The work of the Go master

In conclusion, it is highly likely to pass unanimously.

Harujima sighed helplessly, feeling that things were somewhat surreal.

To be fair, she was, after all, Xingcai's teacher during the period when Xingcai was preparing for the professional ranking competition.

Then, without realizing it, she became a teammate.

"What about the last teammate? Is it Xingjia again?" Shiro asked.

"That's basically it, right? Maybe the sisters together will create a synergy bonus?"

"Hehe."

The deer on the island of Seishin continue to show signs of fatigue.

On closer inspection, there's actually no downside. Although our current setup feels like going from a superpower to a makeshift team, it should be much easier if everyone is together.

At least you don't have to worry about letting your teammates down; everyone's on your side, so who's going to betray whom?

As Ke Zhiguang said, sometimes, you can reach a stronger state simply by relaxing.

"Then it's decided. When are we going to bring Xingjia over?" Qingdao Lu cheered with a "Yoshi!"

"We can set off tomorrow, and we can go pick her up as a group."

The latest treasure map has coordinates located within the Inoue Shrine, a must-visit location.

However, if we're talking about that, Duanzi Ge probably wouldn't agree to Xingjia joining the team either.

It's alright, just let him get hammered twice, that'll be more material for jokes in the chess world.

After finalizing the team's important matters, we could finally enjoy lunch—but we couldn't.

Just as he picked up his chopsticks, the restaurant door was pushed open, and the sound of a pair of leather shoes made Ke Zhiguang suddenly stop what he was doing.

My feeling isn't good.

He was a young man in a dark gray suit, his gentle smile like that of a butler.

He approached the dining table and politely said, "Koujiko 8-dan, Mr. Oshiro would like to meet you."

The temperature, which had just warmed up, suddenly dropped again, causing both Harushima Deer and Hoshia to show brief surprise.

At this moment, Ke Zhiguang finally recognized the young man's face.

Everyone calls him Yu Chengqi's butler.

"Eight-dan?" Ke Zhiguang asked tentatively.

"You've won the title in the Master Tournament and have been promoted to 8th Dan."

As he spoke, the other person lifted his shirt and placed a rank certificate in front of Ke Zhiguang.

Indeed, his eighth-dan certificate was stamped with the official seal of Yuchengqi. Without this seal, the certificate would have no validity.

Whether it's overt legitimacy or covert fortune.

"What does Yu Chengqi want with me now?" Ke Zhiguang continued to ask.

“You can be said to be the most sought-after newcomer in the chess world recently. Master Yu Chengqi has many reasons for seeking you out, it depends on which one you want to hear,” the butler replied with a smile.

That's right, he doesn't need a reason to contact me.

Ke Zhiguang took the certificate and handed it to the deer next to him, Qingdaolu.

"Hold this for me, I'll be right back." Ke Zhiguang stood up.

It must be no coincidence that the other party chose this time to request a meeting.

It's probably because they found out about my visit to the cruise ship with Xingcai last night, which piqued the interest of Yagami Kunijō.

As for why this person was able to pinpoint their exact coordinates, it can only be explained by the fact that they have extraordinary connections and influence.

One wave just flattened, another wave rose again.

They boarded the black luxury car parked in front of the restaurant and drove towards Yu Chengqi's mansion.

His residence is located on the top floor of a towering office building in the heart of the port area.

In the eyes of many outsiders, those who have mastered Go to the highest level will have a certain ancient air about them, and they will often choose to live in a Japanese garden, just like Gen-gyoku Tomokami.

The reality is quite the opposite: those at the pinnacle of the chess world have set up their residences in the heart of the bustling city, where they can see the bustling streets with just a slight bend.

The elevator carrying Ke Zhiguang ascended floor by floor, and the pressure value gradually increased as well.

There is a huge thing occupying the ground floor of this building.

With a ding, the elevator reached the top floor.

The moment the door opened, Ke Zhiguang's entire field of vision was filled with all sorts of strange displays.

The calligraphy paintings on the wall, the porcelain vases on the table, and even the chandeliers hanging from the dome all contribute to a positive effect.

Health, luck, recovery, and even an increase in charm all piled up violently, like data manipulation.

It's almost like a paradise.

Are the people living here... really human?

"Finally, we can officially meet, Ke Zhiguang, what do you say?" A deep and powerful voice came from the floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the room.

Yagami Kunikyo stood there, looking down at the street, still wearing a white suit. No matter how you looked at him, he was a perfect man.

"I wonder what brings you here this time?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

“I already know the team members you’ve chosen, and I must say, it’s quite a bold choice,” Yagami Kunikyo said, turning to look at Keiji Hikaru.

Ke Zhiguang's pupils widened slightly, revealing a hint of surprise.

Yagami Kunikyo's points... are actually negative.

-666 points.

So, it turns out this thing isn't based on a percentage system either.

Black flames burned on the numbers.

In Western culture, the number 666 seems to represent the devil.

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Dragon Slayer

Displaying negative numbers.

An unusually high figure.

Demonic numbers.

An indescribable sense of eeriness and oppression arose from within.

Of the three elements of the score, the bond value is definitely not relevant, but I didn't expect it to break through the lower limit.

Judging from this, it's clear that my philosophy on chess is completely different from yours.

The last item, X, should also be in the opposite state.

This is Yagami Kunikyo, a man from a completely opposite dimension to Keiji, like two sides of a coin.

"I never imagined we'd meet like this. Looking back now, perhaps there really is a destiny entangled between us," Yagami Kunikyo said with a sigh, neither happy nor sad.

Accompanied by the ethereal sound of the wind outside the window, feelings indeed surged in like a tide.

From Kiyonuma Yuzawa to Shibu Ruijin, the shadow of Yagami Kunikyo always seemed to flicker behind him. He stood atop the highest peak in the Go world, overlooking the approaching Koji Hikaru.

Now, Ke Zhiguang has also reached one of the pinnacles of the chess world. Although he still looks up to the opponent, he is now very close to him.

"You seem to be able to see strange things?" Yagami Kunikyo's gaze swept over Koji Hikaru with surprise, and he also noticed that Koji Hikaru had some kind of visual effect that was not conventional.

"More or less, but it's hard to describe to you," Ke Zhiguang answered frankly. "Let's not talk about that. Tell me, why did you call me here? It's not like you already prepared a more suitable team for me, is it?"

"I had no such plans. I was just surprised by your choice, which reminded me of some old memories." Yagami Kunikyo gently closed his eyes.

He continued, "So you've already decided to face Tatsumi Koshikawa on the chessboard?"

"Of course, he's the title holder. If I don't beat him, I can't win this championship... I have no personal grudge against him."

Can't say the same.

In the New Star Wars, when Shizuka Harushima was lying on his bed... oops, in his room, there was a gleaming water blade waiting outside the window.

If he had failed, the water blade would have undoubtedly shattered the window, causing a tragedy. In that case, besides grief, he would most likely have faced the risk of being arrested.

Thinking about it this way, it does seem like there is indeed some personal grudge involved.

“If I were to advise you to give up this Dragon Throne battle, you certainly wouldn’t agree, would you?” Yagami Kunikyo said calmly.

"Definitely."

Faced with this expected answer, Yagami Kunikyo was unmoved.

“As expected, you, Koshikawa Tatsumi, and Saito Sando are all the same kind of people,” Yagami Kunikyo said.

"Wait, why is Saito being dragged into this too?"

"Haven't you realized yet that your teacher, Saito Sanmichi, is largely the same as Koshikawa Tatsumi—both are synonymous with madness, deeply immersed in an obsession with something beautiful, thus embarking on a lonely and long journey forward."

"I don't quite understand."

“You must have heard Saito mention that every time he won the Dragon Throne title, he saw the universe,” Yagami Kunikyo said.

Now that you mention it, Ke Zhiguang does indeed remember it.

That was during our first formal meeting, when we discussed the rules for entering the industry.

He still remembers the longing look on Saito's face as he gazed at the sky when he talked about this.

It's like the daydreams and fascination of a young person on a poor island looking at the bustling skyscrapers on the other side of the river.

“Saito Sando is the only 9-dan Go player still fighting on the front lines. Many people have advised him to retire and rest, but it’s no use. No one can stop his pure yearning for the Dragon Throne Championship, because that universe is too alluring… Calling it a curse might not be an exaggeration, a curse called the universe.” Yagami Kunikyo slowly recounted.

Ke Zhiguang lowered his head in deep thought.

"And so is Koshikawa Tatsumi. You've heard the story of him cutting the sea, haven't you?"

"I've heard a bit about it, that he was shipwrecked on the east coast of the Pacific and ended up drifting all the way to the west coast of the Pacific... Is that true?"

Yagami Kunikyo nodded: "It's true. The ocean he defeated... or rather, the dragon he slew was called Yamata no Orochi."