Volume Three: Blossoming Together Unyielding Alone Chapter Nine: The Move

Outside the door, a bustle of voices could be heard. After landing outside the hall, the crowd gathered around Lan Sheng, who walked at the forefront. Zhuo Hua approached the entrance, pushed open the door with a creak, and, seeing so many people arriving at once, couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly. Yet he did not lose his composure in front of everyone; instead, he smiled as he blocked the doorway, his gaze warm as it fell upon the assembled guests.

At that moment, Kui Mu Wolf, who stood behind Lan Sheng, observed Zhuo Hua's demeanor and realized it was not appropriate to press further into the hall. He clasped his hands in salute and said, "Your Excellency, Lan Sheng claims he does not recognize the bedchamber of the Cloud Palace's master and requests that I guide him. I have brought him here and now take my leave." With that, he bowed to the others and transformed into a beam of white light, flying toward the White Tiger Palace.

Jiao Mu Jiao curled his lip and muttered in the direction Kui Mu Wolf had gone, "That fellow is always so reclusive, never fitting in." Turning back, he gave Lan Sheng a push and lifted his foot, intent on entering.

Lan Sheng glanced at Zhuo Hua and saw that he had no intention of allowing everyone inside. Carefully, he spoke to those behind him, "Thank you all for accompanying me in finding the Excellency's bedchamber. I am deeply grateful. Please return to your palaces and rest well." He bowed, extending his right hand in a gesture of invitation.

Qin Ying noticed the peculiar, ambiguous smile on Zhuo Hua's face, then looked at Lan Sheng, who remained bent in a bow. She immediately pulled Zhuo Yun and Su Xin along, preparing to depart. Little Fish, already shy, could not bear it and hurriedly followed Qin Ying in bidding farewell to Zhuo Hua. Su Xin, however, was reluctant, muttering as she curtsied, "We were just having fun! Why must we leave so soon? I haven't yet teased Lan Sheng and Little Fish about their antics!"

Jiao Mu Jiao chimed in, "Exactly! Everyone's enjoying themselves! Why leave? Zhuo Hua hasn't heard their good stories yet! Don't go! Let's all go in together!" He took another step forward, trying to enter the hall.

Tian Jia Lan glanced over at the others. Though she did not understand their motives, she immediately knew what to do. She grabbed Lin Bai, who was about to enter the hall, feigned discomfort, and pressed her hand to her forehead, saying, "Husband, I feel unwell, my head aches terribly!"

Lin Bai, newly wed and deeply concerned for his delicate wife from the Tian family, quickly turned back, worry written all over his face. "What's wrong? Is it serious?"

Tian Jia Lan collapsed into Lin Bai's arms, and he caught her without hesitation. Her brows were tightly knit, her eyes closed, looking genuinely distressed.

Lin Bai was momentarily flustered, and hurriedly said to Zhuo Hua, "Excellency, Jia Lan is unwell. I must take my leave, we'll chat another day."

Zhuo Hua nodded, saying only, "Take good care of her."

After everyone had departed, Zhuo Hua finally stepped aside, allowing Lan Sheng to enter.

Once inside the grand hall, Lan Sheng looked around uneasily. The hall was spacious and sparsely furnished; there were only a few tables, several chairs, and a low tea table. Upon the tea table lay a half-finished game of Go. The white stones dominated the central region, exuding a commanding presence over the board. In contrast, the black stones clung desperately to the four corners, appearing sealed off for now, but it seemed only a matter of time before the white stones encircled and suffocated them.

Zhuo Hua was busy with something before the Xuanhuang Mirror, but upon noticing Lan Sheng studying the game on the tea table, he casually asked, "Lan Sheng, do you understand the game of Go?"

Lan Sheng heard Zhuo Hua's question and quickly replied, "I know a little, nothing more."

Zhuo Hua's hands continued their work on the Xuanhuang Mirror, his eyes fixed on its surface. He asked, "So tell me, who do you think will win—the white or the black?"

Lan Sheng looked down at the board, then up at Zhuo Hua, and pondered aloud, "Though the white stones command the center and seem invincible, they have overlooked the black stones at the four corners. There is a faint sense that the four corners may encircle the center. When counting the points at the end, I estimate the black side will win by about ten points."

Zhuo Hua stopped what he was doing and looked up, nodding in agreement. He continued his work on the Xuanhuang Mirror and remarked to Lan Sheng, "I once believed that controlling the central kingdom would suffice to oversee the world, but I neglected the importance of the borders. In this game, until the very last move, no one can claim mastery over all."

Lan Sheng realized he might have misspoken and hastened to apologize, "Forgive me, Excellency, I did not realize you played the white stones and made a rash judgment. Now that you have perceived black's strategy, you will surely counter the four corners and expand white's territory to claim final victory."

Zhuo Hua chuckled and said, "Lan Sheng! The white stones may know the black's intent, but the black knows the white's as well! Who will prevail remains to be seen!"

Lan Sheng was at a loss, unsure how to respond. Caught between uncertainty and embarrassment, he fell silent, hands at his sides.

Just then, Zhuo Hua's hands suddenly stopped. He beckoned to Lan Sheng, "Come here."

Lan Sheng, uncertain, approached the Xuanhuang Mirror. He immediately noticed its peculiarity: there was no reflection of himself, only a rotating human figure diagram, with countless meridians, organs, and bones depicted in exquisite detail, as if the mirror could see through anyone at a glance. Around the figure were numerous strange symbols and characters.

Zhuo Hua positioned Lan Sheng at the very center of the mirror's platform and said, "Lan Sheng, stand here, spread your hands, and do not move. No matter what happens, do not move. I promise you will not come to harm."

Lan Sheng nodded, half-understanding, and stood as if facing a formidable foe, his eyes fixed on the mirror, fearful of missing any detail.

Seeing Lan Sheng had settled, Zhuo Hua tapped a symbol on the mirror. The border of the mirror began to spin, a ring of gemstones of various shapes and colors whirling in mechanical motion until a brilliant blue gem came to rest at the very center, halting the rotation.

Lan Sheng remembered Zhuo Hua's instructions and suppressed his curiosity, silently watching every strange occurrence on the peculiar mirror.

Soon, the blue gemstone shone intensely, its deep blue light enveloping Lan Sheng from head to toe. Apart from his darting eyes, Lan Sheng dared not move a muscle.

The blue light shone for four or five breaths, then faded. The human figure in the mirror abruptly stopped rotating, and many strange lines and symbols moved rapidly onto the figure, while others vanished. Most astonishing to Lan Sheng, the figure had previously possessed two arms, but after the blue light, the left arm disappeared.

He also noticed that the heart in the diagram, once motionless, now pulsed like a real heart. Even more wondrous, not only the heart but the lungs in the chest, the stomach in the abdomen, and other organs moved rhythmically. The meridians were lit with moving red and green lights.

Lan Sheng's mouth fell open in disbelief. Unable to contain himself, he exclaimed, "The figure in the mirror has come alive!"

Zhuo Hua smiled softly, patting the astonished Lan Sheng, "You may lower your hands now."

Lan Sheng nodded stiffly and put down his hands. Questions crowded his mind, but he dared not speak, only casting a querying glance at Zhuo Hua.

Zhuo Hua smiled, "I'll explain in a moment—it's not over yet." He took Lan Sheng's right hand and placed it on the platform, then tapped another symbol. The ring of gemstones spun anew, this time stopping at a red gem, which shone red light onto Lan Sheng's arm for seven or eight breaths before fading.

Zhuo Hua patted Lan Sheng's back. "Alright, you can stand up. Rest to the side for now—I still have matters to finish. Wait a moment."

Lan Sheng, bewildered, stood up and moved aside, leaving the central position at the Xuanhuang Mirror to Zhuo Hua.

Zhuo Hua took his place before the Xuanhuang Mirror, extended his index fingers, and pressed one finger to the connection between the figure's right arm and shoulder, the other to the right hand. He dragged upward, and another arm appeared. He pressed both fingers to this newly formed right arm, which then stayed in place. With a wave of his hand, the arm flipped leftward. Zhuo Hua carefully dragged this flipped arm to the broken left arm of the figure and pushed it upward. Suddenly, a whole new left arm appeared on the figure's left side.

Zhuo Hua leaned in, examining the Xuanhuang Mirror closely for half the time it takes incense to burn. He saw that the broken joint now glowed with moving red and green lights, and the entire arm was suffused with shimmering colors. Only then did he wipe the sweat from his brow and press a round red symbol on the mirror.

A small box popped out from the platform, empty save for a sharp silver needle standing upright.

Zhuo Hua pressed his right index finger gently to the needle's tip, and a drop of fresh blood slowly slid from its point. The box then retracted, and the Xuanhuang Mirror flashed several times, all the diagrams within fading away.

Now, the images of Zhuo Hua and Lan Sheng appeared in the mirror at last.