A story regarding the origins of the "The Invincible XiangQi Manual"

A story regarding the origins of the "The Invincible XiangQi Manual" 

烂柯真诀妙通神，

一局曾经几度春。

自出洞来无敌手，

得饶人处且饶人。

There is a saying in Chinese:

“The way of the Lan Ke is deep and profound,

Each game can be analyzed for several years.

After intensive training in a cave, and come out invincible.

It is best to let bygones by bygones”.

"The Lan Ke" in second sentence actually representing another ancient Xiangqi manual. While, the forth sentence is the title of this ancient Xiangqi Manual 自出洞来无敌手.

During the Qing dynasty, under the rule of of Emperor DaoGuang (1820-1850 AD), there was a Xiangqi player called Gu Erxie. He lived in Weifang City in Shangdong Province. Gu was a famous Xiangqi player in his own right and was uncontested.

One day, Gu heard there was a Taoist priest named Chi, who lived in the Shangqing monastery in the Lao mountain, who was an excellent Xiangqi player. Itching to prove himself, Gu decided to visit Laoshan Mountain to search for Priest Chi.

After travailing far and wide, Gu finally reached Lao mountain. At a place not far from the Shangqing monastery, there was a rock table. A Xiangqi board was carved into the table and there were Xiangqi pieces nearby. Tired from his travels, Gu rested near the table.

Not long after, a Taoist priest who worked in the kitchen, walked from the monastery and came upon the resting Gu. The priest asked Gu where he was heading. Gu replied that he was going to Shangqing monastery, hoping to play a game of Xiangqi against Priest Chi. The priest offered to play against Gu instead. In the spirit of the game, Gu accepted the challenge.

To Gu Erxie’s surprise, he lost the first game quickly. He requested a rematch. The priest smiled and agreed. But Gu lost that game also, and the next game and the game after. Within a short period of time, Gu lost six games. As a gesture of respect and awe, Gu saluted the priest and even begged to be his disciple. But the priest rejected. The priest told Gu that a game as deep and profound as Xiangqi could never be mastered in a short period of time.

But Gu was persistent and refused to let the priest go. In exasperation, the priest finally took out a Xiangqi manual called自出洞来无敌手 ("The Invincible XiangQi Manual") and gave it to Gu to encourage him. Seeing that the priest was adamant that he would not have any disciples, Gu promptly took the manual and went home to study it in depth. Gu’s level of play improved by leaps and bounds greatly because of the manual.

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