Swish! Swish! Swish!
In the vast training hall, which felt almost lavish for a single person to utilize, a martial artist was drenched in sweat, dedicated to their training. Each step taken was heavy as if made of stone, and the way they extended their fist suggested an intent to split the sky — clearly indicating that this person’s skill was far from trivial.
Cutting through the dawn air, this martial artist was none other than Wi Seoryeon.
“Hoo…”
After finishing her training, Wi Seoryeon wiped the sweat from her brow and inhaled the early morning air deeply.
‘Refreshing.’
She thought to herself while savoring the cool air, a stark contrast to the ominous feeling that the term “Heavenly Demon” usually brought.
Wi Seoryeon’s bright expression was nothing short of expected. Without any opponents to challenge her, her thirst for martial arts had no outlet. Yet, recently, she had been quenching this thirst through weekly matches with Ho Cheon-an.
But that wasn’t all.
By learning gambling alongside the Heavenly Demon, her relationship with her father had dramatically improved, coupled with the intriguing hobby of gambling.
Her life was much richer and fulfilling now, uncomparable to the dry times spent solely ruminating over the gap in martial arts between herself and Heavenly Demon Wi Ji-cheon.
Wi Seoryeon thought of the one person who had instigated all these changes.
‘Ho Cheon-an…’
A smile crept onto Wi Seoryeon’s face.
If polished like a gem, this element could add a bit of vitality to her mundane and dull life.
That was the extent of Wi Seoryeon’s hopes for Ho Cheon-an, but in reality, he had completely transformed her life within the Demon Sect.
After finishing her morning practice and eating breakfast, she remembered how, before Ho Cheon-an’s arrival, she used to spend her mornings sipping tea alone, trying to pass the time before quickly rising to head to the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Mm.”
As the two casually shared a gamble, Jeon-ip walked in.
“Today, I’ll teach you how to control the quadrants under the table.”
“Mm.”
Wi Seoryeon learned basic techniques for utilizing those quadrants with Wi Ji-cheon. Spending the morning equipping themselves with new gambling techniques, the two shared lunch, discussing the techniques learned earlier.
While they briefly reviewed their morning lessons, it was time for the duel between Ho Cheon-an and Wi Ji-cheon.
“Let the contest begin.”
As Wi Seoryeon watched the duel, she was struck by how time seemed to fly by.
It had already been a month since that pivotal competition with the Martial Arts Gambling Technique.
A month.
Even after a month, Ho Cheon-an continued to introduce gambling to Wi Ji-cheon in a straightforward manner, and Wi Ji-cheon, in turn, dutifully followed Ho Cheon-an’s guidance.
However, Wi Seoryeon was aware that their gambling matches had changed since the previous demonstration of the Martial Arts Gambling Technique.
“I heard you’ve been frequenting underground gambling houses lately.”
“Yes. I suppose as a martial artist and a gambler, I won’t have many other chances to mix martial skills with gambling. If necessary, I’ll have to learn, won’t I?”
“Hm. Even considering yourself the best in the world, you don’t forget to learn.”
Both Wi Ji-cheon and Ho Cheon-an wore relaxed smiles, yet tension lingered behind their eyes.
Wi Seoryeon observed the subtle mental sparring between Ho Cheon-an and Wi Ji-cheon with great interest.
It had been a month since that day, and Wi Ji-cheon was clearly gearing up for a serious battle, while Ho Cheon-an was equally ready, his senses heightened.
‘I’m looking forward to it. My father must also be waiting for the perfect moment.’
As a result, Wi Seoryeon found the ongoing competition between the two quite thrilling. The moment she sensed any weakness in Ho Cheon-an, Wi Ji-cheon would undoubtedly propose a real contest at that very moment.
But it seemed today was not that day.
“Lost again today. Learned well.”
With a loss declaration that hardly felt like a loss, Ho Cheon-an quietly returned to his quarters. Wi Seoryeon followed Ho Cheon-an back to the lodging.
Naturally falling into step with him, she inquired about his plans for the day.
“What are you thinking of doing today?”
“Instead of training, I might check in on the library.”
“Hmm. In that case, how about a light round?”
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ho Cheon-an nodded. Satisfied with his reaction, Wi Seoryeon smiled brightly.
Lately, she had been deeply immersed in gambling with Ho Cheon-an.
Having started learning gambling techniques for two months now, similar to Wi Ji-cheon, Wi Seoryeon had progressed to a level where she could exchange moves with Ho Cheon-an to a reasonable extent.
For Ho Cheon-an, this was a good opportunity to gather experience with the Martial Arts Gambling Technique, so gambling with Wi Seoryeon was not a bad deal at all.
As always, they enjoyed their games without disrupting their routines.
“Then, I’ll head to the library.”
“Mm. Take care.”
At the right moment, Ho Cheon-an set off for the Heavenly Demon Library, and Wi Seoryeon entered her afternoon training with a sense of satisfaction.
Training vigorously until sunset, wiping the sweat away with a towel, Wi Seoryeon reflected on her day.
Today’s training had been fruitful.
What would she have been doing if Ho Cheon-an hadn’t come to the Demon Sect? Wi Seoryeon knew the answer well. She would have been slowly enjoying lunch alone, trying to kill time by sipping tea leisurely, meandering through the same scenery while walking, and then training afterward.
After training, she would have sighed deeply to alleviate the heaviness in her heart, thinking about the gap with the Heavenly Demon.
Would she have achieved the same level of training results as she did now?
Wi Seoryeon shook her head internally.
How could she achieve anything worthwhile through forced duty while feeling burdened?
Suddenly, Wi Seoryeon recalled the past days.
She realized that while she hadn’t achieved monumental feats since Ho Cheon-an’s arrival, each day’s training was not in vain.
‘Smooth sailing it is.’
Even as the sun set, freshly cleaned of sweat, Wi Seoryeon headed not to her room but to another.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Mm.”
In that room waited the Black Cat, who had either trained or handled requests.
She was there to hear reports on Ho Cheon-an’s activities.
“The guest visited the underground gambling house at Seoeok Tower last evening and enjoyed some gambling. After that…”
The reports continued one after another.
Since Wi Seoryeon spent much longer with Ho Cheon-an lately, she realized about halfway through that she already knew roughly half of the details.
‘Hmm.’
As they say, human greed never ends.
Since returning to the Demon Sect with Ho Cheon-an, Wi Seoryeon felt increasingly satisfied with her daily life, and she started to become greedy for the time spent with the Black Cat.
“Black Cat, don’t you have any interest in gambling?”
“Well, I’m not so sure…”
The Black Cat pondered Wi Seoryeon’s question for a moment.
Though she had learned a lot about magical skills from Ho Cheon-an, she had never learned gambling techniques.
This was, in fact, quite normal.
Any rational person wouldn’t invite their companions to gamble or share techniques.
After a brief moment of contemplation, the Black Cat opened her mouth.
“I didn’t feel the need to learn, to be precise.”
“Hm. Why’s that?”
“Because I believed my senior would handle everything regarding gambling…”
It initially sounded like a vague answer, but knowing Ho Cheon-an’s gambling skills, Wi Seoryeon understood it immediately.
‘Even if I learned to gamble, I couldn’t really help Ho Cheon-an at a standard level.’
Still, Wi Seoryeon found herself lingering on the Black Cat’s words.
“Still, you must know how to gamble to some extent, right?”
The Black Cat nodded. She wasn’t a gambler, but having casually wandered into those shady areas, she was familiar with the basics of gambling rules.
“Then let’s gamble together this time.”
“…Um. I’d rather not.”
With a frown, the Black Cat shook her head. It was a proposal that offered her no benefit.
Why would she engage in gambling that she found uninteresting and where she would likely lose?
However, Wi Seoryeon remained unfazed by the Black Cat’s refusal, her smile unwavering. The Black Cat sensed a sinister undertone behind Wi Seoryeon’s unsettling grin and felt a rising anxiety.
‘Time to run!’
Thinking so, the Black Cat attempted to make a quick exit, but Wi Seoryeon’s voice was quicker than her actions.
“I’ve been curious about where all the Military Currency Ho Cheon-an has acquired from underground gambling houses has gone.”
‘Uh-oh.’
The Black Cat, halfway out of her seat, released a sigh and plopped back down.
Ho Cheon-an, freely coming and going from the lower levels, wouldn’t have anywhere particular to spend his Military Currency, would he?
Yet, the Black Cat found herself in a different situation.
She still hadn’t collected all ten martial arts manuals Ho Cheon-an had designated for her.
So naturally, all the Military Currency Ho Cheon-an had acquired over the past month had ended up in her pocket.
Wi Seoryeon had just pointed out that fact.
‘While transferring Military Currency isn’t illegal… there’s plenty of room for the Heavenly Demon to raise objections against the means employed to acquire it.’
“So, what do you want?”
“Oh, nothing specific. After all, it’s just a time to receive reports and enjoy tea, right? Instead of tea, why not engage in a little gambling?”
With a resigned sigh, the Black Cat nodded. Wi Seoryeon grinned wickedly and chuckled.
At Wi Seoryeon’s gesture, the nearby tribesmen quickly set up a gambling table, and Wi Seoryeon picked up a cup while thinking.
‘I feel a bit bad for you, but there’s no helping it.’
Rustle.
The gambling table began to take shape, and as the Black Cat narrowed her eyes to track the cup’s movements, Wi Seoryeon slowly started to unfold her techniques.
After all, she had learned a thing or two from watching Ho Cheon-an.
As easy techniques flowed, the Black Cat’s keen eyes, aware of the situation, needed to be constantly on guard as Wi Seoryeon revealed more advanced techniques.
Rustle!
“Mm.”
At that moment, the Black Cat’s brows furrowed. Losing her focus, as her gaze wandered, Wi Seoryeon solidified her reasoning for insisting on gambling with the Black Cat.
‘The process of learning gambling had been enjoyable. There were contests with Ho Cheon-an, skill exchanges with my father, and techniques learned from the gamblers in the underground houses.’
Yet, she had always found herself at a disadvantage.
Not just against Ho Cheon-an, but also against Wi Ji-cheon, with whom the gap in skill was vastly apparent. The gamblers from the underground houses, led by Jeon-ip, would share just techniques, not engage in contests with the Heavenly Demon.
Clink!
“Hrmm… this one?”
The Black Cat hesitated as she pointed toward the center cup. In that moment, Wi Seoryeon felt joy bubbling in a corner of her heart, previously unsatisfied.
That was the joy of victory!
A win achieved through superior gambling skills, not sheer physical power or martial prowess!
“Ha-ha-ha, wrong!”
Wi Seoryeon lifted the left cup triumphantly, her ecstatic demeanor making the Black Cat sigh in resignation. It was baffling how adhering to Ho Cheon-an seemed to have dissolved any serious demeanor she had left and replaced it with such capricious childishness.
With no understanding of the Black Cat’s hidden thoughts, Wi Seoryeon excitedly flipped the cup back to the center and declared,
“Let’s start the next round.”
“Yes, yes.”
From early morning training to nighttime gambling victory, this was the icing on the cake for Wi Seoryeon’s perfect day.
