The Divine Urban Physician

Chapter 4258: Chapter 4258: What Is a Demon (Third Update)

The Chess Demon squinted and naturally guessed Ye Chen’s plan. He chuckled and said, "Honored Guest is young and strong. I am old, and when it comes to strategy and mental realm, I probably can’t compare with the Honored Guest. Please, Honored Guest, play Black first, and I will take White and go second."

The Chess Demon didn’t want to take Black because the burden of starting first was too heavy and didn’t compare to the advantage of playing second with White.

Ye Chen laughed, "The elder is joking. The elder’s cultivation is profound, how can I compare? Please, elder, be generous and let me play White."

The Chess Demon’s face darkened, "Honored Guest insists on competing?"

Ye Chen said, "I wouldn’t dare."

The Chess Demon chuckled, "Since the Honored Guest insists on not yielding, let’s guess. You guess if the number of my children and grandchildren is odd or even."

"If you guess correctly, you take Black."

Ye Chen glanced around. Many people stood surrounding them; naturally, the Chess Demon’s children and grandchildren were among them. But besides that, there were many servants and guards. Trying to guess the odd or even number of his offspring showed no clues—mere luck could decide.

"I guess it’s odd."

Ye Chen guessed casually, not worried about the Chess Demon cheating. If the opponent cheated, a change in Heavenly Secrets would occur, and he could detect it.

The Chess Demon’s face changed slightly, and he clapped his hands, "Everyone step forward and let the Honored Guest count if it’s odd or even."

Upon hearing the Chess Demon’s words, his sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters all stepped out.

Ye Chen counted carefully, there were eighteen, an even number.

"Hehe, elder, I guessed wrong, please proceed first."

Ye Chen was delighted in his heart; since he guessed wrong, he didn’t have to take Black.

"No, you guessed right, you should take Black and go first."

The Chess Demon shook his head.

"Elder, there are eighteen of your descendants, an even number, clearly I guessed wrong. What does the elder mean by this?"

Ye Chen frowned, thoughts racing through his mind—is the Chess Demon trying to cheat?

"Ah Rong, come out."

The Chess Demon beckoned.

A middle-aged man stepped forward, calling, "Father." It was the man who had just received Ye Chen.

"Borrow your head for a moment."

The Chess Demon stood up, gripped Ah Rong’s head with both hands, and with a strong snap, twisted it.

Ah Rong’s neck was broken, his head turned a circle, bent back onto his spine, and he died immediately.

His face fixed on an expression of shock.

"Ah..."

Ye Chen rose abruptly, extremely startled.

The Chess Demon’s many offspring, along with a host of servants and guards, also gasped in horror, faces turning deathly pale.

This sudden twist, no one expected the Chess Demon would kill his son with his own hands.

"Now my descendants only number seventeen, an odd number, you guessed right."

The Chess Demon sat down, expression indifferent.

The guards said nothing, dragging Ah Rong’s body away.

Ye Chen sat down too, his expression solemn. He never imagined the Chess Demon would kill even his own son to take White and go second, demonstrating his extreme importance in this game.

"Elder’s methods are sharp, I am impressed."

Ye Chen had no choice but to take Black, starting at the star position in the lower right corner.

"Honored Guest, you’ve embarrassed me."

The Chess Demon smiled faintly. Having gained White, he felt confident in winning this game.

If he won, Ye Chen would have to leave!

The Chess Demon immediately placed a piece at the star position in the upper left corner.

Ye Chen held his Black piece, hesitating.

On the board now, two corners remained unplayed.

Taking Black, the pressure was too great. If he followed the usual path, defeat would be certain.

Thinking of this, Ye Chen abandoned the empty corner and directly played at the "3-3" position in the upper left.

This play was called "dot 3-3."

The Chess Demon frowned. He had just placed a piece at the star position; Ye Chen abandoned the empty corner and directly infiltrated with dot 3-3, clearly intending to disrupt the game and disturb his mental realm.

"Trying to disturb my mind, it’s not that easy."

The Chess Demon snorted internally, ignoring Ye Chen’s infiltrating piece, and first occupied another empty corner’s star position.

"Oh..."

Ye Chen gasped slightly, surprised that the Chess Demon chose to ignore and moved first.

Before him now lay two paths.

Either develop the single 3-3 piece or occupy the last empty corner.

Both paths, naturally, fell into the Chess Demon’s calculations.

No matter how Ye Chen played, he had countermeasures.

"He thinks I’ll play this way, yet I won’t!"

Ye Chen’s eyes sharpened, aware that with Black, he was already at a disadvantage from the start; unless he made an unexpected move, disrupting the Chess Demon’s mental realm, winning was impossible.

Ye Chen neither developed the single 3-3 piece nor occupied the empty corner. Instead, he infiltrated the Chess Demon’s territory again and played another "dot 3-3."

"Nonsensical!"

The Chess Demon’s face darkened, eyes flashing with murder intent.

Ye Chen made two consecutive dot 3-3 moves; a master wouldn’t play this way.

Dot 3-3 sacrificed external influence for tangible territory.

Playing a single 3-3 seized tangible territory, still within the realm of strategy, but starting the game by playing two dot 3-3 moves abandoned external influence entirely.

Masters didn’t play like this.

If the Chess Demon managed his positioning well, constructing a solid outer wall extending across the middle, Ye Chen would undoubtedly lose.

"Elder, it’s your move."

Ye Chen smiled slightly, maintaining his calm demeanor.

The Chess Demon thought, "Seeing this kid’s expression, he must have some trick up his sleeve; I mustn’t fall into his trap."

The Chess Demon, ignoring Ye Chen’s dot 3-3 move now, went to secure the last empty corner.

If Ye Chen dared play another dot 3-3, the Chess Demon would build a three-sided iron fortress; losing this match would be impossible.

No matter Ye Chen’s tricks, playing three consecutive dot 3-3 moves guaranteed defeat—no God or Chen could save it.

"Elder moves away again, then I shall move away too."

Ye Chen chuckled, refraining from another dot 3-3, suddenly clapping and placing Black at the central Supreme Emperor position.

"Ah!"

The Chess Demon gasped in astonishment.

Ye Chen’s unexpected evade, skipping the edge, heading straight to the central Supreme Emperor, was truly unimaginable.

People observing the game around him, seeing Ye Chen’s play, also furrowed their brows.

Ye Chen’s opening moves defied logic, as if it were mere novice interference.

"Honored Guest is deliberately meddling! If you don’t want to play, then stop; why such chaos?"

The Chess Demon felt furious; Ye Chen’s sudden moves were incongruous. Masters didn’t play like this; even amateur players wouldn’t act so erratically.

"Elder, victory hasn’t been determined yet, let’s continue."

Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed, his chaotic moves successfully unsettling the Chess Demon’s mental realm.

The disruption meant Ye Chen had at least some chance of winning.

His Sky Position move wasn’t mere disruption; it aimed to diminish the Chess Demon’s external influence.

With early consecutive dot 3-3s seizing minor territory advantage, losing external influence, placing at Supreme Emperor preempts enemy construction of impenetrable walls.

The Chess Demon took a deep breath, detecting his mental unease, and laughed, "I was impulsive; Honored Guest has great skill with just a few moves shaking my spirit completely."

"The elder is joking."

Ye Chen smiled slightly, maintaining his strategy of disruptive moves to unsettle the opponent’s mind.