Chapter 677: Fist King Eon Jung-gi
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 677: Fist King Eon Jung-gi
As long as a person is born a man, they will dream of being the strongest on earth at least once.
It is a male instinct—the desire to prove that one is superior to all others.
And there was a man who lived his life with this instinct as his unwavering creed: the Fist King, Eon Jung-gi.
Born as the youngest of three sons and one daughter in the Jinju Eon Clan, a prestigious family of the Murim, he had been a madman obsessed with strength since childhood.
He dreamed of being the strongest on earth. He believed that since he was born a man, he had to prove his superiority over everyone else.
To prove his strength, he strove and strove again.
He tempered his body.
He practiced his martial arts.
Step by step, he followed the path toward becoming the strongest on earth.
On the day he reached the age of twenty, he proposed a martial duel to his older brothers. It was to be a bloody battle with the position of Young Clan Head on the line.
At the time, the Jinju Eon Clan was plagued by the issue of selecting a successor.
The eldest, Eon Jung-gol, possessed excellent martial arts and was well-liked, but his hot-tempered and impulsive nature made him inept at management.
The second, Eon Tae-hwan, also possessed excellent martial arts and was calm with decent management skills, but his cold personality meant he lacked a following.
Since both had distinct strengths and weaknesses, it was difficult to choose between them.
It was in the midst of this situation that the third son, Eon Jung-gi, suddenly challenged them to a duel, demanding a life-and-death struggle for the position of Young Clan Head.
When they first heard his words, the two brothers scoffed.
He was a younger brother more than ten years their junior. He was a frail sibling who hadn't even been mentioned as a candidate for the succession. How could they not laugh when such a brother proposed a bloody battle?
Generally, martial arts possessed the characteristic of increasing in depth and strength in proportion to the years spent practicing. This was especially true for orthodox martial arts, where the depth of enlightenment deepened as time passed.
Thus, they had no choice but to mock him. They believed their youngest brother, who had likely just finished his Basic Techniques, could never defeat them.
They tried to persuade him with kind words to send him away, treating him like a cute, impulsive child.
However, they soon realized that their behavior was nothing but arrogance.
Without warning, Eon Jung-gi broke Eon Jung-gol’s nose.
And he did it with a casual swing, not even using a proper martial technique.
His nose shattered, Eon Jung-gol felt an intense rage and attacked Eon Jung-gi, vowing to break at least one of his limbs.
But the one whose limbs were broken was Eon Jung-gol, not Eon Jung-gi. He was completely overwhelmed by Eon Jung-gi, who used nothing but Basic Techniques.
Watching this sequence of events from the side, Eon Tae-hwan was struck with horror.
Eon Jung-gi had treated Eon Jung-gol—who had mastered the Eon Clan’s secret martial arts—like a child, toyed with him using only Basic Techniques. How could he not be shocked?
And to Eon Tae-hwan, who stood there with his jaw dropped, Eon Jung-gi asked:
Did he want to end up the same way?
Upon hearing those words, Eon Tae-hwan immediately tucked his tail. He felt an insurmountable, massive wall standing before him.
Thus, after crushing his older brothers with overwhelming force, Eon Jung-gi ascended to the position of Young Clan Head. He had proven himself through martial might.
Not long after, the Great War of Righteousness and Demons broke out.
Eon Jung-gi began to run wild in the war like a demon. He did it solely to prove his own strength.
He gouged out eyes with his fingers.
He crushed faces.
He burst heads.
He tore off arms.
He ripped off legs.
Yet, it was never enough. It was never enough to prove his strength.
He sought out the strong. He engaged in life-and-death duels with powerful foes.
He shattered the Iron Skin Refinement Demonic Art of the Iron Demon—who was considered nearly indestructible—with his bare fists. Then, he annihilated the Iron Ghost Troop, the strike force led by the Iron Demon.
Despite this, Eon Jung-gi felt a thirst. It was because his thirst for strength remained unquenched.
He raged and raged again until that thirst vanished.
And when the Great War of Righteousness and Demons ended, he came to be known by the title of Fist King.
He was only twenty years old.
A madman obsessed with strength. That was the Fist King, Eon Jung-gi.
*
"You're saying we should call upon the Fist King?"
Lee Jae-won spoke with a slight frown. He didn't particularly like the Fist King, who was known for being stubborn and self-centered.
The man was a lunatic whose obsession with strength surpassed all imagination. The thought of calling such a person made him feel an instinctive aversion.
"That's right," Tang Jin-seol replied, nodding her head.
"Must we call him?" Lee Jae-won continued, his expression showing his displeasure.
In the past, Lee Jae-won had been hounded considerably by the Head of the Eon Clan, who was obsessed with strength. Even when beaten to the brink of death, the man would recover by the next day and come charging back. That insane persistence had caused Lee Jae-won significant mental distress.
Therefore, he was reluctant. No matter how urgent the situation, how could they call such a madman? It was preposterous.
"The opponent is the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace, the absolute ruler of that vast North Sea. Unless it's someone of the Fist King's caliber, we won't be able to suppress him easily."
Tang Jin-seol spoke with a perfectly calm expression.
Their opponent was an absolute master who had annihilated an advance party of over five hundred. To face such a person, they would need to bring in someone at least on the level of the Fist King to match the stakes. Although they weren't the main force, being able to unilaterally overwhelm five hundred martial artists was not something just anyone could do.
"Hmm..."
Hearing Tang Jin-seol's words, Lee Jae-won fell into thought. It wasn't that he disagreed with her reasoning, but he was still hesitant. The mere thought of getting involved with that madman was unpleasant.
"I am well aware that your feelings toward the Head of the Eon Clan are not favorable, Alliance Leader. However, you must think of the bigger picture."
Tang Jin-seol continued with a composed look.
"Generally, all forces in the Murim operate their businesses by gaining trust and support based on their accumulated honor. A faction grows stronger in proportion to its honor. The Cheonmu Alliance is no different. It exists today because of the honor of an Alliance Leader who is a great hero who saved the Murim, and the honor of the chivalrous warriors who fought in the Great War of Righteousness and Demons."
Tang Jin-seol’s eyes sparkled as she continued.
"But now, the honor of the Cheonmu Alliance has fallen to the ground. Five hundred martial artists belonging to the alliance were wiped out by a single person. If we simply stand by and let this pass, people will begin to look down on the Cheonmu Alliance."
"..."
Lee Jae-won remained silent and began to listen intently to her words.
"Unlike the Nine Sects or the Five Great Clans, the history of the Cheonmu Alliance is incredibly short. Compared to those with hundreds of years of history, we have only about twenty years. Consequently, the trust we've built is far more fragile than that of the ancient great sects. If the honor of such an alliance falls, the damage will be incomparable to that of other great sects."
Tang Jin-seol spoke with a grave expression.
"..."
Hearing this, Lee Jae-won nodded slightly, his face turning serious. He realized her words were not wrong.
Unlike sects with long histories like the Nine Sects or the Five Great Clans, the Cheonmu Alliance was young. Therefore, the absolute level of trust in the alliance was bound to be lower than that of other sects. If its honor was tarnished, the blow would inevitably be heavier. After all, it was an organization that gained trust through honor rather than history.
"...Is there a justification... for the Head of the Eon Clan to intervene?"
Lee Jae-won finally spoke, his expression showing he had made up his mind.
"We can use the severe injury of Jae-seon, who was the unit leader of the advance party, as a pretext. Jae-seon is the nephew of the Head of the Eon Clan, so it is more than enough justification."
Tang Jin-seol nodded slightly. Lee Jae-sun, who had been soundly defeated by the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace, was indeed the Fist King's nephew. Seeking revenge for his nephew would be a sufficient reason for him to get involved.
"Hmm... I don't think the Tang Clan Head will just sit back and watch..."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a worried expression. The Tang Clan Head was determined to protect the Ice Palace Master. He didn't think the man would allow Eon Jung-gi to intervene.
"You don't need to worry about that."
Hearing this, Tang Jin-seol spoke in a calm tone.
"Because I will be keeping my brother occupied."
Tang Jin-seol smiled alluringly.
"You will?"
"Yes. While I keep my brother busy, the Fist King can settle matters directly with the Ice Palace Master. Using revenge for his nephew as his justification."
Tang Jin-seol offered a soft smile.
"Hmm."
Lee Jae-won nodded slightly. He thought it was a good plan. In fact, it seemed like the best possible course of action. If it was the fox-like Tang Jin-seol, she could surely keep the viper-like Tang Jin-cheol occupied. And if the Fist King settled things quickly in the meantime, even the Tang Clan Head wouldn't be able to do much. From the moment he chose to advocate for the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace, he had long since lost any justification to stop them.
"It seems like a good plan."
Lee Jae-won finally agreed. He felt it was the closest thing to an optimal strategy.
"However, I wonder if the Head of the Eon Clan will actually follow our plan."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a worried look. Eon Jung-gi was stubborn and single-minded. Moreover, he had a natural rebellious streak and hated acting according to someone else's will. He didn't think such a man would move as they intended.
"You don't need to worry about that either."
Tang Jin-seol smiled enchantingly.
"Because he will never refuse our proposal."
Tang Jin-seol’s eyes sparkled with certainty. Meeting her gaze, Lee Jae-won tilted his head in confusion. What on earth was she relying on to be so certain? Lee Jae-won’s eyes began to fill with doubt.
*
The Jinju Eon Clan.
Located in Jinju, Hebei, the Jinju Eon Clan was a prestigious Murim family famous for its fist techniques and Jiangshi Technique.
One might wonder why an Orthodox sect would use Jiangshi techniques, but the Eon Clan's Jiangshi Technique was fundamentally different from the arts of the Evil and Heretical Sects that controlled the dead.
Instead of manipulating corpses, it was a technique that made the bodies of the living as hard as a Jiangshi.
Based on their bodies hardened through the Jiangshi Technique, the warriors of the Eon Clan performed the Eon Clan Fist. When this fist technique reached its peak, it possessed maximized destructive power, capable of shattering boulders the size of houses and toppling giant trees.
The Jinju Eon Clan could be described as a place where one could harmoniously master both external and internal arts.
*
A massive boulder the size of a house.
"Phew..."
In front of it, a man with rugged muscles exhaled deeply.
Crack, crack.
He clenched his boulder-like fists tightly.
Twitch, twitch.
The muscles throughout his arms began to ripple incessantly and then started to swell. His biceps bulged. His forearms hardened. His veins began to stand out vividly.
Before long, the man's arms had become twice as thick as before.
The man pulled his right fist back.
Whoosh!
Then, he swung it forward. He concentrated all his energy into a single point.
Boom!
His fist collided with the house-sized boulder, and a massive roar echoed through the area.
However, contrary to the thunderous sound, the boulder remained perfectly intact. It was as if nothing had happened.
Slide.
Seeing this, the man slowly withdrew his fist. Then, he turned around as if his work was done, without a hint of lingering attachment.
Crumble...
At that moment, an anomaly began to occur. Stone dust started to pour from the spot where the fist had landed. Slowly at first, then faster as time passed.
Crumble, crumble!
Before long, the house-sized boulder completely turned into stone dust. Nothing remained where the boulder had been, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Thud, thud, thud.
The man showed no emotion. He began to walk away slowly.
"Clan Head! Clan Head!"
Just then, a familiar voice called out from somewhere. The man turned his head toward the source of the voice. A familiar face came into view.
The man stopped in his tracks. He waited until the familiar person reached him.
"What is it, Chief Seneschal?"
The moment the man arrived in front of him, the Clan Head asked with a calm face.
"A... a letter has arrived from the... Cheonmu Alliance!"
The man called the Chief Seneschal spoke with evident urgency.
"A letter from the Cheonmu Alliance?"
The man asked, looking puzzled.
"Y-you should check it for yourself."
The Chief Seneschal handed over a letter from his robe. The man took the letter immediately and began to read it slowly and carefully, with great focus.
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"
Before long, he burst into laughter. He sounded genuinely amused.
"...?"
Seeing this, the Chief Seneschal looked confused. What could possibly be written in there to make him laugh so heartily?
"Chief Seneschal."
After laughing for a while, the man spoke.
"Please, give your command."
The Chief Seneschal responded with a respectful attitude.
"We are going to the Tang Clan."
The man spoke.
"What!?"
The Chief Seneschal replied, looking bewildered. What was he talking about now?
"I heard there's a strong person there."
The man, Fist King Eon Jung-gi, spoke with a thick smile on his lips. He felt a thrill at the word 'strong.'