Chapter 9: Chapter 9 If I Say You'll Die, You Won't Live
"It's broken!"
The words of the man in white startled everyone.
Those who could tour here had to be not only Go masters,
but also well-known entrepreneurs.
They all looked at the chessboard, unable to understand the game at the moment.
Just then, Luo Jiuying suddenly laughed.
"This move, brilliant! Sacrifice seven pieces to counter-kill twelve, if not killing, can swallow three; placing oneself in mortal danger to seek life thereafter, this game is truly ingenious. I did not expect a celebrity to show up today, I am impressed!"
Luo Jiuying's explanation made everyone gaze at Lin Fan in shock.
At his early twenties, he should possess an impulsive character.
Yet such a strategic move had instantly reversed the situation.
"This... this doesn't count... it doesn't!"
The man in white slapped the chessboard.
This dilemma was something he had never anticipated before.
Lin Fan's recent move had indeed changed everything.
To save or not to save, either way, he was going to lose.
"Li, stop playing these tricks on me. Just now, you said that a move once played is final. Are you trying to renege now? Accept your defeat, you've really lost face this time."
Luo Jiuying said proudly.
The move Lin Fan made was nothing short of divine.
He, basking in his complete victory, was eager to claim credit.
"Hold on, just give me a bit more time... it can't be... it was supposed to be a checkmate."
The man in white's eyebrows were twisted.
Now, he found himself completely restrained, neither left nor right offered a solution.
"Even if I were to give you a hundred years, you wouldn't improve. The young man's chess skills are profound. Tonight, I'll host a dinner in your honor, so we can thoroughly discuss this game; perhaps you can give me some pointers too. We are truly indebted to you today for exposing this old fool."
Luo Jiuying approached Lin Fan affectionately.
He held out his broad palm.
"There's no need for dinner, and you probably won't have the time for that anymore. It's better to arrange your affairs first, to avoid being flustered later."
As he shook Luo Jiuying's hand, Lin Fan could be sure.
The energetic and jubilant Alliance Hierarch before him was indeed at the end of his life.
"How dare you! Curse my father like that, kill him!"
Luo Shaoyong clenched his fist, bringing people to surround them once again.
How could this guy dare tell his father to prepare for his own funeral? It was courting death.
"Stop."
Luo Jiuying stopped his son again, turning to look at Lin Fan.
"Tell me, how am I not long for this world? If you can't explain today, don't blame me for turning ruthless."
"I deduce that lately you have been suffering from chest pain, struggling to breathe whenever you try to sleep, suffering headaches each morning, and even medication has shown no clear improvement. Probably worthless doctors have told you it's nothing serious, either a cold in the lungs or a respiratory infection, right?"
Lin Fan said with a smile, looking at Luo Jiuying.
His face changed drastically, clearly having his symptoms accurately described.
"If it's not a cold in the lungs, what could it be?"
"Based on my deduction, it should be an internal injury sustained twenty years ago, which flares up each rainy season, causing such pain that every bone in your body aches, but usually only lasts for three days, am I right?"
Lin Fan's words once again stunned Luo Jiuying.
All symptoms had been precisely and clearly articulated.
"Since it's an old injury and has been twenty years, how could it still be fatal?"
"Who said it's the old injury that is life-threatening? You must have suffered an internal injury a few days ago, not fatal, but it has triggered the recurrence of the old injury. The alternation of new and old has already affected your meridians, and just now, completely absorbed in the chess game, you had already caused your meridians to move contrarily. If I hadn't advised you about the game just now, you might already be vomiting blood and close to death, leaving behind a reputation of not acknowledging defeat and being infuriated to death, yet also not surviving beyond this quarter of the hour."
Lin Fan calmly declared.
It was only because he saw him near asphyxiation that he had spoken out.
"How dare..."
Luo Shaoyong glared furiously, considering the man's words complete nonsense.
"Shut up! You dare to speak so boldly and irreverently, you disrespectful wretch. Are you hoping your father dies soon so you can be free of any constraints?"
Lin Fan turned around and gave him a dismissive glance.
"Nonsense! How could I possibly think that? On the contrary, it's you who come here spouting nonsense. Do you even know that this old man in white is none other than the famed Divine Doctor Li Yizhen of Jiangning? If my father had such an illness, how could he ignore it?"
Luo Shaoyong clenched his fists in anger.
The Divine Doctor had not said a word so far.
Yet a clueless young man dared to assert that his father was not long for this world.
"That can only mean he is a quack doctor."
As soon as Lin Fan spoke, the entire venue drew in a cold breath of air.
These two men's identities and statuses were already extraordinary.
Yet they were continuously insulted by him.
Looking throughout Jiangning, it was fearful to find a second person like this.
This was simply courting death.
"Lin Fan... stop talking nonsense," Ning Zhenyue said, feeling his head spin.
This rare opportunity to watch a chess game.
Did he really have to push the Ning Family into the fire pit?
"I'm not talking nonsense, these are merely facts. Moreover, the family themselves haven't rebutted, so why are you all in a hurry?"
Lin Fan looked at Li Yizhen in disbelief.
The old man still focused on the chessboard, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding discussions.
"Hey, Old Li, someone is calling you a quack doctor who harms people. Did you hear that?"
Luo Jiuying waved his hand over the chessboard.
Only then did Li Yizhen look up, having snapped to attention.
"Whether I am a quack or not doesn't matter; what's important, young man, is this chess game truly beyond saving?" he asked cautiously, without getting angry.
His nonchalant expression solicited thumbs-up from the onlookers.
Given Li Yizhen's standing in Jiangning today, he truly did not need to argue.
"There's still hope, but if you win this game, the one on the other side could lose their life," Lin Fan said, looking towards the chessboard and then at Luo Jiuying.
"Everyone dies sooner or later; early or late makes no difference. But such a chess match comes once in a millennium. Please, give me some pointers quickly. Even if something happens, it's on me," Li Yizhen said disdainfully.
Only lifelong friends could joke about such matters.
"Old Li, to win the game, you're disregarding even my life?" Luo Jiuying said with a bitter smile.
"I can save your life, but this chess game is truly beyond me. Don't worry; if you die, I'll just join you down there for more games. What's wrong with changing the place of play?" Li Yizhen patted his chest and confidently stated.
"Alright, then let's see how you might save this game," Luo Jiuying said, looking at Lin Fan and laughing heartily.
"If I said someone would die, then they can't survive. Since you two old men are willing to face death, don't blame me for meddling," Lin Fan stated and placed a white piece directly on the chessboard.
As the vital spot of a black piece was sealed, the entire game was turned upside-down instantly.
"Brilliant move... This one move is truly divine, worthy of...pfft..."
Luo Jiuying was so startled that he instinctively gave a thumbs up.
But before he could finish, he suddenly spewed a mouthful of old blood and collapsed to the ground.