Guarding the River of Time-Chapter 251 - 245: The Long River as the Board, Time and Space as the Pieces—The Match Begins

Chapter 251: Chapter 245: The Long River as the Board, Time and Space as the Pieces—The Match Begins

Su Mu arrived at the riverbank and looked into the pitch-black waters.

Dong—

The dull sound continued to echo in his ears, sounding very clear.

As he focused his gaze, he saw a black log, moving against the river flow, drifting toward Su Mu.

As it got closer, he noticed a figure standing on the log. In his left hand, he held a round copper gong, continuously striking it with his right hand, creating rhythmic thuds.

With a wave of his hand, Su Mu dispersed the thick fog hovering over the river at night, stopping the large log about twenty meters away from him. Under the dim light, the figure’s appearance came into view.

The figure wore a purple Taoist robe, with graying hair, eyes cloudy yet glimmering with light. His face ordinary, just a common old man by appearance.

The moment their eyes met, Su Mu froze on the spot, brows furrowed. He felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had met the old man before, but couldn’t recall exactly.

"Who goes there?" Su Mu asked, hands clasped behind his back, addressing the old man on the log.

"It seems you’ve forgotten, but we’ve met before," the old man put away the copper gong and pulled a white duster from his sleeve, exuding an ethereal aura.

Upon hearing this, Su Mu started to recall, as if there was a hint of memory, but he couldn’t grasp the details.

Moo—

A cow’s call echoed. The old Cyan Ox had somehow made its way to the riverbank, mooing at the old Taoist on the log.

From the sound, Su Mu could tell that the old Cyan Ox seemed to recognize the old Taoist.

This was the clue Su Mu needed, jogging his memory.

Years ago, Su Mu once got drunk and, in his inebriated state, encountered a Cross River Man.

He even gave the stranger a good beating.

Since that day, the old Cyan Ox began to follow him, so the man’s identity became obvious: the old owner of the Cyan Ox.

Upon hearing the ox’s call, the old Taoist just smiled silently, calmly watching Su Mu without saying a word.

"I remember now," Su Mu said, "you were going to cross the river back then, and I, being drunk, wasn’t gentle at all. I gave you quite the beating, didn’t I?"

...

"It seems you do remember me," replied the old Taoist.

"I’m really sorry for that; I don’t usually act that way when sober. To all Cross River Men, I treat them equally. As long as there’s no trouble, I only take the crossing fee and let you pass."

"However, crossing at night like this... it costs extra."

Su Mu said slowly to the old man.

In response, the old man shook his head with a smile and said, "No harm, no harm at all. Quite the opposite... you inadvertently did me a favor."

"I didn’t come to cross the river tonight either."

With those words, Su Mu was stunned.

Did you a favor?

How?

Do you have some kind of masochistic tendency?

"So why are you here, late at night?" Su Mu asked, puzzled.

"You’re not crossing the river, just pounding on a gong. What are you up to?"

"Looking for a fight?"

....

"I wish to play a game of chess with you," the old Taoist’s voice echoed, clear on the quiet river.

Hearing this, Su Mu waved his hand dismissively, "Go back, I have no time."

Are you crazy?

Coming to play chess with me at this hour?

...

"Wait."

As Su Mu was about to leave, the old Taoist hurriedly called out, "If you can beat me, I’ll offer you a gift."

Before Su Mu could respond, the old Taoist continued, "I know you lack nothing in treasure,"

"But the gift I offer is something you definitely need."

Hearing this, Su Mu became slightly interested and said, "Whether we finish by dawn or not, I’ll play with you just for tonight. I don’t have time for games."

Su Mu was busy earning Favor Points and didn’t want to waste a single day.

"One night is enough," the old Taoist said with a smile.

"What if I lose?"

Su Mu queried. There must be conditions attached to this unexpected challenge.

....

"If I win, I’d like you to do me a small favor," the old Taoist replied.

"What small favor?" Su Mu frowned. "Tell me what you want beforehand."

What if he demanded something outrageous?

Better to ask first.

"Don’t worry, it’ll be a trivial matter for you, nothing more than a minor task. Should you be dissatisfied, you can decline," the old Taoist assured with a smile.

...

After pondering for a moment, Su Mu agreed, "Come ashore."

In response, the old Taoist shook his head, "I can’t step ashore."

"Let’s play here."

With that, the old Taoist gazed at the waters, activating his cultivation technique, causing a surge of spiritual power. A chessboard, one meter in size, appeared upon the river’s surface.

The old Taoist then flicked his hand, gathering a droplet of water to his fingertip, transforming it into a chess piece. With precision, he placed it on the central point of the chessboard.

Seeing this, Su Mu was slightly surprised.

A river as a chessboard, drops of water as pieces?

Quite interesting.

With merely a thought, Su Mu gently manipulated a water droplet, transforming it into a piece, placing it on the board.

And so, the match began between them.

Half an hour later, both sides remained locked in a fierce contest. However, the old Taoist’s deep strategy was proving challenging for Su Mu.

The old Taoist’s forehead glistened with sweat. Using the River of Time as a chessboard and Time Waterdrops as pieces was exhaustively taxing.

He could only open a "one-meter-sized" board. For now, this was his limit.

Unlike Su Mu, with a wave of his hand, he could halt the Water of Time stream and perform various transformations.

.....

An hour into the game, Su Mu was at a disadvantage, looking grave.

The old Taoist wasn’t faring much better, controlling numerous Time Waterdrops was endlessly consuming, potentially leading to his own exhaustion before even achieving victory.

Thus, he needed to finish quickly, avoiding any delay.

He had laid plans for such a long time, failure wasn’t an option. Losing meant an indefinite delay in his plans.

Each of the old Taoist’s moves closed in relentlessly, hiding lethal intents, aiming to conclude the match with speed.

In the face of the old Taoist’s fierce assault, Su Mu revealed his true prowess, counteracting each move, defusing every attack.

Then, an opportunity emerged, the old Taoist’s eyes lit up, seizing the perfect opening, executing a divine move!