The work of the Go master

Putting everything else aside, let's take a look at this person's symbolic spirit first.

"Well then, alright, this humble monk will humbly accept your offer." Shi Quan took a deep breath and sat down opposite Ke Zhiguang, placing a chess piece on the board to guess the odds.

Just that sitting posture, that tapping motion, and that instantly sharpened gaze were enough to fill Ke Zhiguang with awe.

The pressure is immense.

Looks like he's got some skills.

Shi Quan guessed wrong; Ke Zhiguang played black in this game.

The black stone was played and placed on the star point in the upper right corner.

But the second move was delayed.

Because he had been thinking about this move for so long, Ke Zhiguang couldn't help but want to look up and see what his opponent was doing.

If the opponent's piece doesn't fall, it can't be determined that a game has started, and the symbolic spirit can't be seen.

When Ke Zhiguang looked up, he found that Shi Quan's attention was not on the chessboard at all, but staring at him in astonishment.

What is he looking at?

Ke Zhiguang paused for a moment, his thoughts still lingering.

Shi Quan suddenly snapped out of his daze, slapped his forehead and laughed, "Oh dear, I suddenly forgot, I have some other things to do tonight, I can't continue the game here."

"What?" Ke Zhiguang remained bewildered.

"That's all. I'll take my leave now. See you later."

Shi Quan vanished in the blink of an eye, right before everyone's eyes.

The onlookers were very disappointed. They had thought that a ruthless character who could punish Ke Zhiguang would appear and make the "Ke Zhiguang Research and Combat Association" ecstatic, but the person was gone.

Yamaoka stepped forward and asked, "What's going on?"

Ke Zhiguang shook his head and replied, "I don't know either, maybe he really has something going on."

The brief interlude ended just like that, and Peach Blossom Studio quickly returned to its usual tranquility.

The moon is full tonight, making it a peaceful and serene night.

......

......

Hannoken rushed back home, panting heavily.

He saw it; he saw the extraordinary presence behind Ke Zhiguang.

"Hanno-sensei?" Kiko Seinoka's figure appeared at the entrance of the hallway.

His gloomy face was filled with a thick aura of darkness, and his eyes were electrifying.

"Ah, Ah Xiang, let me explain!" Ban Yexuan was still disguised as Shi Quan, acting like a son who was being scolded for coming home late in front of the Empress.

"Teacher, your psychiatric condition is as vigorous as ever. I suppose you've already lost interest in the goal of living to be a hundred, haven't you?"

"No, no, no, that's not it. I've discovered something... very exciting. It might even allow our Go world to continue to thrive!" Hanno Ken said confidently.

"Oh, then why don't you tell me about it?"

"Ke Zhiguang, I met Ke Zhiguang today."

"You went to see him?" Mu Gu asked in surprise.

"Yes, I've made up my mind. I'm going to bet on him, just like Yagami Kunikyo bet on Saito. I... I'm going to participate in this Dragon Throne Battle in the same way!"

Faced with Hannoken's bold words, Mugu, who was more than forty years younger than him, merely twitched his eyebrows slightly.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" she said calmly.

......

......

Back in his room, Ke Zhiguang checked the chessboard, but no pieces were produced.

Neither visiting Inoue Shrine nor exchanging a glance with this person who claimed to be a disciple of Ishishin triggered any events.

Hmm... the clues have suddenly become tangled, making it difficult to find a starting point for the time being.

On one side are a witch and a god shrouded in mystery, and on the other side are a suited warrior with unclear intentions. Will these two storylines intersect?

Ke Zhiguang thought about it for a while, but came to no avail.

It is very possible that these two events are not related, but just happened to coincide at the same time.

Just as Xingjia said, with the approach of the Dragon Throne Battle, the trajectory of destiny has also changed in the dark.

However, there is one thing that Ke Zhiguang is quite concerned about.

Shi Quan stared in astonishment at the look in his eyes.

It happened right after he made his first move.

Could it be that he also possesses a similar ability to Kiyonuma Yuzawa, being able to see through other people's fortunes at a glance?

Then this person saw the dog-eared humanoid figure behind him and was so frightened that he ran away.

Everything is shrouded in mystery.

I might as well just take a shower and clear my mind.

After a long day of running around, I plunged into the bathtub, and a wave of exhilarating pleasure washed over me, making me feel like I was melting.

Speaking of which, Ke Zhiguang had previously secretly mocked Harushima Kaoru, saying that if she really moved out to live alone, she would probably have to rely on her dog for care.

Now it seems I'm already living a life being taken care of by canine creatures, so I really don't have the right to criticize them.

Ke Zhiguang lay in the bathtub, enjoying the comfort of the hot water, pondering solutions to the problem.

First, simplify your thinking and put aside Shi Quan for now. If something really happens, he should reappear.

Since that's the case, we only need to focus on dealing with Xingjia, and Xingcai will become the only breakthrough we can grasp.

Just as he was pondering a specific countermeasure, Ke Zhiguang suddenly thought of the newly acquired championship trophy.

[Talent of a General: Incidentally, it also increases the obedience of teammates, allowing you to command them to do things they wouldn't normally do.]

Hmm...maybe this strange-looking skill is working.

......

......

The next morning, Harushima Kashima continued to linger in bed.

Although it's spring now, her competitive form has improved a lot.

However, as we all know, there is basically no direct correlation between competitive performance and lifestyle; someone who is welded to bed will absolutely not be able to get up.

The phone rang from the living room, and Kata started barking in response.

"Ugh, Kata, go answer it." Harujima said groggily, turning over and burying her face in the pillow.

"Senior, you're sending a dog to answer the phone for you? Are you still not recovered from last night's 'Detective Kuku'?" Xingcai's voice came from the living room.

"Detective Kuku" is an evening children's animation, and the main character is a dog.

"Since you're awake, why don't you answer it already!" Harushima Kashima's morning grumpiness surged up, instantly waking her up.

"Alright, but I think the only person who would call us at this hour is Senior Ke Zhiguang. Since you really don't want to hear his voice, then I'll..."

"Wait, wait a minute! I've been thinking, I think I'll answer this call myself." Harushima Shika stumbled off the bed and tumbled over to answer the phone.

“Hello, it’s me,” Ke Zhiguang said.

"You actually called me so early in the morning. Luckily, I was already awake and wasn't woken up by you." Harujima Shikamaru's face flushed slightly.

"Stare—" Xingcai's gaze swept over.

"Cough! Cough!"

"Alright, you two can chat anytime. I'm going to walk the dog." Xingcai flipped her palm, grabbed the dog leash, and headed out the door.

Her mood remained the same as usual, showing no signs of fluctuation.

After confirming that Xingcai was far away and wouldn't suddenly turn back to open the door, Qingdaolu asked, "So what did you do all day yesterday? I didn't see you at all?"

“I went to Inoue Shrine,” Ke Zhiguang said truthfully.

"Inoue Shrine? I've been there too... Wait! You went straight to another city yesterday?" Harushima Shika was shocked the moment she realized what was happening.

In a short time, there were countless complaints.

However, in an instant, with her keen sense of catching cheaters... oops, her sharp female sixth sense, she grasped the most crucial point: "You, you, you wouldn't have chosen Xingjia as our next teammate, would you!"

"Pretty much. Although she's a woman, her strength is about the same as yours, so she should be able to play," Ke Zhiguang gave the answer he had prepared beforehand.

Although Xingjia's name is not among the five outstanding players of the new century, this is mainly due to her uniqueness. Even professional Go players would find it difficult to think of her immediately when asked about the best young players.

If she could be as active in various tournaments as Harushima Kashima, with her chess skills, she should be able to take turns with Harushima Kashima as the princess.

"W-What do you mean she's about the same as me? She's clearly not as good as me. Look who personally gave me the Women's Cup title."

"Okay, although her chess skills are much worse than yours, I think she can still play... See, doesn't it make you seem more impressive?"

"Yes, yes, this is a good option." Harushima Kashima nodded in satisfaction.

But his expression quickly froze, as if he had a bitter pill to swallow.

"If she goes up there, she'll be facing top male chess players!" she said worriedly.

"Harushima, do you think you'd be at a disadvantage against me on the field?"

"Of course not. Don't forget, I have the better record against you in practice matches."

That's true.

Since that New Star Tournament, Shika Harushima's skill level has also entered a period of rapid improvement.

Especially in training matches, he stands out as a tiger.

As for whether her training match results were superior, Ke Zhiguang couldn't remember. He only knew that after the New Star Battle, he and his opponent hadn't actually met in the main competition.

“Yeah, actually we can switch positions. Let her play the deputy general, and you play another position. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”