Chapter 523: Catching the Cheat
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 523: Catching the Cheat
Grab!
The man swiftly seized the gambler’s wrist. Then, without hesitation, he snatched the ring off the man’s ring finger.
"No... No!"
The gambler let out a scream of pure despair. This was bad. He couldn't let that be taken. He frantically flailed his hands toward the man, desperate to reclaim the ring by any means necessary.
Thwack!
However, his efforts were instantly thwarted. The man raised his foot and planted a kick squarely into the gambler’s face.
"What do you mean, 'no'?"
The man let out a mocking smirk before continuing.
"Now, everyone, please take a look at this ring."
He held up the ring he had taken from the gambler, drawing the collective gaze of everyone in the gambling hall.
"At first glance, this looks like an ordinary ring, but it actually hides a very interesting secret."
The man began to stroke the ring with his pinky finger. As he did, a faint, nearly invisible silver thread began to wind around his finger.
"Watch closely."
Once the silver thread was wrapped around his finger, the man slowly pulled his hands apart. The thread began to stretch out.
"Would someone be so kind as to place the dice on the table?" the man asked, raising his voice.
"Here."
Lee So-ran, who had been standing by, picked up the dice that had fallen to the floor and offered them.
"Thank you."
The man gave her a slight nod before bringing the silver thread close to the dice. Then, he began to move his pinky finger ever so slightly.
Rattle, rattle.
The dice began to clatter and move. They were rolling, guided by the touch of the silver thread.
"What!?"
"How can that be?!"
"Unbelievable!"
Exclamations erupted from all sides. It was definitive proof that the gambler had been cheating.
"Well? Is that enough proof for you?"
The man looked at Lee Hyun-kyung with a playful smirk.
Grit.
Lee Hyun-kyung ground her teeth. Irritation flared within her at the fact that they had been caught red-handed.
"But... there is no proof... that he... actually used that ring..."
"How very strange."
The man cut her off mid-sentence.
"What is so strange?"
Lee Hyun-kyung furrowed her elegant brows and snapped back. She clearly didn't appreciate being interrupted.
"The fact that the person who should be the most outraged is instead defending this man."
The man’s smile deepened as if he found the situation amusing.
"It’s almost as if you were in on it together."
His eyes gleamed as he stared directly at Lee Hyun-kyung.
".........."
Meeting that gaze, Lee Hyun-kyung fell into a tight-lipped silence. She felt overwhelmed by his eyes, which seemed to see through everything.
"Of course, as the lady says, there is no direct proof he used this ring. It could be, as he claimed, that this device was found by sheer coincidence in a ring left to him by his father and late wife."
The man continued, his smile thick with amusement.
"So, I’d like to give this poor gambler a chance. A chance to prove his innocence."
The man turned his gaze toward the gambler sprawled on the floor.
"Roll the dice again. This time, without the ring. You can do it as many times as you like. A hundred times, a thousand times—it doesn't matter. I will predict the outcome every single time. If I fail even once, you may take that dagger you pulled out and cut my throat. However, if I get it right every time, I get to cut yours."
The man’s expression turned dead serious as he addressed the gambler.
"Well? Do you accept my proposal?"
He stared at the gambler with an intensity that felt chillingly sincere.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Faced with that terrifyingly earnest gaze, the gambler began to shake uncontrollably. He realized the man was dead serious.
'I’m... I’m going to die!'
The gambler knew. He knew that no matter how many times he rolled those dice, the man in front of him would get them all right. No matter what he did, he was a dead man.
Sssssss...
A dark stain began to spread across the gambler’s crotch, soaking his pants. He felt like a condemned criminal who had just heard his death sentence.
Steam, steam.
The urine leaked from his pants and began to pool on the gambling hall floor.
"What will it be?" the man asked again, flashing a bright smile.
"Hieeeek!"
That smile only terrified the gambler further. The moment he saw it, goosebumps erupted all over his body.
"If you continue to remain silent, I’ll take that as an acceptance and set the board."
"I... I don't... need to."
Under the man’s pressure, the gambler finally managed to speak.
"What was that? I can't hear you."
The man cupped a hand to his ear in an exaggerated gesture. It was a comical sight, but to the gambler whose life was on the line, it was nothing short of horrific.
"I... I don't need to prove my innocence!" the gambler screamed. He shouted as if trying to drive away his own terror.
"So, you’re admitting that you cheated?"
"...Y-yes."
The gambler stammered, barely managing to force the words out.
"Excellent. I’m glad you’ve confessed."
The man smiled brightly. He flicked his ring finger up and down a couple of times.
Whirrrr!
The silver thread wrapped around his pinky was sucked back into the ring.
Grab.
Once the thread was fully retracted, the man reached out and grabbed the gambler’s dagger, which was still embedded in the table.
Schwing.
He pulled the dagger out. The sharp blade caught the light, gleaming dangerously.
"Now, let’s fulfill the terms of our agreement."
Step, step.
Holding the dagger, the man began to walk slowly toward the gambler.
"W-wait! I... I admitted everything!"
As he approached, the gambler cried out in a panic.
"Yes, and because you admitted it, I am simply fulfilling what was promised."
The man’s expression remained calm as he continued.
"Didn't you agree to it at the start? That you would put your neck on the line."
Having said his piece, he slowly raised the dagger. He looked ready to strike then and there.
"Wait just a moment!"
A frantic voice called out from behind him. The man slowly turned around. A beautiful woman with charming, slightly drooping eyes was glaring at him. It was Lee So-ran, the daughter of Hwangbo Yu-yeon.
"Is there a problem?"
"Please, do not take his life."
"He cheated in a gambling hall. Shouldn't he pay the price for his crime?"
"That is for the authorities to decide! Private punishment outside of public law is wrong!"
She stared at the man with an unwavering gaze.
"It’s fine. I am a man of the Murim, so the authorities won't particularly care. After all, the Government and Murim have a non-aggression pact."
The man let out a short laugh.
"I’m not worried about you! I’m worried about the order that will be disrupted because of you!"
"Disrupted order?" Sun-woo asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"If lawlessness becomes the norm, who would ever bother to follow the law!"
"..........."
The man stared at Lee So-ran in silence. He felt a strange sensation. He had been watching the entire scene from the beginning—from the moment she accused the gambler of cheating to the moment she was insulted and nearly struck by him.
That was why he found this so fascinating. Despite being swindled and insulted, she was still asking him to spare the gambler’s life.
'Even though Lee Hyun-kyung, who’s actually in cahoots with him, is staying quiet.'
The man couldn't help but chuckle. He couldn't tell if this lady was incredibly kind or just incredibly stupid.
'What a bear-like woman.'
Though, for a bear, she was far too cute.
"Are you a fool, milady?" he asked.
"A fool!?"
Lee So-ran’s voice rose in indignation. Out of nowhere, he was calling her a fool? What was he talking about? 'Fool' was the word she hated most in the world. She might not have the most formal education, but she never considered herself stupid.
"This man swindled you and insulted you, didn't he? And yet you tell me not to kill him... I don't understand."
"Emotions should not stand above the law. If I act purely on impulse, I am no different from the criminal who broke the law."
'..........Ho.'
Sun-woo felt a flicker of genuine admiration. She possessed a moral compass that seemed far too upright for someone who was Lee Jae-won’s daughter.
"I suppose your words do have some merit."
The man nodded slightly.
"Then, will you spare him?" Lee So-ran asked, her face brightening.
Swish!
The moment she finished speaking, the man swung the dagger toward the gambler.
Thud.
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
A blood-curdling scream instantly filled the hall. The man’s dagger had cleanly severed the gambler’s right wrist.
"Aaaaaaaagh! My hand! Aaaaagh!"
The gambler clutched his spurting stump and began to roll on the floor in agony. The pain was excruciating.
"What do you think you're doing!?"
Lee So-ran’s eyes widened in shock. What on earth was this?
"I didn't kill him, did I?" the man replied nonchalantly.
"That’s not the point!"
"It’s fine. People can live perfectly well without one hand."
"What!?"
Lee So-ran stared at him, dumbfounded by his brazen attitude.
"I intended to cut his wrist from the start. After all, isn't the wrist just the 'neck' of the hand?"
The man’s lips curled into a deep smile.
"Unbelievable."
Lee So-ran let out a hollow laugh. She was so stunned by the fact that he could remain so playful after cutting off a man’s hand that she couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle.
"Do you realize that cutting off someone’s hand is also a crime?"
"It’s fine. Aren't we Murim people basically criminals anyway? We don't pay taxes and we kill people for a living. Adding one more charge to the list won't make much of a difference."
The man continued with a mischievous grin. Lee So-ran looked at him as if he were the most absurd person she had ever met. She had never heard a martial artist describe their own kind in such a way.
Thud, thud, thud!
Just then, a group of rough-looking men with swords strapped to their waists came rushing toward the dice table. They appeared to be the security guards of the gambling hall. They quickly surrounded the man who had just severed the gambler’s wrist, clearly intending to prevent him from escaping.
"Sir, what is the meaning of this?"
The largest man among them spoke in a voice as heavy as a boulder. He was clearly furious.
"I cut off a wrist. Isn't it obvious?" the man asked, looking puzzled.
"And why?"
"He was cheating."
"Then you should have reported it to the manager. Taking matters into your own hands like this is unacceptable."
"He brought it on himself. He put his own life on the line."
"Private betting is strictly forbidden in this establishment."
"I didn't know that. I'll be more careful next time."
The man remained perfectly composed.
"I’m afraid there won't be a next time. You’re coming with us to the magistrate."
The giant glared at the man.
"That’s not a bad idea... but it’s not particularly good either."
"I’m not in the mood for wordplay."
"Neither am I. Since the Government and Murim are strictly non-interference, why do you think you can lay a hand on me?"
"That depends on the martial artist. Do you really think the authorities would be afraid of a nameless nobody like you?"
The giant sneered. He had checked the guest log before coming over. He knew this shabby-looking man had spent a large sum of money to enter the hall. He took him for a mere nouveau riche, not a proper martial artist. There was no reason to fear such a man.
"This is quite embarrassing. I thought I was somewhat famous, but to be treated like a nameless nobody..."
The man scratched his head.
"People tend to overestimate themselves."
"Still, if you heard my name, I doubt you’d be unfamiliar with it."
"I’m not interested."
Cutting the man off, the giant signaled his men. It was the command to take him down. He was done talking.
Schwing!
The guards drew their swords and lunged at the man simultaneously. Their movements were clean and coordinated—they had clearly been trained to fight as a unit. In an instant, the man’s figure was swallowed up by the swarm of guards. He was completely overwhelmed.
'It’s over.'
The giant smiled with satisfaction. He was pleased by how anticlimactically it had ended.
Thump.
Then, something strange happened.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
One by one, the guards who had swarmed the man began to drop to their knees. Soon, the man who had been hidden by the crowd was revealed once more.
"My name is Jang Sun-woo."
The man, Jang Sun-woo, spoke slowly as he looked at the giant.
"In the Murim, I am often referred to by the rather extravagant title of the Heavenly Dragon."
A deep, knowing smile played across his lips.