Chapter Fifty-Five: The Five Variations of the World Game

The sun beat down fiercely from the sky. In a small farmhouse courtyard, outside a two-story building, a small patch of ground was enclosed by tree branches. Near a stump left behind by a felled ancient tree, a few people sat in the shade, brewing tea.

Xue Xi skillfully gripped the teapot, pouring tea into everyone’s cups until they were seven-tenths full. She set the pot down and gestured for them to partake. The group lifted their cups, savoring the brew with meticulous care; it possessed a distinct and unique flavor.

Fan Caobao, sitting with one leg crossed over his knee, set down his cup, smacked his lips, and said, "The current situation is likely to descend into chaos. Brother Chen, should we take advantage of the turmoil? They say a gentleman’s revenge is never too late, but the thought of letting a grudge fester overnight is infuriating."

Chen Hongxu shook his head at Xue Xi, who was reaching to refill his cup. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Let’s wait for Liu Yixian to return and assess the situation. Who knows if this is just another trap laid by those old ghosts?"

Three months had passed since the rescue of Xue Xi. During that time, the group had been constantly on the move, frequently clashing with practitioners from various nations. While they had yet to suffer any casualties, the fighting had been fierce. The other practitioners had identified Xue Xi as their weak link, repeatedly using her as a breakthrough point. In several of those skirmishes, had it not been for the vigilance of Chen and Fan, the girl might have been abducted again to serve as a bargaining chip.

Moreover, their side was inherently outnumbered. Unlike the opposition, who seemed to have an endless stream of reinforcements appearing one after another, their group was small. If they hadn't subdued Yan Shanren—an Earth Immortal skilled in concealing heavenly secrets—Chen Hongxu’s group would likely have been driven to exhaustion by the sheer annoyance of it all.

The group fell silent, continuing to drink their tea. Regardless, the world outside was already in disarray, and living a quiet life here was not such a bad fate.

By late evening, Liu Yixian, who had been away for five or six days, returned ahead of schedule. Though his trip was planned for a week, he had cut it short. Knowing Liu Yixian to be a steady and reliable man, the group knew he wouldn't do this without cause. After dinner, they gathered around a table on the second floor, waiting to hear the intelligence he had gathered.

As Chen Hongxu’s "Lotus Guard," Liu Yixian’s strength was tethered to Chen’s own. Furthermore, he believed his life had been saved by Chen Hongxu and therefore belonged to him. After repeatedly declining the request to sit with Chen, he stood and slowly recounted what he had seen and heard: "The situation outside is largely the same as it was before we went into hiding. The world governments have united to form a tenuous opposition against the practitioners. The Kongtong Sect, which formerly acted as the spokesperson for the Practitioners’ Alliance, has ceded its leadership role following the opening of the Kunlun Mountains, and many hidden sects have now thrown open their gates, their true strength currently unknown.

"On the surface, everything seems normal and orderly, but the undercurrents are constant. First, now that the public knows human potential can reach the heavens and traverse the seas, everyone has their own ambitions. The Practitioners’ Alliance chose this exact moment to cast their bait, calling on the people of the world to cultivate. While we know this is impossible, the common folk do not. Faced with such a self-serving promise, the public has become incited, leading to countless protests and demonstrations.

"To date, aside from the psychics controlled by the United States who remain beyond the reach of such influence, the scale of practitioners in other countries has reached an extreme. This was the fuse for the conflict between the united governments and the Practitioners’ Alliance. Both sides have engaged in several skirmishes, both openly and in the shadows; the exact losses are unclear, but it is amusing that both sides claim to be the victors.

"The reason I returned early is that two days ago, during a military exercise, the united governments accidentally launched a nuclear weapon, obliterating a sect hidden deep in the desert. The casualties are unknown, but it has enraged the Practitioners’ Alliance, who view it as a provocation. Consequently, they have dispatched a dozen high-ranking experts to assassinate government officials worldwide. It seems they are on the verge of dropping all pretenses."

Having finished, Liu Yixian offered no pleasantries. He nodded to Chen Hongxu, stepped back, and stood quietly with his head bowed and eyes lowered. He was very clear about his position: like a pawn on a chessboard, he never participated in decision-making; he only wished to charge forward.

Chen Hongxu understood the bitterness in Liu Yixian’s heart. He had once had a mother, but during the troubles with the Xue family, she had been dug up as leverage. When Liu Yixian hesitated, torn by the choice, his mother had taken her own life.

Sighing, Chen Hongxu stood up, patted Liu Yixian on the shoulder, and scanned the room. "Let’s hear your thoughts. Everyone, speak your minds."

The old Taoist priest from the Chunri Shrine lowered his head to tease his granddaughter, appearing entirely indifferent. Fan Caobao winked at Xue Xi, gesturing for her to pour him more tea; the two of them stared at each other, neither offering an opinion.

Chen Hongxu wore a bitter expression, knowing they had all staked their lives on him. Whatever decision he made, they would execute it resolutely. The pressure was immense.

"I have faint signs of a breakthrough. Let’s wait another half a month, then we shall head out. The clowns out there have been making a ruckus for long enough. When we go, we are heading straight for Kongtong; there are some accounts that need to be settled."

The group remained noncommittal. Chen Hongxu, feeling dejected, turned and walked toward the door.

Not long after he left, Xue Xi put down the teapot. Without warning, she raised her hand and punched Fan Caobao in the eye, huffing, "He told you to share your thoughts, and you acted like a corpse. Don't you know my man is under a lot of pressure right now?"

Fan Caobao, struck by this unprovoked disaster, clutched his eye and whimpered, "There were so many other people there—why did you have to pick on me?"

"Pig-brained!" Xue Xi glared at him. "Liu Yixian and Gu Jisong follow Chen Hongxu’s lead in everything; what opinions could they have? Yan Shanren is even worse—he’s Chen Hongxu’s Lotus Slave; he isn't even allowed to have an opinion. Whatever Chen Hongxu thinks, he does. What difference would it make if he offered an opinion? And Master Jia is here with his granddaughter, having abandoned his home and livelihood; his life was hanging by a thread until I saved him—what opinion could he possibly have? Look, everyone else is accounted for, leaving only you, his sworn brother who has braved life and death with him. You couldn't say a few heartfelt words, all you know is how to drink tea—are you trying to drink yourself to death?"

"Now that you put it that way, I suppose I am different from them." Fan Caobao lowered his hand, his eye bruised black, and grinned with a flash of yellow teeth. "How about you call Brother Chen back in? Shall we start over?"

"Get out!" Xue Xi kicked Fan Caobao in the stomach, stood up, grabbed the chair she had been sitting on, and began to whack him over the head. Considering Fan Caobao was thick-skinned, she didn't hold back. As for Fan Caobao’s rule about "not hitting the face or the groin," would Xue Xi ever listen to that? After bullying him for a while, she turned and chased after Chen Hongxu.

"Damn it, why am I always the one getting hurt?" Fan Caobao lay on the floor, daring not to speak or show anger, feeling deeply aggrieved.