Upon hearing Wentworth's words, Xia He suddenly perked up, full of energy again. However, before she could speak, Wentworth cut her off:
"...But not now! In time, I'll have someone reach out to you, beautiful elder sister!"
"Alright, you may leave now. I have a feeling we'll meet again someday!"
Xia He didn't hesitate. She stood up and turned to leave immediately. But after just a few steps, she stopped, turned back around, and said to Wentworth:
"Little brother, when you get to Mount Longhu, if you happen to meet a young Taoist named Zhang Lingyu, do me a favor and give him my regards."
Wentworth simply smiled without replying, only nodding slightly. Seeing that, Xia He finally turned and swiftly disappeared into the alleyway.
Soon after, Wentworth and Zhao Huanjin followed Xu San back to the company. After bidding farewell to the others, the two of them set off together toward Mount Longhu.
By the time they arrived, it was already the next day.
Wentworth followed in Zhao Huanjin's footsteps as they made their way toward the rear mountains of Mount Longhu. He looked around with great interest at the sights around him.
"Fourth Senior Brother's back!"
"Greetings, Fourth Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother, Master and Master Tian are playing Go down in the back garden!"
As they passed through the rear mountains, many people greeted Zhao Huanjin warmly, then turned their curious eyes toward Wentworth.
Their murmured whispers drifted clearly to Wentworth's ears:
"Why is there a foreigner here? The rear mountains aren't open to tourists."
"Shhh! Didn't you see Fourth Senior Brother brought him in personally? He must be someone important!"
"Could it be... the Tianshi Temple is planning to go international?!"
"…"
Under Zhao Huanjin's lead, Wentworth continued onward until they reached the deeper parts of the rear mountain. Not far away, a rhythmic clack-clack sound caught Wentworth's attention.
He followed the sound to find two elderly Taoists seated under an ancient cypress tree, engrossed in a game of Go. The clacking sound was the placement of stones on the board.
Zhao Huanjin walked forward step by step, bringing Wentworth with him, and came to stand silently behind the two elderly men.
Though curious, Wentworth didn't rush forward. He merely took two steps past Zhao Huanjin and stood behind the Taoists to observe the board.
It was only then that Wentworth noticed one of the two Taoists was sitting in a wheelchair.
A brief glance was all he needed to assess the board: the Taoist in the wheelchair, holding the white stones, was in a deeply disadvantaged position, his major dragon group on the board was precariously close to being captured.
As Wentworth studied the game, the elderly man in the wheelchair suddenly spoke:
"Brother, your guest has come all this way from afar, surely we can't keep him standing there like this. Why don't you go tend to your business? Let's just call this match a draw."
Hearing those words, Wentworth finally confirmed the identity of the Taoist seated opposite: none other than Zhang Zhiwei, the legendary 65th-generation Celestial Master of the Tianshi Temple, commonly referred to as the Daoist Tiantong.
Before the trip, Wentworth had discreetly asked Xu San about Mount Longhu, and especially about Zhang Zhiwei.
Xu San had said many things, but it all boiled down to five words: top-tier combat powerhouse.
Looking more closely now, Wentworth observed the elder closely. Zhang Zhiwei had a tall, commanding presence, with flowing white beard and brows, a gentle countenance, and judging by his features, he must have been a strikingly handsome Taoist in his youth.
As Wentworth was still quietly observing him, Zhang Zhiwei suddenly raised his head and said:
"Old Tian, there's no rush. We'll finish the match first. A young man ought to learn patience, don't you agree?"
That last line was directed at Wentworth, and as Zhang Zhiwei's gaze met his, Wentworth caught a brief flicker of light passing through the old man's eyes, swift and elusive.
Wentworth smiled in return and replied calmly:
"You're absolutely right. I'm in no hurry, please, take your time."
Zhang Zhiwei nodded approvingly. The wheelchair-bound Taoist, however, pulled a face and said:
"Brother, you're just after my Da Hong Pao tea, no need to dress it up in such lofty language."
Zhang Zhiwei laughed, then gave him a knowing look, but still replied:
"Brother, material things are fleeting. You think too much. Would I really be that kind of person?"
The Taoist snorted, then turned toward Wentworth and said:
"I'm Tian Jinzhong. Tell me, young man, do you play Go?"
Without a change in expression, Wentworth answered:
"'The green hills are never weary of three cups of wine; the long days pass with just one game of Go.'"
"I've always admired Chinese culture, and I do know a little about the game."
Tian Jinzhong and Zhang Zhiwei both perked up at his answer. Tian Jinzhong pointed to the board and said:
"Well now! I never thought I'd meet a foreign friend so fond of Chinese tradition, and so young too! Quite the surprise."
"How about this, let me test you. Tell me, how can my white stones turn the tables and win this match?"
Before Wentworth could answer, Zhang Zhiwei interjected:
"Brother, this is a sparring match between us. No outside help, especially not foreign aid!"
Tian Jinzhong grinned and replied, "What's the matter, Brother, are you afraid?"
Then he turned back to Wentworth and said:
"No worries, young man, just go ahead and play. If we lose, it's on me!"
Seeing his insistence, Zhang Zhiwei said nothing more and instead looked toward Wentworth with visible interest.
In truth, Wentworth had already been analyzing the board for some time. He was certain: without retracting any moves, there was no way for the white stones to secure a win in the current state.
After a moment of thought, Wentworth said to Tian Jinzhong:
"Master Taoist, your white stones are in a severely disadvantaged position. If you truly want to reverse your fortunes... you'll need something a little unorthodox."
Tian Jinzhong and Zhang Zhiwei exchanged a glance. Then Tian Jinzhong asked eagerly:
"What sort of unorthodox move, may I ask?"
Wentworth gave a small smile, then, in one swift motion, pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at the Go board!
——————————
Want to read the whole story? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]
This fanfic has been fully translated!