“Just… a slap?”
Honestly, looking at the distorted face of the Tang Family Head, I wondered if I had gone too far, but on the outside, I began to act shamelessly calm.
“There’s always a price to pay for gambling.”
Education requires lessons. In real gambling with money on the line, simply letting someone experience the loss would be enough, but in a betting game like this, it’s impossible to feel such a deep lesson.
If I had seen them despair with the face of, ‘Oh, I was just cleanly fooled by that outcast! Is this the current state of my gambling skills…’ that would have been different.
But right now, the face of the Tang Family Head was that of a gambling addict lamenting they could have won if only there had been the original stakes. Their way of thinking was already different from regular people. It’s true that the Tang Family Head was accustomed to my sleight of hand. But how would this translate into probabilities? Even if the Tang Family Head’s winning chances had increased, it was obvious to anyone that my odds were overwhelmingly higher.
Is it normal to regret that just a little more play could have turned a 1-sen probability into 2 or 3? A regular person would have calculated it as ‘I need to cut my losses now’ and made an exit.
The patient’s condition was worse than I had anticipated.
So shouldn’t I proceed to physical therapy, beyond simple counseling?
“Please think for a moment. May I take a moment to get some fresh air with Hall Master Feng Ying’s guidance?”
“Do as you wish.”
Leaving the Tang Family Head, who had entered deep contemplation with a serious expression, I went to meet Hall Master Feng Ying for a moment.
“What do you think of the Family Head?”
“Hmm… To be honest, it seems clear they are somewhat addicted to gambling.”
“Do you agree that the Family Head needs treatment?”
After a moment of thought, Hall Master Feng Ying nodded. Good, I had at least gained the guardian’s consent.
“I don’t see how, in this current state, they could defeat Tang Do-gyeong even with skills. Their situation is urgent, but that doesn’t mean they should keep making bad moves repeatedly.”
“If the Family Head loses rationality, I would like you to protect me.”
“Of course. Stick close to me.”
Guardian and hidden bodyguards acquired.
“By the way, I understand that gambling-related hidden weapons were handed over to the Family Head. But isn’t it just a matter of compensating and retrieving them? Is there really a need to go this far?”
“Haha, that’s a problem too, but the real issue is that the Family Head has lost to Tang Do-gyeong in gambling.”
Is there something about the Tang Clan that I don’t know?
“What about the heads of other clans? Surely, as they live in the martial world, being armed is basic. But a Family Head is technically just the representative of a clan. They don’t necessarily need to be the strongest within the clan.”
“Hmm.”
“However, the head of the Tang Clan must be invincible. They are the first to receive the best hidden weapons and poisons. While Tang Clan members may be oblivious to other aspects, they certainly believe the Family Head should maintain the highest level in martial arts. But is that really a given?”
That made sense. It was harsh to say that just because you receive the best support, you should always achieve the best results.
“The Tang Clan’s head must accomplish that role. The Family Head has lived a life fulfilling that. You said you need to treat them? That’s correct. The position is often afflicted with chronic illness. It’s a role cursed by the pursuit of invincibility.”
“Hmm…”
“Within the Tang Clan, gambling and martial arts are closely related, so the Family Head losing to Tang Do-gyeong in gambling is a monumental incident. Especially since Tang Do-gyeong isn’t even a direct line member yet and is still quite junior. The psychological impact of the Family Head’s hidden weapons being handed over is possibly less than this.”
“Is the flow of hidden weapons a problem…”
“Yes. It’s undeniable proof that the Family Head lost to Tang Do-gyeong.”
“Indeed.”
I pondered Hall Master Feng Ying’s words for a moment. The Tang Clan’s head. The pressure to maintain the top position. The anxiety to redeem the defeat.
I slowly savored Hall Master Feng Ying’s words. The more I reflected, the more a firm conclusion took shape in my mind.
This is…
Just a gambling addict, right?
The reasons behind their gambling addiction didn’t matter. Initially, I was confused due to Hall Master Feng’s eloquent storytelling and the fact they were the Tang Clan’s head—somehow that made it feel important.
Ah, so expressing ‘You can never lose in gambling’ leads them to place larger bets to recover losses, thus spiraling further down, reminiscing, “I was once the head of a prestigious clan, known by all!” like a homeless person sitting in the streets reminiscing about past glory.
Emotional sympathy doesn’t help in resolving incidents. It seems Hall Master Feng wanted to advocate for the hardships of the head, but… there are no graves without stories.
If we’re talking about stories, I have my own. I was just playing video games in my room when a truck fell from the sky, and I’ve been suffering for eight years now!
To be clear, gambling addiction primarily stems from a lack of self-control and, secondarily, a lack of tangible experiences.
What is this lack of tangible experiences? It refers to a state where, despite acting out due to a lack of self-control, one doesn’t properly experience the consequences, whether due to luck or other factors.
The Tang Family Head probably thinks this situation is rock bottom. They may think they have been deeply shamed as a Family Head by losing to Tang Do-gyeong… but remember, underneath the floor, there is always a basement. Only when one has faced total humiliation to their very core can they truly rehabilitate.
“If the Family Head refuses, I’ll take that as a sign of their self-control and conduct lessons quietly. If not… it’s a promise to do this my way?”
Hall Master Feng Ying quickly nodded. It seems they had faith in the Family Head’s self-restraint.
Upon returning with Hall Master Feng Ying, Tang Guanglie declared.
“I will accept the bet!”
Then Hall Master Feng Ying’s head drooped.
*
Of course, it didn’t take long to retrieve Tang Guanglie’s ten bets.
Looking at the ceiling with regret, Tang Guanglie was gradually adapting to my gambling tricks. His winning chances might have risen to about 4-5 sen now. He was only seeing potential without perceiving the risks.
“Will you continue?”
“..Sure!”
“Then you first need to balance things out.”
Hall Master Feng Ying, who had decided not to interrupt, coughed repeatedly as if frustrated, but by now, Tang Guanglie probably couldn’t even hear that coughing.
“…Guh.”
Tang Guanglie leaned forward resentfully, loading up a slap with his right hand to aim for his forehead.
My physical power is at 9, barely the limit for an Iryu, which might seem insignificant, but this score represents a level comparable to professional sportspeople. It could crush a walnut shell in terms of grip strength.
Whack!
The slap of physical power score 9 struck Tang Guanglie’s forehead.
“Ha… Haha! The Outcast has quite the strong hand!”
Tang Guanglie’s hand, which was rubbing his forehead, was trembling. Seeing the bulging veins, he seemed to be reddening with anger. Since his gaze was sharp, I quickly changed the subject.
“Well, you should gamble, shouldn’t you?”
“Phew, yes. I should.”
Tang Guanglie shook his head, regaining focus. The fierce determination burned brightly in his eyes.
I deliberately lost the fourth round of gambling.
“Right! Finally!”
Though it was just a single game worth one bet, it was Tang Guanglie’s first victory. He was so pleased that he shot up with a joyful uppercut. Witnessing an elder entering his twilight years celebrate like a child made me smile as well.
Haha, Head, how does it feel to have your first and last win?
“Haha! Outcast! You should be worried now! Just one penetration would quadruple the odds!”
Tang Guanglie excitedly shouted with confidence, but my bets would not be leaving my hands again. After neatly arranging one hundred bets in rows and columns, I stood up and said.
“Well, then, let’s balance things out and wrap this up.”
It was already getting dark. Although simply gambling felt quite embarrassing as an official matter, we had already passed the normal working hours.
The Family Head shouted out passionately.
“What do you mean! Outcast! It’s said that anything should be played ‘Every Three’, so at least you must give me one more chance!”
“Haha… I don’t even know how long we’ve been at this gambling. However, since you insist, how about one slap for five bets?”
“No, suddenly half that…!”
“Haha, unlike you, I’m just an Iryu martial artist. It’s only natural that my stamina is running low.”
At my dramatics, Tang Guanglie bit his lip and finally nodded.
“Family Head!”
“Hall Master Feng Ying, stay quiet!”
Hall Master Feng Ying couldn’t hold back and intervened. From his perspective, he probably didn’t understand why Tang Guanglie kept crawling into a pit.
However, Tang Guanglie had already been provoked by me. Hall Master Feng Ying seemed too focused on a fuming Tang Guanglie to notice that I was subtly grinning or giving sidelong glances, slowly eroding the sanity of the Tang Family Head.
Tang Guanglie still hadn’t learned enough lessons. For him to learn my gambling skills in a short time, he needed to adopt a receptive attitude, but how could I turn that around now that he thought he was a gambling expert? I needed to drag him into the depths to reset his mindset.
This was all for Tang Guanglie’s own good. Honestly, being slapped by an outcast isn’t the worst thing ever, right? Preventing him from hitting rock bottom with just a bump on the forehead feels like destiny in itself!
“Well, show me your forehead then.”
Whack!
As Tang Guanglie received the smack, he exhaled like a bull and renewed his fighting spirit, but the five bets really disappeared in the blink of an eye.
I let out a big sigh of relief and leaned back in my chair. How would Tang Guanglie perceive my behavior? On the surface, I might look like a tired player after a long game, but…
“Outcast! Let’s have just one last game!”
Tang Guanglie would have taken my posture as ‘Phew, that was close to being figured out. That was risky~’.
“Haha, Family Head, didn’t you just say the last game?”
“I can’t bear it like this! I’ve heard there’s such a thing as a final comeback in gambling! I will wager fifteen bets for one last match!”
The Tang Family Head bit the bait with all his might. Honestly, what’s so bad about two slaps?
“Haha. So are we playing twelve slaps for the final match?”
“Twelve… slaps? Good! That’s exactly what I was hoping for!”
The final game. I raised my cup.
Swish. Shisik. Shishishisik!
And then Tang Guanglie’s mouth dropped open.
I decided that the best conclusion today would be to shock Tang Guanglie the most with this method.
My inner energy.
I was burning my inner energy freely while gambling.
Seeing this, Tang Guanglie would realize I had only been gambling using my physical abilities without employing my inner energy until now.
To someone like Tang Guanglie, who thought we were competing as martial artists, the psychological shock from my current gambling would be tremendous.
It must have been akin to thinking they were in a heated sports match only to suddenly see their opponent using their other hand to grip the racket.
‘Actually, I’m left-handed!’
Such a revelation! Essentially, I hadn’t used inner energy against you until now! Take my true inner energy gambling technique!
That kind of thought was undoubtedly racing through Tang Guanglie’s mind.
Tap.
The cup came to a halt. Tang Guanglie froze in that position.
“Choose one, Family Head.”
Tang Guanglie, with lifeless eyes, silently toppled any cup. Of course, it was empty. Once he confirmed that, Tang Guanglie lowered his head.
I tidied up my sleeves.
“I’ll go for it. Family Head.”
There was no response, but punishment is punishment. I formed my hands into a slapping shape, aiming for his forehead.
“I hope you find a lot of realizations from today. Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you everything from the right mindset in gambling to techniques and how to win with all my might!”
As I wished for this slap to rid the Tang Family Head of wrong thoughts, I snapped my fingers.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Bam-bam-bam!
In an instant, I allowed eleven consecutive slaps to rain down on Tang Guanglie’s head. His posture resembled that of a movie villain collapsing after getting shot, reminiscent of dying in a fierce battle.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Family Head.”
For safety’s sake, I hid behind Hall Master Feng Ying, but honestly, I hoped Tang Guanglie would awaken to the right mindset tomorrow.
Tang Guanglie remained motionless until the moment I exited the Family Head’s quarters.
