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

Chapter 325 You are the challenger

"Welcome everyone to the live broadcast of the best-of-five final of the Chinese Go Championship. I am currently on-site providing you with a live stream of the match."

The competition is being held inside the China Chess Academy, and a large number of chess fans have gathered near the academy, waiting for the results!
This competition can be described as another battle of generational change in Chinese Go. Seven years ago, Jiang Mobai defeated the previous Go Saint Gu Jianhun and began his seven-time consecutive Go Saint title. Today, he will face the challenge of a new generation here!

Yi Zheng, an 8-dan player, made it directly to the finals in his first appearance at the Chess Saint Tournament. He can be considered the strongest wave of the new generation and is known as "Yi the Pinnacle"! He embodies the hopes of many!
It can be said that young chess players are emerging in China in an endless stream, and heroes are as numerous as fish crossing a river. Yi Zheng has taken the lead in leaping over the dragon gate, giving us, the audience, endless expectations!
The battle horn has sounded! The wheels of history have begun to turn! Will 'Chess Saint' Jiang Mobai continue his legend and achieve an unprecedented eight-consecutive-championship? Or will 'Peerless' Yi Zheng ascend to the throne and usher in his own era? Let us wait and see!

Please stay tuned for further reports! We'll be on-site with you until the end of the match!

Looking at the excited faces holding up his name and photos, and even the "dark history" photo of him with his hair in a topknot when he first participated in an amateur competition as a child being dug up and made into a support image... Yi Zheng's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

"There are... way too many people! I didn't feel like there were this many in the last game of the Chess Saint Tournament..."

Yi Zheng watched the scene outside through the live stream on his phone and couldn't help but sigh at how many people there were!
As the final representing the highest level of Chinese Go, it attracted a constant stream of spectators.

Those who bought tickets could go inside to hear the match commentary, while those who didn't get tickets gathered outside to watch the live broadcast of the match on the big screen and wait for the results.

Although the competition venue was outdoors, Yi Zheng did not have any problem being exposed to the sun, because the chess academy had set up a ring directly in the center of the square.

Yi Zheng couldn't help but touch the so-called rosewood chair, recalling when he first came to the capital after achieving professional status. It happened to be the last match of the Chess Saint Tournament, and the place was packed with people, though it seemed there weren't as many as this time.

That day, I was squeezed on the outer edge of the crowd, and could only stand on tiptoe, peering at the large display screen outside the chess academy through the surging heads and countless raised mobile phone screens, watching the two people fighting fiercely on the screen.

Despite the large crowd, it felt as if we were separated from the splendor at the top by thousands of miles.

Looking back now, time really flies. Two years have passed just like that, and I've become the central player sitting inside the courtyard walls, under the spotlight.

The feeling brought about by the huge change in identity and role is extremely subtle.

"Two years...it sounds like they haven't even finished the 'three-year period is up' scenario for the Dragon King's return?"

Yi Zheng muttered to himself, "At this time, the office workers have probably only just been promoted to full-time positions... How come it feels like two centuries have passed?"

Two years is neither a long nor a short time, but it has brought about tremendous changes.

From a promising newcomer to a rising star who has reached the finals of the Go Saint Tournament and been dubbed "the best," his journey has been a condensation of countless days and nights of relentless training, sweat-soaked game records, the frustration of reviewing games after defeats until his stomach ached, and the arduous climb he made step by step over thorns.

Yi Zheng couldn't help but sigh, "Time flies so fast, I'm almost eighteen."

When Elder Ke heard Yi Zheng's premature aging lament, he simply shrugged and said, "But he still hasn't ascended to adulthood and is still a Pure Yang Limitless Dao Body."

"That's why I'm so strong, okay! Like some famous novelist who's over thirty and still a virgin, and you don't understand anything about him."

Hearing Yi Zheng's stubborn retort, Old Ke simply curled his lip, but he didn't have any offensive intentions towards him. The main thing was that Yi Zheng had countless female fans, not to mention childhood sweethearts.

If Yi Zheng weren't afraid of his reputation collapsing, he could have become a time management master like that little pig. It can only be said that Yi Zheng truly loves Go and has devoted himself to it wholeheartedly ever since.

Because of their early professional development, most outstanding Go players start earning substantial salaries around the age of fourteen. For example, Ke Lao was a second-dan player at the age of thirteen and went directly to the Chinese Go League. His first year's results were 6-10, which seems unacceptable, but in reality, they were not.

因为当时跟同年龄段其他人比起来，差距还是蛮大的，就比如15岁12-4的围甲mvp杨三段，15岁15-7的最佳主将范三段。

In comparison, Ke, the 17-year-old MVP of the Chinese Weiqi League with an 18-2 record, seems incredibly inexperienced.

Becoming famous and earning income at such a young age, it's inevitable that they would have early romances. Ke Lao himself has quite a few romantic stories, and other chess players also have their share of romantic escapades.

Even Shen Zi, who is known for being emotionless and always playing chess, has a girlfriend that everyone knows, though he hasn't publicly revealed it. Yi Zheng truly is a chess-playing machine devoid of any emotion.

"But it's no use. I don't believe you won't participate in the mixed doubles at the Asian Games. We'll definitely have to train together then. I don't even need to guess when you've chosen your partner."

Even Coach Ke couldn't help but shake his head. While Yi Zheng was dominating, another player was also emerging as a dark horse, winning the women's national team individual championship this year. It can be said that she is already moving towards the position of the number one female player.

"The script featuring two strong characters seems quite appealing. It's just that I'm a gentleman and can't stalk girls, otherwise I could see what they do in private and maybe find more interesting things to ship."

Ke Lao is so bored that he has to ship couples, otherwise he'll be too bored and has to find something to do. Ke Lao can only say that shipping all kinds of couples will make him feel well-rounded.

Yi Zheng sat in the square, silently scrolling through his phone, waiting for Jiang Mobai to arrive right on time.

Given his usual behavior, Jiang Mobai would definitely arrive at the last second and then say that the protagonist was the last to appear.

However, what Yi Zheng didn't know was that Jiang Mobai had actually arrived early today, but happened to run into an acquaintance who stopped by.

A child of about eight years old cheered for Jiang Mobai. The little guy's face was flushed, and he was obviously excited and ran over.

He tried hard to keep a straight face and appear composed, but his big eyes were full of stars. He raised his little fist and cheered for his master in a childish voice: "Master! Go...go! You have to win! I believe...you are the strongest!"

After saying that, perhaps feeling it wasn't strong enough, she added with even more force, "I...I'll cheer you on with all my might!"

Jiang Mobai's initial nervousness vanished instantly. He patted his little apprentice's hair. This child was Zhou Chuan, the grandson of the vice president of the Chinese Chess Academy and also his apprentice.

Although Zhou Chuan was cheering on his master, he couldn't help but ask, "Who is stronger, Master or Yi Zheng?"

Hearing this, Jiang Mobai pretended to be troubled and scratched his hair: "Well, if Yi Zheng fully exerts his peak strength, it will indeed be a bit troublesome."

Zhou Chuan's expression immediately tensed up, his little fists clenched, his eyes filled with worry, and he timidly asked, "Will...will we lose?"

The voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's hum, as if afraid of hearing a bad answer.

"Will win!"

Jiang Mobai couldn't help but laugh, a bright, sunny smile radiating confidence blooming on his face: "So you can rest assured, put away your little worries! Your master said I would wait until you grow into a great chess player who can stand on your own before challenging me! I remember this challenge, I haven't forgotten!"

After Jiang Mobai finished speaking, he walked towards the competition venue and looked at Yi Zheng, who was already sitting in his seat.

Jiang Mobai had already prepared his lines.

"Easy to identify..."

Jiang Mobai paused, his gaze, carrying a powerful, domineering aura, fixed on the fiercely competitive eyes of the young man opposite him. He spoke each word with resounding conviction: "You... are the challenger!"

BGM:

"The strongest Go master in history!" (A deep, epic male chorus, echoing with the dust of history)
"The strongest Go master now!" (A louder, clearer, and more powerful chorus, the momentum instantly rising!)
The two lines of lyrics, one from the past and one from the present, perfectly match Jiang Mobai's current identity and state of mind: the past seven years were legendary, and now, he is still the undisputed king of this territory!
P.S.: I recommend a book called "Sasuke Returns from Demon Slayer: Starting with the Uzumaki Affinity".

Synopsis: After battling Upper Moon One, Kokushibo, Sasuke returns to the day after the night of the massacre with the system.

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(End of this chapter)