Chapter Forty-Six: The Startling Game (Part 2)

Fang Guohuan felt a surge of anxiety. "Li Ruchuan has been captured, and Yu Ruoxu will surely attempt to break him out of prison. That man is a master of martial arts; a simple county jail will never hold him. I must reach the magistrate’s office as soon as possible. I hope to act as a witness regarding the chess match and convince the authorities to charge Li Ruchuan with murder. Ideally, I would like to challenge him to a game." Fang Guohuan was burning with impatience, wishing he could reach the city in an instant to confront Li Ruchuan and experience his murderous "ghost chess" firsthand.

Once the carriage entered the county seat, Cai Xiaolei thanked the driver and accompanied Fang Guohuan and Ruan Fang toward the magistrate’s office. However, the entrance was eerily quiet, showing no signs of any major trial or sensational case. Fang Guohuan was bewildered.

Cai Xiaolei spoke up, "We cannot be certain of the facts yet. I have an old acquaintance who serves in the yamen. I will go and call him out to get to the bottom of this. Ruan Fang and Brother Fang, please wait at that tea stall over there." With that, Cai Xiaolei headed straight into the yamen. Ruan Fang led Fang Guohuan to a nearby tea stall, where they ordered tea and snacks to wait for news.

Noticing Fang Guohuan’s anxious expression, Ruan Fang comforted him: "Do not worry, Brother Fang. If your chess rival has been caught, it is simply his fate running out. If you didn't have the chance to defeat him on the board, let the authorities punish him."

Fang Guohuan worried, "I only fear that the authorities will lack evidence. If they cannot discern anything from the chessboard, they won't be able to convict him. Besides, this man has powerful connections; the officials may not dare to handle him lightly." Ruan Fang nodded. "That is true. To arrest and convict, one needs proof. Since this man kills invisibly through chess, there is likely no material evidence. Let’s see what news Cai Xiaolei brings. If the officials truly have no way to deal with him, we shall devise a chess trap and give him a taste of his own medicine. If he refuses to engage or is released by the authorities, we will intercept him on the road and teach him a lesson." Fang Guohuan couldn't help but smile at this.

Before long, Cai Xiaolei emerged from the yamen with a bailiff. Ruan Fang and Fang Guohuan stood up to greet them. Cai Xiaolei introduced them: "This is Bailiff Song, who manages affairs in the yamen." After exchanging courtesies, they sat down.

Cai Xiaolei poured a bowl of tea for Bailiff Song. "I asked to meet you today to inquire about something. I heard there was a homicide in the city yesterday, something related to a game of chess?" Bailiff Song replied, "That is correct. Scholar Zhang lost his life over a game of chess yesterday. However, the culprit has been apprehended and will be tried this afternoon." Cai Xiaolei asked, "I wonder, that culprit..."

Bailiff Song looked at Cai Xiaolei, then at Ruan Fang and Fang Guohuan, and set down his tea bowl. "Are you here to plead for the culprit? Trying to get him off the hook?" He shook his head. "You might as well save your silver. Scholar Zhang’s family has already filed a formal complaint. The murder is an established fact, and he cannot escape his culpability. The magistrate sitting in court is an upright official, selfless and strict in enforcing the law."

Fang Guohuan could no longer restrain himself. "May I ask, Bailiff Song, what is the culprit's name?" The bailiff replied, "He is called Li San." "Li San?" Fang Guohuan was stunned, thinking the bailiff had misspoken, as Li Ruchuan went by the alias Li Wusan. He quickly asked, "Is it Li Wusan?"

Bailiff Song glanced at him. "What 'Wu-San' or 'Wu-Si'? Li San runs a rice shop in the south of the city. I’ve known him for a long time. It’s a pity he got caught up in this; though it was an accidental killing, it is still a serious crime." Fang Guohuan was astonished. "Does this Li San also possess the power to kill through chess?" The bailiff, sensing their odd behavior, grew annoyed. "What is your business here? Why are you spouting such nonsensical things? Are you playing a joke on me?"

Seeing the bailiff's growing irritation, Cai Xiaolei quickly smoothed things over. "Bailiff Song, don't be suspicious. We have no connection to this case. We were merely curious about the rumors that one could kill via a chessboard. You and I were neighbors once; how could I be joking with you? But what exactly happened yesterday to cost Scholar Zhang his life?"

Bailiff Song took a sip of tea, seemed to find the taste off, and spat it onto the ground. Ruan Fang, seeing such rudeness, stood up in anger. Cai Xiaolei signaled him to stop, then pulled some small pieces of silver from his robe and offered them. "A small token of appreciation, Bailiff Song. Please buy yourself some better tea."

The bailiff eyed the silver, smiled, and said nothing. Cai Xiaolei tucked the silver into the bailiff’s pocket. "Bailiff Song, do us a favor and tell us what happened."

Bailiff Song then spoke slowly, "You are truly idle people to be asking about such irrelevant matters. Fine, since you are here, there is no harm in telling you. Yesterday at noon, Scholar Zhang invited Li San to his home for a game. They were usually good friends. But the scholar was stubborn; they began to fight over a move. Li San saw the scholar trying to retract a move, and since Li San was not a man to yield, they began to scramble for a useless chess piece. From a dispute, it turned into a struggle, and in the chaos, Li San accidentally pushed the scholar to the ground. The scholar was short-lived, hitting his head against the corner of the table and dying on the spot. His family wouldn't let Li San go; they beat him, dragged him to the authorities, and filed a murder charge. It’s all documented. Li San cannot escape the blame. In short, two fools caused a death over a game of chess. If you want to see the spectacle, go stand outside the yamen this afternoon." With that, Bailiff Song stood up and walked away.

Fang Guohuan finally realized this case had nothing to do with the master chess player Li Ruchuan. He felt deeply disappointed and sat in silence. Ruan Fang and Cai Xiaolei exchanged looks, finding the situation both absurd and tragic.

Ruan Fang looked at the departing bailiff with disdain. "Officials are so arrogant, yet they are all the same when they see silver. Not worth associating with." Cai Xiaolei sighed. "Nothing in this world is more snobbish than those who work for the government. They act grand, but the moment they see silver, they are like flies onto blood."

Ruan Fang reflected on the unexpected outcome. "I didn't believe it was possible to kill through chess, but today I've seen it. Even if it was an accidental death, it was caused by the game. Who would have thought that a refined art like chess could turn so bitter?" He sighed, paid for the tea, and led Cai Xiaolei and Fang Guohuan away.

As they reached a street corner, they saw a crowd gathered, with shouting and insults filling the air. Upon closer inspection, it was two women bickering, using coarse language that was unfit for the ears. Seeing Fang Guohuan still downcast, Ruan Fang tried to lighten the mood. "Those women's ability to curse is even more ferocious than my rapid-fire gun."

Cai Xiaolei laughed, "Brother Ruan, your gun strikes a whole area, but they attract a whole crowd. Yet you are squeezed in here watching—you’re truly not as good as the women." Ruan Fang burst into laughter, causing the two bickering women to stop abruptly and glare at him, thinking he was mocking them.

The laughter died in Ruan Fang’s throat as he realized the situation. He looked at them with wide eyes. "Hey! What's the meaning of this?"

Cai Xiaolei, seeing the danger, grabbed them both and ran. Behind them came a torrent of foul abuse. They covered their ears and ran until they reached a distant corner, where they stopped and looked at each other’s disheveled state. Suddenly, they burst into uncontrollable laughter. Fang Guohuan clutched his stomach against the wall, breathless; Cai Xiaolei stomped his feet; Ruan Fang bent over double. Passersby looked on in bewilderment.

Ruan Fang and Cai Xiaolei, respecting Fang Guohuan’s chivalrous spirit, insisted he return with them to drink *Chenxiang* wine. Fang Guohuan, feeling disheartened by the false alarm but unwilling to reject their sincerity, returned to Ruan Fang’s home to drink. Wine and bosom friends make a thousand cups seem few; though Fang Guohuan was not a heavy drinker, he drank plenty to drown his sorrows.

After several rounds, Ruan Fang sighed. "Brother Fang, you walk the world alone, a free and easy soul. Even if you are burdened by that chess enemy, do not take it to heart. Do not force things; let fate take its course."

Cai Xiaolei added, "If you have the skill to defeat him on the board, he will surely seek you out eventually. To find a worthy opponent is the nature of a chess player." Fang Guohuan nodded. "You are both right. If it is heaven’s will, one cannot force it. Let it be."

Suddenly, a servant named Liu Xiang ran in, excited. "Master! The eagle is here!" Ruan Fang’s spirit lifted. He stood up and headed to the courtyard, followed by the others.

High in the sky, a large eagle hung motionless, as if pasted against the heavens. Cai Xiaolei exclaimed, "Brother Ruan, did you have a date with this eagle?"

Ruan Fang replied, "Indeed. This beast has caught every single one of Liu Xiang’s chickens. I’ve been waiting for it for days." He stared at the sky. "The eagle has the ability to hover at high altitudes to scout for prey. It is over a thousand meters away; I must use the 'Fire-Thunder Gun' and the 'Thunder-Chasing Bullet'." He entered a wooden shed and emerged with an extra-long musket—a rod-like weapon over ten feet long with a copper base.

Fang Guohuan was surprised. "A strange weapon! Can it really reach that eagle?" Ruan Fang explained, "This 'Fire-Thunder Gun' and its ammunition are specially crafted for long-range targets. I have tested it before with some success." He rested the gun on a tree branch, aimed, and waited.

A moment of silence, then a flash of fire and a deafening roar. The eagle, previously still, suddenly tumbled through the air and plummeted to the ground. The others cheered.

Liu Xiang sprinted toward where the eagle fell. Fang Guohuan praised, "Brother Ruan, a divine shot! Even more impressive than a friend's heavy bow!"

Ruan Fang put away the gun. "Save for the sun, moon, and stars, whatever the eye can see, this gun can strike."

Liu Xiang returned, carrying the eagle. Its wingspan was over ten feet. Ruan Fang was delighted. "A perfect prop! We shall mount it in the vegetable garden to scare off the birds."

As the three returned to drink, Ruan Fang mused, "If one studies a single craft to perfection, one can master the secrets of creation—even beyond one's own imagination." Fang Guohuan agreed.

As they drank, Cai Xiaolei told a legendary tale of a man named Wang Nan who loved wine so much that he was eventually "transformed" by the spirit of a hundred-year-old brew, leaving behind nothing but his clothes and a puddle of water. Though Ruan Fang and Fang Guohuan were skeptical, Cai Xiaolei insisted it was true, claiming he had witnessed the aftermath as a child.

The next day, Fang Guohuan bid them farewell. Despite their attempts to have him stay, he left, secretly leaving fifty taels of silver behind. They walked him part of the way, promising to meet again.

Fang Guohuan continued his search, but Li Ruchuan had vanished, and the rumors of "murderous chess" began to fade. He felt a mix of relief and melancholy, knowing that as long as Li Ruchuan lived, he would likely strike again. He continued his travels, keeping his mission alive.

Eventually, he arrived at the beautiful Huangshan Mountains. He spent days exploring the peaks—the Bright Summit, Lotus Peak, and the treacherous Heavenly Capital Peak. He marveled at the "Greeting Pine" and the "Farewell Pine." One evening, he found a cave to sleep in, washing his face in a clear spring and eating wild fruit. Alone in the wilderness, he had become accustomed to this wandering, nomadic life.