess?”

“Her name is Little Li, and due to her high spiritual wisdom, she’s picked up some of our human ways by being immersed in them,” the elder doctor explained.

Fang Tao and his companions were immediately filled with amazement.

They had never expected a little beast to possess such high spiritual wisdom. Legends tell of spiritual monkeys in the famous mountains that can communicate with humans. This little black beast must be no less capable.

Curiosity getting the better of them, they unconsciously moved closer to Little Yan and Little Li to watch the chess game.

And after a few glances, they were surprised yet again.

They realized the game Little Yan and Little Li were playing was a version of chess they had never seen before.

“Miss Little Yan, what kind of chess is this, with tigers and mice and such?” asked Da Shi after watching for a while, unable to hold back his question any longer.

“Beast Fighting Chess, it’s really fun!” Little Yan happily replied, then casually made a move that took one of Little Li’s leopards.

The small black beast’s eyes suddenly bulged, looking shocked by the unexpected move.

“Beast Fighting Chess?”

Fang Tao and the others grew even more perplexed, as they had never heard of this kind of chess.

“This is a pastime my disciple invented when bored. It has simple rules and is meant for Little Yan and the others for fun. It’s not a game for prestigious events; I apologize if it seems ridiculous,” the elder doctor said with a chuckle.

“I see.”

Fang Tao watched a little longer and indeed found that this Beast Fighting Chess had straightforward rules.

It was a simple case of the strong preying on the weak, and they could understand it without much effort.

No wonder even an unusual creature like the little black beast could learn it; the game was indeed simple.

Fang Tao chuckled and shook his head.

He had been quite startled at first, thinking that Little Li could play complex and profound chess games. If that were the case, the beast’s intelligence would be frightening.

Despite its simplicity, Beast Fighting Chess was intriguing for Da Shi and the other youngsters, who devoted most of their time to martial arts training and had little exposure to entertainment. This novel game captivated them immensely.

While Lu Qing and the rest were leisurely waiting for the rain to stop in the Daoist temple,

hundreds of miles away, in a dim cave, a disheveled figure was staring at the scattered stones in front of him, descending into madness.

“`