The old man made a move first, then moved the chessboard with his hand to turn the other side towards himself, and made another move. In this way, he played the game against himself.
Todd glanced at the other person a few times, then, remembering the complicated situation in St. Defence City, and adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, decided to take a detour.
"Child, could you come and keep me company?"
Seeing the old man not far away looking up at him, Todd cautiously glanced around and, finding no one else nearby, hesitated for a moment before walking over.
Approaching the stone table and looking at the structure of the chessboard, Todd recognized it as "backgammon," a game popular in the Middle Ages. Although he hadn't played it much, he at least knew the rules.
After sitting down, Todd rearranged the chess pieces and gestured for the old man to make the first move.
The old man didn't stand on ceremony and placed a chess piece first, saying with emotion, "I can't even remember the last time someone played chess with me."
Todd tried hard to recall how to play backgammon, and then placed a piece.
Upon seeing the opponent's piece position, the old man uttered a soft, questioning sound, slowed his movements, and placed another piece.
The two exchanged blows for a few more times, and the old man laughed loudly, saying, "I originally thought you were a seasoned expert who used unorthodox methods, but I didn't expect you to be a complete novice!"
As expected, after a few more rounds, Todd was defeated.
The old man smiled and shook his head: "You play chess without any rules, but that's what makes it interesting... Anything will become boring and dull if it's confined by rules and regulations for too long."
By the firelight, Todd glanced at Old Rao's face and guessed his identity with some certainty. He then set up the chess pieces and said, "One more game!"
"Alright!" The old man picked up a chess piece and was about to place it when a heart-wrenching pain made him bend over and cough violently.
Todd quickly stood up and went to the old man's side.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." The old man, having recovered, reached out to stop Todd's movements, then bent down to search for the fallen chess piece on the ground, but after searching for a long time, he still couldn't find it.
Watching Todd pick up the lost chess piece, the old man chuckled self-deprecatingly and said to him, "Child, there are many things in this world you can try. There is only one thing you should not touch... and that is growing old."
"My body is getting weaker and weaker, and my spirits are getting worse and worse. In the daytime, people look at me like I'm a rotting, stinking corpse; at night, I toss and turn in bed, and the whispers of death always keep me awake." The old man looked at his trembling hands and began to wave his arms forcefully, saying helplessly and painfully, "This feeling can drive a person crazy!"
The old man stood up unsteadily, politely declining Todd's help, and striving to maintain his dignity, stepped into the darkness at the end of the corridor.
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