Chapter 401: The Unfired Arrow
“Master Tang, how have you been?”
”…Ban Yong-gweol, is that you? It’s been a while.”
The visitor was Ban Yong-gweol, a notorious troublemaker who had once tried to beat up Tang Mujin, only to end up on the receiving end of a severe thrashing himself. Even though it was entirely Ban Yong-gweol’s fault, Tang Mujin felt a twinge of guilt about the incident. The reason was simple: when punishing Ban Yong-gweol, Tang Mujin had been excessively harsh.
At the time, Tang Mujin was in a fragile state, having recently lost his mentor. The sight of a masked figure was enough to send him into a frenzy. Ban Yong-gweol, unfortunately, had been wearing a mask, which led to him enduring what was almost torture at Tang Mujin’s hands. In hindsight, it was a miracle he hadn’t been killed or left mentally broken.
For years afterward, Ban Yong-gweol avoided Tang Mujin. But as time passed, he gradually overcame his fear. Recently, he had even managed to greet Tang Mujin politely, and now he seemed capable of holding a conversation.
Tang Mujin extended a friendly hand to Ban Yong-gweol. “I heard you’re learning the blacksmith trade these days. How’s that going?”
“Yes, I’m working hard at it,” Ban Yong-gweol replied, his voice trembling with nerves.
Since the incident, Ban Yong-gweol had become more grounded. Rumor had it he was apprenticing at a small forge in the city. Occasionally, he would visit Seok Ji-seung’s forge to watch the blacksmiths at work, and Tang Mujin had run into him there a couple of times.
Though he wasn’t a completely changed man, Ban Yong-gweol was making an effort to be a better person, hovering somewhere between a reformed rogue and an ordinary citizen. Tang Mujin found himself quietly rooting for him.
“So, what brings you here?” Tang Mujin asked.
“I need your help. Of all the people I know, you’re the most reliable,” Ban Yong-gweol said, though it was hard to tell if he was being sincere or flattering.
Tang Mujin, feeling a lingering sense of guilt, decided to hear him out. “What kind of help do you need?”
“As you know, I work at the forge from dawn till dusk,” Ban Yong-gweol began.
“That’s tough. But hard work pays off. You’ll be a great blacksmith soon,” Tang Mujin encouraged.
Ban Yong-gweol hesitated, then continued, “And in the evenings, I do some side work.”
“Side work? What kind?”
”…I manage a gambling den.”
Tang Mujin gave him a skeptical look.
Ban Yong-gweol, sensing the judgment, quickly clarified, “I didn’t start the gambling den! I just keep things in order and make sure the gamblers don’t cause trouble. I need the extra money to support my family, and there aren’t many jobs available at night.”
Tang Mujin thought for a moment and nodded. It seemed Ban Yong-gweol wasn’t causing trouble like before, and his reasons for working at the gambling den were understandable.
“Go on,” Tang Mujin prompted.
“My job is to calm down any gamblers who get rowdy. But if someone skilled in martial arts causes a scene, I have to bring in a top fighter to handle it. I’ve managed for three years without any major issues.”
Tang Mujin began to see where this was going. “So, someone too strong for your usual fighters has shown up?”
“Yes! Exactly!”
“Then why come to me?”
Ban Yong-gweol’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You’re the only person I know who can handle a top-tier fighter.”
It was a pitiful request, but understandable. How many connections could a small-time thug like Ban Yong-gweol have?
Tang Mujin pondered for a moment. ‘Should I help him?’
He felt guilty for the past, but helping Ban Yong-gweol now seemed like a hassle. After all, Ban Yong-gweol had been the one in the wrong initially.
As Tang Mujin deliberated, Hyun Gong interjected. “Shall we go together?”
“Eek!” Ban Yong-gweol nearly jumped out of his skin, having not noticed Hyun Gong’s approach.
Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong, however, paid little attention to Ban Yong-gweol’s reaction and continued their conversation.
“Why the sudden interest?” Tang Mujin asked.
“Just thought we could enjoy the night air. It’s not like we’re busy,” Hyun Gong replied nonchalantly.
Tang Mujin was suspicious. Hyun Gong never did anything without a reason. But if Hyun Gong was suggesting it, there must be a reason.
“Night air, huh? Why not,” Tang Mujin agreed.
Following Ban Yong-gweol, Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong wound through narrow alleys until they reached a sizable building that looked like a one-story tavern. A man leaned against the wall, guarding the entrance to the gambling den.
Inside, the place was brightly lit, and the sounds of cheers and groans filled the air.
“Is that the gambling den?” Tang Mujin asked, pointing at the building.
“Yes, it is.”
Hearing voices, the guard at the entrance looked their way. Recognizing Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong, he bowed deeply, almost touching his forehead to the ground.
Ban Yong-gweol, on the other hand, puffed up with pride. Bringing the renowned Master Tang and the “Sage of Justice” Hyun Gong was a point of pride for him.
As Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong moved to enter, Ban Yong-gweol handed them two bamboo hats.
“Please wear these!”
“Why the hats all of a sudden?” Tang Mujin asked.
“It’s not fitting for esteemed guests like yourselves to show your faces in such a place,” Ban Yong-gweol explained smoothly, though it seemed there was more to it.
If Tang Mujin were in charge of the gambling den, he’d want to flaunt his connections with powerful figures.
‘There must be a reason for the hats…’
But Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong didn’t press the issue and donned the hats as they entered the den.
Inside, the place was packed with people, all engrossed in their games, eyes red with intensity.
Tang Mujin thought the hats might make them stand out, but upon looking around, he realized many others were wearing similar headgear. Some wore bamboo hats like theirs, others wore straw hats, and a few even wore blackened hats.
“Quite a few people wearing hats,” Tang Mujin noted.
“Some prefer to keep their identities hidden. Many claim to be part of the underworld, and visiting a gambling den isn’t exactly something to boast about,” Ban Yong-gweol explained.
“I see. So, who’s causing the trouble?”
“Well…”
Ban Yong-gweol hesitated, glancing at Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong.
“Actually, I’m not sure.”
”…What?”
Tang Mujin was taken aback. “What do you mean you’re not sure?”
“Just that. I don’t know who it is.”
Tang Mujin chuckled incredulously. Realizing how his words sounded, Ban Yong-gweol hurriedly added, “It’s not just me! The person always hides their face, so there’s no way to identify them.”
”…”
Now Tang Mujin understood why Ban Yong-gweol had given them the hats. He was worried the troublemaker might recognize them and flee.
“So, you brought me here to deal with someone you can’t even identify?”
Ban Yong-gweol, still groveling, lowered his voice. “It’s not baseless! There are three gambling dens in the city. The other two have been hit twice each. This one has only been hit once. It’s bound to happen here next.”
“That’s it?”
It was a flimsy lead. Just as Tang Mujin was about to leave, Hyun Gong stopped him.
“Calm down. If he was desperate enough to come to you, there must be a reason.”
“He’s just thoughtless. If he’d come right after something happened, I’d understand.”
“We’re already here. Let’s wait a bit and see what happens,” Hyun Gong suggested, calming Tang Mujin. Then he turned to Ban Yong-gweol. “We’ll wait for one hour. If nothing happens, we’re leaving.”
“Yes! Understood!”
Dang Mujin let out a deep sigh and settled into a corner of the gambling den.
He scratched the back of his head.
’…Well, I can wait for about an hour.’
On second thought, he found Ban Yonggweol’s courage admirable for seeking his help despite the fear. How desperate he must have been.
Dang Mujin turned to Hyun Gong.
“Got any money?”
“Nope. Not a dime.”
If they had brought any money, they could have passed the time with a simple dice game, but both Dang Mujin and Hyun Gong were penniless. So, they sat quietly, watching the people around them.
’…This is more entertaining than I thought.’
It wasn’t the gambling that was interesting, but the people themselves.
Some slammed their fists on the table in despair as if the sky had fallen, while others clenched their fists in triumph, shouting with joy.
The intense emotions of so many people crossing paths made for quite a spectacle.
Not even an hour, but just a short while later, laughter erupted from across the room.
“Haha! Sorry about that! Cleaned you out, didn’t I?”
The speaker was a plump man, who stood up and tossed a silver coin to the man in the black hat sitting across from him, as if offering charity.
“A little something for you. This should be enough, right?”
Giving a silver coin instead of a mere penny as a consolation!
The man in the black hat must have lost a significant amount.
Dang Mujin wondered if the man in the black hat would burst into tears, so he listened closely to their conversation.
Surprisingly, the man in the black hat spoke without a hint of tremor in his voice.
“Sit down.”
“What? Not enough for you?”
“No.”
With a firm hand, the man in the black hat placed the silver coin on the table.
He spoke again.
“Do you know when an archer stops shooting arrows?”
”…What nonsense is this?”
“When the quiver is empty.”
The man in the black hat looked at the plump man through his hat.
“Sit down. I still have one last arrow left.”
Dang Mujin was speechless.
’…No way?’
The plump man chuckled and sat back down.
“Brave but foolish. Don’t think I’ll give you another handout.”
“I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Good. I’ll go first.”
The plump man tossed two dice into the air, skillfully catching them and placing them on the table. The dice showed a five and a three.
He looked slightly dissatisfied.
“Eight… Well, not bad. Your turn.”
The man in the black hat rolled the dice on the table. They showed a three and a one.
“Haha! Just as I thought. Lost even the consolation. Well done.”
The plump man laughed, collecting the silver coin from the table.
The man in the black hat hung his head in silence.
As the plump man was about to leave, the man in the black hat spoke again.
“Hey.”
“What now? Got some hidden money?”
“Do you know when an archer stops shooting arrows?”
“When the quiver is empty, right?”
“Yes. But I still have one arrow left that I haven’t shot.”
”…What kind of nonsense is that? You’ve lost everything.”
But Dang Mujin and Hyun Gong felt a strong sense of déjà vu.
And they knew exactly what was about to happen.
As expected, the man in the black hat stood up abruptly and stomped his foot with force.
Boom.
A sound no ordinary person could make.
Every gambler’s eyes turned to the man in the black hat.
He drew his sword and pointed it at the entrance of the gambling den, speaking in a low voice.
“Leave your bets and get out.”