The work of the Go master

If this accelerated blood flow is not controlled properly, it can overwhelm the brain's central nervous system. This is why some people perform better in important exams, while others fail miserably.

With the countdown down to one, Ke Zhiguang made his move.

He unleashed a fatal blow from the horn atop Yanju's head.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Night Is About to Fall

The moment the move was made.

The Flame Steed's horn was blasted into the sky, its eyes filled with shock.

Although the final battle between killing and survival lasted several minutes, in Yamaoka's mind it felt like a fleeting moment in a swordsman's duel. After a series of slashes, one side was already sheathing their sword, while the other's blood was spreading towards the sky.

After a long silence, Yasuhiro Yamaoka adjusted his glasses and calmly accepted the result: "You won."

"Thank you for your guidance."

The folding fan bearing the words "Chess Saint" was opened in Ke Zhiguang's hand, a gesture reminiscent of turning around and opening an umbrella after drawing a sword, keeping the red rain pouring down from mid-air outside his body.

Suddenly, I felt a bit like an autumn samurai, with the umbrella only blocking out the ripe maple leaves.

Time relaxed, with Ke Zhiguang leaning back comfortably, while Yamaoka Yasuhiro sat on the chessboard like a statue.

......

......

As night fell and it approached nine o'clock, it was time for a late-night snack.

"Here, this is your reward for defeating Yamaoka and the others." Matsunaga Teiko brought over a bowl of home-style ramen, which looked spicy.

"Oh, thank you." Ke Zhiguang skipped the part about me starting to eat and went straight to picking up his chopsticks.

After a great battle, there will always be a banquet.

This is the interior restaurant of Taohuazhai, a buffet-style place with long tables covered with bright white tablecloths, giving it a very homey feel.

After finishing that exciting 1v4 match, Ke Zhiguang rested for a long time. Just as he was about to leave, he was suddenly invited to stay by Ms. Song Ning. She told him to eat ramen before leaving, which she had made herself.

This is clearly just a dormitory supervisor, but he gives the impression that he can do everything.

"Aren't you going to share your thoughts before you eat? This is quite a feat." Matsunaga Tingko sat down next to Kazumitsu.

"Actually, it's not too bad. The four of them were playing against me in a zero-sum game, and they all underestimated me at the beginning. Any professional fourth-dan player in their prime could have handled them," said Ke Zhiguang, blowing on the steam from his ramen.

These four people previously estimated that their combined strength was equivalent to a seventh-dan, but only if they worked together.

Although the ramen looks very bright red and extremely spicy, it is, after all, a local Japanese dish. The extreme spiciness here is equivalent to mild spiciness in China, but the spiciness also carries a unique Japanese fishy smell.

"You already have the strength of a professional fourth dan, isn't that enough to make you happy?"

Well... how should I put it? Actually, it's more of a feeling of exhilaration than happiness.

Compared to the four of them now, this morning's challenge for Saito was undoubtedly more significant, as he was, after all, a former king and the holder of the Eternal Throne.

In that sense, Saito is more like Lü Bu.

Fine, I'll just call myself Zilong for this kind of behavior. He's the number one mascot of the Dynasty Warriors series, and he's used in every promotional PV.

"Actually, I'm quite happy. I'll find some time to have a good meal," Ke Zhiguang said.

"Are you saying that my ramen isn't good enough?"

"No, I meant to ask if there's anything better," Ke Zhiguang replied casually, just to be cheeky.

"You're right, there are indeed better ones."

"Ok?"

Yes, there really are.

A plate of freshly baked cakes was brought out. They looked like ordinary little cakes made with eggs and milk, similar to bread.

But the first bite brought out the flavor of cherry blossoms.

"It smells very much like cherry blossoms."

"You noticed that?" Matsunaga Tingko covered her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed.

The restaurant was quiet, with only him and Matsunaga Teiko present.

When he came out of the game room, he saw so many people in the corridor and thought there would be a grand welcome. Of course, it was also possible that he had just defeated the King a few days ago and his intimidating presence made them afraid to approach him, so they fled in panic.

None of that happened. They simply exchanged a quiet glance with Ke Zhiguang, gave him a polite smile, and left.

That makes sense. This place is inhabited by future professional chess players, all of whom are highly competitive. They're unlikely to rush up to fawn over a strong opponent just because one suddenly appears, or run away in fear.

The four defeated players were naturally not in the mood for dinner. The other three had already run back to their rooms in tears, while Yamaoka was still in the game room reviewing the game by himself.

This is an extremely competitive place, and no one wants to be left behind.

Ke Zhiguang's gaze fell on the various medals and black-and-white photographs hanging on the wall.

The black and white photos depict celebratory scenes of people raising their glasses and laughing.

"What are those photos?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

“The people who used to live here were all people who had won glory when they were still living here.” Matsunaga Teiko said, looking at the photos on the wall. “This used to be just an ordinary apartment, but it just so happened that a lot of Go players lived here, including amateurs and professionals. It was only in the last few years that this place was converted into rental land specifically for Go players.”

"I see."

No wonder a two-star player like Aoba Hashirō, who is on par with Jōnei, could get in.

After finishing the soup, Koji Hikaru, feeling relaxed after the battle, went to the photo wall to see if he could spot Saito.

They actually found it.

In an old black-and-white photograph, he holds up the Dragon Throne trophy, laughing and huddled together with his old friends, looking more like a nightclub champion than a Go champion.

Wasn't this guy ridiculously handsome when he was young?

"Wasn't Saito-sensei one of the four Heavenly Kings here?"

Upon hearing this, Matsunaga chuckled and said, "I don't know about that, but I've heard that Saito-sensei is a very particular person who never plays against others unless he pays a fee."

"Excuse me, which one of you is Harushima Isshin?" Koji Mitsuhiro asked again.

Matsunade's hands, which were clearing away the dishes, paused for a moment. Ke Zhiguang also sensed this sudden silence, however brief it was.

"Mr. Harujima Isshin is a legend here, but unfortunately, he only lived here for three years. During those three years, his achievements were not particularly outstanding, so no photos were taken."

"Then, what about Sugiki Sadakyu, the opponent who often fights Isshin-sensei?"

"I didn't expect you to know him. He's not a very famous person, so of course he wouldn't have any photos or anything like that," Song Ning said with a smile.

"That's true." Ke Zhiguang smiled to himself, then touched the side of his neck and walked towards the door. He should leave like this tonight.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Song Ning. I hope we can get along even better in the days to come."

"We look forward to your stay and wish you a safe journey."

Before leaving, Ke Zhiguang looked back at the apartment, his gaze following the corridor all the way to the atrium.

The peach tree still stood tall, like a mysterious lighthouse in the night. Miss Song Ning stood at the entrance of the courtyard, glancing back at Ke Zhiguang with a grin.

Dark clouds gathered, obscuring the moonlight, and the sound of the night wind carried an unsettling message.

Next comes the real period of dealing with strange things.

Night is about to truly fall.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Peach Blossom Petals Fly into the Exquisite Bureau

After the clock struck twelve.

As usual, Song Ningtingzi conducted a thorough inspection of Taohuazhai after turning off the lights.

Today, everyone is here; no one has suddenly disappeared from the dormitory.

It was a very peaceful and serene night, as if everything had come to an end.

In the past, if she found that a student was missing, she would know that the person had gone out to play chess again. At this time, Song Ning would sigh helplessly, change into normal clothes, and go to the places where he might appear to look for him.

He was born with the ability to sense Song Ning's approach. Once he sensed her approach, he would run away without caring whether the game of chess was finished.

He would run back here and, taking advantage of the time gap while Song Ning was out and hadn't returned, quickly go back to his room and fall asleep.

This is the nature of his relationship with Song Ning; it's very delicate.

After checking everything, Song Ning passed the entrance to the courtyard. She paused for a moment, then turned her head to look at the peach tree in the center of the courtyard.

She lowered her head and sighed, as if to muster the courage to move forward.

Pushing open the door with the French windows, I entered the courtyard. My wooden clogs rustled as they stepped on the cobblestones.

"Ke, it's so late, are you planning to stay here overnight?" Song Ningtingzi arrived under the peach tree, and the dark clouds also conveniently withdrew, allowing the bright moonlight to pour down on the area.

She had long sensed that Ke Zhiguang would choose a time to come with his sword, just as Yamaoka Yasuhiro was absolutely certain that he would arrive today.

Like a curtain of darkness rising, a blue haori appeared in her field of vision.

Ke Zhiguang was lying on the peach tree, holding a folding fan, humming an unknown tune.

Upon seeing Matsunagako arrive, he naturally landed, his haori fluttering romantically.

This is the clothing he obtained from Shang Xixing today during his spare time; it truly embodies the spirit of the Wu family.

Tonight's theme is the Shinsengumi, a super popular organization that stood against the tide of history more than a hundred years ago, but whose romance and tragedy have moved countless people since.

The essence of romanticism is nostalgia and turning back the clock of history.

"As expected, strange things only appear after 12 o'clock. If I had known, I should have rested more before coming." Ke Zhiguang said to the other party without showing too much hostility. He knew that today's enemy was not a bad person, and he only needed to send it on its way gently.

"Are you planning to purge me by treating me like a shogunate overthrower during the late Edo period?" Matsunaga said, remaining completely unfazed by the samurai-sword-like folding fan, seemingly unconcerned about how the other party had sneaked in.

“Of course not, I… am here to slay demons, or rather, to exorcise demons,” said Ke Zhiguang. “Your brother, Sugimoto Teikyu, should be on his way.”

"It seems you've already investigated everything beforehand."

“It’s not hard to find out. Just look through the roster at the Go Academy and you’ll find out that he used to have the same surname as you, Song Ning. What’s really hard to find is the ‘Daily Practice’ book at the entrance,” Ke Zhiguang said. “You once told me that those problems were the daily practice games of the students, but I later found the same game in Sugimoto Teikyu’s past games.”

"You're going a bit too far," Song Ning said with a wry smile. "Is that man's chess record really worth going through all this trouble?"

"Of course it's worthwhile. Just like when evaluating a director, you can't separate his work from the person. When evaluating a chess player, you must understand his game. I forget which famous person said it, but Go is 7% competition and 3% art. A game is, to some extent, equivalent to a work of art."