Chapter 1901: Fishing

"What are Gui Zu's thoughts? Does Shou Ye know?"

Gan Shi Sheng Di, who had been passively answering for so long, finally spoke up proactively. He didn't directly answer Xu Xiao Shou's question, seemingly confident that his own question carried more weight than Xu Xiao Shou's.

"I'd like to hear the details."

Dirty people may be dirty, but they always have their unique insights. Xu Xiao Shou felt uncertain about Gui Zu's stance and position. If he were an enemy, Xu Xiao Shou had accepted gifts from him; the Sickle of Death contained insights into the Dao of Reincarnation, which was a heavy gift. If he were a friend, given the overall environment of Bei Ming Di Jing, where Bei Huai was extremely radical, Xu Xiao Shou didn't believe that Yao Zu and Gui Zu could still be normal. Dao Pei Pei, having resided in Gan Shi Di Jing for a long time, neighboring Bei Ming, might indeed know more.

"Then let this Emperor elaborate!"

This space was already shattered. Gan Shi Sheng Di, in A Jie's appearance, strolled amidst the flowing fragments and starry sky. His unhurried steps exuded immense confidence, yet inexplicably, he gave off a comical sense of a child pretending to be an adult.

"To talk about Gui Zu, one must first mention Bei Huai and Yao Zu of Bei Ming, and Hua Chang Deng of Yun Shan."

"And speaking of Yao Zu, one cannot avoid the three Ancestors — Mo, Yao, and Sui — who are currently lurking outside the Shi Jing Rift."

"Shou Ye, please observe."

Xiao Pei Pei waved a hand. The spatial fragments beneath and behind him vanished. As starlight scattered, the starry sky outside the Shi Jing Rift appeared in the distance. The pagoda beneath the coffin, the illusory槐 tree, and the giant purple eye. The forms of the three Ancestors were blurred by the starlight, just enough for Xu Xiao Shou to recognize them without drawing attention.

"Impressive..."

With just this move of presiding over Gan Shi and subtly peeking at the Ancestral Gods, Xu Xiao Shou had to raise his assessment of Dao Pei Pei's strength by more than one level. If he could even peek at Ancestral Gods, then it seemed that any major or minor event in the Five Domains could be seen by Dao Pei Pei whenever he wished? In that case, his claim of not contacting Dao Qiong Cang for so many years was clearly a strong connection... Xu Xiao Shou's mind began to wander.

Gan Shi Sheng Di didn't point at the three Ancestors but rather swept his sleeve towards the illusory starry sky that had materialized, slowly saying:

"The Battle of Hua Ba, let's not discuss its outcome for now."

"Among the three Ancestors — Mo, Yao, and Sui — if one must be the first to charge into the Five Domains, who do you think it would be, Shou Ye?"

This was a difficult question. Xu Xiao Shou didn't answer: "Just tell me directly, I'm all ears." It was clear that Dao Pei Pei also had a desire to cooperate and wanted to discuss something real with him, so there was no need to beat around the bush.

Gan Shi Sheng Di smiled with his hands clasped behind his back, looking at the illusory form of the Great World 槐 tree:

"It's Yao Zu."

"But not because the Holy Devil and Evil Arts have each returned to unity, and Yao Zu is still two, lacking strength."

"On the contrary, his state is the most perfectly preserved among the three Ancestors."

Yao Zu... So, in Dao Pei Pei's game, after Hua Ba, Yao Zu was another chess piece. But if Yao Zu was the first to charge, wouldn't he fear being the first bird to be shot, used as a spear by Mo Zu and Sui Yin?

Gan Shi Sheng Di seemed to know what Xu Xiao Shou was thinking and said:

"Precisely because his state is still relatively well preserved, he has fewer concerns."

"And the most crucial point is that Yao Zu is impatient, or rather, dogmatic."

"When he contemplates, he doesn't think too much. As long as the general direction isn't wrong, minor mistakes are often casually eliminated during action. This is a habit I've observed over many years."

Habits kill people... Xu Xiao Shou genuinely felt that this guy's way of thinking was exactly like Dao Qiong Cang's, despite wearing A Jie's skin. It was identical. He continued listening, watching Dao Pei Pei's performance.

The latter stroked his hands, and a starry sky chessboard appeared before him. He brought out his props:

"This game is called Sheng Shen Da Lu."

He first picked up two chess pieces and placed them on the board, adjacent to each other, with illusory swords floating above each. One was Hunting Ghost. One was Broken Sword. At the same time, the starry sky chessboard caved in, and that section transformed into Ling Yu Shan. Ling Yu Shan materialized, then formed Ling Lake, showing the latest battle situation, exquisitely beautiful.

The Battle of Hua Ba... Xu Xiao Shou remained silent, watching quietly.

Dao Pei Pei swept his sleeve again, and outside the starry sky chessboard, three Ancestral God chess pieces appeared, each uniquely divine. He picked up one piece with the illusory form of the Great World 槐 tree above it, placed it on the chessboard, and said:

"Once Yao Zu enters the game, there will be too many variables."

"First, once he becomes the target of all, it will be difficult to clearly see the two Ancestors behind him."

Xu Xiao Shou followed the direction of his finger. As the Yao Zu chess piece solidified and materialized on the starry sky chessboard, the Mo Zu and Sui Yin chess pieces outside the starry sky became incredibly illusory, almost imperceptible outside the game.

Dao Pei Pei didn't stop, continuing to move pieces into the game, his thought process exceptionally clear:

"But to see them, there is still a way, and that is to pinpoint the hidden moves that the two Ancestors revealed earlier."

"For example, Shi Zi Jie Jiao!"

He picked up another piece, and on its top, the scene of Shi Zi Jie Jiao materialized, placed near Ling Yu Shan on the chessboard:

"This is Mo Zu's body."

Dao Pei Pei pointed to the piece, looking at Xu Xiao Shou, who was in deep thought, and smiled:

"How Shi Zi Jie Jiao will evolve and develop, what Shen Yi truly wants to do, what the outcome of your hidden move will be—everything has not yet happened, and all are still variables."

"Therefore, we won't go into detail here. Shou Ye, please look again."

He picked up another piece and gently placed it on the chessboard, above the Ling Yu Shan and Shi Zi Jie Jiao pieces. On top of the piece, a stone hall materialized. He pointed to this piece and introduced:

"This is Han Gong Dong Tian, Mo Zu's intention."

"Of course, Shou Ye can also call this piece Yue Gong Qi."

This guy... Xu Xiao Shou narrowed his eyes, continuing to listen without showing his emotions. Dao Pei Pei hadn't stopped, picking up another piece. This time, it wasn't placed on the chessboard but rather at the edge of the board, like the two Ancestors outside the game. On top of the piece, a tower materialized, tall and solitary, standing alone under the moon—an extremely familiar imagery.

"This is Jian Lou."

"Shou Ye might still feel vague, but I can tell you directly: this is Mo Zu's spirit."

Mo Zu's body, spirit, and intention were all out. Dao Pei Pei understood them thoroughly, even daring to place them inside and outside the starry sky chessboard as a basis for his discourse. Xu Xiao Shou's heart trembled slightly. The last time he met someone who could analyze the situation so clearly was Dao Qiong Cang. But Dao Qiong Cang seemed to conceal himself when facing Ancestral Gods, whether out of fear or out of hiding. Dao Pei Pei's air of commentary was so convincing that one might almost believe he wasn't a Sheng Di but someone above Ancestral Gods!

"What else?"

Xu Xiao Shou didn't dare to judge him by his appearance anymore, pointing at the Sui Yin piece: "Brother Pei Pei, you haven't mentioned this one yet."

"Sui Yin..." Gan Shi Sheng Di stared at the piece, shook his head after a long while, and flicked it away, "I don't know."

Dao Qiong Cang and Sui Yin colluded. You are Dao Qiong Cang, you clearly want to cover for him, you dog Pei Pei.

"Then I understand, Brother Pei Pei, please continue."

Xu Xiao Shou gestured to the chessboard. He was truly eager to learn now. Teacher Pei Pei's lectures were incisive and insightful; who wouldn't be a good student?

Gan Shi Sheng Di, however, stared at the chessboard, falling into hesitation. Although there weren't many pieces on the starry sky chessboard, each one, like Shi Zi Jie Jiao, involved many people. To truly count, the immense variables brought about by human power, strength, and time were immeasurable. Trying to calculate all the evolution processes with brainpower, tens of thousands would be a small number, completely incomprehensible.

"This board, laid out to here, is already quite enough."

Gan Shi Sheng Di moved this starry sky chessboard to the left. After a sweep of his sleeve, an empty chessboard appeared on the right:

"Shou Ye should not have forgotten that we are talking about Gui Zu?"

Of course! Xu Xiao Shou gestured for him to begin, his eyes slightly warm. Dao Pei Pei first picked up three pieces and placed them on the empty starry sky chessboard, saying as he placed them:

"One is Bei Huai, one is Yao Zu, and one is Gui Zu."

He then pointed to the chessboard, adding an explanation:

"This game is called Bei Ming Di Jing."

Xu Xiao Shou nodded in understanding. Dao Pei Pei then pointed to the Yao Zu piece on the Bei Ming Di Jing chessboard and the Yao Zu piece on the Sheng Shen Da Lu chessboard on the left. A line of starlight connected the two:

"Developing simultaneously."

He then pointed to the Bei Huai piece and the initial Hua Chang Deng piece, drawing a line between them as well, and then turned back to ask:

"Did Gui Zu ever warn you about anything concerning Hua Chang Deng?"

Xu Xiao Shou thought for a moment, and indeed, he had! Gui Zu had warned him that Hua Chang Deng couldn't die and even told him to protect him... As his thoughts reached this point, before Xu Xiao Shou could answer, Dao Pei Pei's face already showed a subtle smile, as if he knew the specific content of the warning.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"What did Gui Zu mean?"

"I don't know."

Whenever Xu Xiao Shou asked, this guy would become clueless again, truly making one's teeth itch with frustration. He then pointed to the line between the Bei Huai piece and the Hua Chang Deng piece: "Is it related to that?"

"Yes." Gan Shi Sheng Di nodded, "Shou Ye, I won't go into details. Revealing heavenly secrets will incur divine wrath."

You still say you're not Dao Qiong Cang! Xu Xiao Shou allowed him to maintain his mystery and paid close attention to any connection between Bei Huai and Hua Chang Deng... There was no connection, was there? He glanced at the line and refocused on the chessboard: "Continue."

Dao Pei Pei, like a matchmaker, began drawing lines again. This time, he connected the only remaining Gui Zu piece on the Bei Ming Di Jing chessboard to the Hua Chang Deng piece and the Jian Lou piece on the left chessboard. Two lines connected. Two boards, four lines. This was merely Bei Ming Di Jing, just one part of the grand scheme, and it was already starting to tax the mind...

Xu Xiao Shou stared at the pieces and lines without speaking. Dao Pei Pei proactively spoke: "Find the common ground."

"Hua Chang Deng cultivates Ghost Sword Arts, Gui Zu is proficient in the Dao of the Soul, and Jian Lou seals Mo Zu's spirit," Xu Xiao Shou blurted out.

"Clever."

Dao Pei Pei nodded: "All involve the 'spirit' among body, spirit, and intention, and can be categorized as similar, so these three are related... Shou Ye, listen carefully to what comes next!"

Xu Xiao Shou focused intently, staring at the swaying lines.

"If Hua succeeds, it devours the ghost; if Hua fails, the ghost devours it."

"Regardless of Hua's success or failure, Yao Zu and Bei Huai will inevitably act. As we said, the former will enter the game first, and he will most likely be the first Dao Seizer."

"Bei Huai's Dao lies in the reincarnation of ghost beasts and the life and death of medicinal ghosts. When Yao Zu moves, he also moves. Unfortunately, after that, I can no longer discern..."

Xu Xiao Shou's eyes blazed, his thoughts swirling wildly.

"It's not over yet!"

Dao Pei Pei was truly a madman. His face also showed fanaticism as he pointed to Jian Lou, which was connected to Gui Zu, and continued:

"Hua's success or failure, Yao Zu and Bei Huai, if they don't move, it's fine, but one hair will move the whole body."

"When this piece falls, Jian Lou appears, and Mo Zu's spirit will inevitably enter the arena, leading to the next step."

He pointed to the chessboard, and the Jian Lou piece, Shi Zi Jie Jiao piece, and Han Gong Dong Tian piece were also connected by lines.

"Once Mo Zu's spirit appears, Mo Zu's body and intention will manifest."

"Mo Zu's Dao integration is imminent. Regardless of who among Yao, Gui, Hua, and Bei succeeds, they will inevitably stop him, becoming mutual restraints."

"At this point, he will reappear."

Dao Pei Pei plucked a piece from outside the game, and the Sui Yin piece, which had been flicked away earlier, appeared with a large eye. As soon as he entered the field, purple light shot from his eyes, simultaneously anchoring Mo Zu's body, spirit, and intention, as well as the Yao, Gui, Hua, and Bei pieces. With these lines laid out, the two boards intertwined, already dizzying to behold:

"Sui Yin enters the game, aiming for the 'mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it' scenario, seeking to profit from the conflict."

"Regardless of whether Mo Zu wins or Yao, Gui, Hua, and Bei win, he will forcefully intervene, exerting all his efforts, solely to achieve Dao Confirmation."

"This is a battle for Dao Seizing. The game, up to this point, is a clear game."

A clear game... You call this a clear game? Xu Xiao Shou considered his mental capacity to be considerable, but seeing and hearing this, his brain was also somewhat parched.

"Jian Lou!"

He finally focused on the piece he had been pushing aside. Clearly, Liu Fu Yu had repeatedly wanted him to go to Jian Lou for enlightenment, but he had delayed time and again. Could it be that Mo Zu's spirit had an influence here?

"And what does the line between Hua Chang Deng and Bei Huai represent?"

He had never given up on this question, but after much thought, he could only barely conclude... that Hua Chang Deng cultivated Ghost Sword Arts. Bei Huai researched the life and death cycle of ghost beasts. There was no connection or bond between the two.

"Also, in this game, Sui Yin may be able to sit still, but how could Mo Zu allow him to become the fisherman?"

"Dao Qiong Cang hasn't appeared either. His ambitions are great, but he doesn't show up at all in this game."

"Dao Pei Pei is hiding something!"

Xu Xiao Shou composed himself, not allowing his thoughts to be led astray or become chaotic. He ignored the three Ancestors and Hua and Bei, who were still variables, and turned to look at Dao Pei Pei:

"Gui Zu."

Dao Pei Pei pursed his lips: "Yes, we are talking about Gui Zu."

He pointed to the two boards and the dozens of crisscrossing lines on them: "The game is clear. Shou Ye can substitute any piece, think from its perspective, with the goal of surviving and achieving Godhood or Ancestral status, and you will know what each desires."

Xu Xiao Shou was silent. These two boards and a dozen lines would keep him pondering for a long time. So... Gui Zu wanted to protect Hua Chang Deng. Was it because if Hua Chang Deng survived and successfully achieved Godhood or Ancestral status, he could jointly resist the combination of Yao Zu and Bei Huai? But if Hua Chang Deng succeeded, he would need to seize Gui Zu's Dao; a win-win situation fundamentally didn't exist...

Wait!

Xu Xiao Shou was suddenly startled awake. He looked at the line between Bei Huai and Hua Chang Deng again.

"If Hua Chang Deng and Gui Zu 'merged,' coexisting in a ghost-beast parasitic manner, becoming one, and then further devoured Yao Zu's归零 (guī líng - returning to zero), this idea..." He looked at Pei Pei.

Pei Pei nodded: "It's an idea."

Pei Pei smiled again, pointing to the Bei Huai piece and adopting the role: "I, Bei Huai, certainly hope to see you do so, after all, this is my research."

Xu Xiao Shou's pupils widened. He then said: "If Hua Chang Deng successfully seizes Gui Zu's Dao..."

Pei Pei then pointed to the Yao Zu piece, adopting the role: "Then we'll be two against one. Bei Huai and I will unite, devour you first, then privately discuss distribution issues and the problem of resisting Mo Zu."

This... Xu Xiao Shou asked again: "If Hua Chang Deng fails, and Gui Zu succeeds..."

Pei Pei shook his head this time: "If Hua Chang Deng fails, Gui Zu will be all alone. Gui Zu cannot succeed. He is already at the peak of the Dao. His only hope for success is the ghost-beast parasitic body—the Ancestral God experimental subject that Bei Huai yearns for."

What a Bei Huai! Xu Xiao Shou felt his scalp tingle. He saw the drooling evil dog outside the game; Bei Huai was always there, Bei Huai was never absent.

"And..." Dao Pei Pei still pointed to the line between Hua Chang Deng and Bei Huai, the very line Xu Xiao Shou was most concerned about and most confused by:

"Hua Chang Deng cannot lose, cannot die."

"If Hua Chang Deng loses, if he dies, Bei Huai unilaterally succeeds, and the chance of seizing Yao Zu's Dao will also increase..."

Xu Xiao Shou was about to ask why. Pei Pei shrugged: "I told you, I cannot say."

Xu Xiao Shou was furious. Pei Pei adamantly refused: "There are enough variables, Shou Ye, you truly cannot become another variable."

Xu Xiao Shou could only single it out and ponder on his own. In normal times, he might have gained something, but his brain was already parched at this moment, and the more he thought, the more confused he became. Just by substituting Gui Zu alone, so many questions arose. These two boards, regardless of places or people, even if only the important few were substituted, how many questions could arise? Too many! Are all people surnamed Dao so mentally demanding...?

Xu Xiao Shou was amazed. After noting down these two incomplete game boards, he finally looked at Dao Pei Pei:

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Dao Pei Pei smiled.

"Brother Pei Pei, you've said so much, yet you're still pointing from outside the game, not having entered it. If you say you 'don't want to enter the game,' I, for one, don't believe it."

Someone had called himself a Dao Ancestor just now; his ambition was clear for all to see! Dao Pei Pei didn't answer, smiling as he retorted:

"Then, Shou Ye, I haven't included you in this game either, nor have I specifically singled out Ba Zun An to calculate the subsequent successes and failures, or the derived variables."

"Let's not discuss Ba Zun An, Shou Ye, what about you?"

Xu Xiao Shou scoffed, pointing at the chessboard before him, pointing at his feet:

"I am right here."

He extended his hand, making a grasping motion, and a fishing rod appeared in his palm. After a cast, the hook went forward, then swung back, hooking onto the Hua Ba pieces on Ling Yu Shan:

"Brother Pei Pei, Sheng Shen Da Lu is already a foul vortex, not to be entered. There are infinite variables within the game, and Ancestors lurk outside, not to mention those like you and me."

"In contrast, when the general trend begins, the Five Great Sheng Di Secret Realms become neglected places, especially Gan Shi Di Jing, which is the purest. That's why I came."

"I wish to fish in Gan Shi, hidden from others, borrowing your treasured land for a stay. Brother Pei Pei, you don't mind, do you?"

Dao Pei Pei's lips curled, indicating a warm welcome. He also pointed to his feet, answering Xu Xiao Shou's previous question: "Then I am also here."

He also grasped his hands, forming a fishing rod. After casting, it passed through the gap between the two starry sky chessboards, hooking nothing.

"Shou Ye fishes in Gan Shi, with Ba Zun An ahead and everyone else behind. He can attack when he advances and defend when he retreats."

"I also emulate this somewhat, but I have no external power to borrow, and can only wait for a willing fish to bite. I've made you laugh, Shou Ye."

Xu Xiao Shou stared at him, scoffing with a smile. Dao Pei Pei also turned his head, smiling ambiguously. Both then looked back at the chessboard, back at the initial scenery of Ling Yu Shan, back at the Battle of Hua Ba... The starry sky chessboard then fell silent.

"Dao Qiong Cang, who do you think will win?"

"Shou Ye, I told you, I am not Dao Qiong Cang."

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