O Gyeong looked at Ho Cheon-an holding the gambling tiles and thought,
“Time sure flies.”
It felt like just yesterday that he was shocked by Ho Cheon-an’s debut in the underground gambling den, yet five months had already passed.
Five months.
It was more than enough time for Ho Cheon-an, who had no knowledge of Martial Arts Gambling Technique, to become the victor of the underground gambling scene.
O Gyeong stared at the pile of gambling tiles.
In tile gambling, whoever can identify which tiles are in which positions among the pile has a significant advantage. Therefore, as the level of play increases, mixing the tiles becomes far more important than drawing and betting them.
Looking at the shuffled pile of tiles, O Gyeong smirked to himself.
“It’s been a while since that kid gained the upper hand over me, even on the gambling board.”
Among the thirty-two piles of tiles, O Gyeong could hardly identify any definite tiles.
On the other hand, how about Ho Cheon-an?
O Gyeong estimated that Ho Cheon-an had at least figured out more than half of the tile composition.
Despite being overwhelmingly at a disadvantage, O Gyeong slowly yielded the military currency and held on, knowing fortune would eventually come in the gambling world.
After mixing the tiles and checking the first tile, O Gyeong instinctively sensed that luck had finally come his way.
“I’ll bet ten military currencies.”
After one round, the four tiles had to reveal their true identities. The game of tile gambling involved showing the tiles to the opponent and comparing points.
Finally, the fortune of the four tiles O Gyeong knew matched up.
The first tile turned out to be a 12, and the following tile was a 24.
On the other hand, the numbers in Ho Cheon-an’s hand were 17, and he would likely draw a number around 30.
“Even if it’s not 30, numbers in the late 20s to 32 should come up.”
17 doesn’t have any notable combinations in the hierarchy, but the combination of 17 with numbers in the 30s could consume almost any hierarchy.
“Knowing my first tile is 12 must be tempting to you. If it’s not 24, then even substituting in the unknown tiles wouldn’t yield many winning possibilities.”
Even if Ho Cheon-an felt ominous, it was prey he couldn’t resist.
Some say gambling is a matter of intuition, but that intuition is merely a tool for making a choice when the probabilities are similar. Rejecting a choice backed by ample evidence and high probabilities simply because of a ‘bad feeling’ is not the correct attitude for a gambler.
“You would never make such a judgment.”
“Draw.”
As if responding to O Gyeong’s confidence, Ho Cheon-an opened his mouth.
All the Peak Expert gamblers watching the two’s game held their breath, waiting for the result.
The two competitors picked up their tiles.
Ho Cheon-an revealed his tiles first.
17 and 30.
O Gyeong sighed in relief as the tiles came out just as he expected.
However, looking at Ho Cheon-an’s expression, he stiffened.
Ho Cheon-an, staring unflinchingly at the board, looked as if he was certain of his victory, causing O Gyeong’s hand to shake slightly.
“Could it be…?”
O Gyeong denied his assumptions and slowly moved to draw his second tile.
Something non-gamblers often misunderstand is thinking that gambling techniques allow tiles to be swapped freely.
However, that only really works when there’s an overwhelming skill difference between competitors.
One can stand on one’s hands to fight an opponent who is no match for them, but how could they fight freely against equals?
The skill in tile gambling is the same.
There’s a definite boundary to how tiles can be swapped while deceiving the opponent, and the tile he was pulling now was, obviously, beyond that boundary.
O Gyeong flipped his tile and thought,
“What if this tile isn’t a 24…?”
The 24 that Ho Cheon-an had caught four rounds ago. If this tile wasn’t a 24, it would mean he completely missed Ho Cheon-an’s technique.
Not just once, but at least two or three times.
Or even more.
Smack!
The tile flipped and laid on the ground, and O Gyeong exhaled lightly.
The revealed number on the gambling tile was 1.
Seeing that number, O Gyeong had no choice but to accept that he was no longer Ho Cheon-an’s match.
“…I’ve lost. Now you’re better than me.”
“Good job.”
Watching Ho Cheon-an take the military currency calmly, the audience couldn’t help but murmur in amazement.
The five Peak Expert gamblers, each with their own specialties, were running their mouths about Ho Cheon-an’s remarkable winning streak against all five of them.
“Wow, to think that even O Gyeong of the tile board was defeated…”
“Among the Peak Experts, I suppose you have to acknowledge he is the strongest.”
Ho Cheon-an lightly bowed his head, glancing at the five Peak Experts expressing their impressions.
“I owe you all quite a lot.”
“Indeed.”
The underground gambling experts sensed that Ho Cheon-an would no longer visit the gambling den.
“What a shame. But I have a good idea of the circumstances…”
They guessed that Ho Cheon-an was engaged in a showdown with Wi Ji-cheon.
After all, just like Jeon-ip, they had also been summoned to the Heavenly Demon Pavilion together with Wi Ji-cheon and Wi Seoryeon.
“We can’t cheer for you, but we wish you a good match.”
Hearing that the Heavenly Demon was facing against Ho Cheon-an made the five Demon Sect members feel conflicted.
As they observed the ambiguous expressions from the five, Ho Cheon-an chuckled and stood up.
“It was a fun time. Thank you for everything.”
“Sure. We’ll meet again someday.”
“Take care.”
Ho Cheon-an left, exchanging farewells with the five.
Sak Hwi, staring at the spot where Ho Cheon-an disappeared, spoke up.
“I wonder who will win.”
“Hmm…”
It was a difficult question.
“Considering the Lord of the New Doctrine has now mastered Martial Arts Gambling Technique, the odds should be in his favor.”
“Yes. I think so too. If it were just our techniques, it would be a tough battle, but he must have perfected his unique skills. I see good odds in that.”
However, there were also those who favored Ho Cheon-an’s chances.
“I think it’s a bit too early for him. He will showcase his advanced Martial Arts Gambling Technique, but practicing martial arts and gambling techniques both require real-world experience.”
“I also think Ho Cheon-an might hold his ground. The Supreme’s gambling techniques are flawless now, but thinking of Ho Cheon-an’s gambling skills…”
Looking at the dissenters among the underground gambling experts, O Gyeong collected his empty pockets.
“Shall we make our own bets, then?”
All eyes turned to O Gyeong. After a moment of mutual glances, they nodded.
“Sounds good! I’ll bet ten on Ho Cheon-an!”
“I’ll bet on the Supreme!”
“Haha, you’ll be regretting it tomorrow!”
“You better come prepared with your military currency!”
The crowd regretted saying goodbye to Ho Cheon-an.
O Gyeong shook off his gloom and observed the usual commotion of the underground gambling experts, chuckling to himself.
“Alright, I’ll bet on the Supreme!”
“This guy! You’ve held a grudge against Ho Cheon-an for losing!”
It was the 158th day of Ho Cheon-an and Wi Ji-cheon’s gambling saga.
It was the night before the final showdown.
—
“Did Ho Cheon-an visit the underground gambling den today?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Wi Seoryeon said, holding out a tile.
“Going all out until the end. What about your achievements?”
The Black Cat sighed instead of responding.
Despite gathering all ten secret texts that Ho Cheon-an had pointed out, there hadn’t been much growth in mastering them.
“Ugh.”
The Black Cat, who had lost utterly in gambling, let out an annoyed groan, prompting Wi Seoryeon to smile.
Annoyed by the laughter, the Black Cat glared at Wi Seoryeon and asked.
“Is tomorrow the day of the duel between the Heavenly Demon and my senior?”
“That’s right.”
“With the important day coming up, shouldn’t we give our senior a break?”
Wi Seoryeon looked at the sulky Black Cat.
While the joy of gambling was fun, unlike Wi Ji-cheon, Wi Seoryeon still had a long way to go in the martial world.
“I can handle it myself.”
“Hmph!”
Wi Seoryeon chuckled, comforting the disgruntled Black Cat before heading off to bed.
Unlike the intense early morning training from before, Wi Seoryeon lightly relaxed in the training hall while waiting for the viewer, the Black Cat, and her opponent, Ho Cheon-an.
“You’ve come.”
“I was waiting for you.”
Wi Seoryeon silently gazed at Ho Cheon-an.
In their weekly bouts, Ho Cheon-an had been completely defeated.
Meeting in the Heavenly Demon Library, Ho Cheon-an became explosively stronger as if he found his element, but still, he hadn’t developed enough to surpass Wi Seoryeon’s capabilities.
Wi Seoryeon knew the reason well.
“Paradoxically, it’s because you changed my everyday life.”
Three months spent in dueling with Wi Seoryeon.
After that, the gambling competition kicked off with Wi Ji-cheon fully extracting the brain crystal, marking nine months since Ho Cheon-an arrived at the Demon Sect.
In those nine months, Wi Seoryeon progressed without hindrance.
She didn’t achieve any monumental accomplishments, but the changes in her life at the Demon Sect due to Ho Cheon-an and the inner fulfillment were more than enough to spur her development.
Six months ago, when the showdown with Wi Ji-cheon began, Ho Cheon-an’s explosive growth started halting as well… and since then, the disparity between the two only widened.
Still, Wi Seoryeon didn’t harbor any sadness or disappointment towards Ho Cheon-an.
It wasn’t just because he taught her the world of gambling.
It was because Ho Cheon-an had not neglected his promises to her.
Since the gambling battles began daily with Wi Ji-cheon, Ho Cheon-an’s circumstances became increasingly time-pressed.
He had to engage in gambling with Wi Seoryeon and practice martial arts every night in the underground gambling den.
Yet, Ho Cheon-an still found ways to continue visiting the Heavenly Demon Library to improve his skills, studying diligently.
Despite the growth rate from the Heavenly Demon Library significantly declining and having an excuse in the confrontation with Wi Ji-cheon, Ho Cheon-an earnestly engaged in dueling with Wi Seoryeon.
Watching Ho Cheon-an practice his skills, Wi Seoryeon smiled. Although formal matches happened once a week, they had sparred countless times over the nine months, so the actual dueling instances exceeded that.
Using the extensive experience in dueling, Wi Seoryeon grasped everything about Ho Cheon-an.
And at that moment, as Ho Cheon-an took the position, she felt he had grown slightly since last week.
“You really worked hard this week to keep your promise to me.”
Even though the last betting match involving the brain crystal was tomorrow, Ho Cheon-an never neglected his martial arts training.
Realizing that fact, Wi Seoryeon stepped back.
“…?”
Ho Cheon-an, mistaking Wi Seoryeon’s gaze as the start of the duel, looked confused. Her smile made Wi Seoryeon chuckle as she said with her hands clasped behind her back,
“It’s been decided.”
Knowing well that Wi Seoryeon looked forward to this moment every week, Ho Cheon-an opened his mouth.
“Um, are you sure about this?”
“You’ve come to the Demon Sect almost against your will, yet you diligently worked for our weekly promise. I, too, wanted to convey my gratitude with a bit of consideration for you on this important day.”
“Um.”
“Wouldn’t it be more fun to have a match now that you’ve obtained the brain crystal? Consider it an investment for that.”
With her indirect encouragement to beat Wi Ji-cheon, Ho Cheon-an nodded and expressed gratitude.
“Please take a good rest today so you can be in top condition for tomorrow’s showdown.”
Wi Seoryeon, seemingly not expecting to make an exception, gave a slight smile at Black Cat, who wore an uneasy expression.
“…I received a consideration.”
“Tomorrow’s showdown is that important.”
Feeling awkward receiving consideration from Wi Seoryeon, Ho Cheon-an scratched his nose. The Black Cat chuckled at Ho Cheon-an.
“Just as the Heavenly Demon said, let’s start preparing for tomorrow’s showdown. I’ll be on standby today too, so feel free to ask for help if you need it.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to be overly formal. You should have said that to the Heavenly Demon earlier.”
Lightly chiding Ho Cheon-an, the Black Cat waved her hand and returned to her lodging.
With the consideration from the Black Cat and Wi Seoryeon, Ho Cheon-an, now completely alone, focused on yoga and resting in his room, reminding himself of his match with Wi Ji-cheon.
“Excluding casual gambling, the only real contests were four.”
About once a month, Wi Ji-cheon would challenge Ho Cheon-an to a genuine gambling match.
Using the Martial Arts Gambling Technique reinforced by the skills learned from the underground gambling den, Wi Ji-cheon faced Ho Cheon-an.
Each time, Ho Cheon-an had barely snatched victory.
Recalling those four matches, Ho Cheon-an shook his head with a pained expression.
“If Wi Ji-cheon weren’t the Heavenly Demon, I’d have lost every single match.”
The only opponents who could determine a genuine victor against the Heavenly Demon Wi Ji-cheon were Wi Seoryeon and Ho Cheon-an. No matter how skilled the peak-ranked gamblers were, they could never truly duel the embodiment of their faith, the Heavenly Demon.
Skill is honed and completed through gradual accumulation of diverse real-world experiences.
Wi Ji-cheon had devised techniques capable of achieving victory over Ho Cheon-an, but those techniques were inherently flawed due to a lack of real-world application, which meant Ho Cheon-an had barely secured victories by exploiting those gaps.
But would there be any such flaws in this match?
Ho Cheon-an didn’t think so.
The real competitive matches had been ongoing once a month now for two months.
Wi Ji-cheon, who had hidden himself for two months, what sharp tricks would he demonstrate?
“Come on, after all this joy, can’t you just give me the brain crystal?”
Ho Cheon-an grumbled, recalling Wi Ji-cheon, whose true intentions remained shrouded in mystery. His relationship with his daughter had dramatically improved, and enjoying a new hobby for six months meant the cost of the brain crystal was more than covered—yet here he was, squeezing every last drop until the end.
“Sigh, I guess I just have to deal with it.”
With that, Ho Cheon-an lay down and covered himself with a blanket. It was several hours earlier than usual, but on a night like this, a good rest was a must.
The final showdown between Wi Ji-cheon and Ho Cheon-an.
It was the night before the decisive battle.
