Many people thought Jing Yuan would get angry, but not only did he not, he instead revealed a meaningful smile.
It's as if...
He was interested in the content of this book and was drawn in.
Huh?
[This... this doesn't seem right?]
"What doesn't seem right? It's very right. Don't really think of Jing Yuan as a stubborn old antique."
"Isn't his character setting shown very clearly in the main storyline?"
[Which main storyline? I forgot.]
"The one in the Divination Commission—doing all sorts of things that violate regulations shows he's not the type to rigidly follow rules."
"Quite the opposite, he's relatively open-minded."
Setting the light novel aside, Jing Yuan smiled and said:
"You've made a fool of yourself, Mr. Leon. This future Sword Champion is truly embarrassing. I don't know why he vomited like this."
"He was perfectly fine when he ran off on his own earlier."
Leon shrugged: "It's not his fault... uh..."
Before he could finish his words, his face disappeared from the players' screens, shifting to Yanqing softly collapsing.
Yanqing unconsciously extends his left index finger, pointing in front of his head.
This pose, even if you're not into anime, you've probably heard of it to some extent.
Ah Xian was even singing it.
"The bonds connected by the flowers of hope reside now in our hearts~~"
"(The flowers of hope linking the bonds, now in our hearts~~)"
Don't stop!
Leon: "Blame me for not stabilizing the out-of-control starskiff engine, causing it to spin a few extra circles in the air, which led to Little Brother Yanqing ending up like this."
Jing Yuan: "This kid—I suspect someone treated him like a top and spun him tens of thousands of times."
Leon: "Not tens of thousands, but being spun like a top by his master-ancestor... that phrasing doesn't seem too off?"
As soon as the words landed, Jing Yuan's expression in the screen instantly changed.
Even through the screen, you could feel that his usually lazy gaze was now filled with sharpness.
"One sentence, and Jing Yuan holds complete wariness toward Leon."
"But speaking of which, this is the first time I've seen Jing Yuan with such a stern, water-like expression."
"Even when he heard 'Of five people, three must pay a price' in the Shackling Prison, it wasn't this gloomy."
[If someone else blurted out your household registration info, you'd be nervous too.]
[Goddamn household registration info.]
[The saying goes, 'Teacher is like father'—so isn't Jingliu Jing Yuan's benefactor teacher!]
Facing Jing Yuan's gaze filled with numerous subtle emotions, Leon casually spread his hands.
"Don't be nervous, General. Would you like to play a game of chess with me? I happen to know a thing or two about the Luofu chessboard."
Seeing the smile on Leon's face, Jing Yuan restrained the emotions in his eyes.
"Heh, very well..."
"Doesn't hit a smiling face. The contest has already begun."
"Hmm, I guess the 'Luofu chessboard' Leon mentioned is very likely a double entendre hint."
"Not a random guess—Jing Yuan's PV has the imagery of turning the chessboard into a battlefield."
"The current Luofu plagued by the Stellaron disaster—isn't it just a massive chessboard?"
"And he is one of the players, the general commanding one side's forces."
The game screen gives a close-up of the chessboard.
The text on the pieces is in Luofu script, but it doesn't hinder those who understand chess from reading it.
It's clearly Chinese chess, with the pieces placed in exactly the same positions.
"Jing Yuan is even playing black, and black happens to have the general—perfectly matching, full of detail."
"As for what Leon playing chess represents, it's hard to say right now..."
"Maybe he's playing the role of that Emanator behind the scenes?"
[???]
[Who are you? Get out of Ah Xian's body!]
[Where did this come from? Is this still Jiang Wuxian's livestream? Actually not generating power, but seriously analyzing the plot?]
"Back when I first started university, I won the provincial Chinese chess championship!"
"Provincial champion is still a champion. It's rare for it to align with my major—can't I seriously analyze the chess game?"
"You really think I only know how to draw doujinshi? Don't mess around. Not only can I draw mildly suggestive stuff, I can generate power for Leon, and... cough cough, the topic drifted."
Next, she really earnestly explains to the livestream audience.
But who would have thought, the two people's moves show absolutely no pattern at all.
Jing Yuan stubbornly moves pawns, Leon captures generals without mercy.
Just as players' heads are filled with question marks, one of the two who had been silent finally speaks.
"Interesting."
Jing Yuan's elephant is captured, but he doesn't seem to care at all.
He counters by moving his horse, threatening the enemy's horse.
What about Leon?
No intention of responding, letting the horse be captured.
"General, good move."
"It's that scene from the preview PV."
"It's just a pity your cannon, no matter what, can't get around the cannon mount..."
"No helping it. Different moments, different situations—the most useful piece varies."
"A cannon that can function with a mount is already the most useful one right now."
"Aren't there still horses?"
"Hahaha, a horse can't charge through tightly guarded obstacles, can it?"
Hearing the two's subsequent conversation up to this point, Ah Xian pauses the cutscene and falls into thought.
"Do you guys feel like they're talking about chess on the surface, but actually... talking about people?"
"The cannon and horse seem to be alluding to certain individuals."
[Same feeling.]
Ah Xian continues watching.
Jing Yuan: "Pawns are hailed as the strongest piece, but if only one pawn remains, it can't turn the tide in one move. The advisor and elephant have never been the main attackers."
"General Jing Yuan need not be pessimistic. You can move the chariot."
"Can't move it lightly—must consider the desperate situation of 'chariot without wheels, horse without reins'..."
"Sigh, that can only be blamed on the general lacking boldness and being spineless."
"Haha, you're absolutely right."
"Definitely using chess to metaphor people!"
"Don't look at Leon being all erratic and seeking fun when he's like that, but his attitude toward someone who's neither friend nor foe is far from sharp."
"If it was just a simple game of chess, Leon wouldn't likely use the word 'spineless'."
"The Luofu is in a very sensitive period. If this game of chess had no meaning, he wouldn't waste time agreeing to play against Leon."
"Jing Yuan only likes to slack off when he's not busy, not to squint and sleep every moment."
"Leon recommends Jing Yuan move the chariot—this chariot has a lot of implications."
"What does our Trailblazer represent?"
"The train! The Astral Express!"
"He's probably hinting to Jing Yuan that he might as well trust the Express crew and seek their aid."
"Jing Yuan's next line is also very meaningful: the chariot can't be moved lightly, must consider chariot without wheels, horse without reins."
"This is probably his response to Leon. 'Chariot without wheels' can be understood as no fuel, can't run."
"Further interpreting, it means all show and no substance, no real capability—in short, uncertainty about whether the Astral Express is worth trusting."
"'Horse without reins' means out of control... might just be a coincidental same-word meaning, or possibly alluding to the fact that at this stage of the Luofu crisis, it's impossible to confirm if the Express is controllable."
"What if the Express crew has issues and harbors ill intentions toward the Luofu? Wouldn't that be disastrous?"
"If your family was in trouble and needed a large sum of money, and suddenly a fairly reputable organization shows up saying they'll lend you money to get through the crisis, wouldn't you suspect them?"
"You would, that's exactly it."
"As the Luofu general, Jing Yuan's responsibilities require him to be careful, careful, and then careful some more. Being suspicious and cautious is no problem."
"It fits his intelligent general persona, so everyone shouldn't feel upset just because he's being suspected."
"Guessing in this direction, doesn't Leon's next line perfectly match?"
"He's quite straightforwardly expressing his inner emotions: kindly offering help but not getting full trust in return, feeling a bit dissatisfied, and saying 'lacking boldness, spineless'."
"Both are viewing things from their respective standpoints, yet understanding that the other has no choice but to do so."
"So Jing Yuan doesn't get angry or refute when Leon calls him spineless; instead, he acknowledges that he's absolutely right."