I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 323: All These Years of Go Experience... Were Wrong

When Su Yiming said those words, the entire car immediately fell into a strange silence.

"Let’s play again once we both have titles?"

Betting a title?

Why did that sound like winning a title was so easy?

So many Go players dedicate their entire lives to earning a title—enduring suffering, grinding, battling despair—yet many still never even touch a single one.

People often describe the main stage of a title match as "immortals lined up like rows of hemp," and while that might seem like exaggeration, it truly isn’t.

These are either once-in-a-generation prodigies who’ve shed their naivety and emerged reborn... or veterans who once held titles and now return with sharp, seasoned blades… or current titleholders battling for a second crown. It’s a battlefield full of giants.

But when they thought about Yu Shao and Su Yiming’s game, everyone fell quiet again.

“Maybe… they really can do it…”

Everyone silently watched Yu Shao and Su Yiming, stirred by something they couldn’t quite name.

“The future of Go… will definitely be shaped by these two.”

“Once we return to China, there are only a few games left—then they’ll officially step into the title tournament.”

“They’ll make their voices heard on the stage that represents the very peak of professional Go.”

Never before had they so clearly felt it—

A new wave might already be here.

As that thought settled in, they were filled with a deep and complex emotion… but also an uncontainable anticipation for the future.

Only now did they realize that somewhere along the way, they had begun to look up to Yu Shao and Su Yiming with a quiet awe—

Longing for a future they themselves could not touch.

---

At Kong’s Dojo, a few young trainees were gathered around a board, replaying the final game of the team tournament.

“Yu Shao is seriously incredible!”

A chubby boy smacked his lips as he stared at the board, awe in his eyes.

“That move to block instead of fighting the ko… it was terrifying! My whole body went numb just watching it. If I put myself in Higashiyama’s shoes—it just felt hopeless.”

“Yeah… it was like hitting a huge wall with everything you’ve got, finally knocking it over, only to see an even taller, thicker wall behind it. Total despair.”

A bespectacled boy with gold-rimmed glasses nodded solemnly. “That way of thinking… it doesn’t even feel human. No wonder the Japanese media wrote, ‘After Yu Shao, there are no more demigods.’”

The other trainees all nodded in agreement.

That game was just too shocking. Higashiyama Kaoru had played brilliantly, yet was gradually tied down by White’s moves.

White’s seemingly idle moves were actually filled with purpose—every single one was part of a deeper strategy. It was spine-chilling.

The midgame invasion and maneuvering suffocated Black’s throat.

Black poured all his strength into breaking free… only to fall right into a net laid by White.

The moment he thought he had escaped, he hadn’t found life—he had walked straight into death.

It was horrifying. Terrifying. Powerless.

“Japanese media loves exaggerating. I still think Su Yiming is stronger.”

A buzz-cut kid shook his head. “Su Yiming’s style is so much like Shen Yi. Every time I watch his games, it feels like Shen Yi has come back to life!”

“But didn’t Su Yiming lose to Yu Shao?”

The chubby kid immediately defended his idol, red-faced. “You saw Yu Shao’s games. Even if Shen Yi were alive today, there’s no way he could beat Yu Shao!”

“How do you know?”

The buzz-cut kid shot back, clearly a Shen Yi fanatic. “Maybe the Shen Yi who didn’t learn modern joseki couldn’t win—but once he did, he would definitely win!”

“Yu Shao is different! He’s self-taught. His thinking is completely unlike any other player!”

The chubby kid argued. “All the others rely on past experience to read the board, to judge the best move.”

“Go players use accumulated knowledge to make what they think are the best possible choices.”

“But Yu Shao—he’s self-taught. His judgment, his valuation, his sense of thickness and thinness—it’s totally different from ours. Even our teachers are learning from him!”

The buzz-cut kid fought back. “But so far, has he really faced any truly strong opponents? What if those moves of his aren’t even right?!”

“You haven’t seen Shen Yi’s peak games? They’re old now, but just watching them gives me goosebumps. Every move is awe-inspiring!”

The chubby kid was fuming now, chest heaving.

“Do you only care about rank and titles? Real Go strength is proven through the game itself!”

“You think Higashiyama is just ‘7-dan’? Zhu Huai’an was already a Go Sage before he ever won a title!”

“Li You was just 7-dan when he defeated countless top players! Even our teacher used to—"

He stopped midsentence as Kong Zi opened the door and walked in. The room instantly fell silent.

Kong Zi looked at him.

The chubby kid froze like he’d eaten a lemon, face bright red, unable to say a word.

Fortunately, Kong Zi didn’t say anything. He just looked away and walked into his office, closing the door behind him.

The chubby kid finally let out a breath and patted his chest, still shaken.

---

Inside his office, Kong Zi sat down at his desk and opened the Go Association’s website.

Right there on the homepage was a huge banner:

"China Wins the China-Japan-Korea Team Tournament!"

He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, took a deep drag, then exhaled slowly while staring at the ceiling.

“The title tournament preliminaries... are almost over.”

In his mind, the game between Yu Shao and Higashiyama resurfaced.

His expression grew solemn.

“That kid called Yu Shao… is finally stepping into the world of top-tier players.”

“And he brings with him the answer to a question we’ve all been afraid to ask.”

---

“Nice move here. I thought you’d push directly, but you saw through it,”

a man in his forties with a mustache said cheerfully, pointing at the board.

“But in the end, I still won by 2.5 points. Guess the old dogs still got bite.”

Across from him, Li You didn’t react.

Without looking up from the board, he said calmly, “Teacher Zhu Tianzong, you’re aware the National Master Tournament is about to start, right?”

Zhu Tianzong frowned slightly. “Yeah, so?”

“Zhu Huai’an already has the Go Sage title. I still haven’t earned a single one. I can’t lose to him. That’s why I have to win the National Master Title.”

“I’ve been pouring everything into preparing for that. I’ve been holding back in other matches. My head just hasn’t been in it.”

Zhu chuckled. “That’s your excuse for losing to me?”

“Come on, I used to be a Meijin. Losing to me isn’t a big deal. No need to make excuses.”

“You really don’t let up, huh...”

Li You sighed and started packing up the stones.

“You’re definitely a senior. But...”

He paused, then looked up and met Zhu’s eyes.

“To be honest, I’m more concerned about the newcomers catching up from behind.”

Zhu Tianzong’s hand paused. He frowned.

Then resumed cleaning up the board.

“You’re talking about Yu Shao, aren’t you?”

Li You didn’t answer directly. “What do you think?”

“That kid’s no pushover.”

Zhu placed the last stone in the bowl and closed the lid, smiling faintly. “Looks like you’re feeling the pressure.”

Li You didn’t answer immediately. He stood up and finally said:

“I’ve studied a lot of his games. But a record is just a record.”

“The title tournament main stage is where the top players live.”

“Master Chen Shan, Teacher Zhuang Weisheng, Teacher Feng He, Teacher Ren Ming… and—”

He paused.

“Me.”

“I want to see for myself how far he can go after stepping into our world.”

As he walked off, he added:

“This year, I’ll cut down anyone in my way. Even if it’s Zhuang Weisheng—I’ll fight through!”

“If he wants to pull me down from behind—”

Li You’s eyes turned sharp.

“—I’ll be waiting.”

---

Donghai City.

Inside a high-end apartment—

Jiang Changdong stared at the board on his computer, eyes narrowed. He tapped “Next Move” and reviewed several more, eyebrows slowly knitting together.

“Genius… doesn’t even begin to describe him.”

A voice spoke behind him.

“No. Not even Higashiyama Kaoru is easy to describe. And yet, this kid beat him.”

Jiang Changdong didn’t turn around. “Teacher Chu Jingfeng—if it were you playing that game, could you have won?”

“I couldn’t.”

The rough-faced man in his 30s shook his head and smiled. “That game… you could honestly call it a masterpiece.”

“Jiang Changdong, we Go players rely on experience—on past knowledge to choose the best move in a complex game.”

“But Yu Shao’s games feel like they’re telling us…”

Chu Jingfeng stared at the screen.

“All these years of Go experience—were wrong.”

Jiang Changdong said nothing. He kept staring at the board.

“That truth… was hard for me to accept. Because to accept him is to reject everything Go stood for.”

“But lately, I’ve started copying some of his patterns.

And my win rate—has started going up.”

Chu spoke softly.

“Maybe... just maybe, he really is right about some things.

Like the 3-3 invasion. And that brings me to a question.”

“What question?”

Jiang finally spoke.

“Go is a game of genius. Throughout history, geniuses in Go have been countless.”

Chu stroked his chin.

“But is there really such a thing as someone born knowing Go?

Someone whose talent lets them see through thousands of years of errors?”

Jiang paused. Then he didn’t answer.

He simply said:

“Once you step into the title tournament main event, you’re a top-tier player.”

“He already has one foot in the world of the elite.”

He clicked the next move and stared at the record.

“I’ll be waiting for him there.”

---

Meanwhile, ever since the team tournament ended yesterday, the trending lists were absolutely dominated.

Now, a full day later, the buzz had only grown.

“Yu Shao vs. Higashiyama Kaoru felt like a world-class military exercise! That game was unreal!”

“And it wasn’t just Yu Shao—Su Yiming, Qin Lang, Le Haoqiang, Gu Chuan all played great! Too bad Qin lost against Japan, otherwise it would’ve been a clean sweep!”

“D***, Grandpa’s Youth Returns!!! After so many years, we finally crushed the team tournament and took home the championship again!”

“Is Yu Shao just two wins away from entering the title tournament main event?”

“He just turned pro this year. And even more insane—he’s still undefeated!”

“With his level of play, early wins are expected. But let’s be real—who in his first 30 games could even touch him? He’s not even playing on the same level as other pros!”

“But once he hits the main tournament—that’s when it really gets good!”

The comments flooded the internet.

In past years, China had fared poorly in the China-Japan-Korea team tournament.

But this year—they didn’t just redeem themselves—they won it all.

The entire internet was electrified.

And more and more people began to expect big things from Yu Shao.

After all, in less than a year—

Yu Shao was already on the verge of entering every Go player’s dream stage:

The Title Tournament Main Event.