Where on earth has Wi Seoryeon gone?
That question was answered the next day when I met Wi Seoryeon during the morning training.
“Where did you go yesterday?”
“Ah, I went out to gamble with the Tang family. More specifically, I had a contest with Tang So-yeol’s peer, Tang Geun.”
It seems Tang So-yeol had dropped by the guesthouse while I was away. I was worried they might have caused some trouble outside, but perhaps Tang So-yeol led her to make friends with the members of the Tang Clan.
“As expected of a Tang Clan member, your gambling skills are exceptional.”
Seeing Wi Seoryeon light up like a child going on a picnic, it looks like she genuinely enjoyed yesterday’s gambling session.
In the Heavenly Demon Sect, due to the gap in status, there were no proper opponents to compete against, and since coming to the Central Plains, Wi Seoryeon had faced only gamblers dwarfed by the titles of Black Dragon Qi and Heavenly Demon.
I don’t know how skilled Tang Geun is or how advanced his martial arts might be, but being a direct descendant of the Tang Clan, his martial arts and gambling skills must have been impressive. So he likely was Wi Seoryeon’s greatest opponent yet.
“I’ve arranged to meet at the gambling hall again today, so I plan to learn a thing or two.”
Is she thinking of continuing to hang out with them? If so, it would be better to meet at least once to see how Wi Seoryeon operates.
With that light-hearted thought, I headed to the Tang Clan’s gambling den with Wi Seoryeon, only to realize something was off the moment the door opened.
Sharp gazes shot through the slowly opening door of the gambling hall!
Despite it being early morning, dozens of Tang members occupied the gambling hall. Or rather, it felt as if they were all waiting for Wi Seoryeon to arrive.
And Wi Seoryeon wore the same expression she exibited during our martial arts matches.
A fierce smile, unable to contain her excitement, curled at her lips.
What in the world is going on?
Weren’t we just enjoying a friendly gamble with Tang Geun, who is Tang So-yeol’s friend?
What on earth did she do to get the Tang Clan riled up like this?
“We will begin immediately.”
“That’s just what I hoped.”
But completely unfazed by my bewilderment, the Tang members quickly set up the game, and without the slightest hesitation, Wi Seoryeon took her seat at the table.
As I blinked in shock at the scene, someone tapped my shoulder.
It was Tang Do-gyeong.
“It’s been a while, Senior Ho.”
“No, Brother Tang. What on earth is happening?”
Tang Do-gyeong forced a bitter smile as he began to explain.
Only then did I grasp the full story behind the situation.
* *
Emergency! Major emergency!
The Heavenly Demon Wi Seoryeon has acquired the Tang Clan’s Vision Hidden Weapons!
As soon as the gambling game ended, I hurried to the cart management office to catch the culprit behind this mess—Tang So-yeol, who was repairing the Bicheongmacha after transferring the Tang Clan’s Vision Hidden Weapons to an outsider.
Surrounded by the Tang members, Tang So-yeol, who had committed the unforgivable crime of handing Vision Hidden Weapons over to a foreigner, was quickly apprehended. The intensity in the air could have led to someone getting killed, and even Tang Do-yeon found it hard to intervene.
“This damn kid is causing quite the disaster!”
“Know that you can’t just brush this aside this time!”
“Handing the Tang Clan’s Vision Hidden Weapons over to an outsider! Are you out of your mind?”
Yet, despite being restrained, Tang So-yeol spoke nonchalantly.
“Oh… that was a fake.”
“…What?”
“It’s the top-grade hidden weapons I gave to Wi Seoryeon. They’re just fancy-looking fakes.”
Fake?
Tang members, who hadn’t opened the top-grade hidden weapons that Wi Seoryeon used, fell into confusion. Was it really a fake?
“Even if so, do you think I’d willingly hand over the Tang Clan’s Vision Hidden Weapons? I merely made something suitable for gambling. I couldn’t possibly craft Vision Hidden Weapons using only the equipment of a roadside blacksmith.”
As Tang So-yeol continued, the Tang members gradually regained their senses.
In the Tang Clan, handing over Vision Hidden Weapons like that was a serious act. It would be akin to leaking a sect’s emblematic treasure or martial arts secrets to another clan.
No matter how much of a troublemaker Tang So-yeol may be, it wasn’t something one could easily do.
“Then what about the top-grade hidden weapons that Tang Geun wagered yesterday?”
“That’s not a problem. While I did fill it with top-grade ones, I’ve only prepared ones that wouldn’t cause a blow even if they were leaked.”
The Tang members sighed in relief. In the end, the emergency concerning the Tang Clan’s Vision Hidden Weapons had simply been a misunderstanding.
The tension that had built up burst, replaced by a collective sense of relief.
“What a troublemaker! What an ordeal this caused at night!”
“Oh, dear. I’m fed up with this. I have no energy left to be angry; I think I’ll just go to bed.”
As the Tang members expressed their fatigue from a day of extreme emotional labor and were about to disperse,
“Geez, so in the end, it’s their fault for losing and getting the weapons taken!”
Tang So-yeol’s mumbling stopped the dispersing crowd in their tracks.
The Tang members were dumbfounded. What was the cause of this chaos? The blame was on Tang So-yeol, who handed over fake weapons to Wi Seoryeon.
This situation perfectly fits the phrase “the one who lets out a fart now gets mad at everyone.”
“What, what did you just say?”
“Did I say something wrong? It’s just the truth, isn’t it? If we had won against Wi Seoryeon, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Following that, Tang So-yeol said something he probably shouldn’t have said.
“I thought you guys were good, but you really weren’t that impressive after all.”
Veins bulged on the foreheads of the Tang members.
* *
“So, what is the current situation?”
The Tang members, having been dunked in shame by Tang So-yeol saying “You really suck at gambling.”
The Tang members were incredibly furious, but the undeniable truth remained that they lost to Wi Seoryeon.
Thus, the only course left to restore their wounded pride was to win against Wi Seoryeon.
So, many Tang members congregated at the gambling house from the crack of dawn to find a way to take down Wi Seoryeon.
I shifted my gaze towards the gambling table.
In the meantime, many rounds had passed since I received the explanation from Tang Do-gyeong regarding yesterday’s events, and I noticed that the game between Tang Do-gyeong and Wi Seoryeon was already several rounds in.
Clack! Clack!
Tang Do-gyeong’s die-rolling skills were quite impressive. Considering the entire Tang Clan’s reputation was on the line, it’s likely that among their peers, he was the strongest dice player.
Bam!
Having possibly rolled a desired number, Tang Do-gyeong confidently placed his die down. Wi Seoryeon seemed to have momentarily dropped her die, pausing to consider before pulling out a bet and declaring a number.
“Hmmm. I’ll bet on 7.”
Oh no! Even if I dropped the dice, I wouldn’t have placed a bet on the mid-range number.
Wi Seoryeon’s judgment was certainly textbook.
In a game of dice where two rolls are compared, numbers around 6 are statistically higher.
It’s not a bad choice in a regular gambling game; however, she should have considered her opponent’s skills here as well.
Tang Do-gyeong was skilled enough to roll with intention. His confident placement of the die likely meant he rolled a lower number.
Perhaps even a 2 or a 12.
While generally true, given the pride of the Tang Clan was at stake, perhaps he might have twisted it and picked a 3 or 11 instead.
Upon revealing, the numbers on the die were 2 and 1.
Cheers from the audience lifted the morale of the Tang members at Tang Do-gyeong’s victory.
“Good! You’re doing great!”
“Keep pressing forward!”
Looking at the stakes on the table, Tang Do-gyeong had 60 tokens, and Wi Seoryeon only had 40.
Though Tang Do-gyeong was smoothly gaining the upper hand, his and the Tang members’ expressions were far from relaxed or confident.
I understood their feelings.
Yesterday, they witnessed firsthand how monstrous Wi Seoryeon’s talent was.
The average person cannot fathom the pace of learning that defies imagination. Witnessing an explosive rate of growth that barely kept pace was enough to instill a deep-seated fear of such ridiculous talent.
“Hmph.”
Looking somewhat dissatisfied, Wi Seoryeon glared at Tang Do-gyeong. Certainly, from Wi Seoryeon’s point of view, Tang Do-gyeong’s gambling style was pissing her off.
Tang Do-gyeong didn’t allow Wi Seoryeon any room to grow.
Should Wi Seoryeon choose to grasp something, Tang Do-gyeong meticulously used a higher-level technique to solidify his advantage, never giving her the chance to rise.
However, as the rounds continued, Wi Seoryeon managed to penetrate Tang Do-gyeong’s moves. No matter how advanced a technique, repeatedly using it would eventually get seen through by Wi Seoryeon.
“So that’s it.”
Realizing Wi Seoryeon had fully grasped his technique, Tang Do-gyeong’s response was straightforward.
He fetched out another technique.
Wi Seoryeon found herself contemplating again while Tang Do-gyeong gained further advantage on the betting table.
With each technique used and advantage gained, Tang Do-gyeong’s odds of victory stood at seven to three. Given they were playing a highly random dice game, he was thoroughly dominating.
“Ugh.”
Wi Seoryeon began to run low on tokens; she had barely five left.
The presence of impending defeat weighed heavily on her, yet her determination didn’t waver. Still, willpower alone wouldn’t cover the gap.
Well, it turned out to be a valuable lesson for Wi Seoryeon, who tends to focus heavily on deciphering her opponent’s techniques.
While Wi Seoryeon possesses an incredible talent, the very nature of gambling complicates the deciphering of an opponent’s technique. The involvement of luck as a variable makes it almost impossible to assure victory.
Thus, psychology plays a crucial role in gambling.
Sometimes, just understanding your opponent’s intent can yield results even greater than deciphering their techniques.
Having solely focused on deciphering techniques while neglecting psychological warfare, Wi Seoryeon fought at a great disadvantage, surrendering over half of her opportunities. Winning against a seemingly superior Tang Do-gyeong was impossible under those circumstances.
While Wi Seoryeon played for fun, betting as she pleased, Tang Do-gyeong was completely thorough to the end.
Though she couldn’t decipher the technique he was employing, he pulled out yet another technique.
His determination to leave no room for variables was palpable.
Clack! Clack!
Bam!
As Tang Do-gyeong placed the die, Wi Seoryeon pushed all her remaining tokens into the middle. She concluded that there was no way to understand this technique with just the remaining tokens.
But for all her bravado, Wi Seoryeon couldn’t seem to speak the number out loud.
Perhaps, it was due to her disappointment.
However, this didn’t go unnoticed by Tang Do-gyeong, who interpreted Wi Seoryeon’s demeanor rather differently.
Even though Wi Seoryeon lost, the way she conducted herself throughout the game was remarkable. She had dismantled all the top techniques he displayed, only to arrive here.
It was anyone’s guess how soon he’d catch up to her.
Once her ready techniques were exhausted, she would inevitably lose.
She probably spent the entire match holding her breath like prey fleeing from a predator.
As a seasoned gambler, Tang Do-gyeong had been skilled at hiding those feelings until the end of the game, but the culmination of that feeling began to show itself.
Even as Wi Seoryeon dawdled and stalled in an agonizing fashion, Tang Do-gyeong’s face remained firm while sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Wi Seoryeon gazed at Tang Do-gyeong’s brow, realizing the pressure he was under, letting out a sigh.
“Haa, is that so…”
With that simple utterance, a rare look of dissatisfaction graced Wi Seoryeon’s face.
From her perspective, she had assumed that Tang Do-gyeong, being in possession of the stakes and superior techniques, wouldn’t perceive any psychological pressure.
“I’ve found a possibility I was unaware of.”
Hearing Wi Seoryeon mutter, I suddenly thought.
Was Wi Seoryeon simply too accustomed to being at the pinnacle?
Perhaps she was indeed unable to grasp the anxiety and pressure of someone being pursued. Having grown under the Heavenly Demon’s hand, aspiring to reach the pinnacle, could it be she had never considered a life that wasn’t at the apex?
For her, the weight of being at the top must have been a lifelong burden, perhaps leading her to remain utterly oblivious to that pressure.
“I’ll bet on twelve… no, I’ll take two.”
Well, at this point, it wasn’t very useful.
Wi Seoryeon had realized she needed to start understanding people’s minds. Thus, there was no need to dig into why she chose to abandon psychological warfare.
Tang Do-gyeong’s upper lip curled slightly, and Wi Seoryeon closed her eyes.
She finally began to notice the winning smile evident to all. The die was lifted, revealing 5 and 6, totaling an 11.
“I won!”
“Do-gyeong! I knew you could do it!”
Tang Do-gyeong, exhaling a long breath as if releasing all the built-up tension, looked up at the ceiling, while the Tang members celebrated, patting his back joyously.
They had restored the honor of the Tang Clan!
Surely, the Tang Clan’s gambling techniques were second to none!
With such a jubilant atmosphere, it wouldn’t have been odd for these words to spill forth, but as soon as Wi Seoryeon placed a hidden weapon box on the gambling table and spoke, the excitement shattered.
“This makes it one to one.”
At Wi Seoryeon’s declaration of equality, the Tang members buzzed. Clearly, she had won against Tang Geun and lost to Tang Do-gyeong, so it could be argued it was a draw between the Tang Clan and Wi Seoryeon.
Pointing out the tie and insisting on determining a winner sparked an exchange of glances among the Tang members.
Tang Do-gyeong, who had just battled against her, spoke up as the representative.
“First, I must apologize to the Heavenly Demon. The hidden weapons obtained from our lineage were, in fact… fakes.”
“Hmm.”
“This gambling hall belongs to the Tang Clan, where concealed weapons and poisons are gathered to determine ownership. Regrettably, as the Heavenly Demon, you do not own any of the Tang Clan’s hidden weapons…”
“Is that really the issue?”
“I’m sorry, Heavenly Demon. If you wish to enjoy gambling, we can send someone to the guesthouse…”
“No, I actually quite like gambling here.”
The Tang members were flabbergasted by Wi Seoryeon’s sudden strong stance. She looked at them, curling her lips into a smirk and handed the hidden weapon box—which she had just lost—to Tang Do-gyeong.
Tang Do-gyeong accepted it with a puzzled expression. This was definitely the hidden weapon box Tang Geun had lost yesterday, right?
“Open it.”
…Could it be?
Tang Do-gyeong hurriedly opened Tang Geun’s hidden weapon box, and upon inspecting its contents, his eyes widened in disbelief.
“T-this is…!”
“That’s unbelievable!”
I didn’t even know what the Tang Clan’s hidden weapons looked like and was totally unaware of what hidden weapons Tang Geun had lost yesterday, but judging by the Tang members’ reactions alone, I could get the picture.
They were mixed!
Wi Seoryeon had mixed Tang So-yeol’s fake hidden weapons with Tang Geun’s real ones!
As the Tang members gasped in shock at this unexpected turn of events, Wi Seoryeon calmly spoke.
“After observing your reactions yesterday, I figured you wouldn’t be so crazy as to stake the weapons that symbolize your clan on a gamble, even if I share a close bond with Tang So-yeol. So I thought perhaps they must be fakes in the first place.”
It’s true that Wi Seoryeon appeared clumsy and raw at the gambling hall, a mischievous teenage brat in the Martial World.
But at the same time, Wi Seoryeon was the pinnacle of the Heavenly Demon Sect, undeniably not someone to be trifled with.
The Tang members overlooked this point.
“During the night, it wouldn’t have been difficult for you to extract the truth through Tang So-yeol, which worried me about whether or not you’d simply try to recover Tang Geun’s hidden weapon box. Guess it was needless worry. Mixing them up was indeed a wise choice.”
They were deceived!
The shock on the Tang members’ faces was precisely that—realization that the victory they had seized was merely half-baked.
Meanwhile, Wi Seoryeon stood up, brushing off her clothes, a victorious smile gracing her face.
“I’ll come back tomorrow.”
It seemed that the gambling rivalry between the Tang members and Wi Seoryeon would likely continue for some time.
