Matthew Hill wouldn’t be so troubled if he had opened this chess club just for money—he could simply sell it for a good price. But he does it purely out of passion, so of course he’s reluctant to let go, especially now that the score is tied one to one, something he never expected. Yet Andrew Carter’s and Old Carter’s unusual behavior is making him very worried.

Ever since he first helped Adam Reed’s master ascend, Ethan Brooks had already decided to walk this path for a while. Unfortunately, in Adam Reed’s master’s words, Ethan Brooks was fated to have a connection with the Heavenly Dao, but not to attain it. Still, Ethan Brooks never gave up on his firm and persistent resolve. He wanted to see the Immortal Realm for himself, to fly a few circles in the sky—he never considered failure. In his lifetime, all his thoughts and efforts were devoted to striving for this goal.

Ordinary people say, “Everyone gets a turn to be emperor; this year it’s our family’s turn.” Now Ethan Brooks wanted to see why the path to immortality and godhood should be impossible. If not for his unique body, and even Adam Reed’s master—such a great figure—had judged that he was not destined for the Heavenly Dao, Ethan Brooks probably wouldn’t be so persistent.

He remembered that back then, Adam Reed’s master once sighed about “Heaven’s will,” but what Ethan Brooks disliked most was being manipulated by others. “Heaven’s will” was no exception. If Heaven wanted him to do something, did he have to obey? If so, he would go against Heaven itself.

At this moment, Grace Cooper’s voice called them to eat. Matthew Hill said, “See, what’s the point of telling you all this? Don’t worry about the chess club—your uncle will handle it. Come on, let’s go eat. If your aunt finds out you’re leaving and not staying at home, she’ll be heartbroken.”

Ethan Brooks smiled helplessly and didn’t say much more. If he didn’t leave soon, it would only get harder later. As for the chess club, of course he would take care of it—he had the Eight-Tone Soul-Shaking Flute. No matter who was up against William Thompson, he could help from the sidelines. He would never allow his family or anyone connected to him to be bullied by anyone.

During breakfast, Matthew Hill told Grace Cooper what Ethan Brooks had said that morning. Grace Cooper immediately put down her chopsticks and started to cry. She and Matthew Hill had come from the countryside to the big city, and decades had passed in a flash. Their children were not around, and they had no other close relatives. Ever since she heard about Ethan Brooks from Matthew Hill, she had been very fond of him, often calling Ethan Brooks, and now that he was here, she doted on him even more.

She never expected that he would leave just after arriving. Ethan Brooks hurried over to explain and comfort her, saying all sorts of kind words. In the end, he couldn’t stand the old lady’s tears and agreed to stay for another week before moving out.

For the next three days, Ethan Brooks spent most of his time at the Kaizhu Chess Club. From his uncle Matthew Hill and others, he gradually learned the whole story.

This William Thompson really had a way of combining ancient and modern ideas. In China, neither the martial arts world nor the Go world had a true professional league. Most Go tournaments were organized by official bodies, or were just invitational events. But William Thompson wanted to create a modern league in both industries, expanding the influence of martial arts and Go.

As for his various theories, they actually sounded quite reasonable, whether big or small.

Only by setting aside local interests and niche groups could martial arts and Go truly develop in China—just like table tennis in China or basketball in the US. When something becomes deeply rooted in people’s hearts and everyone participates, that’s the real path to development.

Hearing these ideas and philosophies, Ethan Brooks couldn’t help but think of himself back then, when he had acquired many cultivation techniques and magical treasures. After Adam Reed’s master had definitively judged that Heaven’s will would not allow him to glimpse the Great Dao, he not only scoffed at so-called Heaven’s will, but also thought: since there are methods for health and immortality, why not promote them on a large scale?

At the time, Adam Reed’s master told him that if he practiced himself or taught a few people—even a few more—it wouldn’t matter. But if he wanted everyone to practice, the old guys from Mount Shu would definitely intervene. There were too many issues and interests involved, and even various countries would interfere. It just wasn’t realistic.

Thinking about it, William Thompson’s current approach probably wouldn’t be well received either.

At the very least, he himself would not let him touch the Kaizhu Chess Club.

Old Carter refused to say another word. Clearly, the internal soul communication had greatly affected the old man, and Matthew Hill had no idea what had happened back then. Seeing Old Carter in this state made him even less confident about the final match.

These days, William Thompson was preparing for the match. Since he was the challenger, even if the other side brought in experts and had two against one, he wasn’t afraid.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed, and the third match was about to begin. This time, the Kaizhu Chess Club was even more packed with people. The viewing room was already full, so Matthew Hill had to set up several TVs outside.

“Old Carter, are you… all right?” Matthew Hill looked at Andrew Carter, who had lost a lot of weight in just three days, and asked worriedly, truly afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold on.