I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 120: Passing the Torch

"You calling Zhuang Fei a second-gen Go player makes sense, but Fang Haoxin? If Fang Xin was his great-great-grandfather, that’s at least five generations apart, right?"

Hearing Jiang Xiahua’s complaints, Yu Shao couldn't help but laugh. "Wealth doesn’t usually last more than three generations."

"Still, he’s a returnee from overseas—that’s different!"

Jiang Xiahua shook his head. "And he spent all those years in Seoul. Why not just get his professional status there? Why come back to China to compete with us? I really don’t get it."

At that moment, the elevator finally reached the first floor. Yu Shao stepped out, and Jiang Xiahua quickly followed as they walked toward the hotel entrance.

"What about the other regions?"

Yu Shao asked curiously as they walked. "Any top seeds from other regions?"

In this world, because the Go player population was massive, and to encourage regional competition, the Promotion Tournament was divided into five regions: East, South, West, North, and Central.

Jiangling and its neighboring provinces belonged to the Southern region.

This year's Lanke Cup Go Promotion Tournament was where all players from southern provinces competed for six professional Go player slots under the Southern Go Association.

Across the five major regions, each had six slots, meaning only 30 players nationwide could turn professional each year.

Adding the women’s division, which also had 30 slots, that made a total of 60 new professionals annually.

In Yu Shao’s previous life, only 20 players per year could turn professional. On paper, this world seemed to have more professional spots available.

But considering the sheer number of Go players in this world, even with ten extra slots, getting professional status was actually far more difficult and brutal than in his past life.

For an amateur player, unless they had been training since childhood with the sole goal of turning professional, securing one of these 30 slots was nearly impossible. If even one or two amateurs succeeded, it would already be a miracle.

"I never really paid attention to other regions," Jiang Xiahua shrugged. "Before turning professional, you only need to focus on your own region. Who has the time to worry about the others?"

"But I can tell you this—no matter the region or the year, getting professional status is never easy."

"This year is tough, but last year wasn’t much easier either. Last year, we had Zheng Qin in our region—an amateur player so insanely strong that it was unbelievable…"

At that moment, Jiang Xiahua suddenly stopped walking and stared at the hotel entrance.

Yu Shao, puzzled, followed his gaze—only to pause in mild surprise himself.

A young woman stood at the entrance.

She had long hair and delicate features, dressed simply in a cream-colored short-sleeved top and loose black pants. Even with such a low-key outfit, she stood out effortlessly in the crowd.

Yu Shao hadn’t seen Xu Zijin in nearly a year.

Their eyes met for a long moment.

Then, without saying a word, Xu Zijin slowly looked away, nodded slightly in greeting, and turned to leave.

Yu Shao wasn’t surprised at all.

This was exactly the kind of person Xu Zijin was. She wasn’t someone who would walk up and casually say, "Long time no see."

"Was she just looking at you?!"

Jiang Xiahua stared in shock. "Wait—Xu Zijin knows you? How?"

"You know her too?"

Now Yu Shao was the one who was surprised. "She was my high school classmate."

"She’s the only disciple of Chang Yan, a 9-dan professional!"

Jiang Xiahua looked at Yu Shao as if he had just discovered an alien. "And she’s also the daughter of CEO Xu. Now that she’s announced her plan to go professional, the internet has completely lost its mind!"

Disciple?

Xu Zijin had taken a master?

Yu Shao was a little taken aback. He scratched his head, feeling slightly awkward. "I usually just go online to game with friends, and we play for hours straight. I guess I never noticed the news."

This was Zhou De and Zhang Wenbo’s fault!

Yu Shao honestly didn’t understand how he got so invested in winning games again. He thought he had outgrown caring about video game victories, but after hanging out with those guys, he found himself obsessing over every match—just like back in high school.

"Wait—who’s CEO Xu?" Yu Shao asked.

"Xu Duanhua. He’s the president of Jinxiu Group, a real estate development company. Some professional Go tournaments even have Jinxiu Group as a sponsor," Jiang Xiahua explained.

Yu Shao was genuinely shocked.

There had always been rumors at school that Xu Zijin came from a wealthy family, but no one actually knew the details.

"You guys… aren’t that close?"

Jiang Xiahua asked, still a little stunned.

"Not really."

Yu Shao shook his head. "We played in a high school Go tournament together once. After the summer break, she never returned to school."

They soon found a restaurant near the hotel and each ordered a rice bowl.

But compared to their earlier conversation, Jiang Xiahua seemed a little gloomier now. Talking about Zhuang Fei and Fang Haoxin had reminded him of how tough this year’s promotion tournament was.

Yu Shao didn’t know what to say, so the two simply ate in silence. The atmosphere felt somewhat heavy.

"I started learning Go at seven kyu and aimed for professional status at eleven kyu."

After a long pause, Jiang Xiahua finally spoke again, still staring at his meal.

"It’s been five years now."

Yu Shao paused, setting down his chopsticks.

"Every year, my master has had high hopes for me. But every year, I’ve let him down."

Jiang Xiahua was silent for a moment before continuing, "Each time I failed to qualify, my master never scolded me. He’d just pat my shoulder and tell me it was okay."

"The first year, he did that. The second year, too…"

"Even though his pat on the shoulder always felt the same, I could tell—it was getting heavier each time."

"And now…"

Jiang Xiahua exhaled slowly, his voice low and determined.

"It’s reached the point where I don’t think I can bear it anymore."

"This year, no matter what—I have to qualify."

"I won’t disappoint my master again."

Yu Shao thought for a moment before asking, "What was your result in last year’s promotion tournament?"

"I lost in the final round. One step away from turning pro."

Jiang Xiahua let out a bitter smile. "Except for my first two years, I’ve made it to the finals three years in a row…"

"But every time—I fell just short."

Hearing this, Yu Shao couldn't help but be a little surprised.

Making it to the finals three times meant that Jiang Xiahua had already been near-professional level since he was around thirteen years old. If luck had been on his side, he might have already turned professional years ago.

"I honestly wish I hadn't made it to the finals those first three years," Jiang Xiahua said bitterly.

"Every time I made it, every time I was so close, but I still fell short. It’s the worst feeling—like I've made zero progress all these years."

"But this year…"

Jiang Xiahua took a deep breath, his face clearing of frustration and filling with determination.

"Whatever happens, I have to turn professional this time. My master is waiting for me in the Flame Inheritance Match!"

Flame Inheritance Match?

Hearing the unfamiliar term, Yu Shao was a bit confused. "What's that?"

"You don't know?"

Jiang Xiahua looked genuinely stunned, eyes widening.

"No idea," Yu Shao answered honestly.

"Once you turn professional, your first official match is the Flame Inheritance Match."

Jiang Xiahua explained, "It’s a Go doubles match where a newly promoted 1-dan player teams up with a 9-dan professional, and they play against another pair with the same setup."

"A Go doubles match?"

Yu Shao was surprised.

"Yep, a doubles match."

Jiang Xiahua nodded. "Each side plays alternating moves—the 1-dan player goes first, followed by their 9-dan partner, and the opponents do the same."

"Because it's a newcomer and a veteran playing side by side, symbolizing the passing of the torch, it's called the Flame Inheritance Match. It’s a tradition for every new professional player."

"Even though it's mostly symbolic and doesn't count toward official rankings, it's still super exciting!"

"My master, Zhu Xinyuan, 9-dan, said that if I turn professional, he’ll request to be my partner!"

Jiang Xiahua's face lit up with excitement. "With our teamwork, we might even beat a 9-dan pro in my debut match!"

Yu Shao nodded thoughtfully.

This was something completely new—in his previous life, there had never been anything like this.

But the Flame Inheritance Match really did carry deep symbolic meaning.

After all, a doubles match required both players to adapt to each other’s playstyle—and a 9-dan veteran would likely have an entirely different approach from a newly promoted professional.

That raised a question in Yu Shao’s mind.

"But what about players who don't have a master?" he asked. "How do they get a 9-dan partner?"

"In that case, the Go Association assigns one randomly—just whichever 9-dan pro has time."

Jiang Xiahua laughed. "That’s one of the biggest disadvantages for amateur players. If you’re paired with a stranger, you probably won’t have any chemistry, and without that, winning is almost impossible."

"But honestly, it doesn’t really matter. The Flame Inheritance Match is all about symbolism—it’s meant to inspire new professionals. Winning or losing isn’t the point."

As they chatted, they finished their meal and returned to the hotel, taking the elevator back up to the twelfth floor.

"By the way, I still don't have your contact info. Let’s add each other on WeChat."

Just before they parted ways, Jiang Xiahua suddenly remembered and took out his phone with a smile.

"Sure."

Yu Shao nodded, pulling out his phone. They quickly exchanged contacts and added each other.

"The main tournament starts tomorrow. Give it your all."

Jiang Xiahua grinned. "Let’s both turn professional this year!"

"Yeah," Yu Shao smiled and nodded. "Let’s both make it."

With that, they said their goodbyes and returned to their respective rooms.