Chapter 5: The Fist King Declares His Return
The Fist King Declares His Return
Episode 5: The Fist King Declares His Return
Dan Woo-sung's conclusion after absorbing Lee Jin-eon's memories was this:
'You would've been happier born into a poor family.'
Lee Jin-eon had learned the taste of money from an early age. If he got beaten up in the neighborhood, he threw money at the problem. If he had a falling out with a woman, he took his money to the brothels. His life had become cowardly because of money—and his inherently weak personality played no small part in that.
Dan Woo-sung despised people who lived naively kind lives without any self-preservation, and Lee Jin-eon was exactly that type.
His nature was gentle.
But so what?
How much help was that in surviving the harsh realities of life?
Money had only made Lee Jin-eon weaker.
Because he mistook the power of money for his own strength, people began to look down on him.
The pressure of being the heir, the emotional battles between siblings, the shifting attitudes of his younger brothers as they grew up, the increasingly cold gaze of his father, even the way the servants looked at him—all of it tormented Lee Jin-eon.
But he still had money.
Whenever things got tough, he turned to alcohol, cycled through women, and flaunted his wealth in front of his so-called friends. He even knew those friends only stuck around for his money. Yet, in his already ruined life, he didn't have the courage to cut them off. His daily routine consisted of dragging along freeloaders who only wanted free drinks and food, hopping from one brothel to another.
In short, his life had been a complete mess.
When Lee Jin-eon collapsed coughing up blood—having never cared for his health—his father ordered him to recuperate in this secluded villa. That was the main event leading up to now.
With these memories and the faces he had seen in portraits overlapping, Dan Woo-sung fully grasped the situation as if he had absorbed all of Lee Jin-eon's experiences.
If Lee Jin-eon had been such a wreck, then this exile wouldn't have bothered him much. Dan Woo-sung decided to calmly restore his martial arts and return when the time was right.
Having fully assimilated the memories, Dan Woo-sung abruptly stood up, grabbed Gongson Myeong by the scruff of his neck, and dragged him out of the room. He still planned to bury this shameless physician properly.
All the maids had gathered in the main hall.
Two hours ago, when Dan Woo-sung had dragged the physician's corpse outside, one of the maids had fainted in shock.
Now that the Grand Prince had summoned everyone after killing the physician, they all held their breaths, wondering what was happening.
Dan Woo-sung spoke to the gathered maids.
"Listen up."
"Yes, Young Master."
"I killed Physician Gongson. His treatments worsened my condition. Things like the Yongbong tonic were practically poison. As you've seen, all I did was regulate my diet and stop taking his medicines—and my health improved. That proves this so-called physician cared more about money than his duty. That's why he's dead. Even if I'd spared him, he would've gone somewhere else and used his medical skills to kill others."
The maids had nothing to say. Frankly, he didn't owe them this explanation.
Dan Woo-sung reassured them.
"If the main family questions this, I'll handle it. No matter what happens, I won't let any harm come to you."
Only then did the maids respond.
"Thank you, Young Master..."
"We appreciate your consideration."
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"And clean out Physician Gongson's quarters thoroughly—you can use them. If you find any letters exchanged with someone from the main family, bring them to me."
His tone was unnervingly calm, leaving the maids trembling even as they replied.
Once the maids retreated with bated breath...
Dan Woo-sung pondered the order in which he should imprint martial techniques onto his new body.
Not training—imprinting.
Some techniques would be impossible to execute due to insufficient internal energy. Others would fail because his current body couldn't achieve the necessary speed. He needed to find what suited Lee Jin-eon's physique for maximum efficiency.
After some thought, he decided to focus on the White Lightning Ten Stages up to the fourth stage while imprinting the Enlightened Footwork, Enlightened Body Technique, and Shifting Lightfoot Technique into his body. Speed and instantaneous movement were matters of life and death—they had to be honed first.
The reason he prioritized the White Lightning Ten Stages was simple:
Its lightning energy could inflict excruciating pain on opponents.
A strange thought crossed his mind.
It felt like he was revisiting the basics of the martial arts he had once mastered. When he was the Fist King, he never looked back at his early techniques—yet now, survival demanded it.
Rising from his seat, Dan Woo-sung headed back to Mount Jiuhua.
He had never desired or expected another life. Both Lee Jin-eon's body and Dan Woo-sung's mind were now solely focused on training.
By the time Dan Woo-sung had spent four full seasons training relentlessly between the villa and Mount Jiuhua...
A young swordsman entered the villa and asked a passing maid:
"Where is the Grand Prince?"
Startled by the unfamiliar voice, the maid replied:
"Ah, he should be at the training grounds by now."
The man wore the uniform of the Silver River Merchant Group's Escort Team, so the maid patted her chest in relief.
The man tilted his head.
"Training grounds? There's a training ground here?"
"Yes. He's converted the rear annex into one. That way—"
The maid pointed to a small path on the right side of the main building.
As the swordsman from the main family walked toward the training grounds, the maid hurried off to inform the others.
The unfamiliar man was Mok In-seop, a young martial artist from the Escort Team, here to deliver a letter to the Grand Prince.
The annex door was wide open.
When Mok In-seop stepped inside, he saw a shirtless man sitting cross-legged on the polished wooden floor, his back turned.
His entire body glistened with sweat.
His exposed back revealed finely toned muscles.
Though he doubted this man could be the Grand Prince, Mok In-seop cautiously asked:
"Prince Jin-eon? I'm Mok In-seop from the Escort Team."
Dan Woo-sung casually threw on his robe and replied:
"Come up."
Mok In-seop glanced down. The wooden floor was slightly elevated. As he moved to step up, Dan Woo-sung added:
"Take off your shoes."
"Ah, yes."
Mok In-seop removed his shoes and stepped onto the creaking floorboards.
Dan Woo-sung continued regulating his breathing.
Finally, Mok In-seop approached, bowed slightly, and looked at his face.
"It's been a long time."
Dan Woo-sung gestured for him to sit. Mok In-seop handed over the letter from his pocket before settling down.
As Dan Woo-sung read the letter, Mok In-seop stared in shock at his torso. Through the loosely buttoned robe, he could see well-defined abs and sculpted muscles that looked carved by a blade. His sun-bronzed skin only added to the imposing aura.
What the hell? Since when did the Grand Prince have this kind of physique?
He looked like an external martial arts master—no trace of sickness remained. Steam rose from his crown, a telltale sign of intense training. The white mist swirling above his head was characteristic of the White Lightning Ten Stages, a technique harnessing extreme yang energy.
After finishing the letter, Dan Woo-sung asked:
"There's no explanation for why he collapsed."
The letter briefly mentioned that Lee Jin-eon's father was bedridden—yet it contained no order for the Grand Prince to return. It was merely an FYI.
Mok In-seop sensed disappointment in Dan Woo-sung's expression. He had expected at least some concern for his father, but the atmosphere was icy.
Mok In-seop explained:
"The Guyang Clan raised their protection fees again. Before that happened, we signed a new contract with Iron Shield, a rising security force in Euisung, to escort goods to the Western Regions. But the Laughing Immortal Sect, based in Euisung, used this as an excuse to impose a 'tax' on our weapon shipments. It's extortion, plain and simple. The Iron Shield merchants must've known but stayed silent—both sides screwed us over."
Dan Woo-sung asked:
"What did the Guyang Clan do about it?"
"They're sticking to their original contract—only providing martial support if the Silver River Merchant Group's main family faces trouble. They never agreed to meddle in trade disputes. Contractually, they're clean. Morally, we're the only ones pissed."
"And that's why he collapsed?"
Mok In-seop grimaced.
"There's more. Amid all this, the Second and Third Princes' personal guards got into a fight that escalated into drawn blades. The princes got caught in the crossfire—the Second Prince was injured. Things settled down, but... With external problems piling up, the infighting must've been the last straw. The physician called it pent-up rage."
Frankly, Mok In-seop didn't know why he was explaining all this to the notoriously useless Grand Prince. In the past, he would've just handed over the letter, exchanged a few words, and left.
But something about the Grand Prince's demeanor had changed, so Mok In-seop found himself elaborating.
Part of him also wanted to observe the man closely while talking.
After a moment of thought, Dan Woo-sung replied:
"Just refuse the Laughing Immortal Sect's demands."
"Huh?"
"Even if they send a few masters in anger, the Guyang Clan will handle it."
"But the Iron Shield contract—"
"There's no need to keep selling goods tainted by conflict. This isn't your only business. Pay the penalty and cut ties. That aside, the Guyang Clan is the stranger one here."
"How so?"
Dan Woo-sung hesitated—his suspicions were still speculative.
"I'll tell you after looking into it more. But if my father's bedridden while my brothers are fighting—with blades, no less—this can't be ignored. If siblings start crossing swords, who knows where the sparks will fly next?"
"Exactly. It's serious."
Mok In-seop nodded vigorously. Hearing the Grand Prince speak so reasonably was surreal.
Dan Woo-sung looked at him and said flatly:
"I'll return soon."
The villa's stock of high-quality ginseng and elixirs had run out—he needed the merchant group's resources. Neither Lee Jin-eon nor Dan Woo-sung wanted the Silver River Merchant Group to collapse.
Mok In-seop stared wide-eyed before catching himself and bowing slightly.