I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 79: The Answer to the Question

"Huh?"

Seeing the move, Yu Shao was momentarily stunned, but he quickly understood Xu Zijin's intentions.

"So that's it. Although she couldn’t calculate all the variations after the clamp, she keenly sensed the looming danger and regarded the clamp, which sacrifices points, as an attacking move. So, she chose to tenuki directly!"

"While it’s not as good as a peep, it’s still... a beautiful response!"

Su Yiming also looked slightly surprised at Xu Zijin's push.

After a moment of thought, Su Yiming finally reached into the Go bowl, picked out a stone, and placed it on the board again.

Click!

Row 1, Column 3, an atari!

Both players played their moves rapidly, with the black and white stones spreading across the 19x19 grid like stars dotting the galaxy.

He turned his head to see Zhou De standing beside him, though he hadn’t noticed when Zhou De arrived.

"What is it?" Yu Shao asked, puzzled.

Zhou De hesitated as he glanced at the board. Covering his mouth with the back of his hand, he whispered, "Don’t you think Xu Zijin has... returned to how she used to be?"

Yu Shao froze for a moment.

"Returned... to how she used to be?"

"So strange," Zhou De muttered in confusion as he gazed at the board. "Black is clearly at a disadvantage, right? She hasn’t made a brilliant move to reverse the game, so why does she seem... so confident again?"

Yu Shao looked toward Xu Zijin and noticed a subtle but undeniable change in her.

Although she was in a tough position, she now exuded a sharpness that even Yu Shao found startlingly intense.

"Why?" Zhou De sounded as if his worldview had been shaken. "Is Black actually in a better position? Have I wasted over a month studying Go? That can’t be it!"

Yu Shao fell silent.

Black was certainly not in an advantageous position. While the push was tenacious, it was far from the best move. Even a peep would leave Black at a disadvantage, albeit slightly less so.

Why?

Because even in fear, she still dared to confront a stronger opponent.

That push, though not the best move, radiated Xu Zijin’s determination, courage, and fighting spirit.

Even if the outcome was likely a loss.

At this moment, White made another move.

Click.

Row 16, Column 12, a kosumi!

Without hesitation, Xu Zijin reached into the bowl, the crisp sound of stones colliding echoing as she picked out a black stone.

Click!

Row 15, Column 10, another atari!

"An atari?" Su Yiming’s eyes gleamed.

"I thought she’d choose a cut. A cut would be the most aggressive counter, but it would lead to a local ko fight. If White initiates the ko, Black will fall into a passive position!"

"But instead, she played an atari. Even in such a situation, she remains surprisingly calm!"

"For a female player to make such a move is truly remarkable."

"Then my next move..."

Su Yiming pondered briefly before reaching into the bowl, selecting a stone, and playing it.

Click!

Row 15, Column 9, an extension!

Xu Zijin quickly followed suit.

Click!

Row 18, Column 13, an attachment!

"Should I tenuki for the next move? Or press directly? A knight’s move is also an option, but if she bends once, it might put some pressure on my lower right corner," Su Yiming thought for a moment, then decided.

"A bit of pressure is fine. Let’s do this!"

Click!

Row 15, Column 12, a knight’s move!

The sound of stones colliding echoed as White’s move landed.

In response, Xu Zijin swiftly pulled out another stone and, almost without hesitation, placed it on the board.

Click!

Row 9, Column 13, a press!

This unexpected move left Su Yiming stunned, his expression filled with disbelief.

"A press?"

"A press?!"

"She actually chose to press!"

The spectators were equally shocked, some even crying out involuntarily.

Even Yu Shao’s pupils contracted as he looked at this move, his face full of astonishment.

"That massive group of Black stones in the lower right... she’s giving it up?"

Someone with a hoarse voice stared at the board in shock.

"Black isn’t dead outright. If she bends, the lower right would lead to a ko fight, and she could still make a living group. But she... she’s abandoning it entirely to focus on the center!"

This move wasn’t hard to understand.

But precisely because of its simplicity, it was even more shocking.

Although the saying goes, "Better to lose a stone than initiative," the value of stones and influence is always shifting and hard to measure. For a human player, it’s incredibly difficult to abandon stones so decisively.

Abandoning stones requires not just skill... but also immense courage!

White encroached on the center, and Black immediately shifted to the middle to fight for survival, attacking White in turn. It was a feasible strategy, but it was predicated on sacrificing a significant group of stones.

The stones in the lower right weren’t just "significant."

They were so large that most players wouldn’t even consider sacrificing them.

But Xu Zijin gave them up.

"Such a huge corner, and she just abandoned it..."

He Yu stared at the board in a daze. Even as a professional 5th Dan, he wouldn’t dare sacrifice such a large group.

"Forget me—even a 9th Dan pro might not dare to do that..."

For the first time, Su Yiming began to think deeply, taking a longer pause.

After about a minute, he reached into the bowl, carefully placed a stone on the board, and the game resumed.

As the two players exchanged moves, Yu Shao sat silently, his thoughts drifting to a question that had long plagued him.

"Did I reincarnate because I spent my previous life devoted to Go, always bound to the board, and now I just want to enjoy my youth?"

Perhaps he had found his answer.

No.

He had no regrets about devoting his previous life to Go. In fact, he cherished it deeply. The sound of stones hitting the board still resonated within him, even across two worlds. It continued to shake him to his core.

The reason he wanted to avoid playing wasn’t because he didn’t want to play Go or because he feared it.

He was running from the pressures and burdens of his past life, which left him too afraid to take risks on the board, preferring the safest path to victory.

It wasn’t wrong, but deep down, it wasn’t what he truly wanted.

"I still want to play Go."

Looking at the current game, Yu Shao realized his true feelings.

"In this life, without the shackles of my past and free from those burdens, I can... I can surpass my former self and reach the very pinnacle!"