Sword Among Us c1-1268

by Black Swordsman Online

  If that was truly the case…

  When he thought of this, Yan Mountain Tiger could not help but suck in a breath and take half a step backwards.

  Someone behind him swiftly spoke up. "Big brother, are we really just going to let this slide? If we die once, we will have our abilities drop by 20%. Sixteenth and Thirteenth will need around a month before they can fully recover."

  "Third, do you have a better way? Do you want more of our brothers to die? He's just an NPC. If we have anyone to blame, then we can only blame ourselves for having poor judgment when it comes to gauging someone's skill level," Yan Mountain Tiger said with a grave tone.

  He then cast a cold and fierce glance at Third, who had been the one to speak. Third froze and did not say any more.

  Yan Mountain Tiger's anger did not fade. His gaze went past Monk Zhi Heng, and he scrutinized the walls of the dilapidated temple. He then let out a cold snort from his nose.

  "He only knows how to hide! I refuse to believe that he can hide in this stupid temple for his entire life!"

  The group swiftly sank into the darkness in the forest.

  The moon was as cool as water, and the area around the temple returned to complete silence again.

  "And they call themselves Seventeen Swordsmen of Yan Mountains. Bah."

  The two people who trailed them were in a bush that was even more hidden in the dark. They lowered their heads to look at the red dot on the map while feeling incredibly gloomy.

  They had thought that they could successfully become the third party that would benefit, but Seventeen Swordsmen from Yan Mountains showed up to be useless. After they were frightened by the monk protecting the temple, they chose to not take any action.

  As time passed, they did not attempt anything, and the sky gradually turned bright. The visibility in the forest slowly became better, and the duo became a little anxious.

  "Why don't we go to the back and see if we can enter the place?"

  The eyes of one of them sparkled before he made a suggestion, but his companion soon reject his suggestion.

  "Don't. That monk is not simple. Judging from his ability to injure someone from a distance, his qi realm is extraordinary. The temple is small, if we try to enter like that, we won't be able to hide from him."

  "Then, what should we do?" The person who made the suggestion frowned. "It won't be easy to attack when it's day. There are fifteen people in Yan Mountain Tiger's group. With just the two of us, we'll definitely not be able to handle them if we try to go up against them head on."

  He paused for a moment and cast a glance in the direction of the temple before continuing, "Besides, the person who got the tribute should have triggered some sort of quest. If he really wants to hide, he just needs to stay in the temple for a day. Once the emperor's birthday is over, we can no longer do anything against him! That's why I'm saying we don't have any other way besides trying to break in with force."

  "But… forget the Seventeen Swordsmen of Yan Mountains, it'll already be difficult enough to get past that baldy." His companion sighed gravely, and a crease appeared between his eyebrows.

  "I have an idea."

  "Hmm?"

  "My guess is that the person in the temple won't come out for the time being. Why don't I go down the mountain now and leak the information?" He stopped speaking after that, but his companion's eyes brightened.

  "We can get all the parties to fight against each other! Great idea! I'm fast, let me go!"

  "Come back quickly!"

  "Got it."

  Naturally, Happy did not know what had happened outside the temple. Once he followed Master Xuan Kong into the inner room, he saw books lined up against the four walls.

  Everywhere he looked were the martial art manuals that signified all of Shaolin Temple's martial arts. They were placed together in a very inconspicuous manner. There were most common ones, like Shaolin Staff Technique, Iron Head, Crossing Skill, Iron Broom, and Eagle Claw as well as the high-tier martial arts that were extremely expensive in the market, Arhat True Qi, Golden Bell Cocoon, Flowing Clouds Sleeve, Strongman's Finger, Gecko Wall Climb, and Dragon Claw.

  When Happy had entered the room in his previous life, he had been awed by the manuals. He had immersed in the atmosphere and longed to put all of them into his Universe Bag and become a martial art manual reseller.

  In this life, Happy had prepared himself for the sight, hence, he did not let his eyes linger on them for long.

  Master Xuan Kong was by Happy's side to observe his expression and reaction. When he saw the calm gaze admiring all that was around him, he nodded slightly, and a faint look of praise appeared in his eyes.

  "I wonder how your skills with Go are, young patron."

  With a smile, Master Xuan Kong pointed at the square table in the middle of the room. Dozens of black and white pieces had been placed on the board. It was clear that the game was nearing its end, but it had not ended just yet.

  Chapter 126 - The Conclusion That Did Not Change

  It was an exquisite game at its last stages!

  When Happy's gaze landed on the board on the square table, his heart trembled. The things he went through in his past life were still vivid in his mind.

  The set before him was known as THE profound game that was the most mysterious and difficult to solve game in all of the world of martial artists. Even some of the high-ranking professional Go players never managed to solve it. In the end, they only managed to get one point in their Comprehension, and if they ended up in that state, Happy did even worse. During the first round, he lost horribly, and he left after he gained one point in his Comprehension and one high-tier martial art manual.

  While thinking about it, Happy stared at the chessboard on the square table. He could not help but suck in a deep breath. His gaze became solemn and grave.

  The exquisite Go game was mysterious and difficult to understand item produced under Jin Yong's pen. It even had strange illusory effects that could directly affect a person's emotions and memories.

  It was also known as a matchless item that did not lose to Nine Yin Divine Skill and Nine Yang Divine Skill! As long as a person could decode the essence and secret behind it, not only would Master Xuan Kong announce their identity, the player would even obtain a great fortuitous chance.

  Countless people had tried to solve the Go game in the past, but, unfortunately, they all failed. They could not understand it and truly win the game or transcend their own self. They all ended up failing at the final few steps.

  Happy did not manage to clear it in his previous life.

  And in this life, he did not harbor any hope in succeeding either.

  Due to the intriguing nature of the exquisite Go game, not only would the player need to have a deep understanding of Go itself, they would also need to get through the illusions that would be produced when they tried to solve the exquisite Go game. They even had to get rid of their Evil Conscience, which would take a very long time.

  Happy had come because he wanted to get the one Comprehension point and to use the playing the game to avoid the pursuit from the Forest Union that would come because of the tribute, along with avoiding all the unexpected changes and enemies.

  As long as he could survive the last day and the emperor's birthday passed, the imperial court would no longer pursue the matter because they wanted to preserve their dignity, and all tributes would become items without owners. The bounty signs on the map would disappear, and the players would truly become the owners of the tributes in their hands.

  When he thought of this, the solemnity and nervousness that enveloped Happy's heart went down by a large margin.

  He flung his sleeves, and under Master Xuan Kong's praising gaze, he sat down in front of the square table without any pretence.

  When Master Xuan Kong sat down, the clear notification from the system reached Happy's ears.

  "Receive Master Xuan Kong's trial with the exquisite Go game!

  "If you can last ten mov
es without losing, you will be considered to have cleared the exquisite Go game. You will be able to obtain a Comprehension point and one high-tier martial art manual!

  "If you fail the trial, you will only obtain one Comprehension point.

  "Those who solve the exquisite Go game will obtain three Comprehension points, one high-tier martial art manual, and the unique technique Master Xuan Kong created himself."

  Happy's gaze became clear. He s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath again and looked at Master Xuan Kong.

  "Please make your move."

  Master Xuan Kong said nothing. He put away the kind smile on his face, replacing it with a serious look. He nodded and picked up a round black piece from the Go box that was filled with black pieces.

  When he made his move, Happy felt that the black and white colors around him intersected with each other, and a change happened!

  When the starlight enveloped him, Happy felt as if he was sitting in a hazy dimension. He felt slightly at a loss, until he saw a huge, exquisite Go game.

  The black pieces and white pieces were like a huge, beautiful, and grand constellation chart. It stood before Happy with an awe-inspiring might.

  The were obviously more black pieces in the constellation chart than the white pieces, and when they were made in such an exaggerated manner, they looked like a huge black dragon with its claws and fangs shown. It had its jaws clamped tightly on a white tiger, and there was a fierce glare in its eyes. It looked mighty and awe-inspiring! It seemed like it just needed to exert a little bit of strength, and it would be able to tear the white tiger apart, devouring it alive.

  Happy picked up a white piece and felt himself fall into a daze.

  It had to be said that the exquisite Go game had a very terrifying effect on the hearts of men!

  Under the stimulation of a mysterious matrix, a normal game turned into something that was incredibly dangerous and terrifying. Upon seeing it, people could not help themselves but get immersed in it. They were no longer the ones controlling the game, but were dragged into it. The feeling as if they were watching over the game would completely disappear.

  Furthermore, they would be shocked when they were dragged from the world outside into the game, and their hearts and minds would be influenced by the illusion of the black dragon and white tiger. When they lowered their heads to look at the white piece in their hands, they would inevitably feel sad. They would be hesitant and alarmed, because they would not know where they should start.

  Then, they would become even more depressed, because they would think that a single white piece would not be able to change the situation before their eyes. They would have the misconception that they could not save the white tiger from the claws of the black dragon.

  Ingenious!

  It was a game that made countless high-tier Go masters spit in disdain, but even more Go masters found p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in it. They feel as if this Go game was a reflection of life, a great secret that could not be matched by anything else!

  Happy closed his eyes while rubbing the piece in his hands. When he was dragged into the exquisite Go game again, he felt as if a well of emotions surged in him. After a long while, he exhaled and opened his eyes to look at the picture of the black dragon devouring the tiger before him carefully.

  It looked alive.

  And in his hands was a Go piece that seemed to be extremely insignificant.

  The feeling of disparity defeated most of the players, including Happy in his previous life. But this time, he lowered his head to look at the Go piece in his hand.

  He imagined that the Go piece in his hand was just as big as the picture in front of him and just as dazzling…

  Buzz!

  The Go piece in Happy's hand suddenly trembled!

  It became bigger and brighter.

  It was like a moon basin that was silvery-white in its entirety. An astonishing light erupted from within it, and it illuminated Happy's handsome and determined face until he looked even more confident and lively than before.

  The moment to place his Go piece had arrived.

  Happy smiled faintly. He pushed the white moon basin in his hand in the direction of the black dragon's big and fierce mouth. It was led forward by an invisible force and landed on the black dragon's reverse scale.

  "Roar!"

  The white tiger stretched its claws. The black dragon howled in pain when its reverse scales were attacked.

  The furious dragon roar instantly shattered the dimension of the stars and moon. The exquisite Go game also shattered to countless pieces. The scene changed, and Happy found himself back in the temple. His upper body was leaning forward, and his white piece was on the spot where he had wanted to place it.

  When Master Xuan Kong saw Happy recover to normal and found that he had freed himself from the exquisite Go game, his spirits lifted, and a delighted and excited look appeared on his face.

  "You are not affected by the changes in the world around you. When you see a mountain, it is still a mountain… Young patron, you do indeed have extraordinary willpower!"

  "Master, you praise me too much. Please make your move."

  Happy was high in spirits, but he showed nothing on his face. He raised his hand and made a gesture for Master Xuan Kong to make his move.

  He knew his level with Go very clearly, and he could not be called anything better than an amateur. He had managed to pass the test because of the experience and lessons he had learned in his previous life, or else he would have ended up the same way as the others. He would have only been able to watch helplessly as the white tiger was buried in the black dragon's stomach.

  Xuan Kong did not waste his breath.

  He cast a glance at the Go game that had been changed a little. He rubbed his fingers against a piece and cast a glance at Happy. When his hand reached the board, he made an ingenious move behind the white tiger.

  The situation turned around.

  Happy saw the scene before his eyes change, and he returned to the picture of the black dragon and the white tiger.

  The situation seemed to have become even more dangerous!

  "Roar!"

  The black dragon bit the tiger…

  The white tiger's side was now torn. Its presence became faint, and it was still in a precarious situation.

  Happy sat quietly in the dimension of the stars and moon while staring at the constellation chart that was formed by the black and white light that filled the sky. His eyes sparkled while he frowned deeply. He sank into deep thought.

  But it was not difficult to understand the changes in the images. If he deciphered it based on the point of view of the dragon and tiger executing their skills, then based on his experience, within less than nine moves, the white tiger would surely die!

  Chapter 127 - Lion's Roar from a Buddhist

  The exquisite Go game required a large amount of energy and time. There was ample time allocated for a player to make every move, and even if a few hours were spent before each move was made, Master Xuan Kong would not mind. In fact, even if the player logged off during the game, it would only show that the player was sitting in front of the table quietly. When they logged in, they could continue.

  No one could interrupt them in Master Xuan Kong's room!

  Happy had intended to use this unique situation to stall for time and hide from all attacks until the emperor's birthday passed while he had the imperial court's tribute in his hands. After all, he did not have the confidence to clear the exquisite Go game, so he could only continuously help the white tiger to remain alive and try his best to stall for time before he lost.

  Happy spent a long time to try and figure out the exquisite Go game.

  He had no idea that the world outside had already become bright. Blood poured down on the ground around the temple, with only a bit of it being taken away by the wind

  Sects and various groups formed by different individuals were stationed hundreds of feet away from the temple. Their flags surrounded the small and dil
apidated building, and each could be seen clearly. There were also hundreds of corpses that lay sprawled in a radius of sixty-four feet around the temple.

  Monk Zhi Heng protected the door of the small temple like a towering mountain. He had his hands pressed flat against each other and simply allowed countless arrows and hidden weapons to pass him by while covering the sky and earth. When he moved like a phantom, all the arrows and hidden weapons landed on empty ground.

  "Begone!"

  When Monk Zhi Heng noticed anyone trying to seize the chance to approach the small temple, no matter where that person was, the monk would instantly change from an unmoving Arhat to the most cold-blooded and merciless King of Hell. With a single move, he killed all those who attempted to invade the temple.

  "Divine Hundred Step Fist!"

  A group of people dressed in white scholar robes stood three hundred and thirty feet away from the temple. With swords in their hands, they observed the situation from a distance, and solemn expressions appeared on their faces.

  "It's a high-tier martial art used by a person at Mystical Realm, so it has astonishing lethality. The force of his attacks also contains the profound nature of attacking others from a distance with fists. Unless we have high-tier body fortification techniques and relatively good gear, we won't be able to block his attack."

  The speaker paused for a moment, and his gaze at Monk Zhi Heng became incredibly complicated. "Also, the attack range of Divine Hundred Step Fist varies based on the realm. When it reaches Grandmaster Realm, the user can easily kill anyone within one hundred steps."

  When they heard this, the people in the area s.u.c.k.e.d in sharp breaths.

  From Monk Zhi Heng easily taking the lives of the players who had snuck behind the temple, they could tell that even if his Divine Hundred Step Fist had not reached Grandmaster Realm, it was already not far away from it.