Chapter 646: The Go Stone That Escaped The Board!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The trio sighed simultaneously. They could not say that he was wrong; it was horribly evident that destiny's game plan had gotten them good. Perhaps, God was intentionally taking a personal hand in these matters!
The scintillating auras of Tiantang City's pinnacle experts were all gone now; to be more precise, the ones with the highest cultivation base in Tiantang City were Sir Bi's men.
'I have sent ten cats just to devour a small mouse.'
'Wasn't it enough?'
'It obviously seemed, at the time, that it was more than enough!'
'Would the simple act of devouring a mouse need four great tigers?'
This was exactly where the issue lied! Who could have imagined that ten cats could not even annihilate a small mouse? It was unbelievable.
Anyone could see now that the small mouse was essentially a mouse who feasted on cats instead - how vile!
"Do all of you recall that the four of us spat blood simultaneously when I got this manual?" asked Sir Bi.
"Of course – why wouldn't we?"
Sir Bi laughed depreciatingly. "What we cultivated was the art of the Quadruple Threat of One Heart, One Mind. This cultivation method's advantage is that when one succeeds, all shall succeed – the cultivation base improvement speed is four to sixteen times faster than usual. It's a rare cultivation method indeed, but this is where the bane lies as well. Once one is injured, all are injured. Our four lives have merged into one."
"If anyone of us dies, no one else can survive, without an exception."
"A lot of people know about our existence as brothers. The rumors circulating about me having duplicates isn't much of a secret, but how could they know that the demise of just one of us would lead to the downfall of the rest?"
"Still, we need not be overly pessimistic. After all, we can still unleash a force sixteen times more powerful than any individual when we gather," one of the trio said, "The combat power derived from the combination of the four of us can kill even Ling Xiaozui, should we face him."
"That is in the past. It has been destined that we can no longer do that…" Sir Bi chuckled dryly, a forlorn expression washing over his face. "This Go playbook has triggered the seal within me. We can't do much now."
"That is why I said earlier... I am the one who has brought trouble to the three of you."
He looked at his three brothers apologetically. "I am truly sorry."
The three men felt the blood rushing within them. "Eldest, what are you saying? We brothers have taken the martial world by storm before – that was a luxury, and inevitably satisfying. Sharing life and death is the way of being brothers! Sorry? Does that word not make us strangers now?"
Sir Bi nodded, comforted by the reassurance, but quickly frowned. "Nonetheless, I still have a doubt I can't figure out…"
He did not go on but thought to himself, 'This entire matter is still odd. The original owner of this manual is that person! Why was it in Yun Yang's hands now?'
It was instead understandable that Yun Yang had come to him, using the Go playbook as a medium. After all, he had only a handful of hobbies. It was common knowledge that his Go skill was renowned in Tiantang City's extremely small circles. Therefore, it was a mystery how the manual could have ended up with Yun Yang! As far as Sir Bi's knowledge went, the owner of this Go manual should not be friends with Yun Yang no matter what; they should not even be acquaintances!
Their auras were so startlingly different that they should actually be enemies instead!
What could have caused Yun Yang to obtain the Go manual? If the person had truly wanted him dead, why did he have to spend so much effort? Sir Bi could have been easily reduced to ash as long as the person thought about it. What goal did he have to do something like this?
Regardless, Sir Bi was still certain of one thing; from the moment the Go playbook had come to him and triggered the seal within him, there was no chance of his survival! It was because the one who wanted him dead was not his enemy, but that person instead!
As long as that person wished for his demise, he was powerless to prevent it, even if he could flee Tiantang City and escape to a place hundreds of thousands of miles away.
However, why would that person wish to kill him? All signs were pointing to the fact that he would die in Yun Yang's hands!
It was confusing.
'You've built the Four Seasons Tower with so much effort, yet you can watch the Four Seasons Tower's external forces being swallowed bit by bit without blinking. You can stand aside and witness the Four Seasons Tower's talents die, one after another… Why?'
'For so many years, the Four Seasons Tower has looked over the world triumphantly, commanding the respect of the martial world. Why are you bringing about your own downfall now?'
'When will we see the end of this?'
Sir Bi pondered and felt his blood began flowing in a rush. For an instant, he felt dizzy, speckles of color swirling in his vision. He could not help vomiting another gout of blood. The three men behind him followed suit. Each of them stumbled about, looking worse for wear.
"I'm like a Go stone that's being manipulated all along. I didn't expect my death to be controlled as well!"
"If there is to be the next lifetime…" Sir Bi smiled. "I must become the Go player instead!"
"I won't be content with just being… a Go stone!"
He smiled forlornly and said, "Brothers, looks like it's time… Let us be on our way."
Blood still stained the corners of the trio's mouths when they looked up at him, their gazes betraying a series of exceptionally complex emotions.
"Unless you would like to wait for them to come to kill us, and help them achieve their merits?" Sir Bi said with a ghost of a smile, "If he wants me to live like this, I can – but if he wants me to die like this… I refuse. I can't choose how I live, but I will decide on how I die. For once, I want to make my own decision!"
"What about Fang Yun?" The three men shook their heads.
"Fang Yun…"
Sir Bi closed his eyes as he spoke, "He has gone far away now, taking some things of mine! It's destined that we can't escape this death today, but there will come a day when our grudge will be avenged. Until then, someone will help us seek retribution for this fate!"
He smiled softly. "I am the Four Seasons Tower's Go stone but… Fang Yun is not."
"Let us go on now."
"For the last time, I shall pick the time I leave without anyone else's intervention!"
"This time around, I am jumping out of this Go board… Hehehe."
"I will escape this Go board, even if I have to pay the price with my life!"
Before his words could echo in the air, Sir Bi vomited more blood.
He was not weakened by it. Instead, he laughed as he recited, "Unpolished jade that stands in the secular world – a dragon among men to answer an extraordinary calling; what a pity it is to live life without autonomy, a wash of red that shocks the martial world…"
Amidst his triumphant laughter, a ball of flame exploded, turning the very air red-hot. The entire study was immediately swallowed by the fire; not too long after, the whole residence was engulfed by the blaze.
The flame was unstoppable, staining half of Tiantang City's sky a vivid red.
…
Yun Yang, Ji Lingxi, ten court Yama Kings, and the others rushed to the site, flitting through the dark shadows of the night.
Their original battleground had already turned into a sea of flame.
"A fire?" Yun Yang frowned, instinctually feeling that something was amiss. "Let us make haste!"
The entourage sped towards their destination like a falling meteor that cut across the night sky.