The work of the Go master

"Report! Her Highness is about to start her antics!"

Although the situation was extremely tense, a strange sense of joy permeated both inside and outside the game, leaving even the commentators stunned.

In a brief instant, Shireshima Deer closed her eyes.

Just like Saito once taught Koji Mitsuko to take a few more breaths to adjust her state when she encountered a difficult game of Go. Harushima Isshin also taught her... When you encounter a difficult game of Go, recall the past, and your memory will tell you what to do.

Quickly recall what you should do in this situation....

In Shireshima Deer's consciousness, the flow of time seemed to slow down, everything was immersed in water, and only her own consciousness was falling in a tower of memories, with everything around her being a shadow of the past.

"When you transform into a dragon one day, you will be able to see the universe!"

"Get lost, that's not the sentence. Who knows what that means? Next!"

"I strongly suggest that we should restore the medieval Go system of setting up positions and the rule of returning the starting stones!"

—I told you to get lost! Why are you still jumping out, Dad!

"Try to imitate the opponent you most want to defeat, and play the game in that person's style."

—That's right! That's the line, Dad, it still works sometimes!

This statement dates back to when she was eight years old, when she was beaten so badly that she cried and even took a photo, which was later unearthed during an interview in her hometown of Seto.

Harujima Isshin used this phrase to teach his daughter, who had been beaten to tears, a lesson. Sure enough, a few days later, Harujima Shika retaliated.

Back then, her idol was her father, but times have changed. Her father has been gone for many years, and it's time for her to find a new rival.

That would be Ke Zhiguang, of course.

Imagine if it were him, where would he place this chess piece...?

Under the pressure of the countdown, in front of the spotlight and the camera, Harushima Kashima suddenly changed her posture... and started pulling her hair.

He reached out and frantically rubbed the top of his head, as if trying to manually create a cowlick.

"What... what is this now? Princess Harushima's perplexing behavior is escalating further!"

"Wait! Isn't that Ke Zhiguang's signature move? Could it be...?"

"Damn it! Even though it wasn't his match, he still managed to put on such a show?"

The second countdown ended, leaving only the final countdown!

It's very close... very close already. The anticipated transformation is not far off...

We've reached the final level of Contra! The Big Heart is right in front of us!

Time passed quickly amidst the clamor, and as Qingdao Lu's behavior became increasingly perplexing, the Empress remained unmoved, like Guanyin.

10 seconds left on the countdown!

In the heart of Tokyo's Minato Ward, on a chessboard facing the city sky, Yagami Kunikyo placed his 162nd move on a certain spot.

7 seconds left on the countdown!

Koshikawa Tatsumi also made a move, gracefully picking up a chess piece and slamming it down in acrobatic fashion on move 162.

It is in the same location as the capital of Yagami.

With five seconds left on the countdown, Ke Zhiguang also made a move.

162 moves, all three players are in the same position.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Saito asked from the side, without taking the initiative to set up the board.

"This is the only place we can go."

The last second of the countdown!

Harujima Shika also moved his chess piece with a single stroke!

Suddenly, the folding fan began to take shape, and a delicate, sharp blade, as beautiful as cherry blossoms, slashed out!

He slashed at the chains on the dragon-locking pillar!

Several chains began to break apart, and Longwei was freed from the stone pillar!

For the first time, the Empress's expression wavered, and cracks appeared on the ice throne beneath the Vermilion Bird.

"At the last second, Princess Qingdao made her move. Let's see what this move is all about..."

The unexpected choice of location was surprising. Most people would have thought that this move would lead to a retreat to another area, but unexpectedly, Shiori Shika still launched an attack in this local area.

The 162 hands, like inlays in the air, are squeezed into the three-fifths position in a broken and chaotic manner, also known as the high eye.

The visual effects are stunning; I don't even know what to call this move.

"What... what kind of move is this?" Naosaka didn't know what terminology to use for a moment. Terms like jump, point, clamp, and dig couldn't describe it. The only thing that came close was squeeze or pinch, but it was still far from it.

“One ‘embedded’,” Ke Zhiguang said in a low voice, having invented a new term.

"Can this move make the group live?" Saito asked calmly, having not done much calculation in the local area... too lazy to calculate, saving his brain.

"It's unprofitable," Ke Zhiguang said.

"So what's so great about it?"

You'll see it soon.

On the chessboard, both sides faced a high-pressure countdown test.

Mugu had figured it out: although this move looked like a masterstroke, it wouldn't work in a localized area.

However, immediately afterwards—

On move 166, Harushima Shika finally made her move.

The azure dragon's might was etched onto the blade, and the moment the blade was drawn, the furious dragon spirit pierced through the Vermilion Bird!

"Look closely, who is the number one woman in the world!" she shouted in her mind, in a somewhat childish tone.

This move features a dragon effect, with a dragon descending from the sky and crashing down towards a point on the board!

"Move 166, Princess Harushima is blocking here... Huh? Why did she suddenly leave the main battlefield? Does that mean there are no more pieces here?" Naosaka was becoming more and more confused. He was sure that something beyond his imagination was happening on the chessboard.

Saito stared at it for a moment before a smile appeared on his lips: "I see. This move is truly...incredibly valuable."

With the countdown down to the very last second, the Empress sighed and then placed the chess piece upright on one side of the board.

"What... what's going on here? Mugu was forced to stay here and take precautions. Is it not an option to not take precautions here?"

Naosaka immediately began to arrange the stones on the board and analyze the situation. It wasn't until after making several more moves that he realized what had happened in the local area.

"This is... a series of brilliant moves that many excellent chess players could never make in their entire lives," he said with a self-deprecating humor.

The massive amount of calculation involved almost the entire upper half of the game, the life and death of several groups of stones, complex ko fights, and precise endgame moves. In professional terms, it was called "calculating a thousand moves".

Ultimately, its purpose was indeed just to increase the number of points in the endgame, aiming for a ten-point endgame with the first move.

"Move 162, this nameless move, is a deadly brilliant move. It sets the stage for the seemingly ordinary endgame move 166, turning what should be a black move into a first move," Naosaka explained. "If Kiko hadn't followed up with a defensive move, starting from the cut point induced by move 162, Black would have faced complete collapse. But the Empress is the Empress after all, and it's easy for her to calculate it clearly, so she had no choice but to compromise and defend."

Atsuki Oki chimed in, "Don't be fooled by the fact that all of White's moves from 144 to 164 are dead. This was originally Black's territory. So what if they're dead? No matter how many White moves are dead, it won't help Black gain a single point. On the contrary, Black faces a huge risk of being captured."

"Simply put, Princess Qingdao's tactic is... to sacrifice a pawn, to sacrifice a small dragon and gain ten points for nothing."

"And these ten points are enough to change the current outcome of the game."

To put it bluntly... it's like throwing a dragon like a wave!

The seawater reversed dramatically, and the scales of victory were suddenly balanced in an instant!

246 moves, the final piece sealed the deal!

The empress lowered her head and sighed, then put her wedding ring back on.

"The vice-captain's match is over. Shireshima Kashima, white, wins. The two teams are now tied at 6:6. The captain's match will be played next!" the referee announced.

"Report! Princess Qingdao's personal guard has been expanded! It really has been expanded!"

"Princess Qingdao! Are you ready? Are you ready?"

Saito Kazumi silently got up.

"It's finally our turn, isn't it, Saito-sensei/Kazuhiko?" The two exchanged a smile, their provocative tone almost shattering the camera lens.

This has made fans of the master-disciple pairing ecstatic.

Inside the game room, Harushima Shika sat in a daze, staring blankly at the chessboard and... the folding fan in his hand.

For a fleeting moment, I felt as if the folding fan had transformed into a knife...

—This person not only plays chess with strange things every day, but the things he gives them are also so strange!

"Well done, little girl. I used to think you were just a stubborn little girl like me, but now you seem to have really matured." Mu Gu said this as he walked past her.

I can finally wear this ring with peace of mind, for a long, long time...

Harushima turned her head to look at the other person, but only saw their back.

Perhaps the opponent really went easy on us in the last princess battle.

But this time, the other side really did their best.

As for why they let him off the hook, it was probably out of consideration for the younger generation and to give them confidence, rather than just to find a way to gracefully retire.

After figuring this out, another chain on the dragon-locking pillar broke.

Only one chain remains.

Chapter 76, let's begin! The winning code is yours!

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the humidity and heat on the sea reached their peak, and the seawater seemed to boil. Countless passengers poured into the bar, ordered the strongest drink to celebrate the victory, and everyone's forehead was drenched in sweat.

Not everyone may be Princess Qingdao's personal guard, but after this battle, they all intend to apply to join the army.

"Nice, is this what they mean by the unpredictable Princess Harujima? When she's in good form, she can't beat anyone, but when she's not in good form... well, she seems to be unable to beat anyone either," Nishi Chiaki said jokingly.

The result of this round was good news for them. Besides the Kezhiguang team, who should celebrate, they should also pop some champagne and set off some firecrackers to celebrate.

Inoue Masakado, who had been silently watching the game, revealed a slight smile.

Xuan Yuzhi, who had been setting up the game, was particularly annoyed. He had just been analyzing the local situation, but he hadn't figured out the "Condensing Emptiness" move at 162... Being outdone by a woman was indeed very uncomfortable.

Yuan Shang Jing Liu sighed softly, "Perhaps this is bad news only for me."