I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 146: Victory and Defeat in a Dream

Tap. Tap. Tap...

Inside the playing room, the sound of stones being placed on the board echoed without pause.

Around one particular table, the crowd continued to grow. Everyone had their heads lowered, staring at the board with slightly open mouths and widened eyes.

After a long while, Yu Shao picked up another stone and placed it gently on the board.

Tap.

Column 10, Row 15—Cut.

The crisp sound of the move was strikingly clear.

Seeing this move, Jiang Xiahua's right hand remained inside the stone bowl, unable to pick up another stone.

"It’s over..."

As soon as the black stone landed, everyone already knew the outcome.

"Black wins—Dragon-Slaying Victory."

A mid-game win for Black—this was the expected outcome all along.

Yet at this moment, the surrounding crowd remained utterly silent, staring at the board in complete stillness.

"White managed to fight alongside Black to complete this game record..."

Fang Haoxin gazed at the board, his eyes trembling. He subconsciously swallowed, recalling his second match against Su Yiming—the one where he had resigned outright.

He wasn’t the only one. Everyone else was also staring at the board, speechless.

The gap in skill was obvious. Black had held the advantage from start to finish, ultimately crushing White’s formation on the right and slaying the large dragon.

And yet...

White’s performance in this game was beyond everyone’s expectations. Despite the relentless and ferocious attacks from Black, White held on tenaciously, displaying astonishing resilience.

Though ultimately defeated, White had managed to endure under such dire circumstances, which was nothing short of... unbelievable.

"It’s over..."

Yu Shao looked at the board, feeling somewhat surprised.

This wasn’t a match between equals. He had gained the upper hand early on, yet Jiang Xiahua had still fought until now. That was unexpected.

In the mid-game, Jiang Xiahua had made several impressive moves—so impressive that even Yu Shao had to acknowledge them. Even when at a disadvantage, he dared to cut and fight rather than passively defend and suffer.

Throughout the game, there weren’t many outright mistakes from Jiang Xiahua—only a few slow moves.

Of course, there were still weaknesses: his over-focus on local gains, his lack of whole-board awareness, and his imprecise positional judgment.

But for a dojo trainee aiming for professional status, this performance was already remarkable.

Across from Yu Shao, Jiang Xiahua stared at the board. Despite having his large dragon slaughtered and the game being undeniably lost, there wasn’t a trace of disappointment on his face. Instead, he seemed a little dazed.

He had played this game without worrying about winning or losing, without noticing the passage of time—completely immersing himself in the match. It wasn’t until his large dragon was killed that he finally snapped back to reality.

"This game... I played it with my own hands."

Reassessing the board and recalling each move he had made, Jiang Xiahua found it a little hard to believe.

Even though he had lost, he realized—

"I leveled up..."

Jiang Xiahua had never experienced such a distinct moment of improvement before.

His heart pounded wildly, his entire being filled with exhilaration.

Only after a long moment did he suppress his emotions, take a deep breath, and lower his head toward Yu Shao.

"I lost."

There was no trace of regret in his voice, nor was there any of the prior uncertainty in his expression.

Hearing this, Yu Shao immediately returned the formal greeting.

"Thank you for the game."

Jiang Xiahua followed suit.

"Thank you for the game."

The match was over.

Yet the crowd still hadn’t fully recovered, staring blankly at the board, marveling at White’s desperate and unyielding resistance.

After witnessing yesterday’s match, everyone had assumed that today, Jiang Xiahua would be demoralized, completely crushed by Yu Shao’s overwhelming strength.

But reality had proven them wrong.

Yes, White had been broken by Black’s fierce and dominant attacks, but in the midst of that hopeless struggle, White’s moves had shone like beacons.

"That was well-played."

Just then, a voice broke the silence.

It was Su Yiming.

The crowd flinched slightly and turned their gazes toward him in unison.

"A truly excellent game."

Su Yiming looked at Jiang Xiahua, then at Yu Shao. After a moment of thought, he spoke.

"Want to grab a meal together? My treat."

"I'm in!"

At the mention of free food, Jiang Xiahua’s eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded. Then he glanced at Yu Shao.

Since Su Yiming was treating, Yu Shao had no objections. He nodded, stood up, and looked over at Ma Zhengyu.

Ma Zhengyu gave a slight nod, indicating he understood the match’s result.

At that moment, Su Yiming turned toward Fang Haoxin in the crowd.

"Want to join us?"

Fang Haoxin hesitated.

He wasn’t sure why Su Yiming had invited him. Maybe it was just his imagination, but despite not knowing Su Yiming well, he felt that Su Yiming paid particular attention to him.

Still, when he thought about their second game—the one where he had resigned—Fang Haoxin fell silent.

In the end, he shook his head.

"Thanks... but you guys go ahead."

Su Yiming opened his mouth as if to say something but eventually remained silent.

Soon after, the three of them left the playing room together.

Watching them go, the remaining spectators had different thoughts. Some left as well, while others stayed to watch the ongoing matches.

Meanwhile, Ma Zhengyu returned to the judges’ table, unable to shake off the memories of this year’s Promotion Tournament.

As the Southern Go Association’s vice chairman and the head referee for multiple years, he had witnessed countless legends rise and fall.

But never before had a Promotion Tournament left such a deep impression on him.

He knew he would never forget this one.

From Su Yiming’s game against Fang Haoxin to Zhuang Fei’s crushing defeat against Yu Shao, and finally, to yesterday’s intense battle between Su Yiming and Yu Shao...

Even though a whole day had passed, the memory of that match still shook him to his core.

This year’s Promotion Tournament was named the Lanke Cup—a name derived from the legendary "Lanke Go Player," who played a single game that lasted a hundred years.

And at this moment, Ma Zhengyu felt he understood the Lanke Go Player in a way he never had before.

"These days, our country’s Go community is no longer at its peak like in Shen Yi’s era. We’re barely hanging on as an upper-tier nation. In international tournaments, only Zhuang Weisheng, a ninth-dan professional, is holding the line alone."

"But..."

"The future is bright."

Ma Zhengyu gazed at the players still locked in battle inside the playing room, his thoughts drifting back to the match between Yu Shao and Jiang Xiahua. He couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"The brilliance of genius is dazzling, no doubt. But the light of those who strive tirelessly to chase after them—it's just as radiant."

Yu Shao, Su Yiming, and Jiang Xiahua soon arrived at a Sichuan restaurant. Yu Shao and Su Yiming each ordered two dishes, but when it was Jiang Xiahua’s turn, he picked up the menu and started choosing with great enthusiasm.

"Boss, I’ll have Braised Spicy Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Sour Fish Soup, and then..."

Yu Shao’s mouth twitched. He quickly cut in, "I know it's on someone else’s tab, but there’s only three of us. Are you sure we can finish all that?"

"I’m turning my frustration into an appetite! He’s covering two dishes, I’ll pay for the extra ones myself, alright?"

Jiang Xiahua put on a dramatic expression of righteous indignation. "You already secured your professional slot ahead of time. I still have a life-or-death match tomorrow—I need to eat more!"

Since Jiang Xiahua had already said he’d cover the extra cost, Yu Shao had no reason to argue. He let him order as he pleased.

Soon, Jiang Xiahua placed his final selection of four dishes, setting the menu down with a satisfied look.

"You played really well in that game just now," Su Yiming remarked, looking at Jiang Xiahua. "Based on that level of play, those who got a bye in the previous rounds shouldn’t be a match for you."

"But that kind of state is rare and unpredictable," Jiang Xiahua shook his head. "I do feel like I’ve improved, but playing at that level every time? That’s another story. I still need more experience."

He sighed, glancing between Yu Shao and Su Yiming with a hint of frustration. "You two… you’re both technically amateur players, so how are you this strong?"

Hearing this, Yu Shao couldn’t help but glance at Su Yiming.

He had encountered many prodigies before—some incredibly talented players who reached a high level at a young age. But all of them had started learning Go as kids, trained in dojos, and honed their skills through countless battles in the professional scene.

But Su Yiming wasn’t a dojo trainee.

So even for Yu Shao, Su Yiming’s Go strength was hard to believe.

After a brief silence, Su Yiming finally answered, "I once had a dream. In that dream, I kept winning. And when I woke up, playing Go felt much simpler."

"A dream?"

Jiang Xiahua looked utterly bewildered. "You writing a novel or something? What’s with the mystical enlightenment nonsense? If you’re just naturally gifted, then say so. I won’t get discouraged."

Su Yiming fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to Yu Shao, staring at him intently.

"And you?"

"Me?"

Yu Shao hadn’t taken Su Yiming’s words seriously, so he just chuckled. "Funny enough, I also had a dream. But in mine, I kept losing. And when I woke up, playing Go felt much simpler."

Su Yiming froze.

"Alright, alright."

Jiang Xiahua rolled his eyes dramatically. "I’m gonna go home and dream about Triple Ko Fights and Four-Ko Cycles, just endlessly playing to a draw. Maybe tomorrow I’ll wake up and find Go has become simple for me too."

Su Yiming remained silent for a while, then looked at Yu Shao again and asked, "You don’t have a match tomorrow, right? You should have some free time?"

"Tomorrow?"

Yu Shao thought about it, then nodded. "Yeah, I’m free. Why?"

"If you’re free, let’s find a Go hall nearby and play a game." Su Yiming's gaze was steady as he made the suggestion.

Su Yiming had never gotten a bye, which meant his opponent tomorrow wouldn’t be Jiang Xiahua—his professional status was already secured.

And since Lanke was the birthplace of Go legends, the city had no shortage of Go halls. Yu Shao had even noticed several while walking to eat the other day.

Hearing Su Yiming’s request, Yu Shao was slightly surprised. But after thinking it over, he had no reason to refuse.

"Alright," he agreed with a nod.