The work of the Go master

"Information about other competitions will be released gradually. Please make arrangements for the competitions you decide to participate in... I hope you have a good time at the banquet. That's all I wanted to announce."

The interview ended quickly, and the television went on to commercials.

Everyone in the chess academy was silent and dumbfounded.

More than 20 tournaments, a total prize pool of 4 billion... Rather than saying these are extra tournaments to compensate for the Imperial City Chess Tournament, it would be more accurate to say that these 20-plus tournaments are an important part of the Imperial City Chess Tournament itself.

This is a true feast, with battlefields opening up in multiple locations, and the situation is expected to be one of extreme chaos.

While everyone was still staring blankly, Ke Zhiguang had already arrived in the center of the training hall and started adjusting the microphone.

"Everyone, did you hear that? The enemy commander has left himself no way out. There's only one thing we need to do, and that is..."

Ke Zhiguang is accumulating strength and pursuing his path—

"Unite as one, and launch a full-scale attack!"

Chapter Twenty-Two From this day forward, this place shall be called Valhalla.

The declaration of justice landed, and everyone was intimidated by Ke Zhiguang's imposing manner.

"As you can see, the Wood of Chess Fate is suffering a disaster, and it is calling on all of us to stand up and protect it." Ke Zhiguang continued speaking to the crowd, as if he had returned to the school's lecture stage last year.

"W-what do you mean? You mean we should unite as one?"

"I will tell you the secret of your fortune later, without holding back. But right now... I need you all to unite and challenge the capital of the Night God Kingdom. He is the mastermind behind all of this. The ancient army you saw last night was orchestrated by him." Ke Zhiguang spoke succinctly.

"What? Yagami Kunikyo has this kind of ability?"

"Yes, not only did he orchestrate this, but his secret formula for youth, and also... and the Dragon Throne shipwreck last time, and the bad weather in Japan a while ago, were all caused by him!" Ke Zhiguang said confidently, showing no sign that he was frantically trying to pin the blame on the other party.

Well, anyway, it's all Yagami Kunikyo's fault. He has too many bad records, so it doesn't matter if he takes the blame a few more times.

On the contrary, the girls who knew about it showed expressions of "heh heh," "disappointment," and "kind smiles," respectively.

"This...this was all done by Kyo Yagami?" Yamaoka's jaw trembled. Like most people, he was in a state of shock, unable to process what was happening.

"Yes, he did it all. If you think this isn't enough, I have even more dirt on him here, all of which can be proven with concrete evidence. For example, the existence of illegal gambling dens a long time ago, the soaring housing prices in Tokyo, the 1973 oil crisis, and the fact that you occasionally walk around barefoot in the living room and your little finger hits the cabinet. The culprit behind all of this is Yagami Kunijyo!" Ke Zhiguang continued to escalate the situation, delivering a speech and venting that was almost like a thunderstorm. His rapid-fire barrage of words caught everyone present off guard.

"Hey! This is outrageous! You're blaming him for even his little finger hitting the cabinet? You're just trying to shift the blame!" Someone finally couldn't help but stand up and shout.

Ah, well... cough cough, sorry, I was speaking too fast and accidentally got carried away.

If no one else interrupts, Ke Zhiguang's next accusation might be about his girlfriend secretly getting into another man's Mercedes behind his back, which was also done by Yagami Kunijyo...

"In short, what I mean is clear to everyone: in the coming months, we must form an alliance to deal with the year-end bonus, which is worth as much as four billion yen. I think everyone agrees on that, right?"

The proposal of forming an alliance aligns with the thoughts of most people.

The factions of both sides are now very clear: one side is the immortal legion composed of ancient people, and the other side is the modern chess players. In a normal competition, everyone would definitely compete against each other, but the current situation is special, and they must stick together!

"Train together, launch a joint attack, defeat them, seize the huge bonus, and send those ancient people who have taken over our friends' bodies back to their graves!"

Ke Zhiguang gradually increased the volume while scanning everyone's eyes to confirm their fighting spirit.

The atmosphere was great; everyone's gazes were slightly relaxed, as if they could join in the massive shouting at any moment.

But besides their fighting spirit, Ke Zhiguang also saw unease in their eyes. Were they afraid of the consequences of losing the game?

It's possible that they just experienced a paranormal event last night, were subjected to large-scale psychological suggestion early this morning, and with everything that just happened, everyone is in a state of confusion as the protagonist enters the inner world for the first time. It is this confusion that makes them afraid to take this brave step.

Xingjia tried to speak: "Um... it's okay even if we lose the game, because it will be the end of December by then, and the incident will be over soon, so no one will lose control of their bodies."

Xingcai immediately chimed in, "But if we back down now, Yeshen Kingdom will be able to carry out another conspiracy, which will lead to an even greater disaster."

As expected of sisters, they speak with remarkable tacit understanding. One tells you not to be afraid on a micro level, while the other tells you about the macro consequences of failure. It's a perfect blend of strength and gentleness.

Although the lines were still vague and abstract, everyone's expressions had softened considerably, and some had clenched their fists, ready to jump out and join the alliance that Ke Zhiguang had mentioned.

"And you don't want to be outdone by a bunch of country bumpkin chess players from ancient times, do you? Then hurry up and band together and take them down!" This time it was Harushima Shika's turn to stand up, and her first words were full of violence.

This point really hits a nerve with everyone.

The debate over whether ancient or modern chess players are better has always been a perennial topic among chess fans. "Between Black and White" has also grasped this point well, constantly creating related jokes to satirize the present through the lens of the past.

While the Go fans were laughing heartily, the modern Go players who were being mocked were not comfortable with it. For example, Hanno Ken secretly joked about punching Huang Longshi and kicking Xiusaku.

As expected of Harushima Kashima! A top-tier source of gossip, he knows exactly how to use provocation!

But upon closer reflection, she was probably just expressing her feelings without intentionally trying to provoke anyone...

With these words spoken, the flame was finally ignited in the eyes of most of the chess players, and the fighting spirit in the entire training hall soared.

Just one last tiny bit more...

Just then, a pleasant round of applause rang out.

The applause was perfectly standard, rhythmic and melodious, and very infectious. Just hearing it made me want to clap along.

The applause flowed silently over the abyss.

She remained in the chess academy, quietly observing the entire process, her expression always full of amusement, as if she wanted to see what kind of tricks these people would pull.

No one knew where the applause came from, but the moment it rang out... its magic spread like a plague.

The applause in the training hall was thunderous!

"Hey, why are we clapping? Did everyone discuss it and decide to go on stage?"

"I...I don't know either, anyway everyone was clapping..."

"I think we've been tricked..." The person who said this couldn't help but applaud.

Ke Zhiguang was also stunned.

He suddenly remembered the element of clapping that often appeared in Soviet jokes. It turned out that the Soviet jokes hadn't lied to him; it really was just that one person clapped, and inexplicably everyone started clapping, raising the mood to its peak.

Shizuru Fuchigami is quite capable!

"Then I declare that our alliance is officially formed. From this day forward, this place will be called the Hall of Heroes, for the sake of that final battle, Ragnarok!" Ke Zhiguang joined in the applause, his hands clapping loudly.

Ke Zhiguang's speech inspiration also came, and he suddenly realized that he was missing a resounding slogan to push the fighting spirit to its climax and conclusion.

"The capital of the Night God Kingdom... must be destroyed!" He raised his arm and blurted out these words unconsciously.

Hmm... It feels like the tone has suddenly shifted. One moment it was about fate and endings in Norse mythology, and the next it's a Senate meeting that would make the Romans ecstatic, full of realism.

"The capital of the Night God Kingdom must be destroyed!" A deafening roar erupted around them.

Well, they've all been dragged into this mess, so we'll just have to make do with stitching it up as is.

The Hall of Heroes of the Go world has been officially established.

......

......

The collective mobilization began with this slogan. Countless phone calls were made from public phone areas, and every chess player who received a call rushed to the chess academy to apply to join the team.

Those who received the call were human chess players who had not yet been possessed. Although the instruction to "come to the chess academy this morning" had been sent out, not everyone received it, and not everyone who received it came.

It includes not only professional chess players, but also amateur chess players; several of the more than twenty competitions this time are amateur competitions.

A familiar figure stepped into the chess academy: "Long time no see, Ke-kun, and Qingdao too."

The person who came was actually store manager Lin Ying. He was as energetic and upright as ever, wearing a brown suit vest, looking like a coffee shop owner.

"Good morning, store manager!" Harushima Shika suddenly became flustered and bowed to the other party.

"Hello, manager, are you still at that Go room in Suginami Ward?" Kōji Hikaru asked in a long-unheard tone.

"Of course I'm still here. I haven't gone bankrupt. After you moved out, Zheng Yi often came to my shop to chat with me."

"Really? Uncle Qiu visits you often too."

Although it has only been a little over a year, Ke Zhiguang has the illusion that more than a decade has passed.

From the perspective of chess skills, that was when he was at his weakest, which can be understood in a sense as his elementary school stage.

Meeting store manager Lin Ying really gave me the feeling of meeting my elementary school homeroom teacher.

"You two have grown up so much," Lin Ying said with a touch of emotion as she looked at Ke Zhiguang and Qingdao Lu.

"Actually, it's only been a year."

“That’s true, it’s only been a year.” Lin Ying was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

These two have grown up so fast this year.

"Then I'll go put my luggage away first. We can chat again when we have time. This time we'll fight side by side." Lin Ying carried her luggage and walked up the elevator to the second floor of the chess academy.

The reason for carrying luggage was that everyone unanimously decided to live in the chess academy for the next few months, turning it into a complete fortress.

The external crisis has not yet been resolved. Once night falls, the aura of rampant demons will rise again. The black snakes walk through this steel jungle, hunting other targets, regardless of whether the target is playing chess.

The best solution now is for everyone to gather at the chess academy and spend the night there.

Thanks to the final burst of light from the Chess Tree, the chess academy seemed to possess the power to ward off demons, and the black snakes were unable to enter.

The chess academy itself is a large, multi-functional sports stadium building, with accommodation facilities on the second and third floors, and the quality is quite good. Some hotels near the chess academy can also be booked, and the area within a one-kilometer radius is within the protection zone.

Starting today, the chess academy will temporarily refuse visitors and suspend student teaching, officially transforming this large building into a fortress that brings together the highest level of chess talent.

The official explanation to outsiders is that the players decided to hold a group retreat to prepare for a series of tournaments at the end of the year.

Most chess players never expected that at their age, they would have the opportunity to participate in a training camp similar to high school students preparing for a team tournament.

The call to find someone continued, and finally, after much effort, the call to Zhudao Forging was finally connected.

"What? Such a major event has happened in the Go world?" A shocked voice came from the other end of the phone.

The same liaison officer as last time said, "This... I'm curious, Mr. Bamboo Blade, why haven't you returned yet? You've been in South America for almost three months now..."

"Damn it! I heard from you guys half a month ago that I missed the Dream Paradise Battle, so I figured I'd just have the Imperial City Chess Battle left, and I might as well visit one more tourist attraction and come back in October!"

"So, what time is it for you now...?"

"Go back now! Go back now! Wait for me... to get... down... the mountain..."

Suddenly, a burst of static from a poor signal interrupted the call.

Who knows what mountain this person is climbing? They can even mess up the signal.

In short, all we can do is pray that he can return home as soon as possible.

......