Chapter 3 Cloud Top Chessboard
"How could it be useless?"

The maid said softly.

"If it weren't for the kindness of the young master, who gave us a bite to eat, Shengfeng Territory would have starved to death every year. Besides, if you hadn't sent Brother Dashan to the martial arts hall to learn martial arts, Shengfeng Territory would have been gone by now."

"How can we, the common people, find such a kind spirit realm lord? Do you really think that common people can survive? Don't you look at the common people in other spirit realms?"

At this point, anger and confusion were revealed in the small voice.

"If a common lord's family were to divide up, the legitimate son would drive out the illegitimate sons to fend for themselves. But young Master, who never lacked food and clothing for them, would always give the best part of the meat he hunted to the second and third wives as a filial tribute."

"Even so, the Third Madam still wants to harm you. It's better to let father kill them with a knife and put an end to it all!"

Zhao Gang frowned and suddenly shouted, "Xiaoxiao, don't be so presumptuous!"

The maid Xiaoxiao, whose original name was Zhao Xiaoxiao, was fourteen years old. She was Zhao Gang’s youngest daughter and was considered Zhou Qingshan’s child bride!

There are only five people in the Zhou family now. This tiny place doesn't need any servants to serve, and they can't afford to support them. There is only an old lady who cooks and a housekeeper in the house.

The biggest expense is mainly for the guards who live nearby. They are all orphans adopted by Zhou Dashi and enslaved. They have signed contracts and are branded with the Zhou family's mark.

When Zhou Qingshan was a child, he ate and played with them. After he became the head of the family, he divided land among them so that they could marry, have children and live a stable life.

This is why they have to die!
Those who have been slaves these days have witnessed the cruelty of the world and only then know how to cherish this hard-earned life!
"Xiaoxiao, Sanniang is too stupid. She probably didn't mean to harm me."

Zhou Qingshan rubbed Zhao Xiaoxiao's head and shook his head gently:
"Besides, I can't kill my mother and brother. When the spring comes next year, I will let Sanniang take my fourth brother away from Shengfeng Territory and make a living on our own."

He had just observed carefully that Sanniang was greedy for wealth and fame, but she had no opinion of her own and did not like to read and learn. She had a son who did not even know the inheritance laws of the Lord of Black Cloud City. This "peace locket" must be someone who wanted to use Sanniang to get rid of him.

When the Spirit Realm Lord inherits the Law, warriors from the 'Inspection Department' will come to visit.

If no warrior successor appears within a short period of time, the spiritual realm will be taken back, and Black Cloud City will reward or sell it again.

The State of Zhao was founded on military power. The spiritual realm is dangerous and full of strange beasts. The position of the lord of the spiritual realm can only be inherited by a warrior! !

Even a warrior who has just condensed his 'Source Blood' can do it.

Only with such strength can one protect one side!
With his sickly body that looks like it would fall down if blown by the wind, how can he be qualified to inherit the position of the lord of this small spiritual realm?
And Sanniang foolishly believed it.
Zhou Qingshan came back to his senses and instructed Zhao Gang:
"Uncle Zhao, find someone to help me keep an eye on Sanniang and find out who gave her this 'peace locket'!"

“I’ll think about the rest.”

After saying that, he handed the peace locket in his hand to Zhao Gang.

"Here."

Zhao Gang took the peace lock and responded in a deep voice.

Zhou Qingshan looked out the window. The sky was gloomy. He said in a weak voice:
"Xiaoxiao, I'll sleep a little longer."

He is too tired
Zhou Qingshan awakened his wisdom from his previous life when he was six years old. His father was a stupid boy who could not read or write, so how could he manage the family business? Every day he was either having fun or hunting and practicing martial arts. All the affairs at home were handled by this little prodigy.

He lost his parents at the age of eight and his eldest brother was only thirteen. Zhou Qingshan, the "child prodigy", began to take care of the family and feed hundreds of people. He was like an old man all day long, thinking day and night about how to maintain the family business.

After a few years, the eldest brother and second sister were finally trained, and there were two new warriors in the family at once.

He is just waiting to retire and become a second-generation aristocrat who does nothing but eat and wait for death.

I didn't expect this to happen, it's so fucked!
"My dear, these things will definitely not be difficult for you."

There seemed to be soft water flowing in Zhao Xiaoxiao's eyes, and she said softly:

"Xiaoxiao asked grandma to make chicken soup. Young master, drink some chicken soup and then take a rest."

at night.

Zhou Qingshan tossed and turned, feeling drowsy and his consciousness gradually blurred.

Between half asleep and half awake, a dazzling light suddenly emerged in his mind.

In the haze, Zhou Qingshan felt as if he was falling in an endless void, and the strong feeling of weightlessness made him dazed.

There was a chaotic gray fog all around, no sky, no earth, and a dead silence.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise like thunder.

In the chaotic gray fog, a giant of unknown size appeared, holding an equally huge axe, and fiercely chopped at the gray fog.

The gray fog rolled like an enraged beast, causing huge waves and engaging in a thrilling fight with the giant.

I don’t know how much time has passed.

Until the gray fog became thin and gradually separated, the slowly rising gray fog became the sky, and the slowly descending gray fog became the earth.

The giant's body was covered with scars. He stood still and slowly closed his eyes. The giant axe in his hand broke into pieces. He had died of exhaustion.

As the years go by.

The giant's body gradually turned into a towering mountain, supporting the heaven and earth and preventing the gray fog from gathering again.

His eyes turned into the sun and the moon, his breath turned into wind and clouds, his limbs turned into mountains and rivers, and his blood flowed into rivers.

Mountain!
Mountain!
Mountain!
--Mountain!
A loud shout like a bell echoed in his ears, and Zhou Qingshan suddenly opened his eyes. The dazzling sunlight made him squint.

"What on earth did I dream about just now? How come it's dawn so soon?"

After being stunned for a moment, Zhou Qingshan came back to his senses, his pupils suddenly widened, and he stood up from the grass abruptly, with a look of disbelief on his face, and wiped his eyes hastily.

I saw clouds and mist in the distance, and through the clouds I could vaguely see the magnificent fairy palace and pavilions.

Zhou Qingshan walked slowly towards the edge of the island. Looking down, he saw the boundless sea of ​​clouds spreading out at his feet, and the waterfall on the island rushing down, stirring up layers of mist, like a dream.

"I'm in the sky? Traveling through time again?"

Zhou Qingshan quickly regained his composure and began to analyze the current situation: "No, this should be my golden finger."

"Carrying a space with you?"

As modern people living in an era of information explosion, we quickly accept what we see.

Then, Zhou Qingshan closed his eyes and sensed that the foreign body sensation in his mind had long disappeared.

After traveling through time, I could clearly sense that there was a foreign object in my brain. At first, I thought that I had unfortunately brought the brain tumor from my previous life here, and I even imagined that this might be my golden finger.

But over the years, this foreign object did not have any effect on him, so he no longer paid much attention to it.

It is true that there is no way out despite the mountains and rivers, and there is another village with dark flowers and bright flowers.

Zhou Qingshan opened his eyes and prepared to study his golden finger, but when he turned his head, his pupils shrank slightly.

Not far away, there was the broken remains of a floating island.

With dead trees and fallen leaves and a dried-up river, the island looks dilapidated and decayed, as if it would disappear in the wind at any time.

Zhou Qingshan looked around hurriedly and breathed a sigh of relief. The floating island he woke up on was still intact.

The island is not big, it is square in shape, and is estimated to be about a hundred meters from front to back. Together with the rocks on the side, it is much larger than an average football field.

At the four corners of the island stand four ancient pillars with flames burning inside them.

There was a row of bricks in front. Zhou Qingshan silently counted them and found there were nine of them. There was a slightly raised step. Looking back, he saw another slightly raised step at the diagonal corner.

“Hua La La—”

Outside the square brick and stone steps, there is a trickling stream and a waterfall, with a few pine and cypress trees growing sparsely around, full of greenery and vitality.

Zhou Qingshan stepped onto the brick and stone steps. He felt inexplicably familiar with the layout. He caught a glimpse of the entire wreckage of the nearby island. After thinking about it for a long time, he finally remembered.

"Isn't this the game I often play when I'm slacking off at work?"

"Cloud Top Chessboard?!"

(End of this chapter)