Chapter 101: The Fist King Is No Ordinary Master
The Fist King Is No Ordinary Master
Chapter 101: The Fist King Is No Ordinary Master
"Chan, are you really going to do this?"
As Jeong Chan began smashing up the shop, the owner clung to his waist, trying to stop him. Ignoring the plea, Jeong Chan kicked and shattered everything in sight.
The shopkeeper roared in frustration.
"I need to sell this stuff to pay the protection money! Why are you destroying it? There are injured people all over the neighborhood—medicine costs, doctor's fees, everything's piled up! I'm not refusing to pay, I'm just asking for a little more time—"
Jeong Chan suddenly turned and slapped the man across the face.
SMACK!
The shopkeeper, stunned, clutched his cheek.
Jeong Chan sneered.
"Mister Gong, you think protection money is some kind of joke? Didn't I warn you last time—if you're late again, I'd wreck the whole place?"
The shopkeeper glared at him furiously before storming inside. He returned moments later, gripping a kitchen knife, and thrust it toward Jeong Chan.
"You goddamn bastard, Jeong Chan! Just kill me, then! How the hell am I supposed to pay if I don't have money? Chan, you grew up in this neighborhood—you can't act like this. Are you even human? Ever since you joined the Black Ink Hall, you've turned into a monster! Don't you remember how the elders took you in as an orphan, fed you, gave you dumplings when you were starving? You're worse than an animal, you ungrateful little shit!"
Jeong Chan's face flushed red.
"You crazy old man—"
He kicked the shopkeeper square in the stomach, sending him tumbling backward as the knife clattered to the ground.
At that moment, another shopkeeper from across the street suddenly bellowed.
"Hey! Jeong Chan, you bastard! Cut it the hell out! You keep this up, and someone's gonna die! You're supposed to be collecting protection money to protect us, not wreck our shops and spill our blood! You know damn well Gong's family had a funeral—he couldn't open shop for days! Keep pushing, and we won't just sit back and take it!"
Jeong Chan spat curses.
"What the fuck? All you old bastards gone senile? You think just because some punk's here to collect, you can act tough? You all look down on me 'cause I grew up here, huh?"
He picked up the kitchen knife and pressed it against the shopkeeper's face.
"Ajussi, should I just finish you off right now? Huh? Want me to?"
The shopkeeper hesitated, then glanced toward the entrance.
A young man stood there, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe, watching silently.
The shopkeeper shook his head and gestured.
"We're closed today. Move along."
A clear signal to stay out. But the man ignored it, scanning the wrecked shop before locking eyes with Jeong Chan.
"How much is the protection money?"
His voice was low, but it carried—sharp and unmistakable.
Jeong Chan exhaled sharply.
"The hell? Another busybody sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."
He flipped the knife in his hand, spun it once in the air, then hurled it straight at the intruder.
WHOOSH—THUNK!
The blade whizzed past the man's face and embedded itself in the wooden pillar behind him.
Only then did Jeong Chan turn fully, glaring.
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
Most people would flinch when a knife was thrown at them. But the man didn't move an inch—likely because he knew the blade wasn't aimed at his face.
The man with his arms crossed was none other than Dan Woo-sung, the former Fist King, who had recently entered Southern Black Path territory.
Dan Woo-sung repeated his question.
"Are you deaf? I asked how much the protection money is."
Jeong Chan's eyebrow twitched. He turned fully, sizing Dan Woo-sung up. A stranger.
Dressed in the latest fashion popular among street youths, his hair tied back.
A rare kind of handsome, with a perfectly balanced physique that even his clothes couldn't hide.
What the hell?
Jeong Chan immediately wondered if this guy was sent by a rival faction.
"Who are you? Sent by the Azure Intent Hall?"
Dan Woo-sung strode forward. Jeong Chan scowled, then threw a punch straight at his face.
Dan Woo-sung caught the fist, twisted it, then yanked Jeong Chan forward and hurled him toward the pillar where the knife was lodged.
Like a projectile, Jeong Chan flew through the air before crashing into the pillar and collapsing. He wasn't thrown hard enough to die—just spat out a mouthful of blood.
The shopkeeper gasped.
"Sir, I—I appreciate the help, but... that kid's with the Black Ink Hall. Don't kill him. Things'll get messy. You from out of town? This area's under their control."
Somehow, even the shopkeepers here had sharp instincts, like seasoned martial artists.
Dan Woo-sung kept his eyes on Jeong Chan as he asked the shopkeeper,
"Is the Azure Intent Hall nearby too?"
"Both the Azure Intent Hall and Black Ink Hall are close. Just a street apart—that's the boundary."
Dan Woo-sung glanced down at Jeong Chan, who was staring up at him, mouth bloody, then kicked him square in the face.
CRACK!
Jeong Chan's head snapped to the side as a tooth flew out of his mouth, landing somewhere in the shop. A thick stream of blood splattered onto the floor.
Dan Woo-sung asked,
"Is the Black Ink Hall part of the Night Assembly Alliance?"
At the mention of the Night Assembly Alliance, both the shopkeeper and Jeong Chan paled.
Jeong Chan clutched his jaw and answered,
"N-no. That's... not an easy place to get into."
"Speak respectfully. Unless you want more."
"Y-yes, sir. But... who are you? I've never seen you before."
Jeong Chan swallowed the blood pooling in his mouth as he stared at Dan Woo-sung.
Dan Woo-sung ignored the question.
"Why do your factions use 'Hall' in their names? Not 'Gang'?"
The Murim Alliance's intel hadn't covered this.
Jeong Chan explained,
"Using 'Hall' implies... tacit acknowledgment of being beneath the Night Assembly Alliance. Most small factions hoping to join them use 'Hall' or 'Society' in their names."
The Night Assembly Alliance was where minor Black Path factions aspired to belong, and the Alliance itself selectively absorbed them. Of course, this was all a result of the Murim Alliance's influence.
Dan Woo-sung nudged Jeong Chan's foot with his own.
"Take me to the Black Ink Hall."
Jeong Chan stood, and as Dan Woo-sung turned to leave—
The shopkeeper, sensing something, cautiously spoke up.
"I'm sorry to ask, but... please spare the boy. He's an orphan. The Black Ink Hall turned him into this. He used to be a good kid."
Dan Woo-sung glanced back at the shopkeeper, who was worrying about someone else despite having just been beaten.
This was a strange place.
Even the shopkeepers were odd.
Who the hell worried about the guy who just wrecked their store?
Dan Woo-sung said flatly,
"If he was good once, that's in the past. No guarantees."
The shopkeeper studied Dan Woo-sung's expression, then sighed and nodded.
"Just... go easy on him."
As soon as Dan Woo-sung turned, he smacked the back of Jeong Chan's head.
THWACK!
Jeong Chan staggered forward but kept walking. Dan Woo-sung followed, asking,
"You hit an elder like that? Are you even human? Answer me."
Jeong Chan glared ahead and muttered,
"Never knew my parents. Guess I'm not."
Dan Woo-sung snorted at the bold reply before stopping abruptly. Jeong Chan halted too, eyeing him warily.
Dan Woo-sung said,
"Who fed you that crap? You think spouting edgy lines makes you cool? 'Not human,' huh? You sure?"
Jeong Chan replied,
"Yes."
Dan Woo-sung smirked.
"Then crawl on your hands and knees like a beast, or admit you're human."
"...I'll be human."
"This damn neighborhood..."
The atmosphere was so rough, even the stray dogs seemed like they belonged to the Black Path.
Jeong Chan stayed silent as they walked, but then—
A veiled woman approached from the opposite direction, holding two ice candies. Though her face was hidden, her figure was striking, her attire elegant like a celestial maiden's.
Even in pain, Jeong Chan couldn't help but think:
Damn. Who's that?
The mysterious man who had just beaten him spoke.
"More ice candy?"
"I got one for you too, Oppa."
Baek Yak, her face veiled, handed Dan Woo-sung the treat. He took it reluctantly, and the two of them began sucking on the candies as they followed Jeong Chan.
Jeong Chan glanced back, startled.
Dan Woo-sung said flatly,
"Eyes forward."
Jeong Chan obeyed, but his ears strained to listen to the conversation behind him.
Baek Yak, sticking closer to Dan Woo-sung than before, asked,
"Where are we going?"
"Black Ink Hall, apparently."
"Oh, part of the Night Assembly Alliance?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
Baek Yak gazed up at him. She seemed to dislike eating while walking, so she was practically melting the candy in her mouth—an oddly amusing sight.
"How's the ice candy?"
"Too sweet."
Behind the veil, she smiled brightly.
"Didn't want to eat alone. There's so much good food here."
Dan Woo-sung pulled the candy from his mouth and laughed.
"Hahaha..."
It was strange. Ever since they left the Murim Alliance, Baek Yak had grown brighter, livelier. Maybe that was the power of travel. And without realizing it, Dan Woo-sung had softened too, influenced by her.
Jeong Chan, still sore from the beating, walked ahead but tilted his head in confusion.
What the hell? A crazy woman sucking on ice candy in the middle of the street? This is insane.
He prodded the gap in his teeth with his tongue, the empty space where his front tooth had been. Now he couldn't even smile properly without looking ridiculous.
So damn annoying.
Meanwhile...
After Dan Woo-sung left, the neighboring shopkeepers gathered around Mister Gong.
The fabric store owner asked,
"You alright, Gong?"
"Got slapped in the face—what do you think? That rotten little bastard. Should've told that guy to just kill him."
"Easy. That young man earlier... didn't seem ordinary. What do you think'll happen to the Black Ink Hall?"
Mister Gong clenched his fist.
"I've been running a shop on this street for thirty years."
"Here we go again. So?"
Mister Gong smirked.
"I used to throw punches back in the day—I know what I'm talking about. That guy's the real deal. The Black Ink Hall's done for. None of us will have to pay protection money for a while. Mark my words."
"Seriously? You really think so?"
"Trust me. I've got a good eye for these things. When it happens, you all owe me a drink. I called it."
The shopkeeper who had been slapped now stood proudly by the pillar, watching the crowd. The neighbors looked at him like he was some kind of prophet.
Mister Gong declared,
"That knife—Chan threw it with everything he had. And that guy didn't even blink when it flew past his face. You know what that means? He's a master. And not just any master."
To the crowd, Mister Gong might as well have been some hidden expert. But since he'd just been beaten up by Jeong Chan, that probably wasn't the case.
This was a place where even the shopkeepers reeked of the Black Path's aura.
And So...
As the shopkeeper had said, the Fist King—no ordinary master—soon arrived at the Black Ink Hall, staring up at its sign.