Epilogue - The Dice

In the martial world, there’s a common belief: the righteous warriors are honorable, while the unorthodox ones are deceitful. Yet, this stereotype doesn’t always hold true. Even among the righteous, there are those with dark hearts, and among the unorthodox, there are warriors with unwavering integrity.

However, there is one place where this stereotype often rings true: the gambling den.

In regions dominated by the righteous sects, gambling tends to be fairer. The games are designed to minimize cheating, and additional rules are often implemented to ensure fairness—like requiring the use of dice provided by the house.

But in the unorthodox sects’ gambling dens, it’s a different story. Cheating is rampant, and those who lose their fortunes to scams are the ones mocked, not the cheaters.

Cheating is so expected that gamblers often wear masks or disguises to hide their identities.

Despite this, the unorthodox gambling dens thrive because even among these gamblers, there are unspoken rules. For instance, if you’re caught cheating, you might lose a finger or a wrist. In severe cases, some have even lost an eye.

Of course, no one caught cheating willingly offers up their wrist. But to prevent escape, these dens employ martial artists to enforce the rules. At least a couple of skilled fighters are always on standby, and in some places, even top-tier masters are hired.

Yet, there was one man who had survived six years in the treacherous gambling dens of the unorthodox sects: the legendary gambler, Geum Jeong-bok.

Geum, known as the “Gambling Ghost,” adjusted his mask and took his seat at the table.

“Today feels lucky. Another fool will surely fall into my trap…”

From early evening, Geum had been on a winning streak, effortlessly taking the money of his opponents with his skillful manipulation of the tiles. Among his victims, one seemed somewhat experienced, but to Geum, they were mere novices. They didn’t even notice when he swapped tiles right in front of them.

But it wasn’t because his victims were particularly naive. The problem was that Geum was simply too skilled a cheat. His sleight of hand was so fast that even seasoned martial artists couldn’t catch him.

Indeed, Geum’s survival in the gambling world wasn’t due to psychological prowess but his exceptional martial skills.

While lesser cheats often lost their hands, that was due to their lack of skill. A true master, capable of overpowering both opponents and the enforcers of the gambling den, had nothing to fear. For Geum, the gambling table was not a battlefield where fortunes were won and lost, but a playground.

Geum cleared his throat and piled his winnings on the table. The substantial sum was a lure, a challenge to anyone who dared to take him on.

Experienced gamblers knew that those who flaunted large sums were not to be trifled with. As they read the room and avoided Geum, only the naive would dare sit across from him.

Just as Geum was tapping his foot, waiting for a challenger, a man approached and took a seat opposite him. The man wore a mask made of carved wood and leather, obscuring his face. Geum tried to gauge his opponent’s skill by meeting his eyes, but the man’s wide-brimmed hat made it impossible.

Geum asked, “What game do you want to play? Tiles? Dice?”

“Not tiles or dice. I’m not confident in those. I’d prefer dice.”

Geum inwardly chuckled. Tiles and dice were basic games for any gambler. Admitting a lack of confidence in them was akin to confessing one’s inexperience.

“Did you bring your own dice?”

“Of course.”

The man placed two wooden dice on the table. The dice were carved from oak, with the pips etched into the wood rather than painted.

‘No strange markings or imbalances. Doesn’t seem like he’s planning to cheat,’ Geum thought.

“Shall we say the highest total wins?” Geum suggested.

“Let’s start with that. I’ll wager half the gold I brought.”

“Agreed. I’ll roll first.”

Geum tossed the dice. One die quickly settled on a four, but the other spun wildly. A skilled martial artist could manipulate such a situation.

Geum watched the spinning die with keen eyes. It seemed likely to land on a two, so he subtly used a technique to nudge it. The die fell in a different direction, showing a five.

“Nine total. Not a bad start! Your turn.”

The man rolled the dice without any apparent trickery. They landed on three and one—a modest result.

But then, the man reached for the dice, and Geum snapped, “What are you doing? You can’t touch the dice after they’ve been rolled!”

“I can’t see well. I need to feel the dice to confirm the result.”

The man lifted his mask slightly, revealing deep scars where his eyes should have been.

“Very well… but don’t think of moving them.”

“I won’t.”

In gambling dens, even if caught cheating, losing both eyes was rare. It meant he’d been caught at least twice. Normally, one would quit gambling after such a loss, but some were too addicted to stop. Geum assumed this man was one of them.

‘A man who’s hit rock bottom. If he were missing both arms, maybe I’d understand, but what confidence does a blind man have to gamble?’

The blind gambler felt the dice, then pushed half his wager to Geum. Geum grinned.

“Sorry for doubting you. I thought you were trying to reroll.”

“It’s fine. Next time, I’ll bet everything.”

“Bold move.”

The blind gambler fumbled around the table for the dice, then asked Geum for help.

“Could you roll for me? My eyes…”

It was the most absurd request Geum had heard all year. A gambler never lets another handle their dice, yet here was someone asking him to roll for them.

‘No wonder he lost his eyes. How could he survive without basic skills?’

Geum rolled the dice for him. They showed four and one. Not much better than before.

“Five total,” Geum announced.

”…I see.”

“My turn again.”

Geum rolled the dice, this time without any tricks, and got six and five. He laughed heartily.

“Eleven total! Luck is on my side today.”

The blind gambler asked, “Why do you think you’re lucky?”

“Two wins in a row, of course that’s luck!”

“No, I won the second round. The rule was that the lower total wins this time.”

Geum chuckled incredulously.

“That’s nonsense. We agreed the higher total wins.”

“That was just for the first round. I said ‘let’s start with that,’ remember?”

“Ridiculous!”

Geum feigned anger, but inside, he hoped the blind gambler would lose his temper and attack. Beating up a sore loser was one of Geum’s guilty pleasures.

As the tension rose, nearby gamblers recognized Geum’s voice and murmured among themselves.

“Is that Geum over there?”

“Looks like it. He’s found another victim…”

Many secretly rooted for the blind gambler. Anyone who’d spent time in the gambling world had likely lost money to Geum. But no one had ever beaten him. Even if they won the game, they couldn’t win the ensuing fight, so gambling skill meant little against Geum.

The blind gambler seemed oblivious to the notorious deeds of the infamous card shark, stubbornly holding his ground.

“Crazy talk? I’ve already decided in my mind before I even roll the dice. Do you think I stayed calm for no reason, even with just five sides on the dice?”

“You’re a tough one to reason with.”

Just as the card shark was about to boast about his winnings, something unexpected happened. He barely had his hand on the hilt of his sword when the blind swordsman’s blade was already out of its sheath, touching the card shark’s forehead.

’…When did that happen?’

A chill ran down the card shark’s spine. This was no ordinary opponent; this was a master, and an extraordinary one at that.

The onlookers buzzed with excitement.

“Did you see that?” “The sword was invisible!” “Has the card shark finally met his match?” “Shh, let’s just watch for now.”

The card shark steadied his breath and sat back down.

“Very well. I’ll accept defeat. But the game isn’t over yet. Let’s wager everything we have left.”

His pride wouldn’t let him back down easily. Besides, he had a trick up his sleeve. He was confident the blind gambler wasn’t cheating.

‘There are plenty of ways to cheat without getting caught. No matter how skilled he is, if I win this round, that’s all that matters.’

The card shark picked up the dice again.

“Are we still going with the lower number wins?”

”…No, this time, let’s say the higher number wins.”

“Alright. I’ll roll first.”

The card shark rolled the dice, subtly nudging them with his inner strength, but the blind gambler didn’t seem to notice.

A 6 and a 4. Thanks to his trickery, he got a decent roll. The other gamblers looked on with a hint of disappointment.

“Ten in total, damn…” “No, there’s still a chance.”

The blind gambler didn’t ask anyone to roll for him. With all eyes on the table, there was no need to ask someone to read the dice for him.

The man rolled the dice. They tumbled and stopped. A 5 and a 5. The spectators sighed in disappointment.

“So close! Almost had it!” “It’s okay. Just roll again and win!”

The card shark let out a sigh of relief and reached for the dice. Suddenly, the blind gambler drew his sword, pointing it at him.

“Why are you touching the dice?”

”…Isn’t it a tie? Shouldn’t we roll again?”

“It’s not a tie. If the numbers are the same, I win. It’s a little-known rule in dice games.”

The card shark was momentarily speechless.

”…Is that even a rule?”

The blind man, with eyes that couldn’t see, calmly replied, “Do you think it’s possible for you to beat me?”

The card shark’s hand trembled with frustration. He had so much to say, but he couldn’t risk speaking. One wrong word, and he might find a sword at his throat.

Though he loved money and gambling, he didn’t love them enough to risk his life. In the end, he gritted his teeth and admitted defeat.

”…I lost. I accept my defeat.”

With that, he pushed all the money on the table toward the blind gambler. He knew the outcome would be the same no matter how many times they played, so he gave up entirely.

As the disheartened card shark staggered out of the gambling den, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“Never thought I’d live to see the card shark lose his stake!” “The master has subdued the card shark!” “He must be a renowned martial artist from a prestigious sect, here to put the card shark in his place!”

The excitement showed no signs of dying down until the blind gambler spoke one last time.

Pointing to the opposite side of the table, Yujin Kwang addressed the gamblers.

“What are you waiting for? Sit down, one by one.”