Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign

Chapter 71: The Descent of the Gambling God (2)

"You're Jin Soa, right?"

"……."

Jin Soa stared at Wi Yeonho with an expression that mixed disbelief and confusion.

The guy who never left his room was suddenly out getting fresh air, and now he was asking if he was Jin Soa?

This man had been freeloading off their meals for what felt like over a month now, and only now was he asking for his name? It was so absurd that it left him stunned.

‘So this is what it means to get sick from stress.’

Feeling something boil up from deep within, Jin Soa realized he was physically experiencing a case of the illness he had only read about in books. It was a valuable opportunity to advance his medical understanding.

So maybe he should be thankful, but...

‘Thankful, my ass!’

Jin Soa ground his teeth.

If he was supposed to be thankful for this, then what in the world wouldn't count as something to be thankful for?

"Yes, I’m Jin Soa."

"I’ve been thinking…"

"Thinking?"

"Yeah."

Wi Yeonho scratched his head lightly.

"No matter how much I think about it, there’s no way out of this."

"You don’t really need to think too hard to see there’s no solution."

"Right. Even I can tell things are that bad."

"Still, it’s good to know you’re at least aware."

"Huh?"

"Sorry?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Weren’t you talking about yourself?"

At that, Wi Yeonho scowled hard.

"You’re saying I’m hopeless?"

Jin Soa asked back, deadly serious.

"Do you want an honest answer?"

"…No."

Wi Yeonho decided he didn’t want to know.

There are times in life when ignorance really is bliss.

"Anyway, I think we’ve got to get some money together somehow."

"I agree with you, but where is the money supposed to come from?"

"…What kind of physician is this incompetent?"

Jin Soa burst out, upset.

"It’s not like I’m refusing to earn money out of laziness! But my sister is so stubborn."

"Right? She really is something."

Normally, people secure their own safety first before looking out for others, but Jin Yeran was the complete opposite.

Still, Jin Soa was undeniably a pushover.

"People can’t live off dirt, can they?"

"I don’t think so either."

"You’ve got such good medical skills—shouldn’t you be using them to earn a living and live comfortably?"

"…Even if not comfortably, I’d at least like to live without constantly worrying."

"Exactly."

Wi Yeonho nodded in agreement.

Living every day filled with anxiety—he knew just how miserable that was. He had never known peace during the time he’d spent with Baek Muhan.

"So first, we need to pay back the debt…"

"Yes."

"How much is it?"

"I don’t know the exact amount, but from what I’ve heard, it’s about twenty taels of gold."

At that moment, Wi Yeonho’s eyelids began to twitch.

"H-how much?"

"Twenty taels of gold."

Wi Yeonho’s brain started turning slowly but steadily.

Twenty taels of gold.

That meant two thousand taels of silver.

A single silver tael could support a household for a month, so two thousand…

Steam practically started pouring out of Wi Yeonho’s head.

"I’m bad at math, but this seems insane, doesn’t it?"

"It’s a pretty common reaction."

"Isn’t racking up that kind of debt more impressive in its own right?"

"It was originally over a hundred. They sold off nearly all their assets to pay it back, and just that much remained."

"I-is that so?"

Wi Yeonho put an arm around Jin Soa’s shoulder and whispered slyly.

"See? Your family was loaded. This whole ‘physicians serving the poor’ thing is a joke. Your father lived comfortably by charging a premium, didn’t he? That’s how he kept that wealth going. Am I wrong?"

"……."

Jin Soa wanted to argue, but everything Wi Yeonho said was true. He had no rebuttal.

"Hmm, so twenty taels of gold, huh? Twenty taels…"

Wi Yeonho looked off into the distance.

The sky was annoyingly clear today.

"Well, there’s no choice."

Wi Yeonho nodded as if steeling himself.

"D-do you have the money?"

"Money?"

Wi Yeonho tilted his head.

"What money?"

"The twenty taels of gold."

"Are you crazy?"

Wi Yeonho jabbed a finger at Jin Soa.

"Why would I have that kind of money! And even if I did, why would I give it to you? Just because you're broke doesn’t mean money grows out of the ground!"

Of course, money didn’t sprout from digging dirt.

It only came when you blackmailed some unlucky pawnshop owner like a total scammer.

"Then what are we going to do about that money?"

"We’re going to earn it."

"How?"

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!"

Wi Yeonho lightly ground his teeth.

"What are you talking about?"

Jin Soa tilted his head, completely confused, so Wi Yeonho grinned and opened his mouth.

"Where was that gambling den that ruined your father?"

Jin Soa’s eyes wavered.

---

"Another wipeout today?"

In Hubei’s back alleys, the largest gambling den known as Golden Flower Manor, where all the gamblers gathered, the Chairman Kang Cheonrip was in a foul mood.

"This won’t do…"

A gambling den made its living by taking a commission from the money exchanged at the tables.

Some clueless fools assumed that the house’s gamblers were just there to rob visitors blind, but if that kind of win streak kept up, no one would ever come back.

Sure, you might make a quick buck, but once gamblers realized they always lost to the seasoned dealers as soon as they stepped foot inside, they’d inevitably take their business elsewhere. And when that happened, the gambling den was finished.

That’s why the job of a gambling den was essentially to mediate between gamblers, set up the games, and take a percentage from the pot. That’s how it made money.

But that, too, eventually became dull.

When a proper sucker showed up, it was only natural to run the so-called setup and bleed them dry. That, too, was part of the gambling den’s sacred duties.

Especially when someone totally unrelated to the gambling world—say, a pampered young master from a noble family or a naive rich kid who didn’t know how gambling worked—walked into the den… that day was like slaughtering a cow for a feast.

But lately, as if cursed, not a single sucker had appeared at the gambling den in months.

‘Did the rumors spread too far?’

Apparently, the incident where they properly scammed the Head of the Sacred Hand Grounds had made its rounds.

If word got out that someone was utterly ruined at a certain gambling den, rich folk would avoid the place like the plague, afraid they’d meet the same fate.

“Ugh, we went too far that time.”

It couldn’t be helped, given the situation, but the loss of business was no joke.

At this rate, this month’s profits were bound to be pathetic. If this kept up, even his competence might be questioned.

“We need to come up with something…”

He was about to start thinking seriously about creating a new type of gamble when the door slammed open and a man came dashing in, breathless.

“M-Manor Lord!”

“What now? Did the constables show up to collect again? Why are you always making such a fuss over nothing?”

“It’s not nothing! We’ve got something big!”

“What is it?”

“A sucker showed up!”

Crash!

Kang Cheonrip shot up from his seat, sending teacups flying off his desk and onto the floor.

But Kang Cheonrip had no time to worry about such trivial things.

“What? A sucker? You sure?”

“I’m telling you! Anyone can see it—he’s a total sucker!”

“What about money? How much is he carrying? Is it a short visit or a long game?”

“I got a quick glance, and he’s carrying at least three taels of gold.”

“Three taels?”

A sharp gleam flared from Kang Cheonrip’s eyes. It was so bright, it felt like the whole room lit up.

“He’s here!”

Even if his dead father rose from the grave, Kang Cheonrip wouldn’t have been this happy.

His shoulders began to bounce with glee.

“Let’s go! Hurry!”

“Wait a second.”

“What now?”

“This sucker seems to be a total newbie. If you confront him directly, he might get spooked.”

“R-right, that’s true.”

“So let’s observe for now. Let him win a little, draw him into a bigger game.”

“Good! Good idea!”

Kang Cheonrip nodded excitedly.

Whatever. However. None of it mattered.

Three gold taels were right in front of him.

‘Three taels!’

That was more than enough to cover months of licking their wounds. No, it was a full comeback. There might even be a bonus coming his way.

“Where’s Dokbi?”

“He’s already been called.”

“Kuhuhu, if Dokbi’s on standby, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Kang Cheonrip calmed his thumping heart and stepped out of the room. Even if he wouldn’t deal directly, he needed to at least confirm from afar whether this one was a true sucker.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes, Manor Lord!”

A warm smile spread across Kang Cheonrip’s lips.

‘We’re feasting tonight.’

Kang Cheonrip was already dreaming too big.

“He’s a sucker, right?”

Kang Cheonrip eyed the boy in silk robes carefully.

He had spent decades in the gambling underworld.

Now, he could tell whether someone was a seasoned player or a pure sucker just from their face. His keen eyes began analyzing, and soon Kang Cheonrip clapped his hands with conviction.

“Janggu.”

“Yes, Manor Lord.”

“Shut the doors.”

“Pardon?”

“No need to accept more guests. The God of Wealth has descended here today.”

“H-that much?”

“No matter how fancy the silk, it can’t hide the true value of the product. Look.”

Kang Cheonrip pointed at the boy in silk robes.

“Those half-lidded, dazed eyes… that porcelain skin—clearly never been outside. Not a single callus on his hands. Probably never held chopsticks properly, let alone tiles or dice.”

“Impressive!”

“And that silk outfit—expensive and brand new. I’d bet he’s a noble’s son who got curious and wandered into town.”

“Truly brilliant insight!”

“Mm-hahaha! The God of Wealth has blessed us today! Just in case, spread salt across every window to block the spirits from leaving and to ward off any stray demons from entering.”

“Y-you mean with that expensive salt?”

“Expensive? With three gold taels about to be ours, how can you call salt expensive? Spread it as much as you want!”

“Yes, Manor Lord!”

As Janggu sprinted off, Kang Cheonrip grinned wickedly at the boy.

“Kekeke, what a prize. I thought we’d be twiddling our thumbs after scamming the Head of the Sacred Hand Grounds, but now another windfall has rolled in.”

The so-called sucker basking in Kang Cheonrip’s pleased gaze had no idea what was going on. He kept yawning, glancing around the room.