Chapter 1372 A Mistake
Chen Yang did not refuse, as he was intrigued by the incomplete game of Go on the stone table.
The black and white stones crisscrossed, and two great dragons on the board each occupied a position. The black pieces were fierce, poised to suppress.
The white pieces held their ground, defending tenaciously. Yet, a few pieces had formed a formation, patiently waiting for the black pieces to fall into the trap.
After Chen Yang pondered for a moment, a lazy voice sounded from not far away.
"If Lord Chen Yang were to play black, how would you place your move?"
Upon hearing this voice, Chen Yang looked up, and a stunningly beautiful face met his eyes.
What Chen Yang found strange was that the girl he had encountered in the market earlier bore some resemblance to the Imperial Tutor before him.
As for why Chen Yang immediately confirmed that this was the Imperial Tutor of the Feiyun Dynasty, it was solely due to the aura she exuded, which constantly reminded Chen Yang that this was no mere decorative piece, but a genuine cultivator at the Great Perfection stage of Core Harmonization!
Chen Yang picked up a black stone and declared, "There can only be one winner in Go. The black pieces appear extremely ferocious, but they are already constrained by the white pieces' placements, making their defeat inevitable."
Fu Xueqin glanced at Chen Yang in surprise. She had initially believed the black pieces would win this game, but after setting it up repeatedly for a long time, the white pieces always triumphed by half a point.
Although it was only half a point, there were no variables; it was an undeniable defeat.
It was a suffocating sense of powerlessness.
Chen Yang saw the inevitable end for the black pieces at a glance, yet he still picked up a stone.
Was he about to make a move?
Fu Xueqin watched the board intently. She had been studying this game for over a decade. No matter where a move was placed, she could instantly surround and capture it with a white stone!
At this very moment.
"Clack!"
The black stone in Chen Yang's hand landed, and its crisp sound instantly silenced all other noises.
After a few seconds, Fu Xueqin exclaimed, "This! No, no!"
Fu Xueqin grabbed a white stone and made to place it, but at that moment, Chen Yang said softly, "No move can be regretted."
These four words struck Fu Xueqin's heart like a thunderbolt.
Once this move was made, there would be no chance to regret it!
The spot where Chen Yang placed his black stone was somewhere Fu Xueqin had never considered.
"Tengen!"
"Why would you play there?"
Fu Xueqin clutched her white stone tightly, her gaze fixed on Chen Yang as if trying to read his mind.
Chen Yang did not answer, but instead smiled and said, "If you want to know the answer to this question, it might be very different from what you imagine."
"What you're thinking now is probably how to counter my encirclement."
Fu Xueqin took a deep breath, her mind rapidly calculating possible placements.
But for some reason, the black stone Chen Yang had placed on Tengen seemed to lock the entire board like a chain.
No matter where she placed a move, it would be restricted by this single black stone.
It was a seemingly useless move, yet it produced an unexpected effect.
Unbeknownst to how much time had passed, Fu Xueqin placed a white stone on the board.
Lie Changsheng, standing beside them, nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Surrender by tossing the stone?
She had surrendered before even making a move?
Fu Xueqin shook her head bitterly, her voice hoarse as she said, "I've studied this game for over a decade and never found a way to break through."
"Unexpectedly, Lord Chen Yang defeated me with just one stone."
"Xueqin... concedes."
Chen Yang smiled without a word, picked up the white stone that had been placed on the board, and with a casual flick, connected the intricate web of white stones that had been meticulously laid out, forming a massive net that tightly controlled the black pieces.
Fu Xueqin did not understand Chen Yang's intention. As she looked at him in confusion and was about to speak, Chen Yang interrupted her, "The game between you and me has ended. It's time to review it."
"Playing at Tengen was not an attack on White's formation, but on you."
"If you are defeated, the stones in your hand will naturally be defeated as well."
"No matter how Black plays, it will ultimately lose by half a point."
"You've studied this game for over a decade; you should know this better than I do."
"As for the move at Tengen, did it affect the overall game?"
Chen Yang pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head, "It had an effect, but a very minimal one."
"As long as White makes no mistakes, the half-point will ultimately belong to White, because from the moment I took over, Black had already lost."
Having said this, Chen Yang slowly raised his eyes. As their gazes met, Fu Xueqin felt her heartbeat quicken.
It was a feeling she had never experienced before!
"You mean, if I had continued, I would have definitely won?"
Before Chen Yang could answer, Fu Xueqin immediately picked up a white stone and placed it again.
Chen Yang did not reply, and the two began playing silently.
Lie Changsheng, though unable to understand the situation, dared not ask.
One was Lord Chen Yang of the Nascent Soul realm, and the other was the Imperial Tutor of the Feiyun Dynasty, also the sister of the current Feiyun Martial Emperor. Neither was someone he dared to question.
What Lie Changsheng found strange was that this time, not only were they silent, but their moves were extremely fast.
It was as if they had already calculated each other's moves in their minds!
After Chen Yang and Fu Xueqin quickly completed all their moves, Fu Xueqin was astonished to find that she had indeed won by half a point, just as Chen Yang had said!
"I... I really won!" Fu Xueqin felt a shock within her heart.
Although it was her first time meeting Chen Yang, a sense of admiration for him had inexplicably begun to grow in her heart.
Chen Yang smiled and said, "I have solved the problem you presented. You conceded earlier, so that counts as a loss for you."
"Therefore, can I ask about my matter now?"
Fu Xueqin nodded with a wry smile. She had already learned from her Imperial Brother that Chen Yang wanted to inquire about the Tian Qin Region.
"The strength of the Luo Sheng Dynasty lies not only in the dynasty itself but in the academies and sects within the dynasty, which together have built the Luo Sheng Dynasty to its current power."
"However, from what I know, the academies and sects within the Luo Sheng Dynasty are not a monolithic bloc."
"They also have reservations about annexing the Tian Qin Region."
"If you can approach it from this angle, there might be a chance."
"However, those old foxes are not easily persuaded. Otherwise, the Qin family would not have remained so inactive."
"Among them, the Cang Xuan Academy is managed by my teacher. I can help you find him."
Fu Xueqin had initially only intended to provide Chen Yang with some information and had no intention of getting involved.
But at this moment, she couldn't help but want to help Chen Yang.
Because she wanted to go to Cang Xuan Academy with Chen Yang!