"Su Cheng, the Unrivaled Master of Archery, Challenges Professional Go Player Si Jing in a Crossover Duel."
"Rolling Up Sleeves for Battle! Su Cheng Vows to Bid Farewell to the World of Go If Defeated."
"Su Cheng Challenges Si Jing with a Heart as Steadfast as Steel."
"All Eyes on Su Cheng vs. Si Jing—The Prelude to an Epic Showdown!"
"Burning with Passion! Staking His Fate on a Single Game!"
"An Explosive Farewell! Victory or Defeat Hangs in the Balance—Su Cheng Swears to Leave the Go Arena!"
In just one morning, multiple posts flooded the school forum, drawing countless students to read them. As more and more people poured into the discussion, the views skyrocketed, eventually making it the top trending topic.
Particularly, the news, publicity, and Go clubs were paying close attention. The first two were simply eager for the drama, while the latter—since Si Jing was the Go club’s ace and their greatest pride—couldn’t ignore the fact that someone was daring to challenge her.
However, one thing was certain for the entire school:
The Go club was going to be packed that afternoon.
Countless people were excited, countless were nervous, and countless eyes were fixed on the Go club. Many were eager to witness the historic moment unfolding that afternoon.
In one classroom…
"No way, is this for real?"
A chubby boy pointed at his phone screen, where the school forum post was displayed, and exclaimed, "Su Cheng is challenging Si Jing? I’ve never even heard of him playing Go before!"
Several others crowded around to check the news, equally stunned: "Holy crap, it’s actually true?"
"I admit he’s a world-class archer, but Go and archery are two completely different things."
"Yeah, Si Jing is a professional player. Even though she hasn’t competed in a while, she once forced an AI to resign mid-game."
"Exactly! She even defeated an early-generation AI system. No matter how much of a genius Su Cheng is, there’s no way he’s reached the same level in Go as he has in archery, right?"
"So, are you going to watch the match this afternoon?"
"Of course! How could I miss such a spectacle? It’d be a shame not to!"
The group buzzed with disbelief, finding the whole situation utterly baffling. Some even suspected the post was fabricated—after all, the stakes were high. According to the post, Su Cheng would quit the Go world if he lost. Such a bold declaration about dignity and honor seemed too reckless to be real.
Yet, Su Cheng had made the challenge with such confidence that it piqued everyone’s curiosity—what was going on with him?
"Hey, Cornelia, what do you think?"
At the back of the classroom, two loli girls sat together. Ailiya, the brown-haired one, turned to her golden-haired, twin-tailed companion, Cornelia.
Cornelia’s tablet screen displayed the school forum post.
Her face was flushed with excitement, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she clutched her phone, typing a message to a contact named "Sister Xue." The content of her message was the same as the forum post.
"Hey, Cornelia?"
Ailiya waved her pale, delicate hand in front of Cornelia when she got no response.
Ailiya’s sense of crisis was growing stronger by the day.
Why?
Because Cornelia had taken three days off and returned as if she’d found a new best friend. Whenever she had free time, she’d be glued to her phone, messaging this "Sister Xue." It made Ailiya feel deeply threatened.
But whenever she asked who Sister Xue was, Cornelia would vaguely say she was "someone very important."
Very important?
How important?
More important than her?
"Huh? What’s up?"
Finally, Cornelia finished typing and looked up, tilting her head cutely at Ailiya.
"Aren’t you worried Su Cheng might lose?" Ailiya frowned.
"Why would I be?" Cornelia blinked in confusion.
Ailiya took a deep breath and said gravely, "I think Su Cheng has lost his mind. He has no idea how strong Si Jing is."
"I believe in Su Cheng. He would never lose."
"But—"
"No buts!"
Cornelia stood up with unwavering confidence, pumping her fist and flashing her sharp little fangs. "Can Si Jing make a dog do a backflip or recite poetry from memory?"
Ailiya was left speechless…
That was just unscientific!
But…
She had seen it with her own eyes.
This incident was something she might never understand, no matter how hard she tried.
She even wondered if Su Cheng knew magic—because only magic could explain such bizarre feats. Otherwise, it was just too absurd, completely defying everything she knew about dogs!
"Relax, we’ll see Su Cheng defeat Si Jing this afternoon." Cornelia swung her white-stockinged legs and hopped off her seat, heading for the classroom door. She turned back to Ailiya with a grin. "Let’s go watch together! I’m recording the whole thing!"
…………
Student Council
The room was silent, with everyone absorbed in their work. Aside from the occasional whisper, all heads were down, focused on their tasks.
The reason?
At the head of the room, seated in the president’s chair, was a silver-masked girl.
She sat with an air of serene authority, reviewing documents with a calm yet imposing demeanor that commanded respect from everyone present.
But upon closer inspection, one could see the depth in her dark, beautiful eyes—gleaming with an almost ethereal light.
In her hand was an application form.
It had just been submitted by the Go club.
The request?
To ensure the match proceeded smoothly, they sought the student council’s support in sending personnel to maintain order and oversee the fairness of the duel.
Click.
The student council president’s seal stamped the document.
Li Zhao set the form aside and spoke coolly, "Have the disciplinary committee’s chairperson lead a team to the Go club. Their task is to maintain order and ensure the match is conducted fairly."
"Yes."
The vice president, seated nearby, stood and bowed before swiftly taking the form and turning to leave.
But Li Zhao added, "You will also act as the official recorder. Document the match to international standards and submit a full report to me afterward."
"Yes."
The vice president bowed again before hurrying out.
"Su Cheng is truly bold. Every time, he manages to shock the entire school and pull everyone out of their mundane routines."
"Indeed. He always stands out in the most unconventional ways. His unique personality and daring actions breathe new life into the school, keeping students curious and excited about campus life. Whether praised or criticized, he’s undeniably a force to be reckoned with."
"Just last week, there was that whole rally incident. And now, barely a month into the semester, he’s stirring up another storm. I can’t even imagine what he’ll do next."
The student council members began murmuring among themselves.
………………………………
Noon
Archery Club
At this moment, the entire Archery Club was buzzing about the incident on the campus forum.
"Honestly, Su Cheng has already left a remarkable mark in archery. I think that's enough. Now, I just feel sorry for him," sighed one of the Archery Club members.
Hearing this, the others around immediately chimed in, "Sorry? Sorry for what?"
"He’s actually going to challenge Si Jing—isn’t that just asking for trouble? What if he loses miserably? His reputation and prestige might suffer a devastating blow."
"Back then, did any of you think Su Cheng would win the archery championship?"
Suddenly, Yang Xin, who had been standing nearby, spoke up coolly.
Her words made everyone pause and reflect.
It was true—back then, no one had believed Su Cheng would take the crown.
But what happened in the end?
Su Cheng won.
Who could have predicted that?
Yang Xin’s remark left the two members momentarily speechless, but one of them still couldn’t resist arguing, "But Su Cheng was personally coached by President Ji back then, so his victory made perfect sense. We all saw it with our own eyes."
Another member nodded in agreement. "Exactly. But no matter how strong Su Cheng is in Go, there’s no way he can beat Si Jing. The gap between them is just too vast. Si Jing has won multiple championships in a row and holds immense prestige in the Go world as a female player. Her calculation skills can even rival the first-generation AI!"
"That’s right. No matter how talented Su Cheng is, he’s still just an ordinary person with access to ordinary resources. Just take high-quality ancient game records and Go books—what they’ve studied is on completely different levels. If this were just a private match, it wouldn’t matter much. But making such a high-profile challenge? He’s just setting himself up to be a laughingstock, fodder for gossip."
Outside the Archery Club, debates over the matter raged on.
But inside a private dojo within the training hall, silence reigned.
A young girl sat at a table, her delicate hand gripping a brush as she focused intently on painting. Her strokes were swift and elegant, like a butterfly in flight—graceful and mesmerizing.
Yet her expression was icy, her beautiful eyes devoid of warmth, revealing nothing but cold detachment. The teardrop mole at the corner of her eye only added to her bewitching, dangerous allure.
Abruptly, the girl stopped painting and lifted her gaze toward the window.
The floor-to-ceiling window was closed, and there was no movement on the balcony outside. Yet her eyes remained fixed there—or rather, on the phone placed on the balcony.
The phone’s screen displayed a video call, showing the image of a short-haired, lively girl.
Suddenly, Ji Qingyi’s voice cut through the silence, cold and sharp. "This is utter nonsense!"
While she had been painting, Liu Qingyue had informed her about the incident on the forum, along with a detailed analysis.
Moreover, last night, Liu Qingyue had also revealed everything Su Cheng had confided in her. This had left Ji Qingyi both furious and deeply embarrassed.
She never expected Gu Ruoxue and the others would resort to such underhanded methods to secure a victory for Su Cheng.
In the past, when Su Cheng had faced Si Jing, he had only wanted to avoid a humiliating defeat—so Ji Qingyi hadn’t interfered.
But why the sudden push for victory now?
According to Liu Qingyue’s analysis, it was likely because some kind of "side quest" had been triggered, leading to this situation.
And indeed, this method did offer a chance of winning—though only because of the system’s influence.
But for Ji Qingyi, this was unacceptable.
Letting Su Cheng step onto the Go board as a paper tiger?
As someone who had been both a mentor and a friend to Su Cheng, she vehemently opposed him winning through such deceitful, hollow means.
Still, she would need to wait for Su Cheng himself to come to the club later and explain everything in detail. For now, the "system quest" theory was just speculation.
"Miss, do you remember what Su Cheng once said to you?"
At that moment, Liu Qingyue suddenly asked.
Ji Qingyi frowned, thinking for a moment before replying softly, "What did he say?"
"It was back when you first taught him archery. No matter how hard you tried, he just couldn’t get it right—and then he talked back to you for the first time."
Liu Qingyue spoke slowly.
"Yes, that left quite an impression on me."
Ji Qingyi nodded. At the time, she had thought Su Cheng was deliberately missing the target. But in the end, he hadn’t been lying—he genuinely couldn’t hit it.
Back then, she had wondered—how could someone in this world be so inept?
She couldn’t understand it. And she especially couldn’t understand how Su Cheng had felt at the time.
Looking back now, the stubborn, prideful expression on his face was still vivid in her mind. She knew now that she had been wrong.
"So, Miss, do you understand him now?"
Liu Qingyue pressed on, a hint of hope in her voice.
Yet Ji Qingyi remained silent for a long while, not answering immediately. Instead, she turned away, picked up a teacup, and took a sip.
Liu Qingyue sighed softly before continuing, "If this were before, I think you would’ve immediately dismissed what I said..."
She paused briefly. "But now, I believe you can empathize with Su Cheng’s feelings, can’t you?"
Ji Qingyi froze for a moment, then set down her cup, lowering her head. After a long silence, she finally sighed and said, "Yes."
Liu Qingyue smiled in relief. "But understanding alone isn’t enough. You need to take action—that’s the only way to grow closer. So, Miss, if you have a better solution, just go ahead and do it. There’s no need to hesitate."
Ji Qingyi kept her eyes fixed on the teacup in her hands. After another long silence, she suddenly said, "I’m just afraid he’ll embarrass himself. If this affects the Archery Club’s reputation, it won’t be worth it."
"So, what exactly will you do?" Liu Qingyue asked.
"I’ll ask him about it later," Ji Qingyi replied calmly.
"But what if there is no system quest?"
Ji Qingyi cut her off. "Then I’ll stop the match. I’ll postpone it and teach him Go myself. I’ll turn him into a genuine player, so he won’t be ridiculed."
"But even then, he still won’t win!"
Liu Qingyue shook her head, then added worriedly, "What if, during the match, a quest objective suddenly triggers a win? Wouldn’t that—"
"You don’t believe in him?"
"Things like this are hard to predict now."
Liu Qingyue fell silent for a long moment before speaking again, slowly. "The system has changed. Even I can’t recklessly let him risk punishment just to chase rewards."
"A miracle is only a miracle to those who believe in it."
Ji Qingyi, however, gave a faint, indifferent smile. "Then, do you think miracles have disappeared?"
"What!?"