The Path Toward Heaven

It was very hard to answer this question.

Others perhaps couldn’t even understand the question.

Tong Yan knew that Jing Jiu certainly understood the question.

He had read the Go playing records of the Four-Seas Banquet since he learned that Jing Jiu was to challenge him at the Plum Meeting.

Tong Yan had never paid this kind of attention to any other challenger, not even to those famous national level Go players.

His attention lied in the fact that Jing Jiu was a disciple of the Green Mountain Sect.

The disciples of the Green Mountain were usually not interested in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, quite different from the Center Sect; but anyone who had showed slight interest in these areas would demonstrate an amazing talent, like Nan Wang, the current Qingrong peak master.

The more important reason was that Jing Jiu was the personal disciple of the Immortal Jing Yang.

After having read the Go playing records of the Four-Seas Banquet, Tong Yan didn’t think highly of Jing Jiu, but was displeased.

Just like the feeling Xiang Wanshu had had.

They had never seen someone play Go in such a terrible way.

In terms of chess playing schools, there had been two since the ancient times.

The way Jing Jiu played Go could be classified as the “Fighting Hard” school, focusing on the calculation of gains and losses.

Tong Yan couldn’t accept this ugly playing method and instead used brute force to win Go games.

How could a personal disciple of the Immortal Jing Yang play Go this way?

When Tong Yan asked Jing Jiu if he understood the game, Tong Yan wanted to tell Jing Jiu that Go games should be played in a different way.

Could you actually predict, by calculation, my every response? Could you actually predict, by calculation, my next move every time?

Jing Jiu didn’t answer Tong Yan’s question.

It seemed to prove Tong Yan’s idea.

“I have said that these people are not qualified to play Go here, nor are you.”

Tong Yan stood up and said while looking at Jing Jiu, “Because you aren’t playing Go, you’re just calculating instead.”

As Tong Yan spoke, he was looking down at Jing Jiu, with his sparse eyebrows appearing even lighter, and his arrogant countenance was even harder for others to withstand.

Moreover, this remark itself was awfully degrading.

The crowd started getting ill at ease now.

Tong Yan had the qualification to evaluate anyone, regarding their Go playing.

A moment earlier, he had easily defeated the number one Go player of the imperial court, Grand Scholar Guo, in the middle stage of a game.

However, his evaluation of Jing Jiu was still too audacious, as Jing Jiu was a disciple of the Green Mountain.

“You broke Nanshan’s sword a while ago through calculation, just like the way you play Go.”

Tong Yan continued, “Today I want to tell you that it’s hard to reach the heavenly path through calculation alone.”

Zhao Layue was listening on the other side of the street; now she understood why this person talked to Jing Jiu in such an indecorous way.

His reason for such a behavior was same as Luo Huainan’s in the plum garden.

Guo Nanshan traveled for many years outside the Green Mountain, and made friends with many famous and talented swordsmen. Now even this genius of the Center Sect wanted to avenge him.

It was well known that the relationship between the Center Sect and the Green Mountain Sect was not so close.

This had nothing to do with Guo Nanshan’s identity as the principle disciple of the Green Mountain Sect, but with his exceptional attitude toward others and the way he dealt with matters.

“Calculating is many times more complicated than playing Go.”

Jing Jiu stood up and said while looking at Tong Yan, “I think playing Go is the same as playing Mahjong. They are all games, each needing a little bit of calculation.”

There was an uproar. Many people became angry after hearing this remark, thinking how could he put these two games in the same pot? Even those stall owners, driven off to a distant place, were not so convinced, thinking that playing Go couldn’t be equaled to playing Mahjong, a wagering game. Though these stall owners used the remaining games to earn money, it was an elegant thing to do, not a scheme!

Tong Yan sneered, “Relying on your calculations, can you predict all the changes? Don’t you understand the concept that the heavenly path is endless?”

Jing Jiu replied, “The universe is limitless, and of course I can’t calculate all the possibilities; but there are only thirty-eight lines and 361 squares on the Go board, why can’t I calculate all the moves?”

Tong Yan said, “You can’t even predict by calculating what will be my next move, let alone all the moves.”

Jing Jiu said, “Nobody can calculate his opponent’s every move, because the opponent doesn’t even know how to proceed next.”

Tong Yan of course didn’t agree to this statement.

Taking this game as an example, he had prepared a few corresponding moves no matter where Grand Scholar Guo would place his next Go piece.

How could it be possible that he didn’t know how to make his next move?

Jing Jiu tapped the chess board with his fingertip, and then picked up a black Go piece, placing it on a square on the Go board.

“You have your own way, and I have mine; let’s take our own paths. If you really want to prove that my way is wrong, then beat me at the Plum Meeting.”

Having said this, Jing Jiu retrieved his bamboo chair, turned around and walked to the other side of the street, departing together with Zhao Layue.

Tong Yan returned his gaze to the Go board.

The onlookers’ gazes fell on the same Go board at the same time.

Afterwards, discussions and snickers could be heard in the arena.

The square where Jing Jiu placed the black Go piece had actually blocked many of his own Go pieces.

“This move is ridiculous!”

Jing Jiu was nonetheless the winner in the chess tournament at the Four-Seas Banquet, so nobody thought he didn’t know how to play Go.

There were only two possible explanations for Jing Jiu’s move.

The fact that Jing Jiu blocked many of his own Go pieces was contrary to whatever moves Tong Yan had prepared in advance, to prove Jing Jiu’s point.

–One could calculate the opponent’s every move, including oneself.

Yet, what meaning did this proof have?

To admit defeat and leave without losing dignity by this means?

The crowd thought that the response was quite clever, giving out kindly laughs.

Tong Yan didn’t laugh, looking at the Go board silently.

Grand Scholar Guo didn’t laugh either, looking at the Go board in deep thought.

It was he who played this game, so he understood the game better than anybody else.

They weren’t looking at that black Go piece, but another spot on the Go board.

Jing Jiu tapped here with his finger before he left.

After a long while, Grand Scholar Guo sentimentally commented, “Very good.”

Tong Yan said emotionlessly, “Not too bad.”

…

…

Zhao Layue didn’t know how to play Go, but she knew Jing Jiu’s move was suicidal.

This was real suicide. A miracle would not happen, like surviving a jump off a cliff. It was impossible for the black side to possess a new space and all of a sudden turn the tides to win the game.

This was the kind of miracle that only occurred in storybooks, not in reality. Moreover, his opponent was the best Go player in the world.

Then, what was the meaning of Jing Jiu’s doing so?

Jing Jiu said, “He definitely didn’t expect I would move this way, that means he doesn’t know how he will move his next piece.”

Zhao Layue thought this sounded like kids in a fit of pique, letting out a sigh, “Is it worthwhile to do so?”

“I just want to tell him, it’s impossible to predict the opponent’s ideas simply based on imagination and intuition. Eventually, one needs to rely on calculation to know all the possibilities,” Jing Jiu responded.

Zhao Layue thought of what Tong Yan had said, asking, “Can you really calculate all the possibilities on the Go board?”

Jing Jiu answered, “Not all the calculations will have certain results. Sometimes we only need the calculations to help predict the trend of the chess game; but it would be a good thing to calculate everything beforehand. The chess books you bought for me talk about the “trend, beauty, shape, space”; many people believe in these, simply because they can’t calculate so well.”

Zhao Layue said after some thought, “What you said may be true, but it sounds a little uncomfortable, feeling icy cold.”

“The world is indeed like so, icy cold; but we’re good at using pleasing words and concepts to comfort ourselves,” said Jing Jiu, while watching the night sky.

…