OGHOU C17

Chapter 17

 

In fact, Songwon was practically the first friend Cheongyeon made after possessing this body.

At first, seeing him dressed in luxurious silk clothes and spending money extravagantly, Cheongyeon assumed he was the son of a wealthy family. He never imagined Songwon was actually the head of a large merchant guild. Upon exchanging names, Cheongyeon was astonished to learn his true identity.

In the original story, Songwon was merely a minor character with a similar fate to Cheongyeon’s. He led his guild across a mountain pass but was ambushed by bandits and died tragically. Passing by, Jeha received important information from him before his bold exit.

Perhaps for that reason, Cheongyeon felt a kinship with him, and Songwon’s easygoing personality helped them quickly become friends.

Traveling across the Central Plains, Songwon was practically an information broker, always bringing Cheongyeon interesting stories. He was a welcome source of comfort to Cheongyeon in the unfamiliar world.

Songwon draped an arm over Cheongyeon’s shoulder and whispered,

“Would you join me for a night outing tonight?”

“A night outing?”

Cheongyeon looked at him curiously. Though they occasionally hung out, it was mostly just going to a tavern for a drink. The phrase “night outing” had a strange ring to it, unsettling him.

“Yes. I’ve found a very interesting place. I’m sure you’ll like it too, innkeeper.”

“What kind of place is it?”

“You don’t know, and that’s the fun of it. Just trust and follow me.”

“Haha… Judging by how you say it, it must be truly something special.”

“It is. Tonight you’ll encounter a new world, so you can look forward to it.”

A new world? Cheongyeon thought it was funny and found Songwon’s excitement endearing. He nodded in agreement.

Songwon promised to pick him up at the hour of the boar （亥時） and left the inn. Feeling refreshed at the prospect of going out, Cheongyeon hummed a tune, only to startle when he spotted Muho watching him from afar.

‘Why is he looking at me like that? Is he still angry? I even apologized clearly.’

Feeling as though laser beams were shooting from Muho’s eyes, Cheongyeon began sweating nervously.

By the hour of the boar, when the red lanterns hanging from the eaves were lit, Songwon came as promised to fetch Cheongyeon.

“Are you ready?”

“Is this really something to prepare for?”

Cheongyeon replied with a smile. Let’s see. He’d just taken his medicine, and tonight wasn’t busy enough to worry about going out. Besides, he had firmly instructed Muho to behave. Seems he was ready.

“Let’s go.”

“Let’s.”

Songwon matched Cheongyeon’s pace, leading the way on a path neither had traveled before. Passing through a wide, bustling street and winding alleys, their shadows gradually approached a darker, more secluded place.

“Do you consider yourself lucky, innkeeper?”

The sudden question made Cheongyeon reflect carefully on his past.

“Hmm… neither particularly good nor bad, I think.”

“Then you better hope for luck tonight.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry too much. Just a little sample will be enough.”

Arriving with many questions swirling in his mind, Cheongyeon found himself before an unexpectedly large pavilion. From the outside, it resembled any ordinary tavern in the bustling district. Bright light and boisterous laughter spilled through the doorgap.

Such a secluded place housing this kind of building?

“Shall we enter?”

“Ah… yes.”

As he crossed the threshold behind Songwon, Cheongyeon finally noticed the signboard hanging from the eaves. In bold brush strokes, it read:

Sang Geum Jang (산금장)

‘Huh…?’

At that moment, memories flashed through Cheongyeon’s mind. The day Jang, the notorious drunk, was beaten at the inn, and the day Muho nearly killed someone.

The burly man who had come to catch Jang had dropped an IOU labeled Sang Geum Jang.

Sang Geum—that name fit perfectly with the gambling den’s blatant character. This was the very place.

In a daze, Cheongyeon stepped forward.

So the great place Songwon bragged about was just a gambling den after all.

He had little interest in gambling before or after his possession. Without expectations, he had never even tried buying a lottery ticket.

But since he was here, he thought he might as well watch.

When he pushed the door open, the smell of alcohol and intense heat hit him sharply.

“Wow… Are all the people from Sichuan gathered here?”

Cheongyeon looked around with his mouth agape. As far as the eye could see, there were people everywhere. Groups crowded the tables, throwing dice or playing folk tiles.

“This place is the hottest gambling den in Chengdu these days.”

“Excuse me? I can’t hear you well!”

The noise was so loud that to speak to Songwon, Cheongyeon almost had to shout. Cheers erupted whenever someone won money.

“What would you like to try first?”

Songwon whispered in Cheongyeon’s ear. Cheongyeon awkwardly shook his head.

“I don’t know anything, so I’ll just watch.”

“Since you’re here, you have to try something. How about this?”

Following Songwon’s pointing finger, Cheongyeon saw a shell game dealer—a conman with a paper and playing cards laid out.

“Want to try?”

Ha ha… a shell game. A bad feeling crept in, but Cheongyeon couldn’t refuse Songwon’s sparkling eyes.

“Ah… okay, I’ll try just one game.”

Encouraged by Songwon’s gleaming expression, Cheongyeon approached the dealer. The middle-aged man, wearing a rude expression, looked up and immediately asked,

“How much will you bet?”

“How much do I have to bet?”

“A minimum of ten silver coins. Nothing less.”

“Ten silver coins? Isn’t that too high a minimum?”

“If you don’t have money, get lost, tsk.”

The dealer grumbled, but a hand suddenly appeared from behind and slapped a glowing gold coin on the table.

“Master Danju…?”

Songwon smiled leisurely as he caught Cheongyeon’s startled eyes.

“This first round is on me. Try betting once.”

This reckless merchant head. One gold coin was worth fifty silver coins—an amount ordinary people couldn’t dream of betting on a single game.

“Don’t worry if you lose. I won’t ask for it back.”

“Ha…”

Well, in that case, there was no choice.

Cheongyeon stared at the paper before him. The numbers one through six were written in Chinese characters.

Seeing the large bet, the dealer’s attitude immediately changed, his hands rubbing together as he kindly explained.

“You bet on one number. After I shuffle the cards face down, I randomly place one card per number. If the card’s number matches your bet, you win.”

“Hmm, sounds simple. I’ll bet on six.”

Cheongyeon placed the gold coin on the number six and glanced at Songwon again for confirmation.

“You really won’t ask for it back?”

“Would I go back on my word to the innkeeper?”

The dealer shuffled the cards and carefully laid them down on the paper. Though Cheongyeon wasn’t interested in gambling, his mouth salivated involuntarily.

“Now I flip them.”

Without hesitation, he flipped the card on number one. It had three holes cut in it. The people who bet on one sighed in disappointment.

Then two, then three. None matched until five was flipped.

Now it was time for the card Cheongyeon bet on—six. The man’s hand reached out. Cheongyeon bit his lip unknowingly.

Whether he sensed it or not, the card flipped in a single smooth motion.

“Oh…?”

“Oh!”

“You won!”

The number of holes on the card matched six clearly.

Victory.

The dealer chuckled arrogantly, then tossed the gold coin as if tossing something trivial. Overjoyed at winning a large sum, Cheongyeon returned the principal to Songwon and expressed thanks.

“Thank you, Master Danju! Gambling is more thrilling than I expected.”

“Want to try some more?”

“No. That’s enough. If I keep going, I’ll lose everything.”

Just then, a woman’s low voice drifted over, cutting off their conversation.

“Your lifespan is short. You won’t live much longer.”

‘Huh?’

Turning toward the voice, Cheongyeon saw a strangely dressed woman. Dressed all in black with a black hood covering her head, she looked impossibly difficult to age.

She stared directly at Cheongyeon.

“Are you speaking to me?”

“Yes, you. You will meet a terrible end.”

“What do you mean…”

“You will die slowly in agonizing torment, your body torn to shreds. Alone in despair with no one to save you, you will be forgotten by all.”

What did she say?

“Since this is your karmic punishment, what good is regret? Tsk tsk.”

Cheongyeon could hardly believe his ears. What she said was no different from the original ending he had received—being captured, tortured, and killed for turning Muho over to the cult.

His heart sank.

“Don’t pay attention, innkeeper. She’s a well-known lunatic in this area.”

Songwon shook his head.

“There were rumors she used to be a fortune teller, but she’s now mad and her powers have faded. Ignore what she says.”

“Even so…”

“Come on. I’ve reserved a room on the second floor. The most interesting game is about to begin.”

Footnotes

1. Danju (단주, 團主): The head or leader of a merchant guild or trading group in historical East Asian contexts.

2. Sang Geum Jang (산금장, 賞金場): A blatantly named gambling den, roughly translating to “Prize Money Place.”

3. Yabai (야바위): The Korean term for the shell game or three-card monte, a common street con game involving hidden objects and betting.