*Creak—*
At the sound of the door opening, Ye Zhao instinctively tried to hide. However, once he saw who it was, he let out a sigh of relief and lowered the clothes he had used to wrap his head. "Commander Wei, what are you doing here?"
Wei Feng: "..."
That was a question he should be asking Ye Zhao.
Closing the door behind him, Wei Feng crossed his arms and leaned leisurely against the frame. "I recall delivering the Emperor’s words to you only two days ago," he said slowly.
*Er...*
Seeing the man’s unreadable expression, Ye Zhao felt a sudden, inexplicable pang of guilt.
"I haven't forgotten what His Majesty said. I just came over today to see if I’ll finally be able to get a peaceful night's sleep." A cold sweat trickled down his back, but he maintained an awkwardly polite smile. "The roof of my house has so many holes that we haven't had time to fix them. I’ve spent several nights staring at the stars. The nights are long and dreamless, but I can't just keep staring at the moon and stars forever, can I?"
Even romance had its limits. He hadn't slept well for several nights in a row. It had started on the first night—someone had thrown a stone, and since then, his roof had been pelted until it looked like a sieve. He had lost count of how many holes they had patched. Ye Zhao was genuinely worried that a stray rock would drop down in the middle of the night and leave his head covered in lumps.
Wei Feng watched Ye Zhao’s miserable expression in silence. Then, he tilted his head slightly and smiled with practiced ease. "I doubt that will happen today. In the eyes of His Majesty and the ministers, Young Master Pei is unlikely to defeat Xin Muyi."
"Then who can?" Ye Zhao froze, failing to notice the gravity in the other man's eyes.
He rattled off several names. "Pei Shian? Duke Mingde? Or someone else? Wei has so many Go players; surely one of them can beat Xin Muyi!"
Wei Feng didn't answer. He simply stared at him. Ye Zhao sucked in a sharp breath, finding the implication hard to believe. "No... surely not?"
Wei Feng gave a cold snort, looking at Ye Zhao as if he were a fool. "Have you ever heard of the Chancellor or Duke Mingde being masters of Go?"
"Young Master Pei ranks at the top of the Three Young Gentlemen of the Capital. He is a polymath of both civil and military arts, and his skill in Go is exceptional. If even he loses, it will be difficult to find a second person in all of Wei whose skill exceeds his."
As Wei Feng spoke, a shadow of solemnity involuntarily crossed his face.
Ye Zhao had a bad premonition. "Have the other officials in court all lost as well?"
*No way. Is this Xin Muyi really that formidable?*
Wei Feng gave him a look that suggested he was stating the obvious. After a long pause, he spat out, "Xin Muyi’s skill is considered peerless in this era. He has been famous for years. What do you think?"
"Today is the fourth day. It didn't matter if we lost during the first three days, but today... if Young Master Pei loses this match..." Wei Feng’s voice trailed off. His expression was grim, his eyes clouded with a heavy weight he couldn't hide, making his features appear even more cold and fierce.
*What happens then?* Ye Zhao wondered. Something felt wrong.
The atmosphere in the room turned stiflingly heavy.
Jiang Ziqi’s expression was also grim. It seemed there was something the two of them knew that Ye Zhao did not.
Suddenly, Wei Feng sighed. He looked up at Ye Zhao with a complex gaze, then lowered his eyelids again. "It’s nothing. Go back quickly."
With that, he opened the door and vanished before Ye Zhao could ask anything else.
Jiang Ziqi looked at Ye Zhao, his expression a mix of pity and relief. "With Young Master Pei out there, you’ve essentially dodged a bullet."
"What do you mean?" Ye Zhao asked.
Jiang Ziqi explained, "You’ve been at home, so you probably haven't heard. Xin Muyi has been challenging all of Wei at the Quelou Pavilion alone, and he hasn't lost once. For the first three days, it didn't matter how many matches we lost; those were just the appetizers. But today is different!"
Everyone in the capital knew that the stakes for this game were massive. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "When it comes to Go, I’m afraid no one is Xin Muyi’s match. Today’s match might be the last one Wei can field. But the wager is enormous."
He looked Ye Zhao in the eye and held up three fingers. "Three stones are the price of one city. The limit is ten stones. In other words, if Young Master Pei accidentally loses by nine stones—or worse—our Kingdom of Wei will have to cede three cities to Xize. And vice versa."
"Now tell me, did you dodge a bullet or not?" Jiang Ziqi swallowed hard, his voice trembling with nerves. If he was this scared just talking about it, how much pressure must Pei Yunting be under, sitting out there in the arena?
Under the gaze of ten thousand eyes, the two men on the stage sat opposite each other. The tension was a powder keg waiting for a spark.
"If Young Master Pei loses even a single city in this match, I’m afraid his reputation will be ruined forever. *Sigh...*" Jiang Ziqi lamented.
The commoners of Wei wouldn't care how high Xin Muyi’s skill was. They only knew that if the man they idolized lost a city belonging to Wei, he would be a criminal!
Only a few knew that given Xin Muyi’s overwhelming strength, even if Pei Yunting managed to lose by only one city, it would be the result of him giving his absolute all. But the people of Wei would not sympathize with his plight; they would only blame him.
To be cursed by the masses, falling from the status of a favored son of heaven into the mud in an instant... that kind of fall...
*Sigh...*
Ye Zhao said in shock, "Why must we play this match? Can't we just refuse?"
Jiang Ziqi shook his head solemnly. "We cannot. No matter how long Xin Muyi sets up his board here, we could ignore him, but we *must* send someone to play against him once. Today’s match was inevitable sooner or later. The other side made many concessions during the first three days; the Emperor had no choice but to agree."
He then revealed a fact that left Ye Zhao stunned.
"Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a battle of stones. Tens of thousands of Xize troops are already massed at the border. If it comes to war, the casualties would cost far more than three cities..."
Ye Zhao fell silent. The room became as quiet as a tomb.
Right then, a commotion erupted from below.
The two of them leaned against the window to peer down.
Pei Yunting... had lost.
Amidst the waves of sighs and questioning murmurs, Pei Yunting stared fixedly at the board. His hands, resting on his knees, were clenched tight. His face was frozen, and his thin lips were pale.
Xin Muyi calmly picked up a teacup and took a light sip. "Young man, to lose to me by only five stones... you have done well."
It was close. He had come so close to losing two cities. Pei Yunting’s throat felt parched, and his body was stiff. Hearing the other man's voice, he could only slowly raise his head to look at him, his mind a complete blank.
"The son of Pei Shian... you live up to your name."
As Pei Yunting prepared to stand and leave the stage, the man behind him added another sentence. "However, compared to Tianshu, you are still far, far behind."
Pei Yunting’s footsteps faltered. *The man hailed as the second Tianshu of this age?*
*Heh...*
The title felt like a joke now, like a stinging slap to the face. Pei Yunting stood frozen on the spot as people from all directions watched him—watched the loser who was about to slink away.
"What 'Three Young Gentlemen of the Capital'? They all lost!"
"So what if he’s the top of the list? He still can't compare to Lord Tianshu..."
"True, true..."
"Young Master Pei is the Chancellor's son... how could he lose?"
"What can be done? That Xin Muyi is just too powerful."
"Not everyone can be a Tianshu..."
"*Sigh...*"
The previous reverence, expectation, and trust had all turned into doubt, dissatisfaction, and accusation. The murmuring voices bored into his ears like ants gnawing at his heart. The gazes directed at him were either dark or pitying, filled with unspoken words.
No one crowded around him to cheer or praise him anymore. The expressions on their faces and the look in their eyes conveyed a single emotion: he was no longer worthy of their pursuit.
After a few moments, Pei Yunting took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and began to walk off the stage. The crowd surrounding the platform parted to let him through.
Amidst the sea of criticism, a clear voice suddenly rang out. It echoed through the crowded Quelou Pavilion, abrupt yet remarkably pleasant to the ear.
"You say he's far behind? Xin Muyi, I think *you* are the one who is truly far behind." The tone was incredibly relaxed, slowly reaching everyone's ears.
The crowd froze, looking left and right.
"Who?"
"Who was that?"
*Tap... tap... tap...*
Amidst the noise of the building, Xin Muyi clearly heard the slow, rhythmic sound of footsteps. Step by step, someone was slowly approaching him.
His brow twitched. An inexplicable surge of irritability and an indescribable feeling rose in his heart.
It felt as if... someone was coming. Someone... who made him feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
As the crowd searched for the source, a masked gentleman in black robes descended slowly from the upper floor. His robes fluttered elegantly, his long sleeves graceful. In his slender, jade-like hand, he held a folding fan, swaying it gently as he walked with a leisurely gait, as if strolling through a quiet courtyard. Step by step, he passed through the sea of people and entered everyone's sight.
The massive luminous pearls at the top of the pavilion cast a milky white glow over him. In the interplay of light and shadow, his black robes flowed like thick ink as he moved. The exposed lower half of his face was as white as pure jade, his lips as red as rouge. His slender silhouette seemed to possess a magic that made it impossible to look away.
Xin Muyi turned his head. The moment his eyes met that patch of ink-black, his expression changed drastically.
It wasn't until Ye Zhao reached the stage that someone in the crowd snapped out of it and asked, "Who is that?"
"I don't know."
"He’s wearing a mask. How mysterious..."
If anyone had been guessing whether the person was Ye Zhao, the sight of Jiang Ziqi nimbly carrying a grand armchair onto the stage and then vanishing at lightning speed confirmed it for the Emperor and his party!
"Why is Ye Zhao going up there?!" someone asked in shock from a private room on the top floor.
"Who knows!" another voice followed.
The Emperor and the officials in the room looked grim, their brows furrowed in secret.
On the stage, Ye Zhao walked slowly past Xin Muyi. With a flick of his hem and a sweep of his wide sleeves, he sat down gracefully.
Ye Zhao leaned one arm on the armrest, his upper body tilted slightly as he rested his forehead against his hand. He held his fan leisurely in front of him, one leg draped casually over the other. His entire being radiated an indescribable air of relaxed ease.
Looking at Xin Muyi, who was staring straight at him, a faint smile curled onto the face beneath Ye Zhao’s mask. "Long time no see, Xin Muyi."
Xin Muyi froze. His heart leaped into his throat, and the unease in his soul began to scream. "You... you are..."
That name slowly surfaced in his mind, making his voice go hoarse. The inexplicable sense of familiarity he had felt the moment they met grew overwhelmingly strong.
*Tianshu...*
Ye Zhao acted as if he didn't see the other man's sudden vigilance and disbelief. He spoke calmly, "Weren't we going to play Go? Let’s begin."
The attendant responsible for arranging the board didn't know what to do. He hesitated, wondering if he should ask this unidentified person to leave, but then he saw an official on the upper floor shake his head. Thus, he immediately began setting the board for the next round.
Xin Muyi kept his eyes fixed on the person before him. His throat tightened, but he finally managed to stabilize his emotions. He reached out to clear the stones from the board.
Then, the person opposite him spoke again. "Let’s just continue from the result of the last game. No need to waste time..."
*Whoosh—*
The people around the stage were stunned. Someone with a quick reaction began to shout in anger, "Who is this guy? He’s intentionally trying to make us keep losing!"
"If we lose again, it won't just be one city!"
"He must be a spy from Xize!"
"Get down! Get down!"
"..."
The scene was the very definition of public outrage.
The crowd began to surge toward the stage, wanting to drag Ye Zhao down. Pei Yunting, standing among them, was also filled with shock. He moved closer to the edge of the stage with the flow of the crowd, but the guards held everyone back.
Consequently, the insults grew louder and viler. Jiang Ziqi had long since slipped behind a pillar to hide, peeking out at Ye Zhao on the stage. One look was enough to make his jaw drop in utter bewilderment. "My goodness!"
On the stage, the figure in black remained seated firmly, his posture unchanged from when he first sat down. The thunderous roar of curses from below was like wind passing through his ears or clouds drifting past his eyes—he ignored them completely.
He was incredibly calm!
He had already begun the match against Xin Muyi.
Ye Zhao casually pinched a stone and placed it down. When the official observing the game saw the move, he paused for a moment, then announced in a voice he couldn't control, "Tianyuan!"
The clear shout of the announcer reached the crowd:
"Do you even know how to play?! Placing it there is a dead end!"
"Don't bother watching! This guy is definitely a spy sent by Xize! He’s here to make Wei lose!"
"Shameless scoundrel!"
"Son of a bitch! Get the hell down from there!"
"Get down!"
For a moment, the curses became even more foul. Some commoners didn't care for gentlemanly conduct and spat out every filthy word they knew; the others weren't much better.
On the second floor.
Wei Feng held his blade, standing coldly by the railing. He stared at Ye Zhao on the stage, his thoughts unknown.
The Quelou Pavilion had likely never been as rowdy as it was now. Every floor was packed with people, and the roar of the crowd was deafening.
---
### Glossary
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
天元 | Tianyuan | The center point of a Go board; literally "Origin of Heaven."
天枢 | Tianshu | The protagonist's father's title/name; refers to the star Dubhe (The Pivot).
西泽 | Xize | Western Ze; a rival state/kingdom.
天上京 | Tianshangjing | Celestial Capital; the capital city of the Kingdom of Wei.
魏国 | Wei Guo | Kingdom of Wei; the setting of the story.
阙楼 | Quelou | Quelou Pavilion/Tower; a prominent building in the capital.
金鳞台 | Jinlintai | Golden Scale Stage; the platform where the Go match is held.
辛木夷 | Xin Muyi | An envoy and Go master from Xize.
裴云庭 | Pei Yunting | The top-ranked of the Three Young Gentlemen of the Capital.
裴世安 | Pei Shian | The Chancellor of Wei and father of Pei Yunting.
江子期 | Jiang Ziqi | A friend of Ye Zhao.
魏风 | Wei Feng | Commander of the Imperial Guards/Secret Service.
