"For one who is venerable, they must play the game themselves! If victory is determined, the pieces will naturally find peace."
Xu Qing watched as the old man placed his pieces with increasing speed, as if gathering some kind of momentum, while also suppressing Xu Qing's own arrogance.
When the black pieces launched a counterattack and regained dominance, Xu Qing suddenly spoke: "If this game is played by the elder, it is naturally extraordinary, but the great affairs of the world are destined not to be this game before us, and the one to control the game is not this old man here."
The old man paused with the final piece that would determine victory hovering in the air, and finally placed it back into the container in silence.
"Enough, enough, the fortune of future generations lies with them, let it be."
The old man seemed to be drained of all essence and spirit, his demeanor worn and withered as he said: "Young man, this old one no longer has the heart to strive for victory. Would you accompany this old one for a walk?"
Xu Qing smiled and said, "The old gentleman is a scholar of immense wisdom, to walk together with you is more than ideal."
The old man led the way, and the elder and the youth walked slowly.
During the walk, the old man spoke from military strategies to governance, and from imperial studies to the livelihood of the people, all his words were insightful and profound.
The old man seemed to be giving a last testament, or perhaps, having met a younger generation he appreciated, he had a mind to cherish talent and so imparted all his lifelong knowledge.
Xu Qing was delighted to just listen.
The old man spoke for about an hour before he stopped.
"Young man, this old one's body is frail, speaking for an hour has made me parched, could I trouble you to fetch some water for me...?"
"Respecting the old and loving the young is a virtue, the old gentleman merely wishes to quench his thirst, how could a younger one refuse?"
Xu Qing approached the well, which had no winch, only a well rope and a water bucket.
Xu Qing cheerfully approached the well, and as he filled the bucket with water and was pulling it up, the previously amiable old man suddenly had a grim and piercing look.
"Young man, let me teach you one last lesson: the trouble for a ruler is in trusting others; trust others, and they will control you!"
The extreme coldness of the words resonated, revealing the unpredictability of imperial power.
However, when the old man gathered strength to kick the young man fetching water, he kicked only empty air.
The old man realized something was wrong, and turned suddenly, only to see the fair-faced young man behind him, looking at him with a wry smile.
"I didn't expect the old gentleman to be so thirsty. In that case, please go down and drink your fill!"
Throughout history, the imperial family has been unfeeling. Xu Qing was already wary when he saw the dragon-like visage on the old man's face. As the old man moved, he employed the Divine Travel Celestial Scripture, instantly appearing behind the old man.
At this moment, Xu Qing lifted his foot with equal force, using the other's method against him.
The old man fell into the well with an expression of shock.
How are young people nowadays so deceitful!
What happened to the virtue of sincerity and the propriety of respecting the elderly and loving the young?
Shortly after the old man's fall, a purple dragon leaped out from the well's opening. Xu Qing quickly caught it, completely subduing the dragon that emitted a resentful roar.
Meanwhile, Zhaoshi Mountain suddenly trembled, and the enormous Fuyong Imperial Mausoleum spanning nearly two hundred miles abruptly collapsed, exposing several tombs.
Xu Qing looked in the direction of the Imperial Mausoleum, somewhat surprised.
He had only severed three parts of the Emperor's Purple Qi, so how had Dayong's Dragon Vein been severed?
In a flash, Xu Qing realized.
It turned out that Dayong's fate had already begun to dissipate before he arrived.
Xu Qing recalled the prior incident when the Eight Banner Marshals allocated ten years of national fortune to suppress the Yin Erosion Dharma King.
The dissipated fortune was likely due to this matter.
"But where will this sliver of lost Emperor's Purple Qi end up..."
With one portion gone, perhaps this fragment of fortune might fall on Zhu Huai'an, or perhaps on the mountain's outlaws, the heroes from all directions, or even some obscure individual.
Xu Qing's brow relaxed; none of this mattered to him. He wouldn't become the Son of Heaven of the mortal world, and the Divine Techniques of the Yin Country didn't require the fortune of the mortal world.
"With Dayong's fortune exhausted, doesn't it mean..."
Xu Qing turned his head towards the Capital City, and chuckled to himself.