The Way of the Blind Girl Chess Saint

She clearly knew nothing and did nothing!

"Hey, Gong Ying, which little sister is making you work so hard?"

"Waaaaah~~~"

Seeing that everyone was about to make fun of her, Shang Gongying started to cry sadly. That wretched Shang Jiujiu... She could only find her sisters to interrogate her about what had happened when she went to sleep.

................

Unlike Shang Gongying, Ji Yingting arrived at her chess academy early in the morning with a cheerful smile. She braided her waist-length light green hair into a gentle, wife-style ponytail and pulled it across her chest, then began her inspection with a refreshed expression.

The renovation here is almost complete. It has three floors and the architectural style, which is both moon white and turquoise, is very pleasing to the eye and luxurious.

The staircase spirals upwards, and in addition to the central staircase, there is also a man-made passageway at the back door.

The first floor is the main hall of the chess academy, and the second floor is a seminar room for high-level chess players, with a spare coffee shop, tea house, and bar.

The third floor is the bedroom area, and there are still a few rooms that are not yet fully renovated.

"Hmm? First, we need to choose the chessboard and chess table. Let's put twenty tables in the hall for now."

Purchasing chess equipment is more troublesome for private chess academies, but ordering from Crescent Moon Chess Academy is very convenient.

Ji Yingting took out a bank card, which was the same bank card that Shang Gongying had kept in her wallet. Now, of course, she could use it however she pleased.

The cost of the chessboard and pieces is relatively low, but... the four-corner table that comes with the chess set is very expensive, as is the matching sofa chair, because sitting for a long time while playing Go can make your butt hurt, and the sofas at the Go Academy are all very soft.

A rough calculation shows that if you want to make it more elaborate, it would cost several million star coins. Shang Gongying's bank account is barely enough, plus the salary from the New Moon Chess Academy and the prize money from the Three Lives Cup.

Today, a historic transformation will take place in the professional Go world on the moon.

Amidst much anticipation, [Professional 9-dan Phoenix Feather] will face off against [Chess Saint Ji Xuehuang].

And a title battle will be held between [Professional 9th ​​Dan - Luo Jiangxing] and [Master - Luo Zhanye].

The Chess Saint Tournament and the Celebrity Tournament will be held on the same day, but one after the other.

...............

...............

Chapter 505: The Chess Saint

In the long, cold night, in the solitary palace, ice-blue petals bloom. No one is qualified to reach the top of the moon unless they can break through that icy defense.

Emperor Moon Chess Academy:

The venue for the Chess Saint Tournament was a large hall filled with bare trees. The dim lighting led the soul's thoughts into the night sky. A woman with long, snow-blue hair, as light as snowflakes and as crystal clear and delicate as a lake, cascaded down to her waist.

The garment is embossed with the character "季" (season), and every thread of its fabric is a work of art.

A chessboard made of ice jade wood extends from the roots of the tree to the center, and the woman's closed eyes and exquisite yet serene expression seem to turn time into eternity.

People often say that she is an invincible chess player.

Throughout history, her performance in chess games has truly been unparalleled.

The development of Go over thousands of years has taken place from its birthplace in China to its flourishing in Japan, the rise of South Korea, the ensuing conflicts between China, Japan, and South Korea, the decline of Japan, the emergence of artificial intelligence, and... the defeat of artificial intelligence.

Then came the Ke family, the Ji family, the Luo family...

The long river of history is not as unforgettable as the single move she made with her fingertips – the Chess Saint, Ji Xuehuang.

The time arrived, and professional 9-dan player Feng Kuangyu pushed open the door to the Chess Saint Tournament, leaning over to sit on the opposite side of the chessboard. She had waited three long years for this battle.

"Snow Chess Saint..."

"Mad Feather, let's begin."

"Um"

The blonde woman nodded and flipped her sleeve to take the black chess piece.

She was the only one who was different; to him, only the woman in front of him was different.

From the moment she held a chess piece as a child, she understood the principles of chess. Many professional chess players are often said to be born chess players.

However, she is the only one who is called a born chess master.

"Little Tiger, who do you think will win this match?" In the Ji family, a girl with starry eyes sat smiling on the sofa, while another older girl with blonde hair and black highlights rested her head on the woman's lap, not daring to move. This was Ji Shihu, a professional ninth-dan player.

Since his defeat to the throne, Ji Shihu has also been promoted to professional 9th ​​dan at the beginning of the year.

However, she still lacked confidence in front of her mother. This old woman... after all, she was the former Star-Eyed Chess Saint. Even though her chess skills had completely decayed and she hadn't played chess for many years, she was not someone she could easily fathom.

Ji Shihu thought for a moment and said, "It should be my sister who wins. Feng Kuangyu isn't as invincible as other players say, but... no matter what, her chess skills are disastrous in my eyes."

Ji Xingquan said softly, "Really? Then let me tell you a little story."

.................

Twenty years ago, when Ji Xuehuang was a young girl who had just begun to learn Go, Ji Xingquan was the active Go master on the moon.

She was virtually invincible except for Honinbo Kokuju and the Throne Lu Zhichou, but... she was always pursuing some kind of non-existent realm.

In Go, there are always winners and losers. Even the strongest player will one day lose to a weaker professional player. She was unwilling to decline from the Go world like this. Compared to the Ke family's legacy, the Ji family's Go players valued individual skill without any limits.

then……

Ji Xingquan collapsed. As the first professional chess player to come into contact with that unknown level, Ji Xingmou was completely transformed during a game. He watched helplessly as his chess moves turned into ashes and vanished into nothingness. His long silver hair burned to ashes and drifted in the wind, his right eye split open, and even his right arm dissipated into starlight.

According to medical explanations, Ji Xingquan's symptoms were caused by heart failure due to playing chess, leading to a breakdown of his internal nervous system.

Unfortunately, the Ji Xingquan of the past can never be brought back. This is the price of pursuing the pinnacle, this is the madness of a chess master.

Completely wrapped in bandages, Ji Xingquan, who stayed indoors all day, stared at the dusty chessboard, slowly peeling away the dust with his small hands and muttering to himself.

"Is it because my chess skills are not good enough?"

Is it because I haven't reached that level yet?

Is it because I'm not qualified?

A year later, Ji Xingquan, who had recovered her health, made a long-awaited trip to the Ji Family Chess Academy to see her daughters.

He himself was no longer able to live, but the Ji family still had to rely on the younger generation.

Ji Shihu, Ji Hongyun, Ji Zitong... These three are the most outstanding performers in the family chess academy. They have only been learning chess for a year, but they already have the chess strength of amateur third dan.

At that time, Ji Xuehuang only had the skill level of an amateur first rank.

As the eldest sister, Ji Xuehuang's chess skills were only barely keeping up with everyone else's. She would often stay at the chess academy to study the game records before going home.

"Mom, has your health improved recently?" Ji Xuehuang asked softly after recognizing the person who had come to her, as she arranged the chess pieces on the chessboard.

"Yes, I'm so sorry I haven't visited you all in so long. Let's all have dinner together tonight."

"It's okay, Mom shouldn't force herself if she's not feeling well."

"........."

Ji Xingquan felt somewhat saddened because, having held the position of Chess Saint, she seemed to have neglected her daughters. She had many concubines, and her daughters were raised by those women; she had hardly interfered at all.

It wasn't until she stepped down from her position as the Go master that she found it easier to understand their emotions.

"Is Little Snow Phoenix working so hard because she wants to catch up with everyone else?"

"No... I just want to experience what it feels like to be weak. If I don't experience it now, I'll never be able to again. Mother, do you understand?"

"........."

His icy blue eyes widened, and as he looked into the crescent-shaped pupils within, a chill ran down Ji Xingquan's spine, and a startling sense of unease spread through his heart.

The young girl with long, snow-blue hair looked up and said softly.

“Mom, that day, I saw it—your hair, your chess moves, your arms, and… your eyes. They floated in a colorless world, without air, without earth. Prototype-like objects, like shattered planets, hovered in the air, burning with icy blue flames, and… a giant figure sitting in a chair.”

"…………"

How is that possible?!

Ji Xingquan's purple eyes narrowed in disbelief as he stared at the blue-haired girl. The atmosphere suddenly became strange. For him, it was a concept that should not exist at all, yet she saw it so clearly.

In that instant, Ji Xingquan understood completely.

Ji Xuehuang is a woman who entered that field from birth, unlike me... Her talent is beyond what can be summarized by a prestigious family; her very existence is a high praise for Go.

This transcendent state is like the joy of humanity's first discovery of fire.

Ji Xingquan knew that if he wasn't a player who had also entered that field, he would be no match for Ji Xuehuang. But one day, another player would surely understand her, and perhaps even... defeat her.

"Ji Xuehuang, I was actually afraid of my own daughter until ten years ago."

"Mom, why aren't you afraid of my sister anymore?" Hearing Ji Xingquan reveal this secret from so many years ago for the first time, Ji Shihu was both curious and perhaps shocked.

That field, that concept... even if her mother explained it to her, she wouldn't understand.

Because Ji Xuehuang became such a strong professional Go player, Ji Shihu and many others forgot that Ji Xuehuang's Go skills were actually quite average before.

She also wanted to know what made Ji Xuehuang so powerful—no… one of the reasons she was so special from birth.

"Because, one day ten years later, I saw... an even more terrifying existence." Ji Xingquan's eyes widened, and her voice paused for a moment.

Considering Ji Xingquan's past experiences, it's not difficult to find out who she was referring to.

"So, you kicked that chess player out of your house?"

"No, the real reason is hard to explain, but... these are all things of the past. Just listen to this. Nowadays, Xuehuang is definitely not the only chess player who has entered that field." Ji Xingquan smiled and patted Ji Shihu's little head.

"Besides, nowadays I just hope everyone can be happy together and not argue. As people get older, they don't have much of a competitive drive anymore."

..................

..................

"Clap!"

Feng Kuangyu, playing black, placed his first move on the star point in the upper right corner of the board.

A moment later, Ji Xuehuang gently picked up a white chess piece, her fair hand gracefully placing it on the chessboard with a soft thud. She then gently pushed the piece up, making a small eye.

The onlookers held their breath, for it was the first time they had ever seen such beautiful hands. If there were any hand fetishists present, they might lick the screen for three days and three nights or even die of thirst.

Crescent Moon Chess Academy: