The work of the Go master

But the moment Ke Zhiguang stepped out of the hospital gate, the world suddenly switched, returning to the ordinary Tokyo night sky.

The Tokyo night sky has been gloomy and dark lately, with no stars or moon.

A sense of danger permeated the air again, as if we had entered a miasma-filled jungle.

Although the ancient vanguard was temporarily repelled last night, and the night was peaceful for a moment, it seems to have become even more rampant just one day later.

Perhaps the last two ancient chess masters have successfully awakened.

With a sigh, Ke Zhiguang walked into the night.

......

.......

At 11 p.m., Ke Zhiguang returned home under the moonlight, another day full of stories.

"Report, I'm back." Ke Zhiguang returned home.

"Oh, you're back." Harushima Kaoru leaned back on the sofa, fiddling with her game console, an ice pop dangling from her mouth, her words mumbled indistinctly.

The moment an outsider touches this game console, it automatically transforms into a regular 16-bit Dream Paradise game console, and the games on the cartridges are significantly reduced.

However, what Ke Zhiguang cares about more is...

"Uh... how did you get in?" Ke Zhiguang asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Hmph, I found out about the keys you hid." Harujima Shika chuckled mischievously, twirling a bunch of keys on her finger.

She continued, "Many people like to keep a spare key under flower pots or on top of doors. I didn't expect you to have this habit too. I found it under the doormat at your door."

Harujima Shika looked very pleased with herself, as if the reasoning skills she had accumulated from watching "Kuku Detective" for so long finally had a chance to be put to use.

Ke Zhiguang turned to look at Zero, who was sitting next to Qingdaolu, with a knowing smile on her face.

She probably left the key there specifically for Harushima Kashiwagi to retrieve.

“Well done, you’ve taken another step forward in bringing everyone together,” Zero said, nodding.

"According to you, it sounds like you're implying that I haven't finished walking this path yet."

“Whether it’s finished or not depends on you. When you feel that everyone is here, then it really is. But if you feel that one or two people are missing, then it really is.” Zero said, blinking her eyelashes.

This is yet another statement brimming with idealism.

However, Ke Zhiguang really can't think of anyone else he can recruit into the team right now.

Surely Saito can't lead a bunch of fellow countrymen across the ocean to assist in the operation?

Putting aside his inner complaints, Ke Zhiguang stared at Ling for a long time before speaking: "I saw the Star Array today, your colleague."

"Surprised, aren't you? You never thought we could appear in the form of objects."

“More than that, I’m concerned about what kind of relationship we will have... and what will ultimately happen between us,” Ke Zhiguang said.

This question caused Zero's gaze to waver.

“Whether it’s Tatsumi Koshikawa, or Ishiko, or even Professor Hanno… to be honest, their stories didn’t end well. In my opinion, they were all quite tragic. I don’t think our ending will be a tragedy.” Koji looked earnestly into the other person’s eyes.

"No," Zero replied quickly.

"It won't be a tragedy for you, for me, or for anyone else." Zero replied with the same unwavering gaze.

"That's good." Ke Zhiguang leaned back on the sofa with relief, his mind blank for a moment.

A very reassuring answer.

It was close to midnight when the three of them were living together peacefully in a seaside residential area in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.

Perhaps this kind of life will continue in the future.

A dozen minutes later, Shizuka finally put down the controller and watched the cutscene on the screen with satisfaction.

"Hmph! How about that? Aren't I amazing?"

"Oh, oh, Siguo-Siguo-..." Ke Zhiguang clapped his hands.

Nonsense, in a game with countless lives, it's hard not to beat it.

After putting down the controller, Shinobu Harushima suddenly fell silent, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something I need to tell you," Harushima Shika said, twirling her fingers in a hesitant manner.

this......

It made one swallow hard.

"Dad said he's taking me out to play tomorrow... and he specifically asked you to come too..."

Chapter Thirty-Three: Family Gathering

The sun was shining brightly at noon on the second day.

In an expensive family restaurant not far from home, Ke Zhiguang, Qingdao Lu, and Yixin sat facing each other. Warm sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the harmonious family atmosphere... what a joke.

The atmosphere was tense, as if a dark cloud was hovering over the three of them, ready to unleash a torrential downpour at any moment.

Yesterday afternoon, Qingdao Lu received a call from her father, who said he wanted to have a family gathering.

However, try to bring Kezhiguang along if possible...

Why he was singled out is still unknown to Ke Zhiguang, but it shouldn't be a preemptive strike.

“It’s just a normal family gathering,” Zero said.

So Ke Zhiguang readily agreed and arrived at the designated family restaurant on time for the appointment.

Yixin was already seated at her reserved table, a corner of the restaurant by the window, a spot with excellent natural light. Her smile seemed to ferment in the sunlight... Damn, I'm so envious of this persona.

Then the three of them just stared at each other blankly.

Ke Zhiguang and his opponent stared at each other, mainly because the two had engaged in a fierce battle on the chessboard the night before, staging a show with a total attack power of up to 10,000.

Harushima Shika and Isshin were glaring at each other, and the reason was still... their father's appearance was just too ridiculous! There was no way to get around that!

"So... you actually came..." Isshin leaned on the table with his cheek sticking out, gulping down a glass of juice through a straw.

"Hey! Didn't you specifically request that he be brought along?" Harujima Shika chimed in from the side.

"I... that's what I said, but... but now I really want to back out! He's here, and I feel so awkward!" Suddenly, Yixin started rolling her face wildly across the table, slamming her fists against it repeatedly.

"You're almost a hundred years old in total across both lifetimes, and you're still acting like a child!"

"I don't care! Scientific principles say that humans are animals governed by hormones. My body is 26 years old, so I am a 26-year-old personality!"

"Even at 26, you're still an adult, okay!" Harushima Kashiro kicked up the restaurant with his usual routine, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Hmm... that's really something. Ke Zhiguang suddenly understood whose genes Harujima Deer inherited from.

I must say, this is truly an amazing family...

The commotion drew the curious glances of many guests, who eventually concluded... perhaps some life-successful person was happily playing with a pair of adorable sisters...

Under the influence of the [Shadow of the Crane], Ke Zhiguang appears to them as just an ordinary passerby, while Qingdao Lu wears small sunglasses, so she doesn't have to worry about being suddenly recognized.

Soon, a royal parfait and a platter of chicken wings were served, immediately easing the tense atmosphere.

"How have you been lately, Senior Yixin?" Ke Zhiguang asked casually.

"Pfft—" Isshin choked on his soda, looking rather terrible.

"Don't even mention it. This period has been the darkest time of my life. Back in the capital of the Night God Kingdom, I'm constantly being targeted by my colleagues. In my daily life... I later found out that this body of mine is actually a TV anchor!" Yixin said with a bitter face.

"Isn't that even more exciting... ugh, even better?" Ke Zhiguang almost revealed his true thoughts.

"What's so great about it! Can you understand what it feels like to wear clothes that are too tight around the neck and twist and turn in front of the camera? And during this time I've also learned a lot about the dark side of TV stations..." Yixin's face became even more gloomy.

That's right, this is the even more exciting one!

As I said before, based on the consensus reached between Koji Mitsuaki and Saito... if she turned into a girl, who would choose to play Go or go into the adult entertainment industry!

And isn't the live streaming industry already halfway into the ocean?

“However, according to my intelligence, it seems that your ancient faction is in a state of slumber during the day, and this period of time is handled by the ‘system’. How come you don’t seem to have any such symptoms, Senior Yixin?” Ke Zhiguang asked.

Yixin shook his head: "I don't know either. Maybe I'm just special. After all... this is the world I've lived in. I've been closely connected with this era from the very beginning, so I got special privileges."

Harushima Shika also asked from the side, "By the way, Dad, you used to sneak out behind my back in the middle of the night, saying you were going to play chess with other people. Were your opponents some kind of strange thing?"

He patted his chest with immense pride: "Of course, I'm a man who has saved the day from several major crises..."

"Huh? I didn't hear the last word clearly, could you say it again?" Ke Zhiguang looked up from the chicken wing platter.

"Would it kill you to eat chicken wings in peace?!"

As if she had successfully started a conversation, she began to recount her past in a very fluent and engaging manner, like turning the pages of an old-fashioned biography, the pages carrying the scent of time.

She once obtained a mysterious old chess manual. After solving the puzzles within, she opened the door to a secret room. Inside the room was an ancient dragon-shaped artifact from the underworld. Ultimately, she played a game against this artifact and successfully destroyed it.

She had played a game with the spirits of the mountains and forests, and at the moment of victory, warm currents from the hot spring gushed out from the mountain stream. That's how she discovered a hot spring, full of good fortune.

She was also ambushed by other people using supernatural tools. It was just an ordinary game of chess, but after the first piece was placed, she was surrounded by six chessboards, each with a skilled player behind it. She was thus forced into a six-game match.

As she narrated, time seemed to lighten, soft music played over the restaurant's loudspeaker, and Koji Mitsuko squinted at her hot chocolate, her expression as focused as that of the deer on the island.

As Harujima listened to all of this with wide eyes, she suddenly felt that her worldview had broadened considerably.

With Go as the central theme, many incredible events have occurred in this world. Perhaps at this very moment, while they are enjoying lunch in a family restaurant, there are other people chosen by fate carrying Go boards in the shadows, engaging in life-or-death battles with one demon after another.

Her father's image gradually became clearer in her mind. The mysteries surrounding him were unraveled piece by piece like a musical score. The sense of mystery faded, replaced by a more genuine sense of intimacy.

"This is the little-known side of Harujima Isshin, which is also a legend," she said proudly, as the tea stems in her cup stood upright and floated in the water.

The tea in the cup reflected her somewhat melancholy face, a weariness that came after pride.

“But that’s all in the future. We’re on opposing sides now… In a sense, you and I are enemies.” She said softly, “My final opponent will be you, Lu Zi.”

"Can't we just...can't we turn against them and launch a righteous betrayal against Yagami Kunikyo?" Harushima Shika said, sounding a little anxious.

“If we could backstab him, a whole bunch of us would have rushed up and taken him down already. Why would it be my turn?” Yixin said. “Besides, even if we did manage to backstab him, we might not end up in a good situation... We might become wandering ghosts.”

"What does death feel like?" Shiro asked again, as if there were endless questions to ask.

"Hmm... Well, how should I put it, Shika, you actually want to know what the world after death is like, right?" Isshin said.