Jason Smith and the peer across from him began learning to play Go at almost the same time. However, Jason Smith was exceptionally gifted and progressed at lightning speed, so the teacher who taught both of them, Mr. Turner, regarded him as a high-level player. When it came time to guess for the first move, Jason Smith would first draw a handful of white stones from the Go box—an unknown number, kept secret. The young man in the blue robe would then pick out one or two black stones, and after guessing whether the number of white stones was odd or even, he could play black and take the first move, thus gaining the advantage. In the first two years of matches, whether playing white second or black first, Jason Smith remained undefeated.

However, Jason Smith was not very interested in playing Go, often practicing sporadically. In contrast, the less talented young man in blue, being both a village school student and a bookboy, spent every day with Mr. Turner. Even just watching the teacher silently play through game records was highly beneficial. As a result, the young man in blue went from only occasionally winning with black to now being able to hold his own against Jason Smith whenever he played black—the improvement in his skills was obvious. Regarding this shift in strengths, Mr. Turner made no comment, simply observing with folded arms.

Just as Jason Smith was about to grab a stone, Mr. Turner suddenly said, “Today, you two will play a handicap game, with white to move first.”

Both boys were baffled, not knowing what a “handicap game” was.

Mr. Turner explained the rules in a calm, unhurried manner. It wasn’t complicated—just placing black and white stones on the four star points.

The middle-aged man’s way of picking and placing stones was skillful and fluid, pleasing to watch.

The young man in blue, who usually loved to follow the rules, was dumbfounded at this “bad news,” staring blankly at the board before finally saying cautiously, “Sir, in this case, it seems many standard patterns can’t be used.”

Jason Smith frowned in thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up and his brow relaxed. “The board layout has become smaller.”

Then, as if seeking credit, Jason Smith looked up and asked with a smile, “Is that right, Mr. Turner?”

The middle-aged scholar nodded. “That’s correct.”

Jason Smith raised his eyebrows at his peer across the table and asked with a grin, “Want me to give you a two-stone handicap? Otherwise, this guy is sure to lose.”

The boy opposite blushed deeply, stammering, because he knew full well that his increasing wins were not just due to improved skill. The real reason was Jason Smith—over the past two years, he had become more and more distracted during games, even a bit impatient. In many critical moments, Jason Smith would deliberately go easy on him, or after gaining an advantage in the opening, he would take risky moves in the middle game just to try and capture a large group.

For the talented Jason Smith, whether Go was fun or interesting was the main concern.

For the young man in blue, from the very first time he placed a stone on the board, he was fixated on the idea of winning or losing.

Mr. Turner looked at his student and said, “You may play white and go first.”

The young man in blue then played slowly and cautiously, advancing step by step. Jason Smith still played swiftly and boldly, with sweeping moves and unpredictable tactics.

Their personalities were worlds apart.

After just over eighty moves, the young man in blue lost badly, hanging his head in silence, lips pressed tightly together.

Jason Smith rested his elbow on the table, propping up his cheek, twirling a stone between two fingers, gently tapping the stone table, and staring at the board.

According to Mr. Turner’s rules, when playing, one could admit defeat by silently placing a stone on the board—never by saying “I lost.”

No matter how unwilling, the young man in blue slowly placed his stone in resignation.

Mr. Turner instructed his student, “Go practice your calligraphy. No need to clean up the board. Write three hundred ‘eternity’ characters.”

The young man in blue quickly stood up, bowed respectfully, and took his leave.

Only after the boy’s figure disappeared did Jason Smith softly ask, “Sir, are you leaving here as well?”

The refined scholar, his temples frosted with white, nodded. “Within ten days, I’ll be gone.”

Jason Smith smiled. “That’s perfect. I can still see you off, sir.”

The teacher hesitated for a moment, then finally said, “No need to see me off. Jason Smith, when you leave this small town in the future, remember not to be too ostentatious. I have nothing else to give you—three elementary books: ‘Elementary Learning,’ ‘Rites and Music,’ and ‘Guanzhi.’ You may take them all and review them often. Remember, if you read a book a hundred times, its meaning will reveal itself. If you can read ten thousand volumes, your writing will flow as if inspired. The true meaning of this… you will understand in time. As for the three miscellaneous books—‘Jingwei’ on calculation, ‘Taoli’ on Go, and ‘Shan Haice’ on literature—you may browse them in your spare time for pleasure and self-cultivation.”

Jason Smith looked surprised and a bit embarrassed, mustering his courage to say, “Sir, it feels like you’re entrusting me with your legacy. I’m not used to it.”

Mr. Turner smiled warmly and said gently, “It’s not as dramatic as you say. Life is full of meetings and partings; we’ll meet again someday.”

When this teacher smiled, it felt like a spring breeze.

He suddenly said, “Go visit Adam Harris—consider it an early farewell.”

Jason Smith stood up and said cheerfully, “Alright! Then I’ll leave the board for you to clean up, sir.”

The boy ran off happily.

The middle-aged scholar bent over to clean up the stones. Though it looked like he was picking them up at random, in truth, he started with the last black stone placed by Jason Smith, collecting them in reverse order, not missing a single one.

At some point, the maid Evan had already returned from the bamboo grove, standing outside the wooden gate, not stepping into the courtyard.

Without turning his head, he said in a low voice, “Take care of yourself.”