“Hainowei! Hainowei!” shouts echoed across the lake.
Hainowei's figure emerged from the lake water, her expression filled with intense wariness. “How do you know my name?!”
“What on earth do you know?!”
Zhang Ye sat cross-legged on the altar, ignoring the flowing water on the ground, a playful grin on his face.
“I read about water spirits in some ancient texts, and I thought you matched the description perfectly. I didn't expect it to actually be you.”
Hearing this, Hainowei let out a cold snort and prepared to dive back to the bottom of the lake. Zhang Ye hurriedly called out, “Wait a minute, don't be in such a hurry to go back.”
“I'm so bored here all by myself. Why don't you keep me company and chat for a bit?”
Hainowei paused, a cold smile playing on her lips. “Can't handle it after just a moment? I've been alone for over a thousand years.”
Zhang Ye smiled. “That's not exactly something to be proud of, is it?”
Hainowei fell silent, her sapphire-like watery eyes staring at Zhang Ye without a word.
With a wave of Zhang Ye's hand, a wooden chessboard materialized, along with black and white stones.
“How about playing a game with me?” Zhang Ye asked.
“Human games are childish and ridiculous!” Hainowei said coldly.
Zhang Ye laughed heartily. “That's true, but so far, no one has been able to beat me at this childish game.”
“As a powerful and noble water spirit, don't you want to take on the challenge?”
Hainowei's eyes flickered, but she still said, “I do not.”
Zhang Ye shrugged and chuckled. “Fair enough. After all, if I win, I can go around boasting to everyone that even the great Water Spirit couldn't beat me...”
“You think I am no match for you?” Hainowei's beautiful eyes narrowed, carrying a dangerous glint.
Zhang Ye met her gaze without a hint of fear. “Why not give it a try and find out?”
Hainowei didn't agree immediately. Instead, she simply stared at Zhang Ye, making his skin crawl.
Although he knew Hainowei wouldn't actually kill him since he was currently her hostage, he still felt a chill run down his spine.
“Fine, then I will play with you.”
With that, Hainowei materialized right in front of Zhang Ye, looking at the chessboard with a puzzled expression.
Zhang Ye secretly smirked in his heart.
Having been lonely for thousands of years, how could she possibly resist such a temptation?
Those who had never experienced true loneliness would never understand that kind of yearning.
Zhang Ye took the initiative to introduce the game. “This game is called Gomoku. The rules are very simple. Whoever aligns five of their stones in a straight line first wins...”
Zhang Ye demonstrated it once for Hainowei, and she understood immediately.
“Let's begin. You play black and go first.” Zhang Ye sat cross-legged, swaying slightly, looking extremely happy.
Hainowei glanced at him, tentatively using her mana to lift a black stone and place it on the board. Then, she looked at Zhang Ye.
Zhang Ye nodded. “Exactly like that. Though, I didn't expect your very first move to be in the corner.”
Hainowei's face flushed slightly, but she feigned composure. “Is that not allowed?”
Zhang Ye smiled. “It is allowed.”
Zhang Ye then placed his stone in the center of the board. Hainowei placed her next black stone adjacent to her first one, stubbornly trying to connect five black stones in a line.
Zhang Ye let her place her stones freely. It wasn't until she had placed three stones in a row that Zhang Ye blocked her path.
Hainowei immediately looked up at Zhang Ye, only to see him wearing a knowing grin.
Because her first stone had been placed in the corner, this block forced her to only build upward.
Hainowei persevered, continuing to place her stones upward. Zhang Ye blocked her again. She placed another; Zhang Ye blocked her again.
After being blocked nearly ten times in a row, Hainowei finally couldn't take it anymore. She glared at Zhang Ye and asked, “Is your only goal to block me?”
“Of course not.” Zhang Ye smiled and placed a stone.
This move instantly aligned four white stones with no black stones blocking either end. The victor was clear.
“I win,” Zhang Ye said with a smile. “How does it feel? Do you still think it's childish?”
Hainowei's face remained calm, but her tail fin was gently splashing the water.
“The game isn't childish,” Hainowei said.
Just as Zhang Ye was about to speak, Hainowei added, “You are.”
Zhang Ye was taken aback, then burst out laughing. “Another round, then?”
Hainowei nodded slightly, her interest clearly piqued.
A moment later.
Zhang Ye looked extremely serious, while Hainowei appeared completely relaxed, looking like a grandmaster who had everything under control.
Two open-ended lines of three white stones lay unblocked on either end. The match was already decided.
Zhang Ye fell silent for a moment and placed a stone, but as expected, Hainowei immediately connected four stones to seal his doom.
“I win,” Hainowei said calmly, but the splashes created by her tail fin gently hitting the lake water betrayed her inner joy.
Zhang Ye laughed inwardly.
The fact that Hainowei had managed to set up two open-ended lines of three white stones was, of course, because he had gone easy on her. Otherwise, even an ordinary player wouldn't make such a mistake.
Since Hainowei had lost several games in a row, he had to let her win one to give her a taste of victory. Otherwise, constant defeat would only make her lose interest in the game.
Sure enough, after winning, Hainowei took the initiative and said, “Again.”
An hour and a half later, Zhang Ye was frowning slightly, biting his fingernails as he stared at the chessboard before him.
Holy crap... He hadn't gone easy on her this time, yet he had actually been pushed into a corner.
He placed a stone, and Hainowei immediately followed up, aligning five stones for the final blow!
Zhang Ye's face instantly crumpled in defeat.
This was already his eighth consecutive loss.
In just a short amount of time, Hainowei had transformed from a complete novice into a Gomoku master. Her learning speed was off the charts. By now, Zhang Ye was no longer a match for her.
“You lost again,” Hainowei said, finally unable to contain herself. She proudly raised her delicate chin, revealing her swan-like neck, her tail gently patting the surface of the water, looking exceptionally happy.
Seeing her like this, Zhang Ye couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
On the surface, Hainowei seemed like a gentle, mature woman, but in reality, she was like an innocent young girl.
No wonder she had been deceived twice by humans...
Suddenly, a message from Gujiu came through the contract in his mind. Zhang Ye then said, “Let's call it a day. If we keep playing the same game continuously, we'll get tired of it very quickly.”
Hearing this, Hainowei looked a bit disappointed, clearly still wanting more.
But she still nodded and said, “Whatever. I didn't want to keep playing anyway.”
Which means she definitely wanted to keep playing.
Having said that, she dove back to the bottom of the lake once more. Zhang Ye smiled, then shifted his focus back to the contract.
“Gujiu!” Gujiu's cute voice echoed in his mind, and Zhang Ye nodded.
Lina and the others had already rushed back to the academy at full speed, and Gujiu had conveyed his words to them.
This allowed Zhang Ye to breathe a sigh of relief.
“Gujiu gujiu?” Gujiu asked.
Hearing this, Zhang Ye shook his head and said, “No, absolutely do not come to rescue me. Tell Lina not to act rashly. Emphasize again that she must not tell anyone about this. If Big Nana asks, just say I'm out treasure hunting. Just find any excuse to brush it off.”
This was also based on multiple considerations.
At the moment, he and Hainowei were getting along quite peacefully, and they might even become friends in the future. If Lina brought people to rescue him, a conflict with Hainowei would be inevitable. If they pushed Hainowei too far, it wouldn't end well for either side.
And if Leona found out, things would get even more out of hand.
That fiery beauty would definitely charge straight to his location.
So she must absolutely not find out.
“Tell them to do exactly as I say!” Zhang Ye said seriously.
“Gujiu!” Gujiu acknowledged.
Zhang Ye let out a breath, then looked at the altar.
This altar... perhaps he could modify it to turn it into a magic circle—an altar magic circle capable of gathering water elements. This would help accelerate Hainowei's recovery from her injuries.
If she was happy, she might just let him go back.
Thus, Zhang Ye stood up and began analyzing the layout of the altar, while searching through all the relevant literature he had read in his mind.
Meanwhile, back at All Souls Academy.
Looking at Leona, who was staring at them with a scrutinizing gaze, Lina and the other two felt extremely uneasy. Even Nan couldn't help but pinch his fingers.
“So, where on earth did Little Ye'er go?”
...
Rate on N.U.
