My family has been wielding knives for generations, but now it's my turn to wield a pen!

Here.

Jiang Xiaobai followed the quiet path deeper into the area.

Under the cover of night, the shadows of the trees on both sides intertwine, and occasionally a mountain breeze blows through the forest, bringing a rustling sound.

Soon, Jiang Xiaobai followed the path and arrived at the outside of a small courtyard.

The yard wasn't big, and it was covered with vines all around, looking like it hadn't been tended to for a long time.

But in the room directly opposite the courtyard gate, a dim candlelight was lit.

Jiang Xiaobai hesitated for a moment outside, but finally stepped forward and knocked on the door.

dong dong!

The knocking echoed far through the silent forest, but there was no response from inside.

"what?"

Jiang Xiaobai looked puzzled and knocked a few more times: "Is anyone there?"

"I didn't mean anything by it; I'm just new here and got lost, so I came to ask for directions!"

After he finished speaking, the room remained quiet.

Jiang Xiaobai frowned, then turned to leave.

But just as he turned around, the door behind him suddenly opened by itself.

call!

An astonishing suction force swept out of the room.

Before Jiang Xiaobai could turn around, he was lifted off the ground and flew awkwardly into the house.

boom!

The door closed again, and Jiang Xiaobai rolled twice on the floor before finally stopping.

"Wow!"

Jiang Xiaobai propped himself up on the ground and raised his head, just about to curse a few words, but the words got stuck in his throat.

By the light of the candle on the table, you can see a wooden bed at the far end of the room.

On the wooden bed sat an old man.

The old man had a full head of white hair, a thin and frail body, and deeply sunken cheeks, with skin that looked as if it were directly stuck to his bones.

Those eyes, hidden in their sockets, stared at him menacingly, which was quite frightening.

hiss!

Jiang Xiaobai gasped.

Indeed, seeing such a person so late at night would surely give anyone a fright.

"Senior, I'm so sorry, I just got lost and didn't mean to bother you!"

Jiang Xiaobai chuckled dryly and took two steps toward the door.

Indeed, he could sense that the old man's gaze was somewhat unfriendly.

Therefore, it's best to leave early.

"Now that you're in, either fulfill my conditions, or..."

The old man looked at Jiang Xiaobai calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion: "Then leave me one finger!"

what?

Jiang Xiaobai's smile froze instantly.

Leave a finger behind?

Are you kidding me?!

I was just asking for directions, how did it turn into something like a disability?!

With a quick turn of his foot, Jiang Xiaobai immediately prepared to flee.

"If you dare to run, I'll break both your legs!"

The old man's voice drifted over again, faintly.

Jiang Xiaobai's hand, which was reaching towards the door, froze in mid-air. He then said awkwardly, "Senior, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to run away!"

"I noticed your door seems a bit flimsy; let me check it out for you!"

Seeing that the old man remained silent, Jiang Xiaobai could only ask, "Then, what are your conditions, senior?"

"See that chessboard on the table?"

The old man's gaze fell on the center of the room, and he slowly said, "Break it, and you can leave!"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xiaobai's eyes lit up: "If it's broken, will you pass on all your skills to me, senior?"

That's right, he knows this trick all too well!

Deep in the mountains, an eccentric man, a game in the making.

Isn't this just like the classic story of a master passing on their skills in a novel from my past life?

"Oh!"

The old man sneered, shattering Jiang Xiaobai's dream without any politeness: "You're not that old, but you've got quite the imagination!"

"My skills were hard-earned; why should I pass them on to you?"

"I'm simply saying that if you can break this chess game, I'll let you go!"

That's all!

"..."

Jiang Xiaobai's expectant look vanished instantly, replaced by a speechless expression as he said, "If you don't break it, I'll leave one finger behind!"

"It was broken, yet I managed to leave safely?"

"Then what's the point of me going through all this trouble?"

"this……"

The old man pondered for a moment, then finally said, "How about this: if you can break this deadlock, you can leave for free next time you come!"

"How about it? Am I generous enough?"

"Generous my ass!"

Jiang Xiaobai muttered something under his breath.

That's right, if he could get out, only someone with a screw loose would come back a second time!

Seeing the old man giving him a cold look again, Jiang Xiaobai could only say, "Senior, I don't think gambling only once is very meaningful!"

"How about this, we play ten times, each time you put in ten percent of your strength, and I'll bet one finger!"

"You have exactly ten percent of your power, and I have exactly ten fingers. It's fair and reasonable, and there's no deception!"

"Ten times?"

The old man frowned and pondered for a moment.

"Alright, please take your time to consider it, senior!"

As Jiang Xiaobai spoke, he slowly moved towards the door: "I'll give you three days. Three days later, I'll come back to hear your answer!"

After saying that, Jiang Xiaobai opened the door and walked out.

"etc!"

The old man's voice rang out from behind: "I've made up my mind!"

Jiang Xiaobai froze, then slowly turned around.

"You can have two of my powers in exchange for one-tenth of mine!"

The old man stared at Jiang Xiaobai and said, "After all, besides your fingers, don't you also have ten toes?"

hiss!

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaobai instinctively pulled his foot back.

Who would have thought that this old man, who looked half-dead, was actually quite ruthless!

"Senior, this is such a big matter; I need to consider it carefully!"

Jiang Xiaobai immediately said with a serious expression, "In that case, give me ten or eight years!"

"I'll come back to you after I've thought it through completely!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Xiaobai opened the door and rushed out.

But he had only taken one step when that terrifying suction force reappeared.

call!

Jiang Xiaobai was sent flying backwards, landing with a thud next to the old man.

The old man looked down at Jiang Xiaobai and said coldly, "Now, consider it for me!!"

"this……"

Jiang Xiaobai sat up from the ground, looking at the chessboard with a wry smile on his face.

He hadn't seen it clearly because of the distance.

Now that I've gotten closer, I've discovered that the chess pieces on this board are actually five different colors.

He couldn't understand it at all!

Let alone breaking the deadlock, even if the old man explained the rules to him, the probability of him losing would be extremely high.

Jiang Xiaobai stared at the chessboard for a long time, his mind racing, and finally his eyes lit up slightly.

"senior!"

Jiang Xiaobai got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and said, "I've thought it over, but if you want my fingers and toes!"

"Then...we have to do it the other way around!"

"in turn?"

The old man frowned: "How can we rebel?"

"Simple!"

Jiang Xiaobai walked to the table, beaming, and said, "I'll teach you a completely new way of playing chess!"

"I'm sure you're incredibly intelligent, and you'll soon... understand the rules. Then I'll present you with a puzzle, and you'll solve it!"

"Oh?"

A flicker of emotion finally appeared in the old man's sunken eyes: "What kind of chess?"

"Oh, this game..."

"It's called Chinese Chess!!"