*Tap.*
The gambling match resumed for the two people who had a hearty lunch. Feng Ying Hall Master bit his lips anxiously.
‘Why did I do that?’
With a resentful gaze, Feng Ying looked at Ho Cheon-an. Enchanted by Ho Cheon-an’s calm smile radiating strong confidence, he ended up ordering the direct line members who were disarmed of Hidden Weapons by Tang Do-gyeong to gather.
After all, those disarmed direct line members were hanging around in front of the Family Head’s Quarters, so whether some gathered or all gathered didn’t make a difference, but it couldn’t be helped that Ho Cheon-an was starting to get on his nerves.
After observing a week of lectures, Feng Ying realized that Ho Cheon-an wasn’t just a good gambler. From techniques to the underlying principles, it was undeniable that the one he referred to as Outcast Ya was a true master in gambling.
‘What was I thinking to accommodate Outcast Ya…! I was too impatient.’
Thinking he might catch hold of some strategy, he gathered the clan’s direct line members, but upon hearing the news, Ho Cheon-an merely laughed casually and said, “Thank you for your unreasonable request.”
It was Tang Guanglie’s turn to grasp the cup.
Feng Ying felt despair. Even with Tang Do-gyeong controlling the pace, the dice followed his lead. Compared to Tang Guanglie’s hitting rate of 50-60%, Tang Do-gyeong’s hitting rate reached 70-80%. Since Tang Guanglie’s Hidden Weapons were already half-empty, the outcome of this turn could be determined by how many Hidden Weapons Tang Do-gyeong had.
However.
“It’s the second cup.”
“That’s wrong.”
“It’s the first cup.”
“No.”
“It’s the second cup.”
Suddenly, Tang Do-gyeong failed to penetrate the dice three times in a row.
A twist.
Feng Ying couldn’t snap out of it as he stared at the table in that suddenly reversed situation. Although Tang Do-gyeong’s face seemed calm at first glance, beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead.
‘When…?’
The flow shifted to Tang Guanglie.
“The southeast wind has arrived.”
“What did you say?”
“Oh, I just muttered to myself.”
To avoid interrupting the match between the two, Ho Cheon-an stepped back and called out to Feng Ying.
“From now on is the real match, so let’s give them space to concentrate.”
Tang Guanglie thought.
‘Southeast wind…’
He couldn’t precisely figure out the meaning of Ho Cheon-an’s words, but he instinctively felt that the flow had changed.
‘It’s starting to align.’
Tang Guanglie had been learning new things each day for a week. He was planning in his head, tracking his opponent with his eyes, and expertly deceiving his opponent with his hands.
His skills had improved tremendously, yet his practicality in real battles remained inexperienced.
Everything requires a minimum level of experience, and Tang Guanglie’s levels were gradually filling up on the gambling table against Tang Do-gyeong.
The once-erratic gears began to mesh together one by one. Techniques, theories, hand dexterity… with the excellent foundation lubricated by experience, they turned smoothly instead of squeaking in discord.
At last, the ‘Gambler Tang Guanglie’ shaped by Ho Cheon-an’s words and his own sweat and efforts began to reemerge completely.
Grasping the cup, Tang Guanglie defended eight times and got penetrated twice.
And during Tang Do-gyeong’s turn, he won six out of ten rounds.
‘It’s wavering.’
Tang Do-gyeong continued changing his techniques. He was also sensing it. If he failed to defend while holding the cup, he had no choice but to lose.
‘Hehe, Do-gyeong, your theory is lacking.’
As Tang Guanglie observed Tang Do-gyeong, he recalled Ho Cheon-an’s words.
[In the beginning, the family head said you just needed to supplement your hand skills. But if you don’t even know when to use them, learning Life-Saving Techniques will be useless without the ability to discern an opportunity to save your life.]
Tang Do-gyeong had learned gambling merely by imitating Ho Cheon-an’s hand skills. Since then, he had supplemented his sense for gambling through practical experience with the direct line members at the clan, but his wild instincts couldn’t surpass the systematic theories embedded in Tang Guanglie’s mind.
‘If I had insisted on my own way, I would have been stuck in Do-gyeong’s shadow for a lifetime.’
Although he bore resentment for being mercilessly flicked on the forehead by Ho Cheon-an just to assert authority as a master, Tang Guanglie acknowledged that Ho Cheon-an’s judgments were correct as the match extended.
The instinctive judgment of seeing the flow of gambling was far superior in Tang Do-gyeong than in Tang Guanglie.
As soon as he sensed the shift of flow, Tang Guanglie felt a shiver run down his neck as he threw away even his own advantages to search for a way out.
What if he gambled simply relying on his instincts? Tang Guanglie had no confidence he could suppress the young, energetic tiger known as Tang Do-gyeong. Had he pinned down Tang Do-gyeong with his body rather than a well-woven net, he would have surely let him escape.
Half a jing had passed.
Tang Do-gyeong and Tang Guanglie continued exchanging gambling.
However, the outcome began to become clear. All of Tang Do-gyeong’s Hidden Weapons were placed on Tang Guanglie’s side, and Tang Do-gyeong had seven Hidden Weapons left.
In the situation where Tang Guanglie was holding the cup.
Tang Do-gyeong suddenly closed his eyes. He didn’t open them until the cup stopped. Tang Guanglie and even Feng Ying, who were watching, couldn’t hide their tension.
Because all seven Hidden Weapons were in Tang Do-gyeong’s hands.
While it was free to wager any number of Hidden Weapons, the two acted as though they had a rule to wager one piece each. The result of the bet was essential, but today’s match truly was a decisive battle of superiority between the two.
“Are you thinking of having a decisive battle?”
“Yes. The family head possesses superior gambling skills than I do.”
Tang Do-gyeong attempted everything in his power to break through Tang Guanglie’s network. When Tang Guanglie held the cup, he baited him by making big and small bets, trying to cause Tang Guanglie to waver, and when he held the cup, he copied all the techniques he knew and even Tang Guanglie’s techniques on the spot.
Despite exhausting every means, he ultimately couldn’t break through the net Tang Guanglie cast.
Although the almost penetrable net was right there, Tang Do-gyeong had no choice but to acknowledge Tang Guanglie’s superiority.
“However, I cannot give up like this, so I must rely on fate.”
As Tang Do-gyeong began inspecting the three cups, Tang Guanglie also closed his eyes. He couldn’t bear the tension, fearing that he might give Tang Do-gyeong a clue about which cup held the dice.
It was, after all, a gamble of luck. Although he believed he had a high chance of winning, Tang Do-gyeong’s winning chance was still a third.
While Tang Do-gyeong asserted he had lost, Tang Guanglie realized that this gamble was truly a matter of a hair’s breadth.
Though Tang Do-gyeong’s struggles didn’t tear the net, he was so close as to almost tear it.
‘What if luck favors Do-gyeong…’
Then, Tang Guanglie feared he wouldn’t be able to maintain the current flow. If the tiger he barely contained broke free from the net, he felt like the word “defeat” was looming before him.
Tang Guanglie, Feng Ying, and even Ho Cheon-an all focused on Tang Do-gyeong’s choice. Luck was also part of gambling. Would Tang Do-gyeong truly seize fortune and lay the groundwork for a comeback?
Because luck was unpredictable, everyone in the Tang Clan awaited Tang Do-gyeong’s choice, holding their breath.
The final choice of Tang Do-gyeong to break through Tang Guanglie’s net.
*Tap.*
Tang Guanglie spoke without opening his eyes.
“If you’ve bet, open it.”
Tang Do-gyeong also quietly revealed the cup. Then he opened his mouth quietly.
“I lost.”
Tang Guanglie’s eyes widened. The cup Tang Do-gyeong had chosen was the first cup. The first cup didn’t hold the dice. Tang Guanglie sighed in relief, calming his pounding heart while still not letting his guard down.
“You still have one Hidden Weapon left in hand.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
As expected, the family head even saw the Hidden Weapon he hadn’t revealed. Thinking this, Tang Do-gyeong pulled out a hefty Hidden Weapon.
There were several Hidden Weapons in Tang Do-gyeong’s revealed Hidden Weapons. Among them, one caught Tang Guanglie’s eye.
“Isn’t that the Two-Masted Bat?”
“Yes.”
Tang Do-gyeong smiled and stroked the Two-Masted Bat.
“This was given to me by Tang Rye-ah. When I said I would train my Hidden Weapons again, she offered it with her eyes tightly shut. How could I, as her elder brother, reject such a gift?”
“…I see.”
“This was given to me by my father. This was given to me by my uncle, and this was handed to me by Do-yeon. How could I place such items on the gambling table?”
“Hehe. Hehe…”
Tang Guanglie closed his eyes against the rising embarrassment. Compared to his own action of handing over the family head-exclusive Hidden Weapons that he should never bet, how could he view Tang Do-gyeong’s attitude?
Ho Cheon-an was right.
“I’m truly addicted to the poison of gambling.”
With the embarrassment flooding in, Guanglie forced himself to move his hands.
In front of Tang Do-gyeong lay a Hidden Weapon.
“What is this…?”
“I’m giving this to you. Although it’s not family head-exclusive, these are high-level Hidden Weapons you can sufficiently practice with.”
“But how can the loser of gambling receive such a thing?”
“No, no. This is a gift and apology from Tang Guanglie, the family head of the Sacheon Tang family, to Tang Do-gyeong, a branch clan member.”
Tang Guanglie patted Tang Do-gyeong’s shoulder.
“According to the rules, you, Do-gyeong, are still a branch clan member. However, if the clan only operates on rules, then what need would there be for a family head? Anyone who is learning Hidden Weapons should have been given Hidden Weapons. I had only regarded you with admiration without considering your hardships.”
“Family head…!”
“I have caused you suffering with my incompetence and have caused discord among the direct line members, so I should apologize to you.”
“No! Family head! Just your heart is enough to move this Tang’s heart deep!”
Tang Do-gyeong’s eyes welled up with tears, and Tang Guanglie continually comforted his shoulder.
“Congratulations, family head!”
Feng Ying congratulated Tang Guanglie in an excited tone. Indeed, Feng Ying was someone who had shared the heartaches of Tang Guanglie for a week, and now his heart was brimming with joy.
“Thank you..! Feng Ying Hall Master, you’ve worked hard too!”
“Hahaha! How could it only be the family head’s efforts!”
Tang Guanglie looked beyond Feng Ying at Ho Cheon-an.
Seeing Ho Cheon-an’s smile, Tang Guanglie was engulfed in complicated feelings. It was true that he got flicked on the forehead, and even now, remembering that day makes his forehead tingle.
Ho Cheon-an’s lectures were truly enough to be called a compilation of gambling. Tang Guanglie felt it deeply while attending the week-long lectures. Although the consultation fee was a considerable amount, such a lecture could easily make such money.
Still, he couldn’t shake the thought that it was a bit too harsh to slap someone, and he wanted to repay at least one flick.
Yet after experiencing today’s match, his thoughts changed again. Had he not been flicked on the forehead and let everything go, would he have been able to absorb all of Ho Cheon-an’s teachings and prepare to repay that flick?
The victory itself had been overwhelming, but the turning point of victory was razor-thin. If he had not had the strong motivation to avenge such humiliation, would he have really been able to secure victory?
‘Okay, I admit. The teacher’s judgments were all correct.’
“Congratulations. Family head.”
“Thank you, Teacher Ya. Without you, I wouldn’t have had the skill to defeat Do-gyeong in such a short time. And I would have lived my whole life unaware that I was merely a frog in a well.”
Tang Guanglie resolved in his heart to recognize Ho Cheon-an as a benefactor. Both as an individual named Tang Guanglie and as the family head of the Tang Clan.
Revealing his techniques without reservation for the sake of Tang Clan’s Bat-Leaping Tiger Method was more than enough to be regarded as a benefactor of the entire clan, while personally, he had healed Tang Guanglie’s minor thoughts and gambling addiction, making him a benefactor among benefactors.
‘Still…! I have to repay that flick!’
Despite knowing it wasn’t right to act against a benefactor, the urge to smack gently on the forehead rose from deep within Tang Guanglie.
He wouldn’t mind being slapped dozens of times. Just one! Just one flick should be returned!
As he determined, just as he was about to speak.
Ho Cheon-an opened his mouth.
