Turning the Tables

Both of them thought of this point, exchanged a glance, and their expressions turned slightly solemn.

As instructors of the academy, how could they take the lead in helping a disciple cheat?

No, no, absolutely not. Even if you were the young master of the Divine General Residence, that would not do. You had not even brought a gift... pah, what gift? Even with a gift, it would not do. You were not a prince...

While the two men's minds raced over how to tactfully refuse this youth, Li Hao had already answered Shen Yunqing.

"That cultivation method? I already know it."

"Actually, it's normal that you find it difficult. Take your time to comprehend it and..."

Halfway through his sentence, Shen Yunqing suddenly froze and stared at Li Hao in astonishment. "What did you say?"

"I said, the cultivation method on the stone stele. I already know it." Li Hao had no choice but to repeat himself, suspecting this old man was hard of hearing.

"You know it?"

Opposite them, the gray-robed elder Zhao Zongyuan looked at Li Hao in surprise. Did "know it" mean he had already entered the threshold? "The one you chose was Wind Severing Fist, or Nine Stars Triple Step?"

Shen Yunqing also came back to himself and could not help sizing up Li Hao. Was this boy bragging?

"Wind Severing Fist."

Li Hao thought for a moment. He also seemed to feel that this was indeed somewhat worthy of surprise, so he immediately swung a punch. The wind from his fist trembled faintly, carrying a low hum of fist force, as if a biting wind blade had cut out through the fist wind.

The two men's gazes sharpened. They recognized this as one of Wind Severing Fist's offensive moves. He could already produce wind-humming severing force; this was not merely entering the threshold. It was even at the level of dexterity, perhaps perfection.

Could it be...

The two exchanged a look, both gazes darkening slightly. They had long heard of the Li Family's Listening Rain Pavilion, which held countless martial arts and cultivation methods. Could Wind Severing Fist also be included among them? But the three cultivation methods on the stone stele had all been collected by Tan Palace Academy, changed every six years, and they had never heard of them showing up outside.

Among great powers, relationships and dealings were complex. Many thoughts rose in the two elders' hearts, but soon they slowly pressed them down and did not question Li Hao.

They never considered that Li Hao had relied on this short moment to comprehend this set of fist techniques.

Such a little time was only enough to look it over carefully once. Being able to comprehend a bit of the surface of the fist technique would already be good, let alone reaching dexterity or even perfection.

"In that case, you've already passed, but we aren't in charge of the test. Go find that uncle."

Shen Yunqing pointed toward the center of the square. A middle-aged man stood there with his hands behind his back, his expression steady. Before him, four people were currently demonstrating cultivation methods, but their movements were clearly somewhat rusty.

"I'll go in a bit."

Li Hao was not in a hurry. Instead, his gaze fell on the chessboard between the two seated men. After looking back and forth twice, he immediately saw the situation and said, "This game is about to be lost."

"Mm?"

Both elders were slightly startled. Shen Yunqing raised his brows and said, "At your young age, you understand chess too?"

"I understand a tiny bit." Li Hao spoke modestly.

"Oh?"

Zhao Zongyuan opposite him smiled and shot Shen Yunqing a teasing look. "Then tell us, who loses and who wins?"

Hearing this, Shen Yunqing laughed and cursed at him in annoyance.

Li Hao pointed it out honestly. "If the game continues along the previous path, he will lose."

As he spoke, he pointed at Shen Yunqing.

Shen Yunqing's face reddened, and he felt a slight trace of embarrassment. He also believed now that this boy really did understand a bit of chess. He coughed lightly twice. "I only went to pick you all up. My mind wasn't on this game, so I didn't play properly."

"Go on, get out of here."

If there had not been a junior present, Zhao Zongyuan might have kicked him twice. He rolled his eyes.

Then Zhao Zongyuan said to Li Hao, "From the way you put it, he still has a chance to win this game?"

"Yes."

Li Hao nodded. At this moment, his voice was no longer casual, becoming extremely certain.

"If he changes the path of play, he can win!"

"Oh?"

Zhao Zongyuan had only asked in jest, but hearing this, he was stunned. Immediately, his smile faded, and he said coolly, "Then tell us, how can he win this game?"

Shen Yunqing was astonished and likewise looked at Li Hao curiously. Being able to see victory or defeat proved that Li Hao at least understood some basic rules of chess skill, but being able to see a winning position? Was he joking? Even he himself could not find the possibility of winning.

"Place a stone here."

Li Hao tapped a finger on the chessboard.

Zhao Zongyuan glanced at it and sneered faintly. "What if I place one here?" He pointed to a neighboring spot.

"Here." Li Hao pointed next.

"And if I go here?"

"Here."

"I..." Zhao Zongyuan was about to continue pointing to a blocking point when his expression abruptly froze. He stared at the chessboard, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

No stones had been placed at the spots they had pointed to, but at this moment, in his mind, this chessboard had already been imprinted there, with stones on all those places.

There was nothing strange about these few stones, much less could they be called a winning momentum, but... there seemed to be something subtle about them.

That severed vein seemed as if it could be connected!

Zhao Zongyuan's gaze grew grave. He withdrew the finger pointing at the chessboard, his face showing deep thought.

Beside him, Shen Yunqing at first had not seen any clue, but when he saw his old friend suddenly change expression, his heart gave a jolt. He immediately looked carefully, examining and pondering in detail. Before long, a sharp light appeared in his eyes, and he could not help looking at Li Hao.

These few moves really did have the feeling of a snake's mouth linking together!

They had actually caused a trace of life to appear in what had originally been a doomed position! "I'll go here..." After thinking for a long while, Zhao Zongyuan pointed elsewhere, intending to completely behead the dragon vein on the chessboard and not get tangled up further.

Li Hao seemed to have already expected this. He raised his hand and pointed to another spot. "Small flying corner, horn-breaking momentum."

If a stone were placed at the spot he indicated, it would link into a flying dagger, breaking open the killing path! Smack! After Shen Yunqing saw it clearly, he could not help slapping his thigh hard. This move was marvelous! Why had he not thought of it? Why had he not seen it?! Zhao Zongyuan's pupils contracted slightly. He could not help raising his head and looking at Li Hao's young face. At this moment, he actually felt a kind of daze.

Such an immature youth, yet his chess skill was so seasoned and ruthless?! "Come, come, you sit. You play."

Shen Yunqing propped both hands on the ground and shifted his backside to the side, making room. He said to Li Hao, "Let me see just how far you can play it. It doesn't matter if you lose. If you really win, I'll give you a mouthful of Drunken Wind Brew."

"All right."

Li Hao nodded and did not stand on ceremony. He had come here in the first place for this game of chess.

He sat down along the way. The flattened green grass still held some warmth.

Zhao Zongyuan's brows were tightly furrowed, and his face turned grave. He stared deeply at Li Hao. At this moment, he did not go probing into why this youth's chess skill was so formidable. Instead, he gathered his mind and said in a low voice, "Then let's try."

Li Hao inserted his fingers into the chess box, pinched up a black stone between the crossing gap of his index and middle fingers, and placed it on the chessboard.

He filled in first the spot he had pointed out earlier.

Opposite him, Zhao Zongyuan also said not a word and followed by placing a stone.

The two began truly playing against each other.

On the square, many scions of noble families and remarkable talents of the martial world were practicing movement techniques, fists, and kicks, sweating like rain, contending for a seat in Class A Institute or Class B Institute.

And in this corner, upon the small chessboard within a square inch of space, there was a vicious slaughter of mutual deceit and trickery, each falling stone like a blade, every step a killing move! After a long while, an aged hand trembled as it picked up a stone from the chess box, but after shaking for a moment, it slipped from his fingertips and fell.

At this moment, Zhao Zongyuan's old face was actually just like those young disciples swinging fists and feet on the square, covered all over in sweat.

The chess game was dead-set.

"I... lost."

Zhao Zongyuan's throat seemed cracked dry, his voice difficult.

Beside him, Shen Yunqing was dumbstruck. He looked at this game in disbelief. The chess game he himself had originally been about to lose had actually been completely broken open by Li Hao's power to prop up the collapsing waves and turn the tide. He had occupied back all the territory that had been lost, attacking and killing step by step, and in the final count, had forcibly won by one and a half points!

Do not look down on it as only a slim advantage of one and a half points. To be able to reverse the previous declining position to such an extent was simply inconceivable!

"Senior, thank you for yielding."

Li Hao withdrew his hand, lowered his head slightly, and gave a salute. His expression looked somewhat serious, but after finishing the courtesy, his manner became relaxed again.

He was at the fifth stage of Chess Dao and often played with Fifth Master, but had not really crossed hands with outside experts much. From the look of it, these two gentlemen's chess strength was still somewhat inferior to Fifth Master's, probably barely around the fourth stage.

This was already rather hard to come by.

After all, the two elders were both martial artists, yet they could still have the leisure to study a side path and reach this degree. They had already spent quite a lot of thought on it, enough to show their love for it.

Zhao Zongyuan gave a bitter laugh and looked up at Li Hao, feeling as if he were looking at a monster.

How was this Li Family boy's head grown? His age was not even as long as the time Zhao Zongyuan had spent playing chess, yet he had actually won against him like this? Could it be that this thing called chess also valued talent?

"Impressive, impressive!" Beside them, Shen Yunqing clicked his tongue in amazement.

Li Hao smiled and said, "That was luck just now. How about we play another game?"

Zhao Zongyuan was somewhat speechless and said gloomily, "Haven't you still not tested your cultivation method? There aren't many spots in Class A Institute. Go seize a spot first."

"Uh, all right."

Li Hao came back to himself. Though he did not care much about a Class A Institute spot, in order to avoid future trouble, taking a trip there first would do.

"Then, seniors, wait for me. I'll be right back," Li Hao said.

Zhao Zongyuan and Shen Yunqing looked at him with strange expressions. Why did it feel like this boy's obsession with playing chess mattered more to him than entering Class A Institute to cultivate?

"You have to wait for me."

Li Hao stood up. Before leaving, he called out once more in concern, then hurriedly ran toward the middle-aged man at the center of the square.