Hyeok Gi-rin was utterly lost in thought.
His hands were touching someone else’s.
Not just barely, but completely, with Ho Cheon-an’s palm fully pressed onto the back of Hyeok Gi-rin’s hand, each of his fingers in close contact.
It was a perfect hand-holding situation.
“In this situation, if I move my hands like this, the opponent won’t see the cup from this angle…”
Was that all?
To hold both of Hyeok Gi-rin’s hands, Ho Cheon-an had to embrace him from behind, which meant Hyeok Gi-rin was practically cuddled up to Ho Cheon-an.
“This way, if I naturally incorporate this hand movement into the existing cup movements, it becomes an impeccable trick.”
Hyeok Gi-rin found himself floating in a surreal daze from the sound of Ho Cheon-an’s voice so close to his ear.
Is this… a dream?
Thinking back, it all started to feel off when the Heavenly Demon suddenly appeared and called for a gambling game.
The very idea of the Heavenly Demon, who was no 10-year-old lonely child without a friend, bursting out of the Demon Sect to find a gambling partner seemed utterly unrealistic.
If only it were a dream that wouldn’t end…
As Hyeok Gi-rin pondered like this, he suddenly felt a chill.
The warmth that wrapped around his hand vanished.
Ho Cheon-an had pulled away.
“Now, let’s give it a try.”
Hyeok Gi-rin dazedly turned around. As he looked at the face of Ho Cheon-an nearby, he noticed Ho Cheon-an’s eyebrow twitch, and that jolted him back to reality.
“…? Give it a try then.”
“Ah, no…”
Hyeok Gi-rin stammered, flustered. The gambling technique he had just learned completely vanished from his mind.
Naturally, his demonstration was a disaster. Hyeok Gi-rin’s face flushed with a different kind of embarrassment than before.
“I-I’m so sorry!”
“No need to apologize. Let’s take it slow and try again.”
Ho Cheon-an’s body approached once more. Hyeok Gi-rin froze up again.
“I must learn… the technique!”
He desperately tried to focus, but it didn’t take long for his tense gaze to relax again.
“Hmm…”
Hyeok Gi-rin’s demonstration, which had already begun to feel fuzzy halfway through, was, of course, a mess from then on.
“Is this not the right method…?”
“…!”
At Ho Cheon-an’s mumbling, Hyeok Gi-rin snapped out of it.
He realized that in that moment of blissful distraction from the sweetness of Ho Cheon-an’s sudden closeness, he had lost sight of the essence of what they were doing.
After all, Ho Cheon-an combining their hands and embracing him was merely a new method to improve his gambling skills.
And despite all that closeness, he had no results, no, his performance even suffered?
Then, from Ho Cheon-an’s perspective, he had to consider a different way or revert to the original method.
“Absolutely not!”
“Again! Please!”
“Hmm. Alright…”
Overwhelmed by Hyeok Gi-rin’s insistence, Ho Cheon-an placed his hand back on top of Hyeok Gi-rin’s. Hyeok Gi-rin braced himself to focus again.
He couldn’t commit the folly of cutting open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs.
“Focus! Concentrate!”
Hyeok Gi-rin fiercely turned away from the warmth and comfort he felt from the intertwined hands and Ho Cheon-an’s embrace and focused with intense determination!
It was almost superhuman concentration!
The result:
Swish!
“How was that?”
“Excellent.”
Ho Cheon-an smiled with satisfaction, evaluating Hyeok Gi-rin’s technique.
“To digest a technique of this sort in just a few demonstrations.”
He did it!
Hyeok Gi-rin clenched his fist, thrilled that he had protected the golden-egg-laying goose.
“Ha, ha! Isn’t it all thanks to my master’s brilliance! Please guide me well!”
Ho Cheon-an also smiled warmly at Hyeok Gi-rin’s bright expression, mistaking it for a sense of achievement.
“Ha ha, of course.”
With laughter shared between Hyeok Gi-rin and Ho Cheon-an, their group was watching them with peculiar glances.
* *
The next day, from the crack of dawn, Wi Seoryeon barged in.
“Ha ha ha! You’ve prepared your resolve to decide the victor, right?”
With an ominous energy and a face that was anything but serious.
Just how much was she looking forward to this?
Well, truth be told, it wasn’t entirely unfathomable for her.
No matter how high her social standing, if one wants to gamble, they can simply disguise themselves and go to a gambling den.
However, the Heavenly Demon Wi Seoryeon couldn’t do that.
With the aura of Black Dragon Qi and hair as distinctively dark as night, along with her crimson eyes, she bore traits that made it impossible to hide her identity.
Could she invite gamblers over to enjoy some gambling instead?
Unless someone were truly a madman who had sold their soul to the spirit of gambling, could anyone genuinely gamble against a Heavenly Demon?
Even the gamblers in the underground gambling den, who were considered the most obsessed with gambling in the Heavenly Demon Sect, shuddered at the summons of Wi Ji-cheon and Wi Seoryeon.
In her position, she simply needed someone to gamble with.
While one might understand this fully, it was still outrageous that she would provoke someone who had never even gambled before and come charging in like this from the morning.
Hyeok Gi-rin glared at Wi Seoryeon, then caught my gaze.
With our eyes locked, Hyeok Gi-rin found his determination.
“…That’s good!”
“Ha ha, I will personally evaluate how much you’ve improved in just one day.”
The gambling game was set in motion.
The first move belonged to Hyeok Gi-rin.
Swish!
Wi Seoryeon’s eyes widened in surprise at Hyeok Gi-rin’s cup mixing.
“Oh!”
While Hyeok Gi-rin’s gambling skills were still lacking, his amount of practice compared to yesterday’s ignorance was like night and day.
Though Hyeok Gi-rin gave it his all with the techniques he had learned, he simply lacked actual experience and practice to make a real offense and defense against Wi Seoryeon.
If compared to swordsmanship, Hyeok Gi-rin was still learning just one slash.
How could he win a match with just one slash against someone adept in swordsmanship?
“Keuk…!”
Naturally, Hyeok Gi-rin was utterly defeated in three consecutive rounds.
“Ha ha ha! You’ve certainly improved!”
With Hyeok Gi-rin’s face flushed with frustration, it was only expected considering Wi Seoryeon’s superior, smug demeanor looking down at him without needing any empathy.
“I’ll challenge you again!”
“Oh, my lady never avoids a challenge. Feel free to come at me!”
“Ugh.”
The black cat let out a long sigh and pulled Wi Seoryeon aside.
“I’ll take care of this, so keep it moderate.”
“…Hmm. Fine! It’s not bad to enjoy a gamble with you again after a long time!”
As he observed the two engage in a duel in the corner, Hyeok Gi-rin clenched his fists and gazed towards me.
“Training! It’s training!”
“Hmm… Understood.”
Although it felt off to train in front of the Heavenly Demon Wi Seoryeon, the idea that she wouldn’t easily retreat from her wild gambling escapade made it unavoidable.
And so the second day of intense training began.
* *
It had already been three days since the Heavenly Demon Wi Seoryeon came to visit Bicheongmacha every day.
“I’ll come again tomorrow!”
Tang So-yeol, Tang Do-yeon, and Miss Yeo Il-ye looked at Wi Seoryeon as she left with satisfied expressions mixed with peculiar glances.
To these three, Wi Seoryeon was nothing short of a downright villain.
With an opponent lingering around the Demon Sect after their first clash, it was no question she’d come to bother them again.
Given that she was using gambling as a sly indirect means to turn the tables, all while considering ho Cheon-an and the black cat’s perspective…
Wasn’t she toying with Hyeok Gi-rin in her playful gambling against the black cat?
“Hm. Doesn’t anyone else want to challenge me? Even if there have been consecutive battles, I still have the stamina to take on more.”
“I’ve heard the Tang Clan has its own unique gambling techniques…”
She seemed bent on finding opportunities to gamble with others.
It was abundantly clear she had come on this expedition strictly for gambling purposes.
Though one might deem it a distraction aimed to lure them into a false sense of security, Wi Seoryeon genuinely had no need to go to such lengths.
“Ugh…”
“This is just…”
Ultimately, Tang Do-yeon, Tang So-yeol, and Yeo Il-ye had to accept that Wi Seoryeon was coming to Bicheongmacha solely for gambling.
“Who would believe such an absurd story that the Heavenly Demon comes every single day just to enjoy gambling?”
“The past few days have felt foolish as I tried to decipher her intentions.”
Hearing the three’s sighs, the black cat chuckled dryly.
“She’s like a force of nature, after all. Still, she knows to stick to the rules… Hmm… she doesn’t seem particularly evil.”
“…Yes. She’s eccentric but has a semblance of credit.”
Tang Do-yeon nodded, her expression a mix of skepticism. Had she been truly despicable, she wouldn’t tease them with gambling but rather threaten to kill if they didn’t play.
Tang So-yeol’s eyes rolled over at the idea that Wi Seoryeon had been harmless.
“If that’s the case, only Hyeok Gi-rin is in trouble.”
Everyone’s gaze centered on Hyeok Gi-rin and Ho Cheon-an.
“Is that what it truly means?”
“Yes. Right there. If anything goes further…”
Hyeok Gi-rin struggled to suppress a smile that threatened to spill over, his eyes shining with joy. He was relishing in his gambling training and personal desires at the same time, which was a sight that left the black cat and Yeo Il-ye’s expressions filled with uncertainty.
Tang So-yeol was snickering at the reactions of the black cat and Yeo Il-ye.
“It seems the time has come for the child to grow weary.”
Tang So-yeol’s gaze fell precisely on Yeo Il-ye.
It was now so natural for the black cat to cling to Ho Cheon-an that there was no longer any need to question it. Even without the pretense of training together until the Hwa-gyeong, it felt the same.
But what about Yeo Il-ye?
“Using the excuse of repaying a kindness, you could say the effectiveness of that excuse has more or less worn out.”
After traveling together for some time, they ultimately needed to beat Jeong Cheol, so she had repaid her debts adequately.
Though she learned about potential foes from the Blood Sect while hearing Ho Cheon-an’s past… Was there any certainty that the Blood Sect would antagonize Ho Cheon-an? Though she knew they were recruiting entities to grow their power, it made Yeo Il-ye’s position somewhat precarious.
If Ho Cheon-an were to suddenly depart somewhere, it would naturally lead to the dissolution of the group.
For Yeo Il-ye, wanting to stay with Ho Cheon-an, this was the last chance to create some justification.
Yet suddenly, potential rival Hyeok Gi-rin was monopolizing Ho Cheon-an and not only that, but he had pushed the envelope too!
– What are you all thinking to have such expressions?
At Tang Do-yeon’s mental query, Tang So-yeol’s mouth twitched.
“Just how did we even end up here?”
Tang So-yeol, equally self-aware of her expression, reciprocated with a silent mental communication.
– Isn’t the arrangement between the three somewhat riveting?
– Ugh, you have a peculiar sense of humor. Yeah, enjoy it without regrets.
Tang Do-yeon glanced curiously at her response.
– Now that Jeong Cheol’s business is concluded, we need to head back to the Tang Clan. Sigh, once back, I’ll confess I’ll inevitably end up as a cart driver again, which worries me.
Tang So-yeol gazed at Tang Do-yeon with bewilderment. Why would an esteemed Peak Expert like her be the cart driver?
Nevertheless, her concerns had merit.
The two of them traveling with Ho Cheon-an was always aimed at defeating Jeong Cheol. Now that they had done that, it was time for them to head back.
‘To think I have to leave this exciting spectacle behind…’
Once back, she could only envision a bleak future, grinding out hidden weapons with a pair of moldy fish-eyeing pots. Tang So-yeol’s expression sobered.
A plan.
A plan was needed.
As he was stuck there like a statue caught in thought after thought, Tang So-yeol’s gaze darted back to Yeo Il-ye.
‘It is crucial to create a justification for having the need for a cart.’
With the artisan Tang So-yeol and the Peak Expert Tang Do-yeon, for Ho Cheon-an, traveling with both would be a debt to the Tang Clan.
For Ho Cheon-an to continue using the Bicheongmacha, what was necessary?
‘A larger party is needed, and they have to keep traveling.’
Where they end up can always be sorted later, but for now, they must prevent the party from disbanding.
So, there was a need to strengthen Yeo Il-ye’s position, the most precarious one at present.
Having concluded, Tang So-yeol quickly approached Yeo Il-ye.
“Learn gambling.”
“…What?”
“How long are you going to keep waiting on Ho Cheon-an? Sometimes brute force is necessary. If you hold his hand and draw closer, maybe something will change.”
“Wh-what are you talking about! I’m only a sister…”
“Ugh, is this really the time to be keeping track of familial relations? What if Ho Cheon-an suddenly just decides to disband the group? Even now, as we sit here licking kindness, do you want to just wear that badge of honor indefinitely?”
Yeo Il-ye’s eyes trembled, having been caught off guard with truths she had been secretly concerned about.
“Just give it a shot as I say. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
“I…will only listen.”
With Tang So-yeol’s assertive mental command.
Once again, the atmosphere of the campsite began to transform dramatically.
