66. Chess
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On the hunting plains, Luoyin's group found themselves in a rocky and desert-like place, with red sand and rocks about them.
Zhang Cheng's group was near a large waterfall, and Xu Haoyuan's group was in the thick forest.
Back at Luoyin's group, he rallied the rest around a small raised rock. "Who here believes Zhang Cheng's team has an advantage?" He asked.
"Yin gēge, isn't that a given?" Xu Lian asked with a shrug. "With fourteen members, that would be two on one if we clash head-on."
Weiyan shook her head. "No. There's an issue with the total number of disciples in the first place... There are only thirty-four disciples, so with fourteen members, the pressure to get enough flags is much greater.
"The Head Disciple's team is no different with thirteen members." She finished, and Xu Wen nodded.
"Exactly. In both teams, for each member to get at least two flags, they need to seize thirteen or fourteen flags! But excluding their own flags, there are only twenty flags left. Seizing fourteen won't be easy, because the other disciples won't simply sit still."
"Hao!" Luoyin nodded. "And besides, having two flags might not ensure a win, so they practically need all the flags, which is near impossible. They failed to realize that in a game like this, strategy is the winner, not strength or numbers!
"However, neither group is to be underestimated..."
He waved a hand and a thick layer of sand flew onto the rock. Then he used a twig to draw out his point on the sand as he spoke.
"The hunting plains are vast, but the hunt is only for twenty-four hours. This means we can assume our initial locations will not be too far from each other... I will guess five or six hours apart at most, which will let each side find opponents quickly.
"If any individual or team decides to take an easy way out and run far away, it would defeat the purpose of the game, so we can also assume they have blocked off regions from the plains, and we are all trapped within a somewhat small space, and like Chess, we must go after the other's pieces...
"But in a game like this, it's smarter to target the weakest opponents first, and we'll use that to our advantage!
"We are the fewest, so the other two teams will avoid each other, but won't be able to resist coming after us, and they will most likely use tracking talismans to track down a known member of our team..."
He straightened and placed his hands behind his back.
"We're going to remain in this spot and defend, but let's ensure our inevitable 'guests' are properly welcomed!"
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Exactly five hours later...!
Xu Haoyuan's group darted through the trees, with twigs crackling underfoot as they moved through the thick forest. Sunlight pierced the canopy in golden rays, and the wind rushed past them.
"North-east!" A disciple yelled out, and they all banked slightly to their rights, following her.
A few minutes later, she stopped suddenly, and the rest halted around her.
She held up a tracking talisman and stared at it in confusion. "It says 4th Disciple Xu's aura is just ahead, but shouldn't we have sensed the rest by now?"
Xu Haoyuan snatched the talisman from her. "Hmm? Perhaps they're hiding their auras? Let's move cautiously!"
They came to a grassy clearing and stepped through, only to find a lone disciple stretching.
"It's indeed 4th Disciple Xu!" She pointed out, and Xu Lin paused mid-stretch.
"Ah! Thank Heavens!" Xu Lin called out, running a few steps towards them. "I got separated from my team a few hours ago! Can any of you lend me a tracking talisman?!"
But only leering faces surrounded him as they slowly crowding in.
"Wh- what are you trying to do?!" Xu Lin demanded, a look of terror on his face.
"Little brother, it's nothing personal." Xu Haoyuan said, as they all began to approach Xu Lin. "In a game like this, betrayal is only part of it... Let's seize his flag!" He yelled, and they all leapt toward Xu Lin.
"Heh!" Xu Lin suddenly held up his hand to reveal a talisman which instantly fizzled into ash.
"Not good!" Haoyuan realized. "It's a trap!"
But it was too late!
He and the other disciples closest to Xu Lin, were suddenly engulfed within a mild explosion of smoke, and they vanished with him.
A small red seal briefly appeared where they had been, and then vanished as well!
"Wh- ! What just happened?!" One of the remaining disciples wondered.
"Where did they go?!"
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Meanwhile, back in the sandy, rocky plains, Xu Lin reappeared with six unfortunate disciples, who were instantly pounced on by Luoyin's waiting teammates!
In no time, they had tied the six disciples, including Xu Haoyuan, with spirit-binding ropes.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Xu Haoyuan demanded. "How did we get here?!"
"Heh!" Xu Lin folded his arms. "Once I burned that talisman, it triggered 2nd Disciple Zhang's summoning talisman over here! You're the ones who came close! You can't blame me!"
Haoyuan scowled at Luoyin. "Summoning talisman?! 2nd Disciple Zhang, are you learning bad habits from your brother?! Did you forget we were not allowed to cheat?!"
"Peh peh peh!" Luoyin nearly fell off the rock he sat on. "Even if you want to splash dirty water on me, why must you associate me with that disgusting fellow?!" He looked so affronted that a few disciples laughed.
Luoyin shrugged. "Besides, Elder Zhou never said summoning talismans were prohibited... He only said we can't 'summon outside help to cheat'. I summoned my own teammate, and you just 'happened' to be near him... You can only blame yourselves!
"Hmm?" He nodded towards Haoyuan and his tied-up companions.
Xu Min, Xu Lin, Xu Lian, and Tao Yun got the message and approached them, rubbing their hands with delighted sneers on their faces.
"Ehehehe... Elder brother, forgive us for being rude!" Xu Lin bowed, as they began searching them, with Xu Lian searching the two ladies amongst them.
Desperate, Haoyuan turned to Weiyan. "Mei mei! Are you simply going to watch your elder brother being robbed and embarrassed like this?!"
"Ei? Is it 'good if you do it, but bad if it's someone else'?" Luoyin swiftly stepped in front of Weiyan, waving a finger from left to right. "Don't try to sway her! It's part of the game! Didn't you also try to harm Xu Lin? Hmm?"
Haoyuan could only grit his teeth in silence as he and his companions had their flags, light green to match his aura, all taken away.
But as Luoyin began leading Weiyan away, a thought made Haoyuan call out.
"Wait! How did you know we would track Xu Lin?!"
"It doesn't matter who is tracked." Luoyin replied, not even breaking a step. "Everyone on this team has a seal on them. I would know who is being tracked, and once the enemies are close, they would go off to a secluded spot and wait...
'Yuan Jing!' He quietly activated his far-seeing technique, then turned to the rest.
"Ready yourselves! Zhang Cheng's team is approaching Xu Wen!"
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In a small grove of trees, Xu Wen sat in the lotus position.
"There he is!" A disciple called out, and Zhang Cheng's team surrounded him.
"Oh? Did your fellow group of wastes abandon you?" Zhang Cheng asked with a smirk, stepping forward.
"Leave me alone and continue on your way... Another group already took my flag." Xu Wen blandly stated.
"Hmph. You think we would simply believe you?" Zhang Cheng raised a hand and motioned forward. "Search him!" He ordered, and a few disciples began to approach Xu Wen.
But then Zhang Cheng raised his hand again. "Wait!"
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Back in Luoyin's group, they all stood at the ready, surrounding an empty spot, except for Luoyin who leisurely sat on his rock.
But he suddenly sighed, and a worried look crossed his face.
"Hmm? Zhang Yin, what's bothering you?" Xu Min had turned to him.
"Yes! Why worry about such a full-proof plan?" Tao Yun asked, but Luoyin shook his head.
"What if... Just what if Zhang Cheng chooses today of all days to be intelligent?!"
But in the next instant, there was a burst of aura, and a bright red seal glowed on the empty spot, right before ten disciples suddenly appeared, including Xu Wen and Zhang Cheng himself!!
"What is goin-?!" Zhang Cheng began thundering, but suddenly found himself on the floor as Xu Wen's wooden vines gripped his ankle, tripping him, and this was followed by two swift wind hits from Xu Min, almost knocking Zhang Cheng out.
Before he regained himself, a talisman was slapped on his chest, and spirit binding ropes erupted from it, binding him in place.
His teammates weren't faring any better, and soon they were all subdued and bound.
"Ha! I severely overestimated your intelligence!" Luoyin was shaking his head, while literally looking down on Zhang Cheng. "You really let yourself be lured here like a big fish!"
"He indeed suspected me," Xu Wen began. "But..."
Back in the grove of trees, after Zhang Cheng had stopped his teammates, Xu Wen smirked and said:
"Oh? It's really a bunch of frightened cats..." Then he looked straight at Zhang Cheng. "This is why you will always lose to your little brother."
A vein had instantly popped on Zhang Cheng's head!
"Seize him!" An enraged Zhang Cheng had barked, charging at Xu Wen, and...
Here they were now!
Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth as the disciples all laughed, and Xu Min patted Xu Wen's back.
"Zhang Yin, this fellow's mouth is almost as poisonous as yours!"
"Hao! This Shixiong is proud!" Luoyin applauded.
"Zhang Luoyin!" Zhang Cheng thundered. "I challenge you to a duel!! Winner takes all!!"
Luoyin shrugged. "We won, so we're 'taking all' already." He raised an eyebrow. "Why should I honour your stupid duel? I'll personally wave your flag when this is over."
Zhang Cheng sneered. "I'd rather forfeit this tournament than let you touch my flag! I just sent it into my sealed qiankun ring! Even if you take the ring, there's no getting the flag out!"
"What a sore loser!" Xu Lin spat.
"So shameless!" One of the tied-up ladies in Haoyuan's group literally spat, making her sister eye her with some disgust.
But despite the outrage on their faces, Zhang Cheng scoffed. "Hmph! Zhang Luoyin, you'll always be beneath me! Through the years, you could only have what I no longer wanted! Like my old robes and shoes! Or the broken furniture and outdated curtains in your room!"
His words were already awakening an overwhelming feeling of anger within Luoyin, as he recalled the unfortunate event the Original had faced...
..but then Zhang Cheng heightened the matter when he glanced at Weiyan.
"Heh! Even your wife was owned and discarded by me!"
There were outraged gasps around, and Weiyan's hand was instantly surrounded by her white angry flames, ready to teach Zhang Cheng an unforgettable lesson.
But as she stepped forward, Luoyin calmly caught her hand.
It was strange... He appeared completely calm, but Weiyan suddenly felt goosebumps crawl up her arm.
"Ho? You really want a duel?" There was nothing friendly about the smile Luoyin directed at Zhang Cheng. "Hao! Then let's duel."
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