Book 23 Chapter 7

Seeking Lost Money

—But…….

The room was dark, without a single spark of light. Namgung Sang was hunched in a corner of the pitch-black room, as dark as his own heart, wallowing in misery.

"What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? Ah, I was foolish, so foolish. Foolish me, foolish me, how could you be so utterly stupid? To fall so perfectly into the trap they dug, you are truly an idiot! Truly an idiot! Look at the consequences. In a single night, I've incurred a debt of fifty thousand yang, an unprecedented sum! How am I supposed to repay that money now?"

No matter how much he pondered, no viable solution came to mind. Although some members of the Cheonmu Academy delegation were indeed scions of distinguished families, they were not so distinguished as to be able to repay a debt of fifty thousand yang. Moreover, how could he shamefully reveal such a matter to his family and clan? As a disciple of Baekdo, who valued honor as much as life, it was unthinkable.

"I really shouldn't have done it…"

Why had he acted that way that night? Where had his usual composure and patience gone? That day, the first day he set foot on Ganghoran Island, he regretted stepping into the gambling den 'Jeongjeon' so deeply.

At first, they were winning. Every bet they placed seemed to be a winner. They were on a winning streak, and the joyful cheers of the Cheonmu Academy delegation echoed loudly throughout the gambling den. They were all shouts of victory. Although they occasionally lost a bit, those losses were quickly offset by further wins.

"Hao, we won again."

"I won too!"

"You too? Me too!"

Such joyful conversations were exchanged. The gambling den 'Jeongjeon' offered free drinks to its patrons, and fueled by their excitement, they clinked glasses without reservation. The subtle shift in fortune began after midnight. Still intoxicated by their sweet victories, the delegation members had stayed at the gambling den until this point. It seemed as if nothing was impossible for them that day. Drunk on victory, they couldn't hear the sounds of approaching ruin.

After midnight, the frequency of their losses began to increase. At first, it was such small amounts that no one paid it any mind. Then, the number of losses grew, and the amounts began to increase as well. Like clothes getting soaked in a drizzle, they slowly became immersed in defeat. At some point, when they came to their senses, they realized they had lost more than they had won. Everyone's drunkenness vanished. However, not a single man among them got up from his seat. They had to recoup their losses. That was the only thought in their minds. They believed they could not only quickly recover what they had lost but also multiply it tenfold. Weren't they just moments ago on a triumphant path of victory? They wanted to believe that their current losses were merely due to bad luck. The thought that their earlier victories might have been mere coincidences never occurred to them.

At one point, their collective debt had reached a staggering twenty thousand yang. The men of Cheonmu Academy fell into a state of panic. The more they panicked, the deeper their despair grew. It was then that an offer for a game-changing match was presented from the other side. If they won that match, they would not only recover the lost twenty thousand yang but also win an additional twenty thousand yang. However, if they lost this single, decisive match, they would be indebted by a colossal sum of fifty thousand yang. But the thought of losing had already left their minds.

Namgung Sang was chosen to represent them.

"No… I'm not good at this…"

He refused, but it was no use. They told him that their fate rested on his shoulders and urged him to do his best.

"Now, let us begin."

And so, the momentous match began. And the match was a defeat for the Cheonmu Academy delegation, led by Namgung Sang. Thus, their debt immediately ballooned from twenty thousand yang to fifty thousand yang.

The next morning, as they walked out of the gambling den, despair was etched on their faces.

"This was a trap!"

But it took far too much time and sacrifice to realize it.

Afterward, Namgung Sang's 고민 was how to clear the debt, but he couldn't find any viable solutions.

"Sigh… Should I really sell myself…"

As a man, he might not be as valuable as a woman, but he was healthy and skilled in martial arts, so he took pride in himself. Perhaps he could earn money by working as a servant or a skilled warrior for a wealthy family? He thought a skilled warrior would likely earn more than a servant. He had heard somewhere that specialized positions like personal bodyguards to the lord of the manor earned several times more than regular skilled warriors. However, due to the lack of honor, disciples of prestigious sects avoided such work. It would be fortunate if they merely avoided it; most people considered it a "selling oneself cheaply" and felt a great aversion to it, so very few people would go, no matter how much money was offered.

Furthermore, those who went to such places were mostly mere dregs of their sects, bearing the name of disciples from prestigious sects only in name. Therefore, Namgung Sang's presence there would be rare. If he could save his colleagues from their debt by sacrificing himself, it wouldn't be a bad deal. Above all, he was their leader, whether by choice or by circumstance. Even if it meant offering himself…

Up to that point, as he developed his fantasies with all his might, Namgung Sang suddenly jolted and shook his head vigorously.

"Ah, I'm truly losing my mind now. What am I thinking? How can I face Jinryeong if I'm like this? My bad habits are resurfacing again. Foolish me, why are you giving up already? Don't lose hope! Even if a tiger bites you, as long as you keep your wits about you…"

Bang! Crash!

Just then, the door burst open, and a man strode in.

"Captain Namgung, are you in there?"

The figure who barged in without a word looked around in search of Namgung Sang. However, the room was still dark, and Namgung Sang's dejected posture in the corner made it difficult to find him.

"Captain Namgung, are you not in the room?"

Since there was a definite presence of someone, the figure looked around once more.

"I am here, Senior Biyeontae~"

Namgung Sang replied with a weak, faltering voice, struggling to speak. A stout, large man turned his head towards Namgung Sang and beamed with pleasure.

"Ah, you were here. You looked so pathetic, I almost didn't recognize you."

"Is that so? But what brings you here…"

In truth, he didn't want to see anyone right now. The sunlight outside the door was too dazzling for him at the moment.

"Ah, rejoice!"

Biyeontae said, spreading his arms wide.

'Rejoice?'

What on earth was there to rejoice about? Until now, he had been too busy despairing to even remember that the emotion of joy existed. For him to be told to rejoice was an absurd request. That is, unless a way to repay the debt instantly had appeared. But that was impossible…

"A way to repay the debt has appeared!"

A spark ignited in Namgung Sang's dull eyes.

"Is that true?"

Namgung Sang's head shot up.

"Of course. Would I lie about such an important matter?"

If that were the case, even the kindest Namgung Sang wouldn't have let it slide.

"Is, is it true? If it's not true, then I…"

The madness that had been suppressed for so long would explode in an instant, and he couldn't take responsibility for what happened afterward.

"Don't worry, it's true. Look at this!"

With his thick fingers, he handed over a piece of paper. Namgung Sang, still harboring some doubt, took the paper. He carefully unfolded it and began to read it calmly. However, his calmness didn't last long. His eyes soon widened in astonishment. On it was written:

Waiver of Bodily Rights (身體權利抛棄覺書).

"Wh, what is this?"

"Can't you see? It's a waiver of bodily rights. In other words, a slave document."

"B, but why would you give this to me?"

"Huh? Didn't you say you'd do anything to repay the debt? I've mobilized all my information networks and investigated various options, and this is the fastest way to repay the debt. Fortunately, I've recently established connections on Ganghoran Island. They've agreed to pay quite a high price. I persuaded them that someone like you could attract many customers. Lately, the demand there has increased significantly, and the supply is reportedly insufficient. Well, our Ae Sojeo Hoe group considers that completely heretical and deviant…"

"Customers? Demand? Supply? Heretical? Deviant?"

Biyeontae spoke so quickly that Namgung Sang couldn't properly understand.

"Ah, it means selling yourself to 'Dongin,' a famous courtesan house on Ganghoran Island."

Namgung Sang was shocked by Biyeontae's nonchalant tone.

"What would a courtesan house do with a man like me, not a woman? I'd be useless, wouldn't I?"

"Ah, don't worry. It's a male-only courtesan house."

That single, casually uttered sentence was a profound cultural shock to Namgung Sang.

"D, do women buy men?"

"Men buy women with money, so what's to stop women from doing the same? They say sometimes men buy men too. Who knows? If you become popular with middle-aged ladies and receive many requests, you might repay your debt faster than you think? To do that, you'll need to diligently practice entertaining. Competition in that world is fierce, you know. You shouldn't underestimate the water trade. No, you shouldn't."

By that point, the story had reached a level that Namgung Sang could no longer accept.

"Is this really the only way?"

He had considered selling himself, but not like this.

"As far as I know, it's probably the only way."

Biyeontae replied placidly. He and his loyal Ae Sojeo Hoe members had no particular interest in gambling, so they had gone on a pilgrimage to explore the famous courtesans of Ganghoran Island, separate from the delegation. Of course, the Ae Sojeo Hoe's method didn't involve buying courtesans with money. Instead, their method was to observe the top courtesans who sold songs and dances and then record their information. In any case, he was able to remain so calm because he was free from the clutches of debt.

'Is there really… really no other way?'

Namgung Sang, holding the brush that Biyeontae had silently handed him, pondered seriously. His hand trembled as he held the brush. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't muster the courage to sign the blank signature field.

"I absolutely cannot do this!"

After pondering for a long time, Namgung Sang lowered the hand holding the brush and spoke.

"Is that so? Then there's nothing that can be done."

Biyeontae accepted it without complaint.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. You don't need to apologize."

Just then, the door burst open, and another man entered, shouting. It was Yong Cheonmyeong.

"Hey, Captain Namgung! You must have heard the news too, right? A way to repay the debt has finally appeared!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Namgung Sang asked in a dazed expression.

"Huh? You haven't heard about the fighting tournament yet? With a prize of five hundred thousand yang?"

This time, Yong Cheonmyeong asked in surprise.

"F, five hundred thousand yang?"

It was an astonishingly enormous amount of prize money, enough to make his eyeballs spin.

"That's right. Not only will it clear your debt, but it could even change your fortune!"

For a moment, a brilliant ray of light pierced through the darkness that filled his heart. What was written there was a notice recruiting challengers for the Yuan-tong Fighting Arena.

"If, if I win here…"

If that happened, all his worries would undoubtedly scatter into the wind and sand. If that happened, the burden on his shoulders, weighed down by his duties, would also become much lighter.

"If I win there, I won't have to sell myself to a courtesan house!"

"Courtesan house? What are you talking about?"

Yong Cheonmyeong asked with a bewildered expression. Then, Namgung Sang recounted his conversation with Biyeontae. At that, Yong Cheonmyeong looked at Biyeontae with an expression of utter disbelief and said,

"Senior Bi, did you not tell this friend about the fighting tournament?"

Then, Namgung Sang was shocked.

"N, no way, Senior Biyeontae knew about the tournament too?"

"Of course, I heard about it from him."

Namgung Sang looked at Biyeontae with a stunned expression.

"Ah, I forgot."

Biyeontae replied in a nonchalant tone.

"You forgot?"

Namgung Sang protested fiercely, his voice bordering on a growl. It was clear that he had deliberately pretended not to know. The only pity was that there was no evidence. No evidence at all.

'Grrrr!'

Namgung Sang had to expend considerable mental energy to suppress the murderous intent brewing from the depths of his chest. Moreover, it would be problematic if he killed him now. Although he disliked the man, his ability to gather information was unparalleled.

Namgung Sang abruptly stood up and said to Yong Cheonmyeong,

"Let's go register immediately!"

Yong Cheonmyeong nodded.

"Let's. However… change your clothes first. They smell like they haven't been washed in days. How many days have they been?"

His sense of time had become blurred, so Namgung Sang couldn't answer immediately.

"How many days has it been since then?"

"Two days."

Namgung Sang nodded knowingly and replied,

"Then it's two days."

Yong Cheonmyeong then scrunched his face and pleaded,

"Please, try not to let it reach three days."

* * *

Recently, the only thing people were talking about everywhere was one thing. Wherever two or more people gathered, the conversation was solely about the tournament. Other things, the diversities of worldly affairs, seemed to have been temporarily forgotten by people. The ripple effect of the five hundred thousand yang prize money was that significant. The impact reached not only Ganghoran Island but also the adjacent Machon Pavilion, causing the entire region to tremble. In everyone's feverish imaginations, the prize money's owner was themselves.

However, those considered the strongest among them were bound to be frustrated. This was due to a single sentence added to the official notice.

However, participation by Captain-level individuals from Machon Pavilion is prohibited!

Protests immediately poured in from several Captain-level individuals. They possessed the necessary abilities. But Donwang, who had experienced countless battles in the underworld, was not an easy person to deal with. He firmly rejected their requests.

"Please don't be angry. As you know, this is not our intention. The person who requested the addition of this last clause was the Pavilion Master of Machon himself. If you have any complaints about this rule, please take them up with him directly. I am merely a messenger, a mere conduit. What power do I have?"

When they were told to confront the Machon Pavilion Master directly, what could they do!

"……"

With Donwang's words, those who had come to protest could only shut their mouths like clams. No matter how strong and respected they were as Captain-level figures of the Machon Thirteen, they were not so formidable as to incur the displeasure of Machon's highest authority. In fact, very few people knew the true extent of the Machon Pavilion Master's strength. Most of those who had directly witnessed his prowess no longer existed in this world. Therefore, except for a few survivors from the last war, hardly anyone knew the depth of his martial arts. Furthermore, there were rumors that no one would ever know his secret techniques. That meant that anyone who witnessed his martial arts would soon die.

"Would you please leave now? I still have some accounting to finish."

The elite of Machon Pavilion, who had stormed into Donwang's office, were forced to retreat with faces like they had eaten raw soybeans.

Since the establishment of Machon Pavilion a hundred years ago after the Great Blood Sea to prevent the resurgence of Cheon Geop Ryeong, the Pavilion Master had never changed. This was in stark contrast to Cheonmu Academy, which had changed its masters several times. However, that was the logic of the dark world. As long as he remained a strong figure, as long as time did not erode his strength, no one could remove him from his position.

Might makes right!

That was the cruel, ironclad law that made the dark world what it was. If one lacked the courage to directly challenge this iron rule, it was wise to obey the orders. Thus, the last added rule drastically reduced the number of participants.

This was a very fortunate and desirable development for Namgung Sang, who was aiming for a desperate chance at revival, clinging to a single ray of salvation that suddenly shone into the bottomless pit of the dark abyss.