You are already cultivating immortality, who would fight with you alone?

(P.S.: Thank you for the gift from my godfather El-Melloi Nishi! I wanted to continue working hard all day, but my godfather made me feel a little guilty... I'll give you two for one! Thank you for your money!)

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"It doesn't matter if you don't understand."

Fang Qing smiled as he gently picked up a chess piece and slowly turned it between his fingertips, his eyes revealing the confidence that he knew everything.

Then, he started to play chess. After that, he pointed and said, "Look at this chess game. What do you think?"

Although Liu Yi was not proficient in the art of Go, he knew that the rule of Go was to occupy territory, and the one with more territory won.

He frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said firmly: "There are more black pieces. The black pieces should win this game."

Hearing Liu Yi's remarks, Fang Qing smiled and shook his head, "No, no!"

"The black pieces seem to occupy most of the territory, but in fact they are full of loopholes. The white pieces only need to chase and intercept based on the loopholes and consume all the black pieces' energy, and then they can turn defeat into victory in an instant!"

As he spoke, he picked up the white chess pieces, and after a series of smooth operations, a large area of ​​the black pieces had been eaten by the white pieces.

"Do you understand?" Fang Qing asked, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Liu Yi scratched his head and said with a silly smile: "Prime Minister Fang, you are joking. I really don't know anything about this chess game..."

"You can't learn it."

Fang Qing's expression suddenly turned serious, and he stopped keeping the secret, "The current situation in the world is just like the layout of this chessboard."

"Although the Black Pawn has advantages, the interior has long been dilapidated and full of loopholes."

"Although the white pieces are at a disadvantage, they have countless ways to break the situation. Even if they make random moves, they can still defeat the black pieces!"

Liu Yi was stunned at first, then fell into deep thought. After a moment, a light flashed in his eyes and his face was full of shock. "You... you mean, I am the white piece, and this Daliang... is the black piece you are talking about?!"

Fang Qing's mouth corners slightly raised, a complicated look flashed in his eyes, and he nodded repeatedly in praise: "Ruzi is teachable, your understanding is indeed extraordinary!"

"You are right. Now Daliang is the black piece, and you are the white piece!"

Fang Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, and as he spoke, he gently placed the white chess piece in front of Liu Yi, "How about we play a game based on this chess game?"

Liu Yi looked at the chess tube in front of him, hesitant for a moment, and said with difficulty: "But... didn't you say that the black piece would lose? This is not fair to you."

"Haha, that depends on who's going to play next."

Fang Qing waved his hand, his eyes revealing a hint of deep meaning, and continued, "Where is there fairness in the world? Just like Mr. Liu influenced the starting point of you and me."

He paused, his tone slightly jealous, "Mr. Liu favors you far more than me!"

When Liu Yi heard Fang Qing mention Mr. Liu's preference, his heart tightened and his thoughts instantly became a mess.

He knew very well that what Fang Qing said was true. For a moment, he felt mixed emotions and didn't know how to respond. He could only look embarrassed and remain silent.

At this time, Fang Qing looked into the distance and said slowly: "As the saying goes, people who have been hungry for a long time will eat in a messy way. Just like Daliang, since Lord Liu retired, I am afraid that the whole court will soon fall into madness."

"The country is no longer a country, and the home is no longer a home..."

"But I have studied the art of assisting the state since I was young, and I know the situation in the world very well. And you are just like this chess game. Although you have the advantage, you are like an ignorant child and have not yet fully understood the art of playing chess. Although I seem to be at a disadvantage, I still have the foundation, and my chess skills are not bad..."

"The situation in the world is just like this chess game. It seems clear, but in fact, it is full of variables. And the roles you and I play in it are just like the black and white pieces on the chessboard. Who will win and who will lose... is still unknown!"

Liu Yi was stunned for a moment, lowered his head and thought for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Why?"

Fang Qing asked with a hint of teasing in his eyes: "What do you mean?"

"You know that Mr. Liu is helping me, so why are you still standing against me?" Liu Yi looked puzzled.

Based on Liu Yuntian's attitude towards Fang Qing, he really couldn't understand why Fang Qing wanted to go against him.

According to common sense, Fang Qingli should be one of us.

Moreover, the general situation has now tilted towards the camp of independent cultivators, and Daliang is corrupt. Why does Fang Qing insist on using Daliang's unfinished game to become his enemy?

"Hahaha, you have been raised by Mr. Liu since you were young, and you have been devoted to cultivation. How could you know how dangerous this world is?" Fang Qing teased with a smile, a complex look in his eyes.

Then, he rolled up his sleeves leisurely, gently placed a warm jade pendant in his hand on the table, and said calmly: "I am from the Fang family in southern Xinjiang."

Liu Yi's eyes widened in disbelief. He looked at the jade pendant on the table, then raised his head to look at Fang Qing and blurted out, "But the Fang family in Yun'an?!"

As far as he could remember, he had indeed heard of such a family. They had great say in southern Xinjiang, and nearly one-third of the affairs in southern Xinjiang were decided by the Fang family.

But seven years ago, the Fang family seemed to have offended some big shot and was wiped out overnight.

Even the ancestor of the Fang family, the peerless great master who was at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Stage, was dismembered and his soul was destroyed, completely cutting off the possibility of the Fang family making a comeback.

"Yes, it is the Fang family of Yun'an." Fang Qing looked calm and nodded in acknowledgement.

"But, seven years ago, the Fang family was..."

"That's right, the whole family was wiped out." Fang Qing nodded again, his tone so calm as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"Do you know who did it? If you tell me, Mr. Liu will definitely stand up for your Fang family!" Liu Yi felt the same way. After all, he had also experienced the pain of his relatives being killed.

"I know." Fang Qing smiled carefreely, slowly stretched out his finger, gently tapped his face, and said word by word: "I did it."

"What?!!!" Liu Yi was completely stunned, his mind went blank. Fang Qing actually ordered the extermination of his own family? !

"Incredible, right?" Fang Qing smiled and calmly put away the jade pendant, with a complex light flashing in his eyes.

"You know, in a family like that, if you want to stand out, you must first learn to express yourself."

He shook his head slightly, his expression revealing a hint of helplessness, "Not only do you need extraordinary talents, you also need to be well versed in the art of winning favor."

At this point, Fang Qing sighed deeply, his eyes full of emotion, "It's a pity that I have a lot of knowledge that can help the country and maintain peace, but in this world full of immortals, it's like a pearl covered in dust, with no place to use it."

"I live in a shabby thatched hut abandoned by my family, and I barely make ends meet with the meager monthly salary. This kind of life is nothing but a mediocre life." He clenched his fists, a trace of unwillingness in his eyes.

"But how can I be willing to accept this? I always firmly believe that there is always a way out. If I can't be taken here, there will be other places that will take me!"

"I saved up a year's salary and set out on my own from southern Xinjiang."

"At that time, the road leading to the Northern Border was like an endless thorn bush. There were no post stations for people to rest. If you wanted to go to the Northern Border, you could only rely on your feet, step by step, to cross these two vast territories." Fang Qing recalled the past with determination in his eyes.

Liu Yi nodded. He remembered that the Northern Frontier Court allocated funds to build post stations, which was the policy proposed by Fang Qing. Now, official post stations in Daliang are scattered all over the continent.

"I'm just betting. I'm betting that Mr. Liu is not a short-sighted person. I'm betting that he can treat everyone patiently and equally!" Fang Qing's eyes were burning, as if he had returned to the moment when he had gambled everything on one throw. "If I lose the bet, I'll find a quiet bamboo forest and hang myself there, ending my life like that..."

Liu Yi pursed his lips and interrupted, "But you won the bet. Mr. Liu appreciates you very much and trusts you very much."

Fang Qing changed his serious expression, shyly stretched out his fingers to scratch his temples, nodded and said: "Yes, at that time, I was very happy. It was the first time I was so happy since I came to this world..."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if immersed in that beautiful memory.

"After becoming the prime minister, I asked Lord Liu for military power... and Lord Liu really gave it to me... I was very touched. I never thought that Lord Liu would trust me so much!"

"Then, I secretly wiped out the entire Fang family..." Fang Qing's eyes flashed with determination, "From then on, I thought the world would become fair, and people would no longer need to rely on hypocritical means to gain power, but could prove themselves with their own talents!"

"After the Fang family was wiped out, all those members of the family who tried to use me as a fulcrum to cling to the main beam are dead." Fang Qing's tone was calm, but there was a hint of relief. "From that moment on, I had no worries. I was determined to use all my talents to repay Mr. Liu for his kindness!"

"I expanded the one million National Defense Army to three million!"

Fang Qing's emotions became more and more excited. He straightened his body and almost stood up. "The Holy Land of Spiritual Medicine, the Holy Land of Taming Beasts, the Holy Land of Wuji, the Holy Land of Hundred Flowers! I will calculate carefully and make good use of every inch of the territory that Liu Gong has conquered!"

"Daliang is a country of prosperity and peace, with a wide variety of elixirs and magical medicines, war beasts and mounts everywhere, and masters filling the entire Juxian Tower!"

There was a gleam of pride in Fang Qing's eyes, as if those brilliant achievements were right before his eyes.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, his expression darkened instantly, and his face was full of loneliness. "However, things are unpredictable. Even though I tried so hard and gave my all for Daliang, I still ended up back to square one."

"W...what? Origin...origin?" Liu Yi was stunned by Fang Qing's sudden change of mood. He spoke stutteringly, and every word seemed to carry his inner panic.

"Competing for favor..." Fang Qing's voice was low and suppressed, as if these two words were squeezed out from between his teeth.

"No matter what Mr. Liu wants to do... I will try my best to make it happen! Even if I vomit blood and die suddenly on my desk, I will never complain!" Fang Qing's eyes were burning with fanatical flames. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white due to the force.

"But he... placed all his hopes on you!" Fang Qing's emotions suddenly erupted like a volcano, his eyes were bloodshot like blood snakes, and he punched the chessboard hard.

With a loud bang, the chess pieces fell to the ground like frightened birds.

"What you can do, I, Fang Qing, can do as well! Why can that person only be you, Liu Yi! And not me!!!" Fang Qing roared at the top of his lungs, and that voice seemed to vent all the resentment that had been pent up in his heart for a long time.

Liu Yi stared at Fang Qing blankly, his mind went blank, and he was completely at a loss for a moment.

He could never have imagined that Fang Xiang, who was always gentle and elegant, would have such a crazy side.

At this moment, Fang Qing seemed to realize his own loss of composure. His chest heaved violently. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his surging emotions.

After a long time, he slowly sat back on his heels, with a hint of embarrassment and apology on his face, "Sorry, I made you laugh."

Liu Yi's pupils trembled slightly, and he swallowed hard involuntarily, stammering, "No...no problem."

"So this time, I decided not to sit still and wait for death." Fang Qing's face reappeared that seemingly elegant smile, but there was a hint of frightening madness in his eyes, "I want to... compete with you for your favor!"

He stood up suddenly, clenched his fists, and looked into the distance with a determined look, as if Mr. Liu was standing there, "I want Mr. Liu to understand... I am Fang Qing!"

“He is the most talented person!”

"My Fang Qing! He is the one who deserves his desperate gamble!"

Liu Yi was completely silent.

The powerful aura emanating from Fang Qing was like an invisible mountain, which brought great pressure to Liu Yi.

He never thought that this seemingly glamorous world actually hides such a complicated side.

Liu Yi, who was originally an orphan, once believed that as long as he could fill his stomach and not be bullied, that would be the best life in the world.

But I never expected that even those powerful families had such dark inner worlds.

Liu Yi frowned slightly, and various scenes of Fang Qing working hard for Daliang kept appearing in his mind. The doubts in his heart became stronger and stronger. He even felt that Mr. Liu was really a little biased.

Fang Qing's talent is recognized by the entire Daliang.

It is easy to build an empire but difficult to keep it. Fang Qing did a great job in managing the empire built by Liu Yuntian!

At this moment, Liu Yi couldn't help but wonder whether Mr. Liu had really chosen the wrong person.

"But you just said... Daliang has been riddled with holes for a long time, and Lord Liu's retirement has left no one able to suppress the ministers..." Liu Yi pursed his lips, and said hesitantly, "Such a Daliang..."

Fang Qing put his hands behind his back, raised his head slightly, and looked down at Liu Yi with a condescending attitude, his eyes full of unquestionable confidence, "What is this?"

There was a hint of disdain in his tone, "The greater the disadvantage, the more it proves our Fang Qing's talent!"

"Even if there's only one soldier and one general... I will defeat you!"

Fang Qing's eyes were firm, as if he had seen the dawn of victory in advance, "Even if it is as difficult as creating the world, I will not hesitate!"

"After I defeat you, I will help Mr. Liu achieve all his visions!"

"So..." Fang Qing stretched out a finger and gently shook it in the air, with a teasing smile on his lips, "I won't hold back, I hope you will too!"

…………

The faint light of dawn fell quietly like a veil. The sky was still dim. Liu and his party left Fang Qing's residence and walked in the capital.

My heart is in a mess, my whole mind is in a mess.

“Squeak—”

At this moment, an exquisite origami bird flapped its paper wings and flew lightly into his hands.

The little bird chirped as if telling something secret.

Liu Yi's expression instantly became extremely complicated. He slowly raised his head and looked towards the towering tower in the distance. His lips moved slightly, as if he was muttering to himself: "Mr. Liu... is he on the top of the tower?"

A strong urge surged in his heart, and he wanted to climb to the top of the tower immediately to meet Mr. Liu.

However, Fang Qing's crazy and resolute look yesterday lingered in his mind like a haze, causing him to hesitate at this moment. His feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, making it difficult for him to take that step.