Chapter 435: Suppressing Wang Chong's Chess Style (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
People packed the Chess Hall. Almost half of Deflecting Blade Manor had been attracted inside by the match.
Wang Chong sat in a chair of wisteria wood on the first floor.
This was not his first time playing chess with other people in the Chess Hall, nor was it his first time playing chess with Xu Qiqin, but the feeling now was completely different.
"Xu Chong, are you sure? It's not too late to pull back!"
Wang Chong smiled at Xu Qiqin.
"Hmph, if you have all this free time, you should worry about yourself. Don't forget, if you lose, you have to admit to everyone that you're inferior to me. And the master of the Chess Hall might also have to change!"
Xu Qiqin raised her head, a proud smirk on her lips, faintly tinged with cunning.
She did not care what sort of condition Wang Chong would propose. All she cared about was that once she won, Wang Chong would admit that he was inferior to her in chess.
At that time, she could radiantly return home and announce to everyone that she, the talented daughter of the Xu Clan, was the number one chess player in the capital.
Although Wang Chong could beat Su Zhengchen, the war god of the Great Tang, she could defeat Wang Chong!
She, Xu Qiqin, was the one that deserved the reputation of being the best chess player in the Great Tang.
"Hahaha, since that's the case, then there's no problem. Wei Anfang—"
"Yes, Young Master!"
The moment Wang Chong spoke, the bowed figure of Wei Anfang stepped forward to deliver the prepared chessboard and chess pieces. A purple chessboard made from Phoebe Zennan wood and inlaid with gold was placed between Wang Chong and Xu Qiqin. Wang Chong was playing white; Xu Qiqin, black.
Buzz!
Seeing that the match had formally begun, the crowd began to buzz with whispers. At times, jeering gazes would look toward Xu Qiqin.
Xu Qiqin coldly snorted. She knew what these people were thinking, but she didn't care. 'Only fierce dragons dared to cross the river.' She knew that these people believed her loss to be assured, but she would let these people know just how wrong they were.
"For this game, I'll go first!" Xu Qiqin said without invitation. She opened up her box of pieces, her jade-like right hand extending two fingers into the pieces to take up a smooth black piece.
"Okay!"
Wang Chong smiled, his right hand extending in the inviting posture of a gentleman.
Buzz!
The spectators immediately began to chatter, expressing disdain for Xu Qiqin's actions. The way of chess was the way of gentlemen, and all chess experts would invite their opponent to go first.
If Wang Chong let Xu Qiqin go first, that would be of his own desire, but for Xu Qiqin to demand it was going overboard.
"Shut your mouths!" Xu Qiqin harshly rebuked, her face a sheet of ice. This shout startled the crowd, yet Xu Qiqin seemed calm and unhurried. Clack. The first black stone was placed.
She had played a man for long enough, and she didn't want to keep wearing men's clothes. Once this match was over, she would return to being the dignified daughter of the Xu Clan.
When the time came, she would see if anyone dared to mouth off in front of her.
In Longwei Training Camp, there were few people who even dared to breathe too loudly in front of her. If she didn't want to defeat Wang Chong and prove herself, she would not have endured such humiliation.
"Wang Chong, it's your turn!" Xu Qiqin coldly said.
Wang Chong stared at his opponent, inwardly smiling. He knew what was on Xu Qiqin's mind. The way of chess was the way of gentlemen, but she was a woman, not a man, and certainly not a gentleman.
She was playing with the privilege and temper of a girl!
"Okay!"
Wang Chong gave a refreshing smile and simply placed the first white stone in the upper left corner. The moment this stone was placed, it was like two armies had entered the standoff, the entire chessboard seeming like a battlefield in which weapons had been drawn.
Clack!
Without a word, Xu Qiqin immediately put down her second stone.
The chessboard was still rather empty. Neither the white stones nor the black stones were fighting. It was like two armies were scouting before their battle.
The battle was still far off, and other spectators couldn't see anything special. But Wei Anfang couldn’t suppress a twitch in his eyes as he mentally gasped.
This Xu Chong… isn't the same!
Wei Anfang tilted his head and examined Xu Qiqin more closely.
He had been spectating on the side in Xu Qiqin's previous challenges to his young master, so he was very familiar with Xu Qiqin's chess style.
But the feeling Xu Qiqin gave him now was completely different.
Although Xu Qiqin had been formidable back then, it hadn't been to this level. If one had to make a comparison, she was like a young and inexperienced child who had suddenly matured, transforming into an experienced and sturdy adult.
Although Xu Qiqin had only made two moves, her chess style had been fleeting and unusual. Moreover, when playing, there had been almost no interval between her first stone and second stone.
This meant that she had already thought her moves through. This was completely different from how she was before.
…It's rather similar to Young Master!
This thought flashed through Wei Anfang's mind as he glanced at Wang Chong. He could finally see that Xu Qiqin's easygoing and confident appearance was extremely similar to Wang Chong's.
No wonder he dared to challenge Young Master. It seems that he really did make ample preparations this time.
Wei Anfang had been fully confident in his young master's victory, but now, this sudden realization was beginning to make him worry.
Although Xu Qiqin had still not shown anything that could topple Wang Chong, the strength she had shown already was very unexpected.
Clack!
Wang Chong continued to smile at his opponent as he took another white stone and placed it down just as leisurely as his first.
There was still no battle. This was still a scouting mission with no interaction.
"Hmph!"
With a snort, Xu Qiqin put down her third stone. This time, she finally revealed her extremely proactive and invasive aggression.
Buzz!
The stone had been placed right in the middle of Wang Chong's forces, more than doubling the tension on the board.
"Isn't this Young Master's chess style?" somebody suddenly asked.
This question instantly made everyone take a closer look, and more and more people began to notice that Xu Qiqin's opening moves and this strike into the center of the army were all moves that Wang Chong had used before.
The crowd instantly began to look at Xu Qiqin differently.
To use Wang Chong's chess style in a chess game against Wang Chong was not something any ordinary person would dare do. This was because no one was more familiar with Wang Chong's chess style than himself.
Since Xu Qiqin dared to do this, she was either an idiot or extremely confident that she had seen through Wang Chong's chess style and could win with it.
But Xu Qiqin had once dominated the Chess Hall alone, so she couldn't possibly be an idiot. That could only mean…
All the jeers faded away, and the laughter vanished. The crowd instantly had a different assessment of Xu Qiqin.
For this fellow to challenge Young Master Wang, he must have some plan.
The mood in the Chess Hall suddenly became strange.
This is only the beginning. In a little while, you'll find out who is truly the best chess player, Xu Qiqin mentally sneered.
She knew what the crowd was thinking, but if they thought that she only knew how to copy Wang Chong, then they were wrong.
Ever since her last bitter defeat, she had spent all her time in the Chess Hall, not even going back home. And those several months had not been wasted.
Now it was time to let everyone, including Wang Chong, look at her with new eyes. She had even more 'surprises' waiting for them.
Clack!
The white stone fell and Wang Chong still had a light smile on his face that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Xu Qiqin's move and the reactions from the crowd seemed incapable of shaking him.
Xu Qiqin grit her teeth at Wang Chong's smiling face as she silently cursed.
"Let's wait and see if you can keep that smile!"
Grinding her teeth, Xu Qiqin put down her fourth stone. This stone was even more extreme and aggressive.
Peng!
Almost immediately after, Wang Chong's fourth stone came down. Unlike his other stones, he placed this stone on the center-right, directly curbing Xu Qiqin's path to the center, left, and bottom. Combined with his three previous stones, they formed into an assault that pressured Xu Qiqin's position, one that far surpassed any of Xu Qiqin's previous moves.
"An excellent move!"
"As expected, it's still Young Master that's the formidable one!"
"This move is much more impressive than Xu Chong's!"
……
Everyone present basically had some understanding of chess. This move of Wang Chong's had caused all their eyes to shine.
In terms of offense, Wang Chong's move had not been as extreme as Xu Qiqin's, but it had created much more pressure. This was a sort of overall momentum, not a local conflict.
At the very least in his view of the overall situation, Wang Chong was far more formidable than Xu Qiqin. Everyone who saw this felt a deep admiration for him.
Wang Chong was the master of the Chess Hall, so it truly was difficult to match him in his attainments in chess.
"Hmph! It's finally here!"
Surprisingly, when Xu Qiqin saw Wang Chong's 'wondrous move', she made a satisfied smile, like a cat that had successfully caught a fish.
Clack!
While everyone was still admiring Wang Chong's wondrous move, Xu Qiqin suddenly put down a black stone. Like the sharp edge of a blade, it thrust right into Wang Chong's army.
The atmosphere on the board suddenly changed. Wang Chong's offensive momentum suddenly fell to pieces.
That grand and lofty pressure that his pieces had created had dissolved.
And with Xu Qiqin's long-planned move, the air seemed to be sucked out of the Chess Hall. All those sighs of praise were stifled.
Everyone, as long as they could understand what had happened, had been dumbfounded by Xu Qiqin. Even Old Eagle, who was a rather mediocre chess player, was able to see it.
Xu Qiqin's move had clearly been meant specifically for suppressing Wang Chong.
"This woman isn't simple!"
Old Eagle's eyes widened as he suddenly realized that he had underestimated this woman masquerading as a man.
The Chess Hall was absolutely quiet.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Wang Chong, and Xu Qiqin's eyes shone with a smug smile.
A parting of three days requires one to look at another with a completely new outlook. Wang Chong, if you thought I was only imitating you, then you've made a terrible mistake! Even more surprises are waiting for you!
Xu Qiqin looked at her opponent, her eyes shining, her ridicule evident without needing to be said.