Chapter 644.1: The Authority of the Chess Saint
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Gu Jiao said ambitiously, "I've looked into it. Not many people know the Chess Saint of the Six States. The only person I might encounter on this journey who has met him is the Imperial Advisor. After I enter the Imperial Advisor's Hall, you should leave immediately. There's no need to meet the Imperial Advisor face-to-face."
Old Master Meng replied expressionlessly, "You've thought this through quite well."
"Of course!" Gu Jiao cleared her throat and changed her voice to that of a young man, "I've written a few lines for you."
Old Master Meng felt the corner of his mouth twitch, unsure whether he was speechless at her voice or the fact that she had come prepared with a script.
"What if I refuse?"
"I'll play one game of chess with you."
Old Master Meng: "..."
Is my presence really only worth one game of chess?
"Wait!" Gu Jiao suddenly thought of something, jumped off the carriage, and went into the house to change into a more suitable outfit for traveling.
The uniform of Tianqiong Academy was too conspicuous; it wouldn't be good to get blocked at the inner city gate.
The horse king didn't need anyone to drive it. Gu Jiao just had to tug the reins to tell it to turn left or right, and it would automatically avoid obstacles or overtake other carriages as needed. It was practically like having a semi-autonomous carriage.
Gu Jiao took out a charcoal pencil and a small notebook inside the carriage, quickly filling two large pages with notes, listing all the possible unexpected situations that might occur along the way.
Then, she showed them to Old Master Meng.
Old Master Meng looked at the full pages of embarrassing lines and almost couldn't help but tell her, there's no need to act, I’m the real one.
Gu Jiao suddenly said, "In my rush to leave, I forgot about the coachman."
The main reason was that the horse was so capable, it walked on its own, making it seem like a coachman was unnecessary.
Unlike the horses back home, which wouldn’t move without a couple of whips.
Gu Jiao said seriously, "You are the Chess Saint of the Six States. You need a coachman to match your status."
"I think you could be the coachman." Old Master Meng suggested.
Gu Jiao sighed, "I could be the coachman, but soon I'll be entering the Imperial Advisor's Hall. Once I go in, I won't come out. If the carriage is empty outside, won't it raise suspicion?"
Old Master Meng's mouth twitched again. She had figured out this logic but hadn't considered that the Chess Saint of the Six States couldn't be easily impersonated?
Mu Qingchen wasn't aware of Gu Jiao's plan to impersonate the Chess Saint; otherwise, he would have stopped her at all costs.
Someone had once impersonated the Chess Saint of the Six States and was publicly executed when discovered. Since then, no one dared to come up with such an idea again.
Moreover, Mu Qingchen's understanding of Old Master Meng wasn't entirely accurate. Old Master Meng didn't like people watching him closely while he played chess, so he always pulled up a screen or curtain. This was just to focus on the game, not to maintain some mysterious aura.
He frequently went in and out of the inner city, and quite a few gate guards knew him.
As for the notion that only the Imperial Advisor had met him, that was Mu Qingchen's personal guess and didn't reflect reality.
Mu Qingchen didn't know that Old Master Meng had been to the State of Zhao, lived as a beggar, and paid people to play chess with him. This showed how unreliable Mu Qingchen's understanding of Old Master Meng was.
"By the way, how did you come by this token?" Gu Jiao asked.
Old Master Meng glanced at her, "I just found it."
Gu Jiao: "Oh, you're pretty good at finding things."
When passing through the inner city checkpoint, Gu Jiao sat outside to act as the coachman. She handed the Chess Saint token to the city guards and then turned to wink at Old Master Meng inside the carriage.
It was time to say the lines!
Old Master Meng pinched his thigh to endure the immense embarrassment and said to the city guards, "I am the esteemed Chess Saint of the Six States, Old Master Meng."
The city guards were all dumbfounded.
Old Master Meng: Just what kind of nonsense did this girl write! Who addresses themselves like that!
Old Master Meng took a deep breath and, using the overly grandiose tone that Gu Jiao had emphasized in bold, said, "Why aren't you letting us through?"
The city guards were baffled. We were going to let you through anyway. Have we ever stopped you before? Aren’t you the one who unnecessarily handed us the token?
Old Master Meng abruptly dropped the curtain!
Gu Jiao gave Old Master Meng a thumbs up.
The impromptu action of dropping the curtain was quite impressive, adding a highlight and enhancing the character's image!
Old Master Meng gritted his teeth in frustration. He was angry, embarrassed, and ashamed!
After successfully entering the inner city, Gu Jiao found a nearby carriage rental shop and hired a coachman.
The coachman was very familiar with the inner city's layout and quickly drove the carriage to the Imperial Advisor's Hall.
He didn't know who was inside the carriage but had heard that ordinary people could only enter through the side gate, so he stopped the carriage outside the side gate.
Old Master Meng calmly said, "Move forward, go through the main gate."
Gu Jiao, now back inside the carriage, nodded, "That's right, with Old Master Meng's status, we should go through the main gate."
She looked at the old man appreciatively. He had a deep understanding of his role and had even started adding his own touches to the act!
Old Master Meng, with a darkened expression, didn't want to acknowledge her.
Both the main gate and the side gate had guards. Gu Jiao sat in the carriage, holding up her notebook to prompt Old Master Meng with his lines.
Old Master Meng clenched his fists. Can’t I just stay silent?
Gu Jiao decisively shook her head.
Old Master Meng lifted the curtain and said, "Halt."
The carriage came to a halt.
Old Master Meng handed the token to the disciple guarding the Imperial Advisor's Hall gates, glanced at Gu Jiao holding up her notebook, and said with immense embarrassment, "I am your Imperial Advisor's Hall’s esteemed guest, and the Imperial Advisor's most sincere friend, the esteemed Chess Saint of the Six States, Old Master Meng."
The disciple of the Imperial Advisor's Hall was speechless.
The carriage proceeded straight through.
"Alright, you can go now. I'll go in and have a look around by myself." Gu Jiao said to Old Master Meng.
She had her limits when it came to involving others. She usually handled the most dangerous tasks herself.
Old Master Meng suddenly didn't know what to say. When it was time to involve him, she didn't; when it wasn't necessary, she did so vigorously.
He stopped her and asked, "What exactly are you here at the Imperial Advisor's Hall to do?"
Gu Jiao didn't hide it from him, "Gu Yan needs surgery. I want to see if the Imperial Advisor's Hall has a suitable place for his operation."
Imperial Advisor's Hall was renowned for its advanced medical skills, something Old Master Meng was aware of, although he had never received treatment here himself. After a moment's pause, he said, "Wait here, I'll find someone to take you."
With that, Old Master Meng lifted the carriage curtain and gestured to a nearby Imperial Advisor's Hall disciple, "Come over here."
The disciple quickly walked over.
Old Master Meng said, "I am Old Master Meng."
The disciple thought, I know that.
Old Master Meng cleared his throat and asked, "Is the Imperial Advisor here?"
The disciple replied, "Lord Imperial Advisor is out traveling."
Old Master Meng then asked, "Is your senior brother here?"
The disciple quickly answered, "Yes, he is. Do you want to see our senior brother? I'll go get him right away."
Old Master Meng glanced at Gu Jiao and said, "No need. My young friend here has some questions for him. Just take him to your senior brother."
Old Master Meng spoke unhurriedly and then said to Gu Jiao, "I'll wait for you outside."
Gu Jiao almost wanted to applaud him. His acting was simply flawless!
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Description:
In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.
When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.
The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.
From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.
***
Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.
After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"
Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"
Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”
Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
He hasn't finished his lines yet though…