Chapter 111: The Fist King Appears as the Bright King
The Fist King Appears as the Bright King
Chapter 111: The Fist King Appears as the Bright King
Ha Jeong-hak was sprinting through the darkness when he suddenly felt his back grow lighter. He stood alone in a space where nothing was visible.
'Huh?'
The only family he had left in this world was his younger brother. Yet in his desperate sprint, he hadn't even noticed when or where his brother had slipped from his back. The absurdity and frustration of it all left him speechless.
All the atrocities he had committed were for the sake of survival—his and his brother's. But if his brother was no longer in this world, there was nothing left to sink further into misery for.
The boy who had once run through the night was now a middle-aged man. Ha Jeong-hak scanned his surroundings and shouted:
'Brother! Where are you?'
Why couldn't his voice make a sound? As he tried to yell again, someone emerged from the darkness, seized his throat, and lifted him effortlessly with one hand. At the same time, the pitch-black void surrounding him shattered, and light flooded his vision.
"Ghk—!"
Blinking against the blinding light, Ha Jeong-hak saw the Fist King gripping his throat, glaring down at him.
Or perhaps it was the Immovable Bright King.
Given that the Bright King (明王) was associated with light (明), Ha Jeong-hak's confusion held an eerie alignment with reality. The Immovable Bright King was a being who subdued all afflictions and demons. Thus, Ha Jeong-hak—his throat in the Bright King's grasp—was nothing more than a manifestation of suffering, a demon who had lived ruthlessly in the Black Path.
'Ah...'
Could such a dream even exist?
As his senses returned, the first thing Ha Jeong-hak realized was that his younger brother, whom he had lost from his back, was still alive. The Night Assembly Alliance was intact. If he died now, Ha Min would have to lead the Night Assembly Alliance in his place. And the belated thought that struck him hardest—he had been utterly crushed by the overwhelming might of the Fist King.
Was this how he would die?
In that brief dream, he had clearly understood what he had missed in life.
Wouldn't death render everything meaningless?
But then, the Fist King glared at him and cursed first.
"You fucking Black Path bastard...!"
Ha Jeong-hak glared back.
"With strength like yours, how could you end up like this?"
The moment the Fist King released his grip, he slapped Ha Jeong-hak across the face.
Whack!
Ha Jeong-hak tumbled across the ground.
His subordinates drew their weapons and rushed forward, but Ha Jeong-hak roared:
"Stop! Don't come any closer!"
The unspoken warning—If you come, you'll all die—hung in the air. Fortunately, his men understood and froze in place.
As the Fist King approached, Ha Jeong-hak rose to his feet. He couldn't comprehend why the Fist King had spared him only to humiliate him, but the reason soon spilled from the man's lips.
Dan Woo-sung grabbed Ha Jeong-hak by the hair and yanked him up.
"Alliance Leader, I expected you to bring the entire Night Assembly Alliance. How fortunate that you only brought this much. Did you really think I'd kill just you and leave?"
If only Ha Jeong-hak died while the Night Assembly Alliance remained intact, another Black Path figure would simply take his place.
Dan Woo-sung wasn't the type to leave things half-finished.
Ha Jeong-hak's pupils trembled violently.
Was this a declaration that he would be killed first, followed by the rest of the Night Assembly Alliance's forces? Only then did Ha Jeong-hak recall the negotiation he had mentioned earlier to Chief Strategist Ha Min.
"Fist King, you can either kill us all... or take us all under your command. We'll accept either."
The Fist King stared into Ha Jeong-hak's eyes and replied:
"I am not Jin So-han."
Ha Jeong-hak nodded. Those words were tantamount to saying he was not of the Black Path—because Jin So-han was the Black Path.
With a courage he hadn't known he possessed, Ha Jeong-hak responded as if declaring he would live like Jin So-han:
"I will live like Jin So-han."
"You? Now, of all times?"
Ha Jeong-hak offered no excuses. The atrocities committed by the Night Assembly Alliance were his burden to bear—even if he hadn't always been its leader.
The Fist King addressed Ha Jeong-hak and his men:
"I came prepared to enact the Seven Captures Seven Releases, but if the Black Path's leader acts like this, it complicates things. I'll invade the Night Assembly Alliance again in one sizin. See you then."
Seven Captures Seven Releases—a reference to the ancient strategy where Zhuge Liang captured and released Meng Huo seven times.
Ha Jeong-hak nodded and replied:
"Then we'll be waiting at the Night Assembly Alliance."
As the defeated Alliance Leader led his men away, people gathered around Dan Woo-sung, who stood with his arms crossed.
Ho Tae-jun, leader of the Mokryongdang, asked:
"What if they flee? Why let them go?"
Do Jin-gwang, leader of the Blue Robe Hall, answered in his stead:
"He's not the kind of man to flee. What kind of Alliance Leader runs away?"
Ho Tae-jun tilted his head.
"Is that so?"
Baek Yak, who had been watching from the rooftops with her face veiled, gracefully leaped down and approached Dan Woo-sung. He muttered:
"Why is the Black Path so... bland?"
Ho Tae-jun swallowed the words he had been about to blurt out in shock.
'You slapped the Night Assembly Alliance Leader across the face, and that's what you have to say?'
Ho Tae-jun, Do Jin-gwang, and even Jeon Bi-rang were stunned by the battle they had just witnessed. The Night Assembly Alliance Leader was far stronger than them—yet he had been defeated so thoroughly that he couldn't even resist.
Baek Yak was equally astonished. Noticing Dan Woo-sung's confusion, she said:
"It's because you're strong, Oppa. Strong enough to shatter the Night Assembly Alliance Leader's expectations."
This battle had defied even her predictions.
Exactly one sizin later.
Guided by Jeon Bi-rang, Dan Woo-sung arrived at the Night Assembly Alliance in an instant using his Lightfoot Technique. Since it didn't matter how the Night Assembly Alliance responded, the two of them went alone.
The Night Assembly Alliance's main gate, always tightly shut, now stood wide open.
The moment they stepped inside, Dan Woo-sung saw rows of weapons neatly laid out on the ground.
Jeon Bi-rang sighed.
"It seems they've surrendered."
Walking silently along the path of weapons, they soon reached the Night Assembly Alliance's largest assembly hall—where the entire force stood waiting.
Kill them all, or take them under your command.
Ha Jeong-hak had chosen the latter.
Dan Woo-sung was speechless. In his past life, he had slaughtered Black Path members whenever possible. Now, they were kneeling before him of their own accord.
He hadn't changed.
The only difference between his past and present life was that he had grown stronger.
He was experiencing firsthand how overwhelming power expanded one's options.
Yet he couldn't help but feel bitter.
What was he supposed to do with all these scum?
Whatever Ha Jeong-hak had told his men, they shouted in unison as Dan Woo-sung approached:
"We greet the Bright King!"
Jeon Bi-rang shuddered, rubbing his arms. What kind of un-Black-Path-like flattery is this? But Ha Jeong-hak had his reasons for bestowing the title Bright King upon Dan Woo-sung.
The Fist King was a title symbolizing the White Path. It wouldn't do for such a figure to become the hidden leader of the Black Path.
Thus, Ha Jeong-hak hadn't told his subordinates or his brother that they had lost to the Fist King—only that they had been defeated by a supreme expert from the Mokryongdang known as the Bright King.
As Dan Woo-sung and Jeon Bi-rang ascended the platform...
Ha Jeong-hak and Ha Min greeted them.
Dan Woo-sung briefly studied Ha Min before recognizing him as Ha Jeong-hak's brother. Aside from being weaker, he was nearly identical in build—just slightly smaller.
Dan Woo-sung addressed Ha Jeong-hak:
"Alliance Leader, have you surrendered?"
His tone almost sounded like he hoped they hadn't.
Ha Jeong-hak replied with a calm expression, as if unable to bring himself to kneel.
"The entire Night Assembly Alliance will serve as your blade, Bright King. We ask for no rank, no privileges. Will you wield us?"
Unlike his composed brother, Ha Min wore a dazed expression. Just how strong is this man to make my brother act like this? Ha Min's martial prowess was inferior even to Ha Jeong-hak's—to him, Dan Woo-sung looked like an ordinary young man. In other words, from Ha Min's perspective, Dan Woo-sung was a master who had reached Return to Simplicity.
"Brother...?"
Ha Jeong-hak gripped Ha Min's arm, silencing him.
Dan Woo-sung spoke:
"I accept."
Ha Jeong-hak raised his hand toward the assembled members. Thanks to his foresight, the Night Assembly Alliance's forces remained intact—and now, they all knelt. Even Chief Strategist Ha Min followed suit.
Ha Jeong-hak studied Dan Woo-sung's expression before finally lowering himself, his eyes bloodshot as he knelt in his black robes.
Jeon Bi-rang sighed beside him.
If I hadn't escaped the Night Assembly Alliance last night, I'd be kneeling with them.
For Dan Woo-sung, who had spent his life breaking things, this was a novel experience. Having lived alone, he had never before taken so many subordinates under his command.
He helped the older Alliance Leader to his feet.
Regardless of Black Path or White Path, Ha Jeong-hak's excessive deference was uncomfortable to witness—even if it was a desperate struggle to survive. Even if the possibility of betrayal remained, it didn't matter.
Because Dan Woo-sung had grown too strong.
He spoke:
"Jeon Bi-rang will remain as the Night Assembly Alliance's guest and overseer. Reports will come through him."
Ha Jeong-hak nodded and replied—now using formal speech:
"Understood."
Dan Woo-sung turned to Jeon Bi-rang:
"Jeon Bi-rang, can you handle this?"
Jeon Bi-rang clasped his fists in salute.
"What can't a man with nowhere else to go do?"
Now that he thought about it, aside from Dan Woo-sung, they were all men with nowhere left to turn.
Dan Woo-sung made his demands clear:
"Revise all external and internal rules to align with the Murim Alliance's. If you feel you can't manage, I'll return—either alone or with Alliance Leader Yoo Jung-hong."
Ha Jeong-hak complied without hesitation.
"We'll change them."
Dan Woo-sung looked at him.
"Alliance Leader Ha."
"Yes."
"Blade Emperor, the senior from the Emperor's Council, fought the Demonic Path and took his own life. He did so because the Demonic Path had mastered demonic arts that drained internal energy. Whether you fight alongside me or alone—if you face the Demonic Path's leader and are on the verge of defeat, end your own life first. That's also why I came to the Southern Black Path."
Only then did Ha Jeong-hak understand the reason behind this man's war with him.
His target wasn't the Black Path—it was the Demonic Path.
Suddenly, Dan Woo-sung gazed down at the kneeling Night Assembly Alliance forces, his lips pressed tightly together. These were men who feared Ha Jeong-hak. Now that Ha Jeong-hak himself knelt, they had no choice but to follow his lead.
Once again, Dan Woo-sung reaffirmed that his path was different from Jin So-han's.
He felt no joy in gaining subordinates.
The only solace was that he had upheld his humanity by avoiding slaughter.
As Dan Woo-sung and Jeon Bi-rang distanced themselves to discuss matters...
Ha Min finally turned to his brother.
"Brother, what in the world...?"
He had been about to ask, Is this humiliation?—but the moment he saw Ha Jeong-hak's expression, he fell silent. It was neither a smile nor a frown, but something indescribable.
Ha Min asked carefully, trying not to wound him further:
"Why lower yourself so much? Was he really that strong?"
Ha Jeong-hak looked at his brother and replied flatly:
"I just wanted to live a little longer."
"Is death that frightening?"
Ha Jeong-hak met his gaze.
If I die, you'll be easily killed by someone else.
The bitter thought lingered in his expression, accompanied by a wry smile.
Ha Jeong-hak nodded.
"When death stared me in the face, I was afraid. I'm sorry you had to see me like this."
He let out a long sigh. Suddenly, his eyes drifted to the darkened scenery outside the Night Assembly Alliance—somewhere in that darkness, the young Ha Jeong-hak still sprinted desperately forward, his brother on his back.
That was why he clung to life, no matter how humiliating.