Jing Yuan's attention shifted from the chessboard to Leon.
"Unexpectedly, it's a stalemate."
"Indeed, a stalemate." Leon looked up, meeting Jing Yuan's gaze.
Seeing both men exchange smiles, Yanqing was utterly confused.
Shouldn't it be called a draw?
After waiting a while, he finally couldn't hold back.
"General, sir, it seems you've reached a draw. Why not start a new game to decide the winner?"
Neither spoke.
The atmosphere grew increasingly strange.
Just as Yanqing was about to lose patience, Leon made the first move.
"Little brother Yanqing, I've delivered the message my friend entrusted me to pass to General Jing Yuan. Thank you for taking me through the VIP channel."
He set down the Chariot piece he'd been holding, which was already out of play, but discreetly tucked away a Knight piece, then stood and patted Yanqing's shoulder.
"Next, I should go find another old acquaintance. Farewell."
"Huh, you're not going to settle the score first?"
Leon paused, saying meaningfully, "The ones who need to settle the score were never me and General Jing Yuan…"
"…"
What…?
Yanqing was completely baffled, watching Leon's figure disappear with a heart full of questions.
"General, what happened while I was gone?"
"Nothing happened. Mr. Leon and I had a pleasant chat."
Jing Yuan stared at the chessboard, specifically at the piece Leon had placed last.
"Then why not decide a winner? A draw is the least satisfying and least thrilling. I don't understand what Mr. Leon meant by his parting words."
The ones who needed to settle the score weren't him and the General?
But the General's opponent was clearly him.
"Yanqing, do you recognize this endgame?"
"This… Yanqing is dull and hasn't seen it before."
"This endgame is called the Immortal Stalemate."
Jing Yuan relaxed his brow, speaking slowly.
"Such draws typically exhibit an infinite loop."
"The pieces on both sides lock each other in check, and any attempt to break the balance puts oneself at a disadvantage."
"Immortal Stalemate, Immortal Stalemate… Haha, Yanqing, do you understand?"
"Still don't get it…"
Yanqing felt his brain wrestling itself.
He could only grasp the superficial meaning of the Immortal Stalemate.
Wasn't it just an endless cycle with no resolution?
Both sides' pieces seemed to gain eternal life—unless one side willingly lost, neither could be defeated.
Jing Yuan smiled without speaking, his thoughts drifting far.
Life is like chess. The rigid, rule-bound Luofu… no, the entire Xianzhou Alliance, how was it different from this game?
"No worries if you don't understand. Tell me about how you met Leon."
"Oh, I met him at Cloudford. At the time, he was with a… white-haired swordswoman named Jingliu…"
Getting to business, Yanqing showed a bit of competence.
He recounted the entire sequence of events clearly, not exaggerating or hiding his setbacks.
After finishing, he scratched his head.
"Um… General, I'm sorry… I was too impatient. But if we let Blade go unchecked, I can't rest easy."
"You said, should I keep chasing him?"
"Go. Why wouldn't you?"
"Oh, oh, Yanqing obeys. If you say don't go, I won't… uh, what?"
Yanqing froze, doubting his ears.
The General was actually telling him to go?
"You heard right. Normally, I wouldn't recommend it, but your mindset has changed a lot since you returned. You've learned caution, so as your master, I have no reason not to support you."
Jing Yuan said with a beaming smile.
Yanqing's eyes lit up, and he bowed with clasped fists.
"Understood! Yanqing will not let the General down!"
He was ready to charge off.
"Hold on."
"Does the General have further orders?"
"Take your book."
Jing Yuan handed over the risqué work involving two Aeons.
Seeing what was handed to him, Yanqing jolted, his vision darkening.
Meeting the General's half-smiling expression—
Done for!!!
It must've fallen out when he was vomiting uncontrollably.
At worst, this was a profane object blaspheming the Reignbow Arbiter.
"General… I can explain…"
"No need. I'm pleased you have an interest in exploring new things."
???
"…My training in a few days won't increase several times over, will it…?"
Yanqing swallowed hard.
He wasn't sure if the General was being sarcastic or sincere.
"Of course not." Jing Yuan chuckled. "Remember one thing, Yanqing."
"Please, General."
"Rules are meant to be broken."
"Huh?" Yanqing blinked, then nodded. "Yes, Yanqing will keep it in mind."
"Mm, go on."
As Yanqing left, Jing Yuan looked back at the chessboard, a sigh of admiration rising within.
What a remarkable person.
Though he never revealed his identity, it wasn't hard to guess his origins.
Likely one of the Nameless from the Astral Express.
As for his stance…
Jing Yuan smiled, picking up the piece Leon left behind, reviewing the entire game.
"Starting with the Elephant corresponds to the traitor sowing chaos internally, likely referring to the sudden lockdown of the Alchemy Commission's delve and the Secret of the Medicine Sovereign…"
"The Knight represents the Stellaron Hunters appearing on the Luofu…"
"The Cannon, then, is the one who brought the Stellaron to the Luofu?"
"My Cannon, with the law as its rack, captures the Stellaron Hunters, then commissions the Chariot to take out the last Knight…"
"Leon had no intention of saving the Knight, meaning it's a smokescreen, aligning with my thoughts."
"And his Cannon taking my Elephant… hmm… implies a hidden arrow piercing the interior, opening a breach through the Secret of the Medicine Sovereign…"
"At this point, my Cannon on his side has been assimilated by the enemy's meaning."
"Leon driving the Chariot to take the Cannon aligns with the Stellaron Hunters' potential plans, hinting that the Express is key to this ordeal…"
"A conspiracy script by the slaves of fate, heh."
The Chariot's meaning was obvious.
The Astral Express, Akivili's rainbow Chariot, corresponded to the red Chariot Leon wielded.
As for the black Chariot in his hand—
Recalling his recent indirect request for Stelle's trio to hunt Kafka, Jing Yuan felt a spark of astonishment.
No wonder Leon let his Chariot take the Knight trapped between Soldiers.
Did he predict even that layer?
The only pieces he could use were Knights—people like Yanqing, who would never betray.
But they couldn't break the stalemate and would ultimately remain outside the game.
Jing Yuan couldn't help but wonder if Leon could see the future, wielding a divination ability surpassing even the Xianzhou Alliance's.
A single chess game unraveled most of the doubts in his heart.
Such cunning was the pinnacle of what he'd seen in his life.
If someone like this were an enemy of the Xianzhou, it'd be impossible to sleep soundly.
Thankfully, thankfully.
If Fu Xuan had such capability, he'd eagerly pack up, retire, and hand over the General's seat to enjoy a peaceful life.
Sigh, sigh…
Thinking of the Luofu's potentially dim future, Jing Yuan couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.