I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 209: Not Thickness, but a Lone Stone!

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Yingjiao Cup qualifiers had entered their final sprint. Every day, countless Go players clashed on the board, each fighting for the chance to advance. Some carved a bloody path forward, stepping over their fallen opponents, while many more could only exit in silence, reduced to stepping stones for others.

But none of this concerned Yu Shao anymore. Since he had competed early in the Yingjiao Cup and accumulated a high score, he hadn't had any matches in the past few days. It wasn’t until five days later that his next qualifier finally arrived.

That morning, Yu Shao took a taxi to the Go academy and headed toward his designated playing room.

"Who exactly was I playing against online five days ago?"

He walked absentmindedly, still dwelling on that online game from a few days prior.

He had reached a decisive moment in the match, but his opponent never made another move, ultimately losing by timeout. Even though the win was his, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

After the game, he had attempted to add the player as a friend, but his request was ignored.

For the past few days, Yu Shao had logged into the Nineteen platform daily, checking if his request had been accepted. But the name never appeared in his friend list—it seemed the opponent had no intention of adding him.

His mind replayed every move the opponent had made, each sequence sharper than the last.

"That unexpected push alone showed how keen their positional judgment was. They could instantly grasp the key turning points and fluctuations in the game."

As he pondered, Yu Shao’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Yu Shao."

A cool voice rang out ahead of him.

Surprised, he looked up—and for a moment, he was stunned.

The early autumn morning still carried traces of mist, and Xu Zijin seemed to have absorbed some of its lingering chill. She wore a simple, elegant dress, her porcelain-white skin accentuated by the soft light. A few loose strands of hair framed her face, making her look breathtakingly beautiful.

She had already come to a stop, standing there quietly, her gaze locked onto Yu Shao.

"Morning."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Yu Shao nodded at her with a smile. "You have a match today too?"

Though Xu Zijin was competing in the Yingjiao Cup, Yu Shao knew she had already lost three games.

While the round-robin format meant no one was eliminated, and every player had to finish the full schedule, three losses practically eliminated her chances of advancing to the main tournament. At this point, she was just going through the motions.

It was unlikely her match was today.

"Mm."

She gently nodded, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I have a Meijin title qualifier today."

"Good luck."

Yu Shao smiled, then paused before asking, "If Fang Xin wins two more games, he'll be guaranteed a spot in the Yingjiao Cup main tournament, right?"

"Yeah."

Yu Shao nodded. "He just needs two more wins."

With his current record, as long as he won today and one more match after that, he’d secure his place. Then, all that would be left was waiting for the main tournament to begin.

"I see…"

Xu Zijin fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "Ever since the Flame Inheritance Match, I’ve been studying the 3-3 invasion repeatedly."

Yu Shao raised an eyebrow, glancing at her with slight surprise.

She smiled faintly. "At first, I was trying to find its weakness so that if I faced you again and you played 3-3, I could exploit it and defeat you."

"But the more I studied, the more I realized something…"

She hesitated before continuing, "At first, I couldn't believe it. But the truth is undeniable—"

"I discovered that the 3-3 invasion has no inherent flaw. In fact, when Black invades at 3-3, the thing that needs to change is…"

Xu Zijin paused, looking up at Yu Shao. Her autumn-water eyes locked onto his as she said, "White."

Yu Shao froze.

Xu Zijin continued after a brief silence. "When Black plays 3-3, the outer influence White gains isn’t as strong as people think."

"In fact, because the usual hane-connect sequence is omitted, Black can tenuki after crawling, quickly seizing other large points. Meanwhile, White’s outside stones struggle to coordinate effectively, often becoming targets instead."

"Though it contradicts traditional Go principles, the reality is—"

She took another pause before finally saying, "If White follows up with a hane-extend variation but fails to reinforce in time, then…"

"White’s position isn’t strong at all."

"White… is actually a lone stone!"

Xu Zijin had no idea how much turmoil had stormed through her mind when she finally understood this truth a few days ago.

She had set out to find a flaw in Yu Shao’s 3-3 invasion, hoping to use it against him in a future match. But not only had she failed to find a weakness, she had instead uncovered a flaw in the conventional wisdom followed by all Go players.

The entire Go community’s understanding of this shape had been completely wrong.

Yu Shao simply looked at her quietly.

He wasn’t surprised that someone had finally realized the truth about thickness and thinness.

In fact, when he played the 3-3 invasion during the Flame Inheritance Match, he had hoped someone would notice it sooner rather than later.

Because the sharper the whetstone, the deadlier the blade.

Only through rigorous testing could he forge a blade sharp enough to cut through everything and ascend to the peak in this lifetime.

The value of thickness must be verified through actual combat and global coordination, not just theoretical shape principles.

That was why he had never bothered explaining it before.

Because this wasn’t just a local shape issue—it was a full-board concept. The answer could only be revealed through real games, and that answer completely defied conventional wisdom.

"White…"

Xu Zijin’s expression turned dazed.

For the first time, she looked fragile, lost. She lowered her head slightly, her voice soft.

"I always thought I could catch up to you."

"But now, I don’t know how to anymore. I don’t know… how to beat you."

Her voice trembled. "I really don’t know…"

For the first time, she exposed this vulnerable side of herself to someone else.

She had always been proud, effortlessly excelling in everything she pursued. Among her peers, regardless of gender, she had always believed she was the best.

But now she realized…

In the world of professional Go, she was nothing special.

The world of professional Go was filled with countless prodigies.

Among female players, Xu Zijin undoubtedly stood out. But when compared to the male players—the true elites—her brilliance seemed to dim.

And now, she had crashed into an insurmountable wall.

Not just one, but two.

Yu Shao was already an impossible challenge, and now, Su Yiming was another.

Yu Shao was on the verge of qualifying for the Yingjiao Cup main tournament. If he made it, he’d be competing against high-dan players, stepping onto a stage she could no longer reach. Meanwhile, she was just a bystander, with no chance left.

"I can’t accept this."

Her voice was hoarse, her long eyelashes trembling as if shrouded in mist. "I… I really can’t accept this."

Yu Shao fell silent, watching her.

After a moment, he finally spoke. "The Xu Zijin I know isn’t like this."

She blinked, looking up at him.

He smiled. "The Xu Zijin I know… is a professional Go player."

Xu Zijin froze.

Her amber-like eyes locked onto Yu Shao’s, a flicker of doubt in them.

"I… am a professional Go player?"

"The match is about to start. You should go," Yu Shao said with a light smile. "Don’t be late."

Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked toward his own playing room, leaving her standing there, dazed.

It was a long while before she seemed to understand something.

"That’s right."

"I am a professional Go player."

She took a deep breath, gathering her composure before heading toward her match.

"A professional Go player doesn’t give up."

"A professional Go player keeps chasing, keeps challenging, striving for the highest realm of Go—never stopping."

—

Yu Shao entered the playing room and glanced toward Table Three.

A young man, about eighteen, with slightly messy hair, was already seated.

Qiu Jingrui saw Yu Shao approaching and took a deep breath, his expression turning serious.

Even though Yu Shao had built a solid record, Qiu Jingrui had never considered him a real threat. His focus had always been on three players—Le Haoqiang, Wang Xiuyuan, and Yang Yuqiang.

The three spots for the Yingjiao Cup main tournament should have been decided among them. Everyone else was just there for practice or to earn appearance fees.

But to his shock, Yu Shao and Su Yiming—two newly promoted 1-dan professionals—had fought their way to this crucial round without a single loss.

Even more shocking—Yang Yuqiang, a formidable opponent even for Qiu Jingrui, had already fallen to Yu Shao!

That was unacceptable.

Among the four strongest contenders, Qiu Jingrui knew he was the weakest. He had to admit that.

His best chance to qualify had always been by defeating Yang Yuqiang. Wang Xiuyuan and Le Haoqiang were much tougher opponents—especially Le Haoqiang.

But now, Yang Yuqiang had lost.

Yu Shao sat down across from him, calmly pulling out his chair, waiting for the match to begin.

Qiu Jingrui clenched his fists, feeling the immense pressure.

"There are only three main tournament spots. This round is crucial—if I win, I only need one more victory to secure my place!"

"Even if I lose the next match, there’s still room for error. But if I lose today, I’ll have to win every remaining game—no margin for mistakes. No matter what, I have to win!"

"The problem is… I underestimated him before. I never thought a newly promoted 1-dan player could make it this far, so I never studied his games. I know nothing about his style, except…"

"He plays that weird 3-3 invasion."

Suddenly, Qiu Jingrui froze.

"Wait… 3-3?"