Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign

Chapter 70: The Descent of the Gambling God (1)

"Where on earth were you last night?"

Wi Yeonho let out a low sigh as he looked at Jin Soa, who burst in, flinging the door open early in the morning.

"...I’ve never been married, but this feels like I’ve got a wife."

"What are you talking about?"

Wi Yeonho didn’t answer and simply stared at Jin Soa.

"Ahem."

Jin Soa dodged his gaze with an awkward laugh.

"So, what is it this time? Come to whine again?"

"Whining? I just wanted to discuss our countermeasures."

"Countermeasures?"

Jin Soa nodded vigorously.

"Didn't you say you'd repay the debt within half a month?"

"Did I?"

When Wi Yeonho tilted his head, Jin Soa clutched his clothes tightly.

It happened just yesterday—what on earth was going on in this guy’s head? Did he erase memories in his sleep or something?

"You said it yesterday! Yesterday!"

"Did I?"

"You told that man—Jwa Geol or whatever his name is—that you’d repay the debt for this place within half a month!"

"Oh, right. I did."

Wi Yeonho nodded as if it had just come back to him.

"Yeah, I think I did. So what?"

"What do you mean, ‘so what’? You must’ve had a way to come up with the money, right?"

Wi Yeonho answered calmly.

"Nope."

"...What?"

"I just said it because the noise was annoying. Figured things would quiet down once I said it. Anyway, we bought ourselves fifteen days, didn’t we?"

"...Young Hero?"

Wi Yeonho was shameless.

"Either way, we’ve delayed the big mess until half a month later. Isn’t that something to be grateful for?"

Jin Soa’s face turned red.

‘That... technically makes sense, but...’

If it hadn’t been for Wi Yeonho, Jin Yeran would’ve been dragged off to the brothel yesterday. That alone was reason to be thankful.

That much was undeniable.

‘Then why does this make my blood boil!’

Jin Soa questioned himself—was he a petty man with no sense of courtesy or propriety?

But no matter how he thought about it, Jin Soa was not someone who lacked decorum.

"Then why am I so annoyed?"

"Hmm?"

When Wi Yeonho looked at him, clueless, Jin Soa finally exploded.

"So you made that promise without any plan at all?"

"Yup."

"Then, fifteen days from now, everything’s really going to blow up! There might’ve been a way to solve this, but now we’re stuck with no options!"

"How would I know that?"

"Grrrrrrrr."

Jin Soa let out a groan and suddenly shot to his feet.

"How can someone be so irresponsible..."

At that moment, Wi Yeonho gestured for Jin Soa to come closer.

At the silent beckoning, Jin Soa stopped speaking and cautiously leaned toward him.

"Listen carefully."

"...Yes?"

"I’ve thought about it, and it’s not like we have zero options."

"There is a way?"

"It’s the best method passed down since ancient times. There’s nothing better than this when you’re being chased by creditors!"

"W-What is it?"

"Ever heard of this? Midnight escape."

"..."

"In the Art of War, the best of the Thirty-Six Stratagems is ‘fleeing is the best option.’ If you can’t fight the enemy, then running without looking back is one strategy!"

Jin Soa’s head drooped like ripe rice bending low in the fields.

‘I trusted a guy like this...’

He felt genuinely betrayed.

"Are you seriously saying that right now?!"

Just as Jin Soa was about to explode, a clear voice rang from outside the door.

"What are you doing?"

Jin Soa snapped his mouth shut like a clam.

Turning his head slowly, he saw Jin Yeran standing outside the open door, staring at him with a stern expression.

"Big sister."

"What are you doing to our guest and benefactor? Haven’t I told you time and again to never lose your manners, no matter the situation?"

"My apologies."

"Come out."

"...Yes."

As Jin Soa walked out with his head deeply bowed, Wi Yeonho found himself experiencing mixed feelings.

Seeing him get scolded after acting out was a bit satisfying—but watching him shrink and get dragged away so meekly also felt a little pitiful.

"We received so much help from you, yet I couldn’t even greet you properly yesterday. I apologize for the discourtesy. Please forgive my rudeness with a generous heart."

"Huh?"

Wi Yeonho couldn’t understand what part had been rude.

"If not for you, I would’ve met a terrible fate yesterday. I don’t even know how to repay such a favor."

"...Ah, no."

Wi Yeonho started feeling uncomfortable.

‘Mun Eunji was better.’

That brat of a girl had grown up in a Confucian household, yet tossed etiquette and propriety out the window like a mad like a drunk monkey in a temple.But in a way, that made her easier to deal with.

People this stiff and formal simply didn’t mesh well with someone like Wi Yeonho.

And it didn’t help that she looked like a goddess descended from heaven when she bowed her head modestly—making it all the more uncomfortable.

"Don’t worry about it."

Wi Yeonho waved his hand dismissively.

‘Was the daughter switched at birth or something?’

If Jin Yeran had turned out to be Mun Yuhwan’s daughter, it would’ve made more sense. From what Jin Soa said, it didn’t sound like Jin Yeran’s father was much of a decent man either. So, how did someone like her come from that household?

Her family background might’ve been unimpressive, but she was the perfect image of a noble lady from a prestigious family.

"The fact that you’ve helped us at all is more than enough. We will handle everything from here on, so please, Benefactor, remove yourself from this matter."

"Uh…"

"The one you saw yesterday is not someone to be feared. But the power behind him belongs to brutal thugs of the underworld. I worry you may become entangled and face harm because of this."

"I'm fine, though..."

Jin Yeran smiled lightly.

That smile was so radiant, it made Wi Yeonho's chest flutter for a moment.

"You have such a gentle heart, Benefactor."

Wi Yeonho couldn’t find a response.

He’d heard people say his heart was lazy, but never that it was gentle. Everyone who knew him was too busy calling him ruthless. No one had ever complimented him in such a way.

"But this matter is ours to handle. If you were to suffer because of us, even in death, we would not be able to face our late father. Please keep my words in mind."

"Ah… yes…"

Wi Yeonho nodded in a daze, and Jin Yeran bowed once more before leaving the room.

Clack.

The door closed, and Wi Yeonho flopped onto his back.

‘This is… a weird feeling…’

Something kept tickling at his chest.

*         *         *

"Say it again."

Gwak Dosan, head of the Black Land Manor—an underworld faction that ruled over Hubei—frowned as he looked down at Jwa Geol standing before him.

Jwa Geol hesitated, unable to answer right away.

"I said, speak."

"Th-The thing is…"

Jwa Geol opened his mouth in a voice as quiet as a dead mouse.

"There was a master at the Sacred Hand Grounds."

"A master?"

"Yes. A real master."

Gwak Dosan bellowed with rage.

"What nonsense is this! Why would a master be inside that rundown clinic?!"

"That… I don’t know either…"

"Did he trip and fall into the place by accident? What the hell would a master be trying to fix at a clinic run by nothing but kids!"

"He said he was just a guest."

"A guest?"

"Yes, that's what he said."

Gwak Dosan rubbed his face furiously.

"A guest, a guest… Is he an acquaintance of the previous Sacred Hand’s head? If so, this gets complicated..."

Seeing Gwak Dosan visibly displeased, Jwa Geol didn’t dare speak and held his breath.

Anyone who was part of Black Land Manor knew how explosive Gwak Dosan’s temper was. But with his unmatched personal strength, no one had the guts to voice complaints.

"So what? You ran away the moment you saw him? Just to save your own skin?"

"Of course not, Chief! You know I'm no coward!"

"Then what?"

As Gwak Dosan’s face contorted further, Jwa Geol quickly explained.

"The master said he’d repay the debt in half a month. So I withdrew for now to see how the situation unfolds."

"He said he’d pay in half a month?"

"Yes. If he does, then—"

At that moment, Gwak Dosan grabbed a flower vase on the table and hurled it at Jwa Geol’s head.

Crash!

Jwa Geol blinked in shock as the vase shattered against him out of nowhere.

"You fool! Who told you to collect the money? I told you to use the debt as an excuse to bring down the Sacred Hand’s signboard or crush them so they could never rise again! And what? You backed off because he said he’d pay in fifteen days?"

Jwa Geol bowed his head low to the floor again.

"I thought it would be right to identify his background first."

"You speak as if your tongue's slick with oil. If this goes south, I’ll cut out that greasy tongue of yours first!"

"That won’t happen, sir!"

"Damn it."

Gwak Dosan’s mind began to turn rapidly.

"If we don’t handle this properly, those people will be furious. And if they are, Black Land Manor will be reduced to ashes—down to the foundation!"

Fear began to show on Gwak Dosan’s face as he spoke.

Seeing that expression, Jwa Geol shuddered.

The legendary figure of the Hubei underworld, Gwak Dosan, was visibly shaken—there existed someone capable of terrifying even him.

Just who was the person pulling the strings behind all this?

"Jwa Geol."

"Yes, Chief."

"I’ll assign you some men. Do you understand what you need to do?"

"...Do I take that guy out?"

"Eh!"

As Gwak Dosan scowled, Jwa Geol grumbled inwardly.

‘If people could understand with just words, would I still be crawling around in this line of work?’

"We don’t even know how skilled that so-called master is. What are you going to do—poke a hornet’s nest and expect to walk away?"

"No, sir."

"To survive in the underworld, you have to test the bridge a hundred, a thousand times before crossing it. How many times do I have to tell you? And you said that guy is young?"

"Yes."

"The ones you must be most wary of in the murim are the young, the old, and women who look weak. If that kid intervened in our business of his own will, he must have something backing him."

"...Your words are absolutely right."

"So we’ll hold off on dealing with him directly. Your job is to do whatever it takes to stop the Sacred Hand folks from paying the money. Got it?"

"Yes!"

After receiving a few more instructions, Jwa Geol left the chief’s quarters.

"Easier said than done."

He sighed deeply.

He had joined Black Land Manor, trusting in the name of Gwak Dosan, but now the place felt like a living hell.

"Guess I’ll need to find a new job soon."

But thinking about his bunny-like child and bear-like wife at home, he couldn’t just up and quit.

"Why did I get married…"

Tears welled up in Jwa Geol’s eyes.