Chapter 17 (1/2)
Chapter 17 - Weiqi Celestial Hall
The Weiqi Celestial Hall was a four story tall building. The first floor had at least an area of tens of thousands of square meter. The first floor was dedicated for ordinary Weiqi players, but not every ordinary Weiqi player was allowed to enter.
Standing before the entrance of the Weiqi Celestial Hall, Gu Hai carefully looked at the building in front. After he put the luggage inside the Great Sea Inn, he rented a horse carriage to the Weiqi Celestial Hall!
After all, like everyone else, he too held an interest in the Holy Land of Weiqi which was yearned very much by all Weiqi players!
However, the Weiqi Celestial Hall was not so easy to enter. Otherwise, the Weiqi Celestial Hall would have long been overcrowded. Even if one wanted to enter the Weiqi Celestial Hall, you need to have qualifications!
Gu Hai looked at the Weiqi table that was fully carved out of stone which was placed at the entrance of the Weiqi Celestial Hall. The Weiqi table had black and white placed upon it, and opposite the Weiqi table calmly sat a gray robe old man on a stone chair, with a clear mind and rapt attention, as if nothing could faze him!
Noticing Gu Hai's arrival, the gray robed old man just extended his right hand, signaling Gu Hai to sit on the opposite stone chair!
Gu Hai without further ado directly sat down on the stone chair and swept a glance at the game on the Weiqi table. Suddenly, he cleared his throat as he noticed that this was an unfinished game…
”Place ten pieces on the board to pa.s.s the a.s.sessment!” The gray-robed old man's indifferent voice slowly came over!
'Most people may think of just placing ten pieces, how can it be as simple as that?. Do you think that placing just ten pieces, it will be over? Youngster, you are too pure…'
'This is an endgame puzzle and you need to place pieces to finish the game. And if not resolved it in ten moves, you are simply unable to pa.s.s!' The old man said to himself.
However, Gu Hai simply didn't think too much about it. When he first set his eyes on the Weiqi game, the first thing that came to his mind was that this game was too simple, it simply didn't pose any difficulty to him!
Gu Hai picked up a black piece from the box and placed it on the Weiqi board, then looked at gray robed old man!
The gray-robed old man was shocked. He looked at the youngster in front with a little surprise. This move was truly contrary to his expectations. He had immediately solved the endgame puzzle with just one move, it was truly marvelous!
However, it was no more than one move; he was unable to gauge Gu Hai's Weiqi skills from this move. The gray-robed old man similarly took out a white Weiqi piece, pondered for a moment before dropping it on the Weiqi board!
”Pa!”
Before the gray robed old man showed any reaction, Gu Hai had already dropped another black Weiqi piece. In an instant, a large number of white pieces were captured and thereby taken out of the Weiqi board; leaving a few pieces on the Weiqi board!
The gray-robed old man carefully contemplated about the current game on the Weiqi board. Suddenly, he forcefully smiled, ”I'm really getting old. In just two moves I have been defeated. Those old men are going to laugh at me!”
”Young man, you have the qualifications to enter the third floor! But you still need to follow the rules. However, If I am right it should be simply nothing for you.” The gray robed old man raised his head to looked at Gu Hai and meaningfully said, ”Furthermore, even for those old men from the third floor it is impossible to defeat me in just two moves. It seems the Weiqi Celestial Hall is going to get lively!”
The gray robe old man waved his hand, telling Gu Hai to enter the Weiqi Celestial Hall. His line of sight once again fell on the Weiqi board in front of him. G.o.d knows how long he had been looking on this game already, now witnessing someone defeat him so easily, he naturally wanted to clearly understand how he lost!
Gu Hai did not seem to care, and directly walked inside the Weiqi Celestial Hall!
In the lobby of the first floor there were hundreds of Weiqi boards placed inside, and almost each Weiqi board had two people sitting on the either side. There were even some Weiqi board that were surrounded by a group of people, they were watching the game!
Silently watching the game was a gentleman's virtue which everyone seemed to be following here. Inside the first floor lobby, besides the sound of pieces being placed on the board, almost no one seemed to be talking. Everyone were either quietly playing or watching the game!
Like everyone else, Gu Hai too didn't make any noise. He just casually walked closer to a Weiqi board and quietly watched the two people as they played Weiqi.