The work of the Go master

"You're messing with us!"

The surrounding area was filled with a cacophony of shouting and cursing.

Yamaoka coughed up blood: "Stop! Are you serious?!"

"Yes, I'm serious. Bring it on. Tactics need to be refined."

"Then I'll accept it without hesitation! This game is free!"

The sun sets.

Hill, died.

Ke Zhiguang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "That was close, that was close, I almost died."

Yamaoka, looking as if he had been burned out, leaned back in the chair, his entire body a pale gray.

This person... made a mistake at the most crucial moment, suddenly killing a dragon and successfully allowing Ke Zhiguang to turn the tide.

"Hey, wake up, buddy. I'll treat you to a late-night snack later. So, what do you want to eat?"

"No...no need, I'm fine just going home like this..." Yamaoka said weakly.

She doesn't look well.

Never mind, I believe Soma can heal him to full.

"Have you figured out any tactics yet?" Harujima Shika asked dismissively, lying to the side.

"Not yet, but I already have an idea," Ke Zhiguang nodded firmly.

"It's just a simple 'three-three' pattern, what kind of inspiration could it possibly generate! Just hang it obediently in the corner!"

After today's activities, the two walked home together... There was no way around it, their homes were right next to each other, it was hard not to take the same route.

Night fell over the city.

Chapter Three, Alpha, will give you a real treat!

Tokyo under the cover of night is filled with a dangerous yet alluring atmosphere. Moonlit alleys and neon-lit avenues are all enveloped in a golden bubble.

Walking down the street, Ke Zhiguang glanced at the sky and once again activated his divination skills.

Nothing much to do tonight; it's a cool night with a clear moon and few stars.

The reason why the sky can be used for divination is probably because when something bad happens, the laws of nature are affected, and this is reflected in the sky.

Bloodlust at dusk, eerie star formations at night.

Ke Zhiguang couldn't explain exactly what kind of bloodthirsty and bizarre celestial phenomena it was, but he could sense it.

But tonight is indeed safe.

"Hey, what are your plans next?" Harushima Shika suddenly asked.

"Intend to?"

"Of course, I'm referring to the Imperial City Chess Tournament. There are still more than four months left. What are your plans for these four months?"

"Isn't the only thing to do to train hard?" Ke Zhiguang said matter-of-factly.

“Of course I know that, what I mean is…” Harujima Shika pursed her lips, struggling to find the right words.

She thought for a long time before saying, "I have a feeling that this is a very important and difficult battle for you, with great significance. And like the Dragon Throne Battle, will you also be carrying a huge mission this time...?"

Harujima Shika's words sounded somewhat abstract, and the logic was blocked at every turn, but Koji still perfectly understood what she meant.

Through the witnessing of history, she also learned the significance behind the Dragon Throne Battle, the duel between Yagami Kunikyo and Koshikawa Tatsumi, the purpose of the Nine Dan Group, the secret of fortune, and so on, which gave her a feeling of her worldview being greatly broadened.

Considering Ke Zhiguang's past records, there must be a deeper purpose behind this Imperial City Chess Tournament, a grand, colossal entity that weaves together the fate of everyone like a spider web.

The thought that Ke Zhiguang's opponent was this kind of thing made her feel somewhat complicated.

Ke Zhiguang paused to think for a moment, then looked up at the night sky and said, "I don't know, but my experience in the Dragon Throne and Nova tournaments tells me that it's best not to worry too much, otherwise it will dull my game."

"I see, that makes sense, that's more like your answer." Harushima Shika nodded with a hum.

That being said, Ke Zhiguang was not really very confident.

Several months before the Dragon Throne Battle began, Hokkaido had already experienced blizzards, constantly giving people a sense of impending winter.

Logically speaking, as a more significant competition, the unusual phenomena before the start of the Imperial City Chess Tournament should have been more intense. However, recently, the weather has been calm and normal, just like tonight, with no natural disasters occurring.

But the more this is the case, the more uneasy people become.

A blizzard is, after all, a tangible thing; its weaknesses can be clearly identified, allowing for precise surgical strikes. But the calm and tranquility at this moment is an intangible enemy, so intangible that it's uncertain whether this enemy even exists.

The pressure was almost like a vacuum; no matter which direction you looked, all you could see was darkness.

Although in terms of raw strength, Yagami Kunikyo and Koshikawa Tatsumi are on the same level, and Yagami Kunikyo could win six or seven out of ten games, Koshikawa Tatsumi just felt that this opponent was far more difficult to deal with than Koshikawa Tatsumi.

The phrase "Don't worry too much" isn't a sudden realization, but rather a slammed table after trying to figure something out no matter how hard I try—I'm not going to think about it anymore!

This reminded Ke Zhiguang of Shi Xin, whose dedication to chess was so profound that he was oblivious to the outside world.

If it were that man, what would he do in this situation?

"Hey, what are you doing tonight? Just going back like this?" Harushima Kashima asked again.

"Oh? So you mean you want to stay outside a little longer?"

"No, I was just asking. I think if it were you, you'd definitely be the type who wouldn't go home until midnight," Harushima Kashima said reservedly.

Hmm... I get it, she wants to play!

"If that's the case, then..."

"Stop! Forget about the arcade, it's too noisy there!" Shinobu Harushima seemed to know what Koji Hikaru was going to say and interrupted him in advance.

Wow, he's become so clever.

That said, his and Harushima Deer's combined net worth is over 100 million, so it's a bit odd that he's still thinking about going to the arcade for a spin...

Ke Zhiguang had a sudden inspiration: "Then let's go to the pet store."

"Pet shop?"

"Yes, I suddenly want to raise something."

At the same time, Ke Zhiguang quietly reached into his pocket, grabbed the crumpled Pet Care Voucher, and rubbed it with force.

It's time to cash in on it.

Not long after, the two arrived at a nearby pet store, where a group of furry creatures all started rolling around.

"Ugh! I'm dead. I definitely came to the right place!" Harushima Shika covered her nose, which was about to bleed.

"Boss, do you have any Border Collies here?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, I'll get it out right away," the shopkeeper replied eagerly.

"Hey, if you buy a Border Collie too, won't that be the same breed as my dog?"

“That’s right. It was inspired by your Border Collie that I decided to get one too,” Ke Zhiguang said. “Indeed, a proper professional Go player needs to own a Border Collie.”

"Hehe, then according to this logic, you'd have to raise a panda, right?"

That's right. When it comes to black and white animals, pandas should be the first one that comes to mind. The Go board family has gained a new member.

Speaking of pandas, Japan's enthusiasm for them is also quite intense. When the first pandas visited Japan in 72, the number of visitors to Ueno Zoo reached a record high of 920 million the following year.

For example, the folding fan of Harushima Deer has a panda head attached to the back.

"By the way, can you keep pandas as pets?" Shizuka asked blankly.

"Well... of course you can! Go buy a Chow Chow, dye it black and white, and you can use it like a panda," Ke Zhiguang replied seriously.

"No, no, no, I mean the real panda."

"Well... you have to register, submit your personal information, and then wait for the review..."

"Then you can adopt a panda?"

"Pretty much, as long as it can be raised."

Then I can go to Sichuan and contribute to the panda breeding cause as a volunteer.

Soon, the owner came out of the back compartment carrying a pet carrier: "This is the little Border Collie, two months old, very cute."

"So what's its name?"

"This name should be chosen by the two of you, since parents have the most say in a child's name."

"Father, parents?!"

"Yes, aren't you two...?" The boss glanced at the two men with surprise, estimating the distance between them.

The spacing is fine, perfectly OK.

Could it be that these two guests are bothered by the term "parents"?

It's quite possible, since many people find it a bit strange to call their pet "son" or "daughter".

The shop owner smiled and explained, "This is normal. Many owners nowadays like to treat their pets like children, referring to themselves as the child's father or mother, especially in Europe and America..."

"Stop, stop talking, let's take this one, we'll buy this one!" Harushima Kashi quickly spoke up, silencing the shopkeeper.

And just like that, they paid the bill in the blink of an eye, and the two walked out of the store amidst the owner's smiles and bows.

I didn't get to see anything; from a time-killing perspective, it was a failed pet store experience.

"So what should we do now?" Harushima Kashima asked, looking at the puppy she was holding.

With this extra thing taking up space in my hand, it's not really appropriate to play anymore.

Ke Zhiguang crouched down in front of the puppy, examining it carefully.

He is indeed adorable, and he does dream of owning a Border Collie, but he is also concerned about whether this pet scroll can trigger something.

These early-released rolls often have unexpected and special effects, suddenly pushing events forward at crucial moments. This newly purchased Border Collie might just hold a secret.

"Shake hands, squat down!" Ke Zhiguang tried to give the instructions.

As a result, the young Border Collie just tilted its head and did not master these skills.

It's okay, we can let it learn from Kata from the Shireshima Deer Family.