INE Chapter 99: Xuanji

【Ding, Processing exchange…】

【Congratulations, player has obtained: Mountain and River Chessboard ×1】

【Your rewards will be settled once you leave the current plane】

That all sounded reasonable enough, except Ji Rong immediately caught a flaw in the logic.

“Wait, if I take the chessboard with me, what happens to Kongji?”

【No need to worry. Master Kongji does not have access rights to the Mountain and River Chessboard】

【The system will handle the aftermath for you】

Ji Rong nodded. Understood.

In other words, since Kongji couldn’t get in and had no clue what was inside the chessboard, the system could just leave him any random board as a placeholder.

Honestly, the system was starting to get… really useful.

Almost too useful.

【……】

【Scan complete: Master Kongji currently located in the Grand Buddha Hall. Safety level: 90%. System will now initiate automatic extraction from the chessboard】

【Countdown commencing】

Ji Rong couldn’t help but marvel, had the system secretly optimized itself when she wasn’t looking?

Then she realized something.

The system only said she would be extracted. What about the heroine?

Unfortunately, the countdown didn’t pause for questions.

【Three】

【Two】

It was nearly at “one." and the system still hadn’t given her a straight answer. Just coldly ticking down.

In a flash of urgency, Ji Rong didn’t have time to explain. She reached out and grabbed Gu Baiyi’s hand, pulling her along by force.

【One】

The world spun. Ji Rong was swallowed by darkness, unable to see the path ahead.

She closed her eyes. Something warm and soft hooked around her fingers, it was a gentle, comforting touch.

When they landed, her balance gave out and she stumbled backward.

Gu Baiyi reached out with her other hand and steadied her.

Caught off guard, her hand ended up resting on Ji Rong’s waist, applying just enough pressure to feel the delicate curve beneath her palm.

Ji Rong looked up and saw the moss-covered walls outside Qingjing Pavilion.

Glancing around, she realized they weren’t inside the pavilion, they were already outside.

Direct teleportation? The system really was pulling its weight today.

It was her first time truly experiencing the power of a cheat code.

Gu Baiyi also glanced around, a little surprised.

But with Ji Rong still held in her arms, that surprise quickly faded into something calmer, softer.

No matter the process, the result was… rather satisfying.

Just then, someone appeared in the distance.

Jiang Fei, with her peachwood sword strapped to her back, sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes gently closed, seemingly in meditation.

Following Gu Baiyi’s gaze, Ji Rong was surprised to see her.

They’d been inside the chessboard for what felt like decades. Could Jiang Fei have really waited here the entire time?

Gu Baiyi, however, didn’t seem surprised at all.

Before entering the chessboard, the moss on the wall and the stone paving looked exactly the same.

She figured time passed differently inside and outside the board.

A breeze rustled Jiang Fei’s dark hair.

Though she should have been deep in meditation, her eyes suddenly opened, clear and dark, focused intently on Ji Rong.

After a pause, she said softly, “Junior Sister… you’re back.”

For some reason, those words, coming from Jiang Fei, carried a quiet sense of weariness that Ji Rong couldn’t quite explain.

But Jiang Fei’s expression remained calm, unreadable.

She stood and said lightly, “You two disappeared for six months. I've no idea how to explain this to Master Kongji.”

So it had been six months. No wonder Jiang Fei looked like she hadn’t seen them in ages.

But… only six months?

Ji Rong frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed.

If decades inside the chessboard only amounted to half a year outside, then didn’t that make it the perfect tool for cultivation?

She could practically see herself rocketing to the top of the rankings, dominating the world of cultivation, basking in fame and glory.

Drunk on her daydreams, Ji Rong completely forgot to respond to Jiang Fei.

It was Gu Baiyi who finally smiled and answered, “Then how did Miss Jiang explain things?”

“I explained nothing." Jiang Fei replied calmly. “No matter how I was asked, all I could say was, ‘I don’t know.’”

Her tone was light, almost detached. But when her gaze drifted to where Gu Baiyi’s hand was still resting around Ji Rong’s waist, her expression shifted, just barely, almost imperceptibly.

A moment later, she returned to her usual serene self.

A lady and her guard. Amusing.

Ji Rong, finally catching on to Jiang Fei’s gaze, snapped out of her daze and realized that Gu Baiyi’s hand was still at her waist.

In broad daylight. Right out in the open.

Jiang Fei’s gaze wasn’t sharp, but it might as well have been a public execution.

Ji Rong’s toes curled reflexively.

She was dying of secondhand embarrassment. Just as she was about to push Gu Baiyi’s hand away, she turned to glance at the heroine, 

Only to find Gu Baiyi’s expression perfectly composed, long lashes fluttering slightly, even smiling at her.

At that moment, Ji Rong was sure: nothing on earth could ever make Gu Baiyi feel awkward.

But then she looked up at Jiang Fei again, still silent, gaze steady, as if none of this fazed her at all.

Most baffling of all, no one seemed to think this was weird.

“…”

So was she the problem?

Ji Rong began to question her entire existence.

She had no choice but to pretend to be calm and gave a light cough to subtly remind Gu Baiyi.

Such an obvious hint, got it?

Sure enough, Gu Baiyi got it.

She gave a small smile and said to Jiang Fei, “Miss Jiang, thank you for choosing not to answer.”

Then, she tactfully withdrew her hand from Ji Rong’s waist and instead took hold of her fingers hidden within her sleeve.

The calm expression on Ji Rong’s face was almost convincing, even to herself.

Only the cold fingers gently wiping away the sweat in her palm betrayed her nerves.

Jiang Fei saw everything but acted as if she hadn’t. She replied politely, “No need to thank me. I merely wanted to know the answer, that’s all.”

“Now then, about that barrier, do you have an answer yet?”

Gu Baiyi shook her head. “At the moment… I’m afraid not.”

Ji Rong thought to herself, back when she was still Yue Qianqiu, she had tried to cut through that barrier too, but it didn't budge in the slightest.

Even a swordmaster at the peak of combat strength in the game couldn’t solve the puzzle, so how could Jiang Fei?

But Jiang Fei didn’t look disappointed upon hearing this.

After all, the barrier had troubled her for so many years, she hadn’t truly expected it to be unraveled so easily.

Still, the talents of these two far surpassed hers. They might actually have a shot at breaking through it.

The thought that a puzzle which had haunted her for half her life might finally be solved put her in a good mood. She nodded and said to Gu Baiyi, “No matter. Take your time.”

Ji Rong heard this and felt it was probably the signal to end the conversation.

She was thrilled.

Finally, could she let go of the heroine’s hand now?

But just as she thought she was free, Jiang Fei shifted her gaze to her. “However, there’s still one more matter… and it concerns Junior Sister.”

Ji Rong had no choice but to rein in her eager hand and nod. “Please speak, Senior Sister Jiang.”

Jiang Fei said, “Some time ago, someone from Xuanji City came with a message. They said Madam Ji has taken ill and wishes to see you.”

Madam Ji had fallen ill?

Ji Rong blinked. That was the original body’s mother. Even if she went, it wouldn’t help anything.

Jiang Fei paused, then continued, “You weren’t around at the time, so they asked me to deliver the message. But you’ve been gone for half a year, and the envoy from Xuanji City has already left.”

Ji Rong was ecstatic.

They left? Perfect!

But then Jiang Fei added, “Coincidentally, I’ll be heading to Xuanji City with Brother Wei. If you’d like to go, you’re welcome to travel with us.”

It sounded like a sincere offer, but Ji Rong was puzzled.

“Why is Senior Sister Jiang going to Xuanji City?”

What she really wanted to ask was: Fine, go if you must, but why drag Wei Zongqiu into this?

Jiang Fei thought for a moment before explaining, “Previously, Prince Chu entrusted me with the Xu family case. But heaven is unpredictable, he was later ambushed and gravely injured, and now lies unconscious.”

“I did find a luminous pearl in his chambers, but it was damaged by a sharp object. After thinking it over, I believe only Madam Mo of Xuanji City has the skill to repair it.”

Ji Rong: “…”

Doubtless about it, Jiang Fei had a packed schedule. Not only did she moonlight as a masked ritual dancer, now she was taking on detective work too.

Having explained the reason, Jiang Fei asked, “So, Junior Sister, what do you think?”

What could she say?

She didn’t even know the original Ji Rong’s parents! Going there would risk exposing her at any moment.

Ji Rong was about to refuse, but then hesitated. Though she wasn’t the real Ji Rong, if the mother was truly ill and she, as a daughter, didn’t even go see her, it would be unreasonably cold and unfilial.

Thinking this, she decided to play it safe and tossed the decision to Gu Baiyi.

So she looked up at her and asked mildly, “What do you think?”

It was clearly a desperate hunt for the heroine to hurry up and refuse.

But Gu Baiyi misunderstood the calm look in Ji Rong’s eyes.

She thought: Although we’re supposed to retrieve the Qingshuang Sword from the Wanjian Sect, Senior Sister’s mother is ill. No matter what, she ought to visit her.

Senior Sister isn’t the type to ignore family obligations. She’s asking me now, but deep down, she must want to go back.

So under Ji Rong’s hopeful gaze, Gu Baiyi smiled gently and said, “If Miss wishes to visit Madam Ji, then traveling with Miss Jiang is perfectly fine.”

Even at a moment like this, she was careful not to forget her role as a bodyguard.

Ji Rong stared into Gu Baiyi’s clear eyes, grief-stricken.

She wanted to scream.

Why, why couldn’t the heroine just take the hint?!

And to make things worse, Gu Baiyi misread the flicker in her eyes as eagerness to see her mother.

She turned to Jiang Fei and asked, “Miss Jiang, would it be possible to depart tomorrow?”

Ji Rong: “…”

So you are speeding up the countdown to my doom.

Jiang Fei observed all this and couldn’t help feeling that Ji Rong’s bodyguard seemed more like the one calling the shots.

But since it was a family matter, she had no desire to meddle. She simply nodded and replied, “That’s fine.”

Gu Baiyi gently clasped Ji Rong’s hand, smiling as she said, “That’s good, then.”

Only after speaking did she notice that Ji Rong’s fingers were trembling, and cold.

Frowning slightly, she asked softly, “Miss, have you caught a chill?”

Ji Rong stared at her, expressionless.

Ha. Thanks to you, I am chilled to the bone and utterly despairing.

So Ji Rong gave her a frosty look, letting her draw her own conclusions.

Then she ruthlessly shook off her hand and swept away without a word.

Leaving Gu Baiyi standing there, lost in thought, reflecting again and again, still unable to figure out what she had done wrong.

Truly, women are unpredictable. Even swordmasters are no exception.