Chapter 18
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Life and Death Problem Solving
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Life and Death Problem Solving.
It was certain.
Yi Ho-chang had solved quite a few life and death problems himself.
'They're solving these out here.'
Life and death problems, in simple terms, were about how to keep stones alive or kill them off.
They were something you started learning from the very beginning as a beginner and kept practicing even after your skill level rose.
Because no matter what moves you made, every game of Go ultimately came down to life and death.
Yi Ho-chang approached a street vendor stall where an old man was making a living off life and death problems, together with Chun Seom, and gave the place a quick once-over.
A signboard noted an entry fee of five coins, but since it offered prizes like a claw machine game and was a small amusement, it seemed a fair price.
When Yi Ho-chang showed interest, Chun Seom grinned and said,
"What, wanna give it a try?"
"Nah, I was just glancing. I'm good."
"Come on, just do it. I'll cover the fee. Hey, boss, here's the money..."
"No, no. I'll pay."
Fearing Chun Seom might pay, Yi Ho-chang quickly held out the coins.
Yeah.
They were out for fun, so a bit of entertainment like this now and then wouldn't hurt.
Yi Ho-chang sat down, and the old vendor, taking the coins, chuckled.
"Well now, a young customer. So, which difficulty level will you pick?"
"Difficulty level?"
"From the easiest level 1 up to the insanely tough level 5. Pick one. Just so you know, no one's ever cleared level 5."
Hmm, is that so?
Those words oddly stirred his competitive spirit.
Yi Ho-chang boldly declared,
"Then I'll take level 5."
"Huh? You hear that? I said no one's cleared it. Don't regret it later—why not start from level 1 and work your way up?"
Chun Seom chimed in at the vendor's words,
"It's fine. This kid's got some real skill despite how he looks. And even if he can't solve it, that's a good experience too, right?"
"Well, if you put it that way..."
The vendor pulled out the problem sheet, and Yi Ho-chang began examining it.
But it was a bit unexpected.
The problems were tougher than he'd thought.
Then, something flashed in Yi Ho-chang's mind.
'Ah... this is that one.'
A familiar feel.
The shape resembled the opening layout of Ren Hao, the Chinese pro he'd faced in an international tournament.
Yi Ho-chang smiled faintly.
Ren Hao was the one who'd handed him his debut international win, after all.
As Yi Ho-chang put on a thoughtful expression, the vendor smirked at the sight.
"Stumped already? Tell you what, I'll give you one extra shot as a special favor..."
At that moment.
Instead of answering, Yi Ho-chang moved a Go stone.
Clack.
And the rest followed suit.
His hand moved without hesitation.
Having solved the problem in a flash, Yi Ho-chang handed the sheet back to the vendor, who could only gape in astonishment.
"Th-the answer is..."
Chun Seom beamed with pride, while Yi Ho-chang nodded casually with a faint smile, as if it were only natural.
The vendor, still wide-eyed, said,
"They say there are hidden masters everywhere, but this is a first for me... Kid, who the heck are you? This might look simple, but it's straight from a Seated Hidden Star's game record. You some old geezer who shed your mortal form or what?"
"Eh, I just play a bit of Go."
"Heh, yeah, it'd be rude to probe further with a kid like you. Here, your level 5 prize."
With that, the vendor handed over ten nyang in coins—twenty times the entry fee.
"This much?"
At Yi Ho-chang's question, the vendor laughed heartily.
"Heh heh, gotta be twenty times the fee to call it a level 5 prize, right?"
Fair enough.
That made sense.
Still, this amount was something he could easily earn at the White Go Hall.
His interest in the cash prize waning, Yi Ho-chang's gaze naturally shifted to the other prizes nearby.
"Are those the prizes for the lower ranks?"
"Yep, levels 1 through 4. What, not a fan of money?"
"Not that, but..."
Then, a strangely shaped stone slab caught Yi Ho-chang's eye.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary slab, but on closer inspection, it oddly mimicked the shape of a Go board.
'One, two, three, four... Nineteen lines both ways. It's just like a real Go board.'
The slab had Go board lines crudely etched into it as if by a knife, and beside the board, in similar carved script, the words "Abandon Small, Take Large."
'Abandon Small, Take Large...'
Abandon Small, Take Large.
Yi Ho-chang knew exactly what it meant.
It was one of the Ten Go Precepts, the ten classic adages for playing Go.
Specifically, it meant to discard the small and seize the large.
'In other words, don't get lost in the trees—see the forest...'
Maybe that's why.
Yi Ho-chang found himself more drawn to the slab than to a single nyang coin.
Yi Ho-chang asked,
"What's that one?"
"That? Oh, I picked it up at the market ages ago 'cause it looked interesting, kept it as a prize. It's third place."
"Then, can I take that instead of the cash?"
"That thing? It ain't worth a single coin."
"Yeah, Ho-chang. Why go for some rock when you've got real money?"
Chun Seom looked baffled too.
But Yi Ho-chang had already made up his mind.
"It just appeals to me more. That okay?"
"No rule against it. Heck, I'm thrilled. Just don't come crying later."
"Got it."
And so, Yi Ho-chang claimed the slab as a souvenir.
'Up close, the details are even nicer.'
It was true.
The inscription and lines looked rough at a glance, but they had a subtle orderliness—the craftsmanship was surprisingly good.
Chun Seom still shook his head in confusion.
"You said wooden ones were best earlier. Your tastes are beyond me."
"Haha, I just went with my gut. On that note, lunch is on me. Even if I'd taken the money, I planned to buy anyway."
"For real?"
"Yeah. What do you feel like?"
"Heh heh, since we're here, let's fill up on the local seafood specialty..."
That was when it happened.
Yi Ho-chang, who had been following with a smile at Chun Seom's words, suddenly halted.
'Hm?'
A strange sensation suddenly washed over his body.
It wasn't his imagination.
It was a filthy, alien energy that turned his stomach—like dunking himself in a slimy, putrid swamp.
The unpleasant feeling vanished quickly, but it had been so intense that Yi Ho-chang couldn't help stopping in his tracks.
As Yi Ho-chang froze, Chun Seom asked,
"Ho-chang, what's up?"
"Just for a second, I felt this weird energy... Uncle, you didn't sense anything?"
"Energy? What energy?"
Chun Seom looked genuinely puzzled.
Could it be?
It had triggered such a visceral revulsion.
But Chun Seom didn't seem to be lying.
Yi Ho-chang said,
"It's the first time I've felt anything like it, so I can't quite describe it... but it was incredibly filthy. Like the sticky, stinking humidity of a swamp on a muggy summer day—it brushed past me and dissipated."
Chun Seom dismissed it casually.
"Probably just the sea breeze. It's salty, different from regular wind."
"Hm, didn't feel like sea breeze to me. Way stickier and grosser."
"Kid, no energy like that's possible. Demonic energy, maybe."
"Demonic energy?"
"Remember the Righteous-Demonic Great War I mentioned? The energy those demonic folk used is called demonic energy. But that's impossible. All the demons vanished after the war twenty-five years ago."
"I see..."
Yi Ho-chang nodded and resumed walking.
*
The next day.
As the sun rose, the streets were packed.
People hurried to avoid missing the Famous Name Assembly's opening ceremony.
And rightly so—it was Yingbo's major annual event.
"Tickets here!"
"Get in line!"
"Three tickets, please!"
But unlike the noisy crowds outside, the interior of the Grand Reputation Hall, venue of the Famous Name Assembly, remained quiet.
The Dragon Pearl Gang sat in their assigned seats, waiting for the start, while members from other gangs took their places one by one—the atmosphere still a bit chaotic.
Yi Ho-chang quietly marveled at the scale of the event as he looked around.
'I thought it'd be just a bit bigger than the Dragon Pearl Meet since it's a beggars' thing, but this is full-on regional festival level.'
So why did the Dragon Pearl Gang live like beggars?
Truly baffling.
'Gotta ask about that later.'
As he took in the sights, the Grand Reputation Hall—which was three or four times larger than the Dragon Pearl Meet hall—filled to capacity.
*Gonggggg!*
A massive gong resounded through the hall, signaling the start.
Then, a handsome man in his thirties entered with about thirty subordinates.
Seeing them, Mo Gun-hyeong muttered,
"Yi Chan-seong... He's grown even stronger."
Yi Chan-seong?
Was that the handsome man's name?
Correct.
He was the Great Benevolence Gang Leader hosting the Famous Name Assembly, the martial artist known as the Jade-Faced Asura.
'So that's Yi Chan-seong.'
Yi Ho-chang already knew a fair bit about him from Chun Seom.
He was a figure called Yingbo's top fighter, having even crushed the Sword Pavilion's guardian, and at least a peak transcendent expert.
Yi Chan-seong strode in, basking in the crowd's gazes, then stood center stage and shouted,
"Brave warriors of Zhejiang Province! Welcome to the 15th Famous Name Assembly!"
"Woooah!!"
Cheers erupted.
After soaking in the applause for a while, Yi Chan-seong raised a hand for silence, and the hall fell quiet as if by magic. He continued,
"This year's Famous Name Assembly was tough to select for due to everyone's improved levels, but congratulations to all who made the cut."
Who made the cut...
Yi Ho-chang smirked at Yi Chan-seong's words.
It sounded less like an invitation and more like an order from a superior.
The gang leaders up front knew it best.
Following the lavish opening ceremony per the program, the gang leaders were introduced.
- Dragon Pearl Gang, Bok Jung-ho
- Red Tiger Gang, Beom Jung-cheon
- Eastern Market Hall, Jang Do-seok
- Three Response Gang, Ga Ui
- Total Leaf Gang, Hwang Dae-sim
- Yang Old Hall, Gong Bin-seok-mo
- Extreme Blade Gang, Do Gyu-hyeong
- Virtue Heart Hall, Seok Jung-mu
Eight invited gang leaders in total.
After Gong Bin-seok-mo's turn, Yi Chan-seong headed to the second-floor VIP seats, and Deputy Leader Gyo Jong-yeo stepped up to continue.
"As last year, the winning gang gets an enormous prize. This year: 300 nyang in silver and the inner core of a 50-year-old Millennium Flower Carp!"
At "inner core," the martial artists' eyes gleamed.
Spirit beast inner cores outclassed human-made elixirs in efficacy.
A first-rate expert could skyrocket to peak summit in an instant.
That was why martial artists coveted inner cores.
As their eyes burned, Gyo Jong-yeo said with satisfaction,
"Good, looks like everyone's motivated. Now, the rules for this year's tournament."
The rules were straightforward.
Divided into four brackets for leader battles, with winners advancing—a classic tournament format.
The bracket draw began, and Gyo Jong-yeo announced the first matchup she'd drawn.
"First match! Dragon Pearl Gang and Eastern Market Hall—all members to the arena!"
The Famous Name Assembly's first bout.
And the Dragon Pearl Gang was called up first.