I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 257: Killed So Hard No One Dares to Play Star Point!

The game was over.

Watching this scene, the viewers glued to their TVs and computers felt more shocked than thrilled.

Another kill fight!

This was already the sixth match. Even they now thought Yu Shao should’ve collapsed by now.

After all, he had played six consecutive games without rest, and each one was a brutal battle. How many people could handle that?

And yet, he still stood strong, seemingly unshakable—pushing through six straight wins, tearing through more than half of the opposing team’s lineup. From the look of it, he wasn’t done yet.

At this moment, everyone looked at the intricate game on the screen and, for a split second, could almost see a figure—

That figure stood atop a high platform, tall and proud. As he placed his stones, the sound of the moves echoed across the world.

Though he had fought through six fierce matches and was clearly exhausted, he still tore through everyone in his path. Whoever he faced, he crushed. He carried an unstoppable momentum, his edge only getting sharper. It was as if he was becoming invincible—no one dared to meet his blade head-on!

Six straight games already. In the next one, he’d definitely be more tired and easier to bring down.

But...

Could he really be defeated under this soaring momentum?

At this point, even the U.S. team members in the review room couldn’t confidently say they’d win the next match. Even if they avoided the 3-3 Point in their opening. Even if Yu Shao had already played six days in a row!

Among the crowd, a blond youth clenched his fists without realizing it.

“I’ll end this in one go. Drag him into the most complicated kill fight, and face him head-on with calculation and judgment!”

His eyes were full of fierce determination. Though he had already formed his plan for tomorrow, the fingernails digging deep into his palm showed just how tense he was.

Tomorrow—the seventh match of the team battle—it would be his turn to take the stage!

...

...

The next day, the seventh match was about to begin.

In the Handtalk Room, the female recorder and two referees were already seated. The blond youth sat silently on one side of the game table, waiting for the match to start.

Not long after, the door to the Handtalk Room was pushed open.

The next moment, Yu Shao’s figure appeared in the doorway.

The recorder and referees immediately looked his way, watching as he stepped into the room and stopped opposite the blond youth. He pulled out his chair and slowly sat down.

Seeing Yu Shao sit across from him, the blond youth appeared calm, but his fists were already quietly clenching.

To the side, the female recorder and referees looked at Yu Shao with concern.

The past few days had been okay, but today, though Yu Shao’s aura seemed sharper than ever, the fatigue on his face was now visibly clear.

“This is already his seventh match...”

All three of them felt a mix of emotions welling up.

Recorders and referees rotated daily in these matches. Even if they weren’t playing, just recording for a full day was exhausting.

These three were the original crew from the first match. Now that their rotation had come up again, Yu Shao... was still here!

A moment later, one referee exhaled deeply, gathering himself before standing and looking at the two players in front of him.

“Time’s up.”

“This game: Yu Shao, 2-dan, plays Black. Downes, 5-dan, plays White.”

“Now, the seventh match of the team battle—begins!”

The game started!

Hearing that, Yu Shao looked at the board. Soon, he picked a stone from the Go bowl and placed the opening move.

Clack!

Column 16, Row 4—Star Point.

Downes quickly reached into his Go bowl and gently placed his move.

Clack!

Column 16, Row 17—Small Point.

Yu Shao quietly stared at the board, then picked up another stone and placed it slowly.

Clack!

Column 4, Row 4—Star Point.

Seeing that, Downes hesitated for a moment, his expression tightening. He didn’t immediately respond.

He glanced at Yu Shao, then gritted his teeth and finally placed his stone.

Clack!

Column 4, Row 17—Small Point.

“A diagonal approach to the small point?”

To the side, seeing White again settle on a Small Point, the female recorder and the referees frowned slightly.

“Another small point opening?”

And it wasn’t just them—viewers at home watching on TV or online were also stunned. Something felt off.

Sure, Diagonal Small Point and High Small Point were both excellent opening frameworks. No one would call them bad.

But nowadays, opening theory favored speed—Star Point openings were more popular. Even if occupying a corner with Small Point, many would first go for a Star Point, then a Small Point—aka Star-Small.

But now, the opposing team had gone for double Small Points two games in a row!

Thinking back to the first five games of the team battle, a thought surfaced in everyone’s mind—

Could it be... that the U.S. team no longer dares to play Star Point?

In those earlier matches, Yu Shao had fully exploited the value of the 3-3 Point and opened the board with overwhelming force.

And yet, even after so many games, even with Yu Shao clearly exhausted, they were still avoiding Star Points entirely and going double Small Point?!

The answer...

Was written right there in these two game records!

Realizing that, silence fell over everyone.

A chill crept into their hearts. Even they were stunned—Yu Shao alone had fought this far, and now no one on the team dared play Star Point anymore—

All going Small Point!

Inside the Handtalk Room, the recorder and referees suddenly understood too. They looked at Downes in disbelief, startled.

“Could it be…”

“Could it be that none of them dare challenge Yu Shao’s 3-3 anymore?”

All three of them felt parched, dry-mouthed with shock. “He only turned pro this year, he’s just a 2-dan—and he’s played six games already!”

Everyone’s hearts were full of indescribable awe!

Seeing the opponent choose a Small Point opening, Yu Shao’s expression remained calm. He looked at the board, picked up another stone, and dropped it.

Clack!

Column 4, Row 15—One-Space High Approach.

Small Point focuses on local territory control, easily forming solid corner and edge shapes. So Black playing a high approach to pressure the edge was the most proper and balanced response.

Clack!

Seeing that move, Downes’ eyes flickered. He immediately reached into the bowl, the stones clinking together.

Next moment, he picked a white stone and quickly placed it.

Clack!

The white stone landed crisply on the board.

Seeing that move, Yu Shao paused slightly.

On the board—

A white stone had landed at Column 4, Row 12—Two-Space High Pincer!

“This...”

To the side, the recorder and referees’ expressions subtly changed.

“This is—”

Looking at the mere three stones in the lower right corner, the three of them already felt a sinister chill, as if a deadly glint had appeared on the board.

“The Demon Blade!”

Black’s one-space high approach, White’s two-space high pincer—

This was the Demon Blade.

This infamous joseki had left countless Go players heartbroken. Just hearing its name evoked dread. The variations were extremely complex and filled with deceptive traps—harmful to both sides.

Precisely because it was so tricky, despite its reputation, few dared to use it. But now—it had appeared!

Clearly, Downes was planning to drag Yu Shao into a kill zone, aiming for a life-or-death battle!

“But fortunately…”

The recorder steadied herself and thought silently, “The Demon Blade isn’t mandatory. Yu Shao can still avoid it. Even if he loses a little, it doesn’t matter...”

Just as that thought arose—

Yu Shao reached into his bowl and picked up a black stone.

Clack!

Column 7, Row 16—Large Knight’s Jump!

“What?!”

The recorder and referees were completely stunned. They stared at the board in disbelief, their hearts pounding wildly.

“He didn’t avoid it—he actually chose to fight back?!”

Seeing Yu Shao respond with the Large Knight’s Move, Downes froze—then his face twisted in anger and shock.

“A Large Knight’s Jump? He actually dares?!”

He was glad, because his plan to drag the game into chaos had worked. But he was also furious—Yu Shao dared to throw himself into such a deadly and complex fight?!

Downes looked up at Yu Shao, then immediately reached into his bowl, pulled out a stone, and slammed it down with gritted teeth.

“You’re strong, but what makes you think you can take me on in this kind of complicated fight after playing six days straight?!”

Clack!

Column 5, Row 15—Attach!

With that move, the Demon Blade was fully unsheathed!

“Now it’s all about calculation and judgment—overall strategy is meaningless in a kill like this!”

Beside them, the recorder held her breath, heart pounding as she stared at the board.

“Neither side has certainty—they’re both entering hell. Even the player who drew the Demon Blade isn’t safe!”

The referees’ foreheads were slick with cold sweat. They stared at the board like they were witnessing the start of a cataclysmic war.

“Neither side can make a single mistake. One misstep and it’s all over. A single wrong move, and the entire game is lost!”

Both of them were tense to the max!

“This game... it’s either you die, or I do!”

...

Meanwhile, in the broadcast studio—

Commentating the match were Chang Yan, 9-dan, and Hong Yuhao, 8-dan.

Because she was hosting today’s commentary, Chang Yan had done her makeup. Already elegant to begin with, she looked even more stunning now.

Seeing the board on the big screen, Chang Yan blinked and opened her mouth to speak:

“...?”