“I can’t believe this.”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi had no words to respond to Yoo Gyeong’s mumbling.
“I can’t believe what I’m seeing right now, even with my own eyes.”
It was that unreal of a scene.
Staring blankly at the piles of gold coins accumulating in Ho Cheon-an’s spot, Yoo Gyeong mumbled again.
“How is this even possible?”
Every gambler and member on the second floor of Cheon Sang Roo was doing their best.
The gamblers who were helplessly losing gold to Ho Cheon-an—were they really that bad? No, they had gathered all the top gamblers from Nangyang and had handpicked the elites to sit at the table. Even the other gamblers who hadn’t directly entered the gamble had joined forces to formulate a plan.
Even to an outsider, it was a plan that would make anyone gasp, carrying out ruthless means without any hesitation.
In martial arts terms, it was like gathering all the famed experts in one place, surrounding a single opponent while the fight began.
To be able to endure in such a situation was enough for anyone to be called a master…
Yet, Ho Cheon-an single-handedly crushed all the gamblers and completely dominated the space of the second floor of Cheon Sang Roo.
Gulp.
Yoo Gyeong thought of one word as she observed Ho Cheon-an, who sat at the gambling table with an overly relaxed demeanor.
Absolute Being!
Although he had the form of a human, there was a harshness that felt as insurmountable as nature itself. Just as no one thinks a person can push a mountain or dry up the ocean.
It really didn’t seem like there was any way a human could be his match.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Yoo Gyeong gazed blankly at the back of Ho Cheon-an, who was shuffling the cards. Hak Jo had already seemed to give up entirely. Heukjeo and Cheong Seo stared at Ho Cheon-an, horror-stricken.
His shuffling technique appeared simple and regular, seemingly void of any trickery. Yet with every mix of the cards, the three gamblers felt like they were being toyed with like a boat caught in a storm.
As the Emperor mobilized all his strength to lay out the gamble, Ho Cheon-an was casually trampling on that very gamble. Yoo Gyeong felt like Ho Cheon-an’s back was saying:
Is this all you got?
Then, it’s your defeat.
Awe. Defeat.
Yoo Gyeong quietly lowered her head and closed her eyes.
[Senior Ho will never find himself in danger at the gambling table.]
The conversation she had with Hyeok Gi-rin that day replayed in her mind. Yes, that’s right. Who could possibly take money from Ho Cheon-an at the gambling table?
“I… lost.”
Yoo Gyeong mumbled to herself.
*
Through one night of gambling, a staggering amount of 300 nyang of gold was won.
I, Ho Cheon-an, completely crushed the second floor of Cheon Sang Roo today. But is this an efficient way to make money at a gambling table?
Not at all.
The basic strategy is to continuously feed the illusion that the opponent lost by a hair’s breadth, thinking they could win with just a bit more luck or skill.
The goal is to sit right there and extract their money, land deeds, home documents, heirlooms… well, skipping that for now. In any case, if you can pull it out, it’s best to extract even their soul without acknowledging any skill difference and having them accept defeat doesn’t really yield any benefit.
If I had kept winning by a slim margin while instilling hope in their ability to win, I might have won 500 nyang of gold in just one day.
But why did I crush the second floor of Cheon Sang Roo?
Because I had no intention of honestly collecting 500 nyang of gold.
I wanted to showcase my skills as a warning, a display of my strength without any tricks.
I demanded collateral from the two individuals. Dujak and Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong—those two were hardly trustworthy.
Even with collateral obtained, I still harbored doubts about these two and this situation.
They set a 500 nyang gamble on me? What did they trust about me to set such a game? Out of the blue, to request a treasure worth 500 nyang of gold without checking my skills? Wasn’t that a ridiculous request?
Even if I were linked to an eunuch or had connections with the alumni, I’ve been a gambler who only lost money in known circles. I’ve had just one victory, which was with Tang Do-gyeong’s game of yarbawi. Let’s be generous and assume they knew I was disguised as a merchant for Seong Rak Roo.
Even considering that, would my skills be trustworthy? Just because a gambler who had been losing for five years suddenly wins big doesn’t mean they could trust me, does it? Would they really sit me down at a 500 nyang gamble without any verification?
No.
So what did those two think I would win from this nonsensical gamble?
The answer was simple.
They didn’t need to trust me from the start.
Those two didn’t need a gambler to win for them; they just needed a mark to sit at a well-structured gamble.
As soon as I arrived on the second floor of Cheon Sang Roo and saw the gambling table, I intuitively grasped that fact.
Three completely coordinated gamblers at the table, filled with audience members and other gamblers… All of them were secretly working together and had even teamed up with Gilu’s staff.
What more could need to be said when they had set up a table where no gambler could win without suffering complete losses?
The evidence overflowed.
In the gambling hall, the overt support atmosphere from Dujak toward the other gamblers proved that fact. The expressions of the two who were left speechless after I won 300 nyang in one night displayed it vividly.
If the two had been embezzling the Emperor’s items and were in dire straits, they should have been ecstatic every time I won money.
The continuous string of absurd circumstances seemed to have made them forget their act.
Thinking back, the timing was ludicrous as well.
Right after my big showdown with Hyeok Gi-rin. That’s when those two approached me, after proving that my relationship with Hyeok Gi-rin was nothing significant.
They must have concluded that this guy didn’t have any close ties with the princess, so he could be taken advantage of.
To them, I probably seemed like a delicious morsel.
My actual power was at best first-rate. Without any backing, a lowly outcast about to meet the Emperor and receive a huge reward.
It was likely their true aim was an actual reward, contextually speaking. So the treasure the Emperor would give me might not just be an offer but could be worth the inflated value of the so-called “true reward.”
Using the excuse of gambling debt to entangle me, they would give me counterfeit rewards while pocketing the actual benefits for themselves.
Regardless, it was clear these two had set a plan to fleece me.
And meanwhile, I was pretending I had no clue of their scheme while I had to return to the palace.
“It was indeed a tough game.”
I maintained a heavy expression and let out a sigh as if exhausted.
“The whole gambling house was set up to fleece us. After this, you two probably shouldn’t step foot back into that Cheon Sang Roo again.”
As I gazed at them with a serious look, Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong finally realized he had to act and hurriedly spoke.
“W-what do you mean?”
“Yes. Even the customers who seemed to be simply enjoying themselves were all gamblers, all part of the same plot. Even Gilu’s staff had completely joined in on the scheme. I’ve never encountered such an absurd game before.”
“That can’t be! So we fell for the same trick when we gambled before?!”
Wow, this guy is really good at acting. The total reversal of the situation must have shocked him, yet he recovered quickly. Is he truly an alumnus with a position of the eunuch?
I patted my chest and said, “Don’t worry! By the next outing, I’ll win back the amount needed to reclaim the reward.”
“Please! My life is in your hands!”
Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong held my hand, bearing tears while taking on a desperate expression. Nice effort! But what to do? Dujak behind him looked completely out of it.
“But Dujak.”
Only when I called did Dujak seem to snap out of his daze and look at me.
“Why do you look like that? Like you wish to see me utterly ruined.”
Dujak’s expression went pale, while Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong’s shifted dramatically. Watching them, I burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Just kidding! You look like you were so shocked by the gambling house’s schemes that I thought I’d lighten the atmosphere!”
“Ahahaha! Yes, I too was truly surprised. I’ve relied on you with the mindset of grasping at straws… Truly remarkable!”
“Hahaha! It is certainly a situation where you can be surprised. Don’t worry! I’ll be sure to fill the remaining amounts next time and definitely retrieve the reward!”
“Really! I’m counting on you…! Hahaha…!”
I laughed heartily with Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong and thought to myself.
If we just return to the palace like this, the situation would end.
I could rush to Hyeok Gi-rin and spill the beans about what’s happening. If I feigned consulting with Hyeok Gi-rin about being caught up in such a mess, he would surely take it up for investigation, and the culprits would soon be apprehended.
After all, this was an incident where the Emperor’s guest was surreptitiously whisked away and touched the Emperor’s tribute. Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong need not be mentioned, Dujak would also be done for.
To put it bluntly, Dujak isn’t the Emperor nor even a princess like Hyeok Gi-rin. If she truly set her sights on him, how would he stand a chance?
I burst into laughter, crafting an amiable atmosphere.
“Hahahahaha!”
“Hahahaha!”
“Heh… Hehe…”
With the refreshing sounds of laughter between Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong and myself, and the rather unpleasing chuckle of Dujak, we headed back to the palace.
Upon quietly returning to the palace, I immediately dashed off to find Hyeok Gi-rin.
You two are done for.
