Wentworth's sudden movement made Zhao Huanjin, standing behind him, instinctively raise a hand to intervene. But a look from Zhang Zhiwei held him back.
Wentworth pointed his wand at the chessboard, and in the next second, all the black pieces transformed into white.
Turning to Tian Jinzhong, Wentworth said with a grin,
"Daoist Master, look, haven't I won?"
Tian Jinzhong's face lit up in astonishment at the sight.
Zhang Zhiwei, however, remained impassive as he remarked,
"That was Transfiguration, wasn't it? Hmm… I recall that old home of Dumbledore's is particularly known for its prowess in that field. No surprise then, you are his student."
At those words, Wentworth finally felt certain: Zhang Zhiwei truly had a deep connection with his headmaster.
Zhang Zhiwei leaned in, studying the board with genuine interest. After observing in silence for a moment, he slowly lifted his hand and placed it flat upon the board.
In an instant, a surge of golden light spread like rippling waves across the surface, washing over the chessboard and all its pieces in a gleaming stream.
When the golden light faded, everything had reverted to its original state. It was as if nothing had ever changed.
Seeing Wentworth's stunned expression, Zhang Zhiwei spoke with calm indifference,
"Since you chose to use unorthodox methods, I may as well do the same. These tricks are but minor arts."
Tian Jinzhong chuckled heartily at that and turned to see what Wentworth would do next.
Wentworth stared at the chessboard in contemplation, lowered his head, and thought for a moment. Eventually, he sighed and shook his head slowly.
Seeing this, Tian Jinzhong waved his hand dismissively and said, pointing to Zhang Zhiwei,
"It's fine, it's fine. That old fellow has survived this long because of his experience. You're still young…"
But before Tian could finish his words of comfort, Wentworth interrupted, still shaking his head.
"Daoist Master, looks like the best we can do here… is a draw."
Tian Jinzhong blinked in surprise.
"A draw? Are you sure?"
Wentworth nodded with absolute confidence.
"I'm sure."
Before Tian could respond, Wentworth raised his wand once more. With a flash and a chant, every piece on the board exploded in a shower of fragments.
In the stunned silence, Wentworth calmly stowed away his wand and said,
"See? That's a draw, isn't it?"
As Tian Jinzhong gawked, speechless, Zhang Zhiwei burst into laughter.
"Force," he said between chuckles, "is indeed the simplest, and quickest, way to break a deadlock! Reminds me quite a bit of your grandfather's style."
Turning to Zhao Huanjin, Zhang added,
"Go on, escort this young man to the guest hall. I'll join you shortly."
As Wentworth followed Zhao Huanjin away, Zhang Zhiwei's gaze lingered on him, deep in thought. Beside him, Tian Jinzhong asked quietly,
"What do you think, Senior Brother?"
Zhang Zhiwei was silent for a moment before murmuring,
"A true dragon has no need of favorable winds to soar."
Tian Jinzhong frowned.
"I wasn't asking about that! That set, those were my pieces!"
Zhang Zhiwei blinked in surprise, then gave an awkward chuckle.
"Come now, he's a guest. And you asked him to make a move, didn't you? What, are you seriously going to ask for compensation? If the juniors at Tianshi Temple saw you do that, our reputation would be in ruins!"
Tian Jinzhong huffed,
"Of course I wouldn't demand payment from a guest, especially not a younger one. But Senior Brother, you invited him. Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
Seeing Tian Jinzhong's displeased expression, Zhang Zhiwei chuckled.
"Alright, fine. I'll get you a new set."
Tian Jinzhong sighed dramatically.
"Senior Brother… that set was a genuine antique, a Yongzi, crafted by the old method. You think you can just replace that?"
Zhang Zhiwei's smile froze. His face turned blank.
"What was that you just said, Junior Brother?"
"I asked if you could afford to replace it."
"No, not that. The sentence before."
"I said you owe me an explanation."
Zhang Zhiwei slowly rose to his feet and replied with a wry smile,
"Junior Brother, all these years as fellow Daoists, have you ever seen me, Zhang Zhiwei, give anyone an explanation?"
With a swirl of his robes, he turned and strode away.
Tian Jinzhong stood frozen, dumbfounded, as Zhang Zhiwei vanished with a flicker, gone in a blink.
Moments later, a roar of frustration echoed through the mountains:
"Zhang Zhiwei, you shameless scoundrel!"
...
Back at the Daoist temple, Wentworth had just taken a seat when a young taoist brought him a cup of tea. As he raised it to his lips, a sudden gust of wind swept past him, making him pause in confusion.
Then Zhao Huanjin, sitting opposite, spoke up,
"Master, why did you run off so fast? What about Uncle Tian?"
Still wondering who Zhao Huanjin was speaking to, Wentworth turned in surprise when he heard a voice from the head of the table, it was Zhang Zhiwei.
"There was no time to dawdle," Zhang Zhiwei said, letting out a breath. "Your Uncle Tian was about to erupt. Huanjin, go fetch him, take him straight to his room to rest. I have things to discuss with Wentworth."
He added darkly,
"And if you dare bring him here, forget about getting a new robe this year. In fact, you'll be sewing every robe on Mount Longhu yourself!"
As Zhao Huanjin stood and hurried off, Wentworth sat stunned, staring at Zhang Zhiwei. His heart raced.
When did he arrive? How did he arrive? Even Apparition shouldn't be that silent!
Perhaps sensing his awe, Zhang Zhiwei exhaled slowly, then turned to him with a warm smile.
"Wentworth Grindelwald?"
Wentworth immediately stood and gave a respectful bow.
"Wentworth Grindelwald of the Alliance, paying respects to the Grandmaster."
Zhang Zhiwei nodded and motioned for him to sit.
"You know, your Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is an old friend of mine."
"I've rarely seen him show such concern for a single person. And yet, in just a few days, he's written me twice."
"In the first letter, he mentioned that one of his students had arrived in China and asked me to look after him."
"In the second, he asked me to pass along a message—Stay in China, and wait for further word."
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This fanfic has been fully translated!