Chapter 75 : One Throw to Shake Heaven and Earth (1)

Chapter 75: One Throw to Shake Heaven and Earth (1)

The one-armed Dokbi stared quietly at Wi Yeonho for a moment, then turned his gaze to Kang Cheonrip.

"That’s not what you said."

Kang Cheonrip remained calm.

"What’s so different?"

"You said you’d let me have a proper match. But now you’re telling me to play hands with some brat?"

"Brat?"

Kang Cheonrip pointed to the pile of silver coins in front of Wi Yeonho.

"Someone who managed to win that much money at Golden Flower Manor in less than two hours is a brat? Can you do what he did?"

Dokbi’s eyes shifted to the stack of silver in front of Wi Yeonho. Seeing the mountain of silver stacked taller than a man, Dokbi’s eyebrows twitched.

"You’re telling me he won all that?"

"Exactly. He won ten straight rounds in Yin and Yang."

"Ten wins in a row?"

Dokbi looked at Wi Yeonho with renewed eyes.

'...I don’t feel anything.'

Gamblers lived in a world of constant wagers. They could win everything in an instant—or lose it all just as fast. People who lived and died by those razor-thin margins had something distinct about them—a sharp aura that set them apart from ordinary people.

But Wi Yeonho gave off no such aura.

No burning desire for victory, no desperation that came from living at the edge of the blade.

"Is that really true?"

"Everyone here saw it."

"That’s strange."

Dokbi frowned as he silently studied Wi Yeonho.

"He doesn’t seem like a gambler…"

"Do gamblers wear a sign on their head? If you gamble well, you're a gambler."

Dokbi pressed his lips shut.

Kang Cheonrip might have been the Manor Lord of Golden Flower Manor, but he was a merchant, not a gambler. Explaining the world of gamblers to a merchant was no easy task.

"Are you sure he’s not a fraud?"

"Is there a way to win ten straight rounds in Yin and Yang by cheating?"

"Hmm…"

Dokbi couldn’t make sense of Wi Yeonho.

Even for him, winning ten times in a row in Yin and Yang wasn’t easy. With any other game, maybe. But Yin and Yang were practically pure luck.

Which made it even harder to understand.

If judging by ability alone, he should be a master, and yet—there was nothing about him that felt like a master.

Setting aside everything else, just looking at those vacant eyes, Dokbi couldn’t imagine this boy excelling in anything, let alone gambling.

Gambling was half skill, half reading your opponent’s psychology. Dokbi had spent his life analyzing the person sitting across from him at the gambling table. From his perspective, Wi Yeonho didn’t show even the faintest hint of gambling talent.

"This really is strange."

While Dokbi was still mulling it over, Wi Yeonho yawned and finally opened his mouth.

"...Are we not starting yet?"

Kang Cheonrip waved his hand.

"Ah, it’ll be ready soon. Just a moment longer."

"Yaaawn…"

Wi Yeonho looked ready to fall asleep on the spot.

Kang Cheonrip calmed him, then turned to Dokbi and asked in a low voice.

"So! Are you going to take him on or not?"

"You’re asking me?"

"Of course—"

"Me?"

Kang Cheonrip suddenly shut his mouth.

Just who was the man standing before him? In the gambling circles of Hubei, he was a living legend.

Dokbi had been born and raised in gambling houses, and when it came to gambling, he had achieved everything there was to achieve. Even the most renowned gamblers in Hubei would bow their heads before him. His skill was beyond question.

To ask such a man if he could handle some brat who showed up today for the first time—was a grave misstep.

"I was too anxious and said something disrespectful."

"Hmm…"

Dokbi stared quietly at Kang Cheonrip and let out a soft hum.

Normally, he wouldn’t have tolerated such treatment, but he understood Kang Cheonrip’s mindset.

Who could stay calm after watching ten taels of gold fly away right before their eyes?

Especially when it all happened in just half an hour—even Dokbi wouldn’t find it hard to stay composed.

No matter how polite or composed one tried to be, the gambling table was a place where such things were tested. That was why it was said you could see the depths of a person there.

And Dokbi, having spent his entire life on the gambling floor, had seen far worse and thus could sympathize with Kang Cheonrip.

"I understand."

"Thank you for that. So your answer?"

"Would I ever refuse a gamble?"

"I’ll make sure you’re well rewarded."

Kang Cheonrip turned to Wi Yeonho with a confident face. Now that Dokbi had agreed to step in, the match was as good as over. Even in Luoyang, the gambling capital, Dokbi was known as the best. There was no way someone like him would lose to a brat like that.

"Young Master."

Wi Yeonho was nodding off in his chair like a sickly chick.

It seemed he couldn’t even hold out that long and had actually dozed off.

"Young Master!"

"Mmm."

Awoken by the voice calling him, Wi Yeonho looked around with half-lidded eyes.

"Are we ready?"

"Yes, we are!"

"Haaaam…"

Stretching both arms wide, Wi Yeonho let out a drawn-out yawn, then smacked his lips and twisted his neck side to side.

Crack, crack.

'How can a human neck make that kind of noise?'

If a burly man made that sound to intimidate, it would send chills down your spine, but hearing it from the sickly, chick-like Wi Yeonho slumped in a chair only made the sound seem pitiful.

"So then…"

Wi Yeonho looked around and finally found Jin Soa, then spoke.

"Hey, you rascal! Go bring a bucket of cold water!"

"Y-yes, sir."

Jin Soa answered with a trembling face, his voice polite. Then he scurried off, fetched some water, and presented it to Wi Yeonho.

"Hmm."

Wi Yeonho took a sip and grimaced, then handed the bucket back to Jin Soa.

"I said, bring something cold! Cold!"

"Uuugh!"

Vowing to strangle that neck the moment they left this place, Jin Soa snatched the bucket and went to fetch more water.

Having thoroughly tormented Jin Soa, Wi Yeonho turned with a smirk and looked at Dokbi.

"Are you my opponent?"

"That’s right."

"You’ve got quite a savage face."

Dokbi chuckled.

Whether the boy understood the situation or not, Dokbi liked that kind of nerve. Most wouldn’t even dare to gamble with this many eyes on them.

Yet the boy spoke with such boldness. It meant that Wi Yeonho might be more courageous than he first appeared.

‘Did I misjudge him?’

He found it a bit odd, but it didn’t matter. No matter how prodigious the boy might be—even if he’d been gambling since he was in the womb—he wouldn’t have gambled for half the time Dokbi had.

"So, why do you only have one arm?"

Dokbi’s brow twitched.

"...Lost it gambling."

"Oh dear."

Wi Yeonho shook his head.

"No wonder they say gambling leads to ruin. You okay?"

"Of course."

Dokbi answered indifferently.

"The one who took my arm paid for it with his neck. Not exactly a bad deal."

"Whoa."

Wi Yeonho gave a shudder.

"People risk their lives over gambling?"

"It happens all the time."

"I don’t get why anyone would risk their life over a game."

"When the stakes rise high enough, a human life starts to feel cheap. Do you think your life is worth ten taels of gold?"

"Hmm…"

Wi Yeonho scratched his cheek and replied.

"I’d say it’s worth a bit more than that."

"Do you really think so?"

"Hard to believe, I know."

Wi Yeonho smiled faintly.

No one would likely offer ten taels of gold for him. But there had already been those who put a bounty of one hundred taels just to find him.

‘I kind of miss them.’

He hadn’t expected to think of his family during such a random conversation, but now a wave of homesickness came over him.

What were they doing now?

By now, the letter should have reached Guangdong. So they’d know their second son was still alive—surely they’d be overjoyed.

His older brother was probably throwing a fit, swearing to beat him half to death, and Suryeon might be sobbing her eyes out. Mother would be beside herself with happiness, naturally.

‘Father? Who knows.’

Even if they met again, Wi Jeonghan would last only a few days before nagging him nonstop. He didn’t even have to see it to know.

Which is why it’d probably be better to meet later rather than sooner...

‘Still, I miss them.’

Wi Yeonho’s eyes grew distant.

Even if they had treated him like a slacker, they still made sure he ate every meal, cared for him, and patted his head...

He hadn’t realized how precious that was until he met the demon. But the five years spent in the cave had taught him what family really meant.

‘If I do go home this time, I should try being a little less lazy.’

He didn’t dream of living like an ordinary person—that was too far-fetched—but at least he could try being a bit more diligent.

"Would they like that?"

"What are you mumbling about over there?!"

Jin Soa had returned and was holding out the water again. Wi Yeonho gave him a sour look.

"Why, you little…"

"It’s cold water!"

Jin Soa cut him off and handed him the cold bucket.

Without another word, Wi Yeonho accepted and drank.

"Ahh!"

The chill of the water hit his insides and blew away all those wandering thoughts about family.

"So then..."

Clack!

He set the bowl down on the table and looked at Kang Cheonrip and Dokbi.

"What do I need to do?"

Kang Cheonrip stepped back. From this point on, it was Dokbi’s domain.

"That’s not for me to decide. It’s for you to choose."

Dokbi spoke with full confidence.

"Pick any kind of gamble you want. Anything."

"Ooooooh…"

The onlookers all murmured in admiration at Dokbi’s bravado.

There were countless types of gambling in the world—dozens, even hundreds being played at any given moment. Yet he was letting his opponent pick the game.

It was a show of absolute mastery, no matter what form of gambling was chosen.

"Me?"

"Yes."

Wi Yeonho tilted his head.

Scratching his chin as if contemplating deeply, he finally opened his mouth after a long pause.

"But I don’t know any games."

"Y-you don’t know how to gamble?"

"Nope. This is my first time here, actually..."

Dokbi’s eyes trembled like an earthquake had hit.

This was his first time in a gambling house?

So his very first time gambling, and he’d won ten straight rounds in Yin and Yang—and now he was sitting across from him?

‘Is he... the God of Gambling?’

There was no way such a thing could happen unless the god of gambling himself had descended.

"Don’t lie! Do you think I’ll let my guard down because of that?"

"Why would I lie? Believe it or not, that’s up to you."

Dokbi carefully studied Wi Yeonho’s expression.

‘Doesn’t seem like he’s lying…’

And with that, an uneasy feeling began creeping into Dokbi.

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