The work of the Go master

The sound of a piece being placed rang out, clear and crisp like jade, and a gentle lotus flower bloomed on the chessboard.

An immense pressure emanated from the monk's back, even though he remained motionless and uttered not a single word.

With the majesty of a god or Buddha.

Congratulations, you've met that monk!

A humorous line popped up in the dialog box.

Sure enough, these warnings about being careful always come true, just like the gun Chekhov hung on the wall.

Maybe the "golden finger" is warning him to be careful of encountering something, but actually it's hoping he'll encounter it.

"Just an ordinary tourist. I saw the sign that said it was open for sightseeing, so I came in." Ke Zhiguang stepped forward, his fingers tracing the layers of the book, searching for the chess manual indicated by the [treasure map].

He was very careful now, his heart was beating fast, as if he were moving forward under high pressure at the bottom of the sea, and time itself seemed to slow down.

A quote from Teacher Cang Yuqiao echoed in his mind.

Some people, even just sitting at a chessboard, exude an aura of pressure, even if it's just their back.

And then there's the deer of Harushima.

—If we're talking about who has the strongest chess skills right now, there does seem to be one, but that person isn't a professional chess player.

And the philosophy of chess he recently came to understand.

The essence of Go is cultivating immortality. Becoming a professional Go player is like ascending from the mortal realm to the immortal realm, and winning a title is like occupying one of the highest peaks in the immortal realm.

Well... according to the power system in the classic Journey to the West, if we go further up in the celestial realm, there seems to be a Buddha.

Ke Zhiguang stiffly turned his head and glanced at the monk's broad back.

This might be the strongest chess player in the world today.

They live in seclusion in a corner of this Youxuan Temple.

A dazzling light pierced through!

Ugh! That monk's head is so shiny, it's blinding!

—Well, just kidding to lighten the mood.

After joking in his mind, Ke Zhiguang felt much better.

Although a reckless urge to challenge a powerful foe was stirring within him, Ke Zhiguang suppressed the impulse and obediently flipped through the [treasure map].

He had a premonition that this monk was the kind of opponent he might not be able to defeat within two years.

Flipping through the bookshelf from the far left to the far right, the names of Buddhist scriptures flashed by; who knows, I might actually stumble upon something like the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) later.

Finally, the final coordinates of the treasure map were located, but when the hand reached out to grasp it, it turned out to be empty.

One of the books here is clearly empty; it's unclear who removed it. And this removed book happens to be the destination indicated by the treasure map.

Just as he was wondering, the monk spoke again: "Benefactor, may I ask what you are looking for?"

He seemed to be speaking through his back, never turning around to look at himself, his voice echoing throughout the entire library.

“I’m looking for a book. It should be here, but it’s empty. Someone must have taken it not long ago.” Ke Zhiguang answered naturally, already accustomed to this deep-sea-like pressure.

In conclusion, it has already grown gills, so even the bottom of the Huangpu River cannot hold it.

“That book is with me,” the monk said.

Ke Zhiguang's shoulders trembled, and his expression became slightly puzzled.

So, the treasure indicated by the treasure map can be discovered by someone else first?

"Did you open it?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Not yet, but I'll be opening it soon," the monk said, as the two spoke from a distance of more than ten meters.

That's alright, at least the chess scores displayed in the book haven't been discovered.

"Excuse me, could you lend me this book for a moment? I'll return it to you soon," Ke Zhiguang said, his tone remaining calm.

After a moment of silence, the monk continued, "May I ask your honorable name, benefactor?"

Ke Zhiguang closed his eyes and inhaled. Announcing one's name is often the prelude to a fight. It seems that a fierce battle is inevitable, and in the end, it will still develop in this direction.

"My name is Ke Zhiguang?" Ke Zhiguang introduced himself in standard Chinese pronunciation.

“Ke Zhiguang, you are Chinese.” The monk pronounced the name very correctly, which was a pleasant surprise.

"Yes, and what about you, Master?" Ke Zhiguang asked, and upon hearing the other person's clear pronunciation, he wondered if this person might be from the same hometown.

“My name is not worth mentioning, but you may call me by my Dharma name, Shixin,” the monk said.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Shi Xin," Ke Zhiguang blurted out.

Upon being greeted like that, Shi Xin paused mid-air as the chess piece he was about to place froze.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Ok?

I feel this greeting is rather inappropriate.

We need to change the terminology.

"Master Shixin, could you lend me that book to take a look?" Ke Zhiguang continued to ask.

Master Shi Xin finally placed the chess piece in his hand, and then played a lotus flower.

He slowly moved a book next to him and placed it about a foot behind him.

“This book, ‘Ten Games of Danghu,’ is a masterpiece of medieval Go. Since you have met me here, it is fate. I will entrust this book to you for safekeeping and return it to you when the time is right,” said Master Shixin, which was essentially giving the book to Ke Zhiguang.

The Ten Games of Danghu is a well-known name. It is the pinnacle of Go in medieval times, showcasing unparalleled skill.

The two players in the game were Shi Xiangxia and Fan Xiping, two of the three great chess masters of the Middle Ages.

Generally speaking, there can only be one saint in any field, especially in Go, a field that upholds the martial spirit, where there is no second place in martial arts.

It is precisely because of the cruelty of martial arts, where only the best can be chosen, that it is all the more precious when two people can become saints in the same era. Not every Goku can meet Vegeta, and not every Yugi Muto can meet Seto Haiba.

These ten games are of such a high standard that almost every game could be used as the final episode of a current Go series... cross that out.

Why Master Shixin would choose to read this book at such a convenient time is something that Ke Zhiguang no longer knows.

Or rather, why the treasure map would bury the treasure in this book remains unknown.

Ke Zhiguang simply watched the man's back in silence, vaguely hearing a low roar like the ocean waves, his hands unconsciously clenching tightly.

This copy of "Ten Games of Danghu" was placed behind Shi Xin, more than ten meters away from Ke Zhiguang.

With a soft breath, Ke Zhiguang walked up.

He walked towards that figure that exuded immense pressure.

Ten meters, eight meters, six meters, four meters... getting closer and closer, the oppressive force of that figure grew stronger and stronger, like constantly falling into the deep sea, with endless pressure surging from all directions, and a strange, eerie sound growing louder and louder, filling the entire eardrum.

A wall like a sigh, insurmountable.

Finally, he placed his hand on the book and gently withdrew it.

I got it.

I received the book "Ten Games of Danghu".

"Thank you for the book, Master Shixin. When I return it next time, I will bring milk... no, tea to visit you." Ke Zhiguang calmly corrected his words and politely withdrew from the room.

Hearing the footsteps fading away outside the door, Shi Xin finally reacted—

I took a small sip of oolong tea made from authentic Da Hong Pao tea.

Although it's unclear whether the boy's claim about bringing tea is true, the quality of the tea he's currently drinking is unlikely to be higher than the tea he's drinking.

He had expected Ke Zhiguang to run away quickly in a startled manner after leaving the room, but to his surprise, his footsteps remained steady and without any disorder.

"Ke Zhiguang, what an... interesting person." Shi Xin put down his teacup, picked up a brush, and wrote the name on a piece of white paper in vigorous and powerful regular script.

Chapter Thirty-One: The Arrogant and Proud Always Get Tired of Rubbing In

I boarded the tram on my way back and took a breath of fresh air from the modern city.

There's a small sense of relief that we survived this ordeal.

When I took the book from behind him, I was terrified that the monk would suddenly turn around and kill me, replicating a classic scene from most horror games.

This is the current ceiling of global combat power; I didn't expect to see it so easily.

Carefully recalling the details I just saw, the chessboard the monk was using seemed to be the king of chessboards, a kaya wood chessboard, and the chess pieces seemed to be top-grade jade pieces, each one was flashing, as if sprinkled with fluorescent powder, a genuine special effect that can be seen without any cheat codes.

Sure enough, all that talk about the quiet and ascetic practices of Buddhism is just a hoax; all they care about is putting on a show of wealth and prestige.

One thing is strange: Ke Zhiguang didn't see the monk's symbolic spirit just now.

That monk must have been playing against me, otherwise the magnificent lotus flowers wouldn't have appeared on the chessboard. It must have been a special effect.

But the symbolic spirit behind him was nowhere to be seen.

—Could it be that the Buddha statue in front of him is his symbolic spirit?

Thinking about it, that doesn't make sense. Ke Zhiguang can still distinguish between what is real and what is symbolic. That Buddha statue was indeed there.

Two possibilities.

One possibility is that the monk, like himself, has no symbolic spirit behind him. Following this line of thought, this person might also be a fellow time traveler.

Secondly, given his current skill level, he is not yet able to see his symbolic spirit.

However, Ke Zhiguang also disagreed with the first possibility.

Just now, he deeply felt that the monk's symbolic spirit truly existed, and that the symbolic spirit was looking down at him with the gaze of emptiness and tranquility.

It's like a god or Buddha looking down upon all living beings.

Leaning against the tram window, watching the surrounding power lines flash by like windshield wipers, Ke Zhiguang finally gave up on imagining these problems that could only be imagined.

He was more interested in the book "Ten Games of Danghu" in his hand.

Open this book, find the chess scores, and browse through the entire text as well.

As expected, it is not a Go textbook, but rather a novel that describes the game between these two medieval Go masters. Like the previous two books, "The Master" and "The Muramasa Demon Sword", it is a light read.