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World's First Traitor System (301)
🕑 Added 2024-09-23 17:00:16 +0000 UTCChapter 301 - Betrayal
Play against Danzhu, or be trapped forever?
Fan Li felt something was amiss. Danzhu, although undeniably treacherous and malicious, seemed different from the Danzhu depicted in Emperor Yu’s memories.
What was it?
He had to understand. Otherwise, facing Danzhu in a Go game would be a fool’s errand.
“Why are you silent?!” Danzhu taunted him. “You possess the destiny of an Emperor, yet you’re afraid to fight? No wonder you’re content to remain a Chancellor. You lack the courage to rule! You’re a weak and useless coward!”
Danzhu’s insults didn’t anger Fan Li. He simply stared at Danzhu, trying to see through him.
Fan Li remained silent.
Bai Shijiu, impatient, could no longer bear it.
“Fan Li! Are you truly this useless? Accept his challenge! Danzhu has existed for ten thousand years. Do you think you can outlast him? Even I, with over a century of lifespan remaining, cannot afford to waste my time here!”
Her words, surprisingly, didn’t anger Fan Li. Instead, they sparked a realization.
What was it?
Wasting time?
Lifespan?
Ten thousand years?
Ah!
Fan Li’s eyes lit up. He looked at Danzhu, the man who had been trapped in the Go board world for millennia, and asked, “Are you even human?”
His question startled Huang Longshi. Bai Shijiu gasped in disbelief.
“Have you lost your mind, Fan Li?! What nonsense are you spouting?! Do you even know who you’re talking to? He’s the son of Emperor Yao! Of course he’s human! What else could he be?!”
Bai Shijiu couldn’t believe Fan Li’s stupidity. If not for the heart demon binding her, she would have ripped him apart!
But gradually, her anger subsided.
It seemed… she had also realized something.
Danzhu was human.
Mortals lived for a hundred years at most. Even cultivators, those who hadn’t achieved immortality, had a limited lifespan.
A few centuries was considered long.
A millennium was unheard of since the Qin Dynasty.
Ten thousand years?
A myth!
How had Danzhu survived for ten thousand years?
Bai Shijiu stared at him with fear in her eyes.
Women feared the supernatural – ghosts, demons, monsters.
Even for a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator like Bai Shijiu, her instincts remained. She wanted to scream, “There’s a ghost!”
“…You… brat…”
Danzhu’s face twisted in anger. His skin, previously pale as jade, flushed crimson.
Within moments, he had transformed into a blood-red figure.
From head to toe, his skin, his hair, everything was a gruesome shade of crimson, like the Shangjun Go Board.
Fan Li finally understood.
“You played against the seventeen Xia emperors. Although you stole their lifespans and destiny, it wasn't enough to endure ten thousand years. So, you abandoned your human body and merged your soul with the Shangjun Go Board.
The board will never perish, and you will live forever.
But… you’re trapped. You cannot exist outside the Go board, can you?”
Danzhu’s face contorted even further, confirming Fan Li’s deduction.
He was no longer human!
“Clever! Truly worthy of someone who carries the fortune of an empire!”
Danzhu’s expression shifted. A cruel smile appeared on his lips.
“You’re excellent. You’re truly qualified.”
Fan Li was puzzled.
Qualified?
He didn’t believe those words, coming from Danzhu, could possibly signify anything good.
“You don’t understand? Hehehehehe!”
Danzhu’s laughter was as eerie as an owl’s screech.
His voice echoed through the Go board world.
Finally, he stopped laughing and revealed his true intention.
“Ten thousand years ago, my scheme almost succeeded. I was about to seize the Xia Dynasty’s empire and the lifespans of its seventeen emperors. Unfortunately, Si Jie and Cheng Tang conspired against me. In the end, I only obtained Nanchao, that desolate and worthless territory. Today, I will play against you. My goal is to seize your empire and its destiny.
But aside from that… Hehehehehe… I also desire your youthful body.”
Desire his body?
Bai Shijiu assumed Danzhu had a strange fetish.
But Fan Li’s expression turned grave. Two words appeared in his mind:
Soul Snatching!
Danzhu continued, “Those with the destiny of an Emperor possess exceptional cultivation aptitude and potential. I will take your body, your empire, and your destiny! And then, finally, after ten thousand years of waiting, I will rule the world!”
“But if I refuse to play against you, if I die of old age within this world, you won’t be able to take anything, will you?” Fan Li said calmly.
Facing his most dangerous enemy, he knew he had to remain rational.
Danzhu, a master manipulator, would surely try to provoke him, hoping to make him lose control.
“You… Humph!”
Danzhu was startled for a moment, then he realized that he had underestimated Fan Li.
This young man’s patience might even surpass Emperor Yu’s!
He had spent ten years crafting a scheme to deceive Emperor Yu, to lower his guard and lure him into the Go board.
But Fan Li, having witnessed Emperor Yu’s memories, wouldn’t fall for the same trick.
“Boy, your name is Fan Li?” Danzhu asked, softening his tone.
“Indeed.”
“Hehe… Fan Li.”
“Are you truly content to die here? I will be honest with you. If you refuse to play, there’s nothing I can do. You will simply die of old age. However, if you agree to play, the game will be fair. The Shangjun Go Board’s rules cannot be altered, not even by me.
Perhaps you can win. Perhaps you can escape this place.”
Danzhu continued to tempt him, even sweetening the deal.
“If you win, not only will you regain your freedom, but you will also become the new master of the Shangjun Go Board.
The woman beside you, she’s a Chess Sage, isn’t she? She can confirm the nature of Go treasures.”
Fan Li turned to Bai Shijiu, who felt conflicted.
This journey to Nanchao, she had hoped to obtain an ancient legacy.
Now, it seemed the Shangjun Go Board was her only hope. But she didn’t even have a chance.
Bai Shijiu nodded coldly.
“The Shangjun Go Board belongs to Danzhu. But he abandoned his physical body, merging his soul with the board. He has become its spirit. If you defeat him, you defeat the spirit. You become the new master. You can choose to subjugate him, or even erase his existence. It’s up to you.”
She retrieved her own Rotten Axe Go Board.
“I defeated the Rotten Axe’s spirit. That’s how I obtained it. I erased its original spirit.”
“Oh?” Fan Li smiled. “Thank you for your guidance, Sage Ruler Bai.”
He had just confirmed, using the system’s [Encyclopedia] function, that Bai Shijiu wasn’t lying.
Defeat Danzhu, obtain the Shangjun Go Board, even subjugate Danzhu?
The temptation was undeniable.
However, Fan Li wasn’t interested. He had no desire to subjugate Danzhu. Keeping such a creature by his side was like carrying a venomous snake. It could strike at any moment.
And the Shangjun Go Board… Although Fan Li didn’t consider himself a righteous man, he abhorred the thought of using a treasure crafted from Shangjun’s flesh and blood.
“I…”
He was about to refuse when the system notification sounded.
“Ding!”
“Random mission triggered: Shangjun’s Regret.”
“Mission Description: Shangjun was betrayed and murdered by his friend, Danzhu. His blood and bones were refined into a Go board and stones. Even after ten thousand years, he has yet to find peace.”
“Mission Objective: Help Shangjun find peace.”
“Mission Reward: A drop of Human Emperor Blood.”
“Human Emperor Blood: The essence blood of an ancient Human Emperor, can be used to enhance a Heavenly Emperor Treasure, increasing its grade.”
Fan Li was stunned. He hadn't expected the system to issue a mission at such a crucial moment. The reward was excellent. What Fan Li lacked most was strength. Cultivation, influence, high-grade treasures, all were expressions of power.
But the mission objective was vague.
Help Shangjun find peace?
How?
As Fan Li pondered this, a faint voice whispered in his mind.
“Your Majesty… Your Majesty… Please… help me…”
Fan Li was startled. He almost blurted out, "Who are you?!" But before he could speak, the voice returned.
“I am Shangjun…”
Fan Li was astonished. He could hear Shangjun’s voice. And it was coming from the blood-red Go board!
He looked around, but Bai Shijiu and Huang Longshi seemed oblivious. Could it be that only he could hear Shangjun?
The mission objective. Shangjun’s plea. Fan Li smiled wryly.
“Don’t beg. I’ll help you.”
It was just a clone. He would take the risk. What if he won?
Shangjun’s spirit seemed to hear him, or perhaps, too weak to continue, fell silent.
“Very well,” Fan Li said. “I accept your challenge.”
Danzhu, the monstrous creature, burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! You fools! You’re all fools! Has the world truly become this idiotic after ten thousand years? You witnessed Emperor Yu’s memories. You know I am the Chess Sage! And yet, you dare to challenge me? Once I defeat you, I will use your identity to conquer the world! No one can stop me then!”
“Hahahahahaha!”
Danzhu’s laughter was unrestrained, a true villain reveling in his triumph.
The Go board world shifted, the blood-red board covered the earth beneath their feet.
“The rules have been established. The game has begun.” Danzhu’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
Fan Li remained calm. He hadn’t forgotten Danzhu’s identity – the ancient Chess Sage.
But so what?
Could he truly not defeat Danzhu?
Fan Li didn't believe it.
“Enough talk. Let’s begin,” he said nonchalantly. “You play black. Make your move.”
“Hehe.”
Danzhu, meticulous and cunning, always strived for an advantage.
Black played first. A single step ahead, and he could maintain the lead. Moreover, the Shangjun Go Board had no handicap system.
Fan Li glanced at the position of Danzhu’s first stone, then calmly placed his own white stone.
Clack!
Clack, clack!
With just a thought, they could manipulate the mountains and rivers upon the board.
Black and white mountains, clashing upon the vast expanse, were truly a sight to behold.
But after just thirty moves, Danzhu’s expression changed. His moves grew slower. His contemplation lengthened. He even shed his blood-red form, returning to his human appearance. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.
“How is this possible? I achieved the Chess Sage realm ten thousand years ago! How could I possibly be inferior to this boy?!
How… How did you achieve such skill?!”
Danzhu glared at Fan Li.
But Fan Li didn’t answer, and Huang Longshi and Bai Shijiu exchanged puzzled glances.
“Answer me!” Danzhu yelled.
Their silence only fueled his rage.
“Your Go… Are you playing immortal Go?!”
The louder he shouted, the stranger their expressions became.
Bai Shijiu, in particular, looked at Danzhu with disappointment. There was even a hint of disdain in her eyes.
“Have you read the ‘Classic of Go’?” Fan Li asked suddenly.
Danzhu was taken aback. He shook his head. “I have never read such a book.”
“Then surely you haven’t read the ‘Rules of Go,’ the ‘Mysterious Collection,’ the ‘Manual of Officials,’ or the ‘Guide to Go Principles’ either?”
Bai Shijiu couldn’t help but interject, “He’s an ancient man. How could he possibly have read Go books written in the past millennium?”
Fan Li laughed.
“Damn it! What do you mean?!” Danzhu roared.
“You fool,” Fan Li said nonchalantly. “The Chess Sage of ten thousand years ago? You might have been impressive then, but Go has evolved over the past ten thousand years. Your knowledge is outdated.”
“Impossible!”
Danzhu couldn’t believe it. He had once surpassed Emperor Yu, forcing generations of Xia emperors to dedicate their lives to studying Go. Even then, they had only managed to achieve a draw against him.
Were his brilliant strategies and cunning moves now considered insignificant?
Fan Li glanced at the board.
“I’ll give you this much – your foundation is strong. But compared to modern Go players, you’re at best a professional, not even a true Go cultivator.”
The logic was simple.
A caveman who discovered basic arithmetic might have been hailed as a genius in his time. But in the modern world, even a child could easily surpass him.
Bai Shijiu was speechless.
She couldn’t believe that Danzhu, the terrifying figure from ten thousand years ago, was… outdated?
She carefully studied the positions of the black and white mountains upon the board. Danzhu’s techniques, in her eyes, were truly insignificant.
And Fan Li, although he was currently suppressing Danzhu, his skill was clearly inferior to what he had displayed during their game on the Rotten Axe Go Board.
Something was wrong.
Fan Li wasn’t playing at his full potential?
Bai Shijiu felt conflicted. She knew that if this continued, Fan Li would surely win within a hundred moves.
What should she do?
He was already her heart demon. If he obtained the Shangjun Go Board, a treasure far superior to her Rotten Axe, would her heart demon ever be dispelled?
Unless…
Bai Shijiu suddenly retrieved her Go board.
Beside the giant, blood-red board, a smaller, white board appeared.
“Fan Li, you are my heart demon. Today, I challenge you once more. Unlike the Shangjun Go Board, once the Rotten Axe is activated, the game must begin. Whether you agree or not!”
Two against one!
Bai Shijiu was exploiting his divided attention, hoping to defeat him while he was weakened!
