The work of the Go master

Everyone lost consciousness and collapsed, but Ke Zhiguang managed to hold on thanks to his accumulated anti-drunkenness level.

Visually, it looked as if he had single-handedly taken down the other three... cough cough, cough cough.

In short, playing mahjong is so much fun!

Hanno Ken didn't dwell on the matter much, but instead propped his head up and looked at Ke Zhiguang with great interest.

Ke Zhiguang had the same expression. The two had clearly been comrades-in-arms for two months and had many old stories they wanted to reminisce about after the war. But when they actually faced each other, they couldn't find the right words, as if everything was understood without being said.

That's how it is in the world of Go; it's easy to make friends with people of different ages, and age differences are not very noticeable in this field.

"Speaking of the Go Saint, how do you think you would compare yourself to the Go Saints of history?" Hanno Ken asked, bringing up the topic of the Go Saint.

"Needless to say, I'd definitely be the one hanging them up and beating them," Ke Zhiguang replied frankly.

"So arrogant? If this were recorded and sent to the media, they'd be excited for a long time, wouldn't they?" Hanno Ken couldn't hide his smile.

"Most chess players have probably thought about this question, such as returning to ancient times with modern chess theories and techniques, crushing a bunch of ancient chess players, and reaching the pinnacle of life." Ke Zhiguang casually mentioned a common time-travel trope.

To be honest, this tactic sounds incredibly unethical.

“That’s right, I’ve thought about that too. If we could easily defeat our ancestors just by leveraging the technological advantages of our time, how many of us would that be? It sounds like getting something for nothing, but it would be really awesome,” Hanno Ken declared with great respect.

Hmm... this strange feeling of kindred spirits... is like a virtuous and talented young man meeting a highly respected elder, and the two of them exchanging thoughts and virtues with great enthusiasm.

Hanno Ken added, "But if a modern Go player really goes back with modern theories, he might only be famous for a short time. That's how Go is. If you have a technique that is ahead of its time, after rounds of competition, others will also master that technique."

"So in the end, it just turned into a boring game of competing in talent and effort," Ke Zhiguang said casually.

“That’s right, the final result will be this boring. This is neither the questioner’s original intention nor the answer that the audience wants to hear.” Hanno Ken also felt that the more they talked, the more they clicked.

He then asked, "Even so, do you still believe that you can easily defeat the ancient chess masters?"

Koji Hikaru replied quickly as always: "Of course, any confident player would think so, and I'm sure you, Mr. Hanno, think so too, right?"

"That's right! Exactly!" Hanno Ken seemed to have been struck by a remark, and excitedly swung his fist in the air.

"Huang Longshi, Shi Xiangxia, Fan Xiping, Daoce, Zhanghe, and Xiuce are all just mediocre people in our eyes!" Banye Xuan raised his sharp index finger towards the night sky outside the balcony, pointing it towards the heavens!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a bolt of lightning illuminated the view outside the window!

Then came the rumble of thunder, and the summer rain poured down.

"The tea and snacks are ready, please enjoy..." As soon as Mu Gu pushed open the door, his eyebrows twitched unsightly.

Both of them disappeared from the chessboard.

As if fleeing from an earthquake, Hannoken scurried under the coffee table, his lower body trembling outside.

Ke Zhiguang was clearly hiding behind the curtains on the balcony, where a large bulge had appeared.

"Teacher, Ke Zhiguang, 9th Dan, may I ask what you are doing?" Mu Gu's hand revealed the veins that were about to strike someone. Who knows what this old man and young man are up to?

Seeing that nothing had happened, Hanno Ken crawled out from under the coffee table: "We were...we were picking up the chess pieces. A whole bunch of them were knocked over..."

Ke Zhiguang calmly stepped out from behind the curtains and coughed a few times to ease the atmosphere.

I almost forgot, in this world, only those with a keen sense of self truly understand; what you say often comes true.

Unexpectedly, after making a few careless remarks about an ancient chess master, he actually got into trouble, and thunder suddenly erupted.

However, the moment the thunder sounded, his reaction was exactly the same as Hanno Ken's—run!

Let's pretend nothing happened that he was talking nonsense about definitely crushing the ancient chess master!

Mugu helped Hanye Xuan back into his wheelchair: "You two should stop playing around, especially since you're so old, teacher. You might just trip and fall and die on the spot."

"I'm already 99, so it's normal for me to pass away. Do you remember what I always said? I want to play Go when I'm 100, and I want to live in the universe when I'm 200. I'll be able to fulfill that promise soon," Hanno Ken said optimistically.

"It's good that you think that way, but if you really leave, many people will be sad." Mu Gu left the room helplessly.

After listening to this conversation, Ke Zhiguang felt like he had returned to reality.

The old man in front of me was basically a hundred years old. No matter how young he looked, his life was about to end.

Hanno Ken also noticed Ke Zhiguang's concerns and laughed heartily: "Alright, stop making that face. Enough with the nonsense, let's... play chess!"

He grabbed a handful of chess pieces from the chess box and pressed them onto the chessboard.

A wave of scorching heat spread from the chess piece he was pressing down, as if the air itself had been ignited.

Hannoken's demeanor had completely changed.

His kind gaze vanished, replaced by the sharp eyes of a hawk. Every joint in his body seemed to have been reborn, and a steam-like fighting spirit emanated from every crevice of his gears.

Back, shoulders, waist, fingertips.

From his posture to his gaze, from his aura to his charisma, he not only put pressure on his opponents but also earned their respect.

This is... the power of a chess master.

Although he and his opponent had been teammates for two months, they had never played a single game of Go together. Hannoken occasionally played instructional Go games with Hoshino in the next room, so much so that Kojiko still didn't know what the other's symbolic spirit was.

But every time Hanno Ken played Go, Koji Mitsuhiro could feel the majestic power emanating from the next room, as if even time itself slowed down.

"Then... let's begin!" Ke Zhiguang excitedly clapped his hands in response.

Guess the order!

Wrong guess!

A black chess piece leaped out of Hannoken's chess box and landed on the chessboard like a whirlwind.

The sounds of the world suddenly vanished; not even the sound of a chess piece falling was heard.

Light and darkness emerged together, overlapping in all directions like an ink painting.

Upon taking in his surroundings, Ke Zhiguang's fingers paused for a moment on the chessboard.

The starlight radiated outwards from overhead, making the Milky Way seem to be on fire.

And the foothold beneath their feet was the top of a tree.

At the top of the towering tree, lush branches and leaves support a vast expanse of sky and earth, with dazzling fruits hanging at the ends of the branches and leaves.

Strange and awe-inspiring, it was as if time had flowed back to the primordial era, with the wind from the north flowing close to the earth, gently rocking the cradle of life.

“Welcome to my world, Koji Mitsuaki. Let’s have a pleasant game… and I’ll tell you something interesting about this game,” Hanno Ken said with a smile.

[Symbolic Spirit: The Universe]

[Play chess until you're 100, then live in the universe until you're 200]

Chapter Five: The Chess Game Under the Stars

The game of chess takes place under an ancient and profound starry sky. The wind carries an air of vicissitudes from afar. Every line on the chessboard glows with a futuristic luminescence, and when a piece is placed on it, the light ripples like the surface of water.

All the special effects were overshadowed by the wondrous scenery around them. The chess pieces became silent, and the only sounds were the breaths and pulses in the air that were not their own.

In such an environment, the game takes on a sacred quality in addition to the artistry and competitiveness of Go itself.

This is the symbolic spirit of the God of Chess, the six directions of the universe.

"Liuhe" is a traditional Chinese metaphysical term referring to things like the universe and its laws of operation; in short, it's very powerful.

However, Ke Zhiguang's first reaction upon seeing this phrase was Wang Situ's "sweeping away the six directions and conquering the eight wastelands".

"Well, you didn't expect that, did you? My luck isn't determined by living things, but by the environment, right?" Hanno Ken said.

"Actually, it was expected. After all, you've been crowned with the title of Chess God, so it's only natural that you have special characteristics," Ke Zhiguang said. "However, although this place is called the Universe, it should actually be below the Universe, right?"

Ke Zhiguang looked up at the starry sky above him; this place was still a very distant place from the universe.

Perhaps it could be said that they are only one big title away from being there.

Hanno Ken laughed and said, "You're wrong to think that way. Although we're still some distance from the sky, we're still in the universe."

That's true. Even if the two of us are currently on an unknown planet, it is still within the scope of the universe.

Perhaps on the other side of a distant planet, there is a finger pointing here, saying that the star where it is currently located is the true universe.

"But this doesn't seem to be just a simple matter of personal fortune, does it?" Ke Zhiguang looked around.

Although there was a beautiful night sky above, the ground beneath my feet was atop a tree, with lush branches extending like land to every corner of the sky.

The metaphor of the chess piece being likened to a tree quickly came to mind for Ke Zhiguang.

“This is…the inner world of Go,” Ke Zhiguang said.

Hanno Ken nodded: "That's right, this is the inner world of the Go world, or rather, the metaphysical world. Everything that happens here is not actually happening, but rather the operation of laws. I am just fortunate enough to have the key to this place, which does not mean that I am the master of this world... The title of God of Go is just a joke. In the end, I am just a mortal."

Hanno Ken said these words in a mocking tone.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense, let's play chess. You've been standing there for ages. Once we're done, I'll take you to see something even better," Ban Yexuan said, waving his hand dismissively.

Hmm... This is really something. Although we've entered the game, it feels like the setting has changed.

Star position, minor eye, star position, minor eye—

On his fifth move, Hannoken placed his piece on the edge star in the center of the formation without hesitation.

The dark light of the three stars seemed to echo the night sky above.

The Cosmic Style is quite a refined hobby. Since Ke Zhiguang entered the professional scene, I haven't seen many people use this layout style.

Although it is extremely gorgeous and full of imagination and creativity, its winning rate has always been worrying.

The essence of the Cosmic Style lies in the battle of shapes, which inevitably involves the attack and defense of the center. Although Go has developed for thousands of years, the center of the board is still a void where players cannot exert their strength.

But it is precisely because of this that the beauty of the Cosmic Style is so captivating, and even though its win rate is not high, countless people are still willing to play this style of chess.

On his sixth move, Ke Zhiguang secured his pieces in the lower right corner, creating a solid and secure corner.

Seventh move! Hannoken slapped the chess piece out like a whip, his fingertips sweeping across the chessboard.

That was a four-space attack on the corner of Wuyou, a surprisingly bold choice of point, which, combined with his three-star opening, made the game's momentum stand out.

The opening four moves were all placed high on the fourth line, with one sharp-pointing piece directly attacking the opponent's strongest point.

If this game were broadcast on television, countless chess players would surely be overjoyed by this whimsical move.

Ke Zhiguang gave a low hum, which sounded like a chuckle.

Snapped--

As if hit on the bullseye, Hanno Ken was also stunned by his opponent's move, revealing a thoughtful and amused expression.