■ Anchang River
Anzhou Gulai chess style is prevalent, regardless of men, women and children, who will come so two. In the spring of Qianlong's twenty-fourth year, in front of the Holy Hand Residence in the east of Anzhou City, there was a sea of people, because a chess tournament was set up inside. This chess tournament was held by the township party to celebrate the 100th birthday of the three old men. The final winner, in addition to the reward of 1,000 taels of gold, will also have the honor to talk three games with the three old men of the elephant.
After the imperial court learned of this, it sent the official Pegasus of the Ministry of Ceremonies to congratulate him, firstly, to wish the 100th birthday of the three old men of Xiangxiang, and secondly, to wish the competition a complete success, and asked the Anzhou Prefecture to send the champion of the competition to the imperial court to meet the emperor.
Xiangsan is a native of Anzhou, gifted and intelligent, he learned chess with a famous teacher at an early age, and by the age of twenty, he was no one in a radius of hundreds of miles, so he left his family to travel far to find the masters of the world. Within two years, Xiangsan's name was already known and known to everyone in the Chinese chess world. In the twentieth year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Xiangsan was introduced to the palace and specially taught those princes and grandchildren to play chess in the palace, and also played against foreign chess players on behalf of the imperial court. These foreign chess players, most of them are top masters, all want to take this opportunity to win chess, grow the arrogance of their own country, and suppress the prestige of the Great Qing Kingdom. However, in front of Xiangsan, they all "lost their armor and abandoned their armor" and bowed down and admitted defeat. As a result, Xiangsan became even more famous, and even Kangxiye honored him for three points, named him "the first chess in the world", paid official homage to the three pins, and built a holy hand residence for him in his hometown in Anzhou.
In the autumn of the fourth year of Qianlong, the three old men of Xiang, whose chess skills were in full swing, suddenly returned to their hometown for some reason. What's even more strange is that the three old men who returned to their hometown have never even touched the chess pieces again, and people flocked to the door to ask for a teacher to learn the art, but they were all rejected by the three old men of the elephant. Some people came from all over the world, hoping to talk to a generation of chess king players, like the three old men who simply disappeared behind closed doors. Pressed in a hurry, the three old men came out with a word, saying that when he was 100 years old, he would put down three rounds in the Holy Hand Residence, and ask the challenger to go back and wait patiently. So today, with this stage set up, who doesn't want to see the three old men reappear? For a time, countless chess heroes gathered in Anzhou City in the north and south of the Great River, inside and outside the Great Wall. Defeating the three elders means a new chess king! Moreover, there are such generous rewards, you can enter the palace to meet the emperor, and enjoy endless glory and wealth...
On the second day of February, the day when the people call the "dragon raises its head", a grand opening ceremony was held on this day. First, there was a salute that sounded in the sky, then a dragon boat race held in the Anchang River, and finally, the Anzhou prefect stood on the fifth floor of the high Holy Hand Residence, holding the emperor's holy oracle, and after reading it, announced the start of the war with the drums, so the three-way drum sounded and the chess game began.
On the first floor of the Holy Hand Residence, eight chess cards are lined up, one game is determined to win or lose, and the winner goes to the second floor. On the second floor, four chess cards are lined up, still a set of victories, and the winner is on the three folds. On the third floor, two chess cards are lined up, and the winner goes up to the fourth floor. On the fourth floor, there is one case left, and the final winner goes to the fifth floor. On the fifth floor, naturally the master, accept the challenge of the latecomer, three sets of high and low, the winner, stay in the ring, loser, go downstairs and go home.
On the seventh day of the competition, Xiao Liulang from Chenzhou, Henan Province, won consecutive battles and ascended to the fifth floor of the Holy Hand Residence. This Xiao Liulang is about fifty years old, dressed in black, with a flowing beard, and a fairy wind Dao bone appearance. This person's chess style is fierce and aggressive, and the chess technique is strange and abnormal, which everyone has never heard of or seen. In the past few days, no one has ever fought fifty hands with Xiao Liulang, and often at forty rounds, he has to push the game and admit defeat. Xiao Liulang sat in the ring, took out a set of chess pieces that he brought with him, and arranged them on both sides of the Chu River Han Realm. This chess piece is divided into black and red colors, as if made of mutton fat, smooth and round, with a strange fragrance, smell, immediately refreshing. What a chess! There is such a treasure in the world!
Mr. Sima, the chess king from Jiangdong, became the first person to attack, and as soon as he entered the room, he was stunned by the chess pieces in front of him.
Xiao Liulang stretched out his hand and made a "please" gesture, and said coldly: "If you win, this chess will lose to you!" ”
Jiangdong Sima smiled "hehe", took off the chess bag he was carrying, and casually threw it into the Anchang River outside the window.
In the first game, Jiangdong Sima Zhihong went first. The chess game stipulates that black chess is the mainstay, red chess is the guest, the master guards the black chess, and if he loses, he will play the red chess and oppose the host as the guest.
"This is such a rare treasure!" Jiang Dong Sima couldn't help but marvel. The sound of the chess fall is crisp and loud, and the timbre varies according to the priority of the chess move. When the opening chess is relaxed, its sound is melodious and like a pearl falling on a board; If the middle game is fierce, it is like a storm; When the endgame is about to be divided, it is naturally sad and sad.
In the first game, Jiangdong Sima Tui admitted defeat. In the second game, Jiangdong Sima did everything he could, from noon to palm lamp time, more than 300 rounds, sweating profusely, only to force Xiao Liulang to knock on the towel. In the third game, the two sides switched positions, Jiangdong Sima guarded the black chess, Xiao Liulang mentioned "pawn" to cross the river, Jiangdong Sima thought again and again, and flew an "elephant". This game of chess turned out to be played overnight.
In the early morning of the second day, the people of Anzhou saw Sima Jiangdong walking out of the Holy Hand Residence with a lost soul, staggering onto the street, and as soon as he arrived at the door of the inn, a mouthful of blood gushed out and fell to the ground.
On this day, it was Chen Ziyang, who was known as a god operator in Hebei, with two losses in three games. At dusk, Chen Ziyang shook his head and sighed and walked out of the Holy Hand Residence, and the next day, the innkeeper found him dead on the bed.
On the third day, Mr. Jiangnan, known as "the fastest hand in the world", was on the ring. Mr. Jiang Nan is good at fast chess, three incense work, and three games of chess. One win, two losses.
Mr. Jiang Nan walked to the street and looked up to the sky and sighed: "Win hardships and pains, lose in a fool's way." I Jiangnan will never touch chess again! Before the words fell, he spat out blood in his mouth and returned to the west with his life...
For seven days in a row, five top chess masters died, and the people panicked and the chess players panicked. The government was also alarmed and sent people to investigate carefully, but could not find any cause of death.
Finally, the prefect of Anzhou personally led people to the fifth floor of the Holy Hand Residence, and saw Xiao Liulang sitting in front of the chess case, his eyes slightly closed, and he was breathing and recuperating, waiting for someone to attack.
The prefect asked, "Can this official not stand by?" ”
Xiao Liulang owed and replied, "Sir, please feel free." ”
On this day, it was the monk Sande of Wutai Mountain in Shanxi who attacked the two of them, and when the two came and went, the prefect did not even dare to blink, but did not see any clues. But as soon as the monk Sande walked out of the Holy Hand Residence, he threw himself to his death.
The prefect was shocked, and hurriedly called the servants to take Xiao Liulang down, and asked, "What kind of demon art did you use to take people's lives?" Bring back to Yamen for trial! ”
Xiao Liulang saluted the prefect and said, "Adults and slow, I am just a chess player, where can there be any magic magic." This way of chess, you can see open, see open, chess first. Those who are dead, all are people who can't be opened, they only have merit in their eyes, and their hearts are full of Lilu, when they play chess, their hearts are impetuous, and after losing chess, they are jealous and attacking their hearts, plus they have exhausted their efforts when coping, how can there be no reason for immortality! They all died in their own greed, and I just put them in a killing game. ”
When the prefect heard this, he half-believed and pondered for a long time. Xiao Liulang continued: "With so many people dead, I also have a hard time arguing, not to mention that the government has always wanted to add to the crime, so there is no excuse. This competition, I will definitely win the championship, but I just hope to invite the three old men, and after talking with him for three games, let you treat me for any crime, even if I cut off my head, I have no complaints! ”
At this moment, an old voice came from the door: "No need to invite, I'm coming." It turned out that the third old man had already ascended to the fifth floor and stood at the door.
Hearing that the three old men would face off against Xiao Liulang, the people of Anzhou and those chess players surrounded the Holy Hand Residence, and Anzhou City was illuminated by torches and lanterns like daylight.
After the third old man took his seat, he said to Xiao Liulang lightly: "The left hand is the main hand, the right hand is the guest, if I defend the ring, I will use my left hand to play black chess, if I attack, I will use my right hand to play red chess!" ”
Hearing this, Xiao Liulang suddenly trembled, his face was like dead ash, and tears welled up. The prefect who was watching the battle found something strange and quickly stepped forward to inquire.
I only heard the third old man sigh and said to Xiao Liulang: "For so many years, I have been restless and sleepless, I knew that you would definitely come, but I didn't expect that it would affect so many innocents!" Saying that, he slowly recounted a past.
It was the spring of the fourth year of Qianlong, when Xiang San was still in the palace, when he received a petition called Wuxin Daoist, who claimed that he had never encountered an opponent in the world alone, and was willing to gamble with Xiang San with one life, and if Xiang San did not fight, he would commit suicide by caesarean section at noon, and before he died, he would shout "elephant three hypocrites" three times and curse "elephant three cowards" three times. Xiangsan had no choice but to fight.
The two chose a secluded place and placed a game of chess, betting on the lives of both parties. This unintentional Taoist deserved to be a good hand, and played a game of chess for three days and three nights. However, in the end, the unintentional Daoist people had no soldiers to use except for one old "handsome", while Xiangsan still had one "horse" left, and one horse was determined to kill.
Xiang San said, "Can you not die?" ”
The Wuxin Daoist smiled bleakly and said, "Touch the son, the chess path is expensive, you underestimate me." After that, he pulled out the knife and inserted it into his stomach.
Before he died, the third object of the unintentional Daoist said, "After I die, someone will come to you for revenge." You have to die, die on chess! ”
Speaking of this, Xiang San couldn't help but burst into tears, and pointed at Xiao Liulang with his hand: "I didn't expect that in order to kill me, you actually came up with such a vicious method!" The prefect was puzzled and asked what happened.
Xiang San explained: "These red and black chess pieces were soaked in two kinds of potions, and when these two potions were mixed together, they became highly poisonous, colorless, tasteless, and unconscious. People who play chess are accustomed to using one hand, winning is black, losing is red, the potion immersed in chess is stained on this hand, it is highly toxic, slowly penetrates into the heart and spleen, and immediately dies after the attack. Have the adults noticed that these days in the ring to challenge Xiao Liulang, there are a total of ten people, six dead, and four people are safe and sound? These four people all lost three games, which means that they are all playing red chess in three games, and if they win a game and move the black chess, they will be like those six people, and they will definitely die! And he-" said the third old man pointing at Xiao Liulang, "every time he broke up and played chess, black chess with one hand, red chess with the other hand." ”
Xiao Liulang on the opposite side heard this and let out a miserable laugh: "I can't imagine that Xiangsan is really powerful, I am ashamed of my father, and I don't have the ability to kill you!" Saying that, without waiting for everyone to react, he picked up the red "handsome" and black "general" on the chessboard, put them in his mouth and swallowed them alive, and then staggered out of the Holy Hand Residence, and as soon as his feet stepped out of the threshold, he fell, and everyone stepped forward to see that they were already angry and dead.
That night, the three old men lived alone in the Holy Hand Curus. In the middle of the night, he lit a fire, turning the famous building he and the emperor built into ashes. Anzhou people still sigh when they say it, I don't know if it's for that building, or for the three old men, or for the innocent six lives...
From "Terrifying Footsteps"