Chen Xianer’s heavenly soul?
A bright gleam flashed in Gu Hai’s eyes.
“Emperor Gu, you have a precious family member who died, right? Chen Xianer?” Ninth Young Master looked at Gu Hai.
“Huh?” Gu Hai suddenly raised his eyebrows, coldly eyeing Ninth Young Master.
“Although Emperor Gu hid this information extremely carefully, has Emperor Gu forgotten? Your son, Gu Qin, knows about it, so it is no longer a secret to the Heavenly Go Pavilion—which will use Chen Xianer’s heavenly soul as a hostage against Emperor Gu, right?” Ninth Young Master said with a smile.
“Oh?” Gu Hai’s face sank.
Gu Qin leaked the secret? Gu Qin is the person who knows the most about me. Chen Xianer? Gu Qin will use Chen Xianer’s heavenly soul as a hostage against me?
Gu Hai frowned at Ninth Young Master. “Ninth Young Master, why are you telling me this?”
Ninth Young Master looked at Gu Hai. Eventually, he showed a faint, bitter smile. “I came here today with a request for Emperor Gu.”
“Oh?” Gu Hai looked at Ninth Young Master.
“I recall that Emperor Gu owes me a favor from back on Nine-Five Island?” Ninth Young Master looked at Gu Hai.
“That’s right. There was internal conflict within Elite Hall back then. Ninth Young Master had indeed helped me out. Gu Hai will always remember this favor.” Gu Hai nodded.
“That’s good, then. I hope I’m seeking help from the right person this time,” Ninth Young Master said with a soft sigh.
“Ninth Young Master, do tell me about it,” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Emperor Gu, do you remember that I was willing to pass on all of the pavilion master’s inheritance if you became my substitute?” Ninth Young Master looked at Gu Hai.
“Does it have something to do with Old Mister Guan Qi’s revival?” Gu Hai asked, feeling puzzled.
Ninth Young Master took a deep breath and sighed. Then, he nodded.
“Do tell me the details.”
“The nine inheritors of Guan Qi. Hah! To put it nicely, we are Old Mister Guan Qi’s nine personal disciples. Since we received Old Mister Guan Qi’s inheritance, others view us in a glorious light. However, they do not know that we nine are only shells for Old Mister Guan Qi,” Ninth Young Master said with some horror in his eyes.
“Oh? Old Mister Guan Qi will revive by snatching the body of one of you nine?” Gu Hai asked.
Ninth Young Master nodded. “That’s right. Snatching our body to revive? Hah! When we received Old Mister Guan Qi’s inheritance, the cultivation technique of that inheritance only served to push our bodies to meet his requirements for snatching our bodies, shaping our bodies into a soul container for him. He will pick one person to take over their body.”
“That’s why you do not want the identity of being one of Guan Qi’s nine inheritors? You obtained Old Mister Guan Qi’s inheritance but are afraid of Old Mister Guan Qi? Since this is the case, why…?” Gu Hai frowned.
“It’s useless. Once one receives the inheritance, one cannot stop. Furthermore, Old Mister Guan Qi’s subordinates are monitoring me. Hah! I have to do as he says,” Nine Young Master sighed softly.
“That’s why you wanted me to substitute you? You wanted someone to receive everything you know and cultivate their physical body to Old Mister Guan Qi’s requirements? Then, you could recommend this person to Old Mister Guan Qi in the future to persuade him not to snatch your body but the body of your substitute instead?” Gu Hai asked gravely.
“Indeed. How unfortunate that it would not work! I now understand that only a limited number of people are selected. Hah! It would be useless since I have his mark in my body,” Ninth Young Master said with a bitter smile.
“Then, you want me to…?”
“Will Emperor Gu help me?” Ninth Young Master said gravely.
“Help?” Gu Hai gave Ninth Young Master a bewildered look.
“That’s right. I do not ask for much. I only ask for Emperor Gu to do your best to help prevent me from being chosen out of the nine inheritors during the Revival Convention,” Ninth Young Master said gravely.
“Why me?” Gu Hai asked.
“Because Emperor Gu is the only person I trust now,” Ninth Young Master pleaded.
Gu Hai nodded as he looked at Ninth Young Master. “I will do my best within my capabilities.”
Ninth Young Master’s face lit up at Gu Hai’s reply. He stood up and bowed respectfully. “Many thanks, Emperor Gu.”
“Ninth Young Master, there’s no need for this. You helped me before. Helping you in return is only reasonable. Furthermore, you also brought me important information,” Gu Hai said while shaking his head.
“Information? What other information does Emperor Gu require? Just tell me. This humble one will tell you everything I know,” Ninth Young Master said seriously.
The meal lasted for the entire night. The two chatted through the night.
During this night, Gu Hai and Ninth Young Master asked each other many questions and came to know a lot of things.
One year? There was not much time left. At that time, experts from the two heavenly dynasties, two holy lands, and all over the world would head to the Thousand Islands Sea to participate in the Revival Convention.
Although Gu Hai did not possess a cultivation at the peak, he had stood out in the Heavenly Realm, so the Heavenly Go Pavilion had made an exception and invited him.
After chatting for a night, Ninth Young Master did not dare to linger in Borderless Heavenly Capital, leaving in a rush on the second day.
The Heavenly Go Pavilion had resurfaced. No one had expected Old Mister Guan Qi to have laid so many plans. There were even secret factions monitoring the Divine Continent.
Now, Old Mister Guan Qi’s eyes and ears were everywhere.
Even Ninth Young Master’s trip was under surveillance.
Before Ninth Young Master left, he left a scroll behind for Gu Hai.
Gu Hai opened the scroll only after Ninth Young Master left.
There was a diagram on the scroll and seven words in a column on the left: Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle.
The moment Gu Hai opened the Go puzzle, his eyes lit up. Back when he played Go against the Go Dao sages at the Ten Thousand Sages Convention, his Go skills had reached the level of the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle. However, he did not know the actual Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle.
Gu Hai started studying it carefully.
As he looked at the Go game record, he immediately saw the Go stones jumping around rapidly. He seemed to see a vast army on the Go game record.
“What an incredible Go game record! No wonder Ninth Young Master said that he could not comprehend it. Even the nine inheritors of Guan Qi cannot comprehend it. If not for our Go skills being close to this level, we would have been dazzled by it.” Gu Hai showed a serious look in his eyes.
Clack! Gu Hai closed the Go board record and carefully put it away.
He walked to a palace hall in the imperial palace.
The Mosquito Daoist was currently seated in a pavilion shelter there, apparently reading. However, the book he held was upside-down.
“Mister Mosquito Daoist, what do you think of the Revival Convention?” Gu Hai smiled at the Mosquito Daoist.
Only now did the Mosquito Daoist startle as if he had just noticed Gu Hai. Then, he said, “Ah! Mister Gu, when did you arrive? What did you say earlier? I don’t understand.”
Gu Hai showed a faintly bitter smile. “When I was chatting with Ninth Young Master earlier, I did see a mosquito perched on Ninth Young Master’s collar.”
“Huh?” The Mosquito Daoist’s expression turned stiff. Then, he laughed embarrassedly.
“Mister Mosquito Daoist, what do you think of the Revival Convention? I have a limited understanding of Old Mister Guan Qi. Do you know what his intentions are?” Gu Hai asked seriously.
The Mosquito Daoist replied after some silence, “There used to be four upper-tier sects in the world: the Solar Divine Palace, the Myriad Age Daoist Sect, the Spirit Mountain Holy Land, and the Heavenly Go Pavilion. Of the four upper-tier sects, the Heavenly Go Pavilion is the only one where I suffered a loss.”
“Oh?”
“That Old Mister Guan Qi was ridiculously difficult to deal with. He was skilled at divination. Whenever I approached the Heavenly Go Pavilion, he would mysteriously be waiting for me at my destination. I had never fought him before, but I felt like I was naked when I stood before him. Even if I hid from him, he could immediately find me if he wanted to. He seemed to know everything about me—no, about everyone. He could find out anything he wanted. Sometimes, I found him even scarier than the Six Paths Immortal,” the Mosquito Daoist added with a bitter smile.
“Old Mister Guan Qi? Divination?” Gu Hai parroted in bewilderment.
“Indeed. Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go Dao is incredible. Your Go Dao is incredible too. Can’t the Go Dao be used for divination to divine the past and the future?” the Mosquito Daoist asked, feeling curious.
“It can’t, right?” Gu Hai replied, his brows knitting.
“I don’t want to go to that Revival Convention. Old Mister Guan Qi is too strange. You should also be careful. Previously, he even managed to trick the Six Paths Immortal. Everyone is a pawn to him!” Mosquito Daoist said with a frown.
“Surely, it’s not that exaggerated?” Gu Hai said, frowning.
“If I had to choose between Long Zhanguo or Old Mister Guan Qi, I would rather offend Long Zhanguo than that Old Demon Guan Qi,” the Mosquito Daoist retorted, shaking his head.
Gu Hai remained silent for a while. The Mosquito Daoist fears Old Mister Guan Qi that much?
“Alright, then. Since you do not want to participate, I will not ask you to go. I just want to ask you to do something,” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Oh?” the Mosquito Daoist said, feeling suspicious.
“There is still a year left. I feel that this Revival Convention is not going to be that simple. Furthermore, I want to take something from Old Mister Guan Qi’s hands, so I need to make some preparations,” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Take something from Old Mister Guan Qi? Huh? You really dare to?” the Mosquito Daoist said with a stiff expression.
“I have to leave Borderless Heavenly Capital for some time. If any experts come to attack Borderless Heavenly Capital, I would like you to help me push them back,” Gu Hai said.
“This is the second thing?” The Mosquito Daoist’s eyes lit up.
“That’s right. This is the second thing. It’s within your capabilities, right?” Gu Hai said with a smile.
“Hahahaha! Don’t worry. I will stay here until the Revival Convention. I will not leave!” the Mosquito Daoist said excitedly.
Within my capabilities? This is too easy!
“I’ll leave it to you, then!” Gu Hai nodded.
In Borderless Heavenly Capital, Gu Hai called over Chen Tianshan, Gao Xianzhi, and Mo Yike and left them instructions.
Chen Tianshan would continue to manage the nation, but Gao Xianzhi and Mo Yike could advise. The three would have the authority to decide on anything that would not shake the nation.
Although everyone felt confused over why Gu Hai was leaving, they did not question him.
Gu Hai took out a copy of the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle and handed it to Mo Yike. After that, he issued more instructions during the assembly before taking off.
The flying ship carried Gu Hai out of Borderless Heavenly Capital with a group of vampires aboard.
The leader, Chang Ming, looked at Gu Hai and asked, “Your Reverence, where to?”
“Let’s go to the Silver Moon Sea and save Shangguan Hen first,” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Yes!”
Whoosh!
The flying ship immediately shot towards the Silver Moon Sea. The prime of the black tortoises, the Han Nation’s national beast, had already been trapped there for quite some time. Previously, Gu Hai could not do anything about it, but now that he could, he naturally had to rescue him. Furthermore, he had come to understand Shangguan Hen’s situation from Ninth Young Master just recently. Now, he knew what the other side was capable of.
After issuing some instructions, Gu Hai entered closed-door cultivation.
He took out the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle with a flip of his hand and carefully studied it.
