The long star would not linger for heroes; since ancient times, Kongming had bested Zhongda

Xie Lin's residence, late at night, in the study.

Outside the window, the stone path lay cold and secluded, and a crescent pool reflected half a corridor's waning moonlight.

Wind swept past the rockery; bamboo shadows brushed the wall.

Xie Lin sat alone, a stone pinched between his fingers, poised above the board. For a long time, he did not set it down.

The position he had arranged on the board before him was the same game he had played against Wei Zi.

"Not daring to be the host, but becoming the guest..." Xie Lin murmured the words.

The black stone in his hand finally descended, landing at tengen, the center point of the board.

That day, Wei Nisheng's first move had claimed this very spot.

At the time, Xie Lin had thought it ostentatious: occupying the center, overlooking all four quarters, assuming the bearing of a sovereign.

Only now did he realize it had not been ostentation, but certainty.

Certainty that Xie Lin would attack, certainty that he would grow impatient.

Certainty that he would follow the most conspicuous path across the board, pursuing his opponent all the way.

While Wei Nisheng needed only to sit firmly at tengen and watch him charge east and dash west.

"Defining the game with the first move. A fine move indeed." Xie Lin sighed softly at the thought.

For the past ten days, he had rarely ventured out.

He had declined He Yanming's invitation.

He had politely refused Shen Mingxuan's calling card.

Even to Li Jin, he had merely sent someone with a lukewarm letter of greeting.

Those three had been talking among themselves, saying that a single game against Wei Nisheng had blunted his edge, prompting him to shut himself away.

That was not the truth.

"Using Jing to master