Carefree Valley:
Song Qingshu showed an expression of superiority from the platform, looking at Gu Hai as if at a dead person. A ruthless and sinister light filled his eyes.
“How can this be?” Xiaorou appeared quite anxious at the side.
Chen Tianshan also seemed somewhat worried. However, Gao Xianzhi looked confident.
Gu Hai slowly made his way to the platform. Everywhere he passed, the surrounding cultivators moved aside like they were avoiding the plague god.
“Elite Hall’s Water Division Master? He’s finished!”
“If he has not played for thirty years, doesn’t that mean that he will lose for sure?”
“This Song Qingshu is a ruthless person!”
The surrounding cultivators discussed in whispers. Gu Hai had arrived on the platform at this point.
From the instant the light from the dark clouds encased Gu Hai, he sensed a terrifying aura overhead, one that could strike him at any moment. As the white light entered his skin, it seemed to connect to the Veritable Energy in his dantian.
Gu Hai looked up at the sky. He disliked this feeling of having his fate controlled by another.
“Gu Hai, don’t blame me. You brought this upon yourself!” Song Qingshu said coldly.
Gu Hai smiled coldly. He ignored Song Qingshu and slowly sat down.
According to the rules, the chosen opponent played the black Go stones. The black Go stones went first.
Now, the Go board was already cleared out, and the Go stones filled the respective Go bowls, waiting for the two to start playing.
Gu Hai used his index finger and middle finger to pick up a black Go stone and slowly moved his hand towards the Go board.
[TL Note: The traditional way to pick up Go stones is to slightly bury the index finger and the middle finger in the Go stones in the bowl. Then, pinch a Go stone between the nail of the index finger and the pad of the middle finger. To play the Go stone, move the hand to the position on the Go board and slip it off the index finger’s nail to the front with the middle finger. This will create a clacking sound. There are two ways to do this as well. One way involves placing your index finger on an adjacent stone and striking that stone with the held stone as it slides down. The other way does not require another stone and involves lightly slamming the stone on the board. The first few minutes of this video show a good example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mevDJD6xok&t=34s]
Although Song Qingshu felt confident of victory, he did not dare to be careless. The instant Gu Hai took out a Go stone, Song Qingshu showed a solemn expression and sat down. After all, he had suffered at Gu Hai’s hands before.
Song Qingshu waited for his turn. The countless cultivators below also stared at the Go board.
Everyone saw Gu Hai slowly set down a black Go stone.
Clack!
When Gu Hai placed the black Go stone, nearly all the cultivators goggled.
“Tengen? He placed his Go stone on tengen?”
“Tengen is the centermost position on the Go board. It is rarely used in a Go game!”
“He is playing a throwaway piece for his first move?”
“Is he crazy? To think that he wasted such an opportunity.”
Many cultivators exclaimed. The first player had a great advantage, able to set up the board first. However, Gu Hai wasted this opportunity?
“Indeed, the division master has not played for thirty years. Otherwise, why would he put his stone on tengen?” Chen Tianshan said anxiously.
“Will he lose by playing tengen?” Xiaorou asked anxiously.
“Hah!” Chen Tianshan released a drawn-out sigh, confirming Xiaorou’s worry.
“Ah?” Xiaorou looked even more anxious now.
“That might not be the case.” Gao Xianzhi shook his head.
The people below all discussed this move. On the platform, Song Qingshu appeared stunned at first. Then, he showed wild joy. Indeed, Gu Hai is not good at Go. To think that he wasted such a good opportunity.
“Hahahaha! Gu Hai, I was thinking of delaying for longer, so don’t lose too miserably!” Song Qingshu guffawed.
After delaying for thirty breaths of time, Song Qingshu picked up a white Go stone and slowly played it.
Clack!
After Song Qingshu played his move, Gu Hai had thirty breaths of time to think.
However, Gu Hai played his move in less than a breath of time.
Clack!
Gu Hai placed a black Go stone.
“What?!” Song Qingshu suddenly goggled.
The people below also broke out in a huge commotion.
“Isn’t there thirty breaths of time? Why is he not delaying? Why did he make his move so quickly?”
“Gu Hai, slow down! Slow down!”
“You cannot play too fast. The longer you take, the more hope there is for us to survive!”
The surrounding crowd cried anxiously.
However, Gu Hai ignored them.
After another thirty breaths of time passed, Song Qingshu made his move.
Clack!
Clack!
Gu Hai played a black Go stone even faster than his earlier move.
“Gu Hai! Are you tired of living?!” Song Qingshu immediately bellowed angrily.
Gu Hai smiled coldly and retorted, “My life and death do not concern you.”
“Why not wait for thirty breaths of time? Why not wait first before making your move?” Song Qingshu roared anxiously.
“I do not need you to teach me how to play. Thirty breaths of time are up. Make your move!” Gu Hai countered coldly.
“You!” Song Qingshu glared. Nevertheless, he immediately played a white Go stone.
Clack!
Clack!
Gu Hai quickly followed, not even needing to think before rapidly making his move.
“You! Humph! Since you are so eager to die, then don’t blame me!” Song Qingshu said with reddening eyes.
Song Qingshu continued pausing for thirty breaths of time before playing. However, Gu Hai played quickly, practically not taking time to think.
Gu Hai’s incredibly fast play made the onlookers highly anxious.
In the blink of an eye, the two had already placed one hundred stones.
Initially, everyone thought that Gu Hai was just seeking death, playing casually. They believed that Song Qingshu would defeat him in short order. However, even after playing one hundred stones, Gu Hai still had not lost a single stone.
“That’s impossible. How can it be like this? Haven’t you not played for thirty years already?” Song Qingshu grew increasingly frustrated.
After one hundred fifty stones, Song Qingshu showed some confusion in his eyes. Although he had not lost any stones to Gu Hai, he also failed to capture any of Gu Hai’s stones. Furthermore, Song Qinghai discovered that he had lost his grasp on this game, finding it increasingly more confusing as time went on.
At first, Song Qingshu could play as he pleased. Now, it seemed like Gu Hai’s black Go stones pulled him along. How can this be? This is impossible! How can Gu Hai defeat me?
In another blink of an eye, the two played two hundred stones.
Now, it was Gu Hai’s turn. However, he did not make his move so quickly this time. Instead, he suddenly looked at Song Qingshu.
Song Qingshu stared at the Go board, appearing entranced by it. He did not care that Gu Hai did not make his move. Instead, cold sweat dotted his forehead as he tightly clenched his fist.
Gu Hai revealed a gentle smile and slowly set down a black Go stone.
Clack!
When Gu Hai placed the black Go stone, it connected with the first stone he played at tengen. Due to the first tengen stone and the last stone, Gu Hai’s scattered black Go stones suddenly formed an impenetrable net, surrounding and capturing a large number of white Go stones.
Bang!
Sixty-four white Go stones suddenly flew out and vanished.
“What? What does that mean? How can this be possible?!” Song Qingshu suddenly jumped, startled.
Earlier, both sides appeared even. However, Song Qingshu lost white Go stones in an instant—sixty-four at that. This was no longer just Executing the Dragon. Instead, it was like executing three dragons in one go.
[TL Note: Executing the Dragon is the term for capturing a large number of pieces in one move, but the number is not defined. Given that, I can only conclude that executing three dragons is a play on this term. As the number of captured pieces is not defined for Executing the Dragon, executing three dragons probably refers to capturing three large separate groups.]
“Black wins!” A carefree shout came from the dark clouds.
Black wins? Black wins? The white player is going to die? I am going to die?
Song Qingshu felt his hair stand on end.
“Impossible. How could you defeat me? You have not played for thirty years. How could you possibly defeat me? You must be cheating?! You must be cheating?!” Song Qingshu roared at Gu Hai.
Gu Hai smiled coldly and said, “I had not played Go with others for thirty years, not that I had not played Go for thirty years!”
“What do you mean?” Song Qingshu shouted in fear.
Gu Hai smiled and did not explain.
Everyone below revealed shocked expressions at the dramatic turn of events.
“How can this be? That tengen piece! Executing three dragons in one go?”
“His first move on tengen was actually not a throwaway move? The tengen move was actually so ingenious?”
“It’s just a coincidence, right?”
“It’s not a coincidence. Executing three dragons. When have you ever seen a game with three dragons executed?”
An uproar broke out in the surroundings. Previously, most people were like Song Qingshu, immersed in the Go board and failing to see this dangerous move coming.
One move determined the winner. This was simply a stunning reversal.
The weakened Meng Tai goggled when he saw that shocking move from behind the crowd.
“Executing three dragons? That Gu Hai came from a mundane nation? I understand now. Cough! Cough! He had not played Go with others for thirty years. Might that be because no one was qualified to play with him? Cough! Cough!” Meng Tai looked at Gu Hai, who was on the platform, with an unsightly expression.
“This is great! Benefactor won! He won!” Xiaorou cried out excitedly.
“How incredible! Didn’t he not play Go with others for thirty years? How is he still so incredible?” Chen Tianshan exclaimed, wide-eyed in shock.
Gao Xianzhi frowned and said, “I guess the division master’s Go skills are too strong, so he does not think much of the ordinary people from the mundane nation.”
“Does not think much?” Chen Tianshan gaped in shock.
On the platform, Song Qingshu suddenly understood what Gu Hai meant. The reason for not playing Go with others was not due to weak Go skills. On the contrary, it was because his Go skills were too strong.
“You deceived me?! You deceived me?!” Song Qingshu roared at Gu Hai.
Rumble…!
The dark clouds churned, and a three-hundred-meter-long heavenly saber appeared slowly. Then, the saber pointed at Song Qingshu, on the verge of chopping down.
“I don’t want to die. You deceived me! Gu Hai, you deceived me! I want you dead!” Song Qingshu roared in despair.
Looking demented, Song Qingshu suddenly threw a palm strike at Gu Hai, spewing out large amounts of Veritable Energy from his palm, trying to use absolute force to kill Gu Hai in an instant.
“Be careful!” Chen Tianshan and Xiaorou cried out.
However, Gu Hai instantly got up, and his eyes turned cold. “The explosion took place only a few days ago; your injuries still have not healed, right?”
As Gu Hai spoke, he raised his left foot and stomped. A loud sound rang out, and a strong wind blew. His right foot moved half a step, and all the muscles in his body tensed as a vast amount of Veritable Energy quickly appeared over his body, materializing a ferocious dragon head.
“Ha!” Gu Hai let out a warcry and focused his full force on his right fist.
“Roar!”
A dragon roar seemed to come from Gu Hai’s right fist. The dragon-head Veritable Energy moved together with his heavy punch, clashing with Song Qingshu’s palm strike.
Boom!
A thunderous sound rang out, and the ground shook, kicking up large dust clouds.
Pfff!
Song Qingshu suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood as he staggered four or five steps back and fell off the platform.
“What?” the Elite Hall disciples exclaimed in shock.
Their reaction was because Gu Hai stood calmly on the platform, not having retreated by even a step. He looked ferociously at Song Qingshu, whom he had knocked back with a punch.
“That explosion back then severely injured Song Qingshu. However, he has already recuperated for a few days. No matter how bad his state is, that palm strike, filled with hate, should possess the power of a Fourth Layer Innate Realm cultivator. Yet, he could not last even one exchange with Gu Hai? That’s not right. Gu Hai is even stronger than that day?” Meng Tai goggled in shock.
After falling off the platform and landing on the ground, Song Qingshu saw the heavenly saber in the sky charging at him with an unblockable momentum before he could let out a cry of pain.
“No! No!” Song Qingshu yelled in despair.
Boom!
The heavenly saber chopped Song Qingshu vertically in half. His final cry echoed in the valley. No one knew if it was from not being resigned to losing to Gu Hai or despair in the face of the descending heavenly saber. However, everyone could tell that this miserable cry contained boundless hate and regret.
The disaster of one’s making led to one’s inevitable death.
However, Song Qingshu could not redo any of this. His blood splashed the ground.
The entire valley instantly fell quiet. Everyone looked at Gu Hai, who was on the platform, as they knew that the winner would face the Heavenly Saber Death Match.
Gu Hai did not show any regret over Song Qingshu’s death. Instead, he looked at the sky, revealing a ferocious expression.