Nightmare Immortal Era

Chapter 74: Five-in-a-Row

"Shall we chat here?" Xiao Huan looked at the two standing outside the maple forest and asked.

"Uh..." Lin Yuanxi was taken aback and quickly said, "It's indeed inappropriate to meet like this. Xiao Huan, please take Young Master Yang to the living room. I'll go freshen up."

"Okay!" Xiao Huan nodded and then reached out her hand. "Young Master Yang, please."

Lin Yuanxi's bamboo house was not only simple on the outside, but also on the inside. It didn't have any fancy decorations, and the size inside was exactly the same as it appeared from the outside.

The furnishings in the room were also very simple, with only a bamboo table and no chairs, just cushions to sit on.

However, there was a scroll hanging on the wall, which had a piece of calligraphy on it.

After reading the content, Yang Ning immediately touched his forehead: "Inscription of a Humble Room, written by Yang Ning!"

"Sorry for keeping you waiting!" Lin Yuanxi naturally took a quick bath. In just a moment, she finished washing up and changed into a new outfit.

When Yang Ning turned his head and saw her, his eyes lit up. Lin Yuanxi had actually changed into a long orange dress with phoenix and bird patterns embroidered on it. With her hair tied up and the intricate accessories on her head, she looked magnificent and elegant.

He quickly stood up with an apologetic expression. "Miss Lin, there's no need for you to dress up like this. I'm dressed very casually..."

He had come to find Li Yuan, so naturally he couldn't dress up. He just wore a white coat and came. But the girl had dressed up, making him feel like he didn't respect this meeting.

"You don't like it?" Lin Yuanxi asked.

"It's not that, it's just that you look too dignified, and it makes me feel a bit intimidated," Yang Ning hurriedly said.

If this bamboo house were replaced with a palace, it would truly feel like a subject meeting a princess.

"That's fine then!" Lin Yuanxi turned around on the spot, and her clothes changed back to a simple green robe. Her hairstyle also became a simple ponytail.

"This is good, this is good!" Yang Ning breathed a sigh of relief. "Your previous outfit reminded me of when I was an official. There was one time when the empress dowager summoned me, and all the concubines in the palace were dressed like that. They surrounded me, making me feel like a monkey being watched!"

"Is that so!" Lin Yuanxi blinked her charming eyes. She knew about this incident. Those concubines even gave Yang Ning a topic to write an essay on, so he wrote a poem called "Qingping Yue".

"But your analogy is not quite appropriate. I have never seen such a handsome monkey!" Lin Yuanxi laughed. "And besides, Young Master, your talent is extraordinary and rare. It's only natural for them to be curious!"

"I don't have any extraordinary talent. I'm just standing on the shoulders of giants!" Yang Ning smiled bitterly and pointed to the "Inscription of a Humble Room" on the wall. "Are you living in this bamboo house because of this?"

"At first, yes. But after living here for a while, I also felt the charm of the bamboo house!" Lin Yuanxi smiled. "The environment is quiet and elegant, and it gives a very relaxing feeling. Just like what you said, I also dislike the palace. The atmosphere there is too oppressive."

"That's true!" Yang Ning nodded. "I also don't like all those complicated rituals and restrictions. That's why I used the excuse of supervising construction projects to stay away from the royal city after attending court a few times. It wasn't until later that I discovered that there are immortals in this world. Cultivating immortality is much easier and freer than being an official!"

"Yes, if I didn't cultivate immortality, I wouldn't have the freedom I have now!" Lin Yuanxi nodded in agreement and suddenly looked at Xiao Huan. "Why are you standing there foolishly? Don't you know how to serve tea to guests?"

"Tch, you forget about your best friend as soon as you have a lover!" Xiao Huan snorted and turned around to leave.

Lin Yuanxi's face immediately turned red, and she secretly glanced at Yang Ning. Fortunately, Xiao Huan's voice was low, and Yang Ning seemed not to have heard it.

She didn't know that Xiao Huan had already spilled all her secrets on the way here.

"Oh, by the way!" Yang Ning remembered something and quickly took out a storage bag, then took out a square wooden board and two bowls.

Lin Yuanxi curiously watched as Yang Ning placed the wooden board on the table and handed her one of the bowls.

She took a look and realized that the bowl was filled with small white stones, but these stones were all perfectly round.

"I heard from Xiao Huan that there are only two of you living on the mountain, and it must be boring. I also want to thank you for your help, so I'm giving you this chessboard and pieces."

"I already said it, my Divine Ability doesn't help much!" Lin Yuanxi hurriedly said, "How can I accept your things?"

"It's just wood and stones, worthless!" Yang Ning quickly said, "Aren't you curious about how to play with these things?"

"Hmm," Lin Yuanxi was actually quite curious, after all, there was no such thing as Go in this world.

"I'll teach you!" Yang Ning smiled and said, "Don't be fooled by the fact that there's only one board and two colored pieces. In fact, there are many ways to play. Let me teach you the simplest game, Gomoku. The goal is to connect five of your own pieces together to win. Let's play a round!"

"Oh," Lin Yuanxi nodded, it seemed interesting?

Yang Ning played black first, and Lin Yuanxi placed a white piece next to the black one.

Yang Ning placed his piece diagonally, and Lin Yuanxi followed suit.

Yang Ning placed his piece higher, and Lin Yuanxi followed again.

"Alright, I win!" Yang Ning placed the fourth piece.

"But you only connected four pieces, right?" Lin Yuanxi questioned, and then realized why he lost.

Oh, he already connected four pieces, I can't block him in time!

Lin Yuanxi seemed to understand the rules of the game. Although five pieces were needed to win, as long as four were connected, the opponent couldn't stop it.

"Let's play again!" Lin Yuanxi became interested in Gomoku.

Yang Ning nodded and asked, "How about you go first this time?"

"Sure, I'll go first!" Lin Yuanxi felt that going first indeed had an advantage. If he went second, wouldn't he just be following behind to block?

Three minutes later, Lin Yuanxi looked at the four connected black pieces, feeling confused.

Wait, how did he block and end up connecting his own pieces?

"I'll be serious now!" Lin Yuanxi focused. Originally, I didn't want to rely on my higher cultivation level to bully others, but you forced me to!

At the Eighth Layer of the Physical Body Realm, the brain starts to develop, and at the Qi Refining Stage, divine consciousness can be born. At this point, there is already a clear distinction between immortals and mortals. The calculating power of a Qi Refining Stage cultivator is dozens or even hundreds of times that of an ordinary person!

Just for a game of Gomoku!

Watching all six paths, listening to all directions, paying attention to all the pieces, and immediately blocking any possibility of connecting four pieces!

Ten minutes later, Lin Yuanxi looked at the five connected black pieces, feeling confused.

How did I lose again?

"Miss, should I give it a try?" Xiao Huan had been watching for a long time, even the tea had gone cold.

While watching, she felt that Miss was making mistakes everywhere. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't lose so badly!

"Come, you give it a try!" Lin Yuanxi hadn't even stood up yet, but Yang Ning had already given up her seat.

"Alright!" Xiao Huan and Lin Yuanxi were as close as sisters, so they didn't need to be so polite in their own home. Xiao Huan sat down in front of Lin Yuanxi.

Lin Yuanxi just wanted to win a game, it didn't matter who the opponent was.

So, one minute later, Xiao Huan looked at the fully connected white pieces, feeling bewildered.

No, you were clearly so bad just now, how did you win so quickly?

(End of this chapter)