With the *Journey to the West* in her hands, the Empress, given her formidable abilities, naturally scanned the pages ten lines at a time. She finished the entire novel in the span of only two or three incense sticks.
Yet, having finished the book, the Empress still found no solution.
The finest strategy in the world is an open one—a scheme so transparent that even if you see it coming, you cannot avoid it. The most difficult puzzles are those where you are given the answer and then asked to explain it, much like being asked to explain why one plus one equals two.
Chapter 646