I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 158: Quiet, I’m Thinking

Jiang Xiahua’s mind went completely blank—he couldn’t believe his ears.

The Demon Blade Joseki… was cracked?

That was the Demon Blade!

One of the three most enigmatic josekis in Go, infamous for its brutality, it had cut down countless top players.

At first, Jiang Xiahua refused to believe it. But as he processed what Chang Yan had just said, his pupils contracted violently.

“A push? Wait… I think I’ve seen that game before?!”

Suddenly, he remembered the match between Yu Shao and Su Yiming during the promotion tournament.

That game had been an absolute masterpiece—an intense midgame battle filled with breathtaking attacks and defenses.

Back then, Su Yiming had played the Demon Blade Joseki, and Yu Shao had responded with a seemingly ordinary push. That move resulted in Black gaining significant influence.

But Yu Shao only won because Black made mistakes later on, right?

What did that have to do with cracking the Demon Blade Joseki?

Hearing Chang Yan’s words, Yu Shao immediately understood.

Ah… so that’s how it is.

Xu Zijin had been present when he analyzed the Demon Blade Joseki with the Hand-Cut Method. She must have told Chang Yan about it afterward.

“That’s right.”

Yu Shao nodded with a smile. “After the push, I used the Hand-Cut Method to analyze the position. It turned out that the player using the Demon Blade was at a loss. So, theoretically, the Demon Blade should no longer be viable.”

Chang Yan’s eyes flashed with astonishment.

Young, low-dan players were usually nervous or reserved when speaking with her. But Yu Shao? From beginning to end, he had been completely at ease.

When Xu Zijin first told her about the Demon Blade being cracked by a single push, her initial reaction was pure disbelief.

Even when Xu Zijin laid out the variations for her, she still found it ridiculous.

But that very night, she kept replaying the joseki over and over, analyzing every variation using the Hand-Cut Method.

And she arrived at the same conclusion.

The Demon Blade… was at a loss.

She had no words to describe the turmoil in her heart at that moment.

She spent that entire night tossing and turning in bed, unable to accept that one of the three most complex josekis in history had been broken—and by a move as basic as a push.

If this news got out, it would shake the global Go community to its core!

The next morning, Chang Yan immediately called Ma Zhengyu and asked to partner with Yu Shao in the Flame Inheritance Match.

She knew that, as a female player, it was unlikely for her to be paired with a male first-dan player in this event.

Unless… the male player had apprenticed under a female teacher before earning his dan rank. In that case, since they were master and disciple, they could form a team.

Hearing their conversation, Jiang Xiahua couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Teacher Chang Yan, how… how was the Demon Blade cracked?!”

Chang Yan glanced at Jiang Xiahua, then looked at Yu Shao.

“He doesn’t know?” she asked.

“He doesn’t.”

Yu Shao shrugged. “Not like he ever asked me.”

Chang Yan thought for a moment before saying, “Black plays at R16, White at Q14, Black tenuki, White at S14, Black at R17, White at Q16, Black at O16…”

At first, Jiang Xiahua didn’t react. But as he followed the moves in his mind, his eyes widened with every step.

By the time Chang Yan finished describing the variation, he was utterly stunned.

“This… this…”

Jiang Xiahua swallowed hard, his pupils trembling.

“No way…No way…”

“A push… from move 1 to 9, Black loses… On moves 10, 11, and 15, White falls slightly behind, but on moves 16 and 17, White gets an overwhelming advantage?!”

His voice was hoarse, his expression dazed.

“The Demon Blade was… sealed away by a single push?”

Chang Yan wasn’t surprised by his reaction.

When she had first discovered the truth, it had taken her a long time to calm down as well.

“Based on the Hand-Cut Method, the Demon Blade Joseki isn’t viable anymore if the push is played,” Chang Yan admitted.

“But at a glance, that push still looks like a bad move. The player using the Demon Blade ends up with a rock-solid formation.”

She furrowed her brows and turned to Yu Shao.

“How did you come up with that push? And why did you analyze it with the Hand-Cut Method?”

Yu Shao sighed inwardly.

Here we go again.

After a brief moment of thought, he gave the same excuse he had used on his parents before.

“Well… I learned Go on my own. Pushing into the corner just seemed like a good idea, so I analyzed it with the Hand-Cut Method.”

“…What?!”

Jiang Xiahua completely lost it.

“You… You taught yourself Go?!”

To Jiang Xiahua, this revelation was even more unbelievable than the Demon Blade being cracked.

The cafeteria fell silent.

Heads turned toward their table, curious eyes filled with disbelief.

“What’s he yelling about?”

“Did I hear that right? Self-taught Go?!”

“Wait… is he saying Yu Shao is self-taught?”

“No way. You must’ve misheard. There’s no way someone self-taught could become a professional—let alone go undefeated in the promotion tournament!”

“I… I don’t know anymore. Old Deng, did you catch that?”

“Shut up. I’m thinking.”

Chang Yan was also in shock.

Yu Shao’s answer was both logical and illogical at the same time.

If he had truly taught himself Go, then it made sense that he wouldn’t be constrained by conventional thinking. That could explain why he played a move that no normal player would ever consider.

But… how could someone self-taught possibly reach the professional level?

“You mean… completely self-taught?”

Chang Yan fixed her gaze on Yu Shao, her tone unusually serious.

“No teachers at all?”

“None.”

Yu Shao replied casually.

At least in this world, he had never had a Go teacher.

Chang Yan stared at him in stunned silence.

She had met many geniuses—in fact, she was one herself. She had surpassed countless male players to reach ninth-dan as a female player, an accomplishment few could match.

But a self-taught Go player?

One who not only became a professional but also cracked the Demon Blade Joseki?

After a long pause, Chang Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the storm in her heart.

Then, she looked Yu Shao in the eyes and asked:

“Have you considered… taking a master?”

Chang Yan had always been deeply devoted to Go. She found the master-disciple relationship cumbersome and had always declared publicly that she would never take on students, nor would she establish a Go dojo—let alone accept a male disciple.

The only reason she took Xu Zijin as a student was, firstly, the generous compensation offered, and more importantly, because Xu Zijin’s talent had shocked her. She saw in Xu Zijin the potential to carry the banner of women’s Go in the future.

If Xu Zijin had shown no exceptional talent, no amount of money would have convinced her to accept a disciple.

But…

Yu Shao had taught himself Go, became a professional player, went undefeated in the promotion tournament, and even cracked the Demon Blade Joseki—this was beyond terrifying.

It was enough to make her consider taking him as a student.

However—

“I’ve never considered it.”

Yu Shao immediately shook his head at Chang Yan’s question.

“I think my biggest advantage is that I learned Go on my own and, because of that, my thinking isn’t constrained.”

“But if I were to join a dojo or have a teacher, my level might actually decline instead.”

Chang Yan opened her mouth, as if trying to persuade him further, but ultimately, she didn’t know what to say.

With a teacher’s guidance, it would have been impossible for Yu Shao to play that seemingly crude push—a move that went against conventional Go principles. Yet, without that push, the Demon Blade Joseki would have remained unbroken.

Moreover, since Yu Shao was already a professional player, his Go skills were beyond the reach of ordinary people. Even for her, as a ninth-dan professional, it felt rather presumptuous to offer to take him as a disciple.

After all, while a first-dan player defeating a ninth-dan player was extremely rare, it wasn’t unheard of.

A player’s dan rank was only a general indicator of their strength—it didn’t define their actual skill level.

The moment a player became professional, no matter their rank, they had to be treated as equals.

For one professional player to offer to take another professional player as a student—it wasn’t just presumptuous, it was disrespectful.

“…Alright then.”

Realizing this, Chang Yan ultimately let go of the idea. She sighed with a tinge of regret before asking,

“When is your Flame Inheritance Match?”

“It’s tomorrow,” Yu Shao replied.

“Tomorrow?”

Chang Yan thought for a moment, then nodded. “And your partner? Who’s your teammate for the Flame Inheritance Match?”

She didn’t bother asking who his opponents were—she was certain she could guess that. The only mystery was who Yu Shao’s partner would be.

Yu Shao quickly answered,

“Kong Zi, the Meijin titleholder.”

“As expected.”

Chang Yan wasn’t surprised in the slightest. She gave him a word of caution,

“Kong Zi’s playing style is extremely aggressive and relentless. He loves attacking and killing, always going for the kill with bold and open play. You should be mentally prepared.”

Yu Shao was a little surprised at that. After thinking for a moment, he chuckled.

“Well, that actually works out perfectly. I’ve been enjoying that kind of playstyle lately too.”

“Good, I was worried your styles might clash and cause poor coordination.”

Chang Yan smiled slightly, her beauty even more dazzling.

“I’ll be watching your Flame Inheritance Match tomorrow. I’m looking forward to seeing the brilliant attacking synergy between you and Kong Zi.”

“Thanks.”

Yu Shao nodded immediately.