Follow the path of Dao from infancy

Chapter 395: Chapter 21: The Chess of Emperor Yu

"It's a pity that no one but us believes this kind of thing,"

The thin middle-aged man snorted coldly, "They just think that our Wang Family is tricking people, luring them to help with false promises. These guys will never rise early unless there's profit in it. Without any benefits driving them, even if the Mo River extends to their hometown, they would choose to move rather than solve the problem of the Mo River!"

"That's just how people are; you can't really blame anyone else,"

The elder shook his head slightly and said, "Unfortunately, ten thousand merits is too hard to obtain; it requires the destruction of a Youdu-level Mo River ten times. Only the Eastern Protector is in the Grand Tao of Peace Realm, otherwise it would be impossible to complete."

"Let's talk about the Mo River in Liangzhou Dragon City first,"

The authoritative-faced middle-aged man said, "That Li Family young man lured those three Demon Kings into the Dragon City Mo River, probably planning to perish together with them in the river."

"That section of the Mo River is extremely dangerous, more troublesome than other Youdu-level Mo Rivers—it could rank within the top ten of such rivers."

"Li Xiaoran has the blood of the Li Family, a natural advantage, but even so, there hasn't been much progress over the years. It's uncertain if there will be any achievements this time."

"Indeed, this is a rare opportunity to catch a turtle in a jar, to kill the sovereign of the Great Void Realm. The Great Void Realm will surely be severely wounded, falling from the top forces, allowing the Monster Suppression Department to dispatch people to clean up, easing the pressure on the border."

"But other holy palaces and the Dragon Gate will most likely not sit idly by and may even anticipate our actions, leading to a major battle when the time comes,"

"What do you think, should we ask Uncle of the Eastern Protector to come out, or should we go ourselves? If the old matriarch of the Xia Family chooses not to intervene, we can withdraw in time,"

"I don't think it's worth it,"

The thin middle-aged man said, "It's hard enough for Uncle Eastern Protector to clean up the Mo River, and on top of that, to run around for this kind of thing, isn't it laughable? It was agreed back then that they would guard the border, and we would take care of the Mo River. Now they want us to manage their mess as well, isn't that a joke?"

The authoritative man looked at the elder, who was silent for a while before finally saying,

"I'll make a trip myself first, go there and see. Wait for Uncle Eastern Protector to emerge from the Mo River, let him rest before he comes over if necessary."

"Uncle, are you really going?"

The thin middle-aged man was stunned and couldn't help saying, "Our Wang Family is no longer involved with these demons. Over the years, they have been killing demons and making meritorious deeds, and although the Li Family has lost six sons in battle, at least they did their duty and earned a clear conscience! But who will remember those from our Wang Family who died in the Mo River? Even the Merit Board will erase their names; ask anyone in the world now, who remembers that the Wang Family is also part of the Divine General Mansion?"

"Who will help us clear the Mo River if we help them?"

The elder listened to his agitated speech, fell silent for a moment, then looked up at him and said,

"My journey is not about shouldering the responsibilities of the Wang Family, but about the conscience of a martial artist! Man and demons are inherent enemies; slaying demons and removing evils are the martial goals of our kind. If one possesses martial skills but lives a cowardly life in the marketplaces, what's the point? The world may not know of the Wang Family's merits, but heaven knows, earth knows, the Emperor knows, and the descendants of our Wang Family remember—that's enough!"

The thin middle-aged man saw his resolute look, was taken aback, his lips trembling slightly, and in the end, he said no more.

...

...

In Dayu State, the holy capital, Yuzhou.

Within the majestic imperial palace, inside a deep courtyard.

Snap!

With a crisp sound, in a courtyard abloom with peach blossoms, two figures sat leisurely across from each other playing chess in a pavilion.

One was Emperor Yu, and the other wore luxurious Jiao robes. He looked about forty, but with a few strands of white hair at his temples.

On his waist placard was engraved the character "Qing," and everyone in the imperial palace and even the entire Yuzhou knew that this only represented one identity—the Prince Qing, Jiang Qingshan.

In Jianghu outside the court, he had another name—the Green Mountain Taoist Master!

"Brother Emperor, you've won again,"

Jiang Qingshan watched as his own territory was dissected beyond redemption by the black stones, completely severing his lifeline, and he could only smile wryly as he conceded with a bow.

Emperor Yu chuckled, "It's not fun to play chess if you keep letting me win."

"I wouldn't dare let you win, Brother Emperor. I have given it my all, yet skill is inferior to yours. I must practice more when I return," Jiang Qingshan replied with a bitter smile.

Emperor Yu, pleased by the statement, couldn't stop smiling as he said,

"Your chess skills indeed need improvement. I should find a better chess player to visit your residence to sharpen your skills. After so many years, you haven't improved a bit, not even as good as a child."

Jiang Qingshan was left speechless, and with a forced smile said, "Brother Emperor, now you're making fun of me. My chess skills may not match yours, but I can hold my own against the little chess sage. How could I not be better than a child?"

Seeing his brother unconvinced, Emperor Yu laughed, but his smile faded as he thought of the carefree youth beneath the willow tree. He remained silent.

He put down the chess piece he was holding and said softly, "You already know about the situation in Liangzhou, what are your plans?"

Jiang Qingshan, seeing this, stopped fiddling with the chessboard, and seriously replied,

"Holy Palaces and the Dragon Gate, the Great Void Realm is attacking Liangzhou, and other demonic forces are also eager to move, eying the other states, preventing them from allocating too many resources elsewhere."

"They aim to use Liangzhou as a breach, and once Liangzhou is secured, they plan to invade other states with the surge of the Aquatic Clan demons from the Wei River, and then rely on Liangzhou's terrain, defensible by land and attackable by water forces. They are truly serious about taking action against our Dayu State!"

Emperor Yu nodded slightly and said, "You must also be aware of the situation behind them."

Jiang Qingshan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded, "I heard that the Li Family lad lured the sovereign of the Great Void Realm into Dragon City Mo River. Now is an excellent opportunity to catch a turtle in a jar. Brother Emperor, did you summon me here to join the hunt?"