I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 208: An Hongshi and Yu Shao

Le Haoqiang had just left not long ago. After another dozen or so moves, Yu Shao once again picked up a Go piece from the box and placed it on the board.

Snap!

Row 8, Column 7—Dig!

Seeing this move, Yang Liqiang's eyelids twitched twice. He clenched his fists, then slowly released them, bowed his head deeply, and said, "I lost..."

This move was the decisive blow, completely cutting off Black’s last chance for a counterattack—there was no longer any room to catch up!

"Thank you for the game."

Yu Shao bowed respectfully.

Yang Liqiang remained silent for a moment before returning the gesture.

After tidying up the board, Yu Shao stood up and walked over to the referee. After reporting his result, he glanced at Su Yiming’s game for a moment.

Seeing the board position, Su Yiming was already close to winning. Yu Shao lost interest in watching further and turned to leave the playing room.

As Yu Shao's figure disappeared, several young Go players in the room looked at Yang Liqiang. Upon seeing his dejected expression, they were briefly stunned before their expressions turned solemn.

The other players exhaled deeply, suppressing the shock in their hearts, then lowered their heads and refocused on their own games.

Even though Yu Shao had defeated Yang Liqiang, it had nothing to do with them anymore. Facing Yu Shao in the upcoming matches was not their concern.

The only thing they could do was play each of their games to the best of their ability!

After finishing the day's tournament and eating at the Go academy's cafeteria, Yu Shao left and took a taxi home.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Yu Dongming lounging on the sofa in the living room, holding the TV remote and flipping through channels.

"Dad?"

Seeing Yu Dongming at home, Yu Shao was a bit surprised. "You're not going to the shop today? Where's Mom?"

"Not today. Too tired, so I closed for a day. Your mom went upstairs to play mahjong with Aunt Song."

Yu Dongming nodded, still flipping through the TV channels as he asked, "How was your match today?"

"I won."

Yu Shao changed into his slippers, placed his sneakers on the shoe rack, and casually responded.

"Not bad, keep it up."

Yu Dongming nodded with a smile.

Ever since Yu Shao became a professional Go player, he had barely asked about his match results. After all, he knew nothing about Go, and worrying wouldn't help. He just knew that Yu Shao’s record had been great so far.

At that moment, Yu Dongming pressed the remote again and switched to another channel.

When he saw the screen, he froze for a second, then his eyes lit up. "Shaoduo, come take a look! What move do you think Xiao Yun will play here?"

Qin Lang was slightly taken aback. He walked into the living room and looked at the TV screen.

The screen was broadcasting a live Go match. The game board was displayed in the lower right corner, while two professional players in the studio were replicating the position on a demonstration board and explaining the game to the audience.

"The third match of the Honinbo title series... Honinbo Nobukazu against... Go Sage Yasuda Hiroshi?"

Seeing the names of the two players, Yu Shao was slightly surprised.

Even he had heard of Honinbo Nobukazu and Yasuda Hiroshi. They were among the top players in Japan today.

It was worth mentioning that, unlike in China, Japan’s title matches did not have "National Master" or "Great Go Master" titles. Instead, they had the unique Honinbo and Oza titles.

Yu Shao examined the board position, thought for a moment, and said, "The White player's connection looks like the natural move, but after Black peeps, it might be troublesome."

"However, if White invades to break the territory, Black will have no choice but to fight... So, White might play a placement move at Row 14, Column 8?"

Just as Yu Shao finished speaking, on the screen, Honinbo Nobukazu, holding the white pieces, finally picked up a stone from the box and gently placed it on the board.

Row 14, Column 8—Placement!

Seeing this move, the two professional commentators were immediately astonished.

"A placement move?"

"He didn’t reinforce with a connection but instead tenuki’d with a placement move? That’s incredibly bold!"

"What a brilliant move! No wonder Honinbo Nobukazu had to think for so long. Now, Go Sage Yasuda Hiroshi has no choice but to jump here..."

As the commentators began analyzing the potential variations on the screen, Yu Dongming turned to his son in surprise, gave him a thumbs-up, and said, "Xiaoduo, you guessed it right! Impressive!"

"Dad, you keep watching. I'm going to my room to play on the computer for a bit."

Yu Shao smiled indifferently, glanced at the screen once more, then turned away and spoke to Yu Dongming.

"Alright."

Yu Dongming nodded, picked up the remote, and quickly changed the channel.

Although Go was extremely popular in this world, with widespread influence and Go halls everywhere, Yu Dongming happened to be someone who didn’t understand it at all.

Yu Shao entered his room and turned on his computer. He originally planned to play some games to relax, but suddenly, he recalled the match he had played against Yang Liqiang today.

"Although I won, I actually had a chance to completely slay his dragon. Instead, I just cut off his shape and forced some of his corner groups into an empty triangle... His big dragon barely survived, but it did survive."

"My calculations were solid, but because I played too many control-oriented games in my past life, I subconsciously relied too much on positional dominance. In the heat of the midgame battle, my tactical awareness still wasn't sharp enough."

Yu Shao frowned slightly, dissatisfied with his own performance today.

"I'll play a blitz game online. Just mess around a bit, go for 'grab first, settle later,' and sharpen my survival instincts in chaotic fights."

After thinking for a moment, Yu Shao opened the "Nineteen" platform.

Previously, when he played online Go with Wu Zhixuan, he used the domestic platform Handtalk Chronicles. As for "Nineteen," he hadn’t logged in for a long time.

Since he had a long winning streak on Nineteen, his matchmaking opponents were usually quite strong. A fast-paced blitz game there would help him regain his sense for chaotic battles.

After logging into his account, Yu Shao moved his mouse, clicked, and started searching for an opponent.

Soon, he found a match. After determining turn order, Yu Shao played Black first.

With a light click of the mouse, he placed his first move.

Row 16, Column 4—Star Point.

Since it was a blitz game, his opponent moved quickly as well, responding immediately.

Row 4, Column 16—Star Point.

The frequent sounds of stones being placed began to echo in the room.

"Hmm?"

As the game progressed, a hint of surprise appeared on Yu Shao’s face.

Before starting, he had already decided to use the "grab first, settle later" strategy—securing solid territory in the corners and edges before plunging into the opponent's formation to stir up chaos.

This method is simple and brutal—if you read the life-and-death correctly, your opponent dies; if you misread it, you die. That’s why many people jokingly call "Grab First, Settle Later" "Grab First, Die Later."

So in this game, Yu Shao wasn’t aiming for the absolute best move; he was just relentlessly grabbing territory, waiting for the moment to dive into the opponent’s formation and cause chaos.

But even though he was playing insanely greedy for territory, every move he made—even if not perfect—was never too far off the mark. However, his opponent’s responses were flawless, leaving no gaps at all.

"Interesting!"

Yu Shao’s interest was piqued. He clicked the mouse repeatedly, placing move after move.

As time passed second by second, Yu Shao’s expression grew increasingly excited.

The opening phase was one thing, but when he entered the white stones’ formation to fight for survival, every single move from his opponent was beyond his expectations—highly systematic and well-structured.

"Blocking here? This move is tricky… Looks like this is going to be a satisfying game!"

Yu Shao was both shocked and thrilled, staring at the computer screen as he fell into deep thought.

"The next move… If I peep, he might jump out and maneuver away. If he directly defends with a tiger’s mouth, maybe he’ll hane and go for a mutual destruction fight with me?"

"But…"

"If I just attach here, White will be caught between two fires!"

With that thought, Yu Shao immediately moved his mouse, clicked gently, and placed his move.

Click!

Row 7, Column 12—Attach!

Not long after, the computer screen displayed White’s response.

Row 5, Column 10—Push!

"Push?!"

Yu Shao was slightly stunned.

This move was completely unexpected. He hadn’t even considered the possibility of White pushing downward.

But in the very next instant, something clicked in his mind. His eyes widened, pupils contracting as he stared intensely at the screen.

"After my attachment, I thought White would be caught in a dilemma, but…"

"He turned the tables on me! Instead of defending both sides, he’s pushing down to sever my shape!"

Yu Shao locked his gaze on the screen, moved his mouse again, and placed another move.

Click!

Row 5, Column 11—Attach!

White responded immediately.

Row 4, Column 12—Peep!

"Pushing down, then peeping? Strengthening the shape while cutting off any chance for me to counterattack… He’s trying to cut off my black stones’ path to survival?"

Yu Shao’s eyelid twitched slightly, his eyes turning icy cold. He quickly slid his mouse again, clicked the right button, and placed his next move!

Click!

Row 8, Column 3—Jump!

The moment Black’s stone landed, White responded within four or five seconds.

Since this was a blitz game, in the blink of an eye, six more moves were exchanged.

"My shape… is at risk of collapsing!"

Seeing White’s latest move, Yu Shao took a deep breath.

"I underestimated him!"

"I completely misjudged his skill level!"

Yu Shao moved his mouse again and immediately played his next black stone.

"This guy…"

"Isn’t just strong—he’s ridiculously strong!"

On the computer screen, stones continued to fall. Black and White were tightly entangled in a fierce battle, the situation growing unimaginably complex.

Yet despite the complexity, both players’ move speed remained incredibly fast—and astonishingly precise!

Within moments, another dozen moves had been exchanged.

"Even though the board position is still close…"

Yu Shao stared at the screen, analyzing the situation. His expression turned colder than ever, carrying a hint of deadly intent.

"I’m actually… at a disadvantage!"

But even so, there was not a single trace of panic on Yu Shao’s face. Instead, he was eerily calm, no longer concerned with who his opponent was—his entire mind was now focused on the infinite variations of the game!

"He’s completely ignoring his thin position, relentlessly attacking my isolated black stones… He’s not even concerned about my hane threat… If this continues, my shape will collapse!"

A strategy began to take shape in Yu Shao’s mind.

His gaze shifted to the lower-left corner of the board, a chilling light flashing in his amber-like eyes as he stared coldly at the screen.

"The isolated stones in the lower-left corner… That’s the key to victory. I need to use myself as bait, lure him in, trap him, and force a brutal fight!"

"Right here—this is where we settle everything!"

With that thought, Yu Shao finally moved his mouse, right-clicked, and placed his move!

Click!

Row 8, Column 14—Peep!

White responded instantly.

Click! Click! Click!

Move after move landed, the sound of each placement echoing through the room. After another seven or eight moves, it was Yu Shao’s turn again.

He moved his mouse and placed another black stone!

Click!

Row 9, Column 17—Small Knight’s Approach!

According to conventional play, he should’ve connected—otherwise, the entire group of black stones on the lower-left would be isolated and dangerously thin.

But instead, he played the Small Knight’s Approach, directly biting into White’s shape, as if declaring an all-out fight to the death!

"Come on!"

Yu Shao stared intensely at the screen, waiting in silence for White’s response!

Time ticked away, second by second.

White still hadn’t played.

Before long, the countdown timer began.

Three!

Two!

One!

Seeing the pop-up message on the screen, Yu Shao blinked slightly, a hint of confusion flashing across his face.

Until the very last second, White never responded—never placed a move.

[White loses by time.]

...

Pyongyang, inside a luxurious sanatorium.

"Master Ahn Hong-seok, how many times have I told you? You can’t play Go during this period! You need proper rest!"

A slightly chubby, middle-aged nurse with curly hair reached out her large hand and, with a snap, shut the laptop. Then, she said angrily, "I’m confiscating this laptop!"

On the hospital bed, a man with thick eyebrows that extended to his temples and a strong, heroic appearance furrowed his brows slightly, looking somewhat helpless. "At least let me finish this game first?"

"No way!"

The middle-aged nurse rolled her eyes and said, "You need to stay here and rest properly so you’ll have the energy to play Go in the future! Your health is the foundation of your Go!"

Ahn Hong-seok glanced at the laptop in the nurse’s hands, opened his mouth slightly, as if about to say something.

"Nope, you’re not getting this laptop back!"

Seeing what he was about to say, the middle-aged nurse cut him off, nagging nonstop, "Honestly, how can someone be so reckless with their own health for a game? Losing ten pounds from just one match, ending up in a sanatorium, and still wanting to play online Go—what’s so fun about it?"

"It’s fun. Nothing is more interesting than Go."

Ahn Hong-seok shook his head and said with a smile, "As a Go player, even if I die at the Go board, it would be a worthy death."

Hearing this, the middle-aged nurse didn’t argue. Instead, she simply asked, "But if you die, won’t you be unable to play Go anymore?"

Ahn Hong-seok was taken aback and fell silent.

"So, Master Ahn Hong-seok, you’re suffering from exhaustion. You really need to rest properly for a while. Who plays in tournaments every single day?"

Seeing that Ahn Hong-seok’s attitude was softening, the middle-aged nurse spoke in a gentle voice, "Once your body recovers, you can play Go as much as you want."

"Of course, even after you recover, you’ll have to cut back on tournaments significantly!"

The middle-aged nurse emphasized, "You can’t play as frequently as before! You wouldn’t want to ruin your health so badly that you can never play Go again, would you?"

Hearing the nurse’s words, knowing she meant well, Ahn Hong-seok could only sigh and, in the end, nodded. "I understand."

"As long as you understand!"

Satisfied, the middle-aged nurse nodded, then took the laptop and left the room.

Once the nurse had gone, Ahn Hong-seok’s mind couldn’t help but return to the unfinished online match from earlier.

"Small Knight’s Approach… totally unexpected."

"The black shape in the lower-left corner was too thin and completely isolated. At first glance, it seemed like a fragile structure, making it very tempting to launch a fierce attack..."

"But..."

"It also gave off a subtle feeling of something unfathomable, as if it was hiding a deadly trap."

Ahn Hong-seok fell into deep thought. In his mind, a Go board appeared, and stones continued to be placed on it.

"If the Small Knight’s Approach was just a probing move and he had a follow-up plan to lure me into a trap, then this move was a precise tesuji. Even if I don’t attack, there will still be further battles ahead."

Ahn Hong-seok turned his head, gazing out the window, and murmured softly, "To abandon the small and not save it… means he’s aiming for something much greater..."

His brows unconsciously furrowed.

"Who is he?"

...

The next day.

Beijing, Northern Go Academy.

Inside the playing room hosting the Hero’s Pride Cup preliminary tournament.

A young man around eighteen years old had his elbows on the table, fingers gripping his hair tightly. He stared at the Go board in front of him, his face dark as iron. In the end, unable to accept it, he lowered his head and said reluctantly, "I lost…"

"Thank you for the game."

Across from him, another young man, also around eighteen, with handsome features, calmly lowered his head and spoke.

After both players formally acknowledged the match and packed up their stones, the victorious young man stood up.

He was tall, with striking features, exuding an air of complete indifference to his surroundings. Without hesitation, he strode towards the judges' table, reported his victory, and then turned to leave the playing room.

Inside the room, the other Go players watched his departing figure, their expressions complicated.

But soon, they shook their heads, gathered their emotions, and refocused on their own matches, once again immersing themselves in the game.

The gap between people is sometimes greater than the gap between a man and a dog.

But once you get used to it, it doesn’t feel so bad.

The young man left the playing room, headed to the academy’s cafeteria, picked up a meal tray, and found an empty table to sit down and eat alone.

"Brother Qin!"

At that moment, not far away, a boy around twelve years old spotted the young man. His eyes instantly lit up as he quickly carried his meal over, sat down beside him, and asked with admiration, "Did you win again?"

"Mm."

Qin Lang glanced at the boy, nodded slightly, and said, "What about you?"

"I lost!"

The boy sighed, shaking his head dramatically. "Feng Shui, 2-Dan, is way too strong! I couldn’t beat him at all! But you, Brother Qin Lang, no one can match you! You’re definitely going to win the Hero’s Pride Cup this time, right?"

"It’s not that simple."

Qin Lang shook his head and said calmly, "There are plenty of strong players in other regions, like Le Haoqiang from the Southern Region, Che Wenyu and Chu Jiang from the Eastern Region, Gu Chuan from the Western Region..."

"Are they really as strong as you, Brother Qin?"

The boy widened his eyes, looking completely unconvinced. "But you’re already super, super, super strong!"

"It’s just that the young players in the Northern Region are a bit more useless."

Qin Lang said flatly, "I don’t know exactly how strong the other regions’ players are since I haven’t played against them yet, but from what I hear, they’re not weak."

Hearing this, the boy chuckled awkwardly.

Wait, I hope I’m not included in that 'useless' category, right?

I’m only twelve, I just earned my professional rank this year!

Surely, he’s not talking about me!

"It’s because there aren’t any truly outstanding young players that the American Go Academy dares to challenge us."

Qin Lang half-lowered his eyelids and said, "Even if we combine all five regions, can we even gather ten young players with high-dan strength? I doubt it. Meanwhile, I’ve heard that America is full of rising talents, especially that player named Zeng Jun—he’s supposedly very strong."

"As long as Brother Qin is here, we’ve got nothing to worry about!"

The boy clenched his fist and said, "Whoever comes, we take them down! One at a time, or two at a time—it doesn’t matter! If gods stand in our way, we slay gods! If Buddhas block us, we cut down Buddhas! Besides, in a challenge match, as long as we win one game, we’re not considered losers! We still have plenty of high-dan players!"

"If we lose the first game, we’ve basically lost." Qin Lang said.

"Huh?"

The boy stared blankly. "Why?"

"I heard that Teacher Jia Zhonghua is retiring."

Qin Lang didn’t answer directly. Instead, he suddenly asked, "You’ve heard about that, haven’t you?"

"Teacher Jia Zhonghua?"

The boy was momentarily stunned, not understanding why Qin Lang suddenly brought this up.

But soon, he nodded and said, "Of course, I’ve heard about it. After all, Teacher Jia Zhonghua, once known as one of the Five Legends, is finally retiring."

As he spoke, the boy couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement and said, "Teacher Jia Zhonghua is already seventy years old. Honestly, he hasn’t been able to keep up for a long time. It’s actually surprising that he only decided to retire this year."

"That’s because there aren’t many young players stepping up. Teacher Jia Zhonghua had no choice but to keep pushing himself. But now, age has caught up with him, and he simply can’t hold on anymore. His strength has declined severely, so he has no choice but to retire."

Qin Lang pulled out two napkins, wiped his mouth, and said, "So many players, yet there aren’t even ten high-dan players under eighteen. There are fifteen spots in the main tournament, and I don’t even want to think about what kind of trash is going to sneak in. Every generation gets worse than the last."

The boy let out a couple of awkward laughs, feeling a little uneasy.

Honestly, being around 4-Dan or 5-Dan at eighteen isn’t exactly 'trash,' right...?

"Forget it, no point talking about it. Let’s wait for the Hero’s Pride Cup main tournament."

Qin Lang slowly stood up and said calmly, "This championship is mine to take."