I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 122: The Only One Who Can Face Him as an Equal Is Me

The crisp sound of Go pieces being placed echoed throughout the playing room.

Standing behind Yu Shao, Su Yiming lowered his gaze, silently watching the game unfold on the vast 19x19 board.

As he observed the current match, memories of a game from a year ago resurfaced in his mind.

That rainy night, accompanied by the relentless downpour, the Go stones fell in turn...

Tak, tak, tak...

The sharp sound of each move landing on the board was even more impactful than the rolling summer thunder of that night.

Over the past year, while studying modern opening structures and strategic approaches in Go, he had constantly replayed that match in his head—analyzing which of his moves had lacked strength, which had been imprecise.

But ultimately, it had been a blitz game with a strict 30-minute time limit. A careful review afterward revealed that both sides had made suboptimal moves, with moments of hesitation throughout.

Rewriting the outcome of that match was never an option.

Now, a year later, no matter what, he had finally—once again—crossed paths with Yu Shao.

At that moment, Wan Baihan, seated across from Yu Shao, reached into his bowl and picked up a stone.

Tak.

Row 17, Column 12—Jump!

"He jumped..."

Seeing the white stone land, Su Yiming's brows furrowed slightly.

Soon after, Yu Shao also picked up a stone and placed it on the board.

Tak.

Row 17, Column 11—Attach!

Su Yiming quietly observed as the two players exchanged another dozen moves before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

"There's no need to keep watching..."

Even though they had only played a few moves, he had already foreseen the outcome.

"The white stones aren’t weak. Their life-and-death calculations in local fights are decent, and their reading ability isn’t bad either. But if that’s all... it’s still far from enough."

"If you think you can gauge his strength from just one match... if your opponent is merely ‘not too weak’—then you don’t stand a chance."

"The rest of this game isn’t worth watching either."

Turning away, Su Yiming walked toward Table 33, his expression turning uncharacteristically cold.

"Here, the only one who can face him as an equal—is me!"

Su Yiming returned to his seat, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

He stared at the board in front of him and slowly reached into his Go bowl.

"Slow game, black giving 7.5 komi, three hours per side, one-minute byoyomi..."

As the sound of clashing stones filled the air, Su Yiming swiftly placed his first move.

"There's enough time."

Tak!

The stone landed on the board.

"I just need to keep winning. Eventually, I’ll face him."

"And when that moment comes, every question will be answered in that one match!"

Row 4, Column 16—Star Point!

The boy sitting across from Su Yiming froze for a moment. As the black stone landed, it felt as if an invisible yet sharp force surged toward him.

"This guy... is he really just an amateur player?"

Meanwhile, Wan Baihan’s expression darkened as he studied the board.

It was clear he had already realized that his white stones were in trouble.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Yu Shao across from him before turning his focus back to his own game.

"I'm already seventeen. I made it to the finals last year. How could I possibly lose to some amateur who’s competing in the main tournament for the first time?"

"I might be at a disadvantage in the opening, but in the midgame battle, I will turn this around!"

Wan Baihan fixed his gaze on the board, deep in thought. After a long moment, he finally reached into his Go bowl and picked up a stone.

"Alright... let’s do this!"

Tak.

Row 13, Column 7—Press!

With this move, the white stones locked the black stones below. There was no way black could simply accept this—counterattacks were inevitable. This meant that a direct fight between black and white was about to erupt!

Yu Shao glanced at the board briefly before placing his move.

Row 12, Column 10—Press!

"Here it comes!"

Seeing this move, Wan Baihan took a deep breath and immediately reached into his bowl, swiftly picking up a stone and placing it down.

Tak, tak, tak...

The two players exchanged moves in quick succession.

In just ten more moves, the battle in the lower part of the board grew more intense. The black and white stones became tightly interwoven, spreading outward like wildfire.

Now, it was Wan Baihan's turn again.

"This is it—I'll cut off black’s escape route!"

He locked onto a single point on the board, his eyes sharp with determination.

The moment the black stone landed, he immediately picked up a white stone from his bowl and placed it down.

Tak!

Row 12, Column 15—Atari!

Yu Shao looked at the move with a calm expression, then quietly picked up a black stone and placed it down.

Tak.

Row 9, Column 7—Shoulder Hit!

"This...!"

Wan Baihan froze on the spot, eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at the board, his mind shaken.

"Shoulder hit?!"

The simplest response to white’s atari was for black to extend—this way, even if white continued chasing, black could still live, though somewhat passively.

Of course, instead of extending, black could also choose a small knight’s move. This response was harder to spot but significantly better than extending—it allowed black to secure territory while white gained thickness, leading to a more complex fight.

But...

Black didn’t choose either of these options.

Instead, he ignored the captured stones and played a shoulder hit, launching a direct invasion into white’s upper side!

"No… this move isn’t bad."

Wan Baihan stared intently at the board, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

"In fact, it’s an excellent move!"

"A move like this… I never could have imagined it!"

"Black just handed over his lower stones to seize the big point, using the upper group to clamp down on White. If I can’t hold the upper side… then Black will completely dominate—"

"The entire board!"

Wan Baihan clenched his teeth, staring intently at the board.

After a long pause, he finally forced himself to pick up a white stone from the bowl.

"I have no choice but to follow. If I keep fighting on the upper side, I’ll eventually have to return to the lower side anyway."

"At least by then, I can reinforce my shape!"

Tak!

Row 9, Column 6—Block!

Tak, tak, tak…

As more stones were placed, Wan Baihan’s face grew increasingly pale, his expression filled with disbelief.

Even though he followed along, in the upper fight, White struggled to withstand Black’s offensive. Black’s relentless cutting and ataris led to rapid expansion, and now—Black was even threatening White’s large dragon in the upper area!

"I can’t hold this!"

Wan Baihan stared at the board, slowly reaching into his Go bowl. The pieces inside clattered against each other.

"The upper dragon is in danger—I have to form eyes first and secure my group!"

To his credit, Wan Baihan had solid experience from the Promotion Tournament.

Even though Yu Shao’s tenuki (ignoring the local fight) with the shoulder hit had completely caught him off guard, and the upper White stones were on the brink of collapse, many players in his position would have already lost their will to fight.

But even in such adversity, Wan Baihan remained calm.

That was a quality most amateur players simply did not possess.

He quickly assessed the current situation and decisively gave up on unnecessary struggles, instead planning an escape route for White and preparing for the next phase of the game.

"I can still fight. The upper side can still live, though it’ll be incredibly cramped—just four points of territory. But the lower side is still undecided, and both flanks have potential to expand toward the center!"

Grinding his teeth, Wan Baihan placed another White stone.

"If you think it’ll be that easy to take me down, you’re mistaken!"

"As long as I drag the battle out, make the situation more complex, and force Black to go on the offensive—"

"That will be the moment White finds its path to survival!"

Tak!

Row 11, Column 5—Peep!

This peep was solid, completely cutting off White’s chance for an immediate counterattack. However, it also slowed down Black’s offensive, giving White just enough time to form eyes in the upper area.

Yu Shao lowered his gaze, briefly considering White’s move before calmly picking up a black stone and placing it down.

Tak.

Row 9, Column 10—Jump!

The sound of the stone landing was light—almost imperceptible.

But in Wan Baihan’s ears, it was like a thunderclap.

"This is…!"

He nearly stood up in shock, staring at the board in disbelief.

"A jump?!"

Sweat slowly trickled down his face as he stared at the position.

For the first time, he could no longer remain calm.

He couldn’t stay calm.

Black was just one step away from securing an overwhelming advantage on the upper side, while White was already in a miserable position—barely scraping by with just four points of territory!

If Black had continued attacking, the simplest approach would have been to lock down White’s upper group, securing an immediate lead. After that, White’s chances of a comeback would have been next to impossible.

But despite this…

Black ignored the fight and jumped into the center!

"This is the least aggressive move… but it’s also the most ruthless move."

Wan Baihan stared blankly at the board, his throat dry as he struggled to swallow.

"This timing… is absolutely perfect."

A moment ago, he hadn’t even considered this move.

He couldn’t have considered it—because it was too unfathomable.

But the instant it landed, he understood its terrifying purpose.

And it sent chills down his spine.

Black refused to let White drag the game into a long, drawn-out battle.

Black had no interest in a slow war of attrition.

Instead, Black abandoned the upper side, where he already had a clear advantage, and immediately seized control of the center.

With this move, any hopes White had of prolonging the game… were completely shattered.

This was a move that controlled the entire board.

And this was a move that decided the game!

Black was going for total annihilation.

Not long after, Yu Shao stood up from his seat, walked over to the referee, and reported his victory.

Meanwhile, Wan Baihan remained frozen in his chair, staring blankly at the board.

A few moments later, the match at Table 12 also concluded.

The player seated there turned to glance at Wan Baihan, surprised by his dazed expression.

Curious, he walked over and looked at the board.

When he saw the final position, his eyes widened in shock, struggling to believe what he was seeing.

White had been completely shattered by Black’s relentless attack.

The upper and central Black stones dominated the board.

Even though White still had some points of territory in the lower section, its shape was riddled with weaknesses.

"Wan Baihan… was playing White?"

He blinked in disbelief.

"Last year’s finalist, Wan Baihan, lost in the first round… to an amateur player?"

"And not just lost… he lost this badly?"