The scene shifted once more.
Within the Yangcheng Palace, Emperor Yu stood in an elegant and simple room, a special chamber designed for playing Go.
He gazed out the window solemnly.
He was waiting.
Three days ago, he had issued an imperial edict, warmly inviting Danzhu, who was traveling the land teaching Go, to return to Yangcheng for a game.
But Danzhu hadn't arrived.
Instead, one of Danzhu's students appeared.
The young man performed the grand kowtow, three kneels and nine prostrations, his manners impeccable, clearly trained well by his master.
"My teacher said he has discovered a rare talent in Go. With fifty years of training, this individual will surely become the next Chess Sage. Then, he will be worthy of playing against Your Majesty."
Emperor Yu was startled for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face.
"The Chess Sage is truly dedicated. Tell him I am grateful for his efforts."
Fan Li, listening to Emperor Yu's words, sensed that he didn't truly mean them.
And at that moment, Emperor Yu's voice echoed in Fan Li's mind.
"I don't know when it started, but I no longer addressed him by his name. Instead, I used the honorific 'Chess Sage.' In truth, I was anxious. I couldn't possibly wait for fifty years. I only wanted Danzhu! No one else!"
Indeed.
Just a day later, Emperor Yu issued another decree, inviting Danzhu to return to Yangcheng.
Three more days passed, and another visitor arrived.
It wasn't Danzhu.
It was his son, Ling.
"My father has fallen ill," Ling said. "He is currently recuperating at Dragon Mountain and is unable to travel. He sent me to apologize for his absence."
Emperor Yu had no choice but to accept their excuse. He assured Ling that he held no ill will towards the Chess Sage and merely missed him dearly.
"Danzhu spent ten years spreading the Dao of Go. Ten years. A long and arduous plan. Ten years. I, and everyone in the world, had fallen into his trap.
Only Danzhu… He had deliberately tempted me to play against him. And yet, he was able to endure for ten years, even feigning illness, pretending to avoid a game with me. But I had already lost my patience."
Emperor Yu sighed.
Fan Li's face hardened.
Danzhu, Yao's son.
A ten-year plan, truly impressive.
"Finally, I issued a third decree. This time, I ordered Danzhu to return to the capital. To ensure his arrival, I even dispatched a troop of soldiers to 'escort' him. And this time… I finally saw him."
The scene shifted.
Emperor Yu, tall and imposing, dressed in his imperial robes, stared in astonishment. Before him, lying on a sickbed, was a frail and elderly man.
Danzhu had arrived, but he was being carried.
Fan Li was also shocked.
A ten-year plan?
How had he fallen so ill?
The man on the bed resembled a flickering candle, as if he could breathe his last at any moment.
"Chess Sage, I am truly sorry."
Clearly, Emperor Yu hadn't anticipated this.
Danzhu's hair had thinned considerably, his beard and eyebrows were white as snow, his face was pale and gaunt.
"Your Majesty… Your concern… I… I understand. But… I avoided meeting with you… for a reason."
Danzhu's voice was weak, but his words piqued the curiosity of both Emperor Yu and Fan Li.
"What reason?!" Emperor Yu blurted out.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Danzhu coughed violently, then, with a great effort, sat up.
His determination to answer, even at the cost of his health, alarmed Emperor Yu.
Fan Li frowned. "Could he be feigning illness?"
Emperor Yu's voice echoed in his mind.
"No, he's not faking it. He couldn't possibly deceive me. Danzhu's ten-year plan… I had already abandoned ninety percent of my suspicions towards him. But the remaining ten percent… as Emperor, I could never truly let go."
Fan Li nodded understandingly.
The Emperor, the supreme ruler of the land.
The position was coveted by many.
"All under Heaven belongs to the Emperor, and all people are his subjects." It was a beautiful saying, but ultimately, an empty one.
Many yearned to claim the Emperor's land. And many sought to remove the word "subject" from their title.
The Emperor was also known as the "father" of his people. And his citizens were his "children."
But the father would always be suspicious of his children.
What a ridiculous reality.
"Emperor Yu, how did you let go of that final ten percent of suspicion?" Fan Li asked himself softly.
He didn't need an answer. It was clear. The answer was right there, lying on the sickbed.
"I would forever be suspicious of Danzhu… unless he died.
He was truly cunning. He understood this. So, he made himself appear as if he were about to die. And he finally earned my trust…
I… I was completely fooled."
Emperor Yu's voice was filled with regret.
Fan Li stared at Danzhu.
Self-inflicted?
Only by harming himself could he achieve such a precise level of illness.
"Chess Sage!"
Emperor Yu's voice trembled. But he still asked the question.
"Why… Why have you avoided me for so many years?
I only wished to play a game with you. You must know that in this entire world, few can match my skill in Go. Perhaps only you, Chess Sage, could help me achieve a breakthrough."
Fan Li shook his head regretfully. The Emperor, unable to conceal his desires, had openly admitted his weakness. He had lost the initiative.
"This subject…"
Danzhu spoke weakly. As if he were burning his remaining life force to speak. But Fan Li suspected this was merely excitement, a sign of his victory.
"This subject knows that Your Majesty is incredibly talented in Go. But… I… I cannot…"
He suddenly raised his voice and look regretful.
"Your Majesty, I have erred. I have sinned! I… I shouldn't have created Go!"
Emperor Yu was stunned.
"What are you saying, Chess Sage? Thanks to your teachings, my cultivation has progressed to the next major realm within ten years…"
"No! No! No!"
Danzhu shook his head while crying.
"I have seen the end of Go. It's a terrifying sight! Anyone who dares to reach the pinnacle of this Dao… They might pay a terrible price!
Your Majesty, I… I would be committing a grave sin if I allowed you to face such danger!!!"
Emperor Yu was initially shocked, then a flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes.
"Is it true? Chess Sage, tell me! If I reach the pinnacle of Go, what realm can I achieve?!"
Danzhu shook his head repeatedly.
Emperor Yu was eager. He valued his cultivation more than Danzhu's health.
"Danzhu! I am the Emperor! Now, I command you, tell me the truth about the pinnacle of Go!"
He was the supreme ruler. His command was absolute law.
Danzhu didn't obey immediately. He looked pleadingly at Emperor Yu. But he met with the Emperor's resolute gaze.
"This subject… obeys."
Danzhu's voice was filled with anguish, but Fan Li sensed something amiss. His tone was too perfect, too practiced, like a seasoned voice actor from his previous life.
Acting?
Fan Li had barely thought the word when he heard Danzhu speak.
"The Dao of Go is to understand the grand scheme of the world. The nineteen lines are the board. The stones are the forces. Those who can control the forces and manipulate the board possess the mind and the wisdom of a true Emperor. Therefore, the pinnacle of Go… it is also the pinnacle of what an Emperor can achieve."
"What is the pinnacle of an Emperor?" Emperor Yu blurted out.
Danzhu raised his trembling right hand and pointed his index finger towards the sky.
"To rule the world is to be the Human Emperor.
To rule the Three Realms is to be the Heavenly Emperor.
The ultimate goal of an Emperor… is to rule all beings, to possess boundless power, to achieve eternal life.
I call him the 'Grand Celestial Emperor,' the Heavenly Emperor."
Emperor Yu's breathing quickened. His face flushed red, as if he had consumed a strong wine. If not for the circumstances, one might mistake him for Danzhu.
"Chess Sage, I do not desire to be merely the Human Emperor. I yearn to be the Heavenly Emperor!"
Emperor Yu had spoken too hastily. He tried to mask his eagerness with a forced smile.
"I am not doing this for myself. In this world, aside from me, who else is worthy of becoming the Heavenly Emperor? Surely you agree, Chess Sage?"
Danzhu didn't hesitate. He nodded weakly.
"Your Majesty's wisdom, intelligence, and virtue are unmatched. Even the ancient Emperors cannot compare. This subject believes that you should pursue the Dao of the Heavenly Emperor."
Emperor Yu was delighted, assuming that his words had moved Danzhu.
But Danzhu continued.
"However, Your Majesty… using Go to simulate the Emperor's ultimate potential… It comes with a price… "
"For the Dao of the Heavenly Emperor, I am willing to pay any price!"
Danzhu seemed to be moved by Emperor Yu's resolve.
They gazed at each other in silence. Finally, Danzhu nodded.
"Your Majesty's determination… I understand. Then, this subject is willing to play a game against you, to help you achieve your goal."
Danzhu retrieved a Go board. It was the same board he had presented to Emperor Yu ten years ago, the board crafted from Shangjun's blood and bones.
Emperor Yu noticed that the board's crimson color was even deeper now. The black and white stones seemed unchanged, but they radiated an unsettling aura of violence.
He frowned slightly.
"If Your Majesty is willing to wager your kingdom, to use the destiny of your empire as your stake, then I can use this 'Shangjun Go Board' to unlock the pinnacle of Go.
This game… its stakes are high. If Your Majesty loses, you will lose your empire! But if you win, you will instantly comprehend the Dao of the Heavenly Emperor. Perhaps you won't achieve immortality immediately, but you will have a clear path."
Emperor Yu leaped to his feet and staggered backward, "I will lose my empire?!"
His expression shifted to a murderous intent.
The suspicions he had held towards Danzhu ten years ago, those he had suppressed, suddenly returned!
His first thought was that this was a trap, a cunning scheme! Danzhu's ambitions hadn't been extinguished!
And yet…
Danzhu looked up at him from the sickbed. His eyes were clear, his expression sincere.
Emperor Yu seemed to realize his mistake. He studied Danzhu carefully. This man had spent ten years spreading the Dao of Go, traveling alone, his own clan having abandoned him.
A lonely, dying man…
What reason could he possibly have to covet the Emperor's throne?
Emperor Yu's suspicions faded. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but he suddenly noticed the scent of medicine filling the room.
It masked the stench of death clinging to Danzhu.
"He is about to die. I shouldn't be so suspicious."
Emperor Yu's voice echoed in Fan Li's mind.
"I will always remember… It was with this thought that I chose to trust Danzhu's loyalty. The fall of the Xia Dynasty… It is all my fault…"
The scene shifted again.
Yangcheng Palace, the central plaza.
"Heaven and earth bear witness. I wager the destiny of my empire upon this game. If I win, I will unlock the Dao of the Heavenly Emperor! If I lose, I am willing to lose everything!"
Emperor Yu's expression was solemn and resolute. The 'Shangjun Go Board' lay between him and Danzhu, whose sickbed had been carried into the plaza.
"Your Majesty's divine power is unmatched. You will surely achieve new heights in the Dao of the Human Emperor. This subject is willing to offer his life, to help you succeed."
As his words faded, a blood-red beam of light shot from the Shangjun Go Board into the sky.
The heavens trembled.
The white, fluffy clouds above Yangcheng instantly turned crimson as if blood had been poured into the sky.
The game began.
Fan Li could see that Emperor Yu had poured his entire being into the game. He was so focused that he overlooked a crucial detail:
Time.
For ordinary men, a game of Go might last for a few hours, a few incense sticks, perhaps even half a day.
For skilled players, it could stretch for several days, or even weeks.
Legendary masters were said to play for years.
One game.
One year.
Five years.
Ten years?
Fan Li watched as the seasons changed, ten years passing in the blink of an eye.
Ten years!
Emperor Yu and Danzhu had only played twenty-six moves.
The board was mostly empty. But something terrifying had occurred.
Emperor Yu was drenched in cold sweat, half of his hair had turned gray, his face was pale, his lips were purple.
Danzhu, however, still appeared old, but he was now standing beside his sickbed.
His posture was straight, his gaze sharp, his demeanor confident.
He held a black stone in his hand. With a casual flick of his wrist, he placed the stone upon the board.
But the Go board now covered the entire plaza. Each stone was as large as a boulder.
"Your Majesty, it's your turn," Danzhu said with a smile.
Emperor Yu didn't answer. His eyes were fixed upon the board.
"My Yong Province is gone… My Liang Province is gone as well…"
Emperor Yu had divided the land into nine provinces: Ji, Yan, Qing, Xu, Yang, Jing, Yu, Liang, and Yong.
Ten years had passed. Twenty-six moves had been played.
He had lost two of his nine provinces.
"Your Majesty, in any game, there must be a winner and a loser. This is only natural," Danzhu said.
Fan Li noticed that as Danzhu spoke, the hair on his head had become thicker. And the new growth was black.
"No! Something is wrong! Danzhu, why is my skill so far inferior to yours?!
You spread the Dao of Go throughout the land. I studied diligently, both day and night, mastering everything you taught!
Even the advanced techniques you shared with your disciples at Dragon Mountain… I obtained those as well!
Why… Why do you still possess strategies I have never seen before?!"
Emperor Yu shouted hotly.
"Deceiver! You tricked the world! You tricked me!"