The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 915 - 914: He’s Here, He’s Here, Bringing Stories with Him!

Chapter 915: Chapter 914: He’s Here, He’s Here, Bringing Stories with Him!

Mo Si nodded repeatedly, carefully cradling the nose flask as he headed downstairs.

He didn’t even need to look hard—he immediately spotted an old man in a white undershirt fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan in the teahouse lobby. The man seemed to be speaking with a waiter, looking somewhat irritable.

As Mo Si got closer, he overheard the conversation—it turned out there were no available seats. Even the private rooms in the teahouse had all been taken, leaving the elderly gentleman without a place to enjoy his morning tea, noticeably souring his mood.

Mo Si squeezed the nose flask in his hand, contemplating if he should come back at a different time to avoid inviting trouble.

Unexpectedly, the old man turned around and immediately caught sight of the nose flask in Mo Si’s hands. His expression changed instantly.

The old man took two hurried steps toward Mo Si and, without giving him a chance to speak, asked urgently, "How do you have this item?"

"Well..." Mo Si hesitated. "This belongs to Miss Lu from our family. She specifically asked me to bring it down to inquire about it with you."

It was evident that this old man not only remembered the nose flask but held a very significant memory of it.

Mo Si had no idea what had transpired between them. He cautiously shielded the flask and said, "Sir, are you out of a place to have your tea? Would you like to go upstairs and meet Miss Lu?"

Miss Lu?

The elderly man, with his hair and beard streaked in white, squinted and shook the palm-leaf fan rhythmically, his gaze fixed firmly on the nose flask.

He nodded decisively, "Meet her? Of course, I must meet her!"

Without hesitation, he followed closely behind Mo Si. Although he was advanced in age, his movement was remarkably nimble, and in just a few steps, they reached the private room.

Mo Si pushed open the door, and the old man was the first to step inside.

Had one been paying close attention, they would have noticed an eager anticipation and excitement gleaming in his eyes.

The hand holding the palm-leaf fan trembled ever so slightly.

As the door creaked open, Lu Mian withdrew her gaze from the window and looked toward the entrance with casual detachment.

The elderly man standing at the door paused momentarily.

Four eyes met.

Both were evaluating, assessing.

Moments later, the old man was the first to speak, grabbing the nose flask from Mo Si’s hands and walking toward Lu Mian. "Little girl, so it’s you!"

Mo Si’s ears perked up—oh, wow!

He’s here. He’s here. He’s bringing a story with him!

Lu Mian extended her hand, her expression tranquil yet tinged with a faint smile, gesturing for the old man to take a seat across from her.

Propping her chin with one hand, she nodded slightly and said, "Yes, it’s me."

After receiving Lu Mian’s confirmation, the old man’s thoughts immediately spiraled back to sixteen years ago.

It had been summer, too, when he encountered a mere four-year-old girl at the entrance of a neighborhood.

The little girl was adorable yet coolly aloof—and astonishingly, she had solved his Go puzzle.

He was utterly flabbergasted and would never forget that scene for as long as he lived!

Mo Si, curious to the core, had no idea what kind of riddles these two were speaking in. Out of politeness, he stepped forward and asked, "Sir, may I be so bold as to ask your honorable name?"

The old man slapped his forehead lightly with the fan. "Oh, right! I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Jing Pei, from Jinjing. And you, young lady?"

Jing Pei?

Lu Mian’s eyes flickered briefly with surprise. "Ah, Master Jing, pleasure to meet you. My name is Lu Mian."

As she glanced at the elderly man before her, Lu Mian suddenly felt the world was remarkably small. The elderly gentleman she had met sixteen years ago turned out to be none other than Jing Pei, a grandmaster in the world of Go.

For a moment, even she was taken aback.

When Mo Si heard the name, he naturally realized who the old man was. Slightly losing composure, he exclaimed excitedly, "Master Jing! Are you really that Master Jing, one of the three great masters of Jinjing?!"

Jing Pei fanned himself lazily with the fan. "Just an empty title. Not worth much."

Lu Mian responded with a faint, composed smile.

Mo Si, however, could no longer keep his cool.

What on earth?

Miss Lu and Master Jing were actually old acquaintances, and their relationship seemed pretty decent?

Goodness, wasn’t Master Jing supposed to be difficult to deal with?

"So, what’s the connection between you two, exactly?" Mo Si scratched his head, utterly puzzled.

Master Jing chuckled heartily. "Sixteen years ago, this little girl beat me at Go, and I gave her this nose flask as a keepsake. Now, sixteen years later, we meet again!"

Mo Si: ...

So!

The legendary story of Miss Lu winning a nose flask at the tender age of four happened because she beat Master Jing at Go?!

Holy heavens!

A four-year-old defeating an elder at Go was already an incredible feat.

But to think Miss Lu had played against one of the grandmasters of Go? Truly remarkable!

Mo Si couldn’t help but bend his knees slightly—a visceral reaction of awe and reverence from the depths of his soul.

Jing Pei completely understood Mo Si’s feelings. At the time, he, too, had been thoroughly astonished by the young Lu Mian. The intelligence and skill required to defeat him at his own game were unimaginable!

After all, it had been a Go puzzle passed down within his family for generations!

He had sought out countless players, yet not a single one could surpass a mere four-year-old child.

Without hesitation, he had gifted his beloved nose flask to the little girl as a memento. Never had he imagined that, sixteen years later, the flask would become the very token of their reunion.

"The only regret I have," Jing Pei sighed, "is that I never asked where your family was from back then. Afterward, I even wandered the neighborhood looking for you, but I never saw you again."

It was clear he genuinely admired Lu Mian.

Lu Mian smiled gently. "Well, here we are, seeing each other again."

Because of her previous encounter with the elderly man over a game of Go, she had a relatively good recollection of his appearance. He hadn’t changed much in the past sixteen years, apart from a few more wrinkles and a head of white hair.

Meeting him again today was indeed a surprise.

"If you hadn’t come looking for me, I doubt I would’ve recognized you!" Jing Pei sighed wistfully. "You’ve grown even more beautiful than when you were a child."

As the two chatted away, Mo Si sneakily sent a text message to Xiao Jianli.

[Old Master, Miss Lu has already fulfilled your wish of meeting all three grandmasters of Jinjing a long time ago!]

——

Meanwhile, Su Luo stormed off in a huff, with La Wenwen chasing after her to calm her down.

"Luoluo, don’t act rashly. You’re about to go on stage and meet Master Jing. If you storm off like this, the dean definitely won’t let you compete!"

"Then so be it," Su Luo fumed through gritted teeth. "I’ve gotten to where I am today through my skill, not by riding on the coattails of the Zhuge Family. Let Zhuge Lin do whatever she wants—I’m not going to sell my dignity to stay in the chess academy!"

"It’s easy to say that, but don’t you want to become Master Jing’s apprentice? He has ties to the Zhuge Family, and causing a commotion like this..." La Wenwen genuinely worried about Su Luo’s future.

Su Luo had her concerns as well. But when people mistook her patience for a lack of self-respect, she could no longer bring herself to indulge them.

"Forget it. I’ll take it as a missed opportunity."

Resigned, Su Luo glanced at the time and turned to La Wenwen. "Lu Mian asked me to join her for morning tea. Are you coming?"

La Wenwen paused.

She knew that if she left with Su Luo today, it would count as a choice. By standing with Su Luo, she would undoubtedly face retaliation from Zhuge Lin and the chess academy.

But then...

"I’ve been working all morning—I’m starving!" La Wenwen grinned, linking arms with Su Luo. "Let’s go, let’s go. Meeting my idol while having breakfast? Not everyone gets this kind of chance!"

Su Luo chuckled warmly.

"Let’s go together."

The two walked out of the chess academy without looking back, catching the attention of numerous students. Many were left sighing in reaction.

Going against Zhuge Lin—weren’t they effectively sabotaging their futures?

At the very least, their prospects in the world of Go seemed sealed.

What a pity—Su Luo had real potential.

The incident infuriated Zhuge Lin to no end.

One after another, they had publicly severed ties with her. They’d rather seek out Lu Mian than work for the academy. It was a blatant challenge to the academy’s authority!

"You’ll both regret this!"

She spat on the ground in anger. From a distance, she spotted Lu Yutian arriving, stylishly dressed in a sky-blue professional suit and carrying a designer bag. Instantly, Zhuge Lin plastered on a smile.

"Yutian!"

Lu Yutian exuded elegance and poise, scanning the area briefly—including the three AI robots standing by—with a graceful smile. "Linlin, is everything ready?"

"Just about—we’re waiting for one last distinguished guest!"

"Oh? Who might this esteemed guest be?"

Having been away from Z Country for many years, Lu Yutian was disconnected from recent developments. Even when she had heard some news, it often failed to resonate.

Zhuge Lin offered a cryptic smile. "You’ll find out soon enough. Let’s just say—a master. By the way, my uncle mentioned your Go skills to the master!"

"This..." Lu Yutian’s expression stiffened slightly, revealing a trace of unease.

Zhuge Lin didn’t notice and only grew more enthusiastic. "When the time comes, you’ll have a match with the master right there on the spot. Let Su Luo and Lu Mian see what true skill looks like!"