I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 237: A Thirty-Point Gain in the Center!

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

Inside the Handtalk Room, the sound of stones falling in succession filled the air. After six more moves, the white stones had invaded deep into black’s territory with a fierce offensive. Yet in the center, black had already established a mighty formation!

Su Yiming gazed at the board before him. On the intersecting nineteen lines, black and white stones intertwined, their patterns reflected in his deep-set eyes.

"Up until now, white has been single-handedly breaking formations. It may seem like a mutual kill, but in reality, I’ve been defending through offense. Before my framework fully formed, I couldn't deal a fatal blow to white."

"But now… the time has come!"

Clack.

The crisp sound of stones colliding rang out.

Su Yiming reached into the Go bowl, pinching a stone between his fingers. Staring intently at the board, his eyes were as sharp as a blade.

"Catching the Kunpeng in the primordial chaos—this is the moment!"

Clack!

A move landed—Row 12, Column 13, Large Jump!

"Black is charging in for the kill!"

The female recorder at the side trembled, as if she had been drawn into the game itself, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure emanating from black’s play.

The Three-Star Formation was vast in scale. Once it took shape in the center, its oppressive presence was immense—enough to strike fear into the opponent. Often, such a formation could dominate the board through sheer momentum, forcing a decisive kill.

The black formation in the center was enormous. Once it moved, it set off a chain reaction across the entire board, as if the legendary Kunpeng was soaring through the heavens, ready to wipe out the invading white stones in one fell swoop!

Yu Shao’s eyes flickered as he examined the board. Without hesitation, he reached into the Go bowl, picked up a white stone, and placed it swiftly.

Clack!

Row 10, Column 18, Connect!

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Stones fell one after another. The game was becoming clearer, yet the tension in the room only grew heavier, a suffocating atmosphere of calculated slaughter.

"Your thickness is solid, and you also control the inner influence. If I extend outward, you will suppress me completely, forcing me to break open space and fight you to the death!"

Su Yiming stared at the board, his gaze burning with intensity. He reached into the Go bowl once more and placed his move with speed.

Clack!

Row 1, Column 17, Press!

Yu Shao stared at the move—a stone that sought to crush him entirely. After a moment of contemplation, he reached into the Go bowl again and placed his next move.

Clack!

Row 4, Column 17, Atari!

"Atari?"

Seeing this move, Su Yiming had somewhat expected it, but when the stone actually landed, his expression still darkened—this was a display of white’s unwavering resolve!

Against black’s overwhelming presence, most players would have chosen a cautious defensive move out of fear. But not only did white refuse to back down, it even struck back with a sharp counterattack—showing no signs of compromise!

A moment later, Su Yiming picked up another stone and swiftly placed it.

"If he chooses to collide with me, I’ll drive straight in and kill through the opening above!"

Clack!

Row 12, Column 7, Peep!

"If he strengthens his shape with a diagonal move, I’ll sacrifice my stones, cut off his structure in the center, and fight him to the bitter end!"

White responded immediately!

Clack!

Row 8, Column 13, Diagonal Move!

Just as the stone landed, before the female recorder could even react, another sharp sound rang out.

Without hesitation, Su Yiming instantly reached into the Go bowl and slammed down his next move!

Clack!

Row 4, Column 13, Jump!

"Black is sacrificing stones!"

The female recorder swallowed nervously. This move was ruthless—blatantly aggressive.

Rather than taking a slow, steady approach to encircle white, black had chosen to abandon stones and launch an all-out assault, intent on obliterating white’s presence in the center. It was a do-or-die gamble!

This game—whoever could calculate life and death through the chaos, seize the fleeting opportunity, and deliver the final blow—would be the victor!

Yu Shao immediately placed another stone, followed by Su Yiming, their hands moving at lightning speed.

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

Attack and counterattack—every move was deeply calculated, hiding deadly intent.

Everyone watching the board felt their hearts tighten in suspense.

"This is insane… without commentary, I can’t even keep up with their thought process!"

Black Sacrifices Stones, Crushing with Overwhelming Force!

"After sacrificing stones, black relies on its solid position to attack ruthlessly—like a heavy sword without an edge, its sheer weight suffocating the opponent. The Three-Star Formation is being executed to perfection—'Crushing with Thickness, Using Influence to Slay the Dragon'!"

"Though every one of white’s moves is solid, venturing this deep into enemy lines is too dangerous. Black leaves no openings, relentlessly attacking white's weaknesses. This offensive… it's terrifying!"

"White’s shape looks thin, tempting a counterattack—but it seems to be hiding something beneath the surface!"

"Against white’s stability and inner influence, Yu Shao… seems to be struggling!"

.....

In the Hero's Pride Cup Official Livestream, the chat was flooded with an endless stream of comments, scrolling by like a waterfall.

On the board, black and white stones intertwined, each move shifting the balance of power.

Su Yiming remained calm, studying the board while rapidly calculating future variations in his mind.

"If I attach to the corner to test white's response, it’s a good move, but maybe not compact enough. If he ignores it and hane-cuts, it could get complicated."

"I have to use the sharpest fangs… and tear white apart!"

Reaching into the Go bowl again, Su Yiming swiftly placed his next move!

Clack!

Row 4, Column 14, Push!

Yu Shao examined the board, then placed his move without hesitation.

Row 5, Column 14, Block!

Seeing white’s response, Su Yiming immediately reached into the Go bowl again, following up aggressively.

"The attack must be airtight—I can't give white even a second to breathe!"

Clack!

Row 7, Column 12, Hane!

With this move, the battle intensified even further. Black had disregarded the safety of its own stones, forcefully cutting off white’s retreat!

"If he kills my isolated stones, I'll take away white’s eye space in return—turning his group into a dead shape and forcing a trade!"

The moment white played its next move, Su Yiming’s eyes flickered. He immediately reached for another stone and slammed it onto the board like rolling thunder!

Clack!

"Right here—this is where victory is decided!"

Row 3, Column 7, Peep!

The lone black stone at Row 3, Column 7 radiated killing intent!

"One move—just one move, and white's eye space is gone!"

The female recorder gasped. Just moments ago, she had thought black’s hane was too forceful. She never expected that black had this follow-up peep prepared all along!

This move landed right in the middle of white’s formation, cutting off its escape route to the edge while black held immense influence in the center. White had suddenly been turned into a floating, weak group!

"No matter how you respond, it's bad... I can't see a good move..."

She instinctively glanced at Yu Shao, only to realize that he had already reached into the Go bowl, preparing to respond.

Clack.

A stone clicked against another as it was picked up.

Then—

Between his right index and middle finger, Yu Shao carefully held a single white stone. He slowly placed it down.

Clack!

Row 7, Column 10, Tiger’s Mouth!

"Wait…"

The female recorder froze for a second—then, her eyes widened in shock!

At the judges' table, both referees also stiffened, their expressions changing drastically.

The next moment, they all instinctively stood up slightly, staring at the board in disbelief!

Su Yiming, who had just been reaching for another stone, suddenly stopped mid-air. His gaze locked onto the Row 7, Column 10 white stone, his expression momentarily frozen.

And in the Hero's Pride Cup Official Livestream, the chat, which had been scrolling at a rapid-fire pace just moments ago, suddenly fell completely silent.

In an instant, everything disappeared—only a deep, deafening stillness remained.

One move fell—silencing the world.

Between heaven and earth, it was as if only the echo of that move existed.

On the board—

Row 7, Column 10—

Tiger’s Mouth!

—

—

Inside the Review Room.

"Ba… Ba Hua…"

Staring at the giant screen, Zhou Wei felt his throat tighten as if something was lodged inside. After a long moment, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence:

"He's allowing black to execute a Central Peony Capture?!"

Everyone nearby also had the same stunned expression, staring at the screen in utter disbelief.

But—

As realization dawned upon them, their eyes gradually widened, and a chill ran down their spines. Their mouths opened as if to speak—yet no sound came out!

Inside the Broadcast Studio.

Zhu Huai’an, who had been explaining the game in real-time, suddenly fell silent!

He stared at the big screen, looking at the white stone that had just landed—as if he had just witnessed something beyond comprehension!

He was completely frozen in place.

The entire venue fell into dead silence.

"...I…"

A moment later, Zeng Chenlu finally broke the silence, her voice trembling:

"He… he let black execute a Central Peony Capture?!"

Central Peony Capture—

A move that sacrifices just a few stones to force an opponent’s capture. Because the captured stones form an enclosed shape, their absence leaves behind an empty space resembling a flower’s center—thus, the name Peony Capture.

Thirty points gained in the center!

While calling it a "Thirty-Point Peony Capture" was an exaggeration, a successful Peony Capture in the center meant a huge territorial gain and overwhelming influence, often deciding the entire game!

In a fight for the center, even the mere possibility of allowing a Peony Capture was usually avoided at all costs. Allowing the opponent to execute one? Unthinkable. Unfathomable!

But—

The moment everyone reanalyzed the board, their expressions slowly changed.

This…

"After this Tiger’s Mouth, black is forced to capture—but after capturing, if white cuts, black extends, and white pushes through…"

Zeng Chenlu’s expression trembled as she whispered, her thoughts racing wildly. Even speaking, her voice stuttered from shock.

"In the end, looking at the surrounding stones… black’s outer influence actually gets completely cut in half!"

"This move is simply…"

She searched desperately for words, but in the end, she could only find two:

"Absolutely brilliant."

—

—

Inside the Handtalk Room.

Silence.

A profound, suffocating silence.

The female recorder forgot to record the move, staring blankly at the board.

The two referees had their mouths slightly open, unable to close them, as they stared at the board without even blinking.

At this moment, time itself seemed frozen.

Yu Shao slowly lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Su Yiming. His usual calm expression finally revealed a sharp, piercing intensity.

"Come at me!"