The work of the Go master

"That's right. There's a term in Go called 'When the essence is exhausted, everything can be discarded.' Once the essence of a piece has been perfectly extracted, it can be given to the opponent as a discarded piece. The opponent will find it tasteless and unpleasant to eat it."

"When it comes to famous games involving sacrifice, the first one that comes to mind is probably one of the games in Hanno's ten-game match career. Wherever Hanno went, his opponent captured, but in the end, Hanno was the one who won."

"Indeed, the spectacle of sacrificing pieces in a famous game is no less than that of slaying a dragon."

A restless Go piece tossed and turned in Yabu's hand. He simply reached into the Go box and made some rustling noises to relieve his frustration.

The referee was about to step forward to offer a reminder when he was stopped by his colleagues.

"Let it go, let him do it. This game is on TV right now, it's good to let him make a fool of himself."

"Won't this affect his opponents?"

"Can't you tell? His opponent is stronger and has a better mentality. He will most likely win this game."

This faint rustling sound shouldn't have been heard by others, but Yabu really did hear it.

For some reason, he could always hear those very faint sounds.

He couldn't explain it himself. He had been examined, but the doctor's answer was that his ears were normal and nothing was overly sensitive.

He can now even hear Ke Zhiguang's steady breathing and heartbeat.

Watching the game on television from a distance, Suga Seiichi cried out, clutching his head, "Yabu! What are you doing, Yabu! Didn't I give you a solution to this opening yesterday? Play according to that!"

Koji Mitsuaki used this strategy so many times in a row, and his win rate was so terrifying that it had long attracted the attention of others. As a 9-dan teacher, Suga Seiichi had of course studied it diligently for a week.

He guessed this was Saito's strategy, and if that was the case, he became even more enthusiastic.

But from the very first move, Yabu did not follow his instructions.

Suga's strategy was to... after being cornered, quickly counter-flank, making Suga's formation impossible to execute.

Honestly, this is the wisest choice! If you don't know how to play this, don't play it! It's like in esports, if you encounter a hero you really can't beat, you have to ban it, don't stubbornly let it be.

However, Yabu still let it go, and after being cornered, he chose to use Kojiro to defend the corner, allowing Kojiro to complete the layout again.

The battle then began with Black's separate moves, and on the 12th move, the pieces began to fight and twist each other. By the 24th move, a new round of close combat began, with Black and White entangled and strangling each other like demons, and this continues to this day.

Ke Zhiguang stretched the tendons and bones in his fingers that had just thrown a punch, and had to admit that the feel of hammering this furry creature was still quite comfortable.

The three-headed lion crouched back behind Yabu, one of the lions' heads and face almost completely ulcerated, with a pile of bones in its mouth.

These bones are the pieces that Ke Zhiguang discarded. As for the meat, Ke Zhiguang had already eaten it all. He only managed to grab the bones, which means that the essence has been exhausted and everything else is worth discarding.

As if he had adjusted his mindset, Yabu placed his piece again—

The lion head that was destroyed immediately relinquished its main control position, and the second lion head became the main damage dealer.

It needs to start cutting its losses in time and try every means to drag the game into a close contest.

However, Ke Zhiguang did not intend to let him retreat so easily.

63. Begin cutting the corner.

After taking the initiative, move 73 with a flying hook to move the battlefield to the top and continue to move with the force of flying straddles and cuts!

Finally, on the 85th move, I gained an advantage on the board again, and the power in my fingertips returned!

That feeling is back again.

A powerful punch! Strike!

He leaped into the air, spanned the entire chessboard, and delivered a punch that slammed into his opponent's face!

[Debuff applied successfully!]

[Eating instant noodles without the seasoning packet for six months]

Ok?

You call this a debuff?

Or do you call this a curse attack effect?

Ke Zhiguang scratched his head, feeling that this was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

He had previously thought this was a dark skill that would bring misfortune to his opponents, such as illness or wounds, so he had never dared to throw a punch, fearing that he might accidentally hurt someone he shouldn't have.

While eating instant noodles without the seasoning packet for six months is indeed a terrible thing, considering this guy's status as a rich young master, he probably doesn't need to eat instant noodles anyway, so this curse is practically nothing to him.

No! We have to keep fighting!

87th strike! Another painful punch lands, then keep throwing punches!

[Reduce morning sleep time by 15 minutes for one month]

95 moves! Continue the rolling attack, step by step, turning Black's stones into a foolish shape!

[Nighttime energy decreased by 50% for two consecutive months.]

this.....

Just as he was about to throw another punch, Ke Zhiguang stopped his attack and stared blankly at the line of text.

Is this night's energy the same as the night's energy that I understand?

Or does he mainly use his energy at night to play video games?

Let's go with this one. For a rich young man, this should be a devastating blow on a scale of dimensional reduction, right?

The final punch was delivered, stopping just short of depleting the rage bar.

After a series of powerful blows, the chessboard was filled with scalding smoke.

The situation is far superior.

No sooner had this decision been made than Yabu suddenly pushed back his chair and stood up: "I'm going to the restroom."

“Okay,” Ke Zhiguang agreed.

His gaze fell on Yabu's pocket, which had been emanating an ominous aura since earlier.

The real movie may have only just begun.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Lion of Hell

After receiving permission from Koji Hikaru, Yabu walked straight out the door.

The referee tried to stop him, but only reached out his hand before shaking his head and putting it down.

The sixth and seventh dans exchanged glances.

"He's going to start using that thing."

Although neither of them knew what Yabu was going to do, their professional Go players' instincts told them that now was the last chance for him to do it.

Although this is not the best time.

Suga Shoichi watched as Yabu suddenly left his seat in front of the screen, and couldn't help but click his tongue and slap his thigh: "That unfilial disciple!"

"Teacher, don't worry. Senior brother might just have gone to the restroom. Even in a normal game, he wouldn't leave immediately when he's at a disadvantage," the disciple hurriedly reassured him.

“Of course I know that, but this game is very difficult now, and as you all know, he’s not the kind of player who can turn a disadvantage into an advantage,” Suga said dejectedly. “Now we can only hope for a miracle, like the Honinbo Chi vs. Yasui Kakusen in history…”

In the bathroom, Yabu washed his face repeatedly, watching the water in the sink swirl and flow into the drain.

Cinematography often interprets this scene of water flowing into a pool hole as a sign of fading hope and the gradual spread of despair.

—Are you kidding me! This is the crucial initial three-stage attack; it's not something you can just throw out and do as you please.

Especially since he had provoked her before, she couldn't tolerate it at all.

He eventually took out the strange pill that the Imperial Chess Envoy had given him.

"Let me make this clear first, this is my own power..." Yabu said, making excuses for himself.

This is something that Yu Chengqi gave him; it can't be something to harm him, right?

The two 6th and 7th dan players didn't stop him on the first day, which meant he was allowed to use it. So, this doesn't count as violating the rules, right? It doesn't violate the principle of fair competition, does it?

He filled a glass with water from the water dispenser next to him and then swallowed it along with the pills.

First reaction—

"so bitter!"

.....

......

Ten minutes had passed, and Yabu still hadn't returned; his spare time was slipping away.

Ke Zhiguang rubbed his chin, thinking that he didn't seem to have inflicted any diarrhea debuffs just now.

The only possibility now is that he's probably going to take something; that pill he stumbled upon again at the music store should come in handy.

If he really wanted to eat this, he could just close his eyes and swallow it whole, it would be quick and easy. But he hasn't shown up yet, probably because... it's too bitter and he has to eat it in batches.

Aside from lamenting that he would have to play chess against strange things again, Ke Zhiguang also felt his current competitive state—quite ideal.

Since he got his cozy little house, his competitive form has never dipped. Even when he yawns, his awareness remains highly focused.

“Yabu has been missing for a long time, which is quite rare in the history of the ranking tournament. Not many people would joke about this backup time,” Naosaka said.

The current time comparison is 38 minutes to 20 minutes, and Kezhiguang not only has the advantage on the board, but also has the advantage in time.

“I’ve heard Saito say before that Koji Hikaru’s blitz chess skills are very strong. Once he enters the byo-yomi period, he might even be stronger than Yabu,” Naosaka continued to gloat.

But his expression changed the next moment: "But you know, Go is unpredictable. Variables often happen when you think you can win easily."

Inside the match room, Yabu finally returned.

He strolled in slowly from outside the door, showing no sign of rushing as if trying to save every second.

"You've used up another 15 minutes," the referee said calmly.

But Yabu's reaction was as expected; he didn't react at all and walked straight to the chessboard.

After passing by, the referee glanced back at Yabu's back and inexplicably shivered.

I have a feeling... this kid has been replaced.

He quietly sat back down at the chessboard and began to place his pieces.

Ke Zhiguang sighed softly to himself.