Jun Jiuling

That girl was here since she was interested in this Go arrangement.

And she hadn’t left. She was either just watching, or she tried and didn’t make it.

Right now, he was going to try. If she was paying attention to the Go board, she would naturally see him.

These were the thoughts that passed through his mind as he stepped up to the lantern Go board.

“Another one wants to get rich!” heckled the people around them, but they still made way for him.

The man watching the lantern again rapped his wooden stick against the bowl.

“Money,” he said.

That glass bowl was close to full. The lure of lighting up that lantern was obviously very enticing.

This was a result of other people throwing in money, but the man watching the lanterns became even more discourteous to the people giving money as the night wore on.

Simply hitting the bowl, not even bothering to say ‘please’. He was also impatient, like handing out food with contempt.

Obviously it was good for them to receive money.

There were some people who cared about the impoliteness, but the majority were instead focusing on the growing amount of silver and that silver banknote.

Ning Yunzhao also did not care. Not only because he never cared in the first place, but because he was looking at that girl.

Had she still not recognized him?

Ning Yunhao put his money into the glass bowl, then stood before the Go board.

………………………………………………………

In reality, Miss Jun had seen Ning Yunzhao earlier. Although the young man was wearing a heavy cloak and his hood hid his face, his impression was much too vivid in Jun Zhenzhen’s memories.

Though she simply recognized him, that’s all. Miss Jun did not have any other ideas. At the moment, she caught sight of him stand in front of the Go board. She frowned slightly, but immediately her face smoothed out.

Ning Yunzhao had pretty good Go skills, but he was too young. It would probably take until he was almost as old as her master until he could solve it.

The thought of her master made Miss Jun sad.

She did not imagine that Master would die and so suddenly too. All the people who he had rescued had called him an immortal, but he had fallen from a cliff, dying without leaving any last words. If she hadn’t found him as soon as she did, perhaps his corpse would have been taken away by wild wolves, too.

She could not accept that Master had died so, and perhaps Master could not accept himself. So she hid the news of her master’s death, letting him live eternally in the hearts of the people as an immortal.

The minute Ning Yunzhao stood in front of that Go arrangement, he no longer paid attention to that girl’s gaze; his attention was entirely fixed on the board in front of him.

He knew that a Go arrangement with five thousand taels as a reward must be exceptional, but right now he realized that this Go arrangement was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

The board was decorated with lanterns, white and black, representing the stones. At the moment, the pitch-blackness was decorated both sparsely, as well as messily. But when he looked at it, he was hit with a feeling of loneliness.

This was definitely an endgame Go arrangement from ancient times.

Ning Yunzhao immediately recognized that, but he only increased his concentration.

Before, when he was facing off with that girl in blind Go, following each of their moves, the board would sing like a storm or a slashing sword. It was you come, I advance. You go forward, I retreat. A deadly, ferocious dance.

But right now, in front of this Go arrangement, he felt that no matter what move he made, this board would be silent, like a stagnant pool of water.

Just like an ocean; one pebble could not even cause a ripple.

He could not solve this game.

When he realized this, he simply set down his stone and walked away.

He stood there, and then turned in the blink of an eye. The people surrounding him could not respond. His friends standing behind him, who were prepared to cheer and tease him, were all stunned.

They didn’t even dare guess what this meant.

“I cannot solve it,” Ning Yunzhao said first.

The people surrounding them recovered their senses and started to jeer.

“Someone let money go to his head!”

They had seen many this type of people this night, but those people were just reckless. This young man was the first not to just wildly make a guess.

HIs friends did not find it funny. Instead they were shocked, their expression solemn.

“It is that fearsome?” they asked.

Although they would tease him all the time, they knew very clearly of Ning Yunzhao’s talent.

To even be unable to guess and have to admit defeat.

For a strength that was close to theirs, even if they knew they weren’t as good, they would still have the intention to try. It was only in front of a strength that was far too great that they would not even dare to think of challenging it.

“Is this a trick Go arrangement that no one can solve?” His companions were frowning.

Ning Yunzhao did not say anything but looked in another direction.

That girl’s head was lowered. He didn’t know when she lowered her eyes. She might’ve even done it when she saw him fail.

She still did not step forward to question him.

But if this girl did not take the initiative to do such a thing, then was he supposed to?

{This is a very difficult Go arrangement. What do you think of it?}

Was this opening remark okay?

This was the first sentence he wanted to say to the girl. He would walk over to her, and once she heard the broken silence, she would definitely look up at him.

{Hello, Young Miss, it’s me.} This was a much too obvious of an opening remark, especially the ‘it’s me’ part. Asking her how she is was much too banal and way too desperate sounding.

Since they had met by chance and had played an interesting match together, shouldn’t everything be more straightforward?

And his opening remarks would make it very easy for the girl to reply, as well as for the conversation to flow.

If she had already tried, then obviously she hadn’t solved it. She would praise his remarks and answer something about how hard it was.

If she hadn’t tried yet, she more or less knew of his Go talent. She would naturally seriously ask him questions in response to his opening question.

This natural, smooth flowing line was very clear-cut. It would prevent the girl from overthinking things.

He was only talking about the game and had no other intentions.

Ning Yunzhao was a very direct and efficient man. As soon as he thought this, he was already walking forward, still carrying his lantern.

“Eh? Where are you going?”

“You’re leaving? I haven’t gone yet.”

“Although we’re inferior to you, at least give us some face,” teased his friends behind him.

Ning Yunzhao paused.

While he was thinking about how to avoid thinking too much about that girl, he still had his companions.

Should he go or not?

If he did go, these people would definitely be fine and would say some things, and they would probably read too much into it.

If he didn’t go, this chance… this chance to discuss a hard-to-encounter Go arrangement that garnered everybody’s interest might be lost.

Of course, this lantern Go was set up by someone in Yangcheng. He could just talk to her afterwards. It was just that it would not be too good for him to seek out a chance to talk with this girl later.

If he were to go and make friends with her then, it would definitely make her think too much.

After a moment, Ning Yunzhao took another step. But suddenly there were cries of surprise filling the air.

He subconsciously turned his head and saw that pitch-black lantern glow bright like a firelight. The sparse stars had suddenly turned into a raging fire.

The whole Go board had lit up. Inside the black lanterns were white glass. The white lanterns had multi-colored glass, and all the lanterns swayed and spun, creating a dazzling sight vibrant with color.

Ning Yunzhao felt a numbness creep up from his feet.

The Go arrangement was broken.