Chapter 78: Unraveling the Game of Chess

Just in time, Gu Man’s arrival spared Gu Shen the trouble of seeking her out. He decided to share his plan with her right then. She merely curled her lip, stuck out her tongue, and darted over to the couch, declaring, “I’m not interested. If you want to go, go ahead, but don’t drag me into it. I have no wish to beg Father, and besides, what abilities does this Gou Ye possess that would make me humble myself before him? I won’t go, I won’t.”

Gu Shen glanced awkwardly at Gou Ye and approached Gu Man, trying to persuade her with gentle words, but she remained unmoved. Gu Shen could only sigh quietly, “Ah, I had hoped to take you out for a bit of fun in a few days, but it seems there’s no chance now.”

At the mention of fun, Gu Man perked up immediately. “Where are we going? Eighth Brother, you’ve promised to take me out to play so many times, but you always trick me. Last time, you said you’d bring me something fun, but where is it? You’re just fooling your seventh sister.” With that, Gu Man pouted and turned away, ignoring Gu Shen.

Unexpectedly, Gou Ye spoke up, “Miss Gu, have you ever flown a kite?” It was autumn, and the gentle breeze made it the perfect season for kites. Yet, whether in the streets or fields, Gou Ye had never seen anyone flying a kite. Though curious, he hadn’t given it much thought until Gu Man mentioned wanting some plaything. Suddenly, he remembered kites.

Gu Man bounced over in excitement, “Kite? What’s a kite? Is it fun?”

Clearly, kites did not exist in this era. Gou Ye wondered how these people spent their childhoods. When he was young, he and his grandfather lived in the countryside, and nothing delighted him more than flying kites together in spring and autumn.

Gu Man was much like an innocent child, her excitement ignited at the prospect of play. Gou Ye simply smiled and instructed Gu Shen to prepare rice paper, bamboo strips, and fine hemp string.

Soon, everything was ready. Gou Ye laid out the materials on the table and began to work. Gu Man watched curiously, her eyes wide beside him, while Gu Shen sipped tea and observed. By now, nothing Gou Ye did surprised him; even if Gou Ye built a chariot today, Gu Shen wouldn’t bat an eye.

After a long while, Gou Ye finished crafting a kite in the shape of a swallow. Though its appearance left much to be desired, its novelty had Gu Man itching with anticipation. Gou Ye took the kite and its string, running repeatedly in the courtyard, but the wind was insufficient. The three of them climbed into a carriage and headed for the wildfields outside the city.

Upon alighting, Gou Ye felt the gentle breeze and shouted in delight. He ran across the wild fields, kite in hand. Gu Man wondered what the point was, but just as the thought crossed her mind, the “swallow” in Gou Ye’s hand soared skyward like a real bird. Gu Man clapped and cheered, “It’s flying! It’s flying!”

Gou Ye beckoned her over. Gu Man, a little scared and shy, stepped to his side. Gou Ye grinned and handed her the string handle. Gu Man retreated two steps, shook her head, and smiled, “No, I’m afraid.”

“Come on, it’s fine. I’ll teach you!” With Gou Ye’s encouragement, Gu Man’s eagerness overcame her nerves. She took the handle, and under Gou Ye’s guidance, soon learned how to fly the kite. She ran joyfully across the wild fields, utterly unwearied, letting herself soar with the kite. Who knew how long they played—by the time the sun was about to set and the chill of the evening wind crept in, Gu Man reluctantly followed the two back to the estate.

This time, Gu Man’s attitude toward Gou Ye changed significantly. Upon hearing Gou Ye promise her more toys in the future, she saw him as a treasure trove. Without hesitation, she joined the persuasion team, won over by Gou Ye’s kite.

That night, Gu Shen didn’t idle either. He decided to act on his own and sought out Sixth Brother, Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng was honest and upright, never one for disputes, and shared Gu Shen’s passion for martial arts. When Gu Shen told him his request, Gu Sheng agreed readily and without hesitation. Now, only Fifth Sister and Eldest Brother remained; as for Third Brother, his situation was unclear, but Gu Shen felt his participation was doubtful.

The next morning, Gu Shen was still asleep when Gu Bo kicked open the door and shouted, “Where is your friend Gou Ye? Where is he?”

Gu Shen, seeing his anxious expression, wondered if something had angered him. “Third Brother, what’s the matter? Why are you like this?”

Gu Bo slapped his thigh and said, “You have no idea. Yesterday, after finishing a game of chess with Old Master Zhang, I saw the chess puzzle Gou Ye set up on the table. Old Master Zhang and I spent the whole night sleepless, unable to solve it. I’ve never seen such a miraculous puzzle—layers upon layers of traps, mutual survival and longevity, counterattacks and breath control, the five flowers and six gatherings, impossibly complex. Quick, take me to him!”

Only then did Gu Shen realize that Gou Ye had set up a chess puzzle in Third Brother’s room yesterday, and apparently, it was extraordinarily difficult. To stump Third Brother and Old Master Zhang all night—interesting. Gu Shen hurried to dress and took Gu Bo to Gou Ye’s quarters.

Gou Ye was still dreaming sweetly of happy moments with Yun Niang when Gu Shen shook him awake. Annoyed, he was about to rebuke him, but seeing Gu Bo at his side, he changed his tone, “Ah, Third Brother Gu. What brings you here so early?”

Gu Bo didn’t beat around the bush. “Was yesterday’s chess puzzle your own invention?”

Gou Ye smiled, “I set up the puzzle, but it’s not my creation. I only know the basics of chess; understanding the moves is hard enough for me, let alone inventing a puzzle.”

Gu Bo pressed further, “Then do you know the solution?”

“If I can set it up, I can solve it.” Gou Ye answered as he dressed, paying the two little heed.

Gu Bo, excited, grabbed Gou Ye’s arm. “Good! If you can tell me how to solve this puzzle, I’ll immediately agree to help you.”

Gou Ye was secretly delighted, silently thanking Master Jin eight hundred times. Fortunately, he had thoroughly studied Jin’s works—especially the “Chess Puzzle of Zhenlong” from “The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.” He had even searched online for its layout and drew it himself out of fascination. Who would have thought that this puzzle would stump Gu Bo, a master of Go?

They returned to Gu Bo’s room, where Old Master Zhang was still poring over the puzzle, nearly at his wits’ end. Gou Ye approached the chessboard with a smile, emulating Xu Zhu’s moves, placing a single piece, then proceeding step by step as Duan Yanqing had done. At last, Gu Bo and Old Master Zhang burst out laughing.

Old Master Zhang exclaimed, “From the brink of death comes new life! Brilliant, truly brilliant!”