The God of Gambling

The group entered Kaifeng. Perhaps because it was such an ancient city, the atmosphere felt noticeably different from that of other places. Between the ordinary buildings, one could spot strangely shaped, timeworn structures here and there.

"These old buildings look bigger and sturdier than the ones built recently," Namgungmyeong remarked.

To that, Dan seol-yeong gave her opinion.

"The flimsy ones must have all collapsed long ago. Poorly built houses couldn't have lasted until now."

"Ah, is that so…? I wonder when this building was made."

"Well, there were countries that no longer exist, right? Zhou, Wei, maybe? People from that era must have built it."

"Couldn't it be Sui?"

"I don't think so. My father once told me the Sui dynasty didn't disappear that long ago."

Dan seol-yeong herself didn't know much about history—just a little of what her father had told her when she was young.

She spoke with confidence about Zhou and Wei, but in truth, she didn't know how long ago those dynasties had ended.

Still, her bluff wasn't going to be exposed. No one else in the group knew more about history than she did.

Tang Mujin looked around in awe.

"The people of the past were truly skilled. Do you think our descendants will admire the buildings and objects made in our time?"

Dan seol-yeong put on a face full of conviction.

"Of course. Even after hundreds or thousands of years, nothing will surpass the Wooden Men Alley."

Namgungmyeong asked,

"The Wooden Men Alley? The one in Shaolin?"

"That's right."

"But that wasn't built in our era. And I heard it's broken now, doesn't even move anymore. How could anyone surpass it or not?"

Just as Dan seol-yeong puffed herself up, ready to boast about Wooden Men Alley, Yujingwang raised his voice to draw everyone's attention.

"All right. First, let's figure out where the God of Gambling is. Let's split—"

He caught himself as his eyes landed on Tang Mujin and changed his words.

"No, let's look together. We'll find him soon enough."

The change in Yujingwang's tone was because of his promise to guarantee the Tang group's safety.

His attitude had shifted drastically in the past few days. At first, their relationship had been little more than that of host and guest, but after winning big in the dice game, Yujingwang began treating Tang Mujin's group like lucky charms.

That much was merely kindness—or superstition—but after another huge profit in the cockfight, his stance grew extreme. He now treated not just Dan seol-yeong, but even Chu Sam, with surprising courtesy. Yujingwang's belief had gone beyond superstition and turned into certainty.

Thus, nearly twenty people wandered through Kaifeng's streets together. Except for Dan seol-yeong and Chu Sam, all were martial artists, and not a single second- or third-rate among them.

It was a force strong enough to overwhelm even a mid-sized sect head-on. Ordinary citizens, and even other martial artists, hurriedly avoided their path.

The group first turned their steps toward the wine houses. After all, grand gambling dens were always built around taverns.

"Do you know the God of Gambling, Mr. Hong?"

"Well, I've heard the nickname, but that's about it."

On the first day, they searched through several taverns but came up empty-handed.

On the second day after arriving in Kaifeng, however, they stepped into one tavern and immediately felt something strange.

This is a gambling den.

The eyes of the people inside were all hollow.

Unlike other taverns where drunken laughter and loud chatter filled the air, here the loudest sounds were angry shouts or groans deep with despair.

Add to that the strangely gloomy atmosphere, and the image of a gambling den was perfectly complete.

Yujingwang looked around and approached a man sitting alone, not participating.

His posture and expression said it all. He was someone who had lost all his money but couldn't bring himself to leave, hoping to beg for scraps.

"Do you know the God of Gambling?"

"Know him? Who in Kaifeng's gambling circles doesn't?"

"Where can we find him?"

"I hear his whereabouts change often. But if you come back here four days from now, you'll see him. The God of Gambling appears once every five days, and yesterday was his day."

"I see."

Yujingwang was about to turn away when the gambler stopped him.

"You look new to Kaifeng. What business do you have with him?"

"I have a favor to ask. Nothing more."

"Nothing more, you say? Anyone seeking the God of Gambling is one of two kinds—an idiot who wants to challenge him, or a coward who wants him to gamble in their place. Which are you?"

"I'm no coward, but closer to the latter."

The gambler looked pleased that his guess had been correct.

"I thought so. But you won't be able to place money through him."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not the only one waiting for him. Still… I know how you can persuade him."

"How?"

The gambler rubbed his thumb and forefinger together slowly. Yujingwang, wearing a pained expression, flicked him a silver coin. Compared to the fortune he carried, it was nothing, but the gambler seemed perfectly content.

Lowering his voice as though sharing a great secret, the man said,

"When the God of Gambling shows up, you'll know him easily—gamblers swarm to him like clouds. But even if you get through the crowd, it's not easy to make a request."

"Get to the point."

The gambler clicked his tongue.

"If you go that way, there's a tavern called Yukjinru. The God of Gambling likes their food. Especially their roasted mud duck. If you prepare a fine dish and treat him, he'll throw the dice for you a few times."

"Hmm… I see."

Tang Mujin clicked his tongue. Not because the man could win their money for them, but because he would demand a fine meal just to roll the dice a couple of times. He must be a truly pampered fellow. Still, it only meant his skill was undeniable.

The group lingered in the gambling den a bit longer before returning to their lodgings.

Four days later, they set out again, heading for Yukjinru as the gambler had said. But things didn't go as expected—they couldn't order food.

"Today's orders are already full. We can't take any more customers."

The waiter's tone was calm, as though this was nothing unusual.

Around them, plenty of others were also waiting for food.

All had hungry, gleaming eyes and twitching fingers—the marks of gamblers who clearly had favors to beg of the God of Gambling.

"…Looks like we're stuck."

With no other choice, the group stepped outside and discussed.

"Seems today's attempt has failed. Why don't we wait another five days? Next time we can come earlier, or bribe the tavern to make sure the food is ready."

"With our numbers, why wait at all? We could just take the food by force."

When someone suggested the violent option, Tang Mujin waved his hand.

"Foolishness. If you earn his resentment, what happens if he deliberately throws the game at a crucial moment?"

"Ah… true enough."

So the plan was set to wait another five days. But that didn't mean retreating to the inn to rest.

They headed back to the gambling house. If nothing else, they wanted to see the God of Gambling with their own eyes—to know what kind of man he was, and just how good at gambling.

Inside, the atmosphere wasn't much different from usual. The God of Gambling hadn't appeared yet. The gamblers kept glancing at the entrance as if to confirm that fact.

While other Jeomchang Sect martial artists wandered around watching the games, Tang Mujin's group and Yujingwang ordered some food and quite a lot of wine, then gathered around a table. The endless mix of joy and sorrow swirling in the gambling hall was, in its own way, perfect drinking company.

And after a little while, the gambling hall grew strangely quiet, while a buzz of voices rose from outside.

"It seems the God of Gambling has arrived."

"So it appears."

A glance outside showed dozens of people pressing together as they entered the hall. But the crowd was too thick to make out the God of Gambling's face.

Yujingwang stood and said,

"I need to see for myself just how good he is."

"Yes, sir. Go ahead."

He pushed into the crowd, while Tang Mujin's group continued chatting over food and drink.

The God of Gambling took a seat behind Tang Mujin, and now and then, great cheers erupted from that direction. Listening closely, Tang Mujin realized the God of Gambling had defeated gamblers from other regions and swept up their stakes.

A little later, a man suddenly rose from the very center of the hall and walked straight to the table where Tang Mujin sat.

As he moved, the murmurs died away, and countless eyes followed him.

Tang Mujin, still absorbed in his food, noticed him a little late—only when the man came to stand right behind him.

"…?"

He turned and saw a very familiar face.

"…Hong Geolgae?"

Tang Mujin looked him up and down.

Hong Geolgae still wore ragged clothes, but everything else seemed changed. He was healthier, with some flesh on his bones, and his expression radiated ease.

That ease was deeply unfamiliar—who had ever heard of a relaxed beggar?

Grease clung to the corners of his mouth, not yet wiped away, shining faintly.

Worse yet, countless gazes fixed on Tang Mujin and Hong Geolgae alike. Only then did Tang Mujin realize: Hong Geolgae was none other than the so-called God of Gambling, Mr. Hong.

"Weren't you following Elder Daepunggae?"

"I was."

Yujingwang and the Jeomchang Sect warriors drew close, surrounding them, while Namgungmyeong, Dan seol-yeong, and Chu Sam listened intently.

Dan seol-yeong at least knew Hong Geolgae's name, but the others had no idea who he was. Not that it mattered—Hong Geolgae paid no mind to anyone else's stares and went on speaking.

"After Elder Daepunggae taught me martial arts, he told me to seek out the Sect Master. He said with my talent, I might be accepted as a disciple."

"The Sect Master? You mean the peerless grandmaster, Six-Honored Immortal Geolseon?"

"That's right. But since I had no way of knowing where he was, I stayed in Kaifeng to wait."

Then it struck Tang Mujin—Kaifeng was where the Beggars' Sect headquarters lay.

He studied Hong Geolgae again. His martial prowess had advanced drastically, so much so that the difference from before was obvious.

Fortunately, he didn't seem to have crossed the wall into the realm of true masters, as Namgungmyeong had. If he had, then both he and Namgungmyeong might have taken turns teasing Tang Mujin, and Tang Mujin knew he couldn't have endured such a nightmare.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he asked,

"So then, how did you end up with the nickname 'God of Gambling'?"

"It's nothing much. While staying in Kaifeng, I started tossing dice to pass the time, and it just happened."

"So you weren't already good at gambling?"

"Of course not. How often does a beggar join a gambling den? My master said I was wrapped in great fortune, and it does seem my luck is unusually good. That's all."

"If it were really nothing special, people wouldn't call you the God of Gambling."

"It really isn't. I don't always win. Want to see?"

Hong Geolgae handed Tang Mujin a die.

"Throw it."

Tang Mujin rolled: a five. Hong Geolgae threw: a three. Tang Mujin won.

"Again."

They rolled again and again, checking the results each time. After ten throws, the tally was three wins, two draws, and five losses for Tang Mujin. Ordinary enough.

"Doesn't seem all that special."

"Try more—you'll see."

So they continued rolling. The group and the Jeomchang Sect warriors held their breath, watching.

Nothing miraculous happened—Hong Geolgae didn't roll sixes every time, nor did he win ten matches straight. But as the dice clattered on and on, the faces around them hardened.

Anyone could see it: Hong Geolgae was winning far more often. Excluding ties, he won six or seven times out of ten. In a game of pure chance, such a win rate was undeniably strange.

"…These dice aren't loaded, are they?"

"Of course not. These were just borrowed a moment ago."

Hong Geolgae tossed the die back to the man waving from afar.

"That's all there is to it. In an ordinary game like this, I win six or seven times out of ten. Sometimes I even lose money."

He spoke as though it were nothing, but the very idea that a gambler only sometimes lost money was absurd. Dan seol-yeong and Namgungmyeong gaped, while Yujingwang's face was lit with excitement.

Yujingwang mouthed words at Tang Mujin, his desperate expression making his meaning plain.

Tang Mujin said,

"It's a little strange to ask this the moment we meet again, but… could you help me out?"

He didn't bother explaining further. Not because his thoughts weren't in order, but because no explanation was needed.

And as Tang Mujin expected, Hong Geolgae gave the answer at once.

"Of course."

READ MORE CHAPTERS HERE : https://payhip.com/pokemon1920