Poison Doctor Tang passed by Feng Ying Hall Master, who was guarding the main gate of the Family Head’s Quarters, and entered inside.
“Welcome, Elder.”
Poison Doctor Tang gazed at Tang Guanglie, who was preparing the gambling table. The sight of Guanglie’s fingers twitching made Poison Doctor’s eyebrows twitch too, but they maintained a calm demeanor while exchanging greetings.
“Good to see you.”
“Have you practiced a lot?”
“Practice, huh?”
Poison Doctor Tang forced a wry smile.
“What’s the point of words? I’ll just show you right now.”
“Very well.”
The two faced each other across the gambling table. Each had 50 bets on the line, totaling 100. There was no need to mention that the loser would receive a slap from the winner.
The dice to determine who would go first raised Tang Guanglie’s hand.
“Let’s get started.”
Swish!
Boom!
Tang Guanglie’s hands began to move in a dazzling manner. If it were an ordinary person, they would have already lost track of the dice amid the whirlwind speed.
It was indeed a whirlwind of chaos.
Tang Guanglie’s hands moved like a storm across the gambling table.
‘The first hurdle is how well you’ve grasped your defensive techniques.’
Tang Guanglie’s vigilance rose as he noticed the significant difference in Poison Doctor Tang’s demeanor compared to ten days ago. The frantic movements of the eyes that chased after the dice were gone, replaced with a focused gaze that surveyed the entire board.
‘You’ve improved a lot.’
The Poison Doctor, who could only see one tree, had transformed into a gambler with a broad perspective who could see the whole forest.
Eventually, the cup came to a stop, and Poison Doctor Tang picked one bet and said, “It’s on the left.”
“Wrong.”
Poison Doctor Tang didn’t seem disappointed by the mistake, nor did Tang Guanglie feel relieved by it. The important thing was that Poison Doctor Tang had the insight to see through Guanglie’s cup and dice.
Compared to ten days prior, when Tang couldn’t even keep up with Guanglie’s gambling moves, their development was astonishing.
Both cleared their minds, erasing the result of the previous round to refocus.
“Now, it’s my turn.”
As Poison Doctor Tang picked up the cup, Tang Guanglie thought,
Poison Doctor Tang’s practice period was only about ten days total. Since leaving the clan, it seems he hadn’t touched gambling at all. It was a tight schedule for him to regain any skill.
‘Teacher Ho said he found a path, but… inherently, the Elder is of the old generation, just like me.’
A time when hands raced faster than the eye.
However, in terms of speed, Tang Guanglie was above Poison Doctor Tang. So, he would have to win using different techniques.
But was that even possible?
Tang Guanglie shook his head inwardly.
No matter how much Ho Cheon-an helped him and how many intense training sessions he had, it remained a difficult task.
‘Surely, the Elder must have learned the new techniques that Teacher Ho suggested.’
Tang Guanglie prided himself as a gambler.
‘But I shall show clearly that no matter how fancy the techniques one learns, they can’t surpass the foundation built over years in just ten days of practice.’
Even if he had absorbed the new techniques that Ho Cheon-an imparted, the level Tang Guanglie had reached as a gambler was not something that could be achieved in just ten days.
Thus thinking, Tang Guanglie concentrated.
And then was taken aback.
“…Hmm.”
The slowly moving cup from Poison Doctor Tang. It was moving at a speed that even a crawling baby could outpace in mixing cups.
What’s this? Is this some kind of slow-motion technique? Is he planning to move right when my concentration falters?
That would result in significantly more losses than gains.
Or is it just a one-time trick?
Tang Guanglie’s mind became chaotic.
As he aimlessly stared at the cup, the moment two cups crossed each other slowly, his eyes widened.
‘Did I lose track…?’
The basic motion of the cups swapping places. Just a single basic movement had passed, and he lost track of where the dice had gone.
Left and center. He couldn’t determine where the dice was!
It was a situation akin to a slow turtle stealing his nose, yet Tang Guanglie quickly collected himself and focused again.
‘If it’s this slow, I’ll just watch both sides and check which side it’s on when the next cup is mixed.’
Poison Doctor Tang continued to mix the cups. The left and right cups continued to move lethargically towards the center.
As all three cups lined up, including the stationary center cup, Tang Guanglie heightened his concentration even more.
And once again, he failed to track the position of the dice.
‘…This is troublesome.’
When the cups crossed, a blind spot occurred. When hand and cup crossed, his line of sight was naturally obscured.
The slow movement of the cups maximized that blind spot.
‘No, that’s not the core point.’
Tang Guanglie steadied his confused mind while watching the slowly moving hands.
Time is fair to everyone. Slow means it grants more time to observe how the cups mix.
The faster it is, the more difficult it becomes to keep up with the movements, which is just common sense.
The astonishing part was that Poison Doctor Tang’s hand movements contradicted that common sense.
‘What is… What exactly is it about this slow speed that is deceiving me…?!’
With the cups ceasing their movements.
Unable to find the dice within, Tang Guanglie could only point to a cup.
“….It’s on the left.”
“Wrong.”
Attack and defense. After exchanging one round, both took light breaths.
“…Amazing, Elder.”
“I’m amazed too.”
Tang Guanglie realized that Poison Doctor Tang was speaking about Ho Cheon-an. The moment he seemed about to say something, Poison Doctor Tang abruptly shut his mouth.
“Whoa… I almost gave you a clue with my own hand. It’s your turn.”
“How unfortunate. I was expecting to gain a clue to decipher your skills.”
“Hahaha… There’s nothing more foolish than celebrating too early. No chance of that.”
The gambling continued. One round turned into three, and three into ten.
The match remained incredibly tight.
It was true that Poison Doctor Tang’s defensive skills had skyrocketed since ten days ago, but that didn’t mean he could grasp Tang Guanglie’s gambling techniques.
Likewise, Tang Guanglie couldn’t decipher Poison Doctor Tang’s techniques, maintaining a constant exchange of bets without any skewed victory.
Twenty rounds passed.
The match still held steady between them. Both Tang Guanglie and Poison Doctor Tang knew well how to break the boring stalemate.
Simply increase the bet.
Eventually, Lady Luck would favor someone, and the outcome would shift.
However, both stubbornly placed a single bet and continued.
In the world of gamblers, luck was also a skill, but neither wanted to rely on luck to win.
Continuing to place bets, the glasses were mixed, and the dice moved.
The match that began in the morning stretched until daybreak.
Suddenly, Tang Guanglie spoke up.
“It was the art of medicine, wasn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
Poison Doctor Tang’s technique, which had given up speed. The core of such a technique lay in its delicateness.
Even the weakest life, like a candle about to go out, is cherished with care and hope.
Poison Doctor Tang’s delicacy infused with the slow-moving gambling technique was indeed sufficient.
The delicacy enveloping the slow speed was so well executed that no openings were revealed, despite its lethargy.
“Indeed, I see now. Is that why the Elder could exhibit such a refined technique?”
It wasn’t a technique practiced over a week.
That week was merely the time for Poison Doctor Tang to merge a lifetime of medical skills into gambling.
Tang Guanglie laughed heartily.
“Elder’s medical skills as one of the three great masters of the world unfold in gambling. Of course, it’s no surprise that I couldn’t keep up.”
“Peh, don’t be so modest. You say it like that, but isn’t it still the same?”
“Isn’t it only natural? I’m also the Family Head of the Sacheon Tang Family.”
The game continued, the stakes remained high, and the night deepened.
Poison Doctor Tang noticed the sweat accumulating in his palms and recognized his exhaustion. Sitting at a gambling table requiring concentration for an entire day, even an expert from Hwa-gyeong couldn’t escape the fatigue.
“Haha, it seems this Poison Doctor Tang is getting old.”
As he thought this, he glanced over Tang Guanglie’s hand.
Did his concentration break?
Or had he discovered something that mattered more than the outcome of this round?
Poison Doctor Tang stared at the sweating Tang Guanglie mixing the cups.
‘…You’re getting old too.’
Only then did he realize that Tang Guanglie was also at an age that one might justifiably call him elderly. Why had it taken so long to realize this?
No matter how much he didn’t stay in Tang’s household, there should have been plenty of chances to see his face.
As he pondered this, Poison Doctor Tang observed Tang Guanglie closely.
“Haha, are you tired?”
“Why don’t you wipe the sweat off your forehead?”
“I might not be as much as you, but it seems I’ve aged as well.”
Tang Guanglie threw out this light-hearted comment, but there was no response from Poison Doctor Tang.
“…Elder?”
“One bet on the left.”
“Wrong.”
The gambling continued.
It stretched until dawn, when the soft glow of the morning sun began to break through the darkness. When Poison Doctor Tang announced, “It’s in the center,” as Tang Guanglie stopped.
“Correct.”
With that, Poison Doctor Tang stacked twenty of the bets on his side. He now held eighty bets while Tang Guanglie only had twenty remaining.
The reason for the shift in victory was simple and clear.
The fierce contest had lasted nearly twenty-four hours.
What tipped the balance in favor of Poison Doctor Tang was the difference in stamina.
Both were drenched in sweat, but the one with significantly higher fatigue was Tang Guanglie.
As fatigue mounted, Tang Guanglie’s gambling techniques rapidly weakened, while Poison Doctor Tang’s remained relatively unaffected.
Swoosh.
Slow yet unfathomable Poison Doctor Tang continued mixing the cups, while Tang Guanglie pushed twenty bets into the center.
“…You mean to decide the match now, don’t you?”
“Yes. My stamina is almost out.”
Watching Tang Guanglie, drenched in sweat and smiling, Poison Doctor Tang wore an unreadable expression.
“Was I right? Or wrong?”
Poison Doctor Tang silently lifted the center cup. It was completely empty.
“I’ve lost.”
Tang Guanglie wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, leaning back in his chair, he let out a long sigh.
“I never imagined I’d lose so easily.”
I messed up.
That thought flashed through Tang Guanglie’s mind.
No matter how much Ho Cheon-an had helped, having also been taught by that very same teacher, Tang Guanglie had expected to win at least a few rounds given the stark difference in their gambling skills.
Yet suddenly, Poison Doctor Tang’s medical skills had morphed into gambling techniques.
“Hey, did you think I’d lose easily, when I’ve lived twenty years more than you?”
“Haha, it’s true, isn’t it?”
Tang Guanglie patted his shoulder while feigning an injury.
“And at this age, if I feel this achy, how are you still so sprightly? The title of one of the three great masters is not given lightly.”
“…”
Tang Guanglie brushed his hair aside revealing his forehead and said,
“It’s getting difficult to keep going now. Let’s wrap this up so I can get some rest.”
“Now wait a minute, I thought you’ve overstepped your bounds in this match.”
What’s he suddenly going on about? Poison Doctor Tang instinctively felt a surge of something but held it back.
“You’ve been in the position of Family Head for too long, forgetting to respect your elders and now daring to be overly friendly? I thought I had to smack you back into reality.”
Poison Doctor Tang paused, exhaled a long breath.
“Ho Cheon-an is quite amazing. It’s fascinating how he built gambling techniques on my medical art.”
“Hmm… Teacher Ho’s skills really are astonishing. Although, I’m not sure if ‘skill’ is the right term.”
“True, skills are skills, but without him, would anyone in the world have thought of applying a doctor’s hand skills to gambling?”
Poison Doctor Tang continued on with his thoughts.
“To think that after formally learning from that man, you could only manage this much. What a foolish boy!”
“… But I’ve only learned for a week! Meanwhile, Elder, you’ve trained for ten days! I might surprise you if I trained for three more!”
“Tch, tch. You’re a Family Head and still can’t discern right from wrong! You still think you’re young, throwing around techniques and getting exhausted before I do… How can I leave the clan in your hands when you act this way?”
Tang Guanglie’s eyes widened, as if about to retort. His startled reaction seemed to catch Poison Doctor Tang off guard, causing him to clear his throat and continue.
“I’ll remain in the clan until you’re worthy, so keep that in mind!”
After a lengthy gambling session, Poison Doctor Tang finally realized.
He had lost sight of Tang Guanglie because he was too absorbed in refining his medical skills.
Finally noticing Tang Guanglie’s appearance. The gray hairs, deep wrinkles on his face.
What he had merely thought of as an inexperienced fellow had aged into an old man.
No longer the youthful memory, but the head of the Sacheon Tang Family. The realization resonated deep within.
And he acknowledged he was a foolish elder who could be slapped by such a Family Head.
Having only obsessed over his medical skills while neglecting the clan, he was deserving of any punishment received.
‘In the end, you were right.’
The single slap from Tang Guanglie had halted Poison Doctor Tang’s wandering, turning out that Tang Guanglie had indeed been right.
Poison Doctor Tang chuckled as he gazed at Tang Guanglie, who wore a touched expression.
“What are you doing?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t let that hand resting on your forehead drop. That’s that, and this is this.”
“….”
Having lived perpetually as rivals, acknowledging the other’s correctness was always uncomfortable. So he decided to make a fuss.
Poison Doctor Tang laughed heartily at Tang Guanglie’s sulking expression. Yes, beyond titles of Family Head and Poison Doctor, both Tang Doctor and Guanglie needed this camaraderie.
Slap!
A clear sound echoed through the Family Head’s Quarters.
