Central Province, Ten Thousand Flowers Ridge.
Chu Xingchen picked up a black stone and gently placed it on the board, then turned his gaze toward Cui Hao, who sat opposite him, and asked:
"Your eldest senior sister has already entered seclusion, planning to break through from Golden Core to Nascent Soul. Your second senior brother is also striving to catch up, your third senior sister has gone out to gain experience, and Luo Yu is cultivating hard too. Yet here you are, leisurely playing Go with your master?"
Cui Hao replied calmly, "Even two of me cultivating together probably couldn't compare to Eldest Senior Sister. Getting anxious won't help. Of course I need to do my daily cultivation, but relaxation is necessary too."
Halfway through, a smile appeared on Cui Hao's face. "Master, surely you wouldn't expel me just because I'm not a genius like Eldest Senior Sister?"
Chu Xingchen raised an eyebrow slightly. "Hard to say. What teacher doesn't like hardworking students? Lazy students generally aren't a teacher's favorites."
"No teacher dislikes clever students, either."
The smile on Cui Hao's face remained unchanged as he quietly made a move.
Chu Xingchen looked over. Though he was something of a Go novice, even he could now tally the points across the board.
Cui Hao had lost by no more and no less than about two points, throwing the game by just the right amount.
Whatever else might be said, Cui Hao was better at managing upward than Li Xingtian.
Chu Xingchen stopped playing. He picked up a stone, gently rubbed it between his fingers, and said:
"You should still make the most of your time cultivating. The world hasn't been very safe lately."
Hearing this, Cui Hao looked at Chu Xingchen in slight surprise, only to find his master's expression