The Su Family

Verdant Parasol Courtyard.

Su Hongli held a jar of game pieces in one hand. With the other, he set up the Go board.

One piece after another, alternating black and white filled the board. They gradually reached a stalemate.

He was playing Go against himself, and taking great pleasure in it.

It was only after night fell that Su Hongli suddenly furrowed his brow, sighed, then swept his arm across the full Go board. “In this world, nothing is harder to defeat than one’s self. That’s true in Go, and it’s true in cultivation, too.”

The Daoist elder had already been waiting for quite some time. When he heard this, he couldn’t help but say, “When you play board games, you hope to place each piece without regrets. When you cultivate, you hope to proceed without hindrances.”

Su Hongli laughed and rose. “Everyone understands that in principle, yes, but it’s hard to implement. Daoist Brother, you’ve been waiting for quite some time now. Do you have urgent business?”

The elder nodded. “Su Yi has arrived in the Jade Capital.”

The darkness gradually deepened, and the lamplight flickered in the evening winds. 

“Hah?” Su Hongli laughed. “But then, this is within my expectations.”

The elder said softly, “It...