When Xu Chang'an returned to Muyu Peak, he could clearly feel that the atmosphere here was different from other places.
If Celestial Bright Peak felt tense, where everyone came and went like the wind and the cliff cut by a sword exuded an immortal sense, Muyu Peak felt nothing like an Immortal Sect. Instead, it felt like a water town, offering the comfort of being in Jiangnan.
It lacked the simplicity of Celestial Bright Peak, replaced by complex terrain and exquisite architecture.
It was like a small, graceful girl.
...
Xu Chang'an stepped off the Teleportation Array, in front of him was a path of clean blue stone bricks, with a stone bridge spanning the clear lake, looking to the left was a vast expanse of lake with no visible edge, while to the right was an ancient and romantic townscape.
The cultivators of Muyu Peak did not live in caves or tall buildings, but rather in standalone wooden huts, courtyard houses, or even on small boats.
It can only be said that this place, where only women reside, is uniquely characteristic within the entire Immortal Sect.
Initially, Xu Chang'an was unaccustomed to the mountain, but after realizing that cultivation here differed from usual cultivators, with people practicing things like music, chess, calligraphy, painting, dance, and tea, he understood the uniqueness of this place.
Life must have taste; without taste, how could one talk about music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the joy of life?
He walked along the path towards the nearby destination.
As an Outer Disciple, Xu Chang'an was quite famous on Muyu Peak.
Being a man, everyone felt they could come and exchange a word with him.
...
This area was truly peaceful, with two or three girls walking together, giving him a faint smile upon seeing him, and many more casting gentle glances.
"Junior Brother, you're back." As Xu Chang'an passed by the stone bridge, a girl in a long skirt sitting on a boat waved at him.
"Mm." Xu Chang'an nodded in response.
A woman strolling by the roadside saw Xu Chang'an and calmly said, "Junior Brother, I need to raise a pot of green luo, hmm... as usual, help me take care of it for a few days before sending it over."
"Alright." Xu Chang'an acknowledged.
The woman watched Xu Chang'an's departing figure.
It was just a pot of green luo, which could be found anywhere, but the ones cared for by Xu Chang'an seemed more vibrant and full of life.
...
On Muyu Peak, Xu Chang'an was the Internal Affairs Steward, but the girls of Muyu Peak were too peculiar, so he had to do all sorts of tasks, including being invited to tea or even watching sword dances.
Xu Chang'an did not resist, because this was his job, doing chores, every month he'd receive quite a considerable amount of Contribution Points.
...
Beside the stone pavilion, two girls were playing a game of Go, with a chessboard and two boxes of pieces placed on the round table in front of them.
The girl in black took a few black pieces from the box, and then casually put them back. As the pieces fell into the box, they collided with others, making a crisp sound.
Her gaze fell on the passing Xu Chang'an, and she gave a glance to the girl in white opposite her. The latter pursed her lips into a smile, stood up, and said, "Young Master Xu, come over here."
Xu Chang'an turned around, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior Sister."
On Muyu Peak, he's been called so many things, like Junior Brother, Junior Brother Xu, Young Master Xu, young master... he was long accustomed to it.
The girl in white got up from the stone stool, offering her seat, and said, "You play as white, accompany her for half a game."
Xu Chang'an did not hesitate, sitting down beside the chessboard, looking at the girl in black who was playing black across from him.
The girl in black did not look at Xu Chang'an, her gaze was solely on the chessboard as she slowly said, "Observe the game."
"Continue the game with her." The girl in white naturally stood behind Xu Chang'an, propping her hands to watch the game.
Xu Chang'an examined the chessboard before him, his gaze intensely focused.
The game played by the girls here differed from the Go he knew, but it carried a similar essence; after a year on Muyu Peak, Xu Chang'an had learned some of it.
Soon, Xu Chang'an picked up a white piece, placing it on the top left corner star point of the board.
The girl in black's gaze shifted, picking up a black piece and placing it on another star point on the board.
Xu Chang'an continued placing pieces on the board without any hesitation, and the girl in black was not to be outdone.
The two continued placing pieces—white, then black—without any pause.
"Clack!"
"Clack!"
The sound of pieces falling onto the board echoed continuously in the stone pavilion, each piece placed with precision; before long, the black and white pieces had occupied most of the board.
Focused on the game, Xu Chang'an did not notice that at this moment, the entire chessboard resembled a starry sky. Opposite him, the girl in black's eyes grew ever deeper, her brow furrowed, as if a Spiritual Power storm was raging within her eyes, causing even her breathing to become more rapid.
Xu Chang'an's pace of placing pieces gradually slowed.
Soon, he put down the piece in his hand, looked up, and said, "Senior Sister, I've lost."
"Hmm, you're quite skillful." The girl in white looked at the girl in black, who was still absorbed in the game, then smiled lightly at Xu Chang'an, saying, "Thank you. You can go about your business now."
Xu Chang'an nodded, descended from the stone pavilion, and followed the path onward.
Though it seemed strange, accompanying the girls here in playing Go could also be considered part of his job. After being recorded, it would also earn Contribution Points and Spirit Stones by the end of the month.
"..."
In front of the star-patterned chessboard, the girl in black who had played with Xu Chang'an bore a gaze filled with chaotic emotions. She took a deep breath and asked the girl in white in front of her, "How was it?"
"The playstyle is steady, but still somewhat inexperienced, not quite adaptable." The girl in white tilted her head, looking at the vulnerability in the girl in black's eyes, and seriously said, looking in the direction Xu Chang'an left, "Our little Junior Brother is becoming increasingly peculiar."
They were not simply playing a game.
The board was a magical artifact, and so were the pieces; the entire game was a perilous array filled with traps, with each move representing a Heart Tribulation.
Even for people at their realm, any mishap would lead them into the Inner Realm, where they'd face eternal damnation.
Of course, when play was among themselves, it wasn't so harsh, but it would still affect the Mental Realm, as with the girl in black; each move magnified the dark thoughts in her heart.
But Xu Chang'an was different.
By all logic, he should have been controlled by the board the moment he sat down, but from start to finish, Xu Chang'an remained unaffected by the board, his gaze clear and focused, simply finishing the game and conceding gracefully.
Conversely, the winner was pale, deeply lost in the Inner Realm.
In the past, they had played Inner Realm games with Xu Chang'an but only on low-level boards, controlled within the Open Source Realm.
"This was a Mingxin Realm later stage Inner Realm, yet it still couldn't affect him." The girl in white smirked, "No wonder Senior Wen said that Muyu Peak should take him as a mirror, a reference for cultivating the heart... Pingniang really brought us back a treasure."
"I suspected it." By now, the girl in black had recovered.
"Senior Sister, maybe we should act before Master does." The girl in white seriously said, "Once he reaches Open Source, we'll have to compete with others."