Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Ghost Crisis King (2)
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Sama Rang of Fragrant Orchid Hall returned Eon Yong-un's white stone, which he had picked up from the Go board—dead stone and all—his hand trembling uncontrollably as he handed it back.
Chalak—
Go was originally a game where black and white stones took turns vying for territory on the board, and at the end, the player who secured more points by counting territory won.
However, there was also something called a concession, where instead of counting territory, one side simply admitted defeat, settling the win and loss right there.
Fitting for a game dubbed the immortals' pastime, rather than verbally conceding with "I lose," players often acknowledged defeat through actions like this.
Sama Rang's gesture was one such concession, and the spectators watching the match between Fragrant Orchid and Azure Bamboo began to show sharply divided reactions.
"Wait, did Eon Yong-un just beat Sama Rang by concession?!"
"I-I think so?!"
"...No way. Isn't this the first time Azure Bamboo has beaten another dorm in the inter-dorm tournament?!"
The people who had come out for a casual outing gaped in shock at the unexpected result.
"I was just sitting here to watch carefree, but the folks who bet on Fragrant Orchid advancing to the finals on Sama Rang's strength must feel like they've been struck by lightning from a clear sky."
"......"
"Let me see... Eon Yong-un's odds are eleven-to-one? That's not lightning—that's a thunderstorm everywhere! Doesn't that mean most people here bet on Sama Rang?!"
"Shut up already!"
"Why are you getting mad?!"
"Because I'm one of the idiots who trusted Sama Rang and bet silver on Fragrant Orchid! Th-this is ridiculous! How could Azure Bamboo possibly win?!"
"...Well, what can you do? That's how it turned out."
"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't let it slide! But the opponent was none other than that Sama Rang! The Sama Rang who's said to rival Little Marschal Zhuge Xuezhi in Go! That's why the odds were so bad! I just put it in thinking it'd safely cover drinks! How could this happen?! It's rigged!"
Those who had bet on Fragrant Orchid winning denied reality.
Well, the spectators' moods were sharply split, sure.
But the reactions were even more polarized in the cheering sections of the two dorms.
The victorious Azure Bamboo Hall.
For the first time seeing their dorm win, Azure Bamboo was stunned at first, but cheers erupted starting from the freshmen.
"Azure Bamboo! Azure Bamboo!! Azure Bamboo!!!"
"Eon Yong-un! Eon Yong-un!!"
In the midst of it, Professor No Sam, missing one tooth, grinned ear to ear.
"Kuhahaha! When that Eon kid suddenly said he was doing Go, I figured he had something up his sleeve, but this? Jin-ga! Did you know the kid had skills like that?"
"Eon Yong-un! Eon Yong-un! Huh? What did you say, Professor?!"
"Did you know the Eon kid was good at Go too?!"
"I had no idea! I saw him playing in the student council room once, but even to me, it looked like a Tang Clan junior was teaching him how to hold the stones!"
"Kekekeke. Can't wait to see what Chang Ryang's face looks like right now. Too far to check—such a pity!"
"Huh? I couldn't hear you, Professor!"
"Never mind, keep cheering! Eon Yong-un! Eon Yong-un!"
On the other hand, the defeated Fragrant Orchid Hall was the polar opposite.
Professor Chang Ryang, sitting in the prime seat, scowled and stormed off.
Student Council President Mae Jin-ak clutched his forehead and bellowed.
"A concession win?! What the hell were the Athletics and Discipline Departments doing preparing for this tournament to let this mess happen?!"
"Sorry. We had no idea Eon Yong-un's Go skills were at that level..."
"S-sorry."
"Sorry comes easy, huh? First that Mugil fiasco in Martial Arts Theory, and now nothing gets done right! Who am I supposed to trust to hand things over to among you lot?! And the PR Chief!"
"Y-yes! Yes! PR Chief here, President!"
"The professor insisted on attending. Was it to show him this spectacle?! You're the biggest problem! And to begin with, that Eon Yong-un punk who brought you to Fra—"
But Fragrant Orchid's humiliation didn't end there.
"...But what's Sama Rang doing with Eon Yong-un right now?"
"Huh. Looks like he's slicking his hair back to bare his forehead."
"Do I look like I don't know that?! With all these people watching, after conceding, he should slink away into a hole somewhere—but why's he doing that there?!"
Sama Rang, who should have long since left the board and returned to where Fragrant Orchid cadets gathered, instead flipped up his bangs in front of Eon Yong-un.
Thwack!!!
And took a solid knuckle rap to the forehead, passing out cold.
Fragrant Orchid turned into a funeral house atmosphere.
The sudden turn left the audience bursting into laughter and gasps of admiration.
"Puhahaha!"
"Looks like those two young guys made a side bet!"
"Just the kind of hot-blooded freshman showdown you see in the Spring Inter-Dorm Tournament—happens every year!"
"Well, there goes all that rigging talk. Who knuckle-taps someone so hard their eyes roll back?!"
"Right? I thought he'd swung a wooden fish mallet!"
Some Fragrant Orchid student council execs jumped up in outrage, but their feet didn't move.
President Mae Jin-ak blocked them.
"Sit down! Forgot how we had to cough up compensation to Azure Bamboo over Mugil already?! That Eon Yong-un may look like a wastrel, but he's above you lot! Don't escalate a personal spat into a dorm feud... Someone go clean up that Sama Rang mess."
And so, only the innocent armrest of Mae Jin-ak's seat got smashed.
There was a short break between the semifinals and finals.
Near Go players, who consumed massive mental energy in short bursts, it was customary to keep even ants away.
Of course, for Eon Yong-un, placing stones per his master's coordinates didn't apply.
Anyway.
Not knowing that, Eon's underclassmen followed Yin Xia Lian to collect payouts instead of visiting the player lounge.
"Two, four, six, eight, ten, eleven. Spot on."
"Whoa, Sister Yin. All that your winnings?"
"One's principal, rest is profit? Thanks to folks underestimating Young Master Eon, Azure Bamboo hit the jackpot!"
Exhausted from overwork, Yin Xia Lian beamed at her pouch.
Jeong Hyeon recalled the culprit hanging from her ear-to-mouth grin.
"Impressive indeed. He pressed relentlessly, true to form. Ancients called Go 'rotting axe handle'—you lose track of time. Watching Young Master Eon lead the board, I get why. But wasn't this his first time holding stones recently?"
"Right. I played decently myself, but losing to a total newbie... the shock."
"He's a genius, a total genius. Thinking 'that's my big bro' or 'vice president's man' fills my chest like a hearty stew, but sometimes he lacks human touch? Should have flaws—looks, skills, brains, nothing lacking."
"And full head of hair too."
"Exactly!"
As they chattered laughingly,
Woo So-rung tossed in a question with a curious look.
"Oh, but Sister Yin!"
"Yes, Young Woo?"
"Why'd you bring us? Escort for the big winnings?"
"Oops, brain fart. Here's one pouch each—go bet."
"Us too?"
"Yeah. Earlier, betting limits per person plus dorm upgrades meant no buffer if lost, so I went solo. But this haul? We can roll profits together. Folks betting on Young Master Eon rose post-match, but odds still around seven-to-one."
"But I'm a Daoist..."
"Pfft! Daoists don't spend?! Skip your room for Jeong Hyeon's Daoist quarters in upgrades then?"
"......"
"And you bet hottest on how many seconds Mugil Daoist lasts! Zero credibility!"
"Th-that's done and buried..."
"You keep bringing it up! Best deal ever. Grab yours and bet on Young Master Eon quick."
Winning the Spring Inter-Dorm Tournament is essential.
Honor, prize money, bonuses—not just that, but crucial for normalizing Azure Bamboo.
'And above all, to keep the original story's flow.'
Sure, this world's line had diverged plenty from canon.
With folks like Jeong Hyeon and Yin Xia Lian in Azure Bamboo's blue uniforms.
'But I've kept the big picture intact.'
Not identical, orders jumbled, but with tweaks and my ingenuity, protagonist generation events happened similarly. This time too—for that, Azure Bamboo's win here was needed.
'Winner gets bonuses plus Murim Alliance tour slots.'
Canon's winner was Yunmaei Hall, home to Jeong Hyeon, Pang So-cheon, Eon Yong-myeong, Cheon Jang-ho, etc.
President Ho Yeon-chan delegated the slots to Jeong Hyeon for his contributions.
In-story, he'd filled them with Yunmaei folks till then.
'But our Great Hero Jeong Hyeon Daoist picks fairly from Spring Tournament standouts, ignoring dorm grudges.'
Causing minor conflicts from resentful Yunmaei folks, but irrelevant now.
Thus, 'protagonist generation' shines in the tour group.
During the tour, they get the first demon cult clue at Shanxi Jinbong's birthday via Alliance Lord's request to Jeong Hyeon and Eon Yong-myeong.
'Jeong Hyeon and Yong-myeong aren't dormmates, and I already got a clue from Haigeum incident.'
Anyway.
To squeeze those guys into the tour slots, win was vital.
'That's why this match with Zhuge Xuezhi matters.'
Topping Go—something Yunmaei lacked—lays the cornerstone for overall win.
Post-win, it mattered too.
'Other protags would tag along knowing the slots, but this competitive ghost might stubbornly refuse.'
But Go players honor board promises.
'Even Sama Rang trembled and bared his forehead.'
Normally, facing Zhuge Xuezhi in Go while eyeing future was risky.
Not for me.
'Right, Master?'
-Why start with "right"?
'Even Zhuge Xuezhi's grandpa couldn't handle Master's setup, right?'
-Grandpa's unknown till played, but didn't Jade say three-point handicap ties the Zhuge kid? We won with six.
Thus, a smile crept on my lips.
"Ha."
Seeing it, Zhuge Xuezhi sent a cheeky transmission.
[...You'd laugh. I said we'd play later, but never dreamed it'd be here on the board. Means nothing this way. Can't claim I beat you without topping Jeong Hyeon first. This match doesn't count toward our prior promise.]
Translation: I'll win anyway, so no fair bet.
Confidence, huh.
Not bad.
[Impressive baseless confidence.]
[Baseless? Ha! Short for unfounded self-assurance?]
[Smarter than that brainless martial artist.]
Poke a bit,
[Brainless... Sama Rang, right? Haha. Go's our family pastime; I don't half-ass anything—I'll go all out. Already studied his game record.
[Talking like you'll win again. That confident? How about a wager?]
[Wager? Forehead flick with me too?]
[Matched his level; yours needs different stakes. I win, you skip Jeong Hyeon and spar me. Been wondering if only he's freakishly strong, right?]
[...Demon. Honestly, yeah. Fine. Deal.]
[Wager needs stakes both ways—you agreed without hearing?]
[You don't own mind-reading. I'll win anyway. Whatever it is, one request granted.]
Thus, volunteering tribute.
[Good. But swear on your grandfather's name.]