The work of the Go master

Did the style of the painting suddenly drop a bit just now?

"So... what kind of style does Hanno-sensei like?" Ke Zhiguang couldn't help but ask. Anyway, since the other party had already ruined the art style, he could just add his own touches. It shouldn't be a problem, right?

"I like the younger, more girly type."

this......

The art style is getting further and further away.

As Ke Zhiguang entered the mourning hall, he paused, his steps faltering.

At the very front of Mr. Hanno's coffin, in the very front row of seats, someone was already waiting, and it seemed he was the first to arrive.

Shi Xin's appearance here was both unexpected and reasonable.

As if sensing Ke Zhiguang's presence behind him, Shi Xin turned around, met Ke Zhiguang's gaze, and nodded politely.

Ke Zhiguang nodded politely, and everything was peaceful.

Upon seeing Shi Xin, each chess player's expression turned slightly intimidated, as if this person naturally possessed a high-pressure aura, and they subconsciously sat down at a distance.

Ke Zhiguang also chose to sit in the last row, keeping a great distance from his opponent. However, it wasn't out of fear, but rather because he didn't want to have too much contact with his opponent before the final match.

The moment Ke Zhiguang saw Shi Xin, he had a premonition of what was about to happen.

To reiterate, deep down, he wasn't prepared to face Shi Xin and end the game.

But it will come eventually, perhaps when the other party gets impatient and comes knocking on your door yelling, "Are you fucking going to fight or not?"

Perhaps it was just that I naturally came to terms with it and decided to take on the challenge.

It's also possible that someone gave it a push from behind... like right now.

With everyone present, the funeral proceeded as planned, and everyone remained silent except for Shi Xin, who clasped his hands together and chanted Buddhist scriptures.

It turns out this person really does understand Buddhism...

After the recitation ended, each person went forward in order of seating, took a bouquet of flowers and placed it in the coffin, then casually picked up a chess piece and placed it on an empty chessboard in front of the coffin.

This is a unique funeral in the chess world, where everyone comes forward to make a move, and hundreds of people work together to complete a game of chess.

The final move was made by Ke Zhiguang, who captured the last single piece, thus ending the game.

"Next, I will read aloud a letter left to you by Master Hanno. This is his final advice. Please listen carefully," Shi Xin said, taking the letter out from under his wide sleeves.

He read aloud, his voice booming like a bell: "It is a great pleasure to meet you all in my lifetime. I can almost recite all your names, which is not easy for an old man like me... Harushima Deer."

"Here!" Startled by being called on, Harujima Shika was almost as if Hanno-sensei had risen from his coffin.

"You are a lively and lovely girl. I like your seriousness and never give up. Whenever you make a decision, I, all of us, every chess fan, can't help but be attracted by your eyebrows and the gesture of holding the piece. Please keep this momentum. We will be proud of you."

After Shiori Shika's name was called, the second person called was Kiko Seinoka. Only after all the female players had been called did the male players come in.

Surprisingly, Mr. Hanno actually wrote a blessing for everyone. This wasn't just a casual, perfunctory message; it was a genuine expression of his feelings. He even pointed out some interesting anecdotes about the players, showing that Mr. Hanno has always been concerned about everyone.

In the list of male players, Ke Zhiguang was ranked last.

"Finally, the ten-game match between Ke Zhiguang and Shi Xin will be held soon."

The lines were so short that everyone was stunned after they were read.

Shi Xin put away the letter she had finished reading, turned around, and met Ke Zhiguang's gaze from a corner.

“I agree.” Ke Zhiguang stood up and met his gaze.

The door to the ending has officially opened.

Chapter Ten: The Ten-Game Match of Shi Ke

"A new era of ten-game matches! Ke Zhiguang vs. Shi Xin!"

"Um... who is Shi Xin? How is he qualified to play a ten-game match against Ke Zhiguang?"

"Could this person really be a wedding dress shop owner?"

"I heard he's a monk..."

The announcement of the Shi Xin ten-game match caused another stir in the Go world, with many people wondering, "Who is Shi Xin?"

The Ten-Game Match is the highest-level chess competition since the concept of Go existed. It was only held in ancient times and was used to compete for the highest power. The side that wins six games first wins. If the score is tied at five to five, they shake hands and have no winner.

Hannoken was the epitome of Go after the era of the ten-game match. Since then, Go has gradually become commercialized and competitive, emphasizing fast-paced matches to keep the audience entertained.

A ten-game match is less of a competition and more of a ritual. A competition can only determine who wins, but a ritual can determine who is stronger!

So, who exactly is Shi Xin, that he is qualified to conduct such an ancient ceremony with Ke Zhiguang, who stands at the pinnacle of the Go world today?

Subsequently, the 9-dan players held a press conference, revealing Shi Xin's identity as a reclusive high monk in Youxuan Temple. They claimed that Shi Xin possessed boundless Go skills, surpassing all others in the world, and that Ke Zhiguang now had the strength to challenge him.

That's right, Kezhiguang is the one making the challenge.

These words left the media speechless, staring at each other in disbelief.

This is like everyone knowing that the United States' eleven aircraft carriers represent the pinnacle of global military power, only for a small African country to suddenly appear and dismissively declare that this is nothing. Then, with a snap of its fingers, twelve aircraft carriers appear out of nowhere. Faced with this situation, anyone would be utterly devastated.

Deus ex machina—that's exactly the kind of scene it describes.

Only those with a certain status in the chess world know that this god has existed from the very beginning, but he has always been the ceiling, so high that people have overlooked his existence.

In early April, the spring rain began to fall in a light drizzle, knocking cherry blossoms from the branches and scattering rain-soaked petals along the steps leading to the mountaintop, thus enveloping the mountaintop in a somber atmosphere.

At the foot of the mountain, hundreds of umbrellas stood in the rain, and everyone waited patiently for the competition to begin.

Not long after, a black car pulled up below the red carpet on the steps, and Ke Zhiguang stepped out and stood in front of the camera, while Qingdaolu was led down by the hand.

"Go! Ke Zhiguang, go and claim the victory that belongs to you!"

"Tell everyone that you are the king of the world!"

"Kill Shi Xin! Help him return to secular life!"

The voices of friends rang out from the crowd, waving their arms high, making it feel less like a chess game and more like a concert entrance.

Saito stepped forward and stood in front of Koji Mitsuaki: "Have you decided to fight this battle?"

Ke Zhiguang shrugged helplessly: "That's right, it's been decided."

"It must not be just because of Hanno-sensei's last words of advice; you should have been prepared for this all along."

“Actually, more than half a month ago, I wasn’t fully prepared. I thought time would wait for me, and nothing would change until I made a decision,” Ke Zhiguang said with a stern gaze, looking towards the mountaintop… This was Youxuan Temple.

"But it wasn't until the moment Hanno-sensei passed away that I realized that time keeps moving forward and won't stop for anyone... Have you ever wondered why Hanno-sensei's last message to me was just a simple 'go to war with Ishishin'?"

"Oh? Tell me about it?" Saito became somewhat interested.

"Perhaps, it's because I feel I've grown up, not just in the sense of being able to stand on my own, but in the sense of growing into a new towering tree." As he said this, Ke Zhiguang turned his head and looked at Qingdaolu with a smile in his eyes, and Qingdaolu smiled back unconsciously.

However, the smile only lasted a moment before Harushima Shika suddenly realized something was wrong: "Why are you looking at me like that!"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you haven't grown up yet."

"You've already made it clear!"

Koji Mitsu turned back to Saito and said, "Therefore, he only needed to leave behind a message, an instruction... or more precisely, a guide, which was enough; it was like a mission."

“I see. Defeating Stone Heart and becoming the undisputed number one is a mission... It is indeed a remarkable thing. It is worth getting you moving to push open the final door.” Saito laughed.

He turned and retreated into the crowd, making way for the path to the top of the mountain.

“Go! We’ll all follow you!” Saito shouted.

With everyone's unanimous support, Ke Zhiguang stepped onto the steps covered with rain and fallen cherry blossoms. Each step felt like stepping on the wheel of fate, with dewdrops pattering down from in front of him.

The entire group sprang into action, spontaneously following behind Ke Zhiguang, forming a team of about a hundred people, and marched majestically toward the mountaintop.

The footsteps of hundreds of people echoed in the rain, and countless raindrops converged into a continuous stream of war drums, inspiring everyone to move forward.

It wasn't until everyone who was supposed to leave had left that people realized how few media outlets remained at the foot of the mountain... This is understandable, given that public attention has recently been focused on the stock market and housing prices. In the past, a ten-game match of this scale would have attracted sponsorships worth hundreds of millions.

But now this is just a regular, pure ten-game match. No matter the final score, there will be no prize money; all that's given is the winner's title and glory.

This feeling is like returning to the time when I was learning chess as a child, playing against designated classmates under the teacher's arrangement, not for anything else, but just to win.

As he watched the raindrops dripping under the umbrella, Ke Zhiguang's recent memories began to flow like raindrops. If the match with Yagami Kunikyo marked the end of the story in a substantial sense, then the match with Harujima Shika meant the completion of his personal emotional storyline, while the match with Shishino was more like a sublimation of the theme.

Let's return to the most authentic and simple form of Go!

Upon reaching the final steps, the gates of Yugenji Temple opened before them, revealing a path leading to the final competition venue.

The last door opened, revealing a space covered with hundreds of green tatami mats.

Cool rainwater drifted in from the balcony, and in the very center of the room, Shi Xin was already seated, his figure leaning forward like a mountain.

It still exudes an imposing and dignified aura, as if it were truly a bronze Buddha standing there.

A tidal wave of oppressive power surged into the entire space, and every drop of rain outside the balcony seemed to come not from the sky, but from his body.

Most of the 9-dan group members have already taken their places; they will be the referees for today's match. Although the outside world isn't particularly interested in this game, those within the Go community are well aware of its importance.

There will never be another game of this caliber. This ten-game match was destined to be unparalleled even before it officially began.

"Please take your seats and quietly watch my ten-game match against Ke Zhiguang," Shi Xin said, his deep and solemn voice like an ancient bell, stirring everyone present.

Ke Zhiguang also let go of Qingdao Lu's hand and let her sit down to the side.

After adjusting his breathing, Ke Zhiguang stepped forward and sat opposite Shi Xin. The two men's auras clashed across the chessboard, creating immense pressure for everyone around them.

After staring at each other for a long time, Ke Zhiguang reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and handed over the book "Ten Games of Danghu" that he had borrowed for a long time, placing it in the center of the chessboard.

"After nearly two years, I can finally return the books," Ke Zhiguang said.

"It's been two years already. Time really flies." Shi Xin placed his five fingers on the book, feeling the creases on it. These creases were not there before; they appeared over the past two years.

Two years was also a flag that Ke Zhiguang unintentionally set at the time, feeling that he could not defeat this top-level monk without spending two years.

Now, this flag should be revoked.

"It's customary in competitions to say something before the match starts," Ke Zhiguang said.

"Please go ahead."

Ke Zhiguang thought for a moment: "How have you been lately?"

This question was clearly unexpected for Shi Xin. He asked, "This question is too broad. Please elaborate."

"After Hanno-sensei passed away, I learned that you and I were destined to have a ten-game match. What were your thoughts on this?" Koji Mitsuaki lengthened his lines.