To be honest, Qin Mu was very curious about how the literary contest was conducted, so he watched it very carefully.
The two musicians quickly began to play. At first, it was fine; one played the xiao (vertical bamboo flute), and the other the qin (a seven-stringed zither), their music beautiful and captivating. However, things gradually took a turn for the worse. As Qin Mu listened, he felt a tightness in his chest and a sense of unease, like the motion sickness he used to experience when traveling in a winding road after catching a cold.
"Huai Dao! If you feel unwell, use your righteous energy to seal your hearing." Qin Yue noticed his discomfort and patted him on the shoulder as he spoke.
Qin Mu nodded. He then realized that the literary contest wasn't just about who played better, but also a form of competition. Following Qin Yue's advice, Qin Mu tentatively mobilized his righteous energy, channeling it along his blood vessels to his ears, forming a protective shield.
As the protective shield formed, Qin Mu felt the world suddenly become silent. All sounds disappeared, as if he had suddenly entered a closed room. Fortunately, he could still see, so he wasn't worried.
He shook his head, looked around to adjust, and then focused on watching the game again, after all, it was a rare opportunity.
He couldn't hear, but he could see Li Chongyi's hands plucking faster and faster. Dongfang Wu's composure had vanished; he was moving his lips and trying his best to play, with sweat clearly visible on his forehead.
Not only that, but in the empty space between the two fighting, there was a feeling of air distortion. Qin Mu knew that he was definitely not seeing things. It was obvious that the two were mixing spiritual energy into the music, which should be a sonic attack method.
As time went on, Qin Mu noticed that many guards had to cover their ears and back away, and some even used their bloodthirsty energy, which was obviously unbearable for most people.
Suddenly! Both of them were thrown backward at the same time. Dongfang Wu's flute broke in his hand, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he stared intently at Li Chongyi, clutching the broken flute.
Li Chongyi had his back to Qin Mu. Qin Mu only saw him lean back slightly and the string on his zither break. Although he couldn't see if there was blood in his mouth, blood was dripping from his drooping fingers onto the ground.
"It's a draw! Do you have any objections?" Li Xiaogong leaped up and landed beside Li Chongyi in two leaps, supporting his son and asking domineeringly.
“The Prince is very fair, we have no objections.” Murong Yun had someone help Dongfang Wu away and bowed.
"It's my turn!" Qin Yue said, clenching his fist, after Li Xiaogong helped Li Chongyi away.
Qin Mu had already dispelled his protective aura of righteousness, so he could naturally hear it. Knowing that the fight was not so simple, he couldn't help but remind him, "Be careful."
"Wait for my good news!" Qin Yue replied confidently, then walked away without looking back.
Qin Mu was wondering why there was no chessboard when he saw Qin Yao wave his hand, and something landed on the arena, quickly turning into a huge chessboard, with black and white pieces right at their feet.
The young man from the aristocratic family who was going to fight was named Du Jia. Although he had an ordinary appearance, his eyes were very deep and seemed to see through people's hearts.
The two exchanged names and quickly began to work together, but not in a fight. Instead, black and white pieces were thrown into the air and landed on the chessboard.
This time, it was Qin Yue who showed off. With a flick of his folding fan, the chess pieces flew up and fell one after another.
"A battle of musical prowess where one attacks the opponent with sound—wherein lies the danger in this contest?" After watching for a while, Qin Mu asked curiously.
"With practice, most people can use sonic attacks, though they vary in strength, and they are easy to defend against."
This game is different. Look at them, standing on the chessboard now. They are in the game. Although it seems unchanged to us, they have entered an illusion.
This method was initially used by military strategists to train their disciples or for mutual deduction. Within the illusion, they arrange their troops and attack each other. We cannot see their specific actions; only the one controlling the chessboard can see them. Of course, we can observe the game from within the chessboard. However, observing the game has a significant impact on mental strength, which is why we were not allowed to observe,” Huang Yuqi explained to Qin Mu.
“That’s right. Unless it’s a friendly match between family members with elders watching over them, they won’t let anyone watch,” Qin Yue added.
Qin Mu then noticed that Murong Yun and two others were also standing on the chessboard, though the board was so large that he hadn't noticed them before. He also understood why the game hadn't allowed them to watch; it was related to mental strength. If an injury was too severe, it could damage the sea of consciousness, which was extremely troublesome. Not only would it be difficult to recover, but it would also greatly affect one's strength, potentially preventing any further progress.
"Is there any danger in composing poems?" Qin Mu asked after thinking for a moment.
"Poetry and prose are certainly not dangerous, but if they are too bad, they can greatly affect one's reputation," Qin Yue said with a smile.
"That's good." Qin Mu smiled sheepishly. He had thought that composing a poem would also be risky, given that both literary competitions were risky.
Of course, there's not much risk involved. After all, there shouldn't be any danger to his life. As long as there's no danger to his life, it's not a big deal for him.
Unable to see the battle unfold, everyone could only wait patiently. On the chessboard, Qin Mu saw that Qin Yue's folding fan had not been opened or closed again. He was tapping it very solemnly, and each time he would ponder for a while.
Of course, his opponent, Du Jia, was not having an easy time either. His face was solemn, his fingers formed a sword gesture as he moved the chess piece. He also pondered for a long time before making a move.
Looking at the chessboard alone, the pieces seem very chaotic, with black and white pieces intertwined and scattered in different groups.
Although Qin Mu said he didn't know how to play Go, he still knew the basic rules. However, the pieces on the board now were not arranged according to the rules at all.
It's probably due to this special competition. Since it involves military tactics, the illusion is likely more related to warfare. I wonder what kind of scene it is. But now that I have the military heritage, I'll know what's going on once I get a chessboard.
"Hmm, I don't know how the chessboard is made. I'll ask Luo Cheng and the others later; they should know," Qin Mu thought to himself.
This match lasted the longest; the sun was already high in the sky, and both players were drenched in sweat. Du Jia hadn't made a move for a long time.
Strangely enough, despite the numerous moves the two players made—the board should have been full—there were still only forty or fifty pieces remaining. Often, when pieces were placed in adjacent areas, they would disappear from each other's play.
With a loud "pop!" everyone present heard it, like a plastic bag being torn apart. Qin Yue and Du Jia then swayed and stumbled backward, finally collapsing to the ground.
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