The work of the Go master

But Ke Zhiguang felt that this was more like a lucky gift that belonged only to him. In such a large area, he was the only one riding against the wind, from the snowfield to the snow forest, and then to the hills in the distance, with the white snow all in sight.

Moreover, I didn't feel cold at all; instead, I felt refreshingly cool. The ease of wearing only a suit was also a plus.

After today, the blizzard will stop, and it is very likely that there will never be another blizzard like this again. In a sense, he will be the only person to have witnessed this scene.

How to put it? There's a magical sense of possession. The breathtaking scenery is comparable to a priceless treasure. It only appears before your eyes for a moment, but stays in your mind for a lifetime. Thinking about it this way, it really is a gift.

The mysterious and beautiful fortune attached to Go, like a metaphysical principle, brought all of this together, allowing him to see beautiful scenery that others could not see, and entrusting him with missions that others could not accomplish.

Just as they were marveling at this, a storm pushed in from the front, as if the Snow God had discovered that mortals were invading its territory and thus resorted to underhanded tactics, like secretly arranging a car accident for the opponent before the start of the competition the next day.

Ke Zhiguang also tensed up, deftly twisting the handlebars, and an acceleration pushed him out from under the vehicle, skillfully avoiding obstacles in front of him, ensuring that the motorcycle could perfectly cut through the wind and snow at a 90-degree vertical position without being disturbed in the slightest.

Indeed, the most difficult part of playing Go is often not how to win on the board, but how to sit down at the board smoothly.

After a journey of more than twenty minutes, the snowmobile braked suddenly and drifted, kicking up waves of snow dust, and came to a perfect stop at its destination—the foot of the mountain where the abandoned shrine was located. The snow line here was up to the knees, completely covering the steps.

But Ke Zhiguang was able to sense that the thing was there, and it seemed to be calling out to something, making a sound.

After getting off the vehicle, Ke Zhiguang nimbly climbed up the ski slope. The higher he went, the clearer he could feel the presence of that thing.

Passing under the torii gate and reaching the top, the shrine was almost completely swallowed by snow, and the shrine bells swayed in the storm, making a sound as if they were about to fall.

Ke Zhiguang took a step forward, raised the [Double Roll] high with his right hand, and pointed it diagonally to the sky. It was hard to tell whether this action was a rolling motion or a transformation.

With a snap of his fingers, the [Double Scroll] burned away at the speed of light, and its power began to take effect—

A purer darkness descended, as if we had entered a game mode ahead of schedule.

After a moment of mental confusion, Ke Zhiguang suddenly realized that something strange had appeared in front of him.

In the wind and snow, a beautiful woman dressed in a white kimono stood quietly in the snow. Not a single snowflake fell on her. She smiled gently like a wife on her wedding night. Her white was also silvery white. The patterns of snowflakes were carved in her eyes. She seemed transparent and not of this world.

this.....

Isn't that a Yuki-onna?!

Good heavens, Inoue Seiya was lying to me!

[Symbolic Spirit: The Shape of Snow]

See that white kimono she's wearing? Treat her gently, and she will repay you.

Ok?

Why does this series of descriptions seem a bit strange to me?

Shiromuku is a traditional Japanese wedding dress, full of elegance and solemnity.

At first glance, the woman was indeed wearing a wedding dress.

Could it be that after defeating her...?

Cough cough, cough cough, let's defeat them first.

Seeing the darkness descending around him and the direct appearance of the symbolic spirit, Ke Zhiguang roughly understood what Xingjia meant by "pure fortune".

As expected, they bypassed the chess player and went straight to fight the symbolic spirit.

"Young master, did you bring any chess pieces?" the Snow Maiden suddenly asked, her voice drifting away into the snowstorm.

The moment Ke Zhiguang heard him address him as "Young Master," he was stunned for a moment.

Perhaps this is what makes it an antique; it still retains the tone of ancient times.

“Of course I brought this.” Ke Zhiguang untied the chessboard behind him and placed it on the snow. He then squatted down.

"This humble woman plays chess very slowly, and I hope that you, sir, will be patient and keep her company through this long snowy night." The snow woman, like the proprietress of a hot spring inn, gently placed her knees on the snow and lightly kissed her forehead.

I'm so afraid she'll suddenly say, "My lord, please come inside"...

“Time is not a problem, nor is tonight’s snow.” Ke Zhiguang nodded in agreement.

“Then, I shall respectfully comply.” With that, she raised her head, extended her snow-white fingers, picked up a white chess piece, and placed it on the fourth row, sixth column of the chessboard. This was the first move of the Yangchun style.

After the chess piece was placed, an ice flower was captured and transformed into an artistic star adorning the darkness.

this.....

You guess first!

Considering that her opponent must be at least over a thousand years old, it's definitely her who will get the first piece, Ke Zhiguang guessed.

To everyone's surprise, this person skipped the process altogether, picked up a piece and slammed it onto the board, playing white and moving first.

If nothing unexpected happens, this game will likely not have the komi rule and will be considered a handicap game for the player.

The time, place, people, and even his own mindset have been largely satisfied; all that remains is the method of the game.

Without hesitation, Ke Zhiguang raised his piece and placed it in the exact same diagonal position as his opponent.

Just like last time against Ghost King, we had to use the medieval Go style to defeat the Japanese Go style. So, the way to play this game is very likely to be to use the Yangchun style to defeat the Yangchun style, right?

Upon seeing this response, which started in the same way, a hint of surprise flashed across Yuki-onna's lips, but she quickly continued to smile. This kind of smile, which was first taken aback and then made her laugh, must have been genuine.

"This is going to be a very exciting match, isn't it?" the Snow Woman said with a smile.

Chapter Nineteen: Sunrise After the Snowstorm

Four extremely high points are staggered on the chessboard, and a powerful sense of snow bursts forth from the edge of the board. It is hard to imagine that one of the players in this grand and unconventional game is a woman.

"Fifth move, Tengen, please accept."

The cold, white light of the snow pierced the chessboard, right at the center point. The artistic aspect of this game was gradually reaching its extreme.

This inevitably brings to mind the series of innovative opening strategies in Japanese Go during the 1920s and 30s. Starting from the center point (tengen), the moves would leap across the board step by step along the nine-line, creating a wildly imaginative and unconventional style. To anyone watching, these moves would seem like two children playing with newly acquired Go pieces. But when the pieces came into close combat, showcasing their tesuji (tactical skills) and power, people would realize that these were the masterpieces of masters.

It seems this game will unfold in the same way.

By the way, this Snow Woman plays chess and even provides her own commentary?

The sixth move—

"My turn, I draw a piece and place it on the edge star to demonstrate art and formation. Turn over!" Ke Zhiguang also started his self-commentary mode.

Using this sentence structure to explain myself should be fine, right?

The shrine, shrouded in a blizzard, resembled a small boat in a giant wave, seemingly on the verge of being capsized by a single wave. Yet, the chessboard remained remarkably stable, with the chess pieces standing firmly on it, and the snow deliberately avoiding it, falling instead to the side.

Under the effect of "Sympathy Through Chess," a part of the Snow Woman's emotions seems to have been transformed into a special effect, with each move carrying a fiery passion that is completely opposite to snow.

The frozen snow-capped mountains were gradually chipped away, transforming into a lava-like eruption!

The thirty-sixth move! The pieces began to make formal contact, the cross broke off in the center of the board, and four pieces grew out in succession, forming a dart-like shape.

"May I ask, young master, how should we deal with this move?" Xue Nu asked softly, her gentleness concealing a sharp edge.

Each chess piece transformed into a beacon dispelling the wind and snow in this long, dark night. If someone could witness this scene from afar, they would inevitably feel as if they were witnessing a miracle.

Halfway up the mountainside of that abandoned shrine, a faint pillar of light stood, becoming the only thing clearly visible in the blizzard, attracting people to come and radiating a chilling aura that made it difficult to approach.

On the 54th move, it's Ke Zhiguang's turn to make a move!

Once the game entered the middle stage, the pieces finally shed their artistic facade and began to reveal their bloodthirsty nature, existing solely to control the opponent's liberties and to cut them off. The black and white dragons charged towards the center of the board, their claws and teeth embedded in the opponent's scales.

Emotions, like a revolving lantern, flowed along the lines of the chessboard into Ke Zhiguang's perception. This was a game of chess, and also a game of heart-to-heart talk.

Although the other party is just a single symbolic spirit, purely a matter of fortune, she does indeed have feelings.

Loneliness, coldness, and oppression—emotions accumulated over a century in this dilapidated shrine—fell gently like raindrops.

For a long time, it played its game alone. From here, it could see all the way to the Sea of ​​Japan, watching seabirds skim across the water and snatch fish from the water. It was as noble and proud as a snowflake, and as lonely as a snowflake.

Summer and autumn are the seasons she hates the most. After the snow melts, her presence becomes very weak, and her perception is greatly weakened. Her vision is limited to a small area around the shrine. Her only hope is that a tourist will happen to pass by, symbolically ring the shrine bell, offer a prayer to the shrine, and then leave in a hurry.

I can feel it, I can feel everything.

Boiling hot blood flowed through Ke Zhiguang's body, but his mind remained calm and clear.

He quietly placed the chess piece, as if pressing piano keys, the sound exceptionally clear.

Since that's the case, then I... will help you sever this destiny!

One hundred and twenty-eight moves! A golden light flashed across the chessboard in the Snow Woman's eyes. It was the release of a decisive move. Although the Snow Woman had already discovered this move, it was destined to be a move that could only be made by the opponent.

"On the 128th move, I activated a trap I had prepared beforehand, forcing this game to its end." Ke Zhiguang continued his self-commentary, his gaze calmly focused on his opponent.

"Then this humble woman will humbly accept your offer." With that, the Snow Maiden also placed her chess piece.

At this moment, the snow seemed to soften, and the storm gradually subsided, but people had already fallen into a deep sleep, hoping for good weather tomorrow, unaware that the weather outside had begun to improve.

No one would have imagined that all of this change was related to the outcome of a game of chess.

A sense of tranquility slowly descended, drifting across the sky above Otaru, as if Christmas had arrived early. The moon bore the silhouette of Santa Claus riding his reindeer, and the city resounded with the tinkling of Christmas carols.

This city certainly doesn't have a tragic fairy tale like The Little Match Girl.

Everything is alright now.

After collecting the last piece of the single-edged sword, the Snow Maiden finally lowered her head and said with a very satisfied expression, "Congratulations, young master, you have won."

"Thank you for your guidance."

Under this special declaration, the Chess Saint Blade in Ke Zhiguang's hand also began to take shape, but this time the blade it transformed into was also a very gentle style, without any extra sharpness or flames.

With a slender grip, Ke Zhiguang casually swung the short sword, and the Snow Woman's figure vanished like a mirage, her final expression still a smile.

Of course, she wasn't cut off; she simply left the scene on her own.

This cut cleaves through the darkness and the snow.

The long night was cleaved in two by this single stroke. The Snow Woman vanished in the flash of the blade, and the surrounding darkness was cut open like silk. The notes at that moment were so beautiful and moving.

Once the darkness was cut open, light poured in.

It was a soft, watercolor-like glow, as if it had been carefully blended—warm, but not glaring.

Based on his previously acquired time perception skill, it was now 6:30 AM, and the blizzard had stopped, abruptly ending at its peak.

Although this game of Go may seem like a fleeting moment between swordsmen, it actually spans an entire night. In Go, the moment the sword is swung, the whole night is gone.

The morning after the blizzard was clear. The east was just beginning to lighten, and a ray of morning light was shimmering at the edge of the snow line. A ray of light touched his face.

It was another breathtakingly beautiful scene, and once again, he was the only one enjoying it.

"That's about it, that's fine." Ke Zhiguang shook his leg easily and strolled outside.