Chapter 62: The Fist King Asks Why You're Smiling
The Fist King Asks Why You're Smiling
Chapter 62: The Fist King Asks Why You're Smiling
Early morning.
Ha Jeon-ik's subordinates swarmed in, paying no attention to Cheol Myung-ho as they swept the floor, rearranged desks and chairs, and carried lumber down the stairs to transform the space into a training hall. These were the disciples of the Eight Dragons Sect, repurposing the underground gambling den into an underground training ground.
Curious, Cheol Myung-ho turned to Ha Jeon-ik sitting beside him and asked,
"How many died when they tried to attack the Grand Prince?"
Ha Jeon-ik replied,
"Only three died—all in a single strike. And one of them was Master Jeokye. Elder Maeng, the finest fist master of the Eight Dragons Sect. Though he was blind, none of us expected him to die so pitifully. The gap was simply too vast."
"Hahaha, all in a single strike."
Ha Jeon-ik nodded solemnly.
Cheol Myung-ho sighed and spoke as if resigned to making the best of the situation.
"Master Ha, let's do our best. Truth be told, my left hand was crushed by the master too. Broken in several places. Worst of all, he ordered me to swing the Three Calamities Sword Technique a million times. I doubt there's another madman like him in this world."
Ha Jeon-ik frowned and stared at Cheol Myung-ho.
"A million times?"
Cheol Myung-ho exhaled deeply and nodded.
"I swung it while walking, while barely sleeping—but I haven't even reached eighty thousand yet. My arm feels like an umbrella, and an umbrella feels like my arm."
"You've been counting?"
"Do you think I'd bother counting if I didn't have to? Do you know why Jeokye ended up dead at the Grand Prince's hands?"
Ha Jeon-ik lowered his voice slightly and replied,
"I don't. I've been wondering about that myself."
Cheol Myung-ho narrowed his eyes and spoke in a chilling tone.
"He died for the simple crime of interrupting my training. His men dared to interfere with me before I could complete my million swings. Poor bastards."
Cheol Myung-ho rubbed his face as if exhausted.
Through his fingers, he watched Ha Jeon-ik's expression.
What an idiot.
A seismic shift was happening in Ha Jeon-ik's pupils. Cheol Myung-ho was actually a little afraid of the Eight Dragons Sect leader, so he was laying it on thick.
Clang—!
The iron door swung open, and Dan Woo-sung entered with an impassive face. Ha Jeon-ik stood up, his expression pale.
"...Just give the order."
Dan Woo-sung tilted his head slightly at this nonsense before turning to Cheol Myung-ho.
"How many have you done?"
Cheol Myung-ho answered immediately.
"Seventy-four thousand eight hundred... No, let's just call it eight hundred."
Truthfully, he'd lost count after that, so he reset to eight hundred.
Dan Woo-sung replied flatly,
"Not bad."
Cheol Myung-ho grinned awkwardly.
"I'll work harder. Only nine hundred twenty-five thousand two hundred left. I'll finish quickly, so make sure you teach me the next one."
Dan Woo-sung gave him a strange look.
"What's wrong with you, you crazy bastard... Anyway, Master Ha."
"Yes, just give the order."
Taking the request literally, Dan Woo-sung issued a series of commands.
"Contact intelligence networks. Investigate the movements, trends, and rumors of the Demonic Path."
"Understood."
"Find out if any notable orthodox masters have gone missing or been involved in incidents recently."
"I'll look into it."
"Check for connections between the two. I've also heard that when the Demonic Path begins to move, they frequently make contact with the Black Path first—either to use them as shields or to provoke conflict with the orthodox factions. See if any factions you know have been approached."
Ha Jeon-ik's eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
"Understood. I'll mobilize my subordinates and connections to gather all the information."
Having said his piece, Dan Woo-sung vanished without another word.
When Ha Jeon-ik turned to Cheol Myung-ho, the latter pointed at the iron door where Dan Woo-sung had disappeared.
"See that? That arrogant bastard. Says what he wants and leaves. He wasn't like this before. He used to get beaten up by me. This is how he's getting his revenge."
Ha Jeon-ik sank back into his chair with difficulty.
"Watch your tongue, Master Cheol."
"It's not about watching my tongue... Master Ha, am I wrong? He's utterly insane. You... Well, let's just say we're both screwed. If either of us disobeys him, we'll be joining Jeokye in the afterlife."
Ha Jeon-ik nodded grimly.
"So it seems. I'll keep that in mind."
The utterly insane man's friend returned to the Silver River Merchant Group and surveyed the escort team sitting in disciplined rows. All of them were circulating their energy while digesting elixirs.
Deputy Leader Han Yeop gave Dan Woo-sung a slight nod as he passed. Dan Woo-sung then turned his attention to the Double Report Brothers, who were sitting cross-legged in his quarters, absorbing the elixir's energy through the Black Dog Rebound Technique's breathing method.
After looking around, Dan Woo-sung found he had nothing pressing to do.
He simply hoped this quiet moment would pass peacefully and returned to his room, focusing solely on his breathing technique like the rest of the merchant group's warriors. The Silver River Merchant Group had never been so silent.
By sunset, Chief Administrator Lee Hwa-eon quietly sought Dan Woo-sung out.
"Brother, the old man you mentioned has arrived."
"The medicine trader?"
"Yes. He's waiting in the reception room."
"Understood."
Accompanied by Lee Hwa-eon, Dan Woo-sung arrived at the reception room and studied the old man. He was a small, white-haired elder with a perpetual smile. After exchanging brief greetings and sitting across from him, the old man spoke.
"I wished to meet you in person to discuss the elixir trade. You may call me Elder Yang."
Given Elder Yang's advanced age, Dan Woo-sung responded respectfully.
"I see. That's understandable."
"The elixir I wish to trade with you is the Moonbloom Flower. Have you heard of it?"
Dan Woo-sung shook his head.
"Never."
"There are three instances where a medicine trader can strike it rich enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives: Supreme Elixir, Natural Wine Fruit, and Moonbloom Flower. Of course, there are also elixirs like the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng or the Human-Shaped Snow Ginseng, but those are beyond the reach of ordinary folk. Chasing after them is a fool's errand—you'd freeze to death. The three I mentioned, however, can occasionally be found by lucky medicine traders in their daily work."
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"Did you bring it?"
Elder Yang shook his head.
"Of course not. The Moonbloom Flower cannot be stored—it withers the moment it's plucked. The consumer must go to where it grows and ingest it directly. You can verify its existence with senior members of your group who have experience in the martial world. The reason I insisted on meeting you personally is precisely this. There was no other way. If I simply gave you the location, you might take the flower and leave me unpaid. Don't misunderstand—it's just the caution of a medicine trader."
Dan Woo-sung asked,
"What do you propose? If it's truly an elixir on par with Supreme Elixir, let's proceed in a way that ensures success."
Elder Yang replied,
"Fifteen thousand nyang as a deposit. The remaining fifteen thousand after the transaction is complete."
"Thirty thousand total."
"Yes."
Dan Woo-sung tilted his head slightly.
"That seems too cheap for something comparable to Supreme Elixir."
"Not at all. If I could bring the item here and conduct the trade immediately, I'd ask for more. But the Moonbloom Flower makes that impossible—the consumer must be brought to it. And if I sensed any unease in your demeanor, I would've left immediately. The flower doesn't belong to me."
Dan Woo-sung nodded and turned to Lee Hwa-eon.
"Bring a draft for thirty thousand nyang. Fifteen thousand will be paid here."
Lee Hwa-eon studied Dan Woo-sung's expression before replying promptly.
"Understood. I'll fetch it."
Dan Woo-sung asked Elder Yang,
"Where is the Moonbloom Flower?"
"If you're available today, I can take you there immediately."
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"We'll depart as soon as the Chief Administrator returns with the money."
"Brother, take care."
Lee Hwa-eon deliberately gripped Dan Woo-sung's arm and gave it a slight squeeze—a silent warning. In response, Dan Woo-sung patted Lee Hwa-eon's hand.
"I'll be back. If Lady Baek comes looking for me, tell her I had business at Dragon Valley Mountain."
"Understood."
Suddenly, Dan Woo-sung locked eyes with Lee Hwa-eon and smirked. Elder Yang interjected,
"Shall we go? The journey is quite long."
Dan Woo-sung's face instantly returned to its usual impassiveness as he boarded the carriage Elder Yang had arrived in.
Inside the rattling carriage, Dan Woo-sung asked Elder Yang, who sat across from him,
"How long will it take to reach Dragon Valley Mountain?"
"Half a shichen to the base. Climbing it is the real challenge. Have you eaten?"
"I'm fine."
"Then let's find a place to eat before ascending. The mountain path is treacherous, though the bright moon tonight will help."
Dan Woo-sung nodded, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. The carriage rattled on toward Dragon Valley Mountain in silence for a long while.
Elder Yang stared intently at Dan Woo-sung before speaking to the coachman.
"Stop if you see a place to eat at the base. It's best to fill our stomachs before climbing."
The coachman replied curtly,
"Understood."
A short while later, the coachman reined in the horses. Elder Yang lifted the carriage curtain and peered outside.
"Let's eat before proceeding. We're at the base."
Dan Woo-sung and Elder Yang disembarked and headed toward a cluster of small inns.
Dan Woo-sung glanced at the coachman, who remained behind.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"I'll stay here."
Inside the inn, seated across from Elder Yang, Dan Woo-sung spoke first.
"Let's have a drink."
"Of course."
As Elder Yang placed their order, Dan Woo-sung gazed at the inn's entrance before staring intently at the darkened mountain base.
Elder Yang also peered into the darkness before smiling at Dan Woo-sung.
"Grand Prince, what are you looking at?"
Dan Woo-sung studied Elder Yang's face before dropping formalities.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Huh?"
Elder Yang's smile faded as if he'd misheard. Dan Woo-sung pressed again.
"I said, why the hell do you keep smiling? At the merchant group, in the carriage—is it a habit?"
Before Elder Yang could respond, a server arrived with alcohol and cups, placing them on the table while eyeing Dan Woo-sung.
Dan Woo-sung poured Elder Yang a drink first. Once the server left, Elder Yang smiled again.
"Did something upset you?"
Dan Woo-sung tapped the table slowly with his finger.
"Let me think for a moment. Jeokye's been dealt with. The Eight Dragons Sect wouldn't dare pull something like this. The assassins hired by Guyang Hoo's group have no real motive. Who else is left...?"
Muttering to himself, Dan Woo-sung pointed at the cup.
"Drink."
Elder Yang absolutely refused. Dan Woo-sung murmured again.
"The Namgung or Dokgo families wouldn't do this. They're not this incompetent."
He pointed at Elder Yang.
"There's definitely something. Someone with a grudge against me..."
"Grand Prince, what are you talking about—?"
Dan Woo-sung's gaze remained fixed on the pitch-black darkness outside until the words of the courtesan Soo Ran-yi suddenly came to mind.
"Just stay with me until the lights come on, alright?"
Dan Woo-sung finally tore his eyes away from the darkness and glared at Elder Yang.
"What's your connection to the Soheon Sect's leader?"
Only then did Elder Yang's smile vanish.