Dreaming to Become a Creator-Chapter 0101 – Cheating

Chapter 101: Cheating
After leaving the city, Zuo Meng found a dilapidated Taoist temple in the mountains. The abandoned site bore thick moss on its doors, a collapsed roof, and weeds as tall as a person sprouting through cracks in the bluestone floor. Inside, toppled statues lay amid the damp stench of rotting wood from a waterlogged table.
No one knew how long this hazardous ruin had stood forgotten—but for Zuo Meng, it was perfect.
“Here’s where I’ll begin.”
What’s the best response to trouble? Fleeing? Facing it head-on?
To Zuo Meng, neither option sufficed. He returned to the courtyard, gazing at the sky where he sensed the world’s subtle rejection. This was, after all, the world of giants. Direct confrontation here would be foolish. Instead, he chose to step outside the chessboard entirely—the key difference between him and the giants. While they reacted passively, he manipulated the game.
The active player could bend rules… or cheat.
“Change!”
Drawing from absorbed spirits, Zuo Meng shifted his appearance. Though bound by strict rules, four decades of cultivated energy now let him employ minor tricks. His features blurred, reshaping into those of a wizened Taoist priest.
“Marvelous!” He smoothed his beard and robes with a grin. “Immortals need proper presentation. This will suffice.”
Extending his left hand, he pressed an invisible point. A black chess piece materialized at his fingertips.
“Second move: placement.”
CRACK!
Daylight dimmed as thunder boomed. Lightning split the heavens—a sky’s fury. Yet Zuo Meng smiled. No one understood rule power better. Boundless as it was, its instinct-driven constraints posed no threat to him.
In the city below, Wu Qiuyue paused at the thunderclap. Before she could analyze the sudden weather shift, enemy signatures flared nearby.
“Vermin.” Her form vanished in pursuit.
Back at the temple, the fallen chess piece became a black stone. It rolled, then reshaped into a human silhouette. Rising, it bore Zuo Meng’s former face—now unmistakably Chen Fei’s likeness.
“Who… am I?” The figure stared at Zuo Meng in confusion.
“From today, you’re Chen Fei.”
Zuo Meng’s solution was simple: trapped pieces see only the immediate board. By removing himself, he gained the overseer’s perspective. The rules demanded players stay within the chess game, but Zuo Meng exploited loopholes. When gambling with life and death against a slumbering opponent, strict adherence was for fools.
“Chen Fei… Yes, I’m Chen Fei.”
The figure’s eyes cleared as false memories surfaced. “I came hiking yesterday… got caught in a mudslide. The Taoist priest saved me…”
This memory was added by Zuo Meng; everything about the chess piece came from him. Though Zuo Meng appeared ordinary now, the chess piece wasn’t. It drew power from the Dream World – energy equal to this reality. Having gained forty-five years of internal energy, Zuo Meng could now harness some of this power.
After creating an identity, Zuo Meng settled on the mountain.
He’d now ‘stepped out’ of the game.
The karma of Chen Fei had been inherited by the chess piece.
Chess Piece Chen Fei accepted his implanted memories as truth. After resting half a day, he said goodbye to Zuo Meng and went down the mountain alone.
“I’ve given you my internal energy too. Find the giant’s true form for me.”
Zuo Meng sat in the temple, focused on erasing his presence from the world. The chess piece Chen Fei would be his decoy to draw attention. He conjured a bowl of water showing Chen Fei’s movements.
After descending the mountain:
Chen Fei took a taxi home. At his apartment doorway, he met Wu Qiuyue returning from “work”.
“Chen Fei? Where were you these two days?”
Wu Qiuyue relaxed upon seeing him.
Watching remotely, Zuo Meng spotted new details – thin karma threads from Wu Qiuyue entangling the “Chen Fei” identity. Similar bonds connected to brother Chen Yue and parents. “Chen Fei” resembled a story protagonist burdened with troubles.
“In novels, this would be the hero’s setup.”
“Needed to clear my head.” Unlike Zuo Meng, the chess piece found Wu Qiuyue attractive and didn’t mind chatting.
Wu Qiuyue noticed Chen Fei’s changed attitude. Pleasure flickered through her surprise.
Finally, this block of wood stopped treating her like a stranger.
Beep! Beep!
The jarring ringtone made Wu Qiuyue scowl. Her face darkened within seconds of answering.
“Go handle your business.” Chen Fei offered when he saw her expression shift.
“I’ll visit tonight.”
Wu Qiuyue hung up, hurried downstairs, and vanished in a black car.
“What’s she doing every day?”
The curious chess piece Chen Fei – empowered by Zuo Meng’s internal energy – grabbed an electric scooter and chased after her.
In the temple:
Zuo Meng tapped the bowl, dissolving the image.
“The bait’s cast. Let him make contact. Wu Qiuyue’s our entry point.” Once a problematic piece in the chess game, she’d become useful now that he’d changed perspectives. That vulgar saying held truth – where you sit determines what you see.