"What did Tang Yishou say?" asked Sir Bi.
"Tang Yishou racked his brain until he vomited blood from overexertion, but he couldn't think of anything… He's resting right now," answered Yun Yang.
"Vomited blood? Resting? If one didn't see it with his own eyes, how could one imagine there to be such a game in this world? A playbook that makes people vomit blood indeed…"
Sir Bi breathed in deeply; suddenly, his eyes brightened as he said, "Could this be the legendary Hematemesis Manual that no one has ever solved?"
"Hematemesis Manual? The secret manual of Go?" Yun Yang uttered in shock. He then nodded immediately and spoke in tones of agreement, "No wonder… The legendary fantasy of Go... what could we ever do about it?"
Sir Bi was deep in thought as he tried out all the approaches he thought of, in consecutive steps. He came to a swift conclusion - one must not break the game using ordinary tactics.
Coming to this conclusion, he attempted it again, beginning to derive various changes in his mind. The more complex his thoughts, the more changes there were; ultimately, it was in vain and the losing game could hardly be corrected.
As time passed, the black and white stones on the Go board in his mind slowly turned into a black and white army standing by; the thousands of military steeds and men came and went like a sweeping tornado. Two outstanding marshals dished out their best strategies, the battle kept on evolving as the massacre turned heated.
Sir Bi gradually showed signs of being dazed, as he murmured, "No way to go forward and no place to draw back… what is one to do about such an impasse? How can this defeat be turned around? How can the disadvantage be flipped over? How can this be?"
His face paled as he spoke, his form swaying. Sir Bi was thoroughly immersed in the Go game. There were mirages before his eyes as he began to look worse for wear, but he was unaware of it.
Yun Yang wore the same look of contemplation, as if he was in a trance. In reality, his focus was not even on the game; he felt only amused, thinking, 'The God of Wine Feng Xiange has been studying this Go playbook for a large portion of his life, already reducing years of his life from vomiting blood… While you're reserved and are a part of the civil and martial mandarins of the Four Seasons Tower, you're still some distance away from the last generation's expert, the Phantom Physician God of Wine, Feng Xiange, aren't you?'
'Let us see if it kills you once you're totally absorbed in it!'
"Bang!"
The crown prince suddenly slapped the table, making a loud noise.
Sir Bi broke out of his trance when he heard the noise, spitting out a mouthful of blood and looking disoriented. He opened his eyes and said, "So close…"
Before his words echoed in the air, there was a noise that came from Yun Yang's side. It was as if a mouthful of blood had gushed to his throat but he had shut his lips tight and swallowed the blood back down with a gurgle. In spite of his best efforts, the flush on his handsome face was plain to anyone's view; he reeled and had used his sleeve to wipe the blood from the edge of his mouth. All of it showed that he was equally affected and was not any better than Sir Bi. He chuckled humorlessly and said, "How is this a manual? It's a lethal saber! I've laughed at the King of Go for being too much a fanatic for Go and lacked endurance. Now that I'm experiencing it myself, I know how bad it can be!"
Sir Bi let out a dry chuckle as well, and a vague sense of doubt that just rose from the deeper part of his eyes vanished.
"Looks like this manual isn't something that we can solve. Forcing it will only bring more harm than good!"
Yun Yang kept the Go playbook away and laughed bitterly, "It's better to store this thing and never let it be seen again. The multitude of ways of the world lead to the same path; be it the art of Go or the martial art, once one is fully engrossed in it and doesn't manage to remove oneself, it becomes an obsession. Falling deep into it will bring only bane. It's better to avoid it altogether."
Sir Bi heaved a long sigh gently and said, "Indeed, indeed. Young Master Yun is right. It's the forefathers' painstaking effort that built this amazing game. How can we treat it lightly?"
Despite already making a decision, Sir Bi was inexplicably reluctant when he saw Yun Yang tucking the Go playbook into his embrace and said, "Are you truly not going to study it anymore, Young Master Yun? Are you stopping right now?"
Yun Yang chuckled and said rather self-depreciatingly, "Sir Bi is a wise man, you must understand the situation. This is a game that must not go on. Forcing it will be greatly damaging to both you and me. Forgive my directness, I have no acquaintance with His Highness nor do I take the same side in terms of politics. We have different stances, we can only bear the consequences on our own."
"I'd be reluctant to meet doom and if anything happens to Sir Bi due to this manual, His Highness' fury will unavoidably land on me. This won't be good for both sides. Let's end the chance of that happening right here!" Yun Yang chuckled.
A ghost of a smile appeared on the crown prince's originally grim face as he said "Heir Yun's words are very true. The art of such a game is intricate, but it's an avocation after all. To be damaged for it isn't a pleasurable experience. Now that we're all fine, it's for the best."
Sir Bi smiled without hard feelings and said, "Young Master Yun is right. Then we shall leave this at that. I hope there'll be a chance in the future to crack the code with you again."
Inside, he thought, 'I've remembered the key of the first game anyway. I'll study it slowly when I get back. If I can crack this game, it'll be my personal gain - better than sharing it with anybody else. I should be the only one to enter the hall of fame in the history of Go!"
Yun Yang kept the Go manual promptly and bid farewell before leaving. His steps were light like he had put down something heavy in his mind.
Sir Bi's eyes were sparkling as he watched Yun Yang step out of the Residence of Crown Prince, saying, "Your Highness, today is the best opportunity to ambush Yun Yang!"
The crown prince turned abruptly to look at Sir Bi questioningly. It was evident that he was utterly confused about how this opinion came about.
Sir Bi took in a deep breath and said, "It's all about timing. Now that Your Highness has built a friendly relationship with Yun Yang by chance, Your Highness has an explanation ready to erase the suspicion should anyone raise doubts after we make a move on him. Besides, this is when all the assassins are resting from the battle, but still a chaotic time. It's extremely convenient to make the move right now!"
The crown prince nodded faintly and said, "That is correct. It is indeed our best opportunity to ambush him now. No one will ever suspect a friend who has just expressed his amicability. Sir Bi is truly wise."
Sir Bi nodded with a smile and commented casually, "It's destined that Your Highness will accomplish the operation. It'd be preposterous not to take what heaven gives!"
Without further ado, His Highness sent his order. When his instruction was just about completed, Sir Bi added something else, "Remember to bring back the Go manual from Young Master Yun. Do not damage it."
The crown prince was baffled.
'What the f*ck are you killing Yun Yang for? Is it for yourself or is it for yourself?'
'It's only a Go playbook. Do you have to be so brazen as to abuse your official powers just for this thing?'
His Highness could not understand Sir Bi's attitude regarding such a decision at all.
Yun Yang walked out of the Residence of Crown Prince and met someone familiar just as he made a turn.
It was Shangguan Lingxiu.