Continuing along the long street, a small intersection appeared ahead. In front of a sparsely populated tea stall, under a tree, an old man sat, having ordered a bowl of cold tea that had been sitting there for who knows how long, probably already sour. He was now facing a chessboard, deep in thought, which was probably a type of chess similar to Chinese chess from his previous life.
"Excuse me, sir, is there a funeral clothing shop in this alley?" Lu Ye stepped forward and asked politely.
The old man looked to be in his seventies, and he was most averse to hearing this. When he heard the words "funeral clothes," his face changed.
Seeing his expression, Lu Ye knew something was wrong. He had asked a person with two legs disabilities where there was a trampoline, which was a case of the questioner asking without intention, but the listener taking it to heart.
Sure enough, the old man glanced at Lu Ye and said irritably, "Young man, you're so young and you're already in such a hurry to put on your burial clothes? Ask this old man, how about I give you the one from my house?"
"..."
This chatter couldn't go on any longer; people were getting envious. So Lu Ye said sincerely, "I'm just asking for advice; I'm not being sarcastic."
The old man looked up at Lu Ye, noticed the sincerity in the latter's eyes, and snorted, "Play chess with me."
"I don't know how..." Lu Ye was speechless.
The old man said, "Old Zhang's funeral clothing shop is very well hidden. Not many people on this street know about it. You can go and ask, but I'll admit defeat if you can find out."
"..."
Left with no other choice, Lu Ye escaped with the silver, but the old man didn't even glance at it, only wanting to play chess.
“I’m an old man with no children, what do I need so much money for? You play chess with me, or I’ll have to find it myself.”
This is a real showdown...
Lu Ye plopped down and started playing chess with the old man under the tree.
This game is called Horse Chess, and its rules are very similar to those of Chinese Chess from his previous life. Lu Ye quickly grasped how to play.
The old man was extremely obsessed with chess. Once he started playing, he would jump around in surprise and become so engrossed that he wouldn't even engage in conversation, giving Lu Ye no chance to get information out of him.
In the first few rounds, Lu Ye was utterly annihilated and completely crushed, which pleased the old man.
"Young man, don't be impatient. The more impatient you are, the less likely you are to beat me, and the less likely you are to beat me, the less likely you are to know where that funeral clothing shop is. So, come back and spar with this old man again tomorrow. If you stay with this old man for a few more days, maybe I'll tell you."
Lu Ye was a bit carried away by the loss and ignored him for a moment, looking at his own panel.
Skill Mastered: Chess (Proficiency: 5% [Beginner])
"It's not that difficult. I've gained 5% proficiency after a dozen or so games." Lu Ye secretly estimated that it wouldn't be long before he could beat the old man. This guy was too arrogant. Even if he was old, he shouldn't be so arrogant.
"I'm sure I can beat you in ten more games," Lu Ye said confidently.
The old man laughed heartily and said, "Young man, don't be so arrogant. I don't think you can beat me even if you play for another year."
Lu Ye laughed and said, "Again!"
After five more games, Lu Ye and the old man were evenly matched. Although Lu Ye eventually lost, the old man had to exert all his strength, and even cheated and took back a move.
"How about that? Are you scared of me? You might not be able to beat me in two more rounds," Lu Ye provocatively said, laughing heartily. This time, the old man couldn't laugh anymore.
A look of utter disbelief crossed the old man's face. How could such a thing be? This was the chess skill he had mastered over a decade. This kid couldn't even play a game a moment ago, how could he become so good in such a short time?
"You think I'm afraid of you?" The old man couldn't tolerate such provocation.
The two returned and played two more rounds, with the old man ultimately losing.
Lu Ye smiled as he looked at the panel.
Skill Mastered: Chess (Proficiency: 10% [Beginner])
"..."
After all that, he turns out to be a terrible chess player. After all these years of studying, this is all he's got. No wonder nobody wants to play with this old man. He plays terribly and likes to cheat and take back moves, dragging others down until he wins. And when he does win, he mocks them relentlessly. His sportsmanship is just awful.
Commonly known as: a person with a great addiction to food.
The old man jumped to his feet and shouted, "This is impossible! How did you do that???"
Lu Ye casually made up a story: "My grandfather was a master of chess, and I have his chess scores memorized, so I learned quickly."
"What chess manual?" The old man's tone rose. What chess manual could allow someone to go from zero to utterly defeating him in just two hours?
"Take me to that funeral clothing shop first, and I'll tell you later."
The old man finally gave in.
The old man led Lu Ye through the alleyway and into the depths of the messy houses. What greeted them was a peaceful and serene atmosphere. This was now a residential area, mostly inhabited by elderly people.
The truly wise live in seclusion in the city.
“Most of the people living here are old men. Old Zhang went out a few days ago and asked me to wait for him over in the alley so that he could bring anyone who came here. I thought you didn’t seem like his relative, so I decided to test you. I didn’t expect you to be so good.” The old man said as he walked with his hands behind his back, looking very relaxed.
"Old Zhang has no children, and I don't know what he does for a living, but he's quite generous. His funeral clothes shop is the cheapest, and the craftsmanship is good. It's just a pity that he's too lazy. He only opens for a few days a month, and you can rarely see him." The old man rambled on about his old friend. Although he had known him for many years, he found that the other party still lived in a hazy mist, and he couldn't see him clearly.
Lu Ye asked softly, "Old Zhang, tell me his name?"
He said his name was Zhang San.
"..."
"Here's his key. Take it and tell me the chess score!"
Lu Ye gave him a random chess score, and the old man's face turned pale and then red. He went home to study it in a state of bewilderment. Lu Ye was amused, wondering what the guy would become after he finished studying it, but it was hard to imagine that he would become anything other than even worse chess skills.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
