I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 192: His Name is Su Yiming

Sheng Ziyan remained silent, reaching into his bowl and placing another stone on the board.

"Who played White?"

Someone stared intently at the board, unwilling to blink, and couldn't hold back any longer.

"Sheng Ziyan! Who played White?!"

Unlike before, this time he called out Sheng Ziyan’s full name, and his tone was no longer a simple question—it was a demand.

He had already guessed the answer, but he still couldn’t believe it. He needed confirmation—a clear, undeniable answer.

Sheng Ziyan responded as he placed another stone on the board.

"It’s exactly who you’re thinking of."

*"This game was played between Yu Shao, 1-dan, as White and *Tong Lecheng, 3-dan, as Black."

Column 11, Row 13—Peep!

The sound of the stone hitting the board echoed like a thunderclap.

But no one could tell whether it was the move itself that was shocking—

or the answer Sheng Ziyan had just given.

Everyone stared at the board, watching as he continued to replay the game.

Before long, it was White’s turn again.

Sheng Ziyan reached into his bowl and placed another stone at lightning speed.

Snap!

Column 7, Row 6—Atari!

"What?!"

The room erupted in disbelief.

"That entire black group is dead! But instead of just securing the kill, White is still pushing into Black’s upper territory?!"

Someone’s voice trembled with excitement as they spoke.

"This level of aggression is absolutely brutal—it’s almost excessive!"

"How does he dare to play like this?! Does he really trust his ability to handle weak groups so much? Can he even survive this?"

Sheng Ziyan didn’t answer.

He simply kept placing stones.

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

The only sound in the room was the rhythmic placement of stones.

Silence fell over the crowd.

Every single person was now glued to the board, their faces filled with shock.

Sheng Ziyan reached into his bowl again.

The next move—

Snap!

Column 2, Row 8—Push!

At last, Sheng Ziyan looked up.

Gazing at the professional players gathered in the room, he spoke.

"Tong Lecheng resigned at this point."

—

For a long moment, the room remained completely silent.

No one looked away from the board, unwilling to blink.

"Tong Lecheng barely made any noticeable mistakes, yet Yu Shao still managed to catch every small weakness and launch a relentless attack. His final life-and-death maneuver was absolutely brilliant!"

Someone finally took a deep breath, struggling to process what they had just witnessed.

"If he really has this level of skill..."

"Then maybe... maybe he’s more than just a threat to us!"

—

No one disagreed.

Not a single player in the room denied that statement.

Even though Yu Shao was only a 1-dan, the way he played this game was enough to shake them all.

Then, amidst the stunned silence, a voice finally spoke.

It was He Yu—who had been silent the entire time.

"Just a threat?"

His words caused everyone to jolt in surprise.

They turned toward He Yu, eyes filled with confusion.

"A year ago, didn’t I already tell you?"

He Yu took a deep breath.

"Those two would stand before us sooner than you think."

—

"A year ago?"

Some players looked puzzled.

But then, someone in the room suddenly realized something—and their eyes widened in shock.

—

"A year ago, you asked me who played Black in that one game."

He Yu smiled slightly, as if reminiscing.

"And my answer was... I won’t tell you."

He paused, then continued.

"Now, I can finally reveal the answer."

"The one who played Black in that game..."

"Was Yu Shao."

—

Dead silence.

—

"Impossible..."

The room seemed to freeze as every professional player present stared at He Yu in shock.

That game...

The infamous online match from over a year ago.

It had caused an absolute uproar in the Go community—

Two unknown players had played a lightning-fast blitz match, a game so aggressive and chaotic that people couldn’t stop analyzing it for days.

It was an unpolished game, full of missteps and imperfections.

But even with those flaws, the sheer brilliance of the fight was undeniable—so much so that people couldn’t stop rewatching it.

And now, one of those two players—

Had been Yu Shao all along?

At that time, Yu Shao hadn't even been a professional player yet.

"To be honest, I’m not even surprised anymore."

Sheng Ziyan looked at He Yu, his smile half-mocking, half-genuine.

"So our dear He Yu, 6-dan—you've been playing the riddle master for a whole year, huh? Enjoyed yourself?"

"It was great."

He Yu chuckled.

"I never realized keeping secrets could be so satisfying."

"If the player who controlled Black in that game a year ago was Yu Shao..."

A young player in the crowd took a deep breath, shaken to his core.

"Then he’s not just a threat anymore. He’s someone we need to take more seriously than ever before!"

The room fell into an eerie silence.

The absurdity of the situation was overwhelming.

They were talking about a brand-new professional player—someone who had just earned his promotion.

And yet, they had no choice but to acknowledge him—to prepare for him as if he was already their equal, if not stronger.

"Wait... He Yu!"

Someone’s mind suddenly clicked.

He turned to He Yu, taking a deep breath before pressing on.

"If Yu Shao was the one who played Black... then who played White?"

The moment the question was asked, the entire room fell silent again.

Every pair of eyes locked onto He Yu.

Even Sheng Ziyan was staring at him now, waiting for his answer.

Go is a two-player game.

For a legendary game to be born, it’s never just one player who makes it happen.

It requires two equally brilliant opponents, pushing each other to the limit.

If Yu Shao was Black, then the player who had controlled White in that infamous match deserved just as much attention.

And in that game, White’s style had been eerily similar to Shen Yi, the Go Sage himself.

The way White fought relentlessly, the way he built his large-scale influence, the way he clashed against Black with fearless aggression had left a deep impression on everyone who had seen the match.

Even now, they could still remember it vividly.

"The one who played White..."

He Yu paused, sweeping his gaze across the gathered professionals.

Then, he spoke.

"His name is Su Yiming."

Silence.

Utter, absolute silence.

Sheng Ziyan was the first to break it.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice heavy.

"I can’t even imagine... what the hell happened at this year’s Promotion Tournament."

No one responded.

Everyone else was still processing the weight of what they had just learned.

"Maybe... it’s time I start seriously studying the 3-3 Point Invasion."

Someone muttered to himself.

"Maybe it’s not as bad as I thought."

He paused.

Then, with a firm resolution, he continued.

"I’ll start today."

The Go Sage Title Match, Game Four finally concluded.

The moment the game ended, the internet exploded.

Zhang Dongchen had withstood the pressure once again.

He had fought Jiang Changdong all the way to the endgame, and in the final moments, Zhang Dongchen—playing Black—won by one and a half points.

The best-of-five series was now tied at 2-2.

Now, everything came down to the final match—the decisive Game Five.

The ultimate King’s Mountain Battle that would determine the next Go Sage.

Would Zhang Dongchen complete his three-peat title defense?

Or would Jiang Changdong, the National Master, seize two major titles in one year?

This was all the internet could talk about.

For Yu Shao, this meant that every day, his phone was flooded with news notifications about the Go Sage Title Match.

In those two days, Yu Shao played two online games against Wu Zhixuan at home.

And on the third day, it was time for the third round of the Yingjiao Cup Preliminaries.

The moment Yu Shao stepped into the playing room, he felt a noticeable shift.

He was met with a sea of gazes.

Even the young players who had previously ignored him were now watching him with furrowed brows.

These weren’t just any young professionals.

Unlike other low-dan players, these were the ones who had earned their ranks at just 12 or 13 years old.

Their current skill levels were extremely high.

And more importantly, they weren’t here just to improve.

They were here to win.

To become champions.

Before today, they hadn’t thought much of Yu Shao.

Yes, he had gained fame quickly.

Yes, he had never lost since turning pro.

But in their minds, his opponents hadn’t been strong enough.

After all, most of his wins were against low-dan players.

Even Tong Lecheng, 3-dan, wasn’t necessarily a strong indicator—because everyone knew his real skill level was far beyond 3-dan.

"Seven consecutive wins already..."

At Table 8, a 17-year-old player with messy hair frowned as he watched Yu Shao.

"Interesting. He actually managed to beat Tong Lecheng."

At Table 24, a young player with bronze-toned skin, thick brows, and sharp eyes observed Yu Shao with genuine curiosity.

"Could he really make it to the main tournament as a 1-dan?"

At Table 3, a sharp-featured player raised his eyebrows.

"He just became 1-dan... that’s terrifying."

He took a quick glance at Yu Shao—then at Yu Shao’s opponent for today, a buzz-cut teenager whose face was filled with anxiety.

"Heh. Poor Chai Bin. The guy's barely 3-dan and already scared out of his mind before the match even starts."

"If you think you’re going to lose before the game even begins, how the hell are you going to win?"

The sharp-featured player smirked and looked back at Yu Shao.

"Not bad. Hopefully, I’ll get to face him soon."

"It’s rude for a 1-dan to be on a winning streak like this."

"I suppose it’ll have to be me—Dou Yiming, 6-dan, the second coming of Shen Yi, the future Unbeaten Go Sage—who ends his streak!"

"At the peak of the Go path, who stands above?"

"Once Dou Yiming appears, all others fade to dust!"

Satisfied with his own thoughts, Dou Yiming nodded to himself.

He casually picked up the folding fan resting on his table.

With a dramatic flick of his wrist, he snapped it open.

Emblazoned across the fan, written in bold, flamboyant calligraphy, was a single phrase—

"Unrivaled."

At that moment, a young player wearing a white shirt, with delicate features, approached Dou Yiming’s table.

He pulled out the chair and sat down.

"You’re Su Yiming?"

Dou Yiming blinked.

With a snap, he folded his fan shut and asked his question.

Su Yiming hesitated slightly, then nodded.

"Yes."

"I’m Dou Yiming. Y'know, our names sound kinda similar."

Dou Yiming grinned, giving Su Yiming a thumbs-up.

"Yiming, Yiming—mine means ‘fame that shakes the world,’ and yours means ‘clarity above all else.’ Great names, huh? Two heroes, one fate!"

Then, with an exaggerated pat on Su Yiming’s shoulder, Dou Yiming said—

"Don’t be nervous just because I’m higher-ranked."

"Just treat me like a 1-dan and give it your best shot!"