The work of the Go master

Her acting is consistently perfect.

Although I really wanted to tease her by asking "What are you looking for?", I thought it would be too much and decided against it.

"I'm looking for a time machine! I just dreamt about it, it's right here in this blanket!"

Well, she answered the call herself even though I didn't ask.

While she was searching for the time machine under the covers, Ke Zhiguang quickly pulled back the curtain on the chessboard—

A series of images flowed into the brain.

Inside the video store at night, Yabu and the owner, Tatsumi Koshikawa, sat facing each other.

“You are now permanently entangled with ‘Dragon Gift,’ but there is a way to escape this misfortune. You only need to do two things: first, sever your connection with Dragon Gift, and then transfer the remaining misfortune to someone else.” Tatsumi Koshikawa spoke in the tone of a demon king, and everyone knew that this would be another path of no return.

"How exactly do we do it?" Yabu asked.

"First, you need to win the Rising Star title, and your opponent in the finals must be strong enough. Only then will the Rising Star title's power reach its peak, and you can then use it to sever your connection with [Dragon Gift]."

"But before that, we have to tamper with the title trophy. You need to stick this thing under its base..."

Tatsumi Koshikawa handed over a yellow rune.

"You need to put it on yourself... or you can have someone who is related to your master do it for you."

"Are you related as a teacher and student, or classmates?"

"A teacher or a student will do, but in any case, this matter will have to be done by your teacher, Suga Seiichi 9-dan, although he will be furious about it."

Tatsumi Koshikawa continued, "By the way, you'd better not show your face on the field right now. If you do, the field patrolmen will arrest you very quickly."

The images played out one by one in front of Ke Zhiguang, as if he were watching everything from the perspective of a ghost in mid-air.

The entire conspiracy of the audio-visual store was exposed and witnessed by Ke Zhiguang.

So that "snake and bat" outfit was actually called the "Dragon Gift."

It's like a ceremony to become a dragon, an analogy for a coming-of-age ceremony, and then an analogy for Jackie Chan, Duang~

Next, Tatsumi Koshikawa offered various suggestions and strategies to Yabu.

He needs to kidnap someone and manipulate them into attacking using sophisticated electronic equipment, but he will have to fight in the final battle himself.

This personal matter can be resolved using a chessboard that exudes an eerie, underworld atmosphere.

Play a game of imitation chess on this chessboard, then light a candle next to it, and the two people can exchange souls for 24 hours. It is also an antique underworld item with a significant history.

Finally, Tatsumi Koshikawa also provided funding and staff to help Yabu accomplish these tasks.

Tatsumi Koshikawa also specifically emphasized that it would be best to ensure that his opponent in the final is Koji Kō, so that the sparks of luck can be accumulated to the maximum.

Conspiracy, it's all conspiracy. No wonder when we investigated An Yongxin before, he seemed like just a henchman, but his moves were so impressive. It turns out that Yabu was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.

"Then, how can I transfer my current misfortune to someone else?" Yabu asked worriedly.

"You don't need to worry about that. I can help you, but let me tell you beforehand, helping you this time will be a huge financial burden. I was originally going to use it to carry out an even cooler plan, but this time I have to give you a portion." Koshikawa Tatsumi suddenly started speaking in riddles, acting mysteriously.

Yabu wisely refrained from asking further: "If it's to be transferred, to whom should it be transferred? To Keiji Hikaru?"

"Unfortunately, that's impossible. He's not someone who can transfer misfortune to others. Besides, the powerful fortune behind him makes it impossible for me to succeed."

"If I transfer my bad luck, what will happen to the person who receives it? Will they die?" Yabu asked worriedly. He had to think carefully about matters involving human life.

Upon hearing this, Tatsumi Koshikawa burst into laughter: "My God, what are you saying? My kind and ignorant Ruijin..."

He suddenly pressed his body against him, grabbed Yabu's collar with both hands, and shouted with his eyes wide open, "What do you think the situation is like now? That's a Dragon Gift! The most man-eating Dragon Gift in history! You used it, and you expect to have a happy ending where no one dies? You must be dreaming!"

A maniacal and chaotic laugh emanated from Yuechuan Longji's drunken state. Even though he wasn't there, Ke Zhiguang could feel the chill that sent shivers down his spine.

Yabu was clearly intimidated by the opponent's aura, and his expression froze.

"Wake up! The conditions are far too favorable for you. All you have to do is nod, and someone you don't even know will die in the distance. You'll be freed from your misfortune, and your chess skills will remain undiminished. After this New Star Cup, you'll be the strongest in the chess world. Next year, you'll defeat Yagami Kunikyo and become the new Imperial Chess Master, controlling the fate of the entire world. Your family business might even leap to become number one in Japan, or even in the top ten worldwide. You might even be able to maintain your youth and lifespan forever. There's nothing you can't get. The only one capable of stopping you will be Master Shishin, but he's just a madman from Yugenji Temple who has dedicated himself to the way of chess... And all of this only requires you to press a button, and someone in the distance will die. It's that simple. Can't you... do it?"

A storm of lines crashed down on Yabu, and Koshikawa Tatsumi's acting skills reached their peak at this moment. Every syllable and every movement of his facial muscles was full of incitement and madness. Chaos and truth reached their peak at the same time.

The scene cut off at this point, and Ke Zhiguang was freed from the dark stage play, his forehead covered in sweat.

Saito once said that the current Ryuza is a dangerous and crazy person, and now Koji Mitsuaki has come to understand this deeply.

If this guy were thrown into Gotham City, he'd be a perfect example of the Ugly Duckling.

Speaking of which, Tatsumi Koshikawa's usual suit is indeed purple.

I need to recommend a green hairstyle for him when I have time.

As for Koshikawa Tatsumi's final question, Yabu definitely nodded.

But... who is that person who is going to die?

Who will ultimately take the blame for Yabu's misfortune?

According to Koshikawa Tatsumi's original words, he originally had a bigger plan, but in order to take care of Yabu, he could only give Yabu a portion of the plan's resources.

So what exactly is going on...?

A chill suddenly descended upon us without any apparent reason.

Ke Zhiguang unconsciously turned around and looked at the quilt behind him that was still steaming.

Surely they wouldn't be... that charlatan?

No, wait, it seems like he could actually be that kind of charlatan.

Godzilla

She had seen the videotape; it was rented from the owner's shop.

This is bad, extremely bad. Although I don't know how the tsunami in Godzilla will work, the connection between the boss, the videotape, and the deer on Harushima has been established.

In this way, Harushima Shika could indeed become the "unknown person" that Koshikawa Tatsumi was referring to.

As Ke Zhiguang calmed down and pondered, his gaze fell upon the chessboard again, where there was something else.

A white folding fan, without any decoration or inscription.

It has no name.

There was only one simple inscription: 【A pure love risked with one's life】

Here's another simple way to use it: [Just treat it as a talisman.]

"Hey, hold on tight. No matter what, don't lose it or let it out of your reach." Ke Zhiguang handed the folding fan to Qingdaolu, who had just crawled out of bed.

"What is this? Why would I take this?" Shiro asked, puzzled.

“With this, I won’t lose,” Ke Zhiguang said, looking directly into the other person’s eyes.

Seeing the other person's extremely solemn gaze, Harushima Deer's mouth moved slightly before she reached out and took it.

"Okay, then don't lie to me. If I keep holding onto it and you still lose, I'll smash it right here and now."

"No problem, you can smash whatever you want."

......

......

At 2:55, the pre-battle atmosphere had reached its peak, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash it.

Thousands of tons of dark clouds loomed above the hotel, and rain seemed to have gathered for this moment, waiting only for the final beat of a drum to unleash its torrent.

Staff members were busy in the hotel lobby, setting up the venue and distributing information. Many passing tourists were also looking forward to the upcoming match.

In the lounge on the first floor of the lobby, Ke Zhiguang's clothes were completely dry, and his tie shone with a black metallic texture under the light.

He leaned back on the sofa as if taking a nap, seemingly in meditation.

It's about to begin, the first final in his life. If it were a newcomer participating in such a final for the first time, he would probably be pacing around nervously, but he was unusually quiet.

"Alright, Ke Zhiguang, third dan, please set off." The staff member said to Ke Zhiguang.

"Hmm." Ke Zhiguang stood up easily, his expression completely blank, and walked out of the room under the camera's guidance.

The flashes of camera shutters came one after another, and countless media outlets were looking forward to this rising star shining brightly in the upcoming matches and delivering exciting games.

Now the camera isn't just focused on what's behind her, but also on what's in front of her, making her look like a star surrounded by countless people as she walks.

He once again held the Chess Saint's Fan in his hand. In the midst of a great battle, it was indeed necessary to have a handy weapon by one's side.

This folding fan might one day transform into a demonic sword to slay an evil dragon.

Television stations also sprang into action, with many channels displaying the message "The 17th New Star Tournament Finals are underway: Ke Zhiguang 3-dan (China) vs. An Yongxin 6-dan (Korea)" to urge viewers to stop scrolling, as the match had already begun and to change the channel.

In addition, the national flags of both teams were displayed behind them.

This is the first time that Chinese and South Korean players have met in the finals, which is a relatively rare and novel event for many Japanese people. This game will likely be dubbed the "Duel of the Top Players from China and South Korea".

The Japanese people today certainly wouldn't have imagined that this would become the standard outcome more than a decade later.

On the other side, Yabu-ified Yasunaga Shin also set off. Today, he had changed his usual gray suit into a dark red one, and a watch was now on his wrist. His entire demeanor was completely different from before.

In order to maintain a quiet environment before the competition, he refused all media interviews, which is quite different from his usual personality of liking to be in the limelight and give interviews. The outside world can only speculate that he was under great pressure in the face of the final and changed his style.

Both elevators ascended simultaneously and stopped on the 36th floor, the highest floor of the hotel.

The doors on both sides of the meeting room were pushed open simultaneously! At that moment, thunder roared outside the window, and the second wave of rain struck again!

Just like entering a regular stadium, Yabu and Koji appeared from opposite entrances, their eyes filled with hostility.

"Koji Mitsuki..." Yabu murmured softly, using An Yongxin's body as a mirror, his eyes reflecting the distant figure of Koji Mitsuki.

A bolt of lightning flashed across the window, leaving everything as a black and white silhouette.

Ke Zhiguang also gripped his twin swords tightly. One look was enough to tell that the pilot inside An Yongxin's body had been replaced by Yabu. The original owner would never have had such courage. In Yang Zhi's words, it was like having the eyes of a lion.

However, the warning colors on his body were still those of An Yongxin, alternating between orange and red, making him appear harmless.

As for its core color, what level it is, we can only find out by testing it ourselves.

The camera followed the two as they sat on the chessboard, as if steel and fire were facing off.

The curtains on one side were drawn back, revealing huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Rainwater poured down outside the windows. The glass here was specially designed with some unevenness on the outside, which added many full curves to the flowing water, making it more enchanting and charming, and finally forming a mysterious scene like a suspended waterfall. Beyond the waterfall was an even more vast sea, and each chess piece that landed on the chessboard seemed to draw on the essence of the sun and moon.

"The weather isn't great today, so we can't see the magnificent sea as usual, but this waterfall-like scenery is still breathtaking. In a place like this, the pieces you play are probably not chess pieces, but seashells," one of the commentators said.

"If you could play chess in a place like this all the time, you'd probably live several years longer," the commentator's partner remarked.

Ke Zhiguang glanced sideways at this magnificent scene. This was probably a privilege reserved for Go players in this world. Only Go players could compete in such a luxurious, imperial space and use the outcome to determine the course of their fortunes.