The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 914 - 913: The Snuff Bottle Reappears

Chapter 914: Chapter 913: The Snuff Bottle Reappears

Mo Si secretly despised himself. After following the boss for so long, he still couldn’t develop a strong heart.

He felt so ashamed!

"Miss Lu, there’s a dim sum place near the Go Academy that’s pretty good. Back when Master Mo and the old man visited the Calligraphy and Painting Academy, they’d always swing by to grab some food. Want to give it a try?"

Hearing it was a dim sum place favored by Director Qi and Old Master Xiao, Lu Mian agreed without hesitation.

After all, there was still some time before her match entry.

She had arrived earlier today anyway, intending to look for Su Luo ahead of time.

Soon, the two arrived at the Go Academy. Mo Si parked the car, then proactively grabbed Lu Mian’s black backpack from the back seat, and they headed to the dim sum restaurant together.

After Mo Si mentioned Xiao Jianli’s name at the front desk, the waiter automatically assigned them a private room.

That was standard for these hotel restaurants—private rooms were always reserved daily for esteemed guests, lest the big names have no seating when they showed up.

Lu Mian followed Mo Si upstairs.

Inside the elegant little private room, Lu Mian sat down and sent Su Luo a text message along with her location.

[Treating you to dim sum.]

——

At the Go Academy.

From the Go instructors to the Academy students, everyone was busy and bustling.

Setting up the venue, cleaning up, welcoming members of the Go Association—there were endless tasks to handle.

Su Luo and La Wenwen were also part of the busy workforce.

The two were carrying a table toward the competition venue when La Wenwen, noticing Su Luo secretly looking around as if searching for something, curiously asked, "Luoluo, are you looking for someone? Are you looking for Lu Mian?"

"No, she probably won’t be here for a while." Su Luo knew Lu Mian’s habit of arriving just on time, so she definitely wouldn’t show up so early. "I’m looking for Master Jing."

"No way... are you still clinging to the idea of inviting Master Jing for dinner?"

"It’s not for me." Su Luo scanned her surroundings, thinking that if she could arrange for Master Jing to meet Lu Mian sooner, it’d be great. Even if it didn’t turn out how she hoped, at least they could gain Master Jing’s favor—that way, Lu Mian wouldn’t get constantly bullied by Dean Zhuge and the others.

"Oh, come on, Luoluo, just don’t overthink things. You finally managed to secure this chance to compete—you have to make the most of it! If Master Jing notices you and agrees to personally mentor you, it’d be much better than just hanging around this Academy in limbo..."

La Wenwen, simple-minded as ever, genuinely believed Su Luo had great talent in Go but was being held back by the Academy’s hierarchical system, preventing her from accessing higher-level teaching and Go strategies.

Su Luo, however, didn’t dwell on that. She just shot back playfully, "You’re so chatty—don’t blurt anything to Lu Mian."

La Wenwen stuck out her tongue playfully, "Oh come on, I’m just superstitious about Big Boss Lu Mian! I’m dying to see her crush them all!"

Su Luo rolled her eyes.

Struggling along, the two finally arrived at the venue, but before they could catch their breath, Zhuge Lin, standing nearby, started barking orders with an air of superiority.

"Out of everyone in the Academy, the two of you are the absolute slowest! Useless at everything except slacking off! Carrying a single table, laughing and chatting without a care—can’t you see everyone else is swamped?"

Zhuge Lin loved stirring up trouble. Both Su Luo and La Wenwen had dealt with her antics before—but this time, she was clearly just picking a pointless fight.

Su Luo wasn’t known for a gentle temper; she’d always been proud and sharp. She had been surprisingly polite toward Zhuge Lin, considering her usual demeanor.

But now, when she was obviously laboring and got accused of slacking off, Su Luo’s expression immediately darkened. She dropped the table right there, turned around, and stormed off.

If she was going to be accused of slacking, then what was the point of exhausting herself working?

"Su Luo! Are you trying to get kicked out of the Academy?!" Zhuge Lin, seeing Su Luo outright throw in the towel, grew even angrier. She stood with her hands on her hips and barked, "You’re lazy at work, and others can’t call you out? Acting like a spoiled brat, huh? Believe me, I’ll have my uncle kick you out right now! I’ll make sure no Academy event anywhere lets you compete—ever again!"

Many major Go tournaments, especially domestic ones, were organized through the Go Association.

Dean Zhuge Heng’s word alone could indeed decide Su Luo’s fate.

La Wenwen dropped the table too, fuming as she snapped back, "Zhuge Lin, you think you’re all that just because you have a powerful family? Accusing Su Luo and me of laziness—what about you? You’re standing here doing nothing but trying to provoke people! What right do you have to decide anyone’s fate?"

"Ha! I absolutely do have that right—so what? If Su Luo has the guts, let her pull out a bigger power to crush me!"

Zhuge Lin glared at Su Luo and La Wenwen with smug disdain, radiating an air of self-importance.

"The fact that Su Luo can compete today—all thanks to just one word from my uncle. If she wants to meet Master Jing, she’ll have to listen to me and obediently do as I say!"

Su Luo had no patience for this nonsense anymore. Just then, her phone vibrated—it was a message and location from Lu Mian.

She didn’t bother trying to appease anyone, took a step forward, and walked away.

Zhuge Lin, noticing her inability to hold Su Luo back and under the watchful gaze of several surrounding students, felt increasingly humiliated. Her voice rose a few notches.

"Su Luo, where are you going? Everyone here is helping out!"

"I’m going to meet Lu Mian." Su Luo replied calmly, taking a deep breath, her expression unyielding and dignified.

"You absolutely cannot!" Zhuge Lin ground her teeth. "Who does she think she is, needing someone to pick her up? Get back here and work!"

"What if I insist on going?"

"Then you’re going against the entire Academy! If you step out that door today, you’re no longer a student here—I’ll personally make sure my uncle expels you!"

"..." Su Luo glanced around the place, her gaze revealing slight hurt and a chilling bitterness. She closed her eyes briefly and said, "Do as you please."

The only reason she had come to this Academy was to participate in the Go tournament.

But this place had far too many shadows of injustice and corruption, staining her purest dreams of Go.

If leaving meant breaking away from all this—then so be it!

She wouldn’t tolerate it anymore!

——

Meanwhile, Mo Si had ordered a few dim sum items based on Lu Mian’s tastes.

Lu Mian put away her phone and glanced through the floor-to-ceiling window at the ancient-style streets outside.

The morning hustle and bustle was lively.

And judging by the steady flow of patrons to this dim sum shop, its reputation seemed well-earned.

Lu Mian casually snapped a photo.

As she turned her gaze outward again, her eyes caught sight of a figure downstairs.

The person looked to be in his seventies or eighties, wearing a white undershirt, fanning himself leisurely with a palm fan as he walked toward the shop.

The old man’s hair and beard were completely white, yet he carried his posture impeccably straight.

Lu Mian studied him for several more moments.

Mo Si craned his neck to follow her gaze. "Miss Lu, what is it?"

"I think I saw someone familiar."

"Think?" Mo Si was rarely accustomed to hearing uncertainty from Lu Mian’s mouth. Straining to look, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. "Who exactly, Miss Lu?"

Lu Mian narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

Moments later, she picked up the black backpack beside her and began rummaging through it. Finally, she pulled out an object.

Mo Si, watching with eager curiosity, desperately wanted to know what treasure she was digging for.

Especially whether that distinctive black backpack still contained that one special black garment...

"Take this and go downstairs. Look for an old man wearing a white undershirt and holding a palm fan."

"A snuff bottle?" Mo Si held the delicate, intricately crafted snuff bottle, its miniature Go board particularly exquisite. He quickly switched to cradling it in both hands—after all...

This was an antique!

Leaf had explained its significance to them before!

Lu Mian’s tone carried a hint of lingering doubt and mystery, "Ask him if he still remembers this object."

Mo Si clicked his tongue—was this about to unearth some earth-shattering, ghost-weeping past event?