I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 159: Which Hidden Sect Did This Disciple Come From?

Once Chang Yan left, Yu Shao turned to look at Jiang Xiahua, only to find him staring back blankly, his face full of confusion.

"Eat your food."

Yu Shao couldn't help but remind him, "Your Flame Inheritance Match is at 1 PM."

"You mean...?"

Jiang Xiahua swallowed, his Adam's apple moving slightly, and stared at Yu Shao in disbelief. "You learned Go all by yourself?"

"Yeah."

Hearing this, Yu Shao felt a bit embarrassed but still nodded and admitted, "I did learn on my own."

After confirming Yu Shao’s words, Jiang Xiahua looked down at his lunch, suddenly losing all appetite.

"Everyone always says I have great talent in Go."

After a long pause, Jiang Xiahua sighed and asked in a daze, "Now I'm wondering... what exactly is my talent?"

"You really do have talent."

Yu Shao couldn't help but console him, "Look at the Promotion Tournament. So many people failed to earn a professional rank, but you made it in the end, didn't you?"

"Look at the others?"

Jiang Xiahua's tone was a bit strange as he countered, "You mean Su Yiming?"

Yu Shao fell silent for a moment.

Su Yiming was indeed an anomaly. Yu Shao couldn't understand how someone could be that monstrously talented. If Su Yiming had been a dojo trainee aiming for professional status, it would have made sense. But the guy was just an amateur player.

"Forget it, forget it. Even if I have talent, there’s always someone more talented than me."

Jiang Xiahua shook his head as if coming to terms with it. "Like Zhuang Fei or Fang Haoxin. If anyone should be feeling down, it’s them. What am I even upset about?"

With that, he stood up and said to Yu Shao, "Take your time eating. I need to meet my teacher soon, do an interview, and then get ready for the Flame Inheritance Match."

"You're not eating anymore?"

Yu Shao was surprised to see Jiang Xiahua leaving half a bowl of rice untouched.

"Nope. Eating too much makes me sluggish from the carbs."

Jiang Xiahua rolled his eyes. "Besides, even though I said I’m fine, I can’t help but feel a little shaken. Kinda lost my appetite. Oh, by the way, make sure to watch my match in the discussion room later."

"Got it. I'll tune in."

Yu Shao smiled and nodded. "Good luck."

After saying his goodbyes, Jiang Xiahua quickly left the cafeteria.

His words about Su Yiming lingered in Yu Shao’s mind. As he ate, he couldn’t help but recall the few games he had played against Su Yiming.

"Tomorrow, during my Flame Inheritance Match… Su Yiming should be watching, right?"

Yu Shao hadn't asked him directly, but he was pretty sure the answer was yes.

Once he finished eating, Yu Shao set aside his thoughts, got up, and left the cafeteria, heading toward the discussion room.

During major tournaments, the Go Academy’s discussion room would livestream the matches, allowing players to watch and analyze the games. This was no different from how things worked in his past life.

Though the Flame Inheritance Match wasn't an official tournament—just an exhibition match—it held great significance. It symbolized the passing of the torch in Go, serving as the first professional match for new 1-dan players. Because of this, it attracted a lot of attention.

For the next few days, the Southern Go Academy’s discussion room would be broadcasting the matches live.

By the time Yu Shao arrived, the room was already filled with people. However, he didn’t see any familiar faces—just a mix of other professional players, both men and women.

This wasn’t surprising.

It didn’t mean that the new 1-dan players weren’t interested in Jiang Xiahua’s match. Most of them were likely watching the livestream at home rather than coming all the way to the academy.

If Yu Shao hadn’t been new to the Southern Go Academy and personally invited by Jiang Xiahua, he probably would’ve stayed home to watch, too.

The ones watching in the discussion room were likely professional players who had matches at the academy today. Clearly, they were curious about this year’s new batch of professionals.

As Yu Shao stepped into the room, he immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Upon recognizing his face, several players paused momentarily before their eyes lit up with curiosity.

"You’re Yu Shao, right?"

A young man in his early twenties with a buzz cut grinned. "An amateur player, first time participating in the Promotion Tournament, and you went undefeated. You even beat Zhuang Fei. I've been hearing your name nonstop for the past month."

"Yeah, seriously. I’ve heard ‘Yu Shao’ so many times in the past month that my ears are about to grow calluses."

Another player, about eighteen years old, joked, "Damn, brother, which hidden sect did you come from to train? You’re a freak!"

"What hidden sect?"

Yu Shao chuckled and shook his head. "It was just luck."

"Going undefeated in the Promotion Tournament is luck? Damn, why wasn’t I lucky enough to go undefeated back then?"

The buzz-cut player sighed dramatically. "Guess my luck is just too bad."

Hearing this, the rest of the room burst into laughter, casually chatting as they sized Yu Shao up with great curiosity.

New 1-dan players always attracted attention from professionals, but Yu Shao’s record in the Promotion Tournament was far too eye-catching.

"The Flame Inheritance Match is starting."

Someone pointed to the TV screens, where the first stones had just been placed on the board.

The room quickly fell silent, everyone turning their attention to the screen—including Yu Shao.

"Jiang Xiahua and Zhu Xinyuan, 9-dan, playing as Black against Bai Jingchuan and Lin Han, 9-dan."

"Chu Minqiao and Feng Zhixi, 9-dan, playing as Black against Xu Zijin and Chang Yan, 9-dan."

Yu Shao quickly noticed that in the women’s group, Chu Minqiao’s partner was a male 9-dan player rather than a female one.

Clearly, Feng Zhixi was her mentor. Otherwise, she would have been paired with a female 9-dan player instead.

In the discussion room, players quickly began replicating the games on physical boards, synchronizing each move with the screens as the games unfolded.

"Black chose to clamp instead of reinforcing with a connection, leaving a cutting point open. This is an aggressive move!"

"It looks like Zhu Xinyuan and Jiang Xiahua want to steer the game into a complex mid-game battle rather than taking it all the way to endgame."

"Then it’ll come down to coordination. Even though they’re mentor and student, their mid-game thought processes won’t be completely in sync. The Flame Inheritance Match is all about teamwork and synergy."

"Meanwhile, Chang Yan and Xu Zijin are playing it steady—calm and composed."

The players analyzed and debated, discussing different perspectives on the unfolding matches.

On the screen, stones continued to be placed, and both games soon transitioned from opening moves into the fierce mid-game.

At this stage, the players noticeably slowed down.

In the Flame Inheritance Match, it wasn’t just about playing the best move—it was about ensuring their partner understood their intentions.

This was something both the 9-dan professionals and the new 1-dan players had to consider.

"Lin Han’s hane here is incredibly sharp! It’s a real test for Black."

"And the one who has to respond... is Jiang Xiahua."

"He handled it beautifully."

A young player’s expression turned serious. "That jump not only creates flexibility, but also stabilizes Black’s shape—he’s playing after first conceding to gain initiative!"

"I saw this move too, but I didn’t think he’d actually play it."

Someone took a deep breath, as if feeling pressure. "This year’s new professionals… they’re no joke."

All eyes subconsciously shifted to Yu Shao, their curiosity growing stronger.

"Still, Lin Han won’t back down."

The buzz-cut player murmured, "Black is being aggressive, but also overextending. White has no choice but to counterattack!"

On the screen, a large hand placed a White stone.

Row 5, Column 14—Peep!

"A peep… what a fierce move!"

"The battle is about to erupt!"