The old man saw Qi Wuhuo, and Qi Wuhuo also bowed slightly. The old man let go of the child's arm and said with a smile: "It's my friend. Haha, I never thought that we would meet here again after parting a few days ago. We are really destined to meet."

"Come on, come on, if you have some free time, how about playing a game with me?"

The child raised his head and said, "Eh? You don't want to play with me anymore?"

"Then, where are my candied haws?"

The old man stroked his head and laughed loudly. Then he reached into his left sleeve with his right hand and took out three large coins. He bent over and handed them to the child, saying with a smile, "Of course there will be no less for you. Come, buy a big one!"

“Okay!”

The child ran away happily.

The old man invited Qi Wuhuo to come over.

The young Taoist sat down and helped the old man to pick up the chess pieces scattered on the chessboard. He picked up the water-milled chess pieces that seemed to be a bit old and put them into the chess pots on both sides. The old man smiled and said, "It's really boring to be idle at home, so I simply went out to find someone to play chess with. But recently they are all busy with the New Year festival. Apart from the children, no one is free to sit with me for an hour."

"Playing with children can also make people feel much happier."

"Ha, I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, little Taoist priest."

The old man put the last black chess piece into the chess pot. The chess pieces and the chess pot seemed to have some ancient style. Both their shape and appearance were different from those of today. The old man seemed to value them very much. He stroked the Go chess piece with his palm and said with a smile: "The last time we met in the teahouse, I set up a game of Go on the table, and later found that it was broken. That word was played by you, young Taoist priest, right?"

"That day I went back to study this move and found it indescribably wonderful."

"I've been itching to see you again for a long time. Come on, come on."

"Let's just play a game of chess today and give it a try."

The young Taoist picked up a chess piece, played with white pieces, and said, "My chess skills are ordinary. I remember the way I played before because I saw someone studying the end of that game."

"Maybe you will be disappointed, old man."

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, "Then we will play according to that endgame."

So under this old tree, the two of them played according to the arrangement of a well-known chess game fragment. The sound of chess pieces jingling made there a sense of peace and tranquility. Soon the chess fragment was set out, and the two of them began to play slowly. However, the young Taoist remembered the fragment and solution he had seen in the Yellow Millet Dream, so he played according to his memory of the chess record, while the old man played very slowly.

The white player goes first, which gives him a great advantage.

After a while, the old man held the chess piece and did not put it down for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, "The chess game has become a [Dragon Trapped Game]. My big dragon has been trapped. No matter how I play, it will only be a waste of time."

"I won't play this round anymore. I won't play this round anymore."

"Do it again."

"Of course, you won't lose any money."

"Since I have set up this sign, I will not break my promise and gain wealth."

He placed the chess pieces in the chess pot, and then signaled the young Taoist to pick up the white chess pieces he had placed, so that the game of Go could be restored to its original state. The young Taoist also waited quietly for the old man to think before moving again. However, this game of Go that had lasted for thousands of years was still a game of Go that had lasted for thousands of years. Qi Wuhuo played with white chess first, and had an advantage that was almost as huge as the sky.

In addition, there is the analysis of the fragments and various solutions that I had seen in Huangliang Yimeng before.

The old man struggled several times, but still couldn't help but walk towards the remaining pieces of the [Dragon Trap].

"hiss……"

"Shouldn't, shouldn't."

The old man was surprised, but also felt happy that he had met a worthy opponent. He said, "Let's play another game."

Then, while thinking, he restored the chessboard to its original appearance, and invited Qi Wuhuo to make a move with a smile. The young Taoist mentioned the white piece and found that the old man was very serious when playing chess, and was constantly thinking about changes and ways to break the game. He said, "Old man, you really like playing chess."

The old man smiled gently and said, "Yes, I learned it when I was young, and it has been practiced till now."

"Although his talent is average, I still love him."

"Come to think of it, Young Taoist Priest, your cultivation seems to have stabilized a lot."

"Well, I understand a little bit."

"Haha, young Taoist priest, you are too modest. The stability of your vitality must be due to some enlightenment."

The two men were talking while playing chess.

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, "However, when practicing, you must avoid studying only one place and not coming out. This is what the old predecessors told me when I was in my ancestral home in the East China Sea. They said that [after the Tao is established, you should read astronomy, geography, and human affairs, and mix them together], and then you will feel that all things are in the Tao, but each has its own style."

"[In the process of changing one's cognition and choice, be humble with a heart that is in the same place as oneself. Or be quiet and play the zither to cultivate one's true nature]."

"[Transform the fierce energy into a gentle atmosphere]."

Qi Wuhuo picked up the chess piece, thinking: "Playing the zither in silence can cultivate one's true nature."

Recalling the feeling when he played the piano, he said, "So that's how it is."

"Been taught a lesson."

The old man stroked his beard and laughed: "Then can you hold back a little when playing chess?"

The young Taoist made a move, thought for a moment, and said, "If I hold back, the old gentleman will be unhappy, right?"

So the old man laughed even louder.

Soon it was a crushing defeat.

The laugh turned into a cough.

The old man shook his head helplessly, picked up the chess pieces and rearranged the chessboard. Qi Wuhuo said:

"Did the old gentleman choose chess to dispel the irritability in his heart?"

The old man smiled and said, "I have dabbled in music, chess, calligraphy and painting."

"It's just that the person who played the zither back then was a meticulous old gentleman, and the chess attendant at the chess and literature hall was a very beautiful girl."

"Back then, I was young and frivolous. I was obviously the best at painting, and I could paint in spring and autumn. But because the girl refused to give me a proper response, I got angry and had to provoke her."

The chess pieces in the old man's hand slowly tapped on the chessboard, making a clear and melodious sound:

"In the summer, when she was studying the chess game, I would wear a green hunting robe and sit on a tree to watch her; in the spring, I would take her out for an outing, and even if she was not good at chess, I would play with her."

"I still remember one day when we were playing chess together until late at night. She was wearing a red satin cape and quietly looking at the remaining chess game. It was snowing outside the window. Everything was quiet, except for the sound of chess, the chess pieces falling on the chessboard, and the flickering candles beside her, which made the lamp flowers fall."

The old man's voice was gentle as he made his move.

The young Taoist thought for a moment and said, "Is that your wife?"

This old man seemed a little embarrassed and said, "Yes..."

Qi Wuhuo understood and asked, "Do you want to decipher this fragment and go back to play chess with her?"

The old man lowered his eyes and smiled gently, "No."

"She is dead."

The young Taoist paused, as if he had never expected this and was at a loss for a moment.

The old man said gently, "Don't feel sad. Life and death are something we cultivators will eventually encounter. Even if we are both cultivators, there will be differences in realms. Besides, she is not a cultivator. There are elixirs that can prolong life, but souls and spirits have their limits."

"These things will happen eventually..."

"So, just treat it as the old man saying something extra."

"If you are worried that you will encounter such a thing, you might as well plant a tree now."

"Plant a tree?"

"Um."

The old man raised his eyes and said, "Yes, and this year when I was young, I planted a tree. Slowly, the old friends scattered, but this tree grew bigger and bigger, just like the years I have experienced, and finally there is a scale and record. Following the memory, I can still see the old friends in the memories. Maybe you don't think so, little Taoist priest, and maybe you won't miss them as much as I do in the future."

"Just treat it as a casual listen to my idle chatter and some of my own insights."

"We come to this world and we have to leave something behind."

“Walking in the world without getting a single leaf on you is a path; but leaving a trace is also a choice.”

“This tree represents the journey I have taken.”

"I see it as I see myself."

“My state of mind will remain the same.”

The young man chewed over this sentence and knew that it was the old man's realization on his way. The wind blew over, and he looked up and saw a huge tree behind the old man, lush and tall. As long as you stand on a high place in this city, you will be able to see this old tree. When the wind blew past, the leaves rustled, and the white hair hanging from the old man's temples was slightly ruffled, but there was also a sense of vast calmness.

Seeing this tree is like seeing my practice.

Qi Wuhuo seemed to be thinking about something.

There was a branch inserted diagonally at his waist.

The old man suddenly said, "I lost again."

He threw the chess piece down.

The [Dragon Trap] has been accomplished.

In a few more steps, his dragon would be killed.

Qi Wuhuo said gently: "This is because I have seen a fragment of the chess manual before. I will write it down for you."

He memorized the chess record and played it to the old man, who listened with great interest, clapping his hands from time to time and saying:

“So that’s the solution.”

“Ha, it is indeed exquisite. Let me think about it. Next time I play this game of chess with you, I will definitely not lose again. I have lost more than ten times in a row today. And I got the chess manual, but I don’t have enough money. If you don’t mind, this thing is for you…” The old man reached into his sleeve, took out something and handed it to the young Taoist.

"I see that although your foundation is solid, you have not yet learned the Cloud and Mist Method."

"This is a combination of my chess and cloud and mist techniques. Practicing it can gain magical powers and also help boost your vitality."

The young Taoist was surprised: "This is too heavy."

The old man shook his head and said gently: "If you can decipher this fragment, I should thank you."

"She'll like it, too..."

The young Taoist took the manuscript from the old man.

After thinking for a while, he bowed and said:

"I am a poor Taoist, and I have no doubts."

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, "I am Ao Liu."

"Wait until I solve it, then we can play another game of chess."

The young Taoist promised, said goodbye, and left. In this world, people were coming and going like flowing water. The child who had taken the three big coins bought a candied haws and ran back home. When his family asked him where the money came from, the child said that there was an old man playing chess with him under the old tree.

Then the old man in the family also laughed: "That old tree."

"Come to think of it, there's always someone there."

"When my grandfather was a child, he played a game of chess with an old man there. He lost that time, but he still got three big coins..."

"Ah, hey, grandpa, have you seen it too?"

"Yeah, what else did you see today?"

"I saw a Taoist brother playing chess with the old man!"

The old man teased his grandson and said with a smile: "Maybe you will say the same thing to your grandchildren."

"Fifty years ago, there was a young Taoist who played chess under the old tree."

"The chess pieces knocked leaves off the chessboard."

The child's face was full of imagination, which made everyone laugh. The candlelight fell and waves of warmth came through the window. The lights lit up little by little. The old man under the tree was studying the chess game. He raised his head and looked at the Zhongzhou city. Every night, it was as prosperous as it was in the past. It always reminded him of the girl who wore a white dress, had clear eyes and rarely smiled.

In all these long years, I have never seen a flower as beautiful as the one reflected in the girl's eyes.

The old man made his move and smiled gently and sadly.

"Ah, that's great..."

"I'm almost done solving the chess game."

"I met a very interesting child, with great talent and understanding."

"He's a young Taoist priest. Weren't we about the same age when we met?"

"When I met you, who would he meet? And if another hundred years pass, and he is also gray-haired, playing chess and watching the world, what kind of young man and what kind of person would he meet? So, the world is really interesting, and I can't bear to leave it."

He packed up the chessboard and walked to the stone bridge step by step. The flowing water reflected the lights. Some people were setting off lanterns. The lotus lanterns were floating on the river. The old man looked at the scene gently. In the end, he just shook his head, lowered his eyes and smiled gently. He walked into the crowd step by step, muttering:

"A thousand willow trees on a winding Qingjiang River, an old plank bridge from five hundred years ago."

"I once said goodbye to a beautiful lady on the bridge."

"I regret that there is no news until today..."

Walking into the world of mortals is like a drop of water into a river, leaving no trace.