Chapter 342: The Wager
"Husband, it is your turn."
Chen Chang'an took a deep breath and rallied himself, devoting his entire being to trying to find a way to break the deadlock.
Although according to Ji Hongli's bet, even if he lost, it would not matter much.
But men always have extremely strong competitiveness in inexplicable places.
However, Ji Hongli's black stones seemed to come to life, each move precisely sealing off his retreat.
She was no longer making "mistakes" as before; instead, she pressed forward step by step, her strikes decisive and lethal.
"Click!"
A black stone landed, instantly severing a large dragon of white stones.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from Chen Chang'an's temples. Staring at the board, he suddenly realized—he had already fallen into a desperate situation!
Ji Hongli's play style became abruptly fierce. She no longer concealed her strength; every move was like the weight of a thunderbolt, yet it carried an elusive resilience.
Her black stones galloped across the board, sometimes like a tiger descending the mountain, sometimes like a spirit snake slithering. Chen Chang'an's white stones were forced to retreat in defeat, their original advantage completely gone.
"How could it be..."
Chen Chang'an murmured to himself, his fingers fidgeting in the stone bowl, but he could find no opportunity to turn the tables.
Ji Hongli gently rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with a smile full of meaning: "Husband, do you concede?"
Chen Chang'an shook his head unwillingly. His mind raced, almost reaching a state of self-forgetfulness as he tried to find a glimmer of life in the desperate situation.
However, Ji Hongli's black stones had already laid down an inescapable net; no matter how his white stones struggled, they could not escape her control.
In the end, when Ji Hongli dropped the last black stone, thoroughly sealing off the final path to life for the white stones, Chen Chang'an finally let out a long sigh. Pushing the board to concede in bitter laughter, he said:
"Madame's skill in Go is superb; I am convinced of my defeat."
Ji Hongli covered her lips and laughed softly, the joy of victory flashing in her eyes: "Then Husband must fulfill his promise."
Chen Chang'an looked at her smug appearance; his heart was filled with both helplessness and doting affection.
He stood up, walked around the board, and gently pulled Ji Hongli into his arms. The faint fragrance drifting from her hair and her soft body leaning against his chest made his heart unconsciously beat faster.
"A wager conceded must be honored."
He whispered, then lowered his head to plant a gentle kiss on her lips.
...
Afterward, he closed his eyes slightly, feeling the lingering soft sensation on his lips, his arm still gently resting around his wife's waist.
Ji Hongli leaned in his embrace, a triumphant smile on her lips, her fingertips still playfully drawing circles on his chest.
Chen Chang'an dissipated his cultivation base. His entire mind was still immersed in the shock of the game and Ji Hongli's tenderness, so naturally, he did not notice that the wooden door had quietly opened more than halfway at some point.
The night breeze slipped in through the crack in the door, gently flickering the candlelight and casting swaying shadows on the wall.
Then—
Chen Xingcai stood blankly at the door, still holding a plate of freshly picked spiritual fruits.
Her eyes were wide and round, her small mouth slightly open, and the whole person seemed frozen in place as if struck by lightning.
Moonlight spilled down from behind her, casting her shadow long into the room.
She saw her own father, at this moment holding her Master tightly in his arms; and her own Master, at this moment actually nestled in her father's arms like a little girl.
What shocked her even more was that the two of them just now... clearly...
The spiritual fruits slipped from her hand, hitting the ground with a "plop," rolled a few times, and stopped at the foot of the table.
This noise finally startled the two who were immersed in their tenderness.
Ji Hongli silently buried her head into Chen Chang'an's embrace.
Who was coming, how could she not know?
And Chen Chang'an subconsciously turned his head, exactly meeting Chen Xingcai's small face that was blank with shock.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment; the candlelight "popped" with a spark, sounding particularly ear-piercing in the silent room.
"Xing... Xingcai?"
...
At the same time, in Tianjing City of the Central State, ten thousand miles away from the Immortal Spirit Valley.
Although this once-glorious imperial city was no longer the center of the Xuanying Continent, the foundation left by the Great Zhou Dynasty still allowed it to maintain a prosperous scene.
Night fell, and the lights of ten thousand homes in the city gradually went out, leaving only the torches in the hands of night patrol soldiers moving through the streets and alleys.
"Clack, clack, clack..."
The sound of iron boots stepping on the bluestone slabs was exceptionally clear on the silent street. This twelve-man patrol squad was conducting a routine inspection along the Vermilion Bird Avenue.
Suddenly, a gloomy, strange wind blew through the alleyway without warning.
The squad leader at the front shuddered violently, and the flame of the torch in his hand stretched bizarrely, the firelight actually turning into a strange ghostly green!
"This..."
The squad leader discovered in horror that under the illumination of the fire, the shadows of his companions were all twisted and deformed; some had necks stretched very long, and some had arms turned into the shape of sharp claws.
"Boss, why is it so cold tonight?"
A young guard complained as he rubbed his arms.
He lowered his head to look and was instantly scared out of his wits—fine, dense ice crystals had actually formed on his own palms!
Everyone subconsciously looked up, and an even more terrifying scene appeared: in the pitch-black night sky, pale purple snowflakes were actually falling! When these snowflakes landed on the skin, they immediately brought a piercing pain like needles.
...
At the same time, in the Zui Xian Tower, the most luxurious building in the west of the city, several wealthy young men were gambling heavily in a private room on the third floor.
The table was piled high with gold ingots, and a brocade-clad youth was about to reveal the dice cup.
"Big! It must be big!"
He shouted excitedly.
Just then, the wine cups on the table suddenly shook violently, and the wine water rippled with strange circles. The glazed palace lantern hanging from the ceiling swung wildly, and suddenly exploded with a "bang"!
"What's happening?"
Before everyone could react, a violent vibration suddenly came from beneath their feet. It felt as if some colossal creature deep underground was awakening, emitting a muffled roar.
"The Earth Dragon is turning over! Run!"
Someone shouted in terror.
The entire tower began to tilt, and the pillars supporting the building made a teeth-aching creaking sound.
The floor on the second floor suddenly collapsed, and the rosewood railings worth thousands snapped crisply like biscuits.
The gamblers screamed and fled toward the stairwell, but after running only halfway, the ground suddenly cracked open, and boiling, blood-red water gushed out! Several people running in the front were directly washed onto the beams, letting out mournful screams.
...
On the observation platform of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, the elder on duty was recording the celestial phenomena.
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