Jun Jiuling

The Go arrangement was actually broken, and the lantern was lit.

In an instant, the lantern had burst forth from the darkness in a fantastic light display, coming into its own in the eyes of the crowd.

As their eyes adapted, the dazzling light subsided.

Normally speaking, this lantern was not any more exquisite than the one next to it; it was just that it was dark for so long before it was finally lit that made it look quite good.

However, whether the lantern was ugly or beautiful was not what everyone was paying attention to.

“Who was it?”

“Who broke the Go arrangement?”

“Who is getting rich?”

The clamor succeeded with awe-inspired gasps, all eyes on the Go board in front of them.

Ning Yunzhao’s companions also looked forward in shock.

“There is actually someone more fearsome than Yunzhao?”

After all, Ning Yunzhao said that he couldn’t solve it, causing them to say that this Go arrangement was a trick, but it was actually solved.

But no matter if it was the throngs of people or his friends, none were more surprised than Ning Yunzhao, because he had personally tried and understood the terrifying Go board.

He truly believed that there was no one who could solve it, at least, for tonight. If there had to be one, it would probably be that girl.

So when the lantern was lit up, he was not looking at who solved the Go arrangement, but at that girl.

As expected, the girl was looking over there.

Ning Yunzhao had taken several steps forward and was now close to the girl, so he could clearly see the shock on this girl’s face.

She had probably already tried it, so she probably was like him in thinking that there was no one who could solve it, or maybe she was still preparing to try it.

No matter which, the result would be surprise.

Then Ning Yunzhao saw the redness in that girl’s eyes.

The same hurt and sadness as when one of his little sisters lost their favored doll or clothes.

…………………………………………

Miss Jun did not know why her eyes were red. When the lantern was lit, she had first been full of disbelief, and then she wanted to cry.

Liu’er was running back in a frenzy, yelling loudly.

“Young Miss, we’re done for, our money is no more.”

Master had said not to gamble.

Ten bets and nine losses, the Old Heavenly Father was very fair.

She knew that it was not sightly of her to play such a trick, but she had already died once. The Old Heavenly Father had deemed it befitting for her to be reborn. Where was that care now?

Miss Jun’s eyes were red. Although she knew that she should not cry for this senselessness, but she really wanted to.

It had been a very long time since she had last cried. When she had uncovered the truth she did not care to cry, directly seeking revenge and then dying.

After dying, she had been surprised, afraid, and happy. She had to remain in the utmost control of her existence and could not cry.

“Young Miss, Young Miss, what do we do, what do we do?” Liu’er nervously paced in circles. “Are we really giving him our money? That was five thousand taels, ah, no, no, with the additional earnings that was six thousand.”

Our money.

That money had actually never been hers. Using what was not her money to make money, of course, the earnings were also not hers.

She never had anything, so this could not be said to be a loss.

The Old Heavenly Father was always fair.

Miss Jun sighed.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Liu’er thought she had misheard.

“Go?” she said. “We’re just leaving this be?”

“I said it was the reward. If you agree to bet, you must pay if you lose,” said Miss Jun. “Could it be I am that kind of sore loser who would go back on her word?”

Of course Young Miss was not. Liu’er nodded. But this was just too hard.

“Young Miss,” she said, looking over at the Go board lantern. “Let’s go see who it was, see who was so amazing.”

Miss Jun gave it a look. There were already layers and layers of crowd there, their racket shaking the skies.

There were many fearsome people in this world. This was not such a strange thing, and there was no need to call it into question.

“No need,” said Miss Jun as she walked away.

………………………………

When Ning Yunzhao saw Miss Jun’s red eyes, his heart was sent into turmoil, at even more of a loss than before. But he roughly understood why this girl was like that.

Her Go skills were so outstanding but she lost here. When she saw someone able to succeed, naturally, she would not be able to accept such a result and feel ashamed. Or because her Go skills were so outstanding, she wanted to shock the world but someone else snagged her chance. Of course, she would be unable to accept this and feel furious.

This kind of anger and despair because of a blow to your confidence was not rare.

Although, as a calm, unflappable gentleman, he would not have such childish moods, she was yet a child albeit a child very talented at Go.

For a girl with such arrogance to show temper was nothing much. It was quite normal.

Since that was so, he would need to change his opening line.

{So there was enough time after all. If it’s for an ancient Go arrangement, solving it is not hard.}

How was that?

It is possible that she was waiting to the side for a long time. These tactful words would say that she was not necessarily inferior to the other person. He was just pointing out that this was an old board and the person who solved it must be really talented.

This would console her without insinuating anything else, appealing to logic. It also would not make her feel like she was being preached to, or make her have any misunderstandings.

Right now, his friends were running over to take a look at the person who solved the board, so if he went now to talk to her, he could finish quickly without being seen. And even if he was seen, he could pass it off as her inquiring about what was going on in the Go arrangement.

A passerby seeing the festivities asking someone else about what was going on was not anything special and wouldn’t cause his companions to overthink.

Ning Yunzhao proceeded forward, calm and solemn. He was soon about to reach her when that girl turned and walked away.

She was leaving.

Ning Yunzhao stared blankly.

Did she not see him? Or did she see him and not want to talk? Was she really so sad that she wanted to hide away and cry?

Would calling out to her be amiss?

“Yunzhao!”

He heard his companions shout behind him.

Ning Yunzhao looked at the girl meld into the crowds and disappear on the busy street. He sighed internally, gripping his lantern and turned around.

“Why are you leaving? Do you know who solved the lantern?” asked his companions excitedly.

“Who could be so talented?” asked Ning Yunzhao with a smile.

HIs companions’ expressions turned strange.

“Guess,” one of them said.

Guess? Although Yangcheng was not big, he was not omniscient, otherwise he would know which family that girl with impressive Go skills came from.

For a girl to be such an impressive Go player, it must be handed down in the family.

Ning Yunzhao made his way over there.

“If I looked, I wouldn’t know. Why do I need to guess?” he responded.

A loud complaint could be heard through the general uproar.

“What are you doing? Are you trying to steal the money?”

This voice sounded like a coarse, broken gong, sounding very impetuous and rude.

Ning Yunzhao went blank, then saw the man standing in front of the Go board, hugging the two glass bowls to his chest.

He was thirty or forty years old with a whiskered face and a robust stature.

Although you couldn’t judge someone by appearance alone, and the one who solved the Go board might not necessarily be suave and elegant, it could not be this man.

Because Ning Yunzhao recognized this man.

This was the famous beggar and bum of Yangcheng, Tian San.

Tian San was not any sort of expert hidden in the world. He was a bonafide beggar, unable to read a single character. It was a stretch for him to have ever seen a Go board before, let alone play.

How was this possible.