Nie Qingzhu had never seen the young man look so audacious. For a moment, she was transfixed.
"I have never lost since I began cultivating. I find myself looking forward to it."
The green-robed young man's voice came through the Water Mirror and rang clearly across the viewing platform.
The disciples of Little Green Peak froze. Was this really the Senior Brother Zhou they knew?
Fu Dongcheng said, "Then today, I'll be the one to break that streak."
At some point, a stout cultivator had quietly appeared on the viewing platform.
Duanmu Xiwei noticed him first and greeted him with a smile.
"Senior Brother Kang, what brings you here?"
"The sect master sent me to observe."
A flicker passed through Duanmu Xiwei's eyes.
The newcomer was Kang Buqiu, hall master of the Herb Hall. The Herb Hall ranked first among the three halls, and Kang Buqiu had long been the sect master's trusted confidant. His standing in the sect was exalted, even above Duanmu Xiwei's.
The disciples on the platform were startled. They bowed one after another. "Hall Master Kang."
Kang Buqiu nodded slightly, his gaze already fixed on the game.
The game began, stones clicking onto the board one after another.
Before the middlegame was over, Fu Dongcheng's hand had begun to hesitate. Then Zhou Jing placed another stone, and the once inscrutable game suddenly cleared, as though clouds and mist had parted.
The white stone lingered between Fu Dongcheng's fingers. Zhou Jing did not rush him. He waited calmly.
Though the disciples on the viewing platform could not grasp the deeper moves, Fu Dongcheng's grave expression told them enough.
Even Zi Xiao and Kongming had not expected Fu Dongcheng to be cornered so quickly.
Fu Dongcheng managed to place a few more stones, his brows tightly drawn and