I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 155: The Feeling of Powerlessness

For the next few days, Yu Shao continued attending school as usual, cherishing the last moments of his student life.

After the Flame Inheritance Match, he would officially enter the world of professional Go. At that point, his time in school would become scarce.

Xu Zijin, perhaps sharing the same sentiment, also started attending classes regularly. With that, Class 6 of the second-year class became the center of attention once again.

Although many students knew that Xu Zijin came from a well-off family, they hadn’t known the full extent of her background.

But after the Promotion Tournament ended, the revelation that her father was Xu Duanhua sent shockwaves through the school.

Every day after class, Yu Shao would head to the activity room to play and review games with Zhou De and the others. Naturally, Xu Zijin was there as well. Around 5:20 PM, the crisp sounds of stones hitting the board would echo through the room.

Time flew by, and soon, a week had passed.

The buzz around the Promotion Tournament had mostly died down, but with the Flame Inheritance Match about to begin, the newly promoted 1-dan players were back in the spotlight.

Without a doubt, the most talked-about name of this year’s Flame Inheritance Match was Yu Shao.

In this world, amateur players earning professional status was already rare—too many dedicated dojo trainees were competing for the limited slots.

And to do it with a flawless record? Unheard of.

But what truly made this year’s Promotion Tournament insane was the presence of Zhuang Fei and Fang Haoxin—two players who had been all but guaranteed to qualify.

Yet, out of nowhere, two dark horses emerged and shook the tournament.

Fang Haoxin barely scraped through, while Zhuang Fei—son of the legendary Zhuang Weisheng—was eliminated.

This shocking upset turned the Flame Inheritance Match into the most anticipated event in the Southern Region, drawing not just national but even international attention.

And finally, the first match was about to begin!

That morning, Yu Shao took a cab to the Southern Go Association Headquarters.

Though he had been to the Jiangling Go Academy for the Promotion Tournament, this was his first time at the Southern Headquarters.

Yu Shao had thought Jiangling Go Academy was already quite prestigious, but standing in front of the Southern Go Headquarters, he realized it paled in comparison.

The Southern Headquarters wasn’t just a competition venue—it was a sacred battleground where the biggest tournaments in the region took place.

The sprawling compound was grand and imposing, built in traditional architecture with red walls, green tiles, and towering pagodas. Beyond the high walls, countless ancient-style buildings could be glimpsed, giving the place the solemnity of a temple at dawn.

As Yu Shao stepped out of the cab, he immediately spotted Jiang Xiahua at the entrance.

Even though today wasn’t Yu Shao’s match day, Jiang Xiahua’s Flame Inheritance Match was scheduled, as was Xu Zijin’s.

A few days ago, Jiang Xiahua had messaged him, inviting him to watch the games live. Since Yu Shao had never been to the Southern Headquarters, he figured it was a good chance to check out the venue.

"Yu Shao, did you get your match schedule?"

Jiang Xiahua quickly walked up to him with a curious look.

"Who’s your partner? Who’s your opponent? When’s your match?"

"Yeah, I got it—my match is tomorrow."

Yu Shao nodded. He had received the email from the Southern Headquarters two days ago.

"My partner is Kong Zi, and our opponents are Zhuang Weisheng, 10-dan, and Fang Haoxin."

"Hahaha! My master called it!"

Jiang Xiahua clapped his hands and laughed.

"Kong Zi really doesn’t mind the trouble, huh? Traveling all the way here to join our match, only to rush back right after for his disciple’s game."

"You guys predicted this?"

Yu Shao was a bit surprised.

Even he had been shocked when he saw the match schedule. He hadn't expected to face Zhuang Weisheng in the Flame Inheritance Match.

Zhuang Weisheng was a living legend—a player whose name he had constantly seen in news articles and advertisements ever since transmigrating to this world.

Dubbed the "Eternal 10-dan", Zhuang Weisheng held two major titles: Tenth Dan and Tianyuan.

"Well, you did beat Zhuang Fei. Zhuang Weisheng is definitely curious about your strength."

Jiang Xiahua grinned.

"Besides, Kong Zi recently managed to take the Tianyuan title from Zhuang Weisheng… only for Zhuang Weisheng to snatch it back right after."

"Kong Zi must be holding a grudge. This is the perfect chance for him—if he loses, no big deal; if he wins, it’s a massive morale boost. No way he’d pass this up, even if it means flying across the country."

"And since Chairman Ma of the Southern Go Association is good friends with Kong Zi, once Kong Zi volunteered, it was almost certain that he’d get the spot."

Jiang Xiahua sighed.

"That said… my master might not like hearing this, but honestly, Zhuang Weisheng is just too strong."

Yu Shao raised an eyebrow, looking at Jiang Xiahua.

"You know Qin Haisheng, 7-dan, right?"

Jiang Xiahua’s eyes held a hint of admiration as he continued.

"Back when Qin Haisheng was just a 2-dan player, he faced Zhuang Weisheng in the Grandmaster Tournament."

"That match ended in a crushing defeat. He never stood a chance."

"Later, Qin Haisheng moved to Japan, where he trained relentlessly and rapidly improved. Just half a year ago, he reached 7-dan—a level where he could compete with 9-dan professionals."

"Recently, he returned to China to compete in domestic tournaments. And in the regional team event, he faced Zhuang Weisheng again."

Jiang Xiahua paused, not stating the outcome directly. Instead, he turned to Yu Shao with a smirk.

"Do you know what Qin Haisheng said in his post-match interview?"

Yu Shao shook his head.

"What did he say?"

Jiang Xiahua took a deep breath and slowly said,

"Just like when I was a 2-dan, I once again experienced… the feeling of complete helplessness."

Yu Shao blinked.

Even though Jiang Xiahua hadn’t outright stated the result, the answer was obvious.

Qin Haisheng had lost.

And not just lost—he had been utterly, mercilessly defeated.

"So? Knowing that you’ll be playing against Zhuang Weisheng in tomorrow’s match—how do you feel?"

Jiang Xiahua grinned.

Yu Shao thought for a moment before replying,

"Hearing all that…"

"Now, I’m even more excited."

Jiang Xiahua was momentarily stunned.

Then, he laughed and gave Yu Shao a hearty slap on the shoulder.

"Damn, no wonder you’re so good at Go! I can't wait to watch your match tomorrow!"

"Alright, let's head inside. I’ve never been here before."

Yu Shao was curious to explore the headquarters.

"You, a Jiangling player, have never been to the Southern Go Headquarters? I’ve been here multiple times already."

Jiang Xiahua looked at him in surprise but didn’t press further.

Soon, the two of them stepped through the grand entrance.