Hikaru no Go: I taught you Go, and you made the Kisei cry?

Izumi had clearly thought about this question long ago, and shook his head.

"That's good..."

Kazuya breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Kurata-senpai's rank has risen too quickly, advancing two ranks in a year. His strength is definitely formidable. It would be best if we could avoid running into him."

"Hahaha, I heard that Kurata-senpai originally didn't care about the Young Lions Battle, but after his match with Su Ran-kun, he begged his teacher to make an exception and include him."

Isumi glanced at Su Ran and joked, "Senior Kurata is planning to avenge the slaying of the Great Dragon!"

"real or fake?"

Kazuya had never heard of this before and asked in confusion, "How do you know about Isumi?"

"When I overheard Mr. Honmura making a phone call, I heard him say that in the end, Kurata-senpai got a good scolding from his teacher and still failed to make it into the Young Lions competition."

"Phew! That's good..."

Kazuya breathed a sigh of relief: "As long as we don't run into Kurata 5-dan, Su Ran-kun and Touya Akira's chances of making it to the finals are even greater."

At this point, Kazuya suddenly punched Su Ran's shoulder hard: "Hey! Su Ran-kun, you really have to work hard this time! Our hopes of becoming professional Go players all rest on you and Akira Touya!"

"Even if you don't consider me and Isumi, at least you should keep it in mind, Uchida, right?"

Uchida?

Suddenly being paired up with Uchida by Kazuya, Su Ran almost spat out her cola. She glanced awkwardly at Uchida, only to find that he was also blushing and peeking at her.

Suddenly, a sense of panic flashed through Su Ran's mind.

"Ah... I will definitely try my best, but, well, okay."

Seeing Su Ran's embarrassed appearance, apart from Uchida who remained silent with his head down and blushing, both Waya and Isumi burst into laughter.

"Speaking of which, this year's Young Lions Tournament must be very exciting, right? There's Akira Touya and Su Ran-kun, although I really don't like that Akira Touya guy."

While sipping his cola, Kazuya changed the subject for Su Ran: "However, I have to admit that Akira Touya is stronger than me. If he really makes it to the semifinals, Mr. Honmura can brag about it for a long time."

"Haha, you're right." Isumi laughed when he heard this.

"Are the participants all first or second dan?"

Su Ran was a little curious. As far as he knew, the qualification for the Young Lions Tournament should be under twenty years old, and new first-dan players who have become professional players in the last two years would participate.

That's roughly it.

Kazuya nodded: "Besides Kurata 5-dan, there is another person who will also participate in the Young Lions Tournament. As long as you don't run into Su Ran, with your strength, you will almost certainly make it to the semi-finals."

"Who?"

Su Ran looked at He Gu with some confusion.

"Kyoto Shin".

Uchida, Wasa, and Isumi all spoke in unison.

"Kyoto Shin?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ran looked at them with some confusion: "Who are they?"

"Haven't you heard of Kyōyū Shin, 1st Dan?"

He Gu looked at Su Ran with some surprise and explained, "He only became a professional Go player last year, but he also participated once two years ago and failed."

"It failed?"

Kazuya nodded: "Kyoto Shinichi planned to pass the exam with a perfect record, but after winning three games in a row, he encountered Kurata-senpai. He lost that game and then withdrew from the professional exam."

Su Ran listened intently.

Following up on Isumi's words, Izumi continued, "Everyone was shocked at the time because even though he lost one game, he still had the ability to compete for a professional position, but he gave up."

"Afterwards, he explained that, in his view, if he didn't win every game, it meant that he wasn't good enough to become a professional Go player... He has always been surprisingly strict with himself."

"Moreover, in that game against Kurata 5-dan, I heard that Kyōujin 1-dan had a significant advantage until the middle game, when Kurata-senpai, relying on his exceptional game sense, played a brilliant move that turned the tide and won against Kyōujin 1-dan with great difficulty."

"Speaking of which, it was this game that made Kurata-senpai famous."

"He came here this time to seek revenge, against Senior Kurata."

"Even Kurata, a fifth-dan player, said frankly that Kyōujin was no weaker than himself."

"After a year of intensive training, he seems to have become a disciple of Master Kuwabara and has become even stronger. He passed last year's professional exam with a perfect record."

Isumi's expression also turned serious: "Moreover... in the new first-dan league, he defeated Ogata 9-dan."

Su Ran was stunned.

He knew that Ogata Seiji had defeated Kuwamoto Honinbo several times in the Honinbo title matches and was the top general under the Meijin.

Although he ultimately failed to win the Honinbo title.

The main reason was that Mr. Kuwabara was better at psychological warfare, which made Ogata Seiji uneasy and ultimately lost the game.

“We watched that game. Ogata 9-dan didn’t hold back. Even though he had a 6.5-point handicap, it was clear just how strong Kyōyōma 1-dan really is.”

Beside him, Izumi continued.

"In short, they should not be underestimated."

Su Ran nodded and remembered the name Kyōyō Makoto.

After lunch, they returned to the chess academy. The afternoon match schedule still featured two students that Su Ran did not recognize.

Su Ran showed no mercy, swiftly ending the battle. As he stood up, Akira Touya had also finished his fight.

Finally, the debriefing session ended, and the village teacher explained some chess positions before get out of class ended.

The students all left.

Su Ran also breathed a sigh of relief. Throughout the day's games, he had to constantly activate his super chess sense in his mind and combine it with his own understanding to give the most suitable points.

This constant process of deduction and change, while allowing him to grow rapidly, also left him somewhat exhausted.

Su Ran stood up, preparing to go downstairs and go home.

Meanwhile, Akira Touya also happened to stand up.

The two exchanged a glance, and sparks seemed to fly in the air.

Akira Touya was the first to withdraw his gaze, giving Su Ran one last deep look before turning and leaving.

Su Ran knew what Touya Akira wanted to say, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"I haven't been able to find a match between in-house students... so... how about a cub battle?"

"As you wish, then I'll play along to the end."

"Let me see how much you've grown during this time..."

……

The 147th Great Battle Begins! The Essence of the Honinbo Lineage!

With winter break approaching, the weather turned cold after several heavy rains.

The incessant chirping of cicadas in late autumn foreshadows the passing of the last rays of autumn, and the chilling dampness rises from the asphalt road, sending shivers down one's spine.

After the Cub Battle comes the preliminary round of the professional exam, followed immediately by the professional exam itself.

All the students in the chess academy are working hard to prepare for the competition, hoping to seize this last bit of time and make a final push.

However, these things are not of much concern to Su Ran. Like Akira Touya, they are all aiming to reach the finals of the Young Lions Tournament and win the championship.

Anyone who can qualify for the top three in the Young Lions Tournament can be exempted from the professional exam and directly join the ranks of professional chess players.

This was precisely the goal that Su Ran had been pursuing.

Today is the day of the cub battle.

"Teacher, we're leaving."

At the Ikegami Go Club, Ikegami Harada sat in the living room with a cat fast asleep on his lap. Ikegami Harada nodded: "Get good results, don't let me down."

"Don't worry, teacher."

Su Ran responded, changed her shoes, opened the door, got into a taxi, and headed to the chess academy.

These days, he simply moved to Mr. Ikegami's Go club, where he can learn Go principles from him and at the same time take care of his health.

Su Ran already regarded Ikegami-sensei as both a teacher and a father figure. This old man not only gave him a lot of help in the game of Go, but also taught him many principles of life.

Encountering a great teacher is often a great blessing in life.

……

Inside the chess academy, on the second floor, is the competition area.

"Hmm... is there anyone else who hasn't arrived yet?"

The village teacher glanced at his watch, then looked at the students in front of him, and asked the question knowingly.

"Akira Touya and Su Ran-kun haven't arrived yet..."

The village teacher nodded: "Actually, I was asking you why they haven't arrived yet..."

The village teacher sighed, somewhat helplessly, feeling that his students were a bit tactless.

Akira Touya and Su Ran, as the top seeds among the students and his hopes, were noticed early on that they hadn't arrived yet.

"Honestly... after teaching these kids for so long, they're not even as good as these two new students. It's really disappointing."

Although he thought this way, the village teacher pushed up his glasses and knew that this comparison was unfair to these children.

"Ugh……"

"Su Ran and Akira Touya are not ordinary children..."

"To be honest, there's not much I can teach these two kids about the way of Go... They've already received an education far beyond what ordinary people have received, like Touya Meijin and Su Yuan Kisei..."

"Actually, Waya and Isumi have performed quite well. At least, they were not intimidated when facing these two sons of the Go Saint. Even if they lost, they were unwilling to admit defeat."

The village teacher sighed and glanced at his watch.

"Teacher, Su Ranjun is here!"

He Gu had been staring at the doorway when suddenly his eyes lit up, and he waved to Su Ran: "Su Ran-kun, you're so slow."