“Whew…”
The only training I could comfortably do in the palace was Qi cultivation. With that in mind, I spent my remaining time solely on it. Practicing Qi cultivation tirelessly helped me organize the lingering energy of the spiritual medicine stored in my body.
After all, Qi cultivation exercises are the basics for martial artists, so if I’m not careful, it can easily fall by the wayside.
When I finally came to my senses, I realized I had become completely engrossed in performing sword techniques and unraveling mysteries after realizing the spiral techniques, completely sidelining the spiritual medicine.
I kept organizing the leftover energies of the spiritual medicine, feeling like I was doing homework overdue, and finally, I made some progress.
After finishing a simple body exercise and washing up, the court ladies served breakfast. Though it was just plain noodles and dumplings, the depth of the broth and the delectable juices bursting out when chewing the filling was certainly different from what I usually ate.
After that, I met up with Hyeok Gi-rin for some tea. It seemed that the relationship I had with the royal family was an issue because, after that day, he returned to being the usual Hyeok Gi-rin, as long as I didn’t bring up our connections.
Hyeok Gi-rin looked cheerful, as if he quite enjoyed life in the palace.
“Slurp.”
Today, I wanted to tell Hyeok Gi-rin about what my two subordinates, Dujak and Hwi-gyeong, were up to. I mean, inviting me, a guest of the emperor, out of the palace to join Gilu at a gambling house was completely neglecting their duties as eunuchs!
But looking at Hyeok Gi-rin today, he bore a face that relished a rare sense of peace. Even if the strict family rules might make friendships feel precarious, for Hyeok Gi-rin, the palace was home. After all, there’s a certain comfort that comes from the ‘home’ space.
I thought there was no need to ruin Hyeok Gi-rin’s mood by bringing up what the two were doing.
He had firmly refused yesterday, so I thought he’d realize the seriousness of the situation by now.
That was my thought process at that moment.
“Help me!”
The moment I saw their faces, the two bowed their heads to me.
“What…why are you two like this?”
Dujak’s expression was a bit awkward, but Hwi-gyeong’s face was that of pure desperation. If this expression was an act, I thought he might as well be a peer commander or something.
“Do you remember when we first met, you said I looked like someone?”
“Yes? Yes, I do remember that.”
“My real name is Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong!”
I see. No wonder he looked familiar; it must have been Sa Ma Yeom I was recalling. After hearing the surname Sa Ma, looking back at Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong, he bore enough resemblance to Sa Ma Yeom that claiming they were siblings wouldn’t be odd at all.
I had roughly guessed the two were using aliases anyway, but they must not have wanted to show it, so I widened my eyes and pretended to be surprised.
“Really surprising! But why are you using an alias?”
Why suddenly reveal that to me?
“It’s because…I heard quite a lot about your gambling!”
“…Excuse me? Can you explain that in a way I can understand?”
“Help me! You’re the only hope I have!”
Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong clung to my pant legs. It took a while to calm the utterly confused Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong down and hear the story.
“So, let me get this straight. You did something with the gold sent by Sacheon Governor Sa Ma Yeom? And you lost it all at the gambling house?”
Both Dujak and Hwi-gyeong bowed their heads low.
Is this for real? The situation was so absurd that my first instinct was to question its authenticity. Most importantly, Dujak, this guy… he didn’t seem to feel the gravity of the situation. Was he just putting on a serious face?
“…So, how much did you gamble?”
“Five hundred gold!”
That amount was unreal, and I couldn’t help but check Dujak’s reaction. Can you really maintain that attitude after losing 500 gold? The money sent by Sa Ma Yeom could technically be considered a tribute from the Sacheon Governor. After all, governors just need to fill their treasury and send it to the center.
There were plenty of clues to infer that the Sa Ma family was a great noble house in the political arena. First off, there was Sa Ma Yeom, who has known Hyeok Gi-rin since childhood. His relationship with the young princess implied that the Sa Ma family had a close relationship with the imperial family.
And now, here was Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong, currently a eunuch in the palace, trembling at the mere thought of it.
Interfering with the emperor’s tribute was a massive deal.
But what exactly was causing this lack of crisis awareness in Dujak?
Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong, noticing the doubt in my eyes, pulled me closer.
“Actually, Dujak is from a noble bloodline.”
So, he’s of royal descent? If that’s the case, it’s possible for him to exhibit such an oblivious demeanor. Maybe he’s one of those pampered princes who goes around wreaking havoc.
If you’re going to mess around with the emperor’s tribute, you’d better have a royal background to have the audacity to do so. It also explained why the court ladies in the palace acted the way they did. Even if they were eunuchs, they were bending over backward far too much, but the situation would be different if they were royalty.
“Please, help me as if saving one person! You are my only hope!”
Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong committed a great sin that could lead to his execution and would cause monumental damage to his clan, but if he’s a roguish prince…well, he might get an appropriate punishment and be done with it.
I had this hunch that the moment they suddenly became friendly and suggested heading to a place called Cheonsangru, something was off. That must be where they lost the 500 gold.
While I was lost in thought, Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong continued speaking.
“If it were just a matter of losing money, I could mobilize my family’s influence and cover the loss, but the problem is… I’ve hidden a treasure from the list of items that includes the Five Treasures Rooster, and if I can’t retrieve it from the storeroom, I’m a dead man!”
“Goodness.”
I understood the situation now.
I took a moment to think about Sa Ma Yeom. Honestly, I didn’t entirely lack the desire to help Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong. I owed Sa Ma Yeom quite a bit and was aware of how slick he was, so keeping a leash on him might come in handy.
It’s a case of self-responsibility, but it wouldn’t be right to just watch someone die. And if these two had any sense, surely they’d assist me during my stay in the palace.
“Is there really no way to leave the palace without any trouble? Let’s be honest, neither of you are peers or the Commander of the Golden Guards, right?”
“Ahem. You don’t need to worry about that. If it comes to light that you left the palace, we would have no choice but to take action! If you get caught, we’d all be in deep trouble!”
“Well, that’s true.”
As expected, the answer was as anticipated. I nodded. It was indeed predictable.
“I see you both want to hire me as a gambler. However, I have conditions as well.”
The two exchanged glances. Dujak nodded, and Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong asked.
“So, what are your conditions?”
“Collateral. I need something undebatable regarding its value.”
“…What?”
Their faces turned perplexed due to the unexpected situation.
“Hmm…we can prepare the betting money. Losing 500 gold isn’t small change, but I’ll sort something out.”
“Hahaha! Of course, you have to prepare the betting money. What I mean is not the gambling money. I mean the collateral you have to provide me to work with you two.”
I smiled brightly.
“Why would I trust two guys who got so addicted to gambling that they laid hands on the emperor’s tribute to leave the palace? Even moneylenders wouldn’t lend to a gambling addict.”
I mean, can a gambling addict even be trusted? Come on, you fools.
“If you want to go out of the palace with me, then bring something you think I can trust as collateral.”
Seeing their mouths agape, I smiled brighter.
“If you don’t want it, then just stay where you are.”
* *
Nangyang City.
The capital is the very center where all cultures of this vast world converge.
Nangyang has thrived for a long time as the capital of Huang Nation, gathering all forms of culture and customs. Among them, some survive while others are discarded, and the capital’s culture continues to add splendor and depth, becoming so developed that local areas can hardly keep up.
So, it goes without saying how extravagant and luxurious nightlife in the capital is.
There were hundreds of performances from Gilu running throughout Nangyang.
And there was one Gilu that everyone recognized as the best in Nangyang: Cheonsangru.
Cheonsangru was wrapped in a quiet tension.
“Brother, what exactly is that target doing?”
“Stop talking nonsense. Just review your mistakes. If we truly mess up, those guys could easily take our heads.”
“Tsk.”
Hak Jo scolded a fellow gambler, recalling three days prior. Unexpectedly, their old classmates had barged into their homes and dragged them into Cheonsangru.
The underground level two of Cheonsangru, where even high officials struggle to become members, had drawn them in. And in that special gambling house, they met the top gamblers known throughout Nangyang.
“You guys will be gambling against a target inside Cheonsangru. Understand?”
The forcibly recruited gamblers listened, filled with fear and resentment as their old classmates explained. But soon, those faces lit up with excitement and enthusiasm.
It was a whopping 500 gold bet. Moreover, the chance to strategize in the prestigious underground level two of Cheonsangru was mind-blowing.
The generous reward was enough to entice the gamblers.
“Is the preparation flawless?”
“Hehe. You won’t believe what we’ve set up, even Brother Officer hasn’t seen it.”
Gathering the top gamblers known in Nangyang, they had united to take down a single person. Every detail, from the actors among the gamblers to the entire arrangement of the gambling house, was executed meticulously.
There were over a hundred people among tribesmen and gamblers working together to deceive just one person.
“The target will arrive shortly.”
“Everyone, get ready.”
Cheonsangru’s underground level two began to bustle with activity.
At that moment, Ho Cheon-an, Yoo Gyeong, and Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi made their way into the Yong Sang Inn and arrived at Cheonsangru. Ho Cheon-an entered the underground level two of Cheonsangru, casually scanning the second floor before shooting a disapproving glance at the two behind him.
“You’ve really let yourself get steamrolled.”
“Hahaha. Isn’t that why I invited you to my spot? Hahaha.”
Yoo Gyeong’s laughter drip with madness.
Pleasantly deranged Ho Cheon-an asked Yoo Gyeong—a gambler who demanded collateral goods, since he believed he couldn’t deal with someone else mad about gambling!
Yoo Gyeong felt her blood boil at Ho Cheon-an, who clicked his tongue while deeming her laugh as pathetic. Still, she was left no choice but to endure the humiliation of securing Ho Cheon-an a seat in the game.
The two reluctantly offered their precious items related to their identities as collateral in an effort to drag Ho Cheon-an outside the palace!
“You two should stay away from gambling houses and just stick to drinking. I’ve been around enough gambling tables, but never once did I see a game like this.”
“Crack.”
“Ha! Ha! Ha! I’ll only trust you!”
Seeing Ho Cheon-an deliver a harsh jab, Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi, disguised as Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong, swiftly handed over the gold ingot and gold piece to Ho Cheon-an.
The gamblers in Cheonsangru held their breaths while observing Ho Cheon-an take his seat as he muttered under his breath.
Hak Jo was forced to reconsider.
“If it were me, I’d never take this seat.”
Two people walked in with a debt of 500 gold at the gambling house while having a precious treasure taken from them. At Cheonsangru, they had to repay that debt through gambling to retrieve their precious item.
For a gambler, that was a condition to run away screaming.
The determination of the gambling house to trap a fool and milk him long-term was palpable. While the overwhelming reward might lure people into joining the game.
Needing to win 500 gold in the gambling house seemed undoubtedly daunting, but given enough time, who knows what could happen?
Assuming they continued with ordinary gambling.
Yet, the underground level two of Cheonsangru was blatantly designed to snare a poor fool, as any gambler ought to know. Many were enjoying a variety of games, but only one seat remained for a game of Go-stop (a popular Korean card game).
The architecture was purposefully constructed to create a three-to-one situation solely to trap a fool.
Still, Ho Cheon-an sat down.
Swallow.
‘Already overwhelmed by their momentum.’
It was a bet of 500 gold. Even for professional gamblers entrenched in the business, that was an unfathomable sum.
With all preparations finished and the entire gambling house rallying against a single target, the gamblers, who typically masked their tension, failed to hide it this time.
Yet…
‘How could it be…’
A faint irritation surfaced. A brief grumble.
The only emotions emanating from Ho Cheon-an were those two.
How could that be? How was it possible that even knowing the entire gambling house was gunning for his 500 gold, he remained unflustered?
Hak Jo and the two other gamblers who joined the table had long been overpowered by Ho Cheon-an’s audacity.
“Are we not starting?”
Hak Jo gulped and nodded.
“Then let’s begin.”
A gambling table, orchestrated through the full collaboration of Cheonsangru, elite gamblers, and their old classmates, was set for one specific target.
As the Go-stop cards shuffled, the game commenced.
