Ding Rui held a discussion with a few of her subordinates in the building where she stayed.
“Division Master, by locking up the hall master like this, might there be…” a subordinate asked worriedly.
“What are you worried about? I’m shouldering all the responsibility!” Ding Rui retorted coldly.
“Yes! This subordinate is just worried that Gu Hai might spoil your plans,” that subordinate said worriedly.
“Humph! Do you think he is incredible just because he killed some Innate Realm cultivators and Golden Core Realm cultivators? Don’t worry. I’ll squash him like an ant!” Ding Rui said coldly.
“This subordinate is still worried. Might he draw Venerable Liu Nian here?”
Ding Rui narrowed her eyes and nodded. “You are right. That old fellow Liu Nian is indeed problematic. To prevent Gu Hai from sending a message to that old fogey, tonight, we shall—”
Suddenly, a loud commotion came from outside. The noise reached Ding Rui.
“What’s going on?” Ding Rui said, showing a cold expression. Then, she walked out with her subordinates in tow.
After leaving the house, Ding Rui looked up.
Boom!
Some of the Go puzzles filling the sky exploded and scattered, turning into boundless fog and clouds that lingered.
“What?” Ding Rui’s expression changed.
Just at this moment, a subordinate rushed over from a distance.
“Division Master! Division Master! Something major happened in Leisure Valley! That commotion came from Leisure Valley!”
“What’s happening? How did so many Go puzzles get solved so quickly?” Ding Rui asked in surprise.
“It’s Gu Hai! It’s Gu Hai’s doing! Earlier, he competed with the Northern Sea Go Master and the Southern Sea Go Master. Within ten hours, they each solved two hundred Go puzzles,” that subordinate reported respectfully.
“Six hundred Go puzzles?” Ding Rui’s expression changed.
Ding Rui had solved the Go puzzles before. Unfortunately, she was not that skilled at Go. Although she could solve the Go puzzles, she took a very long time. She did not even dare think of getting six hundred Go puzzles solved so quickly.
“Yes. Six hundred Go puzzles. Gu Hai defeated the two Go masters. Then, a person called Guan Ninth appeared out of nowhere and competed with Gu Hai. The two merged one thousand Go puzzles to play against each other, playing one thousand Go puzzles at once!” that person said respectfully.
“One thousand Go puzzles?!” the other Fire Division disciples exclaimed.
“Yes. Furthermore, Gu Hai solved them. He solved one thousand Go puzzles in one swoop, setting the entire Leisure Valley abuzz. Everyone cheered for Gu Hai!” that subordinate said respectfully.
Ding Rui: “…”
“Before Gu Hai came, we took more than one month to solve only a few hundred Go puzzles. Gu Hai arrived only one day ago, and one thousand six hundred Go puzzles got solved? No, Gu Hai also solved more than one hundred Go puzzles outside. This means that in the short time Gu Hai has been here, more than one thousand seven hundred Go puzzles got solved?” a subordinate exclaimed in shock, gaping.
“There are six hundred Go puzzles left, only six hundred!”
“Division Master, should we still make our move tonight?” the earlier subordinate asked with a frown.
Ding Rui: “…”
“Go take a look!” Ding Rui quickly leaped onto a mountaintop with the others following her.
Clouds covered the surroundings, but as Ding Rui stood on the peak, she could see Leisure Valley. However, the people in Leisure Valley could not see the people on the summit.
——
Leisure Valley:
The Life Slaughterer Go Master remained seated where he was. The black-clad woman beside him leaned on him, but the disciples behind him looked at the other side in shock.
The cultivators that Gu Hai brought cheered the most fervently. After all, respect was mutual. Gu Hai had given everyone a chance to enter. For these cultivators to reciprocate by cheering was normal.
The Southern Sea Go Master and the Northern Sea Go Master goggled as they looked at Gu Hai. Clearly, Gu Hai’s Go skills shocked them.
“Many thanks, Young Master Guan Ninth!” Gu Hai said with a serious tone as he looked at Ninth Young Master and took a deep breath.
Ninth Young Master stared at Gu Hai with a complicated expression. Initially, he wanted Gu Hai to become his substitute. From the current situation, there was no chance of that happening.
“Never mind. I cannot give you my portion of the inheritance anymore. My coughing illness just recovered, and I have just returned to my peak. You are still far from sufficient. Let’s have another match in the future,” Ninth Young Master sighed softly.
“Let’s go!” Ninth Young Master said.
“Yes!” Ninth Young Master’s subordinates answered respectfully.
Then, Ninth Young Master slowly headed out of the sect with his subordinates.
Ding Dong immediately rushed forward and called out, “Hey! Hey! Young Master Guan Ninth! Young Master Guan Ninth, please wait. There are still six hundred more Go puzzles. Young Master Guan Ninth, please wait. This humble one has yet to receive and entertain you properly!”
However, Ninth Young Master had no interest in Ding Dong and simply ignored him. His subordinates quickly blocked Ding Dong.
Ding Dong: “Young Master Guan Ninth…!”
When everyone ignored him, Ding Dong’s expression froze. Who is this group of people?
After Ninth Young Master left, the eyes of the Northern Sea Go Master and the Southern Sea Go Master suddenly lit up. Earlier, Ninth Young Master said that he could not give Gu Hai his portion of the inheritance. That meant that…
“Let’s go!” The Southern Sea Go Master immediately followed after Ninth Young Master.
“Let’s go!” The Northern Sea Go Master also followed with an anxious expression.
The two Go masters’ entourages also quickly followed the Go masters.
“Hey? Southern Sea Go Master, why are you leaving so early? Northern Sea Go Master, don’t go. I still have not hosted you properly!” Ding Dong anxiously blocked the two Go masters.
The Southern Sea Go Master glowered at Ding Dong and said, “Ding Dong, how dare you block me? Do you believe that I will level your Dragon Pinning Sect?”
“Move aside. Don’t block me!” the Northern Sea Go Master shouted.
The two Go masters felt incredibly anxious. Ninth Young Master was hard to track down. If they lost him, it would be bad.
Ding Dong: “…”
What’s going on? The depressed Ding Dong moved aside speechlessly, letting the two Go masters leave.
They left? What’s going to happen with the Go puzzles? Suddenly, a thought occurred to Ding Dong, prompting him to look at the two remaining Go experts: Gu Hai and the Life Slaughterer Go Master.
They cannot leave. If they leave, who knows when the Go puzzles will be solved?
Ding Dong immediately went forward and asked with a smile, “Mister Gu, do you have any requests? If you need anything, my Dragon Pinning Sect will do its best to satisfy you!”
“After solving so many Go puzzles, I feel somewhat tired. I would like to rest,” Gu Hai replied.
“Naturally! Naturally! You can choose from the best buildings in this place!” Ding Dong assured anxiously.
Fortunately, Gu Hai did not say that he wanted to leave.
Gu Hai smiled faintly. Then, he turned his head to look at the one thousand-odd cultivators he brought it.
“Sect Master Ding, these are the friends that I brought in. Would you send people to make arrangements for them, providing some comfort for them?” Gu Hai said with a smile.
Ding Dong felt slightly stunned. He initially planned to let these one thousand-odd people remain in the valley without providing them with anything. If they could not endure it, then they could leave. However, they would not be allowed back in.
Gu Hai’s words put Ding Dong in a spot.
“If that is not possible, I’ll bring my friends out, and we will search for a place to stay outside.” Gu Hai shook his head, pretending to leave.
“Don’t, don’t. Since everyone here is Mister Gu’s friend, they can also stay wherever they want here!” Ding Dong said through clenched teeth.
“Hahaha!”
“Many thanks, Mister Gu!” the cultivators immediately called out.
The Dragon Pinning Sect was starting to turn interesting. These cultivators had intended to remain, even if they had to sleep on the floor. They had felt upset at how the Dragon Pinning Sect behaved so guardedly. Now that Gu Hai took care of them, they naturally felt grateful to him.
Gu Hai nodded and picked a clean courtyard, then headed there.
“I’ll stay in that building!”
“I’ll stay here. Don’t try to snatch it!”
“I’ll stay here!”
The many cultivators immediately picked where they wanted to stay, causing a huge commotion. Ding Dong’s face twitched. He turned his head away, not wanting to see this scene.
“Life Slaughterer Go Master, this humble one has been a bad host. If you have any needs, I’ll do my best to satisfy them as well. I hope that Life Slaughterer Go Master will do your best to solve the remaining Go puzzles!” Ding Dong said to the Life Slaughterer Go Master.
“I’m tired as well and need to rest!” The Life Slaughterer Go Master shook his head.
Then, the Life Slaughterer Go Master stood up and headed to a small courtyard with his subordinates while holding that woman in his arms.
“Phew!” Ding Dong let out a long breath.
Fortunately, Gu Hai and the Life Slaughterer Go Master did not leave. At least, he could give an account to his aunt.
“Go and bring over another two thousand disciples to watch Leisure Valley’s surroundings. Don’t let anything go wrong. Do your best to fulfill all of Gu Hai’s and the Life Slaughterer Go Master’s requests!” Ding Dong instructed a Dragon Pinning Sect disciple.
“Yes!”
——
On a mountain summit not far away:
Ding Rui narrowed her eyes as she looked at the valley.
“Division Master, that Life Slaughterer Go Master is the most inferior of the three Go masters at solving the Go puzzles. Now, only Gu Hai and the Life Slaughterer Go Master remain. Do we still make a move on Gu Hai tonight?”
“Indeed. Perhaps Gu Hai will solve all the remaining Go puzzles after resting for a while.”
“We cannot hide this for much longer. Li Haoran might discover this soon. When he brings his Divine Strategy Battalion disciples over, we…”
“Even if Gu Hai sends a message, it will take a long time!”
“Gu Hai does not know we are here!”
“That’s right. Division Master, Gu Hai does not know that you are here. Why are we worried about him?”
Ding Rui’s subordinates looked at her.
Uncertainty clouded Ding Rui’s eyes. In her heart, she wanted to deal with the variable that was Gu Hai as quickly as possible. However, after some consideration, she had no choice but to give up on her plan.
“Keep a close eye on Gu Hai. Immediately inform me of any changes. Also, hide yourselves well. Don’t let Gu Hai recognize you,” Ding Rui ordered sullenly.
“We are not making a move, then?”
“We will make our move once Gu Hai has solved the remaining six hundred Go puzzles!” Ding Rui said coldly.
“Yes!” everyone answered.
“Increase the reward for solving the Go puzzles by tenfold. Reward one hundred superior-grade spirit stones for every solved Go puzzle!” Ding Rui said.
“What? One hundred superior-grade spirit stones? So many?” everyone exclaimed.
“What I need is time. I’m using spirit stones to buy time. We need to be fast!” Ding Rui said.
“Yes!” everyone answered.
——
The news quickly spread throughout the Dragon Pinning Sect.
One hundred superior-grade spirit stones for solving one Go puzzle? The cultivators who were not shocked at the earlier rewards immediately became excited.
What’s going on? The reward increased by another tenfold?
The cultivators immediately did their best to solve the Go puzzles. Even if they could not solve the Go puzzles, they slowly worked on them. The rewards were shockingly high.
Of course, some cultivators started targeting the Dragon Pinning Sect instead. Thinking the Dragon Pinning Sect rich, some started eyeing the Dragon Pinning Sect disciples with ill intent.
Suddenly, the Dragon Pinning Sect disciples that came to Leisure Valley to monitor the cultivators felt edgy.
Are we the ones monitoring them, or are they the ones monitoring us? These cultivators are looking at us with undisguised excitement, as though looking at walking mountains of spirit stones, wishing that they could come and grab us.
The atmosphere in Leisure Valley immediately turned exceptionally strange.
