How am I supposed to clear my name if you do this?

"Gomoku?"

The father and daughter looked at each other, neither understanding what this 'Gomoku' Qi Yuan mentioned was.

"Gomoku is where both sides take turns placing their pieces on the board. Whoever connects five pieces in a line first is the winner..."

After a brief explanation, the more Qi Yuan looked at it, the more it seemed like it. He immediately walked to the board, holding black pieces in one hand and white in the other, and began placing them with a series of rhythmic clicks.

Ji Shijie and Ji Chan'er were dumbfounded, momentarily unsure whether they should stop him.

According to the rules of Go, this kid's moves followed no logic at all; he was playing completely at random.

In other words, it was practically an insult to the great art of Go.

Watching the young man mess around on the board, Ji Shijie, who prided himself on being a master of Go, felt incredibly uncomfortable and couldn't help but speak up to advise him:

"Wait, nephew, how can you play like this? Oh, for goodness' sake... you don't even know how to capture pieces! Stop, stop right now!"

Ji Shijie was so anxious he was scratching his head. If it weren't for his mild temperament, he probably would have rushed over to hit him.

Just as he was about to step forward to intervene, he was stopped by Ji Chan'er:

"Father, we are helpless against this endgame. Since Qi Da says he has a way, why not let him try? If it doesn't work, we can just restore the board later."

Seeing his daughter say this, Ji Shijie had no choice but to give up. He simply looked away to avoid being annoyed and began observing the calligraphy and paintings on the wall, muttering under his breath:

"Your father has been studying this for five or six days without eating or drinking. If it were really that simple, why would I be stuck until now? I think this kid is just fooling around."

Soon, Qi Yuan looked up happily and gave the father and daughter a brilliant smile. "Uncle Ji, Fairy Ji, I have fulfilled my mission. This game of Gomoku is finished. White wins."

Saying this, he boasted with great pride:

"To tell you the truth, I am known as a little expert at Gomoku. I have traveled the world without a single defeat. Dealing with this kind of endgame is a piece of cake."

Hearing this, Ji Shijie instinctively turned his head and looked at the board with a face full of suspicion. The next moment, he confirmed he had been played and said angrily:

"To think my daughter trusted you so much, what kind of mess have you played..."

Before he could finish, the chessboard suddenly began to hum and vibrate. Then, with a flash of light, the entire board collapsed and transformed into a diamond-shaped object covered in dense patterns, lying quietly on the table.

Seeing this scene, Ji Shijie's eyes suddenly widened, and he cried out in disbelief:

"Suc... success? How is this possible?!"

Ji Chan'er was also a bit stunned. She pulled at Qi Yuan, her face full of confusion, and asked:

"I didn't expect your Go skills to be so formidable. But what kind of playing style is this? I've never heard of it before."

Qi Yuan remained calm and composed:

"Didn't I say it? This isn't Go at all; it's Gomoku. I didn't expect anyone else in this world to know how to play Gomoku. If I meet them in the future, I'll have to challenge them to a game regardless."

As he spoke, he looked curiously at the unknown object on the table and sighed in admiration:

"This is quite interesting, they even set up a reward for clearing it. But it looks like a piece of junk. They didn't even give a single Spirit Stone. How stingy."

At this time, Ji Shijie finally recovered from his shock. He first took a deep breath to force himself to calm down, then stared at Qi Yuan with a strange look, saying:

"The waves of the Yangtze River behind drive those ahead; the young are indeed to be feared. I didn't expect the endgame sent by my father to actually be broken by you, kid."

At this point, his expression changed slightly, and he asked with great solemnity:

"Nephew, how exactly is this Gomoku you mentioned played? Please enlighten me."

Facing his father-in-law's request, Qi Yuan naturally dared not be negligent and immediately shared all his knowledge of Gomoku without reservation.

To perform well, he even specifically taught the other man a few sure-win strategies, leaving his father-in-law completely dazed and impressed.

A short while later, the elder Ji came to a sudden realization and cupped his hands toward Qi Yuan:

"Nephew is truly talented; I have learned much. Our Ji Family will surely remember this favor of guidance and will repay you generously in the future."

"Since the endgame is solved, I will go report to my father and see what the old man is actually up to..."

Saying this, without waiting for Qi Yuan to say a few humble words, the elder Ji quickly picked up the diamond-shaped object from the table and rushed out of the study.

After the elder Ji left, Ji Chan'er looked at Qi Yuan with a face full of admiration, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a strange light:

"I didn't expect your knowledge to be so broad. It seems bringing you back this time was indeed the right choice. You've just performed a great service for my family."

"If my father had really gone to confront my grandfather in a fit of rage just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Qi Yuan waved his hand nonchalantly and replied with a smile:

"Fairy Ji overpraises me. It was just a small effort, not worth mentioning. If you really want to repay me, why not compensate me for what you didn't agree to last time..."

"What thing?"

Ji Chan'er was slightly taken aback at first, but once she realized what he meant, her face turned red as she scolded him with both anger and bashfulness:

"You scoundrel, you only know how to bully this seat. If you talk nonsense again, see if I don't tear your mouth apart..."

...After flirting with Demoness Ji for a while, Qi Yuan left the Ji Residence satisfied and then returned to Blood Refining Peak through the Demon Sect's internal Teleportation Array.

When he reached Courtyard No. 1 of Class A, he saw that the mountain of corpses had long since vanished. The courtyard had been meticulously cleaned, and someone had even thoughtfully lit some expensive incense, which smelled quite pleasant.

He looked around and soon spotted a familiar figure standing at the door.

The man had narrow eyes and a rugged face, giving off a cold and fierce vibe. It was his old acquaintance, Situ Yun.

At this moment, Situ Yun's face was pale and his breathing was slightly erratic, clearly indicating his injuries hadn't fully healed. He was still wearing the attire of an Inner Sect Disciple, looking extremely wretched.

Upon seeing Qi Yuan, Situ Yun's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly stepped forward to greet him warmly:

"Brother Qi, you're finally back! This old brother of yours has been waiting for quite a while."

Qi Yuan smiled slightly and made a gesture of invitation, his attitude also very polite:

"Sorry, I was delayed by some business outside. I've kept Brother Situ waiting."

"Come, let's go inside and talk."

Situ Yun immediately waved his hand. "Brother Qi, you're being too formal. Your business is more important. This old brother came uninvited, so I hope Brother Qi doesn't mind."

For some reason, when he saw the courtyard before him, his heart skipped a beat instinctively.

This guy yesterday slaughtered the entire Blood Refining Peak's fellow disciples under the pretext of his Immortal Cave being invaded. It was simply insane. He wouldn't pull the same trick on me, would he?

But on second thought, he dismissed this absurd notion.

Damn it, I'm still at the Nascent Soul Mid-stage. I'm not like those Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Outer Sect Disciples. What am I afraid of... On the other side, Qi Yuan also couldn't help but frown, secretly thinking:

Wasn't this guy quite arrogant before? Why has he become so attentive now, lowering his posture so much? Could he have a favor to ask?

The two entered the house with their own thoughts. Before they even sat down, Situ Yun suddenly gave a mysterious smile and, like presenting a treasure, pulled a bloody head out of his storage bracelet and handed it to Qi Yuan, saying excitedly:

"I heard this person offended you, Brother Qi. How could I ignore that? I went over today specifically to kill him to vent some anger for you, brother..."

"Huh?"

Qi Yuan was startled. Looking closely, he immediately recognized the identity of the head's owner. It was none other than Jiao Guang, the Internal Affairs Hall Deacon who had once swindled him.

Looking at this head with eyes that refused to close even in death, his expression was somewhat complicated.

Although this guy had barely offended him, his crime certainly didn't warrant death. Now that he had died so miserably, what would others think of him if word got out?

Even if Situ Yun was the one who killed him, it would likely still be blamed on him.

Thinking of this, his gaze toward Situ Yun held a hint of displeasure.

If you do this, how can I ever clear my name?

Seeing Qi Yuan's strange expression, Situ Yun gave a chuckle and explained seriously:

"Don't worry, Brother Qi. To pull up the grass by the roots, I have already dealt with all of Jiao Guang's relatives and friends. I guarantee that no one will come looking for trouble with you in the future..."