"You're wondering if I can win?"
Wu Zhixuan narrowed her eyes at Yu Shao, wrinkling her nose in mock annoyance.
"I’ve been a professional player for three years! We’re both won, so even if she’s strong, of course, I’ll win!"
She was clearly dissatisfied that Yu Shao was even considering who would win between her and Xu Zijin.
She could accept losing to male players—after all, it was commonly acknowledged that most top players were n.
But losing to another female player?
That was harder to swallow.
"Among female players, I’m definitely one of the best!"
Hearing this, Yu Shao instantly noticed a key difference between Wu Zhixuan and Xu Zijin.
Wu Zhixuan accepted the reality that male players were generally stronger and was content aiming to be the best among female players.
Xu Zijin, on the other hand, refused to accept losing to anyone—male or female.
She was far more stubborn and driven than Wu Zhixuan.
That ant her path would be much harder, but if she endured, she would likely surpass Wu Zhixuan in the long run.
From a competitor’s perspective, Yu Shao could see that, even if the two were equal now, in the future, Xu Zijin had the potential to go further.
Of course, he wasn’t going to say that out loud.
Instead, he smiled and said—
"I know you’re strong."
"After my match, if yours is still going, I’ll co watch."
"I’m definitely winning!"
Wu Zhixuan leaned in closer, bringing her face near his, locking eyes with a fierce yet playful expression.
"You believe that too, right?"
The distance between them suddenly shrank.
Yu Shao could sll the faint fragrance of her shampoo and feel her breath on his skin.
He instinctively leaned back—
Only to find himself blocked by sothing soft yet firm.
…This is unfair.
Wait, isn’t she still a few months away from turning eighteen?!
How is this even possible?!
Faced with this unreasonable situation, Yu Shao chose to surrender.
"Yeah, I think you’ll win."
Only then did Wu Zhixuan pull back, looking satisfied.
As she straightened up, her slim waist and toned abdon beca more visible.
…Seriously?
"Your figure is that good?"
Yu Shao was genuinely curious.
"Is this natural?"
"Nope! It’s from training!"
Wu Zhixuan said proudly.
"Go requires stamina too! I do morning runs, Pilates, and yoga every day!"
She grinned.
"If I weren’t a Go player, I could totally be a model!"
"You train that much?"
Yu Shao was a little surprised.
Most Go players weren’t that focused on fitness.
"Of course! How else do you think one becos the Go Sage?"
Wu Zhixuan folded her arms proudly.
"I’ve noticed that all the strongest Go players have great physical endurance. So of them are still sharp even in their fifties!"
Since both Yu Shao and Wu Zhixuan had arrived early, they had so ti to chat.
Inevitably, the topic shifted to the ongoing Go Sage Title Match.
"Speaking of legendary players… Jiang Changdong already has two wins."
Wu Zhixuan sighed.
"He’s as strong as ever."
"I wonder if Zhang Dongchen can turn things around in Ga 3."
Yu Shao pondered for a mont, then said—
"There don’t seem to be many young players at Zhang Dongchen’s level."
"Yeah… There aren’t many young pros who can go toe-to-toe with the best of the best."
Wu Zhixuan nodded, then cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Of course, Zhang Dongchen has been losing lately… But that’s only because Jiang Changdong is ridiculously strong!"
"A lot of young players are excellent, but they don’t have that one ‘defining trait’ that makes them unforgettable."
She stuck out her tongue.
"Not that I’m in any position to talk! Compared to them, I’m still way behind!"
"A defining trait?"
Yu Shao raised an eyebrow.
"What do you an?"
"For example—Jiang Changdong."
Wu Zhixuan explained—
"He’s a master of dragon slaying, an expert in relentless attacks. His moves are sharp, leaving his opponents with no breathing room. That’s why he’s called the ‘Dragon Slayer.’"
"Then there’s Feng He, 9-dan. He’s already fifty-six, but he’s still incredible."
"His playstyle is refined, subtle, and full of hidden depth. He makes slow, steady moves that seem passive at first but grow stronger over ti. That’s why people call him ‘The Silent Blade.’"
"And then there’s Fu Shunan, the Grand Master."
Wu Zhixuan continued, clearly enjoying this deep dive into Go’s legendary players.
"His style is incredibly balanced. His positional judgnt is razor-sharp, and he can navigate even the most complex situations flawlessly."
"Once he gains the advantage, it’s almost impossible to overturn the ga. That’s why people call him the ‘Unshakable King.’"
"Then there’s Chen Shan, 9-dan. He’s physically strong and has endless stamina, making his playstyle incredibly resilient. He fights relentlessly, dragging his opponents into battles of endurance."
"Unless you can dominate him from start to finish, the slightest mistake will allow him to reverse the ga instantly!"
"And of course, Zhang Dongchen—the Go Sage. Even though he’s young, his intuition is unmatched. He sees winning moves others overlook, finding miraculous plays out of nowhere. And with his aggressive, fearless playstyle, he’s earned the nickna ‘The Smiling Tiger.’"
"Then we have Zhuang Weisheng, Kong Zi, Zhu Xinyuan, and Chang Yan… all of them not only have no major weaknesses but also possess defining traits that make them unforgettable."
Wu Zhixuan sighed, slumping into her seat.
"To truly stand among the top players, you have to be able to defeat the top players.
"Being strong isn’t enough—you have to be so overwhelmingly dominant in one area that no one else can match you."
"That’s way too hard…"
Yu Shao chuckled after hearing all that.
"By that logic, Fu Shunan must be Chen Shan’s nightmare opponent."
Wu Zhixuan’s eyes lit up.
"Hey, you actually got that right!"
She clapped her hands excitedly.
"Chen Shan hates playing against Fu Shunan! Out of ten gas, he might win one if he’s lucky."
"He always complains about it—it’s hilarious!"
As the two continued chatting, Xu Zijin quietly entered the playing room.
She took a brief glance at Yu Shao and Wu Zhixuan, who were chatting away with great enthusiasm.
Her expression remained neutral, but her gaze lingered for a mont longer than necessary.
After a few seconds, she turned away and walked toward Table 19, pulling out her chair and sitting down.
Ti passed quickly, and as the match was about to start, Wu Zhixuan finally stood up.
"Alright, I’m off! You better win again!"
"You too."
Yu Shao nodded.
"Huh?"
Wu Zhixuan suddenly glanced toward Table 19, tilting her head in curiosity.
She had just noticed Xu Zijin sitting there.
"When did she get here?"
A look of mild surprise crossed her face before she quickly made her way over to her seat.
She sat down across from Xu Zijin and imdiately greeted her—
"Morning! Did you eat yet?"
"Morning."
Xu Zijin nodded slightly.
"I already ate."
Her response was calm and short, as usual.
anwhile, players continued to enter the room, settling in at their designated tables.
Compared to the first round of preliminaries, Yu Shao noticed several new faces—likely players who had joined the tournant after the initial rounds.
Soon, a 14-year-old boy arrived at Yu Shao’s table.
The young player hesitated for a mont, then pulled out his chair and sat down.
He stole a glance at Yu Shao and imdiately felt the pressure settle in.
"This is bad…"
His na was Qi Fanyu, and he had turned pro at 13.
Now, a year later, he was still only 1-dan.
While his record was decent, seeing Yu Shao’s flawless win streak made him extrely nervous.
"I probably have a 90% chance of losing…"
anwhile, Su Yiming also entered the room.
His gaze flickered toward Yu Shao and his opponent before he continued toward Table 14 and took his seat.
A few minutes later, the referees arrived, and the playing room fell silent.
One of them checked his watch before speaking.
"Ti’s up."
"Each player has two hours. One-minute overti countdown."
"You may now determine turn order."
Hearing this, Yu Shao reached into his Go bowl, grabbing a handful of white stones, while Qi Fanyu pulled out a single black stone and placed it on the board.
After the stone count, Yu Shao ended up playing Black.
The two exchanged bows, and the match began.
Yu Shao reached into the Go bowl, pinched a black stone between his fingers, and placed his first move.
Click.
Small Point, Column 17, Row 4.
Soon, the room filled with the continuous rhythm of stones being placed.
Click, click, click…
Seconds turned into minutes.
Yu Shao calmly studied the board, contemplating his next move.
After a mont, he reached for a stone.
Click!
Flying Enclosure, Column 14, Row 8!
Seeing this, Qi Fanyu clenched his teeth.
"He’s completely ignoring my attacks!"
His face paled slightly as he stared at the board.
"Does that an… he’s already read ahead?
"He’s calculated everything and knows that my White stones here have no real threats?"
"Even if he ignores this now, he can still secure life later with one key move?"
Qi Fanyu felt a chill run down his spine.
"Unbelievable…"
The ga continued.
Click, click, click!
Stones landed one after another, both sides placing their pieces rapidly.
Within monts, they had exchanged seven or eight more moves.
Qi Fanyu clenched his jaw even tighter as he saw Yu Shao’s latest move.
"This is insane…"
He had originally thought Yu Shao was just ignoring his attack.
But now, he understood the truth.
Yu Shao wasn’t just ignoring it.
He had already calculated everything and knew exactly how to counterattack.
"Even if I go all out here, I won’t be able to break his defense."
Qi Fanyu finally realized—
"This guy is on a completely different level."
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