I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 93: The One Constant Thing

On the other side, as White placed his stone, Yu Shao swiftly picked up a piece and placed it on the board.

The moment Black's stone landed, Su Yiming glanced at the board, reached into his bowl, picked up a piece, and played his move!

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

The crisp sound of stones hitting the board echoed throughout the competition venue.

Every move, whether from Black or White, sent shockwaves through the spectators.

Both players seemed to have forgotten the world around them, their eyes seeing only the 19x19 board before them. Each move came as swift as lightning, and every single stone seemed to gleam with brilliance.

The audience stared intently at the board, unable to even blink, holding their breath in tense anticipation.

They watched as the stones alternated in rapid succession, witnessing an intense battle where only the sound of stones striking the board accompanied the fight.

At this moment, the clash unfolding within the confines of this small board seemed more thrilling, more brutal, than a battlefield of ten thousand soldiers!

"So... so strong!"

"White suffered massive losses in the opening yet has managed to launch such a fierce counterattack. If it were me, I would have crumbled already..."

"Black, despite having an advantage, isn't choosing a slow, steady approach—he’s aggressively leveraging his positional lead to take control of the game, playing with a ferocity that even surpasses White!"

"Several of White's moves made my face flush with embarrassment. If it were me, I’d be completely lost, but Black counters every time with an unexpected yet perfect response!"

"The advantage remains firmly in Black’s grasp!"

"Even so, White, despite losing ground in the opening and failing to break through earlier, has not let Black widen the gap. He's holding on with everything he's got!"

"More than that—he's not just defending. He's constantly probing, seeking to exploit Black’s weaknesses!"

"No, perhaps this is also a form of defense! Because White keeps making aggressive plays, Black, despite having the advantage, must remain cautious of White's counterattacks and reinforce his position!"

"This game..."

As they reflected on the battle from the opening to the present, everyone felt a mix of awe and bewilderment.

Both Black and White had far exceeded their expectations. Some moves they could understand, while others were completely beyond them—only later did they slowly grasp the brilliance of the play.

And this wasn't even a slow-paced game—it was blitz.

In such a short time, both Su Yiming and Yu Shao continuously produced moves that defied expectations.

Snap!

A crisp sound rang out again as Black made his move!

Column 15, Row 8 – Clamp!

"He ignored the local fight?!"

Seeing this move, everyone trembled slightly, their eyes widening in disbelief.

At this crucial moment, while White was targeting three Black stones, ready to strike, Black chose to ignore the immediate fight and turned to secure his weak group on the right!

Even Su Yiming hadn't anticipated this move.

But his expression soon changed as he grasped Black’s intention, sensing the sheer ruthlessness behind this strategic shift!

"The central fight is unresolved, yet he’s willing to lose points to force open another battle on the left flank. Now, the left side, the center, and the right—all three areas will explode into chaos!"

"With this, the entire board will enter an all-out battle—an unimaginably complex situation. He already holds a positional advantage, so if we plunge into a full-board fight, I’ll be at a huge disadvantage!"

"This is undeniably the sharpest approach, but to come up with such a plan so quickly... it's beyond ordinary thinking."

"But he thought of it!"

Su Yiming pondered for a long time before finally reaching into his bowl again.

For the first time in a long while, he felt the weight of immense pressure—pressure he hadn't encountered since reaching his current skill level.

And now that he felt it again—it was even more overwhelming than ever before!

Snap!

As his stone struck the board, Su Yiming’s eyes gleamed with a faint fierceness.

Column 15, Row 6 – Hane!

Yu Shao studied the board for a brief moment before quickly making his move.

The two continued playing at breakneck speed, soon engaging in another fierce battle on the right flank. Each move was ruthless and lethal, leaving the onlookers completely stunned.

Watching the relentless exchange, the audience felt their mouths go dry.

"White, uncharacteristically, is now trying to calm the situation. There were multiple opportunities to invade, but he chose to reinforce instead!"

"White was the one who initially sought chaos, but now the game has spiraled beyond his control—so he's trying to slow things down. But now... Black refuses to let him!"

"White’s defense is almost flawless, yet Black's attacks are still overwhelming. Even though White's responses are nearly airtight, Black's advantage continues to grow!"

Everyone felt a sense of dread for White.

If this trend continued, White would struggle to withstand Black’s relentless momentum. In the worst case, he could even suffer a dragon-killing defeat!

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

After four more moves, Su Yiming suddenly lifted his head.

With a soft click, he picked up a white stone from his bowl.

His eyes sharpened, and with a swift motion, he placed the stone on the board!

Snap!

Column 10, Row 12 – Tiger’s Mouth!

"...This—"

"A tiger’s mouth?!"

The crowd shuddered. Some even gasped in shock.

"White has started attacking Black’s shape!"

Many were puzzled—White had been struggling to defend, so why suddenly switch to attacking Black’s shape?

But soon, as they re-examined the board, shock spread across their faces.

"Brilliant... absolutely brilliant!"

White's previous moves had indeed been aimed at stabilizing his position, but at the same time, he had been quietly building up for this counterattack. And now, the moment had arrived!

Black’s shape wouldn't be easily cut apart, of course.

But this move was still a statement—it posed a real threat. Black was now forced to respond, giving White a brief opportunity to catch his breath.

"A tiger’s mouth, huh..."

Even Yu Shao frowned upon seeing this move.

White's resilience had exceeded his expectations.

Several of White’s earlier moves had already been incredibly difficult to deal with. But now, this tiger’s mouth—he hadn't seen it coming at all.

He had thought White was about to collapse, yet this move held firm once again.

"Unbelievable. A mere 16-year-old amateur, someone who hasn't even trained at a dojo, is capable of playing like this..."

Yu Shao couldn't help but glance at Su Yiming, deep in thought. Then, after a brief moment, he picked up another stone and played his move.

The fierce battle resumed.

Snap!

Snap!

The alternating sound of stones hitting the board continued to reverberate.

The surrounding spectators remained silent, unable to find words.

Both players moved as if guided by divine hands, playing at a level far beyond their reach.

It left them in awe—yet also made them unconsciously lift their heads, gazing toward a future they could scarcely imagine.

One spectator, face full of confusion, murmured softly:

"No matter the outcome... this game will surely be remembered as a masterpiece."

Hearing this, some found it amusing—after all, this was merely a high school Go league match, played by two students who hadn’t even reached professional rank. How could it be a legendary game?

But looking at the board, no one could refute the claim.

Even He Yu remained silent.

Outside the window, night had fallen, and rain had begun to pour.

Yet no one noticed.

All eyes were locked onto the board, emotions swirling.

The world may change, centuries may pass.

But the battles on the board—those remain timeless.