Go: Is the portable old man the nine-time champion?

Chapter 292 Chess Saint Cycle

The gentle morning sunlight softly illuminates this cluster of courtyards in the western part of the capital, a blend of ancient and modern architecture.

The plaque, cast in brass, bears the four large characters "China Chess Academy," which, though weathered by time, still radiate a weighty metallic sheen.

"China Chess Academy".

Yi Zheng returned to this place once again. Although he is based in Lin'an, as an active member of the national Go team, he has been here countless times throughout the year.

Participating in a closed, high-intensity group training camp lasting several weeks, submitting various forms and materials to the chess academy, or, like today, preparing to step into the competitive mecca that gathers the nation's top chess players.

However, it's quite convenient to come here occasionally, since the China Chess Academy, which was converted from a prince's mansion, is right next to a subway station, making transportation very convenient.

After all, if you want to drive out of the capital, you have to be prepared to get stuck in traffic; public transportation is just a little crowded at best.

Yi Zheng recalled that the first time he came here was when he participated in the selection for the national youth team.

In the blink of an eye, less than two years have passed, and the boy who once held his breath in front of the chessboard during the selection tournament is now on the national team roster.

Now, carrying the expectations of countless people in East China, it is preparing to step into the heart of the storm of the highest battlefield of Chinese Go – the Chess Saint Tournament.

"Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, when the competition for the title of Chess Saint took place, players from all over the country gathered here to compete, which eventually led to the formation of the first title holder and the Chess Saint. It's truly wonderful that Go has been able to continue; it's a miracle."

Looking at the plaque outside, Yi Zheng couldn't help but sigh. There are many theories about the origin of Go. According to the "Shiben", Go was created by Yao. Zhang Hua of the Jin Dynasty also said in "Bowuzhi": "Shun created Go to teach his son Shangjun because he was foolish."

It cannot be verified, but it proves that Go has a long history, at least several thousand years.

During the Tang Dynasty, a further system of "chess attendants" was established, where officials were summoned to play chess with the emperor and received royal stipends. This can be considered the earliest form of "official" professional chess player. In this prosperous era, Go culture, along with the camel bells of the Silk Road and the sails of ships at sea, gradually spread to a wider world.

On this land, thousands of years of accumulation and development finally ushered in the golden age of Go a few hundred years ago. The establishment of the supreme title of Go Saint was like a stabilizing force, with a large number of national masters emerging and various schools of Go flourishing.

It has finally become a world-class sport and a common language connecting the world.

"The development history of your world has a similar feel to an old animation from our place, but the specific details are not quite the same."

Listening to Yi Zheng's sigh, Old Ke couldn't help but shake his head. However, there are just too many similar things in the world. Maybe he himself is the protagonist of a novel in some other world.

But it might end up being a poorly written novel.

Old Ke couldn't help but shake his head with a self-deprecating smile. Would his current state as an old man make him another supporting character in a TV anime?
Who knows.

"Hey! Little Yi Zheng? Standing guard at the gate, huh? You've polished this stone lion so much you could get a patina from all that polishing!"

A loud, distinctive voice approached from afar, instantly shattering Yi Zheng's inner monologue.

Turning his head at the sound, he saw a Maybach with imposing lines and a gleaming finish parked silently in a temporary parking space outside the chess academy gate. The door opened, and a classic image of a burly man from Northeast China appeared in Yi Zheng's sight.

The current holder of the title of "Overlord of Northeast China" is Chu Tianjiao, a 9th Dan player.

This wasn't the first time Chu Tianjiao had met Yi Zheng. After all, it was impossible for them not to know each other when they trained together in the national team, as they ate and lived together.

Yi Zheng nodded to the arriving senior: "Ninth Dan Chu."

Yi Zheng did want to address the other party by their title, that is, their name plus their title...

But every time Yi Zheng was about to say those words, he felt a slightly awkward feeling.

Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Chu... a man in history whose strength could uproot mountains and whose spirit could overshadow the world, did not have a very good ending.

Moreover, the hometown of that Jiangdong Overlord is in Jiangsu Province, where "Jiangdong has many talented people, and it is not impossible for them to make a comeback," which is really incompatible with this chess master with a strong Northeastern accent.

As for Yi Zheng, he didn't know why Master Ke would complain about the name Chu Tianjiao. And because Chu Tianjiao, a ninth-dan player, drove a Maybach, Master Ke muttered to himself, "It matches up, everything matches up!"
Ask Yi Zheng to check if Chu Tianjiao was wearing colored contact lenses, and suggest that Chu Tianjiao sell his Maybach and buy a fully insured semi-trailer truck instead. Otherwise, he should not drive on the highway in the rain.

Yi Zheng would never say something as ridiculous as what Ke Lao said. Let's not even talk about why men would wear colored contact lenses. What normal person doesn't drive a Maybach with full insurance and a semi-trailer?

"Yo ho! You two are here so early? The first new face in our Go Saint circle this year has arrived, Garlic Bird, that's not easy! Judging by this momentum, next year the Rookie King will probably have to line up to enter."

The title holder from Central China, Tianyuan Lianqiao, also walked over with a smile. He was the new title holder this year, replacing the original Shen Tianyuan. However, he was already twenty-seven years old this year, so he wasn't exactly a new face; in fact, he could be considered a late bloomer in some ways.

At that moment, Chen Yanran, the national champion and title holder from North China, happened to walk out of the Chinese Chess Academy: "You're all here!"

This year, a lot of title holders almost failed to hold on. I almost lost to Shen Guhong 2-1, but won by half a point in the last game.

We thought Yun Linglei would be a safe bet, after all, he was the only one who had been in a winning streak, but we didn't expect him to be the first to be exposed.

But there's nothing he can do; he's run into this infamous prodigy right in front of us.

Chen Yanran had previously encountered Yi Zheng in the Agon Cup and the League A, and lost two games to him, so he still had a deep impression of Yi Zheng.

After all, anyone who gets their head shaved will remember it vividly.

"..."

Yi Zheng was at a loss for words when he heard the title "demon child." Not to mention that he was already over seventeen years old, he should not be called a child at all.

Most importantly, after hearing this title, Master Ke immediately started calling Yi Zheng "Little Nezha," and said things like "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens," and "Whether I am a demon or an immortal, I decide for myself," and other such nonsense.

Yi Zheng had no idea where all those strange and wonderful jokes came from in Ke Lao's world. He couldn't understand them at all!
The reason why Yi Zhenghui is called a "demon child" is quite simple: seventeen years old is indeed too young in the world of Go.

Not to mention that when Yi Zheng first entered the professional world, he was a rating bomb, and some top players lost ten points in a single loss.

It's not because of the difference of ten points, but because of the single-game protection mechanism, which guarantees that you will only lose ten points in a single game at most.

Only now that Yizheng's rating has reached the top has it finally made people feel less anxious.

The landmine is finally gone.

Good morning, everyone.

A gentle, warm greeting, with a distinctive nasal tone, came through the door. The pronunciation was standard, yet it carried a subtle rhythmic quality reminiscent of the mountains and forests.

The title holder from the Southwest region—Juxian Zhaxi Sanjie, 9th Dan—has arrived.

He wore a dark chestnut-colored Tibetan-style modified stand-up collar robe called "Chuba," and a string of dark brown phoenix-eye bodhi prayer beads on his wrist gently clinked together as he clasped his hands together in prayer, producing a soft, calming sound.

Tianyuan Lianqiao 9-dan, Bawang Chutianjiao 9-dan, national champion Chen Yanran 8-dan, and two more figures turned out from the parking lot exit not far away. They were Chess Ghost King Deng Wen 8-dan and Great Chess Player Jiang Zhen 9-dan, along with Juxian Zaxi Sangjie, and the "Divine Calculator" Yi Zheng who stood silently to the side.

On this summer morning, the seven contemporary title holders of Chinese chess unexpectedly all gathered in front of the ancient gate of the Chinese Chess Academy!

For a moment, even Old Ke was stunned by the scene, as if he were in a freeze-frame from the opening sequence of a shonen manga, with seven beams of light descending from the sky...

"They're all standing at the door... Did they specially assemble a ceremonial guard to welcome the arrival of the chess master?"

Jiang Mobai, the reigning Go master, seemed to be the last person to arrive at the scene. His gaze swept over the seven title holders in front of the door, and his tone carried a perfectly timed teasing tone.

His appearance was like adding the final and most crucial touch to this still image.

All eight "star points" on the Chinese chessboard have arrived today, ready to unleash a new wave of action at the Chinese Chess Academy, a battlefield that has stood for millennia.

At this delicate moment, an untimely, loud music, seemingly emanating from some music app, suddenly appeared in the air.

Chess Saint Jiang Mobai gently touched the spot on his trouser pocket, his smile deepening, and took the lead in stepping through the silent, towering vermilion gate.

How can the main character's entrance be complete without background music!

Everyone's expressions froze for a moment, then turned into a wry smile or a helpless shake of their heads, but they all followed and went inside.

The battle between black and white, a silent battlefield, is quietly waiting for their moves behind the door.

(End of this chapter)