Chapter 7, Chess Pieces

In a state of bewilderment, he felt a momentary daze, and everything in the classroom instantly transformed into shades of black and white, vanishing like smoke without a trace. Meanwhile, a world composed of strange entities, consisting of marshlands and dense forests, emerged beneath his feet.

However, since the establishment of the city and the construction of the stockade, the practice of military tactics and combat skills, the clearing of land for cultivation, and the successful modifications of boats and the construction of fishing nets, it has been a long time since anyone has died, especially considering that the deceased appears to be a strong and robust man

When Zhang Longchu's followers, who were fugitives, initially settled in the wilderness, they faced a severe shortage of food and were overworked, while also having to guard against attacks from wild beasts. It was indeed common for casualties to occur every three, five, or seven days, and it was not surprising that some able-bodied individuals lost their lives.

Listening to his nonsense, it surprisingly did not stray too far from the topic. The female teacher gently nodded and said, "Zhang, it seems that you have put some effort into the literature appreciation class I taught, so I will forgive your antics this time. But remember, if there is a next time, your final grade will be a D"

What is this?" Zhang Longchu looked at the chess piece in his hand, his mouth agape in surprise. He carefully felt it, noticing that its texture was as firm as well-polished wood, yet also smooth like porcelain made from clay, and it still retained a hint of warmth.

Although he is habitually referred to as "teacher" by the middle school students who have been "settled," he is actually an administrative staff member of the school's administrative management office. Therefore, he is not familiar with the situations of ordinary students, but he has long been aware of the renowned Zhang Longchu.

Meanwhile, Zhang Long suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, as if guided by some unseen force. He brought his hands together in front of his chest and opened them. In an instant, he saw two streams of fiery red and earthy yellow energy emerging from the burning bonfire on the beach, converging into his hands and transforming into a human-shaped chess piece

"Yes, yes, thank you, Teacher Sang Li." At this moment, Zhang Longchu was completely unconcerned about the teacher's threat. He obediently nodded his head. When the female teacher began to continue her lecture and no one paid attention to him anymore, he released his left hand, which had been clenched tightly and soaked with sweat. He closed his eyes and forcefully twisted his thigh, then opened his eyes again to look at his right hand, only to discover that the human-shaped chess piece was still in the palm of his hand.

Before class, he inadvertently touched the wooden backpack placed on the desk. A thought crossed his mind, and suddenly he felt a desire akin to entering a world of wonders, to see what the devotees were doing.

Although the woman appeared unwilling to accept that her husband had turned into a wisp of flying ash, one must bow their head under a low eave. She thought of her and her child's future life, and sorrow welled up within her. She held tightly to the child in her arms, who was dressed in white clothes and white shoes, with a white cloth wrapped around their head, and spoke with a tone filled with resentment, sorrow, and endless longing: "My dear husband, named 'Ping An', was short-lived. Everything is as the Master Craftsman has arranged. Blessed, blessed, your father is about to ascend to heaven and will no longer be seen. While you still can, look at him more, imprint his image in your heart, do you understand?"

While attending class in the real world, one's mind can easily wander into a realm of peculiarities, which is undoubtedly a situation prone to revealing flaws. Zhang Longsheng, regaining his senses, hurriedly planned to return to reality

Upon witnessing this desolate scene, many villagers around could not help but shed silent tears. The elderly man, who was the lord of the walled city, sighed with a somber expression, and then hoarsely called out: "The auspicious time has come, ignite the fire to send our brother safely to the heavens."

After attending two classes diligently in the classroom, Zhang Longchu took advantage of the break to run to the top floor of the teaching building, where he traded the bundled long strips of 'weeds' to Kainar, and returned to his seat filled with a sense of accomplishment

"I really don't understand what you are saying..." Zhang Longchu continued to feign ignorance and said, "Class time is about to start, I am going to the classroom, goodbye." He hurriedly left the office as if fleeing, and rushed into the classroom just as the class bell rang.

After a moment of daze, he suddenly realized that he was still in the classroom. He hurriedly shook his head, his thoughts turning, and in the blink of an eye, he detached himself from the world of wonders and returned to reality

"Teacher, I do not understand your words?" Upon hearing such advice, Zhang Longchu said with a stiff upper lip.

Upon hearing his words, several villagers who had long been holding torches stepped forward and ignited the pile of firewood. Subsequently, amidst the roaring flames, the corpse of the middle-aged man gradually turned to ashes

The child appeared to be only two or three years old, still unaware of the pain of separation and loss. At this moment, seeing his father lying in the pile of firewood, he found it amusing, stretching out his chubby little hand to grasp at the air, babbling: "Daddy, Daddy is sleeping, Daddy is indifferent to fortune, sleeping..."

This is a common mindset among young people after acquiring a new game, where they constantly feel the urge to stay engaged with it, yet it was forcefully suppressed by Zhang Longchu.

Looking around, Zhang Long, who was seated in the middle of the classroom, noticed the teacher at the podium, engrossed in lecturing with the textbook in hand, oblivious to his surroundings. No one around seemed to pay attention to him, and he couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh of relief

The individual named Denver at Andun Middle School, who is responsible for student attendance, is a serious-looking middle-aged Black man, exuding a distinctive martial demeanor characteristic of a retired military veteran

At this moment, seeing Zhang Long initially appear relieved due to successfully making up for his absence, Denver felt a stir in his heart and could not help but speak solemnly: "Classmate Zhang, I have looked into your grades, most of which are around a B, with some even reaching A or A+. It is evident that you take your studies very seriously. If you continue to persevere, there is a good chance that you will be accepted by most of the state universities in California. Therefore, I sincerely hope that you can make wise choices in the future and not lose sight of the bigger picture for small gains. Whether your future lies in entering a state university to become an elite member of society or in becoming a drug dealer locked away in a federal prison depends entirely on you."

Zhang Longchu was feeling puzzled when suddenly, amidst a solemn atmosphere, the lord of the fortress, an elderly man once referred to as the Great Craftsman, spoke to a weeping woman: "Yuli, your husband died while hunting for the fortress, falling off a cliff; this is also fate. From now on, you and your child will be supported by the fortress. You are aware of the difficulties we face in establishing ourselves in this wild land. If we were to bury your husband, he would likely be devoured by wild beasts if laid to rest in the wilderness; and our fortress is too small to accommodate the living, let alone the dead. We can only proceed with cremation as per our customs. However, you need not worry. Your husband was always devout to the 'Great Master' and never neglected to pay his respects morning and evening. He will surely be received by the 'Divine Master' in heaven, becoming a warrior or craftsman, enjoying endless blessings."

Just as he was about to turn the pages of his book, he suddenly discovered in horror that he was holding a figurine in the shape of a person, unable to suppress a gasp of "Ah..." which drew the attention of everyone around.

The chess piece is adorned with tree vines, clad in armor made of oil-soaked material, holding a wooden shield measuring one and a half feet square in its left hand, and wielding a sharp short spear in its right hand. It appears lifelike, with a face that is strikingly similar to that of a middle-aged man who has been cremated on the ground.

Unfortunately, life has no script, and is always filled with surprises. Just as the third class was about to begin, an inexplicable call suddenly and silently arose from the depths of Zhang Long's focused mind.

Under her intense gaze, Zhang Longchu opened his mouth and, relying on his memories of the literary master, stammered: "Oh, Maupassant, he is the greatest short story writer in all of France in the latter half of the 19th century. Well, of course, from a global perspective, his works are also very profound and worthy of our careful appreciation..."

You are very clever and quite cunning, and all along you have managed to keep us from finding any evidence. However, you and I both know what your little "side business" is, aside from attending school, said Denver with a blank expression

However, inadvertently, his gaze swept across the beach beneath his feet and he discovered something unusual. He saw that the thousands of his followers in the walled city, under the bright sun, were not engaged in labor, fishing, or hunting, but were instead gathered silently on a stretch of beach, mourning.

In their midst lies a small mountain of countless dead branches and withered leaves, and on the hillside rests the corpse of a robust middle-aged man who has just bathed and changed his clothes; his pale gray face, devoid of any color, appears remarkably clean

Since he has made the decision to remain low-key and never reveal his possession of extraordinary items, he intends to carry it out with determination.

On the podium, the young and beautiful female teacher furrowed her brows and looked at Zhang Longchu, saying: "Zhang, do you have any differing opinions regarding my evaluation of Maupassant's works?"