This move truly caught the old man off guard.
It wasn't a thod of suicide, since he had pondered for thirty years and of course had tried the approach of suicidal reset and powerful restart.
Yet there has never been a precedent of struggling to a certain position and then committing suicide with the flow.
However, this endga, the old man had contemplated for thirty years, every piece's position and role were deeply familiar to him, though so pieces were cleared now, black chess still retained a huge advantage.
After making five moves, the old man's eyes flickered slightly because the moves before clearing had a certain impact on his flow after clearing, making it less smooth.
"Interesting."
...
The two continued for thirty-one moves, the old man slowed more and more, while Lu Zheng increased his pace, now surpassing the longest ga since three days ago.
Although the old man was slowing, he still held the advantage, pressing down the white pieces tightly.
Until...
Lu Zheng placed another piece, committing suicide on a large scale again.
"Huh?"
After the old man took the pieces, he suddenly realized the situation was off.
Although the white pieces were still at a disadvantage, observing the layout, there seed to be a tendency for reversal.
"By facing directly, show weakness to the enemy, unexpected peaks arise, the winding path brings a surprise, another hidden move."
The old man murmured, "Good strategy, good solution."
Lu Zheng placed yet another piece, progressing smoothly, whereas the old man, despite his advantage, was playing awkwardly, as his ability to defend his advantage beca increasingly difficult.
With careful thought at every move, the sun rose and set until the sunlight from the gap of the cave ceiling shone through for the second ti, finally concluding their ga.
The old man lost by half a stone.
"Senior, thank you for your concession!" Lu Zheng exhaled, cupping his hands and saying.
The old man stared at the stone chessboard dazedly, then slowly raised his head, "What concession, I have exerted myself fully, but indeed it's difficult to recover from defeat."
Lu Zheng blinked, thinking to himself he was just being modest.
"Was this solution thought out after you returned?" the old man asked.
"Indeed." Lu Zheng nodded, seeing the old man's expressionless face, he couldn't help but comfort him, "Actually, after returning, I kept thinking, exerted a lot of effort, and took a long ti to co up with it."
The old man frowned, "A long ti?"
Lu Zheng blinked and fell silent.
"I pondered for thirty years and from your return to now, you pondered for..."
The old man thought for a mont, then looked at Lu Zheng, contemplating for a while.
"Three days?"
Lu Zheng, "..."
The old man, "..."
Both remained silent, exchanging glances for a long ti.
While Lu Zheng contemplated whether to bid farewell and leave for safety, the old man suddenly grinned.
This startled Lu Zheng, who imdiately prepared to activate a seal technique with his hand, ready to cast True Cloud Curse and cross over into modern tis.
"Good! Good strategy, who would have thought I'd sit idle for thirty years and still fall short compared to your three days of pondering." The old man nodded, smiling kindly, not at all seeming to have any intention of eliminating out of jealousy.
Lu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, "I was just in poor form, maybe it's because I've read more chess records and thus have more ideas."
Perhaps because the endga was resolved, the old man's gaze and expression seed increasingly lively and natural.
"Oh? Have read more chess records?" The old man thought about it, nodded, "Indeed, otherwise one wouldn't conceive such a marvelous solution."
"Additionally..." the old man continued, "One must have foundational chess skills to fully exploit this solution."
"You flatter , Senior." Lu Zheng said, "It's also because of the well-set endga, allowing the white pieces to block the black pieces' retreat when resolving, the further it progresses, the smoother the white pieces go, while the black pieces find each step restricted and hard to continue; otherwise, with an overwhelming early advantage from black, white would find it hard to overturn."
The old man nodded, "That old friend of mine is indeed a master in this field, if there's a chance, I will introduce you. We are all people of the chess path, eting through chess would be a wonderful story."
Lu Zheng only smiled without responding.
"By the way, I... No, since you've solved his endga, I need to find him to discuss it thoroughly. Are you busy recently? Join for a trip to the Southern Border?" the old man suddenly asked.
Goodness, so the old man's friend turns out to be a Great Demon of the Southern Border?
Lu Zheng shook his head repeatedly, "No ti, I'm very busy, really can't leave."
"I see." The old man nodded, "Then when I go, I'll..."
Saying this, the old man seed to suddenly rember sothing, then cupped his hands, "By the way, I am Song Kaichuan, pleased to et you."
Lu Zheng hurriedly returned the greeting, "Outer Disciple of White Cloud Temple, Lu Zheng, pleased to et you, Senior."
"Oh, Lu Xiaoyou." Song Kaichuan discreetly noted down Lu Zheng's na, since he rembered Lu Zheng had ntioned it before, though he hadn't recalled it, seeming slightly impolite.
"Where does Lu Xiaoyou reside now?"
"Three hundred li southwest, in Tonglin County." Lu Zheng replied.
"That's nearby." The old man said, "Just two steps away."
"Right, I need to make a trip to the Southern Border, you can co to this cave anyti, take the Stalactite Spring at will. As for the Stalactite Spirit, just leave so Stone Heart Essence for , don't deplete it all at once." Song Kaichuan told Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng quickly waved his hands, "I wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare, if I can take so Stalactite Spring monthly, it'll already be sufficient for use."
"Alright, then as you wish." Song Kaichuan didn't mind and said to Lu Zheng, "You can take it this ti, let's leave together."
Lu Zheng shook his head, "I just took four bottles three days ago, which should be enough for short-term use."
"Alright, let's go."
Song Kaichuan waved his hand, collecting both black and white pieces on the chessboard into the stone bowls beside it, since the endga was solved, there wouldn't be any use for a while.
Lu Zheng followed Song Kaichuan out of the stalactite cave, arriving on the small platform atop the cliff.
Song Kaichuan flicked his sleeve with his right hand, uttering a word, "Close."
Lu Zheng saw the cliff shake slightly, the mountain walls on both sides squeeze, the cave entrance becoming increasingly smaller, within three to five breaths, it was compressed into a barely visible slit by the mountain walls.
Lu Zheng: ⊙_⊙
"Lu Xiaoyou, afterward only..." Song Kaichuan turned to Lu Zheng, suddenly pausing, "Lu Xiaoyou, do you know the Earth Travel Technique?"
Lu Zheng politely smiled, "No."
Song Kaichuan blinked, "Well, doesn't matter, it's quite simple. Judging by your chess talents, you might learn it in just three to five days."
Song Kaichuan tapped Lu Zheng's forehead with a finger, allowing a spell mantra to imprint into Lu Zheng's mind.
"Earth Travel Technique, permits rapid maneuvering underground in earthen soil, slightly slower underground in stone, disrupting stone integrity." Song Kaichuan explained, "But it's rely a passage; no major issue. I previously discovered this cave through Earth Travel Technique, leaving behind a fractured stone path; otherwise, you wouldn't have accessed the flowing Stalactite Spring from outside."
"Understood." Lu Zheng nodded.
"To collect Stalactite Spring, you may use Earth Travel Technique to enter." Song Kaichuan said.
"I shall enter through here, it's already a passage, preserving the cave environnt." Lu Zheng replied.
"That's best." Song Kaichuan nodded.
"Alright, I'm leaving. When I return, I'll visit Tonglin County to play chess with you."
After finishing, Song Kaichuan descended to the cliff base, then naturally rged into the terrain, vanishing from sight.
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