Chapter 580: Seizing the Celestial Pivot, Master of Dezehu?

You remained calm, playing the game with a serene expression.

The black stones on the lower board had formed a great dragon formation; the only viable strategy seemed to be to slaughter the dragon.

Deep within the black formation, you gently placed a stone.

Xie Xuan sneered repeatedly: "This is no different from 'a lone force advancing deep'—far from your own white stones, 'no path ahead, no way back.'"

A single tree cannot hold up a forest!

Su Yun also failed to understand this move—why place a stone here?

A dangerous move?

The woman smiled indifferently: "If this is your secret strategy, it's far too hasty. This stone, once placed, will be the cause of your defeat."

The black stones below stood firm like a mountain peak, towering over the white stones, surrounding and blocking them.

That lone stone hung suspended, capable only of self-preservation.

Su Yun grew anxious—this black stone served no purpose and merely wasted a move.

The woman seized the initiative; the white stones on either side grew stronger, linking into a unified force, their momentum surging.

Watching from the side, Xie Xuan felt the black stones' formation resembled inverted stars reflected in a mirror of water.

Where each stone fell, points of starlight glimmered, slowly revolving around the "Celestial Pivot."

Xie Xuan could not help but feel dizzy with awe—this was the very style of play he had long sought, approaching the Dao of Go.

Now consider the white stones.

Though your formation was tightly knit, it lacked a pillar to hold up the heavens.

Amid the chaos, that lone white stone deep in the black formation stood out—alien, jarring.

In an instant, the white stones were surrounded, seemingly on the brink of collapse!

At this moment!

Su Yun sat in thought—sacrificing the stone might be the better strategy, lest the loss of one stone doom the entire game.

You placed your stone with lightning speed, utterly unexpected.

Not only did you not sacrifice it—you guided the endangered stone toward life.

Several stones fell; that one endangered stone transformed into an entire cluster of endangered stones.

Su Yun grew even more confused—he could not believe Xie Guan would play a "foolish move," especially since you had won five consecutive games, demonstrating extraordinary skill.

You, who had demonstrated multiple brilliant moves in earlier games, were certainly not panicking and desperately trying to save yourself.

But why?

Whether judged by Go principles or by Xie Guan's assertion that Go is like "waging war,"

in battle, one must know when to give and take—sacrifice a pawn to save the chariot. Yet now, to rescue this endangered stone, you repeatedly threw down black stones.

Why this stubborn obsession, this full-force rescue?

Su Yun's mind brimmed with confusion, his gaze locked on the stone in your hand.

The woman lifted a black stone, her eyes brighter than ever; since the outcome was clear, she no longer held back.

Among her peers, your skill was the first she had ever encountered.

No wonder Master once said: never underestimate the talents of the world.

Returning to Bianjing, I never expected to meet a Go player equal to myself in this crumbling courtyard of the Xie Fu.

Truly, this journey was not in vain!

The two of you played another dozens of moves.

The hour had passed noon; the sun had shifted, no longer directly overhead.

The bright sunlight faded, softening slightly.

The melting snow on the eaves, once a gentle trickle, now dripped drop by drop.

The chill in the courtyard deepened; the tall parasol trees stood bare, their branches stark and desolate.

The large water vat by the gate now bore a thin layer of frost.

Inside the room, the board remained tense, locked in stalemate.

The servants, seeing their masters' grave expressions, held their breath, not daring to stir, fearing to provoke the Young Master's displeasure.

The middle game had passed; black held a decisive advantage.

The woman began the endgame, pressing forward step by step.

The black stones' formation resembled stars scattered across the board—ancient constellations shifting, poetic, exquisitely beautiful.

The sky meets the clouds, merging with morning mist; the Milky Way turns, a thousand sails dancing.

Xie Xuan suddenly understood the woman's earlier words.

He who controls the North Star holds Heaven's Mandate—already standing invincible.

The lord of all stars, all stars follow.

How could one possibly lose?

Yet your white stones remained trapped in the perilous situation of a lone force deep in enemy territory.

Su Yun sighed softly—just as he had feared.

This move had become the flaw in your formation; white had invested too heavily in it, exposing weaknesses all around.

To save one stone at the cost of the entire game—worthless and unwise!

The white stones were in dire straits; black's formation was now complete—what could be done?

At this moment!

Your eyes flickered, glancing toward the courtyard gate.

Outside the courtyard, familiar light footsteps approached—slightly heavy.

Wu Tong has returned!

The woman frowned slightly, her phoenix eyes fixed on you, noticing your delay in playing.

Chen Jiuyan spoke sharply: "While playing against me, you dare to drift off?"

You smiled apologetically: "Young Master Chen, just a moment longer!"

Chen Jiuyan looked puzzled.

"Are you conceding? Or do you think the game is already decided and refuse to continue?"

Xie Xuan sneered: "What, are you afraid of losing and trying to escape?"

You merely smiled: "This game has only just begun—how can there be talk of losing?"

Xie Xuan chuckled, inwardly mocking—the black stones dominated the board, white scrambling desperately.

"Only just begun? That's nonsense!"

The woman looked at the board, puzzled—where did you get such confidence?

Before she could answer, you rose. The servants quickly stepped aside as you gently pushed open the door.

There!

Wu Tong, walking with difficulty, pushed open the courtyard gate with a creak, arms full of baskets—fresh rice, lean meat, and New Year goods bought at the market.

Her arms were overloaded, barely able to move.

You hurried forward to help carry the items inside.

"Next time, if you can't carry it all, don't buy so much—the Xie Fu has carts. Just tell Liu Guanshi." You scolded gently.

You had wondered why Wu Tong's steps felt unusually heavy today—now you knew: she carried heavy loads.

"Young Master, Liu Guanshi…" Wu Tong hesitated, words catching in her throat.

She stepped inside and realized the room was full of people.

And she had never seen any of them before.

"Wu Tong, brew tea."

Wu Tong thought nothing of it, assuming these were friends of Miss Zhi or Young Master Yuan.

She hurried to boil water and prepare tea.

Xie Xuan watched the woman enter and recalled something—this master-servant pair had no family ties; as Xie Guan's personal maid, she had drawn the attention of Xie Renfeng from the Second Courtyard, and rumors about her had spread throughout Daguanyuan.

You sat down again.

Su Yun's full attention remained on the board, still pondering your words: "The game has only just begun."

He racked his brain but found no solution.

The woman's eyes darkened slightly—you had ignored her for the sake of a servant girl.

Especially your calm expression throughout, as if you had never regarded her as an opponent.

Since childhood, she had always looked down on others—when had she ever been so disregarded?

The woman suppressed the rising anger.

Chen Jiuyan said coldly: "I hope you still have such leisure when you lose."

You continued placing stones, playing several more moves.

When another white stone entered the black formation!

"This is…!"

Su Yun was suddenly startled—the black stone that had seemed endangered had clearly been planned all along, now surging forward.

Directly seizing the Celestial Pivot!

Su Yun carefully reviewed the past dozens of moves—those white stones had all been laid to "secretly pass through Chen Cang"!

Capture the leader to capture the bandits!

Su Yun watched your perpetually calm expression and realized you had long foreseen this pawn thrust into the enemy ranks as part of a strategy centered on the "Tianyuan" point.

Xie Xuan also perceived the deeper meaning behind this white stone and was utterly stunned.

The woman blinked slightly, then continued placing her stone.

The tide of the game began to turn; your hundred-move strategy finally revealed its power.

Finally!

The first white stone placed within the black formation became the decisive move—firm as Mount Dingjun.

Through clever feints left and right, the white stones skillfully bypassed the Tianyuan, ultimately linking up with the hidden white army already positioned, surging forward like a flood, unstoppable as they poured into the black's encircled Tianyuan.

The hidden threads stretched a thousand li, now revealed their fangs.

Though she fought desperately to salvage the situation, the outcome could no longer be changed.

The Tianyuan has fallen!

Bei Chen Star has fallen!

The Dao of the Chess lost its pillar; the entire board plunged into chaos.

Xie Xuan suddenly snapped back to awareness—without the Tianyuan, how could this Dao of the Chess continue?

The black stones, moments ago like brilliant stars, now lost their center and instantly lost all will, dimming into darkness.

The entire board hung by a thread!

Meanwhile, the white stones had long secured the critical positions, moving like fish in water, beginning their true endgame.

The woman's eyes were filled with disbelief—she had never imagined she could lose.

Su Yun stared at the board: the Dao of the Chess had been broken. The once star-strewn stones, once a vast tide of power, had become a losing position.

Xie Guan, holding the white stones, moved like a master strategist—calm, composed, daring to strike hard at the critical moment, achieving victory through surprise.

Indeed, warfare is the art of deception.

The finest warriors leave no glorious exploits.

The black stones have lost!

Su Yun wanted to suggest they stop here—otherwise, he'd have trouble explaining to his grandfather.

After all, Chen Jiuyan had made this bet.

Chen Jiuyan had now lost six games in a row, and this one, in her most cherished Dao of the Chess, she had been utterly crushed.

The woman gritted her teeth, refusing to accept defeat—the Dao of the Chess conforms to the Dao of Heaven.

Heaven reigns above all things—how could it lose?

Yet!

Until the final stone was placed, the black stones still lost by nine points.

This game, white wins.

"Young Master Yan, I yield."

The woman's gaze remained locked on the board, unable to look away.

How could she possibly have lost?

She had never lost the Tianyuan as black to anyone—except her Master. She believed only that Heaven's Dao could not overpower her Master's play.

But!

Now she had lost to the boy before her.

Could it be that Go is not the Dao… but the Art of War you just described?

Impossible!

At that moment!

Chen Jiuyan's phoenix eyes narrowed, fixed upon you—within her pupils, swirling brown-red patterns spun, radiating an inexplicable authority.

You suddenly sensed that her gaze carried threads of Primordial Spirit energy—and her realm was not low.

In an instant!

You felt yourself plummet into a silent black night sky, your feet standing upon a vast yellow nineteen-line Go board.

Above, great stars fell like rain.

"An illusion?"

You asked yourself silently—the scene before you was utterly unlike the small room moments ago; clearly, you had been pulled into her spiritual perception.

You looked up toward the horizon—a massive brown-red pupil stared silently down at you upon the board.

This woman, Chen Jiuyan, wielded spiritual perception much like the dragon you encountered at Dengchun Pavilion—both pulled you into illusions. But back then, you were only at the Third Realm.

Now, two months later, you have reached the Sixth Realm of Primordial Spirit.

You gazed at the illusory board, a faint smile touching your lips.

From your shoulder, a translucent, multicolored butterfly fluttered lightly into the air, dancing around you.

The Sixth Technique of the Yin Fu Seven Arts: the Illusory Butterfly's Circular Transformation.

To transform in circles is colorless, formless, born of the mind, capable of changing all things. The Illusory Butterfly is its symbol—"Shen" means illusion; "die" evokes the Daoist tale of Zhuangzi dreaming he was a butterfly.

The massive brown-red pupil on the horizon watched your figure on the board slowly vanish.

Suddenly, her eyes flew wide open!

And then!

Before Chen Jiuyan could react, her surroundings shifted violently.

When she saw clearly again, she looked down to find herself standing on cold lake water, the midday sun glinting across the ripples, reflecting her stunned face.

She raised her head, gazing across the water—vast and boundless, faintly visible ahead lay an island rising from the waves.

"Is this… Dezehu?"

The thousand-li expanse of mist-shrouded Dezehu Lake.

She instantly recognized the island—it was the forbidden zone of Dezehu, the lair of great demons: the Dragon Palace.

Standing on the calm, endless waves, she sensed something immense stirring far below, stirring up ripples and splashes.

A pair of golden "lanterns" ignited beneath the water, accompanied by a pungent stench of blood and the rustling of scales—revolting, making her stomach churn.

In an instant!

A colossal serpent-dragon, as tall as seven or eight stories, burst from the water—its head bore twin bumps, its belly hid three delicate white claws, its aura overwhelming, as if it could devour all.

Though Chen Jiuyan knew this was an illusion, the dragon's might still struck terror into her heart, overwhelming her with an indescribable dread.

When she finally comprehended what she saw, her eyes widened in shock. "The Lord of Dezehu?"

The dragon opened its maw and unleashed a deafening roar—the lake itself seemed torn apart by invisible force, erupting into a water column as high as a mountain, shooting straight into the clouds.

"Jiuyan, what's wrong?"

"Are you alright? It's just a lost game—why are you acting like you've lost your mind?"

Chen Jiuyan felt voices calling beside her, gentle pushes against her shoulder.

Her breathing was heavy; her pupils slowly focused.

The blurred surroundings sharpened—warm air filled the room, and she shivered involuntarily; just moments ago, she had been plunged into the lake's depths.

She gasped out in terror:

"Dragon?"

Su Yun, startled by her sudden panic, drew his knees up and wrapped his arms around her trembling form, urgently asking:

"Jiuyan, what's wrong? What dragon?"

Chen Jiuyan gradually regained her senses, realizing the lake scene had been an illusion.

Slowly, she lifted her head and stared at the young boy across the board, lost in thought—her face twisted as if she'd seen a ghost.

She trembled: "You… are a great demon?"

Su Yun sighed helplessly. "What great demon? Jiuyan, what's wrong with you… isn't this Young Master Xie?"

The clear-faced boy across from her said nothing, head bowed, eyes deep in thought, murmuring to himself:

"That dragon… is it the Lord of Dezehu?"

(End of Chapter)