Zhou Yong's hunched figure had barely vanished around the corner when Zhou Zhilán's skirt swayed lightly, her steps quickening. As she passed through two winding corridors, her fingertips brushed across the uneven scratches on the pillars before finally halting outside a secluded courtyard. Her push on the door looked casual, but her nail scraped precisely across the third carved pattern on the frame.
"This humble place is plain, Senior, don't hold it against me."
Xie Zhaolin gave a faint nod, her gaze lingering on the vines crawling along the courtyard walls.
Inside, the furnishings were simple, the only centerpiece being a half-played game of go on the stone table. The black stones coiled like a giant dragon, breaking and scattering the white stones into fragments of isolated groups, each clinging desperately to two breaths of life.
Zhou Zhilán's fingertips hovered above the board before she finally looked toward an unimportant corner.
"My Seventh Uncle always said go is like life." She dropped a white stone, linking two dying groups into one. "You have to break things apart, then conquer them one by one."
Xie Zhaolin's eyes locked on that move. The two groups of white stones that had been cut apart now faintly resonated. She picked up a white stone and filled another gap.
"A lone stone isn't alone." Her piece landed, and the third group suddenly connected. "When it's linked, it's alive."
Zhou Zhilán's lashes trembled, though a smile rose on her lips.
"Senior really does understand the game." She smiled as she lifted the teapot. The tea frothed lightly, then stopped just before brimming. "Seventh Uncle admires people who understand go the most."
Xie Zhaolin accepted the cup. The instant her fingers touched the porcelain, a faint bitter fragrance brushed past her nose.
"This tea…" She swirled the cup without betraying a reaction. "It's rare."
Zhou Zhilán's smile deepened as she poured another round. "Seventh Uncle had it picked specially from the northern cliffs. He said it clears the mind better than anything."
"It does sharpen the spirit." She took a sip, letting the familiar bitterness spread across her tongue.
"Speaking of Seventh Uncle, when I was a child, I loved visiting his study." Her gaze fell on the shifting reflections in her tea. "I'd just sit there, staring at the water in my cup…"
She suddenly stopped. Her fingertip tapped the rim, and the ripples calmed, reflecting Xie Zhaolin's steady face.
"Seventh Uncle always said water's the most honest thing. It reflects everything clearly."
Xie Zhaolin lowered her eyes to the reflection in her own cup, the corner of her lips curving faintly.
"True enough," she said softly, "but when water's too clear, it's easy to miss things."
"Just the other day, he even obtained a gilt-inlaid incense burner, said to calm the mind and settle the soul." As Zhou Zhilán spoke, she slowly rotated her own teapot half a turn clockwise.
Xie Zhaolin's lips curved faintly. "Cultured indeed."
As her words fell, Zhou Zhilán rose gracefully. The wide sleeves of her robe stirred a breeze across the board, shifting the crucial white stone at the center by half an inch without a sound.
Xie Zhaolin's gaze flicked to the sundial shadow stretching across the courtyard. She understood instantly, then stood with the same calm composure.
One after the other, they passed through the corridors. Zhou Zhilán's footsteps on the bluestone slabs were faster than before.
But just before the last moon-gate, her pace suddenly slowed.
—The study was right ahead.
"Seventh Uncle's been studying ancient manuals lately." Her voice held just the right hint of reverence. "He's even changed his tea to Snow-tipped Emerald."
Xie Zhaolin's glance swept over the incense beneath the corridor. The faint mix of cedar and borneol—it was the kind of blend used to block divine sense. Clearly, this Seventh Uncle wasn't guarding against outsiders, but his own family.
"Seventh Uncle." Zhou Zhilán's voice turned crisp as she knocked. "Zhilán's here to pay respects."
"Come in."
She entered with a smile, her skirt swinging wider than usual as it crossed the threshold. Xie Zhaolin's gaze sharpened slightly, but her steps didn't falter as she followed her in.
"Zhilán, you're here." Zhou Moxuan raised his head, his gaze pausing briefly on Xie Zhaolin. "And this is?"
"Senior Mingyue, a go master I invited." She set a go box on the table. "Didn't Steward Xu always say he lacked a worthy opponent?"
The tip of Zhou Moxuan's spoon tapped lightly against the teacup rim.
"Zhilán's been thoughtful."
His eyes lingered on Xie Zhaolin. Steam curled from his tea, veiling his expression.
"Mingyue Daoyou." He set his cup down and tapped the table with one finger. "You're skilled?"
Xie Zhaolin smiled lightly. "I know a thing or two."
"Perfect." Zhou Moxuan raised his sleeve, and a black jade stone slid out. "How about we play a game?"
Her gaze skimmed the board—the black stones had already formed a Dragon Trap. The white stones looked scattered, yet they hid sharp edges. Without a change in expression, she picked up a white stone. "I've heard Seventh Uncle's been studying the Lan Ke Manual."
"Daoyou's sharp-eyed." His placement was steady as bedrock. "I especially like the chapter on sacrificing stones to seize the lead."
Zhou Zhilán's hand paused ever so slightly as she lit incense, a detail Xie Zhaolin didn't miss.
Her finger twitched, and the white stone dropped into an odd position.
Zhou Moxuan frowned. "Daoyou, this move…"
But she just smiled. The seemingly messy move instantly shifted the board.
"Seventh Uncle, please look closely." She tapped the board lightly. The white stones glimmered faintly, unraveling the black formation.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, then smoothed into calm. "Daoyou's move turns the stars and shifts the constellations, truly exquisite."
Xie Zhaolin smiled again and drew a jade slip from her sleeve. "The Heaven Origin Strategy. A small token of respect."
Zhou Moxuan's divine sense swept over it. His fingertips trembled—the genuine original of a long-lost manual.
"Keeping it with me would be wasted." She lowered her eyes and drank her tea. "Better to gift it to a kindred spirit."
Zhilán poured more tea at just the right moment. "Didn't Seventh Uncle always say true understanding is hard to find?"
Fragrance curled around them as Zhou Moxuan rubbed the jade slip for a long moment before finally nodding. "Mingyue Daoyou's skill is superb, and your insight's remarkable. In that case, please accept the position of guest elder."
He turned his gaze toward Zhilán, thoughtful. "No wonder you came so early today asking for a guest elder token. You'd already prepared this for Mingyue Daoyou."
His tone was mild, but a sharp glint passed through his eyes. "I recall you've always disliked dealing with guest elders. Yet today you seem unusually eager."
Zhilán's hand stayed steady as she poured. The tea traced a graceful arc. "Seventh Uncle jests. Didn't you just lecture me the other day? You said as Zhou family disciples, we should help recruit talents for the clan."
The tea rippled as it filled the cup.
"Besides…" She set the pot down, her lips curving. "Senior Mingyue's skill with go might even surpass Steward Xu. Seventh Uncle often complains that every time Steward Xu visits, he struggles to find a worthy opponent."
Light flashed in Zhou Moxuan's eyes. He slowly rubbed the teacup rim. "Zhilán, you've thought things through well."
Xie Zhaolin lowered her gaze at the right moment. "Miss Zhou exaggerates." She brushed a finger along the cup rim. "It's just some rough tricks, I wouldn't dare compare to a true disciple of the Hehuan Sect."
"What a coincidence." Zhou Moxuan suddenly clapped his hands. "Steward Xu's visiting today…" His gaze lingered meaningfully on her. "Daoyou, why not join us for tea and a game?"