There were all sorts of ways to wager at Duke Cheng's Residence.
Only the most inveterate gamblers would bet on the Chess Gathering's ultimate winner right from the start. Most people bet on the games one by one.
Jing Shang was a cautious, steady man, and naturally did the same, wagering a large sum on the first game. To his mind, Jing Jiu had won first place in the Chess Battle at last year's Four Seas Banquet, and since he dared to make such a statement, his skill must be considerable. Even if he could not win the whole gathering, winning several games in succession at the beginning should still be easy.
Who could have imagined that he would face the unbeatable Tong Yan in his very first game?
The steward naturally knew what had happened on Chessboard Mountain. He said sympathetically, "The result isn't out yet. Please don't worry just yet, sir."
Knowing there was no undoing it, Jing Shang instead grew a little calmer. He cupped his hands in a bow and entered the Duke's Residence.
The rear garden of the Duke's Residence was already packed. Fully half the prominent dukes and nobles of Chaoge City were present.
But today, they did not occupy the foremost positions.
Those standing at the front were all national masters of the Way of Go, pointing and gesturing at the wall ahead.
Even the proprietor of Chunxi Chess Hall had no right to speak and could only stand to the side with an ingratiating smile.
An enormous Go board hung on the wall, with the names of the two players and the odds beside it. Judging by the handwriting, they had only just been written up.
Jing Shang had no heart to look at any of it. Standing at the back of