Chapter 239: The Monster at the Go Board
"What! We are not going to compete in the Martial Battles?" A disciple said with wide eyes.
"Yes, the sect master has just announced it."
"Why? What happened?"
The disciples gathered in twos and threes to discuss the latest news from the sect master.
"Why did the sect master do this? We’ve all trained for this." Jin Ru said, unwilling to accept it.
All the core disciples had been working very hard since they knew they were going to the Central Region Imperial Capital for the Assembly Summit.
But now, they were told they wouldn’t participate on the grand stage.
How could they accept it?
"I need to speak with my master." She grumbled and left to find her master.
Other disciples also left to find their masters, their anger surging.
Inside the elders’ room, all the elders sat, their faces full of confusion.
They looked at the Sect Master, unable to wrap their heads around why he would not allow the disciples to compete.
Knowing what was going on in their minds, the sect master asked.
"This is a decision I came up with alongside the Supreme Elder. Fighting at the Martial Battle would not help our sect but could bring potential danger to us."
"Besides, we think it is high time we change our focus."
As the Sect Master, he was eloquent and commanding. Making the elders see reason was nothing to him.
Besides, he was not manipulating them or trying to undermine their hard work with the disciples for the past few months.
But they could not deny the truth.
They were weak.
"We are going to compete in the areas where we can change and bring fame to our sect rather than lose face and become other people’s stepping stones."
"Don’t you agree?"
The elders were quiet for a moment before Elder Duang Jie asked.
"Sect Master, how would the disciples feel?"
"A wise and reasonable disciple would understand. Also, this is a test for them. Their actions will tell us if they need to be nurtured or not."
"Times are changing. We can’t blindly spend resources on disciples who only know how to fight without using their brains." The sect master paused for a moment, letting his words sink in.
As for the elders, they were all trying to comprehend the gravity of the sect master’s words.
After a few seconds, the Sect Master continued.
"This is not only for the disciples but for the elders also. This is the Imperial Capital, you have this opportunity to learn."
"When we return to the sect, I want to see brand new ideas from you. We’re no longer the small Dust Valley Sect hidden in the corner of the western region."
"Any questions before I move to the next part?"
Questions?
Who would dare ask any? Since even they were under test, any more unnecessary words would jeopardize their standing.
Watching the quiet elders, the Sect Master nodded with a knowing smile.
"Next, we’re going to discuss where we’re going to participate."
The elders adjusted their seats and sat straight.
"We’re going to participate in Runes, Array Formation, Alchemy, Artifact Refinement, and the game of Go."
When the elders heard this, a look of realization appeared on their faces.
In the past month, the sect had been increasing the resources spent on disciples in these fields.
Who knew it was for this reason.
Their Young Master was known as a sage in runes, array formation, and artifact refinement.
Under his mentorship, everyone in this field had grown exponentially.
The capital might be powerful, but in these fields, they did not believe anyone could beat their young master or disciples.
But what puzzled them was Alchemy and the game of Go.
The last time they remembered, Elder Li Huang the sect alchemist was trying to break through to a Tier-2 Alchemist.
How could a Peak Tier-1 Alchemist train a disciple strong enough to compete against the ancient sects and clans’ disciples?
To make it worse, the game of Go. Who among the disciples knew how to play Go?
As if knowing their thoughts, the sect master wore a bright smile and spoke.
"I know some of you are confused about the alchemy aspect and the game of Go. Right?"
"Yes, sect master." A male elder responded with a nod.
"Then, why don’t you give it a try? Who among you knows how to play the game of Go?"
"Sect Master, I know how to play it." Elder Han Gang announced.
Without waiting for the sect master, he brought the Go board from his spatial pouch and set it on the table.
"Good. Good." The Sect Master spoke with a pleasing smile on his face. He took out his Spirit Link and sent a message to his son.
A minute later, the door to the elders’ room was pushed open and an average-looking girl entered.
"Sect Master..." Zhi Ruo paid her respects.
Looking at her, all the elders were confused. They looked at her from head to toe but could not see anything extraordinary.
"Come and play with Elder Han." The Sect Master said quickly. He was also curious about Zhi Ruo’s mastery of Go.
He only heard from his son that no one could beat her, but he did not believe it. How could a girl not even thirty be a master in Go?
Calmly, Zhi Ruo walked and sat opposite Elder Han Gang. She was given the black seed while Elder Han Gang was white.
Curious, everyone moved closer to watch the game.
Elder Han Gang watched the calm Zhi Ruo and was inwardly annoyed. How could they ask him to compete against such a rookie?
Humph! He snorted inwardly and decided not to hold back. He planned to defeat her hands down.
Quickly, the game started. Elder Han Gang was aggressive in his moves, covering all sides in a pincer attack.
Against a rookie, that tactic would have worked. Unfortunately, he was competing against Zhi Ruo.
Zhi Ruo was calm without any change in her expression. Her hand moved without thinking. It was as if she already knew what to play beforehand.
Slowly, Elder Han Gang’s forces were sliced from inside out with no room to fight back
Five minutes later, the game was over.
Elder Han Gang defeated.
Silence!
All jaws dropped, staring at Zhi Ruo as if they were staring at a monster.
[AN: We’re only short of a few Golden Tickets to meet this week goal. 😭😭😭
Please let try and meet it. This would encourage me more.]