Chapter 30 : Jaseung, Bets on Himself

Chapter 30: Jaseung, Bets on Himself

Lee Jaseung and Dan Woobin were walking along a narrow path on the outskirts, both wearing their bamboo hats pulled down low.

The two had been silent for quite some time.

Suddenly, Lee Jaseung asked.

“Are you angry?”
“No? Why do you say that?”

Lee Jaseung asked because he hadn’t agreed to the earlier request to eliminate the Great Ant. He wondered if Dan Woobin was deep into his thoughts because of that.

But in truth, Dan Woobin had forgotten about that entirely.

He was thinking about the conditions Nam Seohyang had proposed.

“Not only will we provide the three pieces of information given today, but we will give you a fixed percentage of our income every month and provide all the information you want for free until you unify the world. In return, please guarantee our monopoly for ten years after the unification.”

That was Nan Seohyang’s condition. At first glance, it was an extremely favorable deal for the Black Way Alliance.

But Dan Woobin’s thoughts were different.

“They seem to be investing in us at great sacrifice, but that’s not the case in truth.”

“Why?”

“If they monopolize the information for ten years and make money, they will grow to a scale incomparable to now. They could recover dozens of times the money they invested. Then, they could become a monster not even our Alliance could touch. And above all…”

Dan Woobin’s real concern lay elsewhere.

“To monopolize information and control it not only means money, but also tremendous power.”

Lee Jaseung silently nodded in agreement, understanding that point well.

“Do you still intend to accept the deal?”

“What do you think?”

Honestly, Dan Woobin was half and half. There were side effects as he had said before.

But they needed power right now.

The Three-Eyed Pavilion he led was heavily monitored by both the Orthodox Faction and Demonic Cult. Of course, it was the same for the intelligence organizations of the Murim Alliance and Asura Demon Sect.

Each side spent huge amounts of money and manpower spying on the other’s organization.

So if they could use the Three-Eyed Pavilion to divert attention and receive the real information from the Golden Ants, it could be quite effective.

Besides, the fixed percentage of their income would be a significant help for the Black Way Alliance.

“I will follow your will, my Lord.”

Dan Woobin handed over the decision of this crucial matter back to Lee Jaseung.

Whenever Lee Jaseung stood at a crossroads, he always moved by one standard.

Does this help achieve his dream?

After a moment of thought, Lee Jaseung stopped walking. Dan Woobin looked at him tensely.

Though Dan Woobin drew up detailed plans, decisions that could change the fate of the Black Way Alliance had always been Lee Jaseung’s.

Those decisions slowly changed the fate of the Alliance, and this time was no different.

Finally, Lee Jaseung made up his mind.

“I accept it.”

“Understood.”

Dan Woobin bowed with an expression of resolve. He would now draw up and coordinate the detailed plans accordingly.

“By the way, where are we going right now?’

Lee Jaseung had sent Mujin and Ma Young-gi back to their lodgings first, and was now taking Dan Woobin somewhere alone.

He responded with a smile.

“We’re going to make money.”

* * *

Slap!

Ham Muhong’s face turned as his cheek was slapped.

The one hitting him mercilessly was Hae Cheon-in, Lord of the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan and father of Hae Ryang.

From the side, Hae Ryang watched in fear.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Hae Cheon-in continued to slap his cheek. Slapping a martial artist’s cheek was a very insulting thing to do.

Knowing how much his father cared for him, Hae Ryang couldn’t even take a deep breath. He had never seen him so angry like this.

Only after Ham Muhong’s face had turned red and swollen, Hae Cheon-in stopped slapping him.

“Leave.”

Ham Muhong bowed his head deeply and stepped back.

Then, Hae Cheon-in asked Hae Ryang with a fierce glare.

“Do you know what you’ve done?”

Hae Ryang lowered his head.

“You did such a thing knowing that they were from the Asura Demon Sect?”

Hae Ryang couldn’t understand why his father was pressuring him like this. He honestly believed that he would be complimented.

“Aren’t the Demonic Cult bastards who must be wiped out? I thought you would be pleased.”

“What did you say?”

“Your son eliminated an Elder of the Demonic Cult, but you scold me instead of complimenting me!”

Hae Ryang’s face was full of frustration.

Hae Cheon-in held back his harsh words and let out a sigh instead.

His son was this immature. That was why he slapped Ham Muhong. He judged that it was his fault for not preventing this incident.

“Leave!”

With a dejected face, Hae Ryang went outside.

Hae Cheon-in frowned.

It was time to focus efforts on weakening the Northern Sky Clan along with the Guanghai Blade Sect.

But now, they had to go all out to prevent the Asura Demon Sect’s revenge. This wasn’t something that their clan could do alone.

They had to somewhat drag the Guanghai Blade Sect into this defense. Of course, the cunning Leader of their sect wouldn’t easily get involved.

‘Things are about to get busy.’

Moreover, a lot of money would be lost as well. Already feeling a pounding headache, Hae Cheon-in pressed between his eyebrows.

At that moment, Mo Gweon, chief steward of the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan and Hae Cheon-in’s right hand, entered.

“How are things going with the betting?”

Mo Gweon answered.

“Smoothly. At this rate, the income is expected to be more than four hundred thousand silver coins.”

“Four hundred thousand huh.”

It was a large sum, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy Hae Cheon-in’s greed.

“We’ll bet some of our money as well.”

Normally, the organizer isn’t allowed to bet, but it was made possible using loopholes. Plus, they had the highest chance to win, having the most accurate data.”

“Yes, I will confirm the final odds and handle it.”

After Mo Gweon left, Hae Cheon-in walked toward the window.

His expression had brightened briefly thinking of the large amount of money coming in, but it turned annoyed again at the thought of the Asura Demon Sect.

* * *

Lee Jaseung and Dan Woobin stopped at the entrance of a manor.

They changed into long robes purchased at a bookstore and pulled their bamboo hats low, disguising themselves completely different from usual.

“Who are you?”

The door opened slightly, and the man inspected them.

Lee Jaseung replied quietly.

“We came from the north looking for the golden bird.”

After hearing his words, the man opened the door fully and greeted them politely.

“Welcome.”

He led them into the manor.

The man guiding them was a martial arts expert. It wasn’t just him either, as presences of masters could be felt from multiple directions. Not one or two, but dozens.

This was the gambling hall operated by the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan. What Lee Jaseung said earlier was the code Nam Seohyang had provided.

While waiting at the guest hall with a cup of tea, a middle-aged man entered.

“Thank you for waiting.”

He was smiling, but his eyes were sharp.

Lee Jaseung knew that he was a Peak Realm master, a very seasoned one at that. It seemed like he was likely assigned to monitor the profiles of those betting large sums.

The reason Lee Jaseung only brought Dan Woobin was because he anticipated this. They had to pretend to be proxies for a wealthy person.

But Mujin and Ma Young-gi were way too strong. Not just that, but they couldn’t hide their Qi perfectly like Lee Jaseung either.

After seeing that the two men’s martial arts skills were not particularly impressive, the middle-aged man felt at ease.

“Alright, who will you bet on?”

“Can we know the odds?”

“Of course.”
The man had a paper in his hand as if he expected this question. The round of sixteen had ended, and the quarterfinals was about to begin.

“The one with the lowest odds right now is Jin Yang, the Greatest Swordsman of Central Plains. If you bet a hundred silver coins, you would get a hundred-twenty in return. He is the strongest favorite to win. Next is Myeong Do, the Fist God. Betting a hundred on him gets you a hundred-ninety. Third is Gwak Pil, a nameless fighter who has shaken up the tournament. He’s a great hero who has dominated his opponents with terrifying momentum. Betting a hundred on him will return three hundred.”

The man explained the odds for the eight finalists one by one. Finally, it was Lee Jaseung’s turn.

“Finally, the highest odds are for Seop Mu-pyeong, known as the man of great luck. Betting a hundred silver coins yields a staggering seven-thousand four hundred. In other words, his chances of winning are extremely slim.”

The payout was seventy-four times the bet. Such high odds were bound to attract gamblers hoping to win big.

Odds would naturally drop as more people bet, yet his odds remained this high. That meant that almost no one believed Seop Mu-pyeong would win.

“Well, who will you bet on?”

“On Seop Mu-pyeong.”

“Good, life is all about taking that one big shot, isn’t it?”

The man laughed out loud.

“Is there a betting limit?”

“There isn’t.”

“We’ll bet two million silver coins then.”

The man flinched in shock after hearing the amount.

Of course, two million wasn’t the highest bet in this tournament. Some wealthy people bet hundreds of millions.

But there was no one who bet this much on Lee Jaseung.

“Hahaha, impressive.”

Dan Woobin handed over the two million silver coins voucher, and the man checked to see if it was authentic. Of course, they couldn’t openly pay as the Black Way Alliance.

It was unlikely to happen, but just in case someone looked into it later, they disguised the bet as having been placed by the Wind and Cloud Merchant Union, a major player in the merchant world. They obviously belonged to the Orthodox Faction, but it was under the control of the Black Way Alliance.

Betting two million on Seop Mu-peyong would drastically lower the odds. But even at a fifty-fold return, that was still a hundred million in return. It was enough to swallow all the money wagered on this bet.

After the bet was placed, the middle-aged man scoffed as he watched the two leave.

‘Who knows what kind of old wealthy man’s errand this is, but that’s some serious money burning.’

Of course, Dan Woobin was smiling happily after leaving the building.

“Hahaha! We won’t have to worry about money for a while.”

“Don’t be so sure. You could lose, you know.”

Dan Woobin smirked. Sure, losing was possible as all kinds of things happened in this world.

But the odds of him losing would be the reverse of the odds the middle-aged man had shown earlier.

“Then should we go back and bet that money on the Greatest Swordsman of Central Plains?”

“That’s… not necessary.”

The two laughed facing each other.

They moved toward the bookstore.

Dan Woobin had been having a lot on his mind lately.

He was currently coming up with a plan to eliminate Yang Sebang.

The moment they absorb the Northern Sky Clan, the wheel would start rolling forward. It would pick up speed that would at some point become unstoppable.

Dan Woobin realized that it was the moment he should ask Lee Jaseung one crucial question. It was the most important for their future course.

His answer would change everyone’s fate.

Not just Lee Jaseung’s, but his own, Mujin’s, Ma Young-gi’s, and all the warriors under the Black Way Alliance.

Therefore, Dan Woobin was cautious. He had to organize his thoughts before asking Lee Jaseung.

Once everything was settled, Dan Woobin carefully asked.

“The Orthodox Faction or the Demonic Cult, which will you strike first?”

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