I am Master Maoshan

"Let's go, I'll take you to another place," the old man said, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Whose tragic fate do you want to show me now?" A hint of wariness flashed in Liu Jun's eyes.

During this time, the old man had repeatedly shown him the tragic experiences of his relatives and friends in this unfamiliar world, each time like a sharp knife piercing his heart.

"Let's go back to our original world this time." The old man gently stroked his white beard and looked into the distance.

A hint of surprise flashed across Liu Jun's previously calm face. He had thought the old man intended to continue taking him to different corners of the world to see the tragic fates of his other relatives and friends.

Unexpectedly, the old man not only didn't mean that, but also wanted to take him back to his original world.

Could it be that the old man has changed his nature and become kind? But as soon as this thought crossed his mind, Liu Jun dismissed it.

Although I haven't known this old man for long, I can tell he's the kind of person who acts rather strangely, and he would never make such a decision without a reason. Unless, something has changed in his original world.

Liu Jun suddenly had a bad feeling. Just as he was about to ask a question, the scene in front of him changed again.

This transition was completely different from the past; time seemed to be stretched out, and every second felt so long.

The surrounding area was filled with turbulent spatial currents, roaming and darting through the void.

The immense power sent a chill down Liu Jun's spine, as if he were about to be torn apart in the next second.

After a while, the violent spatial turbulence finally subsided, the space seemed to quiet down, and everything returned to calm.

Just then, a magnificent building appeared before them. Soaring into the clouds, its exterior walls were constructed of a mysterious black stone, exuding a cold and imposing aura. The top of the building shimmered with multicolored light, as if countless stars were twinkling.

At the entrance of the building, two huge bronze doors were tightly closed, with exquisite patterns carved on them, including ancient runes, mysterious creatures, and fantastical scenes.

The patterns seemed to tell an ancient story, inspiring awe. On either side of the door stood a huge stone sculpture, tall and fierce-looking, holding enormous weapons, as if they were the guardians of the building.

Standing in front of the building, Liu Jun gazed at the magnificent structure, his heart filled with doubt and curiosity.

What kind of building is this? And how is it connected to the world they are returning to?
Liu Jun turned to look at the old man, his eyes filled with a questioning expression.

The old man frowned slightly and said slowly, "Let's go in and take a look. Perhaps all the answers are inside."

With that, the old man strode towards the two massive bronze doors. Liu Jun hesitated for a moment, then followed. As they reached the doors, the two bronze doors suddenly emitted a deep rumble and slowly opened.

Inside the bronze gate, there were no magnificent buildings, only a huge chessboard floating in the air.

This chessboard isn't for Go; it's a giant chessboard, and it's the kind where several rounds have already been played.

Although no piece was captured, it was clear that the game was very intense, with danger at every turn.

The chessboard was an ancient bronze color, with intricate runes carved along its edges, emitting a faint bluish glow in the dim space. The chess pieces were not made of wood, but of some semi-transparent material, with what appeared to be flowing clouds and mist inside, and the shadowy figures could be vaguely seen moving about.

"What is this?" Liu Jun asked, his voice echoing in the empty space.

"Heaven wants to play a game of chess with you," the old man explained, standing on the other side of the chessboard, his figure indistinct in the shadows of the board.

“But I don’t know how to play.” Liu Jun frowned, his gaze sweeping across the chessboard.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply—in the position of the "general," he saw a reflection of himself with his eyes closed. The image in the chess piece was so lifelike that even the folds of his clothes were clearly visible.

"Do you have a choice?" the old man asked, his voice tinged with mockery.

"What? You think you can kill me if I don't play? Then kill me then." Liu Jun was also reckless, but when he looked at the chessboard again, he suddenly found that some of the black pieces had familiar faces appearing on them—his master was sitting upright, his master's wife had a worried look on her face, and Yan Li was looking into the distance.

"If you don't play, you're bound to lose this game, and then all these pieces will be gone." The old man pointed at the chessboard, and the figures inside the pieces seemed to tremble as his fingertip traced their path.

Liu Jun frowned, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He noticed the situation on the chessboard was indeed perilous—the opponent's rook was already aimed directly at his king, while the advisors and bishops protecting the king were both pinned down. Even more frightening was that the figures inside each piece seemed intimately connected to its predicament; when his gaze fell on the besieged knight, the master inside the piece suddenly coughed violently.

"This isn't an ordinary chess game?" Liu Jun's voice trembled slightly.

The old man gave a meaningful smile: "The universe is a chessboard, and once a move is made, there's no going back. Every move you make is related to their life or death."

Just then, Liu Jun found his right hand rising uncontrollably and slowly reaching towards the "cannon" on the chessboard.

Yan Li, inside the chess piece, suddenly opened her eyes and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Wait a minute." Just as Liu Jun placed his piece, the old man who had been quietly watching him suddenly spoke. The voice wasn't loud, but it exploded in Liu Jun's ears like a thunderclap. The sudden sound startled Liu Jun, causing his hand to tremble violently. The piece, which was precisely meant to land in a certain spot on the chessboard, almost landed where it shouldn't. He quickly steadied himself, placed the piece back in the correct position, and then looked up at the old man with a face full of astonishment.

"Wait a minute, Heaven says this isn't a complete chessboard, and your pieces are substandard," the old man said slowly, a mysterious smile on his face.

"Not enough chess pieces?" Liu Jun looked puzzled, his brows furrowed.

He quickly scanned the chessboard. There were sixteen red and sixteen black pieces on the board. According to the normal rules of the game, not a single piece was missing. So why were the pieces not up to standard? He was full of questions and turned his gaze to the old man again, hoping that the old man could give a more reasonable explanation.

The old man didn't say anything, but just narrowed his eyes slightly, smiled, stretched out his withered hand, and gently pointed to the chessboard, indicating that Liu Jun should look at the chess pieces again.

Following the direction the old man was pointing, Liu Jun focused his attention on the chessboard again. This time, he looked at it with exceptional care.

He discovered that among the black pieces on his side, there were four pieces whose identities he could clearly identify: his master's wife, his master, Yan Li, and his uncle Qing Muzi.

The figures represented by the chess pieces are so lifelike, as if they might step off the chessboard at any moment. Among the other pieces, though there are figures moving about, they are indistinct, just dark shadows, as if shrouded in a thick fog, making it impossible to tell who they are.

"You need someone willing to be a pawn and join this game," the old man said slowly, looking at Liu Jun.

"How could that be!" Liu Jun frowned, his face showing obvious worry and helplessness. He knew in his heart that this was no ordinary chess game.

In this game of chess, every move is fraught with danger, and every decision is a matter of life and death. If the game is lost, all the pieces will die, mercilessly devoured by the cruel rules of the game; if a piece is captured, the piece that was captured will also die, a death that comes without warning.

"Who would be willing to risk their life?" Liu Jun muttered to himself, his voice filled with bitterness.

He looked around, hoping to find some inspiration from his surroundings, but there was nothing there except the silent chessboard and the mysterious old man.

"Isn't there any other way?" Liu Jun asked unwillingly.

Is he afraid of death? Yes, he is, but sometimes he can be incredibly reckless. But he cannot afford to lose this game; if he does, everyone he cares about will disappear.

The old man was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said, "These are the rules of the game set by Heaven, and they cannot be changed. You can only continue playing this game if you find someone willing to join. Otherwise, you can only admit defeat, and you should be very clear about the consequences of admitting defeat."

Liu Jun gritted his teeth, deep in thought. He knew he couldn't just sit and wait to die; he had to find someone willing to join the game. But how easy was that? Who would be willing to risk their life for an uncertain outcome?

He began to recall the people he knew—his family and friends, his comrades-in-arms. But the thought of the cruelty of this game weighed heavily on his heart. He didn't know how to begin, how to persuade them to join this dangerous game.

"Perhaps I could make them some promises," Liu Jun thought. "For example, if I win the game, I'll give them a generous reward." But he quickly dismissed the idea. Faced with this life-or-death situation, any promise seemed so pale and powerless. Life is priceless; who would risk it for some so-called reward?

Moreover, according to his own understanding, none of his close friends cared about fame or fortune; his generous promises would only be seen as an insult by them.

Just as Liu Jun was deep in thought, the old man suddenly spoke up: "Time is running out, you must make a decision as soon as possible. Otherwise, this game of chess will not wait for you."

Liu Jun looked up at the old man's serious expression and knew that he didn't have much time left. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and then began to think about how to find someone willing to join the game.

"Can we pause this chessboard for a while?" Liu Jun's voice carried a hint of urgency and anticipation.

"Of course, but time is limited. I can only give you seven days." The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice low.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Liu Jun, before continuing, "If anyone is willing to be a pawn, put this bracelet on them. As for your master and mistress, your uncle, and the girl you like, they don't need it; they already have bracelets on their wrists."

As he spoke, the old man took out a bunch of ancient-looking bracelets from his sleeve. The bracelets were engraved with mysterious runes and emitted a faint glow.

Liu Jun was slightly taken aback, but then he understood what the old man meant. This bracelet might be the key to connecting the chess game with the outside world. He pondered to himself who he should choose to take on this important task.

"Seven days, okay, how do I leave?" Liu Jun came to his senses and asked again.

Now that he had this seven-day deadline, he was determined to make the most of it and go back to handle everything properly.

"I can send you back now. As for how to get back, I'll find you in seven days." The old man waved his hand, and in an instant, the surrounding space began to distort, and a powerful force enveloped Liu Jun.

Liu Jun vanished from his spot in an instant, as if pulled into a spatial tunnel by an invisible force.

Inside the tunnel, the light flickered, and all sorts of strange sights flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

"By the way, we can't use weak players as pawns. If they're not up to par, there won't be time to find new ones for you." The old man's words echoed faintly in the empty tunnel.

Liu Jun's heart skipped a beat; he was acutely aware of the stakes involved. If the chosen pieces were weak and ineffective, they might even cause the entire situation to spiral out of control, leaving him with nothing but regret. (End of Chapter)