Chapter 306

The three people, Yeong-woon, Pyo Sang-guk, and So-min, ended up following Jin Ja-gang into a gambling den.

“Cough cough!”

So-min coughed as soon as she entered.

Thick tobacco smoke rose so densely it was hard to see ahead, and the noisy voices of people rang in their ears. The smell of cheap liquor stung their noses.

“Ugh! My eyes are stinging.”

Several people near the entrance chuckled at So-min’s childish voice full of complaints.

Yeong-woon and Pyo Sang-guk looked around the gambling den as if amazed. People of all ages and genders sat around gambling tables, getting heated up. Money and betting slips changed hands. On one side, someone was lending money at high interest using one table.

The thugs even gave Jin Ja-gang money, telling him to enjoy comfortably before leaving. They repeatedly urged him to let them move him to better lodging if he wanted.

Yeong-woon asked Jin Ja-gang.

“Brother Jin. Those people don’t seem like ordinary thugs but members of Hao Sect. Do you have connections with Hao Sect too?”

“I once saved someone from a Northern Heaven master.”

“Then you’re their benefactor. Hao Sect is in the middle between orthodox and unorthodox, but they’re famous for not forgetting kindness.”

Pyo Sang-guk’s eyes sparkled as he asked Jin Ja-gang.

“Brother Jin, since we’re here, can we play a bit?”

“Go ahead. We’ll stay until closing.”

Even So-min excitedly went to play with Pyo Sang-guk.

Jin Ja-gang also found a suitable card table and sat down. Yeong-woon didn’t join and watched Jin Ja-gang from behind.

Jin Ja-gang’s sudden visit to a gambling den after coming all the way to Chongqing seemed incredibly strange.

The dealer held eighty picture cards and distributed five cards each to five customers including Jin Ja-gang.

The pictures on the paper cards each represented numbers, and players combined three of their five cards to make ten, twenty, or thirty. Then they competed with the remaining two cards for points.

“Damn, it’s a bust. Bust. Tsk.”

If you couldn’t make a multiple of ten with three cards, that round was disqualified. A middle-aged man with a goatee folded his cards.

The remaining four laid out their three cards and competed with the remaining two. As the pot increased, one person gave up halfway.

“Damn, everyone seems to have caught good points.”

The woman sitting next to him swore and revealed her cards.

“I got Bird General! This round is mine.”

Another person clicked his tongue and threw down his cards. Jin Ja-gang showed his cards without much interest. Both cards had people drawn in cursive script style.

“Double ten. I caught People General.”

“…”

“…”

Everyone else looked at Jin Ja-gang with incredulous expressions.

The picture of a person meant the number ten, and double ten with two people was People General. This was called Emperor, the highest hand in card gambling.

When Emperor appeared, participants had to pay three times the pot to whoever caught Emperor.

“Hey hey, Emperor on the first round? Are you kidding?”

Therefore, when Emperor appeared, that round was as good as over. Everyone looked dumbfounded while emptying their remaining money.

The woman who had lost a fortune right before her eyes sat there stunned after losing all her money, then jumped up to borrow from loan sharks.

“Oh! If not for that young man, I would have won it all. Still, my luck today isn’t bad. Lend me some money.”

The other three people cleared out and got up.

“I guess today isn’t the day. What’s this right from the start?”

“Ah, how deflating.”

The dealer took his cut from the pot and pushed the rest toward Jin Ja-gang.

“Emperor right from the start, the young friend is impressive.”

“My luck seems decent today.”

Yeong-woon watched from behind and was so surprised he couldn’t close his mouth.

He had swept up money in just one round. It looked like several hundred nyang at least.

“Making money is easy.”

To Yeong-woon’s admiration, Jin Ja-gang answered calmly.

“Losing it is easy too.”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t bother changing seats and continued gambling there, and as if deliberately trying to keep his word, this time he lost a considerable amount.

Then he repeated winning and losing.

To Yeong-woon’s eyes, it definitely seemed like he had lost a lot, but when dawn came at closing time, silver coins and betting slips were piled high in front of Jin Ja-gang.

It was nearly a thousand nyang. Jin Ja-gang exchanged the money he had won for a single slip and tucked it into his bosom.

In contrast, Pyo Sang-guk, who had lost all his money, looked at Jin Ja-gang with envious eyes.

“Is there nothing Brother Jin can’t do?”

“I’m not good at making friends.”

“Ah… that’s not very comforting.”

So-min had actually won a little and was grinning happily.

“I’ll buy breakfast!”

* * *

Jin Ja-gang went to the gambling den every day. He repeated winning and losing, but anyway, looking back, he never lost money. Before long, he had accumulated a large sum amounting to several thousand nyang.

However, the three people still couldn’t understand why Jin Ja-gang was doing this. Only Pyo Sang-guk got hooked on gambling and enjoyed it, while Yeong-woon and So-min quickly lost interest in gambling.

Following him to gambling dens lasted only a day or two. After more than ten days, even watching became boring.

When they asked Jin Ja-gang what he was doing here, he only answered that he was waiting for the right time.

It was when the three were starting to think they should return to Marvelous Youth Squad.

[TL Note- Mysterious Youth Squad changed to Marvelous Youth Squad.]

Jin Ja-gang brought up something to say.

“I have something to tell you three.”

Since it was rare for Jin Ja-gang to initiate conversation, the three perked up their ears.

“What is it?”

“From today, the atmosphere will become somewhat dangerous.”

“…?”

“If you continue to stay, you might become more deeply involved in my affairs.”

“What does that mean?”

Pyo Sang-guk was puzzled. So-min elbowed Pyo Sang-guk’s side.

“Ugh. He’s saying if we stay together any longer it’ll become dangerous, so if we want to back out, now’s the time.”

Pyo Sang-guk said emotionally.

“That’s looking down on us too much!”

Jin Ja-gang looked at So-min with a slightly bitter smile.

“I deliberately chose my words carefully so you wouldn’t feel looked down upon.”

“That’s exactly looking down on us.”

Pyo Sang-guk got excited.

“What’s the use of choosing words? The meaning is the same! We disciples of Zhongnan don’t retreat before injustice and prioritize chivalrous spirit…”

So-min covered Pyo Sang-guk’s mouth.

“Brother keeps getting excited like that, so Young Master Jin can’t speak properly!”

“Mmph! Mph mph!”

Jin Ja-gang had no choice but to say.

“I’ll be clear. I don’t know where, how, or what kind of people will attack. You’ll have to take such risks.”

A slight tension appeared on the three people’s faces. Whenever Jin Ja-gang said something was dangerous, it had never not been dangerous.

“They move boldly even in broad daylight, don’t fear impersonating officials, and have enough power to mobilize Northern Heaven masters.”

Yeong-woon asked.

“Do you know who that is, Brother Jin?”

“I don’t know the opponent’s identity. I don’t know their intentions either. I only know they’re related to Northern Heaven masters. I came here to catch that clue.”

“That means…”

The three looked at each other.

As they had worried, Jin Ja-gang seemed to be involved in serious matters.

Originally, the three were just about to leave. However, they couldn’t leave after hearing such talk.

Beyond simple curiosity, they were even excited at the thought that they might be able to find shadowy forces plotting schemes in the martial world.

Pyo Sang-guk removed So-min’s hand and put his arm around Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder while saying.

“Good thinking. That’s exactly what our Marvelous Youth Squad does. We rising talents don’t fear any danger to become heroes…”

Yeong-woon and So-min looked at Pyo Sang-guk with stiffened faces.

“Huh?”

Pyo Sang-guk realized he had carelessly put his arm around Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder and flinched.

Even ordinary people would feel bad if someone suddenly put their arm around them, and for martial artists to touch each other’s bodies carelessly was absolutely rude.

Pyo Sang-guk slowly removed his arm from Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder and smiled awkwardly at him who was staring intently.

“Br, Br, Brother Jin said he’s ba, bad at ma, making friends, so he really is ba, bad at making friends. Ha, haha.”

So-min stared at Pyo Sang-guk.

“Brother seems bad at speaking.”

“Qu, quiet, Sister Min! I’m also do, doing my best!”

Yeong-woon laughed heartily.

“Brother Pyo will get severely scolded someday doing that. So please forgive him just this once, Brother J…”

Rustle.

Suddenly there was a fragrance.

The three got goosebumps. Yeong-woon also stopped talking mid-sentence and froze.

Common words floated up in all three people’s minds.

‘Asura Blood!’

‘Nirvana Flower!’

Startled, Pyo Sang-guk stepped back.

Thud thud thud.

Three needles that had been stuck in Pyo Sang-guk’s sleeve collar fell to the floor.

“…”

Jin Ja-gang had somehow stuck needles there, but Pyo Sang-guk, who had needles stuck in his sleeve, didn’t even know.

Pyo Sang-guk protested.

“Using Asura Blood for such a prank is too much!”

Jin Ja-gang answered as if asking what he meant.

“I was also just pranking.”

The three gaped.

‘Who uses Asura Blood for a prank!’

Jin Ja-gang said.

“Ah, you misunderstood because of the fragrance. I bought a sachet in case my techniques might be exposed due to fragrance.”

Jin Ja-gang took out a sachet pouch from his sleeve and shook it.

The three stepped back and glared at Jin Ja-gang.

“It’s deliberate. Definitely deliberate.”

“This has to be deliberate. Why did fragrance come out at that exact moment?”

“Really terrifying…”

Jin Ja-gang smiled broadly for the first time in a while.

“Then I’ll trust you three and make a request. I need help. Will you help me?”

“Well, of course…”

They couldn’t say no at this point.

Pyo Sang-guk thought he couldn’t just accept because he felt wronged by what Jin Ja-gang did to him.

“But tell me just one thing!”

“What?”

“How can you win so much at gambling? No matter how lucky you are, you can’t win continuously. Teach me just one secret technique. Let me win some too.”

Jin Ja-gang held out his hand in front of Pyo Sang-guk.

“What?”

“Watch carefully.”

When Jin Ja-gang turned his hand to show his palm, a card suddenly appeared on his palm. As if it had been there originally.

“Huh?”

Pyo Sang-guk’s eyes widened.

Then Jin Ja-gang flipped his palm. Cards popped out from between his fingers. The cards became two, then three. When he closed his hand, all the cards disappeared instantly.

“What is this!”

Pyo Sang-guk was really surprised. Even when he focused his internal energy and sharpened his eyesight, he couldn’t see Jin Ja-gang’s hand movements. Pyo Sang-guk grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s hand and examined it but couldn’t find the cards.

“Teach me this too!”

“I heard it takes thirty years to learn.”

Pyo Sang-guk was startled.

“Brother Jin, don’t tell me you’ve returned to youth?”

“That’s not it, but if you learn this, you can guarantee victory nine times out of ten.”

“What about the remaining one time?”

Jin Ja-gang smiled slightly.

“Sorry, but I’ll tell you that after this is over.”