The work of the Go master

[Let's unleash a burning sensation that lasts for an hour!]

"Why do you have something like this?!" Xingcai never expected that one day she would be as flustered and exclaiming as Qingdaolu.

Indeed, the deer-like phenomenon can be transmitted from person to person.

“Great idea! Come to think of it, Empress Mugu also passed this hot spring test by drinking some kind of strong liquor. I almost forgot about that.” Shi Quan smacked his hands with a sudden flash of inspiration.

I see. It's customary to have some ice cream or alcohol before soaking in a hot spring; it's a common practice in the chess world.

Brother Duanzi was able to withstand the Emperor's Spring head-on; he was indeed ruthless.

In the dimly lit hall of the mansion, Xingcai looked uneasily at the bottle of vodka placed in front of her. Its cap was a twist-top type, which could be opened without a bottle opener and drunk in one gulp.

The rain dripped noisily from the eaves, like the drumbeats before a charge.

Before him stood Ke Zhiguang, who was staring at him with unwavering eyes.

My heart started racing, as if it were being filled with flames.

A critical point is about to be crossed.

"Go, Xingcai." Xingjia's voice suddenly rang in her ears, making her eyes widen.

"Sister, have you... been watching all this time?" Xingcai communicated with her telepathically.

"You've basically read it all, including what you said about wanting to participate in the Dragon Throne Battle and give my father a good punch."

"This... is so embarrassing."

"I'm so embarrassed. I never expected that my beloved sister would not tell me these thoughts, but instead confide them to another man. This makes me very jealous."

"No, I'm sorry."

"Then this is a one-time exception. Come on, tell me what you're planning to do right now. This time, I have to be the first to know."

A gentle voice knocked on the last door to the critical point.

Xingcai's hand also gripped the mouth of the vodka bottle.

She lowered her head and said with a trembling laugh, "What's wrong with me today? I suddenly said some strange things, and then I was suddenly dragged to soak in some hot spring, and they even made me drink vodka... I don't understand, I really don't understand at all. If this continues, it'll be obvious what I'm going to do next, right?"

Kojiro originally wanted to add that the whole day after soaking in the hot springs is perfect, and it wouldn't be too late to go again tomorrow during the day... but after thinking about it, given this atmosphere, of course they could clear the Holy Grail War in one night! This is a tradition of this series.

"Fine, bring it on then! I don't care anymore!"

Immediately, Xingcai twisted open the bottle cap and put her mouth directly to the bottle opening, drinking in a rather bold manner.

—ton ton ton ton!

"So generous!" Shi Quan clapped his hands and exclaimed in admiration.

However, Ke Zhiguang's first reaction was... Don't drink it with your mouth! I still want to drink!

Ke Zhiguang even brought a cup over, but Xingcai ignored it.

Never mind, I can give the remaining half bottle to Shireshima Deer later, so she can come over and get a hot spring buff too.

So how can we get her to drink this bottle of wine?

After a few seconds of heavy drinking, Xingcai slammed the bottle down on the floor with a loud thud.

That one gulp was enough to finish half a bottle.

"How does it feel to challenge the legal drinking age limit?" Ke Zhiguang asked, feigning composure.

At this moment, the opponent was already quite similar to the impression persona that Ke Zhiguang had first perceived using the chess-like psychic connection: thorns and flames, rebellion and unruliness, and a gangster girl with most of her body tattooed.

"Not bad, but I don't plan to try again next time." Xingcai slowly stood up, an invisible pressure emanating from her.

She was clearly now a female leader.

She continued, "Help me prepare for the next leg of my trip, the next destination... the port area, the harbor."

Finally, he let out a burp sound.

He also revealed a fierce and stubborn look in his drunken eyes.

Chapter Sixty-Three: Tonight's theme is the Outpost Battle

Under the cover of night, the restless energy reached its peak.

Like the whisper of a storm, it sets the stage for what's to come.

In the dark mansion, a quaint old folk song drifted out from a corner of the courtyard, its melody carrying a drunken languor.

“It is... bath time, demons, begone…” Xingcai’s voice rose and fell, as if she had stepped onto the stage of an empty theater, dancing alone under the spotlight.

The potency of the vodka made her dizzy, but a strong thought was also burning in her consciousness, giving direction to all her actions.

Plop!

Xingcai's entire body sank into the deep, cold pool, and a ripple spread across the surface.

Then came a soothing soaking sound.

"The temperature is just right..."

The scorching heat and the cold spring temperature canceled each other out, eventually reaching a perfect balance.

The exhaustion I felt was gradually fading away.

"It suddenly occurred to me... I haven't been to a hot spring at all this winter..."

Soaking in hot springs is actually a traditional winter activity for her family. The whole family gathers in the hot spring hotel, warming themselves in the fireplace while watching TV shows such as crosstalk and the Red and White Song Festival, and of course, they eat oranges.

"Let's just consider it a way to make up for this winter..." She closed her eyes, rested her head on the bluestone beside her, and immersed herself in the enjoyment of the "hot spring".

The progress bar for the successful integration with the hot spring is slowly increasing.

The night rain had barely stopped when it started again, creating ripples on the open-air pond.

On the bluestone steps at the entrance of the mansion, Ke Zhiguang and Shi Quan were in a state of long waiting.

"Oh dear, it's raining, Mr. Ke. Aren't you going to come inside and take shelter from the rain?" Shi Quan retreated under the eaves.

"No need, this level of rain is just right, it feels great to be soaked in it." Ke Zhiguang stood on the steps, resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

"Are you asking about my identity? I've already told you, I am Shi Xin's eldest disciple. I've been ordered by my master to help you defeat Yue Chuan Longji." Shi Quan made a gesture of Amitabha.

"Report, you've changed your form of address to me from 'benefactor' to 'sir,' and you've also changed your self-address to 'this humble monk,'" Ke Zhiguang pointed out expressionlessly.

"Ah... well, actually I only learned chess from him, and as for Buddhism and Taoism, I just happen to be bald." Shi Quan chuckled and scratched the back of his head like a bear emoji.

"You suddenly ran away yesterday just as we were about to play chess. Was it because you saw the quantum force... fortune behind me?"

Ke Zhiguang's bluntness surprised Shi Quan.

“Yes, I can see it very clearly. It’s a very special existence.” Shi Quan responded directly, and this conversation, which was not riddle-like, made Ke Zhiguang feel unexpectedly comfortable.

"Can you tell me its specific appearance?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

Shi Quan smiled and shook his head: "I can't do that either."

"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed?" Ke Zhiguang is no stranger to this plot point, which is similar to the line "It's too early to tell you now" in many works.

"It's not that serious," Shi Quan said with a smile. "It's just that once I speak, some things will lose their effect. With what you've seen and heard so far, you should be able to understand the meaning of that statement to some extent, right?"

That's understandable.

The first law of quantum mechanics is that it cannot be observed or stated.

In terms of local mythology, it is said that in the Land of the Dead, Izanagi should not have looked back. Just that one glance back caused his wife Izanami to become ugly.

To explain it using local contexts, it's like the very end of Spirited Away, where Chihiro is told not to look back when she leaves the tunnel.

Hmm... Quantum mechanics has a really wide range of applications.

“That’s how luck works. It exists in the realm of metaphysics, secretly attached to Go, and even more so to the players… Our luck in Go might have to rely on you, Mr. Ke.” Shi Quan spoke calmly, his eyes reflecting the night sky and the future.

It's like making a significant entrustment.

"clear."

I don't really understand, but agreeing to it first is definitely the right thing to do.

As for the true form of the god of quantum mechanics, let it reveal itself.

"Let's not discuss such heavy topics. Let's talk about whether Miss Xingcai can win her perfect state next," Shi Quan said with a smile, changing the subject.

"I said yes, what about you?"

“I also think so, Mr. Ke, what are your reasons for thinking so?” Shi Quan asked in return.

"After passing the Empress Pond test, Inoue can also reach a perfect state. In the current era of komi, the only way to draw is through a triple ko... The players' strength may be exactly the same, and they may be able to draw five to five in ten games, but in the same game, the winner will be decided." Ke Zhiguang said, this was a line he had prepared in advance.

"Even if God were to play against himself, there would still be a winner and a loser, right?" Shi Quan asked.

"Okay, actually, the main problem is that the emotions have already been built up, and I really can't think of a scene after failure," Ke Zhiguang answered honestly.

Shi Quan laughed twice after hearing this: "Really? I think so too. Sometimes you should put aside your rationality for a while and bet everything on what you believe in. In this respect, you and I are the same type."

The rainy night continued in this long and deep manner. On the edge of the bustling port area, in front of a quiet and dilapidated mansion, two boys who appeared to be about the same age chatted very congenially.

"Alright, I should be going now. If I don't go home soon, my lovely disciple might get angry with me." Shi Quan got up to leave. "Miss Xingcai, I'll trouble you to accompany me the rest of the way."

"A lovely disciple?" Ke Zhiguang raised an eyebrow.

To be honest, in the original novel of the famous prison anime "The Ryuo's Work is Never Done!", the male protagonist often refers to his third-grade elementary school girl as his "cute disciple" from a first-person perspective.

This...could it be...?

"How old is your disciple?" Ke Zhiguang asked warily.

"Fifty... ptooey, that's almost half my age, not young anymore, haha." Shi Quan quickly corrected himself with a laugh.

—This is absolutely true.

Ke Zhiguang nodded in even greater understanding.

Although this person was disguised, after a conversation, I felt that the other person was probably around my age.

Think about it, I'm already eighteen this year, and then divide that by two... It's a crime! This is absolutely a crime!

Ke Zhiguang's first reaction was to reach for his phone to call the police, but unfortunately, he was limited by the times.

Ke Zhiguang decided that if the other party really was a disciple of Shi Xin, he should quickly write a letter to Shi Xin and ask him to take some time to clean up the sect.