The next morning, after hearing the story of Yoo Jin-gwang from Dang Moo-jin and Namgoong Myung, Dan Seol-young gave a cold assessment.
“That Yoo Jin-gwang guy seems a bit crazier than I thought.”
Chu Sam’s reaction was similar.
“Shouldn’t we get out before we get more entangled? I’ve never known anyone who got involved in gambling and came out unscathed. Except for the rare few who win big, gamblers tend to drag everyone around them down.”
Dang Moo-jin and Namgoong Myung understood this well. Yoo Jin-gwang’s reckless abandon might seem admirable at first glance, but it was undeniably misguided.
However, they couldn’t completely dismiss the choices made by Yoo Jin-gwang and the warriors of the Jeomchang Sect.
“They know they’re being irrational. The problem is, they don’t see any other way out.”
A debt so large it would take generations to repay.
Passing that burden onto the next generation is not an easy choice for those involved. Gambling was simply the only escape they could find.
Dan Seol-young looked at Dang Moo-jin with a deadpan expression, then shrugged.
“True enough. Besides, if they want to gamble with their own money, who are we to interfere? But Moo-jin, don’t pick up any bad habits hanging around those oddballs.”
Though Dan Seol-young’s words were directed at Yoo Jin-gwang, her gaze flickered towards Namgoong Myung.
“What did I do to deserve that look?”
“You know what you did… Never mind.”
Dan Seol-young forced a smile, preemptively cutting off Namgoong Myung’s protest.
Three days later, Yoo Jin-gwang approached Dang Moo-jin and his group. He seemed unusually hesitant, as if he was about to make an uncomfortable request.
“Dang, Namgoong, could you accompany me to Namchang?”
“Is something going on?”
“I plan to settle things there this time.”
As he spoke, Yoo Jin-gwang rambled on, uncharacteristically verbose. The gist was that Gugang was too small a city, and no one would take him on even by next month. To up the stakes, he needed to leave Gugang.
“So, you’re planning to roll the dice in Namchang?”
“Not dice. I’m thinking of getting into cockfighting.”
“Cockfighting?”
“Yes. Cricket fights and dice games are small-time everywhere. But cockfighting involves much larger sums. I know a place where I can bet everything I won last time.”
“I see, but why do you want me to come along? I’ve never gambled, and I’ve only watched a cockfight once or twice back home.”
When Dang Moo-jin asked, Yoo Jin-gwang replied sheepishly.
”…I just thought you might bring some luck.”
Even Yoo Jin-gwang seemed to realize how flimsy his reasoning was, his voice lacking confidence.
But that was typical gambler behavior. What else do gamblers have to rely on but superstition?
Dang Moo-jin declined Yoo Jin-gwang’s proposal.
“We have no plans to leave the Yu family estate. As I mentioned before, there are people targeting us.”
“All the more reason to stick together. Wi Young and Wi Hwan will be coming with me.”
The Yu family estate had three top martial artists: the head, Yoo Jin-gwang, and the Wi brothers.
‘So he’s taking all the top fighters with him. Well, with their fate hanging on a few matches, the Wi brothers must be anxious too.’
Dang Moo-jin pondered carefully before responding.
For now, staying at the Yu family estate might be safer, given the number of Jeomchang warriors present. But the problem was that these warriors didn’t just sit idle; they regularly went on escort missions.
Once a few groups left, the estate wouldn’t be as secure. It might be safer to travel with three top martial artists. No matter how bold the assassins were, they wouldn’t dare attack with four top fighters present.
As Dang Moo-jin’s hesitation grew, Yoo Jin-gwang pressed on.
“Remember, I promised to ensure your safety when I brought you to the Yu family estate. If anything happens, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you. Trust me, this is the safer option.”
In the end, Dang Moo-jin agreed to Yoo Jin-gwang’s proposal, on the condition that Namgoong Myung, Dan Seol-young, and Chu Sam would accompany them.
The group heading to Namchang was larger than expected. Along with the three top fighters from Jeomchang, ten first-rate warriors joined them.
It seemed everyone who wasn’t about to leave on an escort mission had joined the party.
Namchang wasn’t far from Gugang. The group quickly arrived and settled into a lavish inn.
“So, the cockfight will be held here in four days?”
“That’s right.”
Unlike most inns with tightly sealed floors, this one had the second and third floors open in the center, forming a square. It seemed designed with the intention of hosting spectacles on the ground floor.
As the group explored the inn, a man with a bland expression watched them intently from the third floor. He was clearly a martial artist, but his presence was oddly faint.
“Master Yoo, do you know that man?”
“No, I’ve never seen him before. He doesn’t seem particularly skilled either.”
Though Dang Moo-jin felt uneasy, he hesitated to confront the man, who showed no overt hostility.
While Dang Moo-jin deliberated, Yoo Jin-gwang headed straight for the inn’s exit.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to check on the roosters. Since we’re on the topic, why don’t you come along?”
Following Yoo Jin-gwang, they arrived at a small house behind the inn.
Gamblers surrounded the house, each holding something in their hands, pleading with the owner.
“Hey, give this to your rooster! It’s a decoction of aged ginseng; it’ll give it a real boost.”
“I caught a big frog; take it!”
Dan Seol-young grimaced at the clamor.
“Why are they doing that?”
“They’re hoping to give the rooster something special to help it win, or maybe something to make it lose.”
At that moment, the owner appeared and chased the gamblers away.
“Go home! I’ve been raising fighting cocks for twenty years, and I’ve never let them eat anything from strangers!”
Once the crowd dispersed, the owner began training one of the roosters.
He had the rooster peck at fast-moving insects and leap for food, treating it with the care one might give a prized student.
“He’s really dedicated.”
When Dan Seol-young commented, Yoo Jin-gwang replied.
“The owner makes money if his rooster wins. He can take three to five percent of the pot, but if it loses, he gets nothing and loses a valuable rooster.”
“You lose the rooster?”
“Cockfights end when one rooster dies. See those blades hanging in the coop?”
Yoo Jin-gwang pointed to a pair of small blades, about the size of a pinky finger. They were crudely made but well-maintained to prevent rust.
“What are those?”
“Rooster blades. They’re tied to the rooster’s claws.”
“That’s brutal.”
Dan Seol-young looked appalled, but Yoo Jin-gwang shook his head.
“It’s actually more merciful. Without them, the fight drags on painfully until one dies. That’s much crueler.”
“Really?”
“Yes. All a rooster can do is kick, scratch, and peck with its small beak. Imagine how long it would suffer before dying. But with blades, the fight ends quickly, and the spectators enjoy it more.”
”…Even so.”
“Plus, the blades give the winning rooster a chance to survive.”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if a rooster wins, it dies if it’s injured. No one bets on a wounded rooster. The only way for it to survive is to win quickly and cleanly.”
“Hmm.”
Yoo Jin-gwang seemed to know as much about cockfighting as he did about dice games. Whether out of necessity or interest was unclear.
While they talked, the owner finished training the second rooster and was about to head inside. But there was a third rooster in the coop, one he hadn’t trained.
This rooster, like the others, stood tall with its comb erect, but it had one problem.
Unlike the other two, which were twice the size of a normal rooster, this one was noticeably smaller. Still, it was much larger than an average rooster.
“Hey there!”
Yoo Jin-gwang called out to the owner. The owner looked slightly annoyed but quickly became respectful upon noticing the sword at Yoo Jin-gwang’s waist.
Martial artists were known for their unpredictability, and it was best not to provoke them.
“What can I do for you?”
“Is that small rooster in the coop also fighting in four days?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then why isn’t that one being trained?”
“That one’s training ended a long time ago. I never intended to put it in a fight.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The owner let out a deep sigh before answering.
“That one was kept as a backup, just in case. We had another rooster lined up for the next match.”
“And where did that one go?”
“A weasel got to it a few days ago. But we still need three roosters, so we’re sending this one in its place.”
“Sounds like you’re using it as a throwaway.”
“Exactly. It’s quick and brave, and well-trained, but if it’s small and lacks strength, it doesn’t mean much, does it?”
Normally, the rooster owner wouldn’t speak so openly about winning or losing, but the outcome seemed so obvious that he didn’t bother to beat around the bush.
Yoo Jin-gwang nodded thoughtfully.
“Looks like I’ll be betting on that one to lose.”
Namgoong Myung chimed in.
“Even if you do, you won’t make much. You might not even get five coins out of it.”
“There’s always risk, but if the outcome is certain, there’s no reason not to take the chance.”
Dan Seol-young stared intently at the small rooster. The little bird seemed to sense her pity, pecking at the ground a couple of times before looking back at her.
Dan Seol-young turned to Yoo Jin-gwang.
“Do you think anyone will bet on that one to win?”
“There might be a few hoping for a miracle, but not many.”
In a way, Dan Seol-young saw a reflection of her past self in the small rooster.
Someone no one had any expectations for. Just a stepping stone to the next stage.
In the past, she might have simply felt sorry and moved on, but now she knew better. She understood that even a life without expectations held potential.
“If that rooster wins, the people who bet on it will make a fortune, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then let’s bet on that little rooster to win.”
Yoo Jin-gwang frowned.
“Miss Dan, as I’ve been saying, in these fights, size is everything. It’s obvious that it’ll lose. Anyone betting on it isn’t even a gambler.”
Dan Seol-young chuckled.
“Who said anything about gambling? I don’t like gambling. Smart people don’t rely on luck; they find solutions to problems.”
It took Yoo Jin-gwang four days to understand what she meant.
To be precise, it was when the new blades attached to the small rooster’s claws sliced through the thick feathers of its larger opponent in an instant.
Yoo Jin-gwang’s hands trembled as he held the money that had multiplied tenfold. His dream was becoming a reality.
In just a few days, Yoo Jin-gwang’s wealth had grown so much that it was hard to measure in mere coins. It was more appropriate to count it in larger units.
“How much more do we need to earn?”
Dang Moo-jin asked, and Yoo Jin-gwang replied, his jaw trembling.
“This… this should be enough. Enough to face the Master of the Golden Pavilion.”
“Face him?”
“In the end, I have to roll the dice against the Master of the Golden Pavilion to settle things. And with this amount… even winning twice with the dice should suffice.”
Dang Moo-jin frowned.
“Why not just move to another area and win a few more cockfights? It’s a much safer path. Why leave it to chance?”
“No, it’s not up to me. The rule of rolling the dice at the end is set by the Master of the Golden Pavilion.”
“What a strange rule. Why not just take the money?”
“I don’t know what he’s thinking. The Master of the Golden Pavilion is known for being eccentric.”
“Ugh.”
Dang Moo-jin was inwardly frustrated. After coming this far, they had to leave everything to chance again.
Of course, whatever happened to Yoo’s family didn’t directly affect Dang Moo-jin. If they failed, it was the Jeomchang Sect that would suffer, not the Dang family. But it was better to leave the Jeomchang Sect in debt.
Even putting aside all calculations, he genuinely hoped things would end well for the people he had come to know.
“The Master of the Golden Pavilion is in Luoyang, right? Are we heading there now?”
“Yes, but we’re not going straight to Luoyang. I plan to stop by Kaifeng on the way.”
Kaifeng. Dang Moo-jin mentally mapped out the journey. Stopping by Kaifeng wouldn’t add much to the trip, maybe a day or two at most.
The problem was, he couldn’t fathom why they needed to go to Kaifeng.
“Why are we going to Kaifeng?”
“I heard there’s a Gambling God there.”
“A Gambling God?”
“Yes. I recently heard about an incredibly lucky gambler in Kaifeng. I’m thinking of asking him to roll the dice for me.”
“Do you know him?”
“No, I don’t. But they say if you ask around the gambling circles in Kaifeng about Mr. Hong, everyone knows who he is.”