This "Immortal Points the Way" led him into the chess game, allowing him to personally meet the ancestral figure of the Jiang clan, the Flame Emperor, to understand the cause and effect of the Jiang clan.
"What should I do?"
Jiang Yuan lowered his head and looked.
He was clad in armor and wielding a spear, with the character 'Bing' (兵) emblazoned on his chest plate, stepping ahead of four soldiers.
He turned to look at the Flame Emperor, trying to find clues from him.
The Flame Emperor still stood beside the high platform, smiling at him, nodding his head, his eyes filled with encouragement.
Was this asking him to...
Win the Battle of Zhuolu?
He was just a foot soldier; how could he win?
In chess, a single foot soldier is the weakest piece, moving only forward, with no retreat.
In his confusion, Jiang Yuan heard the sound of drums vibrating, horses neighing, and cannons firing.
A cavalry unit had arrived behind him, coldly gazing ahead.
He looked towards a shallow river ahead, where he could vaguely see the fierce soldiers of the opposing side glaring at him.
When he struck!!
A phrase suddenly appeared in Jiang Yuan's mind, a surge of anger erupted, and he uncontrollably stepped across the river, raising his spear forward.
As he raised his spear, the fierce soldier raised his spear to stab.
Pfft.
The golden weapon pierced flesh.
Jiang Yuan's eyes widened; he wanted to counterattack, but his hands felt powerless.
The fierce soldier impaled Jiang Yuan's entire body from the ground, leaving him pinned down, with a sneer of disdain still on his face.
Boom!!!
Thunder roared.
Jiang Yuan suddenly stood up, looking around.
In the deep, quiet chamber, the chessboard lay before him, and the ancestral master smiled at him.
He lowered his head to look at the chessboard.
The brown soldier had crossed the river and was captured by the white soldier, opening up the situation for the 'Horse' behind him.
Had he just... turned into a brown soldier and been stabbed by the white soldier?
To understand the cause and effect of the Jiang clan, he had to win this chess game of the Battle of Zhuolu, but he was just a foot soldier; how could he win?
The role of a foot soldier in the chess game is more about opening up the situation, assisting the other pieces, allowing the cannon and chariots to charge in.
How could a mere foot soldier win a chess game?
In a state of confusion.
Jiang Yuan furrowed his brows tightly; he did not know how to win.
He could only seek guidance from the ancestral master.
This was the cause of his Jiang clan; it was not something the ancestral master could resolve.
This game could only be resolved by him.
Jiang Yuan stood up to pay his respects, and after finishing, he said, "Master, the disciple does not understand. Please grant me a little time to comprehend this game."
The ancestral master nodded with a smile and said, "Child, you may go. Come back tomorrow."
Jiang Yuan withdrew and returned to his quiet chamber.
He returned to the quiet chamber, washed his hands, sat on the mat, and pondered deeply.
How could he win that chessboard?
As a mere foot soldier, how powerless he was.
Jiang Yuan closed his eyes, his mind clear, and a chessboard emerged in his mind, with lines laid out before him, using the river as a boundary, and pieces falling one by one.
He tried to think, how could a foot soldier win the entire chess game?
No matter how he tried, a foot soldier could not shake the entire chess game.
Jiang Yuan continued to attempt this.
From dawn to night, from night back to dawn.
...
The next morning.
Jiang Yuan, as usual, walked out of the quiet chamber.
He intended to sweep away the dust, but looking down, he found that the dust was already gone, and he couldn't help but smile.
Every day he swept dust, but today there was no dust to sweep, which felt rather awkward.
Jiang Yuan walked out of the cave dwelling, watered the withered trees and new flowers, then returned to the ancestral master's quiet chamber, serving by the ancestral master's side.
After finishing his tasks, he approached the chessboard again.
He noticed the chessboard had been arranged neatly.
The ancestral master approached and said, "Today, child, which piece do you wish to move? The cannon? Or the chariot?"
Cannon? Or chariot?
He could choose?
Jiang Yuan was stunned.
But with the power of a single piece, how could he break the game?
Whether it was a cannon, a chariot, or a foot soldier, they were all pieces; how could pieces manipulate the game?
To break the game, only the player could do so; only the player had the ability to break the game.
Jiang Yuan suddenly realized, awakening from a dream.
"Master, moving the foot soldier is the answer."
Jiang Yuan sat down and said.
The ancestral master smiled, "The child can be taught."
As he spoke, the hand hidden beneath the sleeve gently lifted the foot soldier piece, moving it forward one step, the Immortal Points the Way.
As the piece fell, the wind and sand rose again, and the world changed.
Jiang Yuan returned to that desolate battlefield, looking down at the long spear in his hands, without saying a word, he turned and walked away.
Under the astonished gaze of the foot soldiers and the stone-throwing carts.
Jiang Yuan walked up to the high platform, facing the commander, Xuanyuan Huangdi.
He performed a bow, removed the armor he wore as a soldier, and handed it to Xuanyuan Huangdi, his gaze fixed on the commander's battle armor.
Change positions!
When being a soldier could not solve the problem.
Then be the commander! Be the player!
Xuanyuan Huangdi remained silent for a moment, quietly removing the commander's battle armor and handing it to Jiang Yuan, then putting on the armor handed to him, moving to the soldier's position, taking command for Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan stood on the high platform, feeling as if his consciousness connected with the entire desolate battlefield.
He could see all the soldiers and communicate with them.
Dong dong dong!!
The sound of drums echoed, the heavens roared.
The battle began!
Jiang Yuan drew the bronze sword at his waist, screaming in a frenzy, "Fight!!"
Fight!
Fight!!
Fight!!!
The calls of soldiers from all directions rang out.
Jiang Yuan communicated with the soldiers to move.
The stone-throwing carts were positioned in the center, ready to launch, and the war chariots filled with swords and blades roamed the open fields, while the cavalry took a detour, preparing for a surprise attack.
Only when the entire formation was mobilized could they launch an attack.
As the player, Jiang Yuan was filled with confidence, every move exuding the aura of a general.
The tyrant who once cut down dozens of old men in street chess reappeared.
Jiang Yuan made his arrangements, drew his sword, and shouted angrily, crossing the river boundary to launch an attack.
On the desolate battlefield, a great battle erupted, war chariots crashed through, foot soldiers spilled blood, stone-throwing carts roared, and cavalry flanked, an unprecedented battle raged fiercely.
One piece after another was exchanged.
Jiang Yuan maintained the upper hand, pressing the side of Chiyou, regardless of Chiyou's furious roars from the high platform, it could not change the outcome of the battle.
After thirty exchanges, Jiang Yuan still had one chariot, one cannon, one horse, and four foot soldiers, with all the elephants present.
In contrast, Chiyou's side was left with only a few pieces.
Just as Jiang Yuan was about to launch a final attack to annihilate Chiyou.
A war chariot suddenly appeared from nowhere, charging towards Jiang Yuan with overwhelming force.
On the war chariot was a burly man roaring angrily, wielding a shield and axe.
Xingtian!
Jiang Yuan remained unfazed, commanding the left side to protect with Yinglong.
Upon receiving the order, Yinglong roared through the nine heavens, charging towards the war chariot, and in just a few moves, defeated the chariot, shattering it to pieces.
From then on, Chiyou's side had no one left to cross the river, and their combat power was gone.
Victory and defeat were already determined.
Just as Jiang Yuan was about to eliminate Chiyou, he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder.
Turning to look, the Flame Emperor was smiling at him.
"From today onwards, you are no longer Jiang Shuinong's Jiang; you shall be your own Jiang Zu."
The Flame Emperor said with a smile.
The cause and effect were thus severed, and he emerged to complete his cultivation.
Jiang Yuan felt a lightness, the burden on his shoulders falling away.
He bowed to the Flame Emperor and said, "Thank you, ancestral master, for your support."
The Flame Emperor said nothing, only smiled.
Jiang Yuan no longer spoke further, turning to draw his bronze sword again, launching a full-scale attack to eliminate Chiyou.
As the war chariot, under his arrangements, cut down Chiyou's head with swords and blades.
The chess game concluded.
Jiang Yuan felt dizzy, and when he regained his senses, he was back in the quiet chamber, feeling lost, everything was different, yet it seemed everything was the same...
(End of Chapter)