The Mountain Peak Dojo.
In the center of the dense Spirit Wood Garden, a game board rested on a tea table. Wang Ping sat upright in the northernmost seat, a game piece in one hand, the other tapping lightly on the table, his face a mask of serious contemplation.
Yu Lian was coiled lazily by the edge of a chair, craning her head to observe the game on the board while simultaneously reading the thoughts in Wang Ping's Spirit Sea.
Wang Ping's opponent was Fire Box, dressed in a long linen robe. He had returned to his previous cheerful demeanor, holding a jet-black pipe in his left hand, which he would occasionally bring to his lips for a puff. His right hand also tapped a rhythm on the tea table, as if trying to disrupt Wang Ping's train of thought.
