“Better than an ordinary professional Go player?”
Hearing the commotion, the onlookers who had gathered around sternly rebuked him.
“These kids nowadays lack respect for professionals.”
“Grinding, arduous training, struggling—only by overcoming oneself can one achieve professionalism, and there are countless failures.”
“Even Xiao Liang Teacher, from a young age, trained selflessly every day, no matter how hard, year after year, only then did he achieve professional Go strength.”
“Putting aside that yellow-haired kid, Xiao Liang Teacher alone can take care of this fellow.”
Whispering, muttering…
Ao Ying picked up the Go box and smiled, “Do I need to give you a handicap? How about five or six stones?”
“You don’t need to give me anything!”
With a loud slap, Shindo Hikaru slammed the table, and Toya Akira’s eyes glowed with a cold light.
“I already want to hit this kid; he dares to offer a handicap in a two-on-one match.”
“Xiao Liang Teacher, teach him a good lesson!”
The surrounding onlookers gradually increased, some rubbing their fists, eager to act.
Ao Ying sat up straight. “Then let’s begin. You two will play as black stone first.”
“Please enlighten me.”
“Please enlighten me.”
After bowing.
Toya Akira’s first move was on the Star Point, at row four, column sixteen.
Shindo Hikaru pointed his finger, counting under his breath, “One, two… there!”
Finally, the black stone stone landed on Komoku, at row four, column seventeen.
“According to the anime, there’s a show-off later who likes to play on the tengen, but gets counter-attacked by Shindo Hikaru. I’ll try it too.”
The tengen is at the exact center of the Go board, radiating in all directions, making it look quite impressive.
Ao Ying took a white stone from the Go box and slowly placed it on the Go board.
The second move was tengen!
Upon seeing this move, the onlookers reacted as if they had eaten dynamite.
“Beat him, beat him, he’s looking down on us too much.”
“Playing the second move on the tengen in both games is like giving up half a move at the start, how bold to do that in a two-on-one!”
Toya Akira looked up briefly, then placed his second move.
Star Point, at row four, column four.
Shindo Hikaru was confused, looking left and right.
“Ding, unknown fluctuation detected. Would you like to borrow 1 luck point to investigate?”
Good heavens!
Even borrowing is an option now.
“Investigate.”
Ao Ying’s eyes lit up, and he thought to himself.
In two breaths, a man resembling an Onmyoji appeared before his eyes, holding a folding fan.
“I didn’t expect that besides Shindo Hikaru, the system could also detect the Go spirit, Fujiwara no Sai.”
“Should I say, as expected of the system?!”
Ao Ying’s lips curved slightly upwards.
Shindo Hikaru communicated telepathically, “Sai, everyone around is making a fuss. Is the second move on the tengen really that impressive?”
“Hikaru, in my era, let alone the second move, no one ever played on the tengen even for the first move.”
“Why?”
Shindo Hikaru’s eyes showed confusion; he knew nothing about Go.
“The outcome of Go is a competition of territory size. The Go board has nineteen rows and nineteen columns, and the intersections on it are territory. The tengen is exposed on all sides, making it extremely difficult to enclose territory.”
“In comparison, the corners are easier to gain territory. Using this as a foundation, one first develops towards the sides, and then advances towards the center.”
Fujiwara no Sai explained simply.
Shindo Hikaru understood, chuckling, “This guy really knows how to bluff, bragging that he’s better than ordinary professionals.”
“Perhaps, but daring to boast and play the second move on the tengen shows that he truly doesn’t take either of you seriously.”
Sai narrowed his eyes, as if they could shoot flames. The greatest Go player of the Heian period, who taught the Emperor Go, had never been so disrespected.
Clap, clap, clap…
Ao Ying and Toya Akira quickly placed their stones, neither willing to fall behind in momentum.
“Sai, I feel like Toya Akira is subtly glowing. Can I also place stones with that posture?”
“Posture?”
Sai was momentarily stunned, then noticed Toya Akira’s movements: his index, middle, and ring fingers holding the stone, with his middle finger above the stone and his index and ring fingers below.
Whoosh—
His folding fan opened with a light flutter.
“This young man, Toya Akira, is very interesting, like a young lion, full of vigor.”
“Hikaru, as for the posture, we can practice it privately. Right now, we need to respond to the second move on the tengen.”
“Komoku, at row seventeen, column sixteen.”
As instructed, Shindo Hikaru continued counting and placed the black stone stone in its designated position.
Komoku?
Ao Ying stroked his chin. Sai’s Go philosophy was centuries old, and Komoku was a common move in the past.
Since that’s the case…
Click!
Small Knight's Move Capping Attack, at row fifteen, column seventeen.
Upon seeing the white stone not occupying a corner but directly attacking with a capping move, Sai closed his folding fan.
“Hikaru, at row sixteen, column fifteen, 'point'.”
Being so close, Shindo Hikaru quickly placed the stone.
“Shusaku’s point?”
“Honinbo Shusaku’s commonly used technique. In the past, black stone didn’t need to compensate points, so this move was very stable and considered a good play.”
“Nowadays, black stone playing first inherently has an advantage, requiring a compensation of 5.5 points. If you don’t play quickly at the start, the burden of compensation will become heavier and heavier.”
Ao Ying complimented black stone’s point, and incidentally pointed out the new era’s Go rules.
In the original work, Fujiwara no Sai only learned about this when Shindo Hikaru attended a Go training class.
Upon hearing this, Shindo Hikaru was stunned and communicated telepathically, “Hey, Sai, you didn’t know about compensation points?”
“There was no compensation in the past; this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“Without compensation, did you not notice black stone’s advantage?”
Sai raised his folding fan to cover his mouth, snickering, “I’ve never lost when playing as black stone.”
“You… you rascal…”
Shindo Hikaru’s lips twitched.
Toya Akira cast a strange glance. His friend didn’t know the compensation rules?
Watching Shindo Hikaru and Sai play their double act, Ao Ying pinched a white stone and placed it.
A three-space extension, at row eleven, column seventeen.
Sai remained silent; with his Go strength, he naturally understood the white stone’s intent.
“Sai, is the situation unfavorable?”
After a while of no movement, Shindo Hikaru inquired.
“Hmm, if both sides have similar Go strength, this white move gains an advantage.”
“According to Go theory, a two-space extension is reasonable, but he played a three-space extension.”
“Don’t underestimate the difference of one line; the opening speed is half a move faster.”
Confirming the disadvantage, Shindo Hikaru nervously asked, “Sai, will we lose?”
“Hikaru, don’t worry. Although some of my knowledge is outdated, my foundation is solid, and it’s not something a boy of this age can contend with.”
“Next move, we counterattack and test this young man’s true strength.”
The folding fan pointed to a spot, “Invasion, at row thirteen, column seventeen.”
Shindo Hikaru glared fiercely and placed the black stone stone.
“Hikaru, next, he will play on the second or fourth line to connect.”
“Sai, you’re not bluffing, are you?”
Sai shook his head. “If it were an opponent of my level, there would be other options, but this young man in front of me can’t be that strong. Connecting is the most stable move.”
“Other moves? For example?”
“Pushing out, at row fifteen, column fifteen. This is a head-on confrontation approach. Someone who dares to play this move has reached a certain level and is considered strong even among amateurs.”
Shindo Hikaru let out a sigh of relief.
A strong amateur?
After all, Sai had never lost with black stone, so he should at least be professional-level. This game was stable.