CLS-Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Kang Cheon-rip, who barely managed to steady his wobbling lower body, shouted with difficulty.

“Why! Why don’t you want to!”

Wi Yeon-ho answered with a face that showed he couldn’t understand why the man was shouting.

“…I just need to win one more round, so why bother expanding the game? It’s annoying.”

Kang Cheon-rip’s face went blank for a moment.

Win one more round – what did that mean?

“Don’t you want to make more money!”

“That’s right.”

“Then you should go to bigger games.”

“I’m already making good money here, so why bother…”

Wi Yeon-ho yawned lazily and slumped in his chair.

“I’m getting tired now too.”

Tired?

Kang Cheon-rip looked at Wi Yeon-ho as if he couldn’t understand. What had he done since coming here that would make him tired? If it were someone else, one might think they’d at least expended mental energy, but what mental energy could this man with such an annoyed expression have consumed while slouching around?

“Young Master, please take this!”

When Wi Yeon-ho looked a bit tired, Jin So-ah carefully placed a special Vitality Pill from within his robes into his mouth.

“Water!”

“Here it is!”

It was a special Vitality Pill passed down as a family secret recipe. With so many precious ingredients required, it wasn’t something that could be made carelessly, but what was there to save in this situation!

Wi Yeon-ho didn’t refuse the pill.

Having starved for five years, Wi Yeon-ho would put anything that looked nutritious into his mouth first, regardless of taste.

Kang Cheon-rip trembled as he watched what Wi Yeon-ho was doing.

Yin-Yang was gambling that couldn’t use trickery.

But winning ten times in a row couldn’t simply be dismissed as luck. Even by probability alone, wasn’t it a one-in-a-thousand chance? There was no guarantee that probability wouldn’t occur again next time.

“Y-you cannot gamble anymore in this place.”

“Why?”

“You’re planning to bet all that money in the next round too, aren’t you?”

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

“You cannot bet a thousand silver nyang in a public game.”

“Why?”

Wi Yeon-ho tilted his head.

“It’s our Golden Flower House’s rule that gambling above a certain amount must be conducted privately.”

“Huh?”

Wi Yeon-ho looked around with a puzzled expression as if he didn’t understand.

“Really?”

The surrounding gamblers all had faces that showed they weren’t sure either.

“…You’d have to have gambled with a thousand nyang to know.”

“From the looks of it, there haven’t been any thousand nyang games, so it seems right. I’ve heard several times about big gambling happening, but it never occurred in places like this.”

“I suppose so?”

Wi Yeon-ho was convinced by the reactions around him.

“Then what if I bet five hundred nyang each, splitting it in half?”

“That won’t work. The stakes themselves are different, aren’t they?”

“Strange rule.”

Kang Cheon-rip could breathe a sigh of relief, at least inwardly.

‘As if such a rule would exist.’

There was no such rule to begin with. Or more precisely, there was no need to create such a rule.

Who would have imagined that someone would bet ten gold nyang in a game set up to moderately entertain gamblers?

It would be impossible unless one was quite mad.

“So, what will you do? Will you try playing properly in a bigger game, or will you swallow your disappointment and go home?”

Wi Yeon-ho seemed to ponder with half-closed eyes, then opened his mouth.

“I’ve decided.”

“Oh, as expected?”

“I want to go home.”

Wi Yeon-ho casually rose from his seat.

Kang Cheon-rip’s mouth gaped open.

Go home!

The guy who just won ten gold nyang wants to go home!

Normally, even if someone earned that much money – no, even a tenth of that amount – wouldn’t they get intoxicated by the fever of gambling and lose half their reason, going all the way to the end? That’s human nature!

If people could win a reasonable amount and go home, all the gambling houses in the Central Plains would have gone bankrupt!

But it was Kang Cheon-rip’s misfortune that such a person had won ten gold nyang.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

It was a stupid question, but others were looking at Wi Yeon-ho with the same expression. To those involved in gambling, Wi Yeon-ho’s behavior was no different from the acts of a demon wearing human skin.

How could someone win ten gold nyang and rise from their seat so calmly? With those stakes, who knows how much more money could be multiplied.

“I’m getting sleepy.”

“…”

“I’m tired today, so I’ll go now. As for gambling, well, I can continue tomorrow, and I can just come back tomorrow with one silver nyang again.”

Kang Cheon-rip shook his head.

Not because Wi Yeon-ho’s behavior was absurd, but to shake off the shock filling his head.

‘If this bastard leaves like this, I’m ruined!’

“Young Hero!”

Kang Cheon-rip desperately rushed to Wi Yeon-ho and grabbed his arm.

“Oh no, Young Hero! How can you leave like this?”

Wi Yeon-ho looked at Kang Cheon-rip with a blank expression.

“Then how else should I leave?”

“You can really make big money.”

“Well, I don’t really need that much. I’m an efficient person.”

Jin So-ah unconsciously nodded.

He was someone who had no problems with just a room and food to eat. Even if they brought a beggar, it would cost more money than this person. Although his sister was preparing elaborate feasts for him, that was Jin Ye-ran’s problem, not Wi Yeon-ho’s.

“Then why did you come to the gambling house?”

“I was just curious, and I thought it might be fun. But it doesn’t seem very interesting…”

Kang Cheon-rip felt like foaming at the mouth.

Ten gold nyang! A thousand silver nyang earned, and he says it’s not interesting!

He wanted to beat up this dense fool right away, but there were too many watching eyes.

“Th-this time it will really be fun!”

“Hmm, can I trust that?”

“Really. Please trust this Kang Cheon-rip.”

“Since when do I know you?”

Just as Wi Yeon-ho seemed to be gradually coming around, Kang Cheon-rip raised his momentum a bit more.

“Wh-what fun can you have with ten gold nyang! Since it’s come to this, we’ll lend you twenty more nyang! Interest-free!”

“Whoa.”

Just as Wi Yeon-ho seemed about to say something he’d thought of, Kang Cheon-rip struck first.

“Of course, you must pay it back when you leave. Taking it with you and saying you’ll pay later won’t work.”

“Aw, never mind then.”

Wi Yeon-ho looked at Kang Cheon-rip with a blank expression.

“But from what I hear, there doesn’t seem to be much good in it for me? I don’t really need big stakes, I’m getting tired of gambling, and I’d rather just go home and sleep…”

‘This bastard is really!’

Kang Cheon-rip thought Wi Yeon-ho was playing games with him. But Jin So-ah, who knew the truth, just felt sorry for Kang Cheon-rip.

‘That’s… sincere…’

Having lived together for several days, he could feel the clear annoyance on Wi Yeon-ho’s face.

One side was telling the truth while the other didn’t believe it, so there was no way the conversation could continue.

“Fine!”

Sparks flew from Kang Cheon-rip’s eyes.

“Five nyang!”

“Huh?”

“If you agree to join the big game, I’ll give you five more nyang.”

“Whoa?”

Wi Yeon-ho looked at Kang Cheon-rip with eyes that said ‘Are you crazy?’

“You’ll just give me five nyang?”

“Yes!”

“How about ten nyang?”

“…”

What kind of crazy bastard is this?

Normally, one should first ask why it’s being given, but here he’s thinking of raising the amount?

Kang Cheon-rip nodded with difficulty, his face trembling.

“Of course. I’ll give it to you! I’ll give you ten more nyang! But!”

Kang Cheon-rip spat out his words as if chewing them.

“The game doesn’t end until one side runs out of money completely. How about it?”

“Hmmm?”

Wi Yeon-ho made a nasal sound and fell into thought.

‘Coming back tomorrow would be annoying too.’

Wi Yeon-ho knew himself well. He said he’d come tomorrow, but if he went back to his room and lay down like this, he’d be unable to move for at least two weeks.

He still had ten gold nyang to earn, but like this…

“Whoa, I’m rich?”

Come to think of it, he had ten gold nyang just in his robes. This was enough to eat and live without doing anything for a lifetime. Now he could hire servants and eat elaborate feasts every meal even without Jin Ye-ran.

Squeeze.

At that moment, Jin So-ah firmly gripped Wi Yeon-ho’s shoulder.

“You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking right now, are you? Right?”

“…You’re no different from a ghost.”

Wi Yeon-ho looked at Jin So-ah with a blank face, then turned his head away.

“Tsk, being too good a person isn’t good either…”

No matter what, seeing that fairy-like person being sold to a brothel wouldn’t be good for his mental health. When a person does something that weighs on their conscience, they can’t sleep peacefully at night.

“I’m only helping once for Uncle Yu-hwan’s sake.”

“How could there be any question!”

When Jin So-ah rubbed his hands together, Wi Yeon-ho grinned.

“And you personally will grant me one favor.”

“…What?”

“I’ll only ask you to do something you can do. Will you do it or not?”

When his sister was about to be sold to a brothel, how could a favor be a problem now?

“I’ll do it!”

Thus Jin So-ah thoughtlessly took Wi Yeon-ho’s bait.

“Then well…”

Wi Yeon-ho nodded looking at Kang Cheon-rip.

“I’ll do it if you give me ten nyang.”

“Oh!”

Kang Cheon-rip’s face brightened.

‘This stupid fool.’

It didn’t matter whether the seed money was ten or twenty nyang. Once the game started, it would all be money to win anyway, so what did it matter!

“Let’s go inside!”

“Let’s just do it here.”

“What?”

“What if I get into trouble going in there? I’m quite a delicate person, you know.”

“…”

Jin So-ah trembled at Wi Yeon-ho’s audacity.

A delicate person who sent the Black Spider Brotherhood’s left protector to heaven in one blow?

“So let’s do it where many people can see. Then we can’t use tricks either, and it’ll be fair for both sides, won’t it?”

“Ummm…”

Kang Cheon-rip seemed to think for a moment, then nodded.

“Good!”

“You’re decisive.”

Wi Yeon-ho trudged over and sat in his original chair.

“So… what do I need to do?”

“That’s not it.”

“What?”

“It’s not about asking what to do, but who you need to face that’s important.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

When Wi Yeon-ho tilted his head, Kang Cheon-rip laughed heartily and shouted loudly.

“Come out!”

As soon as Kang Cheon-rip finished speaking, the back door opened and a man wrapped in a black cloak slowly walked out.

Those who recognized the man all cried out in surprise.

“It’s, it’s Poison Ratio!”

“Poison Ratio has appeared!”

Instantly, the gambling house filled with heat.

In that strange atmosphere, only Wi Yeon-ho and Jin So-ah tilted their heads, not understanding.

“Why are these people acting like this?”

“I wonder?”

Wi Yeon-ho looked at the one-armed man walking toward him and leaned back in his chair.

“Seems like he’s got some skill. What should I do?”

“You shouldn’t ask me that.”

“…I want to go home.”

Jin So-ah let out a deep sigh looking at Wi Yeon-ho, who had no motivation whatsoever.

Thus began the Golden Flower House disturbance incident that would be told throughout Hubei for generations.

***

“Who?”

The man’s voice made one imagine its coldness just by hearing it.

“We haven’t been able to identify his exact identity yet.”

Black Spider Brotherhood leader Gwak Do-san bowed so extremely that his back couldn’t bend any further.

The man before him was that frightening, and he absolutely wanted to avoid making eye contact with this man.

“An unknown young master of high skill…”

The man lightly touched his red lips, then spoke in a tone that seemed to drip blood.

“Kill him.”

“…What?”

“There’s no need to leave variables. Kill him.”

“B-but we haven’t determined what level of master he is at all.”

“Pathetic.”

The man continued without waiting for Gwak Do-san’s excuse.

“Send useful ones. Don’t waste time – go in right now and kill him.”

“Understood.”

When Gwak Do-san bowed deeply and went outside, the man frowned and looked at the ceiling.

“To think I have to exchange words with such vermin.”

Considering their grand plan, it was something to endure, but he couldn’t shake off this disgusting feeling.

“I may be crawling at the bottom now, but eventually I will stand at the peak of this martial world.”

The man’s low laughter echoed through the hall.