The work of the Go master

......

As evening fell, Ke Zhiguang returned home.

Now, he is the only one capable of walking on this dangerous night; he is the only one who can spend the night outside the chess academy.

“Welcome home. Well done. You actually managed to get everyone involved. But as the leader, shouldn’t you consider sticking with everyone and staying at the chess academy together?” Zero leaned back on the sofa, petting Ke Zhiguang’s Border Collie.

"Actually, I also considered whether to stay overnight with them, but my priority right now is to play ten matches on the game console." Ke Zhiguang immediately went to the TV and turned on the game console.

However, as soon as he turned it on, Ke Zhiguang suddenly realized a problem... Why not just bring the game console to the hotel room provided by the chess academy?

“Sure, and the room you stay in will also be enveloped in the warmth of the cozy cottage, so you don’t have to worry about housework.” Zero said naturally, without waiting for Ke Zhiguang to ask any questions.

"then you......"

“I’ll stay here. No matter when you come back, I’ll be here,” Zero replied quickly.

Ke Zhiguang was taken aback: "Then...don't you feel lonely?"

"Lonely? What joke are you talking about? Artificial intelligence never feels lonely." Zero smiled nonchalantly, her eyelashes fluttering like butterflies.

Artificial intelligence—she mentioned this keyword once again.

For some reason, whenever she mentioned this word, Ke Zhiguang could always feel something deep in his memory ripple.

Ke Zhiguang thought for a moment before saying, "I'll be at the chess academy on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays; I'll stay home on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."

The hand that had been stroking the dog's fur paused for a moment.

"Okay, that's definitely your style... But there's one thing I've wanted to complain about for a long time." Zero's expression returned to normal.

"Which point?"

"You... you actually named a Border Collie Alpha..." Zero's lips were tightly pressed together, his eyes both gentle and murderous.

"Is there a problem with this?" Ke Zhiguang asked, puzzled.

"No, there's no problem."

Thus, preparations for the war officially began.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Rome vs. Constantinople!

"Chess Academy Closed! Thousands Gathered! Collective Preparation! Aiming for 4 Billion!"

"Ke Zhiguang VS Ye Shen Guojing? The new king's ascension to the throne will surely be sacrificed with the blood of the old gods!"

"The grandest ever Imperial Chess Battle will have more than twenty battlefields!"

The news of the training camp being closed off quickly sparked public opinion, with a large number of reporters flooding into the entrance of the chess academy, and cameras from more than ten media outlets focused on the area.

The handling of media inquiries was left to the relevant administrative staff of the chess academy; all interviews were kept out of the academy's reach.

Inside the chess academy, the scene was unprecedentedly grand, with all the training halls activated and classrooms that were previously used for students' classes transformed into training rooms.

Blue flames ignited imperceptibly, hanging high above the chess academy like torches. The place resembled a giant library; from the outside, it appeared completely silent, but upon entering, one discovered it was almost full of people, all focused on their games, with no one uttering a sound.

In another center of the Go Academy, the entire office building of Yagami Kunikyo's residence was transformed into a similar structure.

Every day, a large number of chess players come and go here. Every floor is a training room, and every training room is full of chess players, either playing games or discussing and reviewing games.

As if overnight, the chess world suddenly had two capitals, comparable to the division of the Roman Empire into East and West, with Rome fighting Constantinople.

The moment the two sides formed their alliance, the psychological effect of luck kicked in, and both sides felt the pressure from the other.

September 17th, the first day of the training camp, on the Western Roman Empire side... oops, on the chess academy side—

"Alright! Today we'll talk about Go!" Naosaka announced excitedly.

"There's no chess lesson for you today, our task for the next while is playing chess," Xingcai coldly remarked from the side.

"Ahem, sorry, it's just my occupational habit kicking in."

Naosaka never dreamed that one day he would be invited to participate in the competition. This long-lost feeling was both nostalgic and exciting. Looking at his peers who were working hard around him, he felt like he had returned to decades ago.

According to statistics, there are more than 3,000 professional Go players in Japan, whether they are active or retired, active or inactive. As for other amateur Go players with ranks, there are even more. If you split this group into two and let them fight, the scene would be spectacular.

In a corner of the training hall, construction on the Harujima Deer has also begun.

"Here you go, this is today's homework material." She slammed a thick collection of chess game compilations onto the table.

She, Xingjia, and Yuanshang Jingliu have formed a study group called the "Women's Three Giants".

Although the specific schedule has not yet been announced, according to everyone's calculations, there will definitely be a special tournament for female players among the series of competitions to be announced. It might even be the second Women's Cup. If that's the case, it's especially important for the girls to stick together.

Fuchigami Shizuru glanced at the title of this collection of chess games—

Sure enough, it was "The Complete Collection of Huang Longshi's Chess Games".

Harushima Kashima only realized this morning why his father had been so obsessed with praising medieval Go, especially the Go master Huang Longshi, saying that if he were still alive, he would definitely be the number one player in the world.

Feelings... feelings, that's all just bragging!

I also understood why he was so interested in the title "Moon Sky," because that was his own name.

"So it really is this. Little Princess, you've already made your father your number one imaginary enemy?" said Shizuru Fuchigami.

"Of course! My own father, I have to kill him with my own hands!" Harushima Kashima said firmly.

However, she felt there was something wrong with that statement, so she added, "Xingcai also finished it!"

Xingcai sneezed in the training room next door.

Hoshigami and Fuchigami Shizuru watched silently as Harujima Shika spoke loudly.

—Hmm...it seems like there's something even more wrong...

"In short, that's the gist of it. My dad and I have a match we can't avoid." Harushima Shika simply brushed it off with a vague reason.

That's what she said, but she was still a little happy to see her father come back to life after his coffin was lifted. If his appearance hadn't been so ridiculous, she might have pounced on him and acted all cute and spoiled.

Wait, we can't say that, after all... this person's current appearance makes you want to pounce on him and act cute—of course, pounce on his chest!

Unfortunately, she was in a daze from being bombarded with information the night before last and didn't seize such a good opportunity...

Xingjia picked up the complete works of Huang Longshi and flipped through it casually. The dense chess scores swayed across the pages, which were incomprehensible to ordinary people.

“Ryuu, if you’re considering Isshin-shin as your ultimate rival, I think you should read something like ‘The Complete Collection of Isshin’s Games.’ That’s where you see his strongest skill and playing style,” Hoshino said.

Every famous Go player has a "Complete Collection of Games," just like celebrities have biographies. If a player doesn't have one, it only means that the celebrity isn't famous enough, which, in Go terms, means they aren't skilled enough.

Although the "Complete Works of Huang Longshi" is also a game record by Harushima Isshin, the rules used in these games are medieval Go rules, so they don't seem to have much reference value.

Moreover, even disregarding the rules and directly comparing the ancient and modern versions of Harushima Isshin, the modern Harushima Isshin should be stronger.

“Modern Harushima Isshin lives in an era where many Go players have emerged, and he has received more thorough training. Huang Longshi’s strength is evaluated in the industry as ‘Middle Game 13 Dan’, and Harushima Isshin’s strength is probably already ‘14 Dan’.” Fuchigami Shizuru described the terrifying fact in a normal tone.

She looked into Harujima Kashima's eyes and said, "An opponent like this is a behemoth on the same level as Koshikawa Tatsumi and Yagami Kunikyo. You saw how difficult it was for Kojima Hikaru to defeat Koshikawa Tatsumi... Do you really have the confidence to defeat an opponent like this?"

The third woman asked the first woman in this way.

Harujima Deer's eyebrows drooped slightly after hearing these words.

Shizuru Fuchigami sighed and said, "I didn't mean to discourage you. I just wanted to say that although you are undoubtedly the number one female Go player, you may still be at a certain level compared to the top-level male Go players. Girls just need to do what girls are supposed to do."

"I've read my dad's complete works countless times," Harujima Shika said calmly, like a gentle yet sharp breeze.

Harushima Shika continued, meeting Fuchigami Shizuru's gaze directly: "You saw it during the last Dragon Throne Battle. There was a girl in our team named Inoue Hoshia. With her strength, she shouldn't have been able to join the team. There were many reasons why she was able to join. That idiot's decision was just an external factor, while the internal factor was Hoshia herself... She really wanted to defeat her father, and she had been studying her father's chess records since she was a child."

Shizuru Abe's pupils narrowed slightly.

“Now, my situation is similar to hers. I’ve been studying my dad’s chess records since I was a child, and I’m also eager to beat him… That’s the source of my confidence,” said Harushima Shika. Although her face is still young, she gives off an unexpectedly resolute feeling.

“Again… Father. Is it that our industry is particularly prone to being associated with fathers?” Shizuru Fuchigami sighed with relief, clearly she had quite a story to tell.

However, her saying this also indicates that she has no objection to Harushima Kaka considering her father as her ultimate hypothetical enemy.

Just then, two familiar voices suddenly rang out from the side: "Well said! We girls who are into Go are born to take down our fathers! Lulu, I support you this time!"

"There's no drama that can ignite the ratings more than a father-daughter showdown. If there is, it can only be a mother-daughter battle. I'm really looking forward to how the plot will develop. It's up to you, Harushima."

"Hey! You two idiots, what are you doing here again! You two have ruined the perfect atmosphere!" Harushima Kashima slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

"We are also female Go players, so of course we have to fight alongside you all."

And so, even though Ke Zhiguang is no longer with the chess academy, everyone still acts cute or makes fun of each other.

Meanwhile, on the other side, here at Ke Zhiguang's place—

In his home in the Central District, he was leaning back on the sofa in his living room, adjusting his breathing to get into a perfect state.

One of the rewards of the Dragon Throne Battle is the ability to enter a perfect state anytime, anywhere.

However, this ability is not like answering multiple-choice questions where a simple yes or no can transform you. It requires a little pre-competition ritual, such as meditation or drinking tea.

With each blink of an eye, an electric-like circuit is activated within the body, and the perfect state is achieved.

"Then... let's begin!"

"Isn't that my line?" Ke Zhiguang said.

“Gian’s First Law: What’s yours is mine, isn’t it?” Zero, holding a cup of red tea, gave Ke Zhiguang a devilishly raised eyebrow.

Although today is the first day of the training camp, it also happens to be Tuesday. According to Koji Hikaru's promise that he would be at the Go Academy on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and at home on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, he naturally spent today at home.

He originally wanted to continue interacting with Zero a bit more, but the matching progress bar had already finished loading, so he became fully focused.

An hour later, the game ended, and Ke Zhiguang's consciousness was also withdrawn from the game.

It remains (1/10).

It seems that the good fortune of a successful start won't last forever.

"How is the game progressing?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Actually, it's not much different from your first game the night before last. Both games started with a slow decline in win rate, and after the opening, your win rate dropped to below 10% again."

"So the problem was indeed with the planning... And what about my performance afterwards?"

"As formidable as ever, you are a master from a human perspective. Your winning percentage gradually climbed after the ninetieth move, reaching a peak of 45.7%. During this period, your opponent did not make any obvious mistakes, but still suffered setbacks. Unfortunately, he is much stronger than your opponent in the previous game. In the endgame, he firmly held onto his remaining advantage and extended it into a winning position."

"I roughly understand." Ke Zhiguang didn't react much. After all, the memory of the game had been erased, and a single result was unlikely to evoke pleasure or displeasure.

But the thought that the opponent is a former online chess player makes the experience feel novel and unique.

Who exactly is that person sitting in front of the computer screen?