Chapter 16
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Fixed Game Exposed
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Yang Do-san, the overseer of the Collection Pavilion.
He'd been raking in cash hand over fist lately, no exaggeration. He'd dangle the bracer as bait to collect entry fees and gambling stakes on winners and losers, then have the Go master he'd secretly hired take the prize.
The master would hand the bracer right back, ensuring no one walked away with it while the pavilion pocketed a fat profit. Cycle complete.
If anyone asked why the bracer was back on offer, he'd just say the winner had asked to trade it for cash. End of story.
Business was booming, pulling in over five silver taels a day from those earnings alone.
And today should have been no different.
It absolutely should have been...
"O-overseer! What do we do...!"
Yang Do-san pressed a hand to his forehead at his subordinate's panicked shout.
'How the hell did things go so wrong...!'
Some kid had popped up out of nowhere, steamrolling through opponents with overwhelming skill, and now he was crushing even the hired Go master.
All without a single moment's hesitation.
'This is insane...'
And this wasn't some amateur who'd dabbled in Go. The guy was ranked 32nd among the Top 100 Seated Hidden Stars.
A disciple of the unyielding Notched Hand, Bul Hyeong-goe.
'That bastard Yu Pyo-gyeom costs me two silver taels a day just in pay...!'
Yang Do-san's teeth chattered in rage.
He wanted to draw his sword right then and there.
Yu Pyo-gyeom must have sensed that piercing glare, because cold sweat beaded on his brow as his deliberations dragged on.
Watching this, the kid in question—Ho-chang—thought to himself:
'Ponder all you want. You think you can beat me?'
He'd held out a sliver of hope thanks to the bracer on the line, but no surprises materialized.
'All his moves are straight out of the classics.'
He'd noticed it since facing Jo Jung-seon: every play was textbook ancient.
And ancient moves had counters figured out ages ago.
So it was boring.
Like playing an old video game.
Sure, the guy in front of him seemed competent enough, but by Ho-chang's standards, he fell woefully short.
Then the young man across the board—Yu Pyo-gyeom—asked,
"...Kid, are you perhaps a disciple of one of the Seated Hidden Stars?"
"Nope."
"Then do you have another master?"
"No."
"R-really? That's strange..."
With that, Yu Pyo-gyeom laboriously placed his next stone.
Ho-chang responded instantly, without a hint of hesitation.
Yu Pyo-gyeom squeezed his eyes shut in despair.
'Where did this monster kid come from...?'
The monstrous brat pressed him from the front, while the overseer's death glares rained down from behind.
But no matter how intense the glares, Yu Pyo-gyeom had zero confidence against the kid before him.
Hell, he doubted even his own master could guarantee a win.
As Yu Pyo-gyeom's thinking time stretched, Ho-chang prompted,
"You gonna play or not?"
His head drooped at the question.
No matter how he racked his brain, no path to victory emerged.
And so?
Yu Pyo-gyeom had no choice but to toss his stone onto the board in surrender.
"Ooh...!"
"The kid won!"
"Incredible."
"Man, even just watching from the side gave me chills. He plays like a beast."
"Exactly like facing a predator."
"Aargh, my money!!"
With Ho-chang's victory confirmed, gasps of awe and cries of anguish filled the hall.
The awe came from those impressed by his skill; the screams from those who'd bet on Yu Pyo-gyeom in the side wagers.
As the match ended, Ho-chang gave a slight bow of respect.
"A fine game."
"...A fine game."
Ho-chang smirked at Yu Pyo-gyeom's suddenly haggard face.
'Must sting.'
The guy had probably been hailed as a genius his whole life.
Go circles were like that.
But getting crushed so blatantly by a younger kid? That had to drain the soul.
'Still, overcoming setbacks like this is how you grow into something greater.'
Ho-chang rose and addressed Yang Do-san.
"Time for my prize."
"R-right..."
At the bold demand, Yang Do-san handed over the bracer with trembling hands.
Ho-chang pursed his lips in admiration as he took it.
From afar, its aura had seemed faint, but up close, it was thick and potent.
'This thing's the real deal.'
He asked its name, but no one knew.
An ancient relic, maybe?
Either way, it felt like quality goods, so he'd put it to good use.
As Ho-chang pocketed the bracer, he called out,
"Baek Hwi, let's go."
"Yes, bro."
Just as Ho-chang stepped out of the pavilion, Yang Do-san, watching him go, bit his lip and quietly ordered his subordinate.
"Go quietly and retrieve the bracer."
"Got it."
The subordinate assembled a team and tailed Ho-chang on Yang Do-san's crumpled command.
Then Yang Do-san turned to Yu Pyo-gyeom.
"You. Come see me."
At that, Yu Pyo-gyeom paled and rose silently.
*
"H-how dare you ask me to cough it up?"
"This mess is your fault for losing."
"U-unfair! I only stopped here for training, and you lured me with pocket change promises."
"Then you should've won. But you lost."
Shing!
Yang Do-san, who'd been pressing softly for compensation, finally drew his sword.
Seeing it, Yu Pyo-gyeom turned ashen and shouted,
"Th-threaten me like this, and my master won't stand for it!"
"Don't worry. It won't be me who kills you—it'll look like a beast attack."
"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"
"This area's wild. Unarmed scholars getting mauled by mountain beasts? Happens all the time."
Yu Pyo-gyeom's hands shook at the words.
This bastard.
He'd planned this from the start.
But escape was impossible now.
In the end, Yu Pyo-gyeom had no choice but to obey.
He pulled a money pouch from his robes and offered it.
"Tw-twenty silver taels. That enough?"
Yang Do-san fished out the silver, then smirked.
"Nah. Way short."
"Wh-what?"
"Do the math right. Bracer value aside, factor in my gambling losses from that kid? At least double this."
"Th-that's ridiculous...!"
"Ridiculous? Too bad then."
Yang Do-san tightened his grip on the sword.
"No money? Pay with your body. You'll play Go under me for life. I'll spare you—but one hand's enough for Go, right?"
This had been Yang Do-san's goal all along.
Without Yu Pyo-gyeom, no business. Scare him straight, then work him penniless forever.
Yu Pyo-gyeom realized he'd hooked the wrong fish and squeezed his eyes shut.
No escape came to mind.
'Why did I ever accept this offer...!'
I want to live.
I want to turn back time.
As regret for entering this world choked him, just as he opened his mouth to reply—
BOOM!!
A massive explosion rocked the room, and the guards outside the overseer's office tumbled in.
More like flung in.
Dust billowed thickly.
A small silhouette emerged from it.
Ho-chang.
"This the overseer's office?"
He nodded upon spotting Yang Do-san.
But Yu Pyo-gyeom was there too, when only Yang Do-san should have been.
And the scene was off.
Yang Do-san held a sword to Yu Pyo-gyeom's throat.
Ho-chang's brows furrowed at the sight.
"Why are you two together? Was the whole thing a rigged Go game?"
Yang Do-san bellowed,
"Who said you could barge in here?!"
"Why do you think? Because of you."
"Wh-what? N-no way?"
"Yeah, your goons you sent. I beat 'em to a pulp."
Yang Do-san's eyes bulged.
This kid took down over ten grown men?
And he looked unscathed, not a scratch.
Shock faded quickly as Yang Do-san swung his blade toward Ho-chang.
"Kid, looks like you got some lucky break, but don't get cocky from thrashing a few third-raters. You'll regret it."
"Bullshit."
"What?"
"You know what I hate most? People screwing around with the sacred game of Go. And you pull this crap? I'm not letting you off easy."
"You little—!"
In an instant, Yang Do-san slashed diagonally at Ho-chang.
A chilling whistle cut the air; startled, Yu Pyo-gyeom shut his eyes tight.
But then—
"Gack!"
When he opened them, Ho-chang's palm was buried in Yang Do-san's solar plexus.
Ho-chang cut off his breath once, gathered inner energy in his palm—pow!—and Yang Do-san's body floated briefly before crashing down.
Crash!
As Yang Do-san rolled messily across the floor, Ho-chang admired the bracer on his hand.
'Been feeling it since earlier... this thing's legit.'
He'd noticed it fighting the subordinates: huge difference wearing the bracer versus not.
His energy flow and technique shifts felt faster, smoother.
'Gotta examine it properly later.'
Admiration done, Ho-chang approached the fallen Yang Do-san and snapped both his arms.
"Gaaahhh!!"
The guy had tried to kill him.
Breaking arms instead of killing was mercy.
Ho-chang shifted his gaze to Yu Pyo-gyeom.
"You."
"Y-yes?"
Overwhelmed by Ho-chang's presence, honorifics slipped out.
Ho-chang scowled and scolded him.
"Who taught you Go? Did your master teach you to rig games and gamble?"
"N-no, that's not—"
"Don't 'no' me, you bastard...! Tell me, what's the proper mindset for playing Go?"
Yu Pyo-gyeom, gauging the mood, answered,
"Always with humility, without greed, staying on the righteous path..."
"You know that fine. So why pull thug bullshit like this?"
Ho-chang was genuinely furious.
Fraud, match-fixing—he despised it all.
Understandably: he'd once cherished a junior who got ruined by fixing scandals.
Then Yu Pyo-gyeom protested, indignant,
"It-it wasn't fraud! I played fair, with pure skill, no tricks...!"
"Skill? You sandbagged against kids to steal prizes and call that no fraud?"
"Hey, what's sandbagging? I swear I'm clean! No cheats at all!"
Ho-chang fell silent at that.
His retirement stemmed partly from unbeatable foes, but mostly disgust at the industry's scandals tainting the board.
'...Same problems now as back then.'
Guys clueless about their wrongs.
Those were the worst.
Ho-chang seized Yu Pyo-gyeom's fingers.
"Go ask your master what you did wrong."
"Wh-what are you—!"
Crack! Crack!
"Gaaah!"
In a flash, Ho-chang snapped all ten fingers.
Then, coldly to the writhing man:
"This is a warning with fingers. Show up playing Go in front of me again..."
Yu Pyo-gyeom gulped at the icy glare.
"...and I'll really chop your wrists off. Remember that."
Ho-chang meant every word.