"The Sect Leaders of Yunmeng Jiang, Lanling Jin, Qinghe Nie, and Elder Lan Qiren of Gusu are entering!"
The four prominent individuals started walking to their own seats, Nie Mingjue clicking his tongue when he sees the arrangement of the seats.
"Calm your temper, Sect Leader Nie." Lan Qiren says while caressing his goatee.
"He acts as if he was the leader of all Sects." Nie Mingjue spats, holding his temper in.
"Indeed. But what can we do? He gobbled up all three Sects under his command. Maybe that's why he doesn't care about acting docile around us now." Lan Qiren spoke.
"That's good then. I'm tired of his fake diplomacy after all." Sect Leader Nie says before sitting in one of the seats lower than the one in front.
Just then, Jiang Fengmian walks beside Lan Qiren who just sighed.
"At this point, it doesn't matter where we sit. But I'm quite curious to see who else is sitting at the seat of honor beside Wen Ruohan?"
The moment Jiang Fengmian finishes his statement and sat down beside Lan Qiren, Wen Chao's arrival was soon announced.
"Second Young Master Wen has arrived!"
Wen Chao walked towards the seat of honor with an air of arrogance around him.
"Looks like that answered your question, Sect Leader Jiang." Nie Mingjue says before rolling his eyes.
"But Sect Leader Nie, there are two seat of honor."
Everyone around them went silent at that remark.
"Maybe it's for Wen Xu?" Jin Guangshan says.
The subject was then dropped.
"Such arrogance and indifference to courtesy only forecasts rebellion." Lan Qiren says, putting down his cup as he side eyes Wen Chao who smirks while looking down.
"Our great leader has arrived!"
Everyone looked at Wen Ruohan who showed himself, an air of authority and haughtiness around him.
The disciples of Qishan Wen then kneeled.
"The majesty of Sect Leader Wen shakes the four seas, and he will live as long as heaven and earth as he shines like the sun and moon!"
The other disciples bowed in greeting before Wen Ruohan's voice could be heard.
"All rise."
Amongst the disciples of Yunmeng, Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying were frantic.
"Where the hell is gege?!" Jiang Cheng sharply whispered to Wei Ying, looking around in search for a certain redhead.
"He just disappeared! How would I know?!" Wei Ying snarks back.
Lan Wangji who was beside their lane sent a glare to the two, making them shut up.
Just then, Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying's question were answered when hushed whispers started going around them.
"Is thatㅡ"
"That red hair..."
"It's the Genius of Yunmeng Jiang."
"The top disciple of Yunmeng, Wei Wuxian's older brother."
The announcer almost tripped himself before announcing the redhead's arrival.
"The aide of Yunmeng Jiang, Wei Xianghuan has arrived!"
The ornaments loudly dangled throughout, the crown-like decoration felt tight and heavy in the red hair as his black robes followed him like waves in an ocean. His footsteps light but it was exuding such sound that will make you look at him with no other choice.
Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng almost detached their head from their necks by how hard they turned to look at Cale who was slowly walking beside Wen Ruohan.
"What the fuㅡ"
Before Wei Ying could complete his sentence, Jiang Cheng immediately covers the older's mouth as they stared at their gege with a baffled look.
Even Jiang Fengmian almost spat out his tea in surprise when he saw Cale following Wen Ruohan in his seat.
"A-Xun?"
Lan Qiren coughed beside him, "Your mouth, Sect Leader Jiang. A fly might find its way to your throat."
Wen Ruohan nods at Cale's way, which the redhead returned with a gesture of bowing before stepping down the stairs.
What happened next almost made the crowd clamor in confusion, especially from those in Yunmeng Jiang.
Cale stood in front of the empty seat of honor and this time, Jiang Fengmian really spat out his tea in surprise.
"Wei Xun. Courtesy name, Wei Xianghuan. This aide of Yunmeng Jiang greets the Sect Leaders of Qishan, Qinghe, Lanling, and Elder Lan of Gusu."
Cale bows in a graceful manner, exuding an aura of nobilty around him.
Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng stared agape, thinking of the same thought at the same time.
'Since when did he became the aide of Yunmeng?!'
"Such exquisite beauty just like the rumors! Even much more beautiful than the women in my Sect, I must say." Jin Guangshan utters his opinion.
The redhead felt weirded out by that statement alone, but he forced himself to smile nonetheless.
"Thank you for the compliment, Sect Leader Jin."
Wen Ruohan who seems to be starting to get annoyed by the long introductions, decided to speak.
"Sit down, Wei Xianghuan."
Cale bows again, this time to the Sect Leader of Qishan Wen before he sat down to the seat of honor comfortably, not sparing a glance to Wen Chao who was staring at him with his disgusting eyes.
"The archery competition of the Qishan Discussion Conference will now begin! Open the barrier!"
Cale could only stare at the barrier in a rather lazy manner before yawning discreetly, still annoyed at Wen Ruohan for making him sit in the seat of honor.
'Ah really. I should've strangled that old man earlier if not for Wen Ning.' He thought before drinking the bitter tea that was served in his table.
An hour earlier, Cale joined Wen Ning in finding his older sister without getting to say something to Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng, since the guy is too naive and stiff like he's a walking corpse.
(He's worried alright.)
"Ah! Qing-jie!"
Cale watches how the younger ran towards his sister like he haven't seen her for so many years, only stopping when he saw another figure beside Wen Qing.
At that point, Cale wants to run away as far as possible when he saw the man.
"Wei Xianghuan?" Wen Qing utters, making Cale sigh in defeat before bowing.
"The disciple of Yunmeng Jiang greets the sun's leader, Sect Leader Wen."
Cale almost activated his glib tongue but managed to stop it in time since his head might detached itself from his neck.
"Wei Xianghuan, you say?" Wen Ruohan asks Wen Qing, in which the girl just nodded.
"So you are the rumored genius of Yunmeng."
The redhead smiles as a formality but inside his mind, he wants to puke at the title he have.
"You flatter me, Sect Leader. I am by no means, just hardworking enough to attain such extravagant title."
Wen Ning looks at Cale and Wen Ruohan, a worried look etched on his face since he didn't know that their Sect Leader would be with his jiejie.
"Is that so?" Wen Ruohan hums, making Cale feel a foreboding sensation, "Would you like to play a game of chess later then?"
'A chess?'
As far as Cale knows, China should have some board games like Wei Qi or Mahjong. There's also Xiàngqí to be told since it translates to Chinese Chess, but a game of chess? As in the black and white pieces?
Seeing the look of confusion in Cale's face, Wen Ruohan just cackled which made the redhead scared shitless.
"It was a new game that is being famed in another continent. Since you are the genius of Yunmeng, you'll get the rules and how to play the game in no time. Here." Wen Ruohan says before giving a scroll to the redhead.
'Of course I'll get the rules! I know how to play that thing since my first life!'
Cale just smiles instead, "Thank you for the opportunity to play with you, Sect Leader Wen."
'I'll fucking annihilate your king for fun.'
The redhead did his best to maintain his peaceful smile.
"Let us play later in the archery competition. You can sit in one of the seat of honor."
Which goes back to the present. He reads the scroll that was given to him, making sure that he remembers the rules and techniques he know from his life as Kim Rok Soo.
"Hold on! You there! You! At the end of the line!" Wen Chao yells, making Cale hold himself in for not stabbing the man right then and there.
"It's Wen Ning." Someone whispers to Wen Chao's ears.
"Right! Wen Ning! What are you doing there? You're from the offshoot of the branch family!"
Cale was starting to get annoyed at the barrage of question coming from Wen Chao.
"Who chose you? Can you even draw a bow?!"
The redhead then spoke in a cold tone, "I chose him, Young Master Wen. Is there a problem with that?"
The chatter that was happening between the Sect Leaders got quiet.
"Is that so? He seems weak for me."
Cale chuckles, covering his mouth to hide the devilish grin he can't stop. His reddish-brown eyes glint under the light of the sun.
"Just because he seems weak, doesn't mean he can't draw a bow. Who knows? Maybe the weak will overcome the strong one day."
Before Wen Chao could retaliate, Wen Ruohan had spoke.
"Begin the archery competition. And you, bring out the chessboard." He says to one of the elders.
As the competition amongst the disciples had started, and so is the game between Cale and Wen Ruohan.
"Come here, Wei Xianghuan."
Cale easily follows, "As Sect Leader Wen wishes."
Jiang Fengmian looks at the redhead once again like he sees his son being taken away in front of him, "A-Xun?"
The redhead just sent a smile to Sect Leader Jiang who seems like he's about to have Qi Deviation.
The Sect Leaders looked at them with curiosity.
"Have you gotten the hang of the game?" Wen Ruohan asks, sitting at the end side of his table while Cale sat at the other end, the chessboard in the middle of them.
"I hope so, Sect Leader Wen."
The leaders from the different sects looked at the game that will be played, Jiang Fengmian recognizing it in an instant.
"The game that was being hailed from another continent?" He asks to himself, which was heard by Lan Qiren and the others.
"What kind of game?" Nie Mingjue asks.
"It is similar to Xiàngqí, but the pieces represents a battle between the monarchs, black and white." Jiang Fengmian explains, since he have one sitting in his room to gift it to the redhead once they got back in Lotus Pier.
"You can move first, Sect Leader Wen. Since you chose white."
Wen Ruohan smiles which sent shivers down to Cale's spine, "Very well."
A white pawn was then moved, and so did the black one.
Just minutes later, a firework with Yunmeng Jiang's motif was lit up in the sky.
"Wow, Sect Leader Jiang, your disciples have magnificent archery skills. I see the Yunmeng Jiang clan may be crowned victors once again." Jin Guangshan flatters.
Jiang Fengmian smiles, proud.
"Check." Wen Ruohan announces, making the other Sect Leaders turn to look at the other match that was happening in front of them.
"You jest, Sect Leader Jin. The results of a match are never determined until it's over." Jiang Fengmian says loudly enough, making Cale who heard it smirk to himself before moving away his king.
Cale's reddish-brown eyes looked around the board, calculating his every possible move to beat Wen Ruohan into humiliation.
He then moves his bishop, cornering the white king, "Check."
Sect Leader Jiang grabs his cup, smiling before drinking his tea.
The two motifs of Gusu Lan, one each for Lanling Jin and Qinghe Nie were lit up in the sky.
The four raised their cups in a toast, making Wen Chao click his tongue before the motif of Wen Sect were lit up in the sky, making him smirk.
But that smirk was only a fleeting one when five motifs of Qishan were lit up in a black hue.
"Oh? Five was already eliminated?" Jin Guangshan utters, making Wen Chao glare at him.
"Check." Wen Ruohan says once again.
Out of annoyance, Cale decided to be petty and conquered the enemy's rook that was threatening his king.
Wen Ruohan's eyebrow were raised in amusement, "You're pretty good for someone who just started playing."
The white pawn has reached the black piece's territory, turning into a queen.
"You jest, Sect Leader Wen."
Different motifs were then lit up, but Cale couldn't care less as he moves his remaining last pawn in Wen Ruohan's side, also turning it into a queen and successfully trapping the white king.
"The Yunmeng Jiang Sect has won the archery contest!" Someone from the Wen Sect announced, making Cale smirk.
He then sent a formal smile to Wen Ruohan, uttering his victory in one word.
"Checkmate."
Cale chuckles, covering his mouth to hide the devilish grin he can't stop. His reddish-brown eyes glint under the light of the sun.
"The Yunmeng Jiang Sect has won the archery contest!" Someone from the Wen Sect announced, making Cale smirk.
He then sent a formal smile to Wen Ruohan, uttering his victory in one word.
"Checkmate."
The author waving their speaker on:
APPLAUSE APPLAUSE I'M LIVING FOR THE APPLAUSE