"Phew~ Finally over." Ouyang Qianxue stepped out of Arena D, her face etched with exhaustion.

"Ouyang, you were amazing!" A girl in a silky hanfu rushed over and hugged her tightly the moment she emerged.

"You swept the group stage with zero losses! Now the entire Go scene in Xijiang City will know Cherry Blossom Academy's Go Club has a powerhouse player!" The hanfu-clad girl nuzzled Qianxue's cheek affectionately.

"Senior... stop that!" Qianxue stammered, flustered. The thin, soft fabric of her senior's hanfu pressed against her, making the warm, yielding curves beneath impossible to ignore.

Glancing down, Qianxue saw the pale swell of her senior's chest straining against the fabric. She snapped her gaze away, cheeks burning.

The girl caught her look and grinned mischievously.

"Jealous?"

"What?"

"You're flawless in looks, Ouyang," she teased, "but this part leaves something to be desired." Her hand darted toward Qianxue's chest.

"Eep! What are you doing, Senior?!" Qianxue's face flushed crimson as those restless fingers brushed her.

"I read online that massaging helps it grow. Just helping you out!"

"Senior, that's enough!" Qianxue shoved her away.

"Pfft, just kidding," the girl chirped, winking. "You've been wound tight all day—you'll break if you don't unwind. I was lightening the mood!"

"At least pick a better way," Qianxue protested.

Just then, an announcer's voice echoed outside. Post-match, he was summarizing results for reporters.

"Speaking of the group stage, one player left a deep impression." The screen flashed to Qianxue mid-game.

"This is Ouyang Qianxue. Young but never naive—once she seizes an opening, she crushes opponents like a whirlwind. Clean, ruthless, no wasted moves. She dominated the group stage undefeated and is now a top contender for the title!"

"Hear that? They're praising you," the Go Club president poked Qianxue's cheek.

"It's exaggerated... I barely won. Those amateurs were tough."

The announcer paused, then continued.

"Another top contender is Bai Yuxuan, heir of the White Clan!"

"Go veterans know old man Bai was a legend before business. His successor stunned us—undefeated in groups, crushing every match in under thirty minutes."

"What?! Bai Yuxuan's that strong?!" The club president gaped.

"Yo." A voice cut through the crowd. Bai Yuxuan strode up to Qianxue.

"Ouyang Qianxue. You didn't disappoint. I look forward to our main stage match—entertain me." He turned toward the exit.

"Next, the main stage details: one day from now, at Sakura International School."

"What?!" Qianxue and her friends froze. They never expected Sakura as the venue.

"Of course it's at Sakura," Bai Yuxuan muttered, walking away. He'd arranged it all—the Qingshui Cup was sponsored by a Bai Corporation subsidiary.

"Only a public execution before the whole school can mend my wounded pride... and restore my influence at Sakura."

Meanwhile, Qianxue's team studied Bai Yuxuan's past game records. Flipping through the kifu, the club president froze.

"He's using the Demon Blade joseki?!"

"Demon Blade?" Qianxue frowned, unfamiliar.

"Full name: Muramasa Demon Blade. One of Go's three unsolvable josekis, alongside Great Diagonal and Great Avalanche. It starts with a high approach to the small knight's move, then a two-space high pincer. Hundreds of tricky variations—full of traps. Amateurs fall for it easily. One misstep in the opening, and you lose everything."

"No wonder his opponents folded so fast!"

"But don't panic. The Demon Blade is a double-edged sword. One wrong move, and he's vulnerable. Tonight, memorize his patterns."

Qianxue took Bai Yuxuan's group stage kifu back to her dorm, borrowing extra records of top players using the Demon Blade.

"Aren't you sleeping?" Qian Wang mumbled from bed. The lights were out; Qianxue studied under her phone's glow.

"Just a little longer. I'll sleep soon."

Next morning, Qian Wang woke to find Qianxue already hunched over kifu.

"You stayed up late and woke early—can your body handle it?"

"I'm fine." Qianxue snapped the book shut and packed her bag.

"Wait, no breakfast at the cafeteria?"

"Ugh, I feel nauseous this morning. Skipping it." She slipped on her shoes.

"But Go matches drain stamina and focus. Without breakfast—"

"Don't worry." Qianxue dashed out.

Truth was, her money had run low. She'd barely eaten breakfast all month.

*For my sister... I must win this match.* Qianxue clenched her fists, resolve hardening as she stepped into the hallway.