Chapter 187: Wenqu

The chess game, much like life, revealed a great deal about one’s character through this intense battle devoid of iron and fire. As an experienced player, Miss Vilyric could get a rough idea of the other party’s nature.

Pure and clear, although possessing profound wisdom, she would only attack through honest means and would never sneak off to pilfer someone’s home like that cunning Priestess.

Therefore, the girl’s words indeed came from her heart.

Had this been before she became Vilyric, she would have undoubtedly lost; after all, humans have limited calculation ability and thought speed. Even if one could see through the other’s intentions, the constantly changing chessboard, with the potential for unexpected coincidences, could lead to absolute defeat.

But after becoming part of the Divine race, Vilyric not only had her memory greatly enhanced, but her reaction speed, calculation ability, and other previously unimaginable capabilities underwent a transformation. It was this accumulation of experience that allowed her to suppress the white-robed boy and ultimately win unexpectedly.

Despite the Priestess’s insistent praise, the boy could only smile wryly.

“Milady, you flatter me. I have been devoted to this for over three hundred years, believing I would face no rivals, even in a foreign land where wisdom is cherished. I aimed to teach you a thing or two, yet it seems I overestimated myself. How embarrassing!”

The white-robed boy hesitated to clear the chessboard, carefully nudging the pieces aside, fearing disruptions. Noticing this action, Vilyric took a moment to calm the long-lost excitement stemming from their fierce battle.

“Since I’ve won, does that mean I’ve passed the second question? What is the third one?”

The Priestess finally figured out that the so-called three questions were entirely based on the thoughts of the white-robed boy, with their difficulty entirely within his control. Therefore, for an ordinary person to pass, grooming a good relationship with this examiner seemed paramount.

Though Vilyric had no such intentions, her previous unintentional fascination with that book inadvertently hit the boy’s sweet spot…

In normal circumstances, the boy should not make things overly difficult for her.

As she expected, upon hearing her words, a look of unreserved regret flashed across the boy’s face as he muttered softly, “Are you leaving already, milady?”

Vilyric nodded.

“There are matters I must attend to, a long-sought final answer I need to witness and prevent a calamity from befalling. It is not just responsibility; it is how it should be… All things exist in the world, some actions must be taken, others must not. It’s nothing more than that.”

At her words, the boy paused for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter.

“What a marvelous notion of actions taken and not taken! Wonderful! You grasp the broader picture, possess exquisite qualities devoid of petty details, and are well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge! Meeting you today has made this millennium of waiting worthwhile! Hahaha!!!”

With a wave of his folding fan, a white light descended gracefully from the library’s peak. Vilyric immediately recognized it as a portal to the outside world but did not rush to leave, instead turning to the white-robed boy in confusion.

“What does this mean? Aren’t you going to ask the third question?”

“Not at all, not at all ~ rules cannot be broken. There is indeed a question, but for this final question, I believe it won’t be difficult for you, milady. Since you are pressed for time, why not let me show a small gesture of my admiration?”

“Oh?”

“Milady, please listen to the question.”

After saying this, the boy straightened up, clasped his hands together, and bowed slightly in a gesture of friendship.

“I am Wenqu, unworthy. May I ask for your name, milady?”

“……Ha ~”

After a brief silence, Vilyric laughed.

The boy Wenqu laughed in return.

After a moment, both paused, and the black-haired girl rose to step towards the light column, while Wenqu merely smiled by the table, offering no interference.

Finally, the Priestess turned around, nodding with satisfaction toward the boy.

“You’re pretty good; this place is nice too. If there’s a chance, perhaps we can exchange more knowledge, play chess, sip tea, talk of many things… Wenqu, was it? I will remember that name.”

“I’m Vilyric. Until we meet again by fate.”

With that, the girl stepped into the light column and vanished without a trace.

The boy simply smiled and nodded, watching the Priestess successfully bid farewell to this place.

“Vilyric… A beauty has her beautiful sounds, huh? Hehe, composed yet elegant, a world apart from that duo who only answered one of my questions due to their reliance on the signal. The outcome should be predictable, then.”

Countless light dots rose, and the boy Wenqu began to fade like foam, yet he showed no concern, keeping his gaze on the chaotic chessboard of black and white, his smile becoming richer and more genuine.

“The promise has been fulfilled, my duty is done. It seems it’s time for me to return. Though it’s a pity I can’t witness the final outcome, but… Hehe, Olivia left the God’s sigil not to make things easy for posterity; after all, smartness can backfire ~”

“Vilyric… I will await your arrival at [there]. How about we have another match then? Hahaha, perfect! Absolutely perfect!!!”

The gentle laughter echoed through the ancient library, yet the boy Wenqu’s figure had already vanished without a trace.

…

As the light changed several times, Vilyric found herself back in the depth of the mysterious temple.

“Wenqu… he’s quite an interesting fellow, and that name…”

The Priestess smiled and shook her head, having to admit he had indeed provided her with significant assistance and convenience, turning what should have been a troublesome trial into a simple matter of reading a book, playing chess, and leaving an introduction.

Who knows if this grand library will continue to exist after this, but if it does, coming occasionally to read books and play games would indeed be a delightful affair.

However, the boy who called himself Wenqu, with a name so out of place in this world yet seemingly signifying one of the seven stars beyond the heavens, was truly mysterious. He appeared as if he was a mere incarnation, exuding a feeling of being incapable of strength, yet obviously hiding some enormous background.

This was, of course, expected; otherwise, the God wouldn’t have entrusted him with guarding the temple’s second trial.

Well then, if it’s destiny, we will meet again.

… It should be approaching soon.

If it wasn’t obvious at the start, looking back now, Vilyric noticed that the first trial of the twelve Zodiac Guardians tested pure strength, while the second trial represented the white-robed boy Wenqu, emphasizing adaptability, intelligence, and knowledge—a mental contest.

This certainly resembled the God’s way of screening successors to inherit His divine position.

However, this raised a completely incomprehensible question.

Why… did Sylvester pass through so quickly? Why did the God leave behind a token that allows skipping trials like a backdoor?

If merely possessing the token could easily allow passage, then do these meticulously designed trials truly hold any significance?

   

---