Book 2: Chapter 101: Gu Hai’s Plan
Meng Tai lay weakly among the rubble as he watched Gu Hai walk easily towards Li Haoran.
Some bitterness appeared in Meng Tai’s eyes when he saw someone waltz over a mountain he could not surpass. He could not help feeling sorrowful.
“Even someone as strong as Li Haoran shows fear before Gu Hai’s Go skills? Huh? That’s not right?!” Suddenly, Meng Tai’s expression changed.
“Although I do not know how Gu Hai became a player, he is only the player of the transparent Go stones. He can control only the transparent Go stones, but Li Haoran still controls both white and black Go stones, right?
“Back then, Fu Xue controlled the transparent Go stones. Although he had a golden Go stone and, hence, the defensive barrier, didn’t he still lose to that old fogey and me?
“That was because Fu Xue’s golden Go stone could only defend and not attack?
“The transparent Go stones are illusory, while the white Go stones and the black Go stones are material. The illusory cannot attack. At best, it can only defend!
“Gu Hai can only defend? How is he going to fight Li Haoran?
“Gu Hai should not be able to defeat him.
“However, why is Gu Hai so calm?”
Meng Tai was confused. Due to the nature of the transparent Go stones’ golden Go stone, Meng Tai and Wei Yang had routed Fu Xue. Now, Gu Hai was in that position. Could he win?
However, if Gu Hai was not confident, why would he walk towards Li Haoran so calmly?
Li Haoran looked at Gu Hai sullenly. Now, he did not have any confidence. Even one hundred Gu Hais would not be a match for me in pure martial prowess if we were outside. However, this is now Go.
How strong are Gu Hai’s Go skills? At the Innate Puzzle World, he suppressed one hundred thousand cultivators.
The Twenty-Nine Line-Pair World Go Puzzle showed its brutality at the Great Feng Mafia Family and the Dragon Pinning Sect.
Although this death puzzle is no longer a Go game in the ordinary sense, it is still derived from the Twenty-Nine Line-Pair World Go Puzzle.
Can my understanding of this Go puzzle surpass Gu Hai’s?
Gu Hai also has a defensive barrier? In that case, my attacks are useless on him. Is he also a player?
Am I playing Go against Gu Hai right now?
Although Li Haoran was prideful, he knew that he was no match for Gu Hai in Go. When he saw Gu Hai walking over calmly, he lost even more confidence.
“Battalion Commander, Long Wanqing and Venerable Liu Nian are fleeing!” a Divine Strategy Battalion disciple suddenly cried out.
“Huh?” Li Haoran raised his eyebrows as he looked into the distance.
The expression of Long Wanqing, who was fleeing in the distance, froze.
“Battalion Commander Li, are you already admitting defeat and preparing to use a woman as a hostage against me?” Gu Hai suddenly started laughing.
Li Haoran did not fall for Gu Hai’s taunt. Instead, he showed a cold smile as he looked at the group fleeing in the distance. “Hahaha! I am going to use them as hostages against you. What can you do?”
The expression of the calmly smiling Gu Hai froze.
Then, Li Haoran waved his hand.
Boom!
A strong suction pulled the fleeing group over, bringing them before Li Haoran in the blink of an eye.
“Li Haoran, if you dare to hurt the Hall Master, Master will not spare you!” one of the servants roared.
“Li Haoran, I was really blind. You are such a vile person, a complete villain!” Long Wanqing said in despair.
Venerable Liu Nian was already severely injured, so he could not resist the suction. He could only look in Gu Hai’s direction and say bitterly, “Division Master Gu, I implicated you!”
Gu Hai sullenly looked at Li Haoran.
“Ha! Hahahahahaha!” Li Haoran started guffawing when he saw Gu Hai’s expression change. Now, he felt that he finally held the initiative. He finally had something that restrained Gu Hai.
“Li Haoran, is this all you are capable of? Even before we face each other, you have already started using the old, the weak, and women as hostages against me? The Divine Strategy Battalion Commander is truly capable!” Gu Hai sneered.
Li Haoran appeared sullen. However, when he saw that Gu Hai did not dare to act rashly, he no longer cared about Gu Hai’s words.
“I don’t need you to evaluate my capabilities. Since there is an easy way to resolve the issue, why should I complicate things? Gu Hai, you don’t want to see Long Wanqing and the others die, right?” Li Haoran smiled coldly.
Gu Hai continued staring at Li Haoran with a sullen expression.
“I said that I could spare Long Wanqing, but I don’t have to. If I am left without a choice, I will do it. There is also Venerable Liu Nian and her servants. Haha! Gu Hai, do you want to see them die?!” Li Haoran smiled coldly.
“Gu Hai, sorry! I implicated you!” Long Wanqing showed a guilty expression as she looked at Gu Hai.
Back then, Gu Hai had handed her an undefeatable position. She had been the player and could do anything she wanted to anyone. Despite such a good position being given to her, she created such a disaster.
A Go puzzle that she already won ended up lost. Now, she could not even protect herself. More importantly, she implicated Gu Hai.
Long Wanqing felt incredibly guilty.
Gu Hai did not look at Long Wanqing. Instead, he stared at Li Haoran.
“There is no point staring at me. They are my Go stones. If I want them to live, they will live. If I want them to die, they will die. Gu Hai, there is only one way to save them now!” Li Haoran said coldly.
“Oh?” Gu Hai said with a frown.
“Hand over your golden Go stone, and I can promise to spare Long Wanqing and the others. I also will not cause trouble for you and will let you out later!” Li Haoran said.
“Hand over my golden Go stone?” Gu Hai’s face sank.
“Don’t do that! Mister Gu, if you hand over your golden Go stone, we are all done for!” countless cultivators exclaimed.
“Mister Gu, you cannot hand it over! Li Haoran will renege on his promise! He will not spare you!”
“Mister Gu, even if Li Haoran lets you out of the ritual array, he will still pursue and kill you outside!”
“Li Haoran is a vile person. Don’t fall for his trick! Mister Gu, don’t give it to him!”
The surrounding cultivators immediately clamored.
Gu Hai was everyone’s hope. Once Gu Hai handed over the golden Go stone, it would be over for Gu Hai—as well as for them.
Gu Hai frowned.
“Hand over the golden Go stone!” Li Haoran shouted while glaring.
Gu Hai remained silent.
“Gu Hai, don’t! Don’t give it to him!” Long Wanqing shouted while crying. She did not want to implicate Gu Hai any further.
“Humph! Gu Hai, if you continue delaying, I will drain them dry!” Li Haoran shouted.
Rumble…!
A suction immediately pulled on the group, forcibly extracting their energy.
“Argh! Argh! Argh!” the five cried out in pain.
Li Haoran stared at Gu Hai with a ferocious expression.
There were a total of three golden Go stones. Li Haoran already obtained two. If he obtained Gu Hai’s golden Go stone, he could do whatever he wanted to Gu Hai.
——
Everyone outside could see what Li Haoran did, which set them abuzz.
“First Young Master, what should we do now? Is Milord going to hand over his final opportunity?”
“Li Haoran, that despicable, vile person!”
Everyone felt anxious.
Gu Qin also showed an unsightly expression as he tightly clenched his fist.
Gu Qin saw Gu Hai’s image holding the golden Go stone on the death puzzle. That golden Go stone was originally Gu Hai’s Go stone clone, a transparent Go stone. Back when Gu Hai killed all the spirit-assimilated cultivators, shattering all the transparent Go stones, Gu Hai’s Go stone clone had turned golden.
Right now, Gu Hai held this golden Go stone as he looked at the other side.
——
In the death puzzle’s world:
“Stop! I’ll give you the golden Go stone!” Gu Hai showed a pained expression.
Buzz!
On the other side, Li Haoran paused for a moment as his eyes lit up.
“Li Haoran, I can give you the golden Go stone. However, I hope you will fulfill your promise. Otherwise, even if I have to die with you, I will not leave this lying!” Gu Hai said with an unsightly expression.
“Don’t! Mister Gu!” countless cultivators in the surroundings protested in horror.
“Scram!” Li Haoran waved his hand.
Boom! Tens of thousands of cultivators got tossed aside like puppets on strings.
“I will do what I say. Toss it over!” Li Haoran smiled coldly.
Gu Hai remained silent for a long time as he held the golden Go stone.
“Don’t! Gu Hai!” Long Wanqing shouted while crying.
“Hurry up!” Li Haoran glared.
“Catch!” Gu Hai tossed his golden Go stone, appearing conflicted.
Whoosh!
That golden Go stone suddenly flew to Li Haoran.
Li Haoran’s face immediately lit up with joy as he extended his hand and sucked the golden Go stone over.
Clank!
The golden Go stone immediately landed up Li Haoran’s palm.
“Hahahahaha! I now hold all three golden Go stones! Hahahaha!” Li Haoran guffawed.
“No!” Long Wanqing shouted in despair.
It was not just Long Wanqing. The countless cultivators flying off into the distance also shouted sorrowfully, “No!”
Countless people revealed expressions of despair. Gu Hai had given up his last chance. There was no saving everyone now. That despicable Li Haoran would not spare anyone.
Indeed, when Li Haoran grasped the three golden Go stones in one hand, the other hand suddenly sent a palm strike at Gu Hai.
“Gu Hai, you are truly stupid! Right now, you do not have a defensive barrier! You can die now! Hahahaha!” Li Haoran shouted.
Boom!
When Li Haoran launched this palm strike, he tapped everyone’s energy. Tens of thousands of manifested palms flew towards Gu Hai, covering the sky while showing great destructive power. This caused nearly everyone to despair.
“No! Li Haoran, you vile, despicable person!” Long Wanqing roared in despair.
“No!” Countless cultivators in the distance cried out in despair. There was no saving Gu Hai or themselves now.
“No, no, Li Haoran fell into a trap? Gu Hai laid a trap, using everyone as Go stones? What a terrifying plan! Li Haoran fell for it!” At a distant pile of rubble, Meng Tai’s expression suddenly changed, betraying shock.
Rumble…!
The overwhelming manifested palms immediately struck where Gu Hai was, flattening the surrounding mountains.
However, Gu Hai seemed to have vanished.
The instant the manifested palms touched Gu Hai, he vanished into thin air?
“Huh?” Li Haoran’s expression changed.
“Where is he?” the Divine Strategy Battalion disciples exclaimed.
The expressions of Venerable Liu Nian and Long Wangqing changed. What happened? How did Gu Hai vanish like smoke earlier? Where did he go?
The despairing cultivators in the distance also felt startled.
“Where is he? Where did Gu Hai go?”
“How did he disappear?”
Countless people revealed confused expressions.
Only Meng Tai turned his head to look at Li Haoran’s other hand—the hand holding three golden Go stones.
“Break!”
A loud shout suddenly came from Li Haoran’s left hand.
Boom!
Li Haoran’s left hand exploded without any warning. In that instant, the three golden Go stones flew out. The explosion mangled Li Haoran’s hand, and surging black energy shrouded it. Countless tiny skulls gnawed wantonly on the hand in the black energy.
“What?” Li Haoran’s expression changed.
——
Outside:
Gu Qin’s face immediately lit up with joy. “I understand! I understand now! The golden Go stone that Adoptive Father tossed out earlier was himself. While Li Haoran could not break Adoptive Father’s defensive barrier, Adoptive Father could not break Li Haoran’s defensive barrier, either. Adoptive Father tricked Li Haoran into opening his defensive barrier and letting Adoptive Father in!”
“What? First Young Master, what do you mean?” one of the evil men asked, not understanding.
“The golden Go stone is external proof of a player. However, Wei Yang destroyed the third golden Go stone. Adoptive Father’s golden Go stone is his Go stone clone. Although he gained the attribute of a player, it is different from the previous golden Go stone. Adoptive Father’s golden Go stone represents Adoptive Father himself. By tossing the golden Go stone into Li Haoran’s defensive barrier, Adoptive Father threw himself in. Furthermore, Li Haoran took the initiative to let him in. Hahahaha! The one standing there was just an illusion formed by the golden Go stone, a fake!” Gu Qin explained excitedly.