Chapter 21: The Fist King is Teaching Them a Lesson
The Fist King is Teaching Them a Lesson
Chapter 21: The Fist King is Teaching Them a Lesson
"He will be out shortly. Would you like some tea?"
At the attendant's question, the men from the Guyang Clan who were waiting in the main hall shook their heads. Even if they were to eat, they intended to do so outside.
Guyang Myeong pressed impatiently.
"We don't need tea—just tell him to hurry up."
The fact that they had arrived unannounced and were now rushing things made Shin So-baek frown slightly and turn his head away.
Just then, the Double Report Brothers abruptly entered the main hall, and Yook Myung-bo spoke in a stiff tone toward the three men.
"The Grand Prince has requested your presence in the annex. There is a spacious area there suitable for martial duels."
The three rose from their seats, eyeing the Double Report Brothers closely.
These were men whose bodies bore the marks of rigorous external martial training. How could these be mere mercenaries employed by a merchant group? The three exchanged glances before following the twins to the annex.
The moment they arrived, their eyes widened.
The space was impressively large, but what stood out even more was the massive partition erected to prevent disturbances during training.
From outside the partition, the Double Report Brothers asked,
"Grand Prince, we have brought the martial artists from the Guyang Clan."
"You two, wait outside."
"Yes."
Guyang Myeong spoke with visible irritation.
"Quite the grand setup."
As the three pushed aside the curtain serving as the makeshift entrance, a man drenched in sweat turned to face them. Since no prior notice had been given, it was only natural that Dan Woo-sung—the former Fist King—had been deep in training.
Dan Woo-sung didn't feel entirely comfortable facing them.
From the Fist King's perspective, they were mere junior upstarts.
Only after seeing them did he realize how awkward his own position was. There was no way these men would regard the Grand Prince of the Silver River Merchant Group as their senior.
Dan Woo-sung stared at them for a moment, frozen. The words "I am the Fist King" lingered on the tip of his tongue.
To him, the title of Fist King was more important than any name from his past or present life. Someday, he vowed, the world would call him by that title again without needing to be told. For now, he simply greeted them.
"You've come a long way. I appreciate the effort."
Dan Woo-sung's demeanor had undeniably taken on a domineering edge. Though his tone was stiff at first glance, there was a naturalness to it that left the three men unable to criticize his manner of speech. In any case, today was about settling things through skill. Guyang Myeong introduced himself first.
"Guyang Myeong of the Guyang Clan."
"Guyang Woon."
"Shin So-baek."
Dan Woo-sung nodded. Just from their speech, he could already gauge their personalities.
One was arrogant, another sly enough to mask himself, and the last carried a somewhat unpretentious air. Regardless of their skill, Shin So-baek stood out the most to Dan Woo-sung.
He spoke.
"The rules of the duel shall be decided by the Guyang Clan."
His tone suggested he didn't care how they wanted to proceed, so Guyang Myeong responded immediately.
"We will fight in the order we introduced ourselves. Three one-on-one duels, regardless of wins or losses. Afterward, we will report the results to our clan. If you are injured, we will grant you time to recover—however many days it takes. Ignore the nonsense spouted by Guyang Hoo's hangers-on. Today's three duels will be the last of it."
The Guyang Clan had its pride. Even Dan Woo-sung looked slightly surprised.
Guyang Woon smirked and continued where his brother left off.
"Guyang Hoo caused a lot of financial trouble. Frankly, when the bad news reached our clan, no one was particularly shocked. He was always stirring up trouble whenever he was sent on assignments. The duel was fair, so there's no reason to contest it. However, we will demonstrate our martial prowess before leaving."
It was a reasonable answer, one that Dan Woo-sung found agreeable. He nodded and turned his gaze to Shin So-baek.
Shin So-baek grinned and said,
"I apologize for visiting unannounced. That aside, let's take a short break. The Grand Prince should drink some cool water and steady his breathing."
Dan Woo-sung studied the three and realized they were the ones who looked parched. Likely, they hadn't dared to drink tea or water after stepping into what they considered enemy territory. Testing them, he asked,
"The dried persimmon punch is quite refreshing. Would you care for some?"
Shin So-baek stared intently at Dan Woo-sung before answering first.
"Let's do that. My throat is dry."
Dan Woo-sung called out beyond the partition.
"Jin-bo."
"Yes."
A heavy thud-thud sounded from outside before Yook Jin-bo appeared, carrying a large pitcher of dried persimmon punch and several cups on a tray. The sight of such a burly man performing a servant's task made the guests widen their eyes.
'Were they attendants?'
Understanding the Double Report Brothers' mindset was beyond them.
Dan Woo-sung said,
"Myung-bo, come in as well. Let's drink together."
Of course, the Grand Prince's mindset was equally foreign to them—inviting attendants to share a meal? In truth, Dan Woo-sung had never considered the twins mere attendants, so this was just a minor misunderstanding on the part of the clan-raised trio.
As Yook Jin-bo distributed the cups, even the Guyang brothers—who hadn't agreed to drink—accepted theirs.
Dan Woo-sung personally poured the punch into each man's cup. The five men holding their drinks all stared at him. The Double Report Brothers wouldn't drink unless ordered, while the Guyang brothers still worried whether the drink might be poisoned.
But poison was out of the question.
Dan Woo-sung raised his cup.
"You've come a long way. I appreciate the effort."
He downed the punch in one refreshing gulp, and Shin So-baek followed suit. The Double Report Brothers and Guyang brothers drank in unison.
The punch was so cool and delicious that even the Guyang Clan men were taken aback.
Shin So-baek smiled.
"Exquisite."
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"Let's begin."
Shin So-baek preempted him.
"Spectators might influence the duel, so I'll wait outside."
Without consulting the Guyang brothers, he stepped outside the partition. The Double Report Brothers followed wordlessly. Guyang Woon met his brother's gaze and said,
"Brother, then..."
Though inwardly tense, Guyang Myeong waved a hand, forcing a relaxed demeanor.
He studied the Grand Prince anew. Why did it feel like he wasn't facing the heir of a merchant group, but rather a man who had clawed his way through the martial world? At the very least, he didn't seem like someone who had lucked out against Guyang Hoo.
Now alone, Dan Woo-sung widened his stance slightly and extended a hand toward Guyang Myeong.
"Are you ready?"
Guyang Myeong hesitated before speaking. He had intended to declare he would use palm techniques, but his opponent seemed formidable. He planned to start with palms and draw his sword mid-fight if needed. Winning was what mattered. The partition ensured no one would see anyway.
"I'm ready."
At his words, Dan Woo-sung tilted his head slightly.
"By the way, aren't you going to draw your sword?"
He left unsaid: You'll regret it.
Guyang Myeong replied with a strange expression.
"I'll decide for myself."
His goal was to win all three duels, yet he was already tense.
Dan Woo-sung inwardly scoffed at Guyang Myeong's refusal to strike first.
'That damn pride... Fine, I'll go.'
Closing the distance with the Oryo Divine Steps, he threw a straightforward punch. At first glance, it seemed crude—but it was blindingly fast. The sound of splitting air accompanied his fist.
Guyang Myeong flinched and blocked with both palms.
BAM—!
A crisp impact echoed from behind the partition before Guyang Myeong came flying out, skidding backward with a sharp screech—!
His right palm was braced by his left, his stance low like a horse stance, as if he had mustered every ounce of strength to stop the blow.
But his expression was priceless.
'What the hell?'
More than the power, it was the speed that shocked him. Had he been even slightly slower, the fight would've ended in one strike. Worse, two deep grooves had been carved into the floor by his sliding feet.
Then, the entire partition on one side wobbled before collapsing with a crash.
Guyang Woon approached his brother and whispered,
"Brother, draw your sword."
"Shut up."
Shin So-baek watched Guyang Myeong intently, as if he had expected this.
Guyang Myeong shook out his hands and forced a boastful tone.
"I'm fine. Not bad."
He stepped back inside the partition while the Double Report Brothers calmly began resetting the fallen beams—as if this outcome was entirely predictable.
From inside, the Grand Prince's voice rang out.
"Shall we go again?"
Guyang Myeong snapped back.
"Shut up!"
"Hahaha... Come this way. Let's fight in the center."
......
Guyang Woon, who had been watching, suddenly took a few steps and plopped down in a spot where the shadows of the Grand Prince and Guyang Myeong were clearly visible through the partition.
Crossing his arms, he glared intently—
This time, Guyang Myeong initiated the duel.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Palm and fist clashed repeatedly, crisp impacts ringing out in rapid succession. Their shadows danced across the partition. Each time fist met palm, a sharp crack resounded.
THUD!
Even through the shadows, Guyang Woon could tell—the Grand Prince's footwork surpassed his brother's.
'Damn it, I told you to use your sword! That stubborn—!'
His gaze, fixed on the partition, suddenly shifted to the Double Report Brothers. The two expressionless men were staring in the opposite direction, as if uninterested in the duel. When Guyang Woon turned to see what they were looking at, there was nothing.
'What a strange place full of strange people.'
This was no ordinary merchant group.
Then—the sound of a sword being drawn made Guyang Woon whip his head back.
'Finally!'
The moment the sword left its sheath, sword winds sent the partition fluttering wildly. The speed of their exchanges only grew faster. Rather than his brother's relentless attacks, it was the Grand Prince's evasion that seemed more impressive. Though Guyang Woon was skilled, he knew his brother's swordsmanship better than anyone. As he traced the movements with his eyes, a knowing smile crept onto his face.
'...Once he unleashes the Wall-Rending Sword Veil, the next move will be unstoppable.'
Guyang Myeong traced an inverted triangle in the air, conjuring a blade-like barrier of energy to obscure his opponent's vision before thrusting straight through its center.
Even through the shadows—
Guyang Myeong's sword was mere inches from the Grand Prince's body.
But then—WHOOM!
The two froze.
Guyang Woon stood without realizing it.
'What? An internal energy clash?'
His mouth fell slightly open. The Grand Prince had seemingly caught Guyang Myeong's thrust bare-handed—yet the blade couldn't advance further as their energies collided.
First, Guyang Myeong's sword began trembling, the vibrations traveling up his arm.
The moment both men surged their energy outward, the tangled force exploded outward like lightning.
BOOM—!
The partition was blasted aside, briefly revealing the two combatants before falling back into place, reducing them to silhouettes once more.
Guyang Myeong's sword was now bathed in the Grand Prince's white lightning energy.
Then—
Guyang Myeong let out a stifled cry as he staggered back. Even through the shadows, it was clear he was struggling to regain his footing before an oppressive silence fell.
The problem?
His sword was still in the Grand Prince's grip.
The Grand Prince's voice flowed out.
"An enjoyable duel. Truly, your swordsmanship was better than your palm techniques."
Behind the partition, Guyang Myeong could only stand there, speechless.