Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 100

If the most fun and enjoyable game to play while lying down is said to be the union of a man and a woman, then the most fun and enjoyable game to play while sitting down is said to be gambling.

This is because gambling itself isn’t inherently fun. The thrill, the anticipation, the sense of accomplishment, and the feeling of superiority you get from wagering your money against someone else’s are what make it enjoyable.

Of course, when you lose a bet, you also experience a sense of futility and self-disgust. However, many gamblers are optimistic and believe they will win, so once they become involved, it’s said they can’t easily escape.

“Are you two interested in any games?”

“Not really. But I know that gambling involves putting money down and potentially taking more money.”

“Is that so? Then how about trying a dice game?”

“Dice?”

“There are three main types of dice games. One involves rolling a single die and guessing the number that comes up. Others involve rolling two or three dice and guessing the combination of numbers.”

“So, is there a difference in the games?”

“The payout differs depending on the difficulty. Guessing correctly with one die pays double your bet, two dice pay quadruple, and three dice pay eight times the amount.”

“The harder it is to guess, the higher the reward.”

“That’s right. But I recommend starting with the single-die game, even though it has a lower payout.”

“Why is that?”

“The fun of a game isn’t solely about winning money, but also about the enjoyment of making a correct guess, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. You mean I should bet on a game with a higher probability of winning.”

“Exactly.”

Sa Do-hyung nodded and started walking.

“Then let’s go play dice.”

As they walked, Sa Do-hyung noticed something.

“Are there any cheaters here?”

“Yes, there are. But the cheaters usually don’t play against ordinary people.”

“Why is that?”

“Because ordinary people can’t win any money if cheaters are involved.”

“I suppose so.”

“Then do you just rent out the seats and collect a fee?”

The most foolish thing for those who run gambling dens is to only collect seat fees.

In a gambling den where tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of *nyang* [Korean currency] are exchanged, the seat fee is only one *pun* [a small denomination of Korean currency, often a fraction of a nyang] of the bet, or two *pun* at most. This is a small amount compared to the money circulating in the gambling den. Therefore, in illegally operated gambling dens, cheaters often mingle with the general customers and gradually take their money, which they then share with the owner.

“No. As you saw when you came in, we sell food, tea, and a limited amount of alcohol here.”

“Food?”

“That’s right. We don’t sell food in such open areas, but we do sell food and alcohol in the private rooms over there.”

Just then, a woman was seen carrying a small table of food and drinks into one of the rooms.

“Can we go in there too?”

“Of course. Follow me.”

Ja-young led them into the room where the food was being delivered.

“Okay, okay, the food and drinks are here. Let’s eat and take a break.”

“Damn it, I’m on a winning streak right now!”

“A streak goes up and down, doesn’t it? If you take a break and start again, it might be even better than now. Come here and have a drink. And you’ve worked hard. Take this.”

The man who ordered the food and drinks gave a gold note to the woman who brought the table. As the woman thanked him and bowed her head to leave, another man called out to her.

“Hey, bring us some food and drinks too. I’ve been playing for a long time, so I’m hungry.”

“What kind of food would you like? You can see the menu and prices on the wall over there.”

Looking where the woman pointed, they saw a menu with more than ten dishes, with prices listed next to them.

‘The food isn’t that expensive. No, should I say it’s cheap for this quality?’

“You won the money, so you pay for the food and drinks.”

“I’ll pay for it, so don’t worry and order.”

Sa Do-hyung thought that this atmosphere was quite pleasant compared to the illegal gambling dens filled with murderous intent to win other people’s money.

“Most people who win money treat others to drinks here.”

He agreed with Ja-young’s words.

These seemed to be people who came to have fun lightly, thinking of it as a game, rather than people who came with the intention of winning other people’s money.

“Then aren’t there people who just win money and leave?”

“There are some people like that sometimes. But it’s better than coming with friends and losing them, isn’t it?”

“What about people who come alone?”

“They are guided to another place. That place is a little more brutal than here.”

‘This is a more interesting place than I thought.’

“Let’s go play dice.”

* * *

“The Moon Lord and the Chief of the Eumsa Clan have arrived?”

“That’s right. It seems they are interested in the profits from the Kowloon Tower.”

Hyeok Ji-seok informed Hwa-rin about Sa Do-hyung and Sa Ma-woo, who had come to the Kowloon Tower.

“Any unusual actions?”

“No. They played dice, participated in *Jjakpae* [a type of gambling game], visited the Kowloon Pavilion, booked a room, and are currently resting.”

“Then that means they came to scout the place.”

“The Sa Do-hyung I know isn’t one to make rash moves.”

“Rash moves?”

“If they were simply after profits, they would have used their power to take over forcefully. But they must have heard that I am here, so they won’t push in without careful consideration.”

“Could it be that they don’t know you are here, Commander?”

“That’s unlikely. Seoseong Province is traditionally a region where the orthodox sects are strong. There are many reasons, but Jongnam and Hwasan represent Seoseong Province.”

“So?”

“Sanyang County isn’t directly protected by Jongnam and Hwasan, but it’s close enough that they need to keep an eye on it.”

Hwa-rin agreed with Hyeok Ji-seok’s assessment.

“They must have been observing the reactions of Jongnam and Hwasan and also gathering information about the Kowloon Market.”

“Then you mean they will just observe the situation this time, and if they are convinced that it will be profitable, they will make a move?”

“That’s right. But they won’t move alone.”

“Why is that?”

“If the Kowloon Market and the Eumsa Clan fight, both sides will suffer significant losses. That could jeopardize the Eumsa Clan’s current position.”

“Does that mean that other evil sects will try to take the Eumsa Clan’s place? Like the Blood Demon Clan.”

“Yes?”

“Ah, after the Blood Demon Clan’s Lord, Blood Demon Unfeeling Na Seong-gi, and the elders died, the Jeokji Clan and Onsu Clan challenged them, aiming for the Blood Demon Clan’s position.”

“Did that really happen?”

“It’s a story from a few months ago.”

“Yes. To maintain its current position within the Eumsa Clan and stably take a portion of the profits from the Kowloon Tower, they have no choice but to bring in another clan.”

“You mean they will satisfy their greed by sacrificing the clan they bring in. If things proceed like that, we will face some challenges.”

“I’m afraid it will be quite challenging.”

“Then we need to prepare countermeasures as well, so they can’t focus their attention on us at all.”

“Is that possible?”

“It’s definitely possible. There was a scandal involving the Eumsa Clan in the past.”

“Involving the Lord?”

“In Sangnam County. I did some research on the Eumsa Clan’s businesses, and I uncovered some illegal activities.”

“What do you mean by illegal?”

“Smuggling and human trafficking.”

Hyeok Ji-seok narrowed his eyes at Hwa-rin’s answer.

“If we disrupt that underground network, they won’t be able to pay attention to this side for a while.”

“But if we make a move, we might get caught. Then we might give them a reason to attack us, wouldn’t we?”

“Don’t worry. No one will know.”

She spoke so confidently that he wondered if she had something to rely on.

“Surely you’re not planning to take action yourself, Lord?”

“Who else is better suited for such a task than me? I’ll handle the external affairs, and you, Commander, will take care of the internal disturbances. Of course, we’ll need help from outside from time to time.”

“It’s dangerous. Smuggling and human trafficking are highly dangerous, and they often employ highly skilled martial artists.”

“That’s right. If we eliminate them all, the Eumsa Clan will also suffer a setback.”

He was stunned for a moment after hearing her unexpected answer.

“The thing I’m best at in the world is fighting, and the second is killing people. So I can handle that much easily.”

“Hahaha, listening to the Lord’s words, I might get my head cut off if I make a mistake.”

“So don’t even think about quitting and going somewhere else.”

A smile appeared on Hyeok Ji-seok’s lips, but it seemed like a resigned smile, as he realized his fate wouldn’t be easy.

“That won’t happen. Hahaha.”

* * *

Sa Do-hyung and Sa Ma-woo rested for a day at the Kowloon Pavilion and then called for Ja-young to spend time playing again.

“Ja-young.”

“Yes, sir.”

Perhaps because they had become closer the previous day, they spoke more casually.

“You said I could watch the cheaters play, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. You can even bet on the cheater and get a payout if they win.”

“Okay. Take me there.”

“Follow me.”

Ja-young led them to the Chrysanthemum Pavilion. When they arrived, the gambling masters, the cheaters, were sitting face to face and playing mahjong, which is the most popular game in the gambling world.

In the center of the first floor, there was a square table, and four people, one on each side, were playing mahjong.

The spectators were sitting in a circle around them, holding their breath and watching the match.

“It looks like it just started. Sir, unlike other places, this place has strict noise control to maintain the cheaters’ concentration.”

“Noise control?”

“Yes. If you make a loud noise, you will be immediately kicked out. Of course, you can speak loudly after the match is over, but during the game, you must watch quietly.”

“You said I could bet money, right?”

“That’s right. Here, you can bet from a minimum of ten gold notes to a maximum of one hundred gold notes. If you hold up the fan in your seat, an employee will come and exchange your money for a ticket.”

“What is the payout?”

“You get three times the amount if you guess correctly.”

The probability of guessing correctly was higher than in dice games.

“Aren’t they cheating with each other?”

“That’s unlikely. Even if they were to cheat, they wouldn’t know who bet how much on them, so there’s no benefit to it. Also, if they cheat with outsiders and get caught, they will have not only their wrists but also their ankles cut off.”

“That’s terrifying. I see. I’ll bet fifty gold notes on the cheater sitting in the south.”

“Then hold up the fan next to you.”

When Sa Do-hyung held up the fan, an employee quietly approached.

“I’ll bet fifty gold notes on the cheater sitting in the south.”

“Fifty gold notes, you said?”

“That’s right.”

The employee tore off a fifty-gold-note ticket and received five ten-gold notes from Sa Do-hyung.

“The payout is three times. If you guess the winner, you must hold up the fan to indicate your intention to exchange your ticket before the next game starts.”

“What if I miss that time?”

“You will have to go through several procedures to verify your claim.”

“I see.”

The clerk turned around, and Sa Do-hyung watched the cheaters play mahjong.

‘This is another kind of fun.’