I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 202.5: Carrying a Rice Jar to Play Go

"Four years!"

A young man let out a deep breath, his face brimming with excitement. "I finally made it to my first championship match!"

Fang Xin had been in this world for three years now, and it was beyond anything he could have imagined.

In his previous life, he had never dreamed that people could play Go across vast distances through a mysterious box called a computer. Even more astonishing was that this box contained something called Go AI!

As a Go master who had once dominated an era, Fang Xin had assumed that after transmigrating, he would easily reign supreme. He was eager to challenge the strongest Go player in this world.

But when he looked up the top player...

It was an AI?!

"A broken machine can play Go?"

Fang Xin scoffed at the idea.

He immediately downloaded a free Go AI, thinking it would be a joke—

Then got utterly demolished.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't win.

For the next year, Fang Xin became obsessed, battling the AI day and night. He started playing with a three-stone handicap, losing repeatedly. Then, after countless games, he could occasionally win. Eventually, he reached the point where he could always win with three stones.

Next, he moved on to a two-stone handicap—

And began losing all over again.

This losing streak lasted two whole years!

During this time, he became somewhat of an internet legend. People whispered about some fool who was constantly challenging a Go AI with a two-stone handicap, convinced he could win.

"What kind of joke is this?!"

"Even with a two-stone handicap, no human can beat an AI! If someone could... they'd be dominating the world of professional Go!"

And then, after two long years—

Go AI lost.

The fool had won!

Even if it was a handicap game, he had still beaten the AI!

The world was in an uproar.

Everyone wanted to know: Who is this ‘Destroy Shen Yi’ ID?

And also—Who the hell is Shen Yi?!

The internet quickly dug up his identity.

To their shock, it turned out to be a fifteen-year-old boy named Fang Xin.

And more unbelievably—

He wasn't even a professional player yet.

Fang Xin instantly became the center of global attention. Everyone was certain—he had to turn pro.

And sure enough, he did.

In the Promotion Tournament, he crushed the competition, taking first place.

From there, he entered the professional circuit, sweeping through tournaments and barely tasting defeat. Before long, he stormed into the World Championship.

Now, he had reached the finals.

A best-of-three battle awaited.

His opponent—Choi He.

If he won, he would make history as the youngest World Champion at just sixteen years old.

"Tomorrow's the day."

Fang Xin took a deep breath, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

---

The Next Day

Under the watchful eyes of millions, the World Championship Finals began.

Early in the morning, Fang Xin arrived at the competition venue.

There, he saw his opponent—Choi He.

Choi He was in his twenties, a slim and somewhat frail-looking young man with round-framed glasses.

When he saw Fang Xin, he adjusted his glasses, clenched his teeth, and felt his stomach twist with unease.

He couldn't believe someone like Fang Xin existed in the Go world.

Reaching the finals had already been a stroke of luck for Choi He—he had no confidence whatsoever in defeating Fang Xin.

Soon, two referees arrived.

"He's strong, but..."

Choi He steeled himself. "I still have a chance."

The match officially began.

After the turn-order selection, Fang Xin played black, and Choi He played white.

The first game was underway.

The whole world was watching.

"The first move... I'll go with Small Point."

Fang Xin reached into his Go bowl, thought for a moment, and then placed his first stone.

Snap!

Row 17, Column 4—Small Point!

Even after all his training against AI, Fang Xin still preferred the traditional Diagonal Small Point opening.

After all, in his previous world, there was no komi rule. The early moves of a game were almost always placed on Small Points.

Choi He frowned and quickly responded.

Snap, snap, snap!

Under the intense discussions of Go fans worldwide, the two players began their battle.

The opening sequence unfolded—

A Diagonal Small Point vs. Two-Star formation.

Black took a Large Knight’s Enclosure, while white approached with a Small Knight’s Approach.

And now, it was Fang Xin’s turn again.

Click.

The stones clashed in the Go bowl.

Fang Xin stared at the board, feeling nostalgic. He reached for another stone and placed it carefully.

Snap!

Row 15, Column 16—Peep!

The internet erupted.

"Shusaku’s Peep! That’s Fang Xin’s signature move!"

"Instead of a 3-3 invasion, he prefers this old-school move!"

"Shusaku’s Peep was once considered outdated, but after AI emerged, it was revived as a powerful tool!"

"Can Fang Xin really win? If he does, he'll make history!"

Go fans worldwide were glued to their screens, monitoring the AI's win-rate predictions.

As more moves were played, reactions flooded in—

"Holy sh*t!"

"Fang Xin’s moves match AI's top choices almost perfectly! It’s insane!"

"Does he have an AI in his brain?!"

"Choi He’s win rate isn’t dropping by much each move, but... it keeps dropping!"

"He’s done for! This game is over!"

---

Snap!

Fang Xin placed another stone.

Row 14, Column 5—Atari!

"Damn it!"

Choi He’s face darkened as he stared at the board, cursing under his breath. By this point, he knew his position was terrible.

He was going to lose.

"But..."

Choi He lifted his gaze to the young man across from him—Fang Xin, who was studying the board with unwavering focus. His teeth clenched.

"Victory isn’t just decided on the board... it can be won off the board too!"

Choi He gritted his teeth and placed a move.

Fang Xin thought for a moment, then calmly took a white stone off the board and placed it beside the Go table.

The next second—

Choi He raised his hand.

"Referee!"

Fang Xin froze, confused, glancing at Choi He in bewilderment.

Soon, the two referees arrived, speaking rapidly in a language Fang Xin didn’t understand.

A translator approached and relayed the message.

"Because you didn’t place the captured stone on the lid of the Go bowl, you are penalized by two points."

Fang Xin was stunned.

He had played Go for two lifetimes—he had never heard of such an absurd rule!

"Since when does it matter where I put the stones?!"

The translator whispered, "It’s a rule change from three weeks ago."

Fang Xin took a deep breath and forced himself to endure it.

The game resumed.

Even with the two-point penalty, Choi He’s position remained dire. He was still on track to lose.

But by now, Choi He had stopped focusing on the game.

He wasn’t looking at the board—he was watching Fang Xin.

Moments later, Fang Xin captured another stone. Without thinking, he placed it on the right side of the table as he always did.

A second later, he realized—

His expression froze.

He hurriedly moved the stone onto the lid of the Go bowl.

But that brief moment—

Was all Choi He needed.

"Referee!"

The referees walked over again. After another exchange of words, the translator turned to Fang Xin.

"You violated the rule again. According to regulations, you forfeit the match."

"...I lost?"

Fang Xin, usually calm and composed, finally snapped.

"You’re telling me that just because I didn’t place a stone on the bowl’s lid, I lose the entire match?! And the second time, it was barely one second!"

"I refuse to accept this!"

"I’ve lost countless games in my life—I can handle losing. But not like this!"

He glared at the referees, voice rising.

"Why?!"

"A rule is a rule! It wasn’t created yesterday!"

His coach frowned. "Choi He followed the rules. You were given the rulebook before the match—why didn’t you read it?"

Hearing even his own coach say this, Fang Xin fell silent.

And as the first game ended in controversy, the internet exploded.

But no matter how outraged the world was, the referees’ decision stood.

Fang Xin had no choice but to move on to Game 2.

---

Day 2 – Game 2

This time, Fang Xin was extremely careful.

He made sure every captured stone was placed on the lid of the Go bowl.

But his over-cautiousness affected his focus, and the game quickly fell into a deadlock.

By the midgame, neither side had a clear advantage.

What Fang Xin didn’t notice—

Was that earlier in the game, he had once again placed a captured stone outside the bowl’s lid.

Not even Choi He had caught it.

But the referees had.

They exchanged glances.

Then, just as Choi He fell into deep thought over a critical move—

The referees paused the game and sealed the board.

"...What?!"

Fang Xin’s anger erupted.

"That mistake happened over thirty moves ago! Why are you bringing it up now—just when he is in a difficult position?!"

He turned to his coach.

The man remained silent.

A wave of helplessness washed over him.

Even after battling AI for so many years—

He had never felt this powerless.

Meanwhile, the global audience watching the match was furious.

But there was nothing anyone could do.

The referees deducted two points, and the game resumed.

Fang Xin gritted his teeth, his fingers tightening around the next stone.

He slammed it onto the board.

From that moment on—his eyes burned with murderous intent.

The second game’s endgame was breathtaking.

Fang Xin played flawlessly, not making a single mistake with stone placement.

The referees’ faces turned pale.

But there was nothing they could do as Choi He’s position collapsed.

Eventually, Choi He clenched his jaw, eyes bloodshot.

"I... lost."

---

Day 3 – Game 3

When Fang Xin arrived at the venue, the entire world was stunned.

Live chat rooms across the internet froze.

Fang Xin had walked into the match—

Carrying a massive rice jar.

"Fang Xin, what are you doing?!" A referee was livid.

"This is my new Go bowl," Fang Xin said calmly as he set the enormous jar on the table. "I was worried the lid wasn’t big enough to hold all my captured stones, so I found a bigger one."

He took his seat and added, "There’s no rule against changing Go bowls, right?"

The referees were speechless.

There was no such rule.

But if Fang Xin really played an official match using a rice jar, this entire championship would become a laughingstock.

"No!"

One of the referees took a deep breath, forcing his anger down.

"You cannot use a rice jar as a Go bowl!"

"Show me the rule that says I can’t," Fang Xin replied.

The referees were silent.

In the end, they had no choice but to start the match.

The moment the game began—

Fang Xin casually placed each captured stone on the rice jar’s lid.

The internet exploded.

Thousands of live streams were flooded with comments.

The referees’ faces turned pale.

They already knew what people were saying.

With the rice jar’s massive lid, there was no way Fang Xin could accidentally place a stone outside it.

Now, there was nothing they could do—except play the game.

The match’s viewership shattered records.

The entire Go world was watching.

And to everyone’s shock—

Fang Xin’s gameplay was even more dominant than before.

Choi He was getting annihilated.

Fang Xin played another move.

Snap!

Row 8, Column 15—Clamp!

A dragon slaying move!

Choi He refused to resign.

He played another move.

Fang Xin remained calm and responded.

Snap, snap, snap…

They played until the very last move.

Until there was no move left to play.

Choi He still refused to concede.

He sat motionless, teeth clenched, eyes red.

Fang Xin quietly waited.

Finally, as the last seconds on the clock ticked away—

Choi He whispered through gritted teeth:

"...I lost."

The internet exploded.

The game had ended.

Fang Xin was the new World Champion.

But as he left the venue, there was no joy on his face.

Only exhaustion.

He didn’t hate Choi He.

He only pitied him.

"Even if Choi He is stronger than any player from my past life... even stronger than Shen Yi..."

"He will never understand the true beauty of Go."

He gazed at the sky, lost in thought.

"In my past life, Go was pure."

"Here... it's something else entirely."