Chapter 297: Zheng Xuans Plan! (1/2)

Chapter 297: Zheng Xuan's Plan!

”Since Instructor Zhao is willing to guide me along, I'll gratefully accept the offer then,” Wang Chong smiled.

There was a Go board in the Deflecting Blade Manor that Wang Chong intended to use to test the examinees. However, it ended up being used for the match between Wang Chong and Zhao Qianqiu instead.

”Instructor Zhao is going to fight against Wang Chong in Go!”

”I wonder who will be the victor.”

”Even though I support gongzi more, I think Instructor Zhao stands a better chance.”...

---

Upon hearing that Wang Chong was going to challenge Zhao Qianqiu in a battle of military strategy, a wave of excitement immediately washed across the crowd. This was especially so for Zhao Jingdian, Zhuang Zhengping, and Chi Weisi. After all, Zhao Qianqiu was their direct instructor.

On the very first day they arrived on the mountain, Zhao Qianqiu had hurled a couple of ferocious and ravenous tigers at them, and that had put them in quite a bit of suffering.

”Gongzi, good luck! Teach him a lesson!” Zhuang Zhengping and Chi Weisi roared in encouragement. It was only here, under such a situation, that they dared to utter such words. Under their investigations, they had found that, unlike the other ordinary instructors, Zhao Qianqiu had quite a powerful background.

A jar of black stones and a jar of white stones were placed on opposite ends of the chessboard, right in front of the two players.

Everyone, including Zhou Huang, stepped forward to surround this chessboard out of curiosity.

”As an instructor, it is only right that I offer an advantage to my student. Otherwise, others will claim that I am bullying my juniors. Here, I'll let you have three stones!” Zhao Qianqiu gestured magnanimously.

Since he wanted to teach Wang Chong a lesson and dispel any notion from the other party's mind, he had to crush the other party utterly to make him accept his loss. Giving the other party a handicap of three stones should be sufficient to achieve such an effect.

”Alright.” Smiling casually, Wang Chong accepted Zhao Qianqiu's goodwill and placed his first stone on the chessboard.

”Gongzi, good luck!” Zhao Jingdian cheered nervously.

He hadn't been with Wang Chong for too long, so he was unaware of Wang Chong's aptitude in Go.

”Zhao Qianqiu, there's no need to go all out against a student. It'll suffice as long as you make your point.” Zhou Huang tried to mediate the situation.

He had a good impression of Wang Chong—after all, they were comrades who had tided through danger together—so he didn't hope to see Wang Chong discouraged by a tragic defeat.

However, things didn't develop the way everyone thought they would.

In ten moves, the smile disappeared from Zhao Qianqiu's face. In twenty, Zhao Qianqiu's eyebrows were knitted together.

By the time they reached forty, Zhao Qianqiu's entire attention was absorbed into the chessboard.

And at fifty, Zhao Qianqiu's complexion turned livid.

Even those who didn't possess the slightest understanding of chess could tell that Zhao Qianqiu was in a bad position. Or rather, bad wasn't sufficient to cover it.

And as for those who knew Go, they were already long drawn into the clash between Wang Chong and Zhao Qianqiu.

Zhuang Zhengping and Chi Weisi were completely overwhelmed by the fight.

The both of them knew Zhao Qianqiu's background, and that only served to deepen their shock.

---

On the eightieth move, Zhao Qianqiu finally gave up. ”This round isn't counted! Let's go for another match. This time, we'll play on equal grounds, I won't give you any handicap!”

”Sure!” Wang Chong glanced at Zhao Qianqiu with a smile, and he agreed to the latter's arrangement without any hesitation.

This round, Zhao Qianqiu lost even faster. His formation was already torn apart by the time they reached the seventieth move.

”This time, I'll go first!” Zhao Qianqiu was still reluctant to accept his loss to Wang Chong.

”Alright.” Wang Chong nodded in agreement. This was already their third round.

By the fourth round, no matter how thick Zhao Qianqiu's face was, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Sipping on his tea leisurely, Wang Chong offered to Zhao Qianqiu, ”I'll give you a handicap of three stones for this round.”

With a grim face, Zhao Qianqiu nodded heavily without saying a word.

This time, Zhao Qianqiu played exceptionally slowly and carefully, and the interval between his moves increased the further into the game they got...

Soon, the fourth round was over. Zhao Qianqiu sat alone, staring at the incomplete chessboard with a grim look on his face. The emotions he felt at this very moment was very different from those he harbored when he first walked in here.

”Wang Chong, can we play a round too?” Zhou Huang suddenly asked Wang Chong excitedly.

As a master archer, he usually listened to orders on the battlefield, releasing his arrows when he was asked to. But nevertheless, there was no military man who didn't wish to become a general.

Zhou Huang could tell that Wang Chong seemed to possess exceptional aptitude in military stratagems.

Perhaps, this might be the heritage from his clan.

”Of course.” Wang Chong accepted the challenge decisively with a chuckle.