The work of the Go master

On its head, it even has a small wooden crown, which may be a hint at its status as a tiger king.

However, the style of this crown is completely out of place with the saber-toothed tiger, as if it were simply and crudely photoshopped on.

A dialog box suddenly popped up on the wooden crown.

[Honor: Eternal 8th Dan]

[Wealth Luck +200%]

[Immunity for Minor Ailments]

Ok?

What strange thing did you see again?

Chapter Eight Ancient Tiger

It took Ke Zhiguang a long time to realize what this thing was.

This seems to be an amateur championship title in this world.

For amateur Go players, 7 dan is considered graduation, but there are indeed 8 dan players in this world.

8 Dan is not a specific rank, but a title, belonging to the amateur king-level title.

In fact, Japan in its previous life also had a famous Go title called Judan. Although the name sounds impressive, it ranked last among the seven major titles. It can be said that it was born as a title, which is a shame.

But there's a joke about this title. For example, the famous Japanese Go player in his previous life, Awaji Shuzo, once held this title, which, when read together, is Awaji Shuzo 30 Dan.

Then someone said, "Holy crap! This guy named Awaji Osamu is too strong, 30th dan?"

Another voice said weakly, "There's a Go player in South Korea named Lee Young-gu..."

As for the title of "Eternal 8th Dan," it must have been an honorary title earned after holding the 8th Dan title for a long time.

Just like being frequently nominated for an Oscar can earn you a lifetime achievement Oscar.

Upon closer inspection, this saber-toothed tiger, besides wearing a crown on its head, also had many medals hanging from its neck, all of which were made of wood or iron.

These should all be his past glories, the rankings he achieved in amateur competitions.

Each medal also provides some effect bonuses, such as +1 Spirit or +1 Luck, but all of them combined cannot match half of the [Eternal Rank 8] bonus.

Your wealth luck will increase by 20%, and you'll be immune to all minor illnesses.

It's practically plated with gold; if this were put up for auction, the top billionaires would probably fight over it at the auction house.

Fortune.

Perhaps this is what it refers to.

It is practically priceless.

If an amateur title has this much value, what kind of magic does the top-level Go title possess?

Unconsciously, the boss aura of Yu Chengqi intensified.

"What's wrong, Ke-jun? Isn't it a bit too much to think about a third-party supplier?" the store manager said with a smile.

"Excuse me, I just suddenly remembered that you're an 8-dan player, shop manager," Ke Zhiguang said, the Go stones rubbing together slightly in the box, making a restless sound.

"Yes, about ten years ago, I won the biennial 8-dan tournament for the sixth time and earned this honor."

"The process must have been very difficult."

"Of course! Even in amateur tournaments, once it comes down to winning or losing, the process can become quite brutal... I'm currently the only one with an eternal 8-dan ranking." The shopkeeper said with considerable pride.

"Then, please enlighten me."

In order to counter the store manager's Eternal 8th Dan title, Koji also resolutely used the Swan Guardian he obtained yesterday.

Hang it around your neck, and a blinding light of justice shines out.

Both sides felt the powerful aura emanating from the other, making them eager to strike.

The four stars descended straight down, forming a staggered diagonal pattern that was highly conducive to the outbreak of battle.

Judging from the saber-toothed tiger's stance, the store manager must be a fighter.

In this game, Ke Zhiguang played black and went first.

5. Hand hangs at the corner.

Six-handed big fly!

The awe-inspiring roar of a tiger was heard.

Normally, when a target is hooked, a small fly is chosen; a large fly is extremely rare.

The "hanging corner and large knight's move" is a response method in medieval Go that has remained almost unchanged for thousands of years. From the first clearly recorded game record, Sun Ce in the Three Kingdoms period against Lü Fan, until the end of the Qing Dynasty, this was the correct move.

So that's what it means to respect the ancient ways of playing chess.

"It's surprising, isn't it? I would use such an ancient method to play chess."

"It's quite unique. I'd really like to have a go at it with the ancient chess masters of our country."

To be honest, judging from the usual pattern of this production, this is very likely to succeed.

Ke Zhiguang also followed the ancient method of placing the pieces.

It was right in front of the flying piece.

The store manager's eyes widened in surprise, as if he had seen a glimmer of snow.

All the tacit understanding is conveyed through hand gestures.

The two sides worked together seamlessly, following the template of the ancient score.

Once you've covered almost all three lines of the chessboard, the game can begin to be won.

Ke Zhiguang spread out his pieces and launched a powerful attack from a high position.

The surrounding scenery gradually unfolded, transforming into a traditional Chinese ink painting that was both expressive and evocative.

Time passed with the ticking of the chess pieces, each gleaming piece reflecting a smooth arc of light.

Although a fierce battle, no less intense than that of medieval Go, was taking place on the chessboard, the background was filled with the sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments, as if swordsmen were sparring under the moon, and a beautiful woman was playing the guzheng among the rocks.

In the fortieth move, the battle spread from the edge of the sky to the center, and the music suddenly changed to the sound of rapid drumming.

On move 80, another battle spread from the other side of the diagonal star, and the chaotic battle took place in the center of the board. Saber-toothed Tiger directly crossed the board and launched a direct attack on Ke Zhiguang!

He instinctively tried to block with both hands, but the tiger's attack still came as expected.

Like a soul, it passed through his body.

A slight ache crept into my brow.

Sure enough, during his last battle with the demon dragon, he sensed that the enemy's symbolic spirit could also attack him.

However, the demonic dragon was more magic-oriented. The rising swamp put pressure on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe, but Ke Zhiguang did indeed feel that sensation.

The saber-toothed tiger, on the other hand, is more physical, launching a direct attack.

As expected, Manager Lin Ying was very powerful, no less so than the Demon Dragon.

But for Ke Zhiguang, everything was just right.

To test whether your last victory over the demon dragon was due to luck or genuine skill.

If he can defeat this level of opponent twice in a row, it will prove that he has truly mastered this level of skill.

Continue making moves—

On the 120th move, the chessboard appears to be collapsing and shattering, with several dragons dancing and falling from the center of the board downwards. The question is who will land and die first, and who can land safely on their corpses.

On the 160th move, the string suddenly snapped! The saber-toothed tiger was utterly astonished!

That was a move the store manager realized was a mistake only after he made it; he shouldn't have continued to use strong measures, but should have adopted a gentler approach of retreat.

Now's the time!

The saber-toothed tiger leaped high into the air, then slid down on it, taking the opportunity to cut open its belly!

With 161 moves, Ke Zhiguang made a through shot on the second lane of the split, and visually it was indeed a low, sliding tackle.

The saber-toothed tiger's teeth were broken.

After a long deliberation, the shop manager's tense expression relaxed, and he smiled as he put the chess piece in his hand into the chess box.

Seeing that its master had already conceded defeat, the saber-toothed tiger stopped resisting and dragged its exhausted tail into the woods behind the shopkeeper.

Everything was restored to its original state.

Thank you for your guidance.

Chapter Nine: As expected, this game drops whatever you want!

At three o'clock in the afternoon, a new cigarette was lit.

A cigarette before a match is good for applying a buff, and a cigarette after a match is good for recovering your form.

Ke Zhiguang leaned back in his chair, twisting his neck to recover from the soreness.

It's really just the physical exhaustion from finishing a normal game of chess; I didn't feel any extra points as a side effect.

It seems this setup is quite advantageous for him. When his opponents inflict damage on him, it's just a minor ache, while when he severely injures his opponents, he might actually be able to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Ke Zhiguang reviewed the game he had just played. As long as the game wasn't of very low quality, he would carefully review and point out his mistakes after each game.

"Let's continue our previous topic, medieval Go. You mentioned you wanted to challenge some medieval Go master," the shopkeeper said after recovering.

"Wait, it was just a joke, there's no need to take it seriously, right?" Ke Zhiguang said, fiddling with the chess pieces.

"What I mean is, you can treat Harushima like a Go master from the Middle Ages and try to arm wrestle with her," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

Is her playing style like this too?

"It all started with her father, who was also a legendary figure, an even more charlatan than Saito," the shopkeeper recounted with great interest.

Who is his father?

"The holder of the Eternal Moon Sky, a person who is a crazy admirer and fanatic of medieval Go, speaks fluent Chinese. Under his influence, Harushima Shika inherited his playing style and has a very good pronunciation of Chinese."