The work of the Go master

"So what about you? You really don't plan to get on the ship?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Yes, I have made up my mind to fully support you on land." Shi Quan then made an Amitabha Buddha gesture, nodded, and bowed, just like a monk.

"To be honest, you're so good to us, it always gives me the feeling that you might be a long-lost relative or something..." Ke Zhiguang scratched his head.

"Of course that's impossible. I just think it would be meaningless if the older team of the Imperial Chess won the championship. I hope to support some young people who can take on the destiny of chess. You are the direction for the future development of the chess world." Shi Quan grinned kindly. Although he looked and was about the same age as Ke Zhiguang, he gave people a surprisingly broad-minded feeling.

There's also that pure love for Go, which is why Ke Zhiguang never felt any hostility towards him.

"Speaking of which, your choice of Miss Xingcai as a teammate reminds me of some interesting old stories, very interesting... very interesting..." Shi Quan repeated "very interesting" several times, his gaze towards the high place softening a bit.

High up there, a figure left through the window.

It seems that Yagami Kyo has been watching down there since just now.

The old story, Yagami Kunikyo just mentioned this point.

It's hard not to feel that Ke Zhiguang is talking about the same thing.

So... how old is this person really?

"It's decided then. During the time before we board the ship, I will do my best to help you with your training. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm quite good at teaching... After all, I am a teacher with disciples." Shi Quan said confidently.

"So, you mean you can help Xingcai out?" Ke Zhiguang asked. Could a professional teacher really get something for nothing like this?

However... this person's disciple is almost half his age. Is it really okay for Xingcai to follow him like this?

It's probably better to call the police.

"That's how it is... Then let's not delay any longer, let's get started. Our journey, this contest shrouded in a grand theme, is about to begin."

The moment the words left her lips, a gentle spring breeze swept across the land, and a delicate early cherry blossom drifted slowly by.

Spring has arrived, and the gears of fate have begun to turn.

Yagami Kunikyo, Koshikawa Tatsumi, Saito, and himself, including the high and unreachable gods, the grand theme was thus naturally structured, overlooking the entire chessboard from the sky.

"Let's go back to the restaurant first, and I'll introduce you to my teammates." Ke Zhiguang walked forward, stepping on cherry blossoms.

......

......

The next day, Ke Zhiguang got up early to catch the Shinkansen and arrived at the Inoue Shrine again at noon. There were still those two silly and cute Sadaharu... oops, komainu.

Koji Hikaru swaggered into the torii gate this time, undeterred by the stereo system.

The torii gates stand on the water like a fairyland, captivating visitors with their layered structure.

After crossing the winding wooden bridge and stepping onto this shrine floating on the water, I wiped my face with the temizu and then ventured deeper into the main hall.

There was no one along the way. Perhaps they knew he was coming today, so they gave their employees the day off in advance and declined visitors as well.

"Welcome, Mr. Guang, we have been waiting for you for a long time." A voice as clear as a stream came from the depths of the main hall.

Inoue Seiya had been waiting for a long time, dressed in her finest attire, with a komainu (guardian dog) pattern printed on her flowing robes.

All the other shrine maidens have crane tattoos, but this family has a dog tattoo. That's really something else.

On the altar behind her, there is also an adorable komainu (guardian dog) with a pair of magatama-like eyebrows.

This thing is a god?

"It looks like you've already approved my team application?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

“Yes, the gods told me that the next few months will be my free time. I can go to faraway places and see different scenery for myself, instead of just relying on Xingcai,” Xingjia said. “In the end, it’s all thanks to you, Mr. Guang.”

"I think it's mainly thanks to Xingcai, and secondly, it should be my family's god."

As they talked, Ke Zhiguang continued to walk slowly forward.

The opponent's score... is 25 points, much lower than expected. The bond value is probably only a tiny bit, the chess way value is probably not even close, and the last item X doesn't quite fit either.

It seems that this rating system will not give the green light to people who are charlatans.

Inoue Seiya sat upright on a futon behind a chessboard, her long, black hair flowing down like a swallow's tail to the floor.

She smiled gently at Ke Zhiguang, her deep eyes misty.

Hmm... she doesn't resemble Xingcai at all.

From the perspective of anime, these sister characters usually have the same hair color and eye shape, with the only difference being the length of their hair. However, she and Xingcai are completely unrelated.

"Please excuse my appearance. I resemble my mother, while Xingcai resembles my father," Xingjia said with a smile.

"Wait, you can even read my mind?"

"It can only read very shallow thoughts, and it's only useful within this shrine. Once you're outside, you won't have to worry about privacy." Hoshino covered her mouth and chuckled, as if she completely understood the state of teenage boys.

"this......"

How could someone as noble and righteous as him have any ill intentions? (This is a sarcastic, somewhat exaggerated, and potentially offensive statement.)

“I know you have a lot of questions for me, Mr. Guang, so let’s talk while we play,” Xingjia said, bringing the chess box up from the bottom of the table. She got straight to the point.

"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer." Ke Zhiguang also sat down in front of the futon.

"Please be sure to give it your all. Although I lost to Ryuji in the Women's Cup, my strength is basically on par with hers. Please don't underestimate me."

“I understand, but you call her Long’er, that’s…” Ke Zhiguang already had the answer in his heart, it was of course—

—She and Qingdaolu are cosplaying as the Condor Heroes!

Pshaw, just kidding.

"Mr. Guang, you must have already anticipated that I have this ability to see through other people's future fortunes."

"I had anticipated this."

Given that she's already a shaman, it's not surprising that she has the ability to see through other people's fortunes at a glance.

"Yagami Kunikyo said you are someone who can reveal secrets. He specifically emphasized the word 'can,' does that mean that others may know the secrets, but cannot speak of them?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"That's right, and it can only be said in the world of chess... So please draw a piece and decide who goes first, since you are older than me."

Pick a piece, guess first, and take the white piece.

The first chess piece was placed, and the darkness stretched out in all directions, while arena-like lights shone down from above.

The symbolic spirit of the star marriage manifests itself.

It was a... multicolored butterfly.

The Butterfly Queen

The most aesthetically pleasing species

A giant butterfly, its glass-like wings fluttering, alighted on a vibrant flower. As if a field spell card had been activated, a fragrant grove of flowers bloomed in the darkness, their aroma reaching even Koji's eyes.

Unexpected, yet also reasonable.

Kojiro originally thought that the other party's symbolic spirit was simply a shrine maiden, or a divine messenger, or if all else failed, a komainu.

But what makes sense is that... Xingcai is a bee, and butterflies naturally complement bees, making them the two heroes of the flowerbed.

Looking at Xingcai the bee alone, I always thought she was quite ordinary, but now seeing the butterfly... indeed, the charm of a couple lies in their mutual enhancement.

Another logical explanation is that butterflies are inherently spiritual insects. Many myths around the world tacitly regard butterflies as another form of the soul, such as the Butterfly Lovers, Zhuangzi's dream, and Psyche, which correspond perfectly to the spirituality of the witch's identity.

A light pink crown was placed on the butterfly's head, a symbol of the title of Fairy Palace. Like the princess of Sunny Island, it was pink, but a lighter shade.

It was just a series of effects demonstrations, among which the ones that impressed Ke Zhiguang the most were [being protected from mosquitoes] and [being approached by animals], both of which are amazing skills.

Perhaps mosquitoes have been removed from the animal kingdom.

However, there are some inexplicable effects that, while not belonging to the Celestial Palace title, are still attributed to the butterfly.

The Divine Move

[When counting down, there is a certain chance of capturing the perfect answer.]

Hmm...

The name clashes with my daily tasks.

This skill, when translated, is called "Critical Hit Chance".

It sounds impressive, but its usefulness isn't that obvious. The "divine move" is ultimately just one move, with other variations to follow. Only by figuring out the variations can the "divine move" unleash its power; otherwise, you'll have to remove the "礻" (a specific move in the game).

[Telepathic Connection]

This needs no explanation, but it's easy to understand; it refers to the connection between one's senses and those of Xingcai.

“See? Isn’t it beautiful?” Xingjia said.

"Yes, it's beautiful."

Ke Zhiguang then followed suit and made his move.

The moment the chess piece trembled, Xingjia's expression also wavered.

"What about mine?" Ke Zhiguang poked behind him with his thumb and glanced back, but there was still nothing there.

"This is beyond the scope of my secret disclosure... I doubt anyone is qualified to reveal its existence, not even Mr. Hanno..." Hoshino smiled apologetically.

As for why Zezi was able to reveal its existence, it's probably because he has already left the Go world forever, and he only drew a vague outline.

"It's okay, let's continue."

The game of chess proceeded slowly.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: National fortune is Earth, chess fortune is Wood, and luck is Fruit.

The number of chess pieces gradually increased on the chessboard, like pebbles being intermittently thrown into a lake.

Everything was so quiet.

In the center of this lake, everything outside the chessboard is isolated.

After about thirty moves, Xingjia finally spoke up: "The first question is, you want to ask me why I can only reveal related secrets during the game, right?"

Xingjia placed the chess piece with an elegant, ancient style, one hand rolling up her sleeve and the other holding the piece, a move described in ancient Chinese as "as if ethereal."

"Yes." Ke Zhiguang didn't think much of it and immediately placed his piece.

The chess pieces here are made of a special material. When they fall onto the chessboard, the sound of them colliding is like that of silk and bamboo instruments, suspended in the air between the vermilion pavilions.