I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 239: Some Players Are Born to Crush Eras!

Sacrificing a dragon… to seize initiative?!

Inside the Broadcast Studio, the moment those words were spoken, the entire room plunged into silence.

Everyone felt the same overwhelming sense of disbelief—for a brief moment, they couldn’t even comprehend what Zhu Huai’an had just said.

Sacrificing a dragon… for initiative?

Was that even possible?!

On the large screen, black and white stones continued falling in rapid succession.

Then—

"Black plays a bump?"

Zeng Chenlu paused, momentarily stunned. She hadn’t even had time to process the implications before white instantly responded.

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

As more and more moves filled the board, the expressions of everyone present gradually changed.

"White’s shape should have been absolutely solid—"

But then—

Zeng Chenlu's eyes widened as she stared at the screen in shock.

"But after black’s bump… white's thick influence is actually starting to show weaknesses?!"

Meanwhile, inside the live broadcast chat, the viewers were going crazy.

"Wait… I don’t get it. What’s happening?!"

"After black peeped at that cutting point, white’s thickness has completely collapsed!"

"That knight’s jump by white was supposed to be a great move… but for some reason, it doesn’t feel sharp at all. Instead, it looks… kind of clumsy?!"

"....."

The game continued.

The board grew increasingly complicated.

Zeng Chenlu watched as black and white clashed fiercely in the upper center, but at that moment—

She fell completely silent.

Initiative.

The audience might not fully understand, but as a 7-dan professional, she could now see the hidden brilliance behind the moves.

Yes, the dragon had been slain.

But at this moment, all the initiative belonged to black!

At first glance, many of these moves didn’t seem like initiatory threats.

But if you could calculate a few moves ahead, you would realize—these were all real threats!

These sequences weren’t simple. The follow-ups were only seven or eight moves deep, which any professional player should be able to see.

But the problem was—

The board position was already incredibly complex.

There weren’t many available moves left.

And yet—

Without a single moment of hesitation, black continued playing at lightning speed.

Even in such a claustrophobic, tangled position, black found every single initiatory move—every single kill shot!

And now, everyone finally understood what Jiang Changdong had meant.

"The dragon wasn’t killed by white."

"Black intentionally sacrificed it—to seize the initiative!"

—

"Better to lose a stone than lose a move."

Zhu Huai’an muttered under his breath, his voice filled with awe.

"But… that was a sacrifice worth dozens of points…"

A small-scale sacrifice of a few points was normal.

Even a hundred-move sacrifice wasn’t unheard of.

But to deliberately let a massive dragon die, just to seize the initiative?

That was unprecedented!

—

At that moment, on the large screen, another black stone fell.

Clack!

Row 7, Column 7, Push!

Zeng Chenlu froze.

Even Zhu Huai’an found himself momentarily speechless.

One move.

And suddenly—every black stone on the board radiated killing intent!

Black had just pierced into white’s territory—and was now preparing for a full-scale counterattack on white’s dragon!

Before, the sacrifice of the great dragon had already shaken the entire match.

And now—this counterattack was even more overwhelming, carrying unstoppable momentum!

Seeing this move—

And remembering the fearless, relentless aggression black had displayed throughout this game—

Everyone’s minds instinctively conjured up an image.

A figure.

A shadow from the past.

No one here had ever seen him in person.

But the countless Go records that had been passed down through history were proof that he had once existed.

In those records—his presence became clearer and clearer.

A player who stood above all others—a hand reaching into the Go bowl, slowly pulling out a stone, and placing it down with quiet confidence.

The echo of that move had reverberated across an entire century.

And now, someone in the studio audience finally whispered his name.

"Shen Yi!"

—

Inside the Handtalk Room.

Silence.

A profound, deadly silence.

Yu Shao’s expression was heavy, his mind working furiously as he stared at the board.

He was calculating.

"If I block here, black will clamp. If I hane, black will either jump to gain space, or ignore the cutting point and fight with consecutive hane attacks…"

Finally—

Yu Shao reached into the Go bowl, swiftly placing his next move.

Clack!

Row 8, Column 7, Block!

Almost instantly—

Su Yiming reached into the Go bowl, his gaze as sharp as ice.

Without even pausing, he dropped his next move.

Clack!

Row 7, Column 11, Clamp!

And then—

Clack!

The moment black’s stone landed, the sharp sound of a stone being picked up rang out.

Yu Shao immediately grabbed a white stone from the Go bowl and placed it down once more, and Su Yiming followed suit, continuing to place his move!

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The sound of falling stones echoed continuously.

Black and white tangled together in an increasingly brutal struggle, both players teetering on the edge of life and death, locked in a battle that refused to yield.

The board was so intricate, so unpredictable, that merely looking at it made one feel breathless.

The female recorder and the two referees were already completely dumbfounded.

Three-Star Formation, Mutual 3-3 Invasion, Allowing a Peony Capture in the Center, Sacrificing a Dragon for Initiative…

And now—

The current offensive was just as relentless.

White was fierce and aggressive, and Yu Shao countered every move with precise dismantling!

This game had long since exceeded their imagination.

For the first time, they felt something close to reverence.

"Even though black lost a dragon, the left-side formation has thickened and even come back to life!"

As more stones fell onto the board, Yu Shao's gaze grew cold and sharp.

He reached into the Go bowl once more, pinching a stone between his fingers before placing it down.

On the other side, Su Yiming was equally focused to the extreme, his eyes locked onto the newly placed white stone.

Then, he reached into the Go bowl and swiftly dropped his move.

Row 14, Column 7, Press!

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The crisp sound of stones falling reverberated through the quiet Handtalk Room—

Each move brought with it an inescapable sense of impending slaughter!

On the board, white’s great dragon was being relentlessly attacked by black’s storm-like offensive.

The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous!

"Black holds a complete initiatory sequence, leaving no room to breathe! White can’t even afford a single reinforcing move!"

Yu Shao stared at the board, his mind shockingly calm despite the crisis.

He reached into the Go bowl, gently placing his move.

Row 4, Column 11, Tiger’s Mouth!

Su Yiming responded immediately.

Clack!

Row 10, Column 6, Small Knight’s Move!

The female recorder and both referees felt their hearts pounding in their chests—their eyes locked onto the newly placed black stone.

This move, a tenuki small knight’s jump, had completely cut off white’s escape route.

White’s great dragon was now trapped on the right side—a merciless killing move!

"My dragon… might actually die!"

Seeing this move, Yu Shao’s expression did not change—but his eyes grew colder.

He slowly shifted his gaze away from the great dragon, turning instead toward the board’s right-side border.

There—

Black's stones stood like an impenetrable iron wall.

Clack!

The crisp sound of stones colliding rang through the silent room.

Yu Shao reached into the Go bowl—his eyes flashed with a deadly sharpness!

"Then… my only choice is to live on the second line!"

His right hand moved swiftly, and before everyone’s eyes—

He placed his move!

Clack!

A single, crisp sound.

Row 18, Column 7, Second-Line Infiltration!

The moment the white stone landed, Su Yiming froze for a fraction of a second.

Then—his expression suddenly changed.

His gaze snapped upward, staring directly at Yu Shao!

Yu Shao, in turn, met his gaze—his eyes sharp as blades, radiating deadly intent!

On the board, the white stone placed at Row 18…

Shattered everything.

—

Inside the Review Room.

"He’s trying to live on the second line?!"

Upon seeing white’s move on the big screen, Zhou Wei could no longer contain himself.

He shouted in sheer disbelief:

"That’s way too deep!"

"Black’s right-side formation is so thick! Does he really think he can live on the second line?!"

Gu Chuan’s throat went dry—his heart pounding in shock.

Le Haoqiang, too, stared blankly at the screen, utterly speechless.

The second line was too close to the edge, making it extremely difficult to survive.

Even worse—

Black’s right-side formation was overwhelmingly solid!

This wasn’t just any risky invasion—

This was like charging into the enemy’s mouth… and trying to survive!

—

Inside the Broadcast Studio.

"Oh my god!"

Zeng Chenlu stared at the white stone she had just placed onto the demonstration board, her mind spinning.

"Even if there are complicated variations… black’s formation on the right is like an iron fortress. Can white really live on the second line?!"

Zhu Huai’an said nothing.

He simply stared at the board, deep in thought.

If white really managed to survive on the second line, then the entire board’s dynamics would shift dramatically.

And if that shift happened—

It wouldn’t just affect the border.

It would ripple across the entire board, triggering a massive, game-changing tidal wave!

At that moment—

On the big screen, black finally placed its response.

Everyone held their breath.

This battle had far exceeded all expectations.

Black would never allow white to do as it pleased.

White had already thrown itself into enemy territory—and now, there was no turning back.

One side would be completely annihilated.

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

The relentless exchange continued—but this was no longer a simple offensive-defensive battle.

This was a kill-or-be-killed slaughter.

The lone white stone deep inside enemy territory—

If it simply defended, it would surely die a slow death.

The only choice—was to fight!

"White extended, and now black is cutting—this is a strong move! An extremely sharp killing technique! But then white…"

As she moved the demonstration stones along with the game, Zeng Chenlu suddenly paused.

She glanced up at the big screen—and then froze.

After a moment—she finally spoke.

"White… jumped."

The game progressed rapidly.

Her voice grew softer and softer, a thin layer of cold sweat forming on her forehead.

Her expression shifted to one of complete disbelief.

Seconds later—

"White… made an eye!"

Zeng Chenlu swallowed hard—her voice barely a whisper.

The big screen updated again.

The game continued, but the sweat on her forehead only grew heavier.

It wasn’t just her.

Everyone watching this match—

Every single Go enthusiast, professional or amateur—

Felt the same shock wash over them like a tidal wave.

All eyes were locked onto the board, their breaths held, their gazes unblinking—

As black and white continued to battle fiercely.

Time kept moving forward—

And then—

Finally.

White placed another move.

At that moment—time itself seemed to stretch.

"T-Two… two eyes!"

Zeng Chenlu’s voice trembled.

She stared at the board in pure disbelief.

"Even though white’s great dragon was killed…"

"White has successfully lived on the second line?!"

—

Silence.

At that moment—the entire world fell silent.

The lone white stone that had ventured into black’s impenetrable formation—

Had not only survived…

It had sparked a storm.

And now—

The game entered its final phase—

The endgame.

Inside the Handtalk Room, the Atmosphere Was Heavy and Oppressive

Yu Shao stared at the board, his expression tense. He continued to pick up stones from the Go bowl, placing them onto the board one after another.

Su Yiming’s face was ice-cold as he, too, kept pulling stones from the bowl, following each of white’s moves without hesitation.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The sound of stones falling echoed through the room.

The female recorder and the two referees watched this game with expressions of both bewilderment and shock.

A hundred years, a thousand years—times change.

But the intensity of battle on a Go board remains eternal.

This game had reached a point where, although white held the advantage, the final outcome was still undecided.

But regardless of who won or lost, this match…

Would it become a legendary game?

That thought lingered not only in their hearts—but in the minds of everyone watching.

And once everyone shared that thought—it was no longer just a possibility.

The world had seen many Go players, and countless game records had been written.

But most of them would fade into obscurity.

Only a handful of games would be remembered through the ages.

And perhaps—this was one of them.

—

—

Under the Eyes of the World, the Stones Kept Falling

"The endgame is the most delicate phase. Both players must calculate meticulously—any slight misstep could be fatal."

Zeng Chenlu stared blankly at the big screen, speaking almost in a daze.

"And yet… up until now, neither side has made a single mistake in their closing moves. Their precision is beyond words…"

Across the internet, an unspoken tension filled the air.

Everyone’s emotions were in turmoil.

This was supposed to be a battle for victory.

And yet—at this moment, no one wanted either side to lose.

Just imagining one of them losing this game filled them with an overwhelming sense of melancholy.

But—

This game had no possibility of a triple-ko cycle.

There was no escaping the inevitable.

A winner and a loser must be decided.

As black and white stones continued falling, everyone stared at the board, lost in its intensity.

Each move still carried the weight of battle.

Time slipped away.

And then—

Zhu Huai’an looked at the big screen, gazing at the board, now covered in stones.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"The endgame is finished. This match… has reached its conclusion."

Hearing those words, Zeng Chenlu finally snapped out of her daze.

But even so—

Her eyes remained fixed on the screen, unable to look away.

As if she wanted to keep watching.

Forever.

But in the end—the game had ended.

White wins by 3.5 points!

To be precise, this wasn’t a strict final endgame, as there were still a few minor moves left unplayed.

But both players had already calculated the outcome.

There was no need to continue.

A moment later, on the big screen—

A hand curled into a fist, then slowly opened in the center of the board.

Two black stones slipped from the fingers—

And landed onto the board.

Black concedes.

Silence.

Zeng Chenlu stared at this scene, her lips slightly parted.

After a long pause, she suddenly spoke:

"Teacher Zhu… this game… will it become a legendary match?"

"A legendary match?"

Jiang Changdong blinked, then let out a faint laugh.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Hearing those words, Zhu Huai’an’s expression changed slightly.

He finally looked away from the screen and turned toward Jiang Changdong.

Jiang Changdong stared at the small screen, his eyes flickering.

"Perhaps… it’s not just a legendary match."

Zeng Chenlu froze, confusion flashing across her face.

"Not just a legendary match?"

—

"Actually, for the past half a month, I’ve been studying the 3-3 invasion."

Zhu Huai’an smiled slightly as he spoke.

"I’m sure many other players have noticed the problem by now."

"They just aren’t saying it."

"No—perhaps they’re still… unsure."

Hearing this, Zeng Chenlu’s heart skipped a beat.

A strange premonition washed over her.

She stared at Zhu Huai’an, holding her breath.

"Even I can’t say for certain."

Zhu Huai’an’s gaze remained locked onto the big screen, studying the board.

After a long moment, he finally turned away.

And then—

He looked directly into the camera.

Facing the entire world.

"The value of thickness isn’t about shape alone.

"It must be tested through real battles and whole-board coordination!"

Zhu Huai’an took a deep breath, his voice filled with conviction.

His eyes were sharp as a blade.

And then—

He delivered a statement that shook the world.

"All previous players…"

"All past experience in evaluating shapes…"

"Has been completely wrong!"

The Moment Those Words Fell, Silence Consumed the World!

Inside the Broadcast Studio, the cameramen, directors, and staff all stood frozen, staring at Zhu Huai’an with wide, disbelieving eyes—their minds completely blank.

"All previous players have been completely wrong in their judgment of Go shape?"

Zhu Huai’an continued, his voice calm but powerful.

"Take the 3-3 invasion, for example. Because black quickly tenukis after playing 3-3, it forces the opponent to spend extra moves strengthening their outer influence. But if there are no effective follow-ups, this so-called influence may end up being useless!"

He paused, then spoke again.

"After black plays 3-3, if the game proceeds with a standard hane and extend, white gains influence—but not thickness. White gains potential, but black’s corner profit is far more immediate!"

Then, with a sharp gaze, he declared.

"In simple terms—that isn’t thickness. That’s an isolated group!"

The room grew even quieter.

Zeng Chenlu stared at Zhu Huai’an, her mind buzzing with static.

But Zhu Huai’an shook his head slightly and added.

"Of course, I can’t be entirely sure yet. It will take many real games, many practical experiments, to draw a solid conclusion."

"However—if it is true—"

He lifted his head, eyes locked onto the game displayed on the big screen.

Then, with absolute certainty, he said.

"Without a doubt, this game of mutual 3-3 invasions will change the course of Go history!"

Silence.

This time, it wasn’t just the studio.

It was the entire world watching this broadcast.

Complete, deafening silence.

Every spectator’s mind went blank, fully aware of what Zhu Huai’an’s words meant.

The world of Go… was about to change forever!

If Zhu Huai’an’s claim was verified, it would shake the foundations of centuries-old Go theory, altering every player’s understanding of thickness and influence!

"However," Zhu Huai’an finally continued, his voice steady.

"Even if that doesn’t happen, this game is undoubtedly a legendary match!"

Jiang Changdong’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the screen.

"Remember to thank the white stones that brought you this game… and also, thank the one who delivered this battle—Zeng Chenlu."

"In legendary games, there are always losers. But in such games, victory and defeat are no longer what matter most."

"Because no single genius alone can create a game that will last through the ages!"

"This concludes the Hero’s Pride Cup!"

Zhu Huai’an took a deep breath, then declared with force.

"The champion is Yu Shao!"

Jiangling Go Academy

Ding Huan’s face was flushed red as he sat at his laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

He was furiously typing up his report on the game.

"From the initial Three-Star Formation to the shocking mutual 3-3 invasions, and then to white allowing black to execute a Peony Capture in the center—every single move defied my expectations!"

"The brutal midgame battle shone like the light of the stars!"

"I thought black had fallen into a losing position… but after over an hour-long deep think, black roared back to life, sacrificing the great dragon to seize the initiative! Then, black turned around and slaughtered white’s dragon in return, with unstoppable force!"

"I thought that was the peak!"

"But I never imagined… white’s second-line invasion—a miracle born from a hopeless, death-filled corner—would somehow survive!"

"This game was monumental, a battle that shakes the soul!"

"This game is the final masterpiece of the Three-Star Formation—an undeniable legendary match!"

"True legendary games are rare. And those played by young players are even rarer. But even among those—legendary games are usually fought between a young challenger and an experienced master."

"A legendary game between two young players? That has never happened before."

"And yet—today, it finally did."

"More than that—if the 3-3 invasion theory is fully verified, this game might change the history of Go itself!"

"Some players are born to crush the era they were born into!"

"And now, our country finally has such players! The future of Go… I look forward to it!"

Donghai City

Inside a high-end apartment, Jiang Changdong watched as the broadcast screen faded to black.

He slowly closed his eyes, the echoes of the black and white stones still fresh in his memory.

After a long moment, he finally opened his eyes.

He picked up his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found a name.

Ma Zhengyu.

Then, he pressed call.

A few rings later, a voice answered from the other end.

"Hello?"

Jiang Changdong stared at the black screen of the broadcast, silent for a moment before speaking.

"Old Ma, I need a favor."

He moved his mouse, pulling up the Hero’s Pride Cup Final game record.

As he clicked through the moves, he spoke again.

"Find me all of Yu Shao’s game records from the preliminary rounds."

"I know those matches weren’t officially recorded… but his opponents should still remember, right?"

He paused briefly.

Then, his gaze narrowed slightly.

His voice deepened.

"Oh, and also—find me everything on Su Yiming."

The game was over.

The Hero’s Pride Cup had ended.

Yet, for a long time, no one could truly move on.

No one knew if they were more shaken by Zhu Huai’an’s radical theory on thickness—

Or if they were still trapped in the emotions of the game itself.

Or perhaps, both.

When the ko fights end, and the game is settled—

The land falls silent.

But the echoes of falling stones…

Still shake the heavens.

This was not the end.

This was just the beginning.