Chapter 64: The Fist King Gets Beaten Up in His Dreams
The Fist King Gets Beaten Up in His Dreams
Chapter 64: The Fist King Gets Beaten Up in His Dreams
The combination of an assassination organization and an intelligence network had many advantages.
First, the information gathered for assassinations could be sold for profit.
Moreover, since most of those who commissioned assassinations or sought information were martial artists, they understood the darker undercurrents of the martial world better than anyone else.
Knowledge was money.
The Gold-Silver Assassin Society, which had once been hired by Guyang Saeng, operated an intelligence organization called Hwai Gate (華耳門) for precisely this reason.
A young man walked into Hwai Gate and slid a payment slip across the table.
"...Any information about that man, no matter how trivial. Just make sure it's interesting."
At his words, a middle-aged woman affiliated with Hwai Gate began speaking.
"Recently, he won the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament."
"I already know that."
"The rising stars of the Dokgo Clan, the Namgung Clan, and the Hainan Sect all lost to him. If that were all, it would just mean a remarkable young master had emerged. But the problem is that rumors have spread even in the Black Path."
"The Black Path too?"
"Yes. The sect leader of the Soseon Sect demanded money from the Silver River Merchant Group and was beaten to death. The Eight Dragons Sect, for reasons unknown, prostrated themselves before the Grand Prince. And the latest news is that the Five Venoms Valley raided the Silver River Merchant Group out of nowhere and were completely wiped out."
"Unbelievable. Have you ever heard of a Black Path faction attacking a merchant group only to be annihilated?"
"Neither have I. But that's not all. He's publicly formed a Merchant Alliance by gathering merchants. The leader of this alliance is the same prince responsible for the incidents I just mentioned."
"Impressive."
"Yes. He's caused so many incidents in such a short time that even our Hwai Gate has taken notice."
"How strong is he?"
"Our conclusion is that he's hiding at least half of his true strength. Oh, I almost forgot—Guyang Saeng, the head of the Guyang Clan, also fought him and lost. He was arrested by the Murim Alliance for threats and other crimes."
The young man fell silent.
"..."
He had come from the Guyang Clan himself. But the woman remained composed, as if she were merely relaying information.
She continued.
"Unofficially, we've been calling him the Most Eligible Bachelor in the Martial World."
"Why's that?"
"After the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament, the movements of the great clans have been easy to track. The Baekri Clan, the Dokgo Clan, and the Namgung Clan—not to mention martial families with marriageable daughters—have all set their sights on the Silver River Merchant Group's prince as a potential son-in-law.
After all, isn't he richer than any of the great clans?"
"Undoubtedly."
"Yes, he's a merchant magnate. Strong in martial arts, and according to rumors, quite handsome too. That's why he's such a topic of interest in our circles. Whenever there's new gossip about the Most Eligible Bachelor, everyone gets curious."
The young man yawned and replied.
"Enough about that brat. I'm more interested in stories about real masters."
The woman closed her mouth and smirked.
The term "real masters" was code used when placing a commission with the Gold-Silver Assassin Society.
"Not some upstart rising star. I'm talking about the legendary masters whose mere presence shakes the martial world."
"My apologies. The Emperors have been quiet, and as for the Three Divinities—well, you know we can't touch them..."
The young man clicked his tongue and spoke in code again.
"Who's died lately? That's the kind of story I find truly interesting. I didn't come here to hear about some so-called bachelor. I couldn't care less about him."
"I'll save those stories for next time."
Her words implied that she would bring news of the Silver River Merchant Group's Grand Prince's death—which also meant she was accepting the assassination contract.
The young man pulled payment slips from his pocket and placed them one by one on the small table. The woman watched silently before finally nodding.
"Then, take care on your way."
The young man stood up, looking stunned.
Just how much had he spent on the commission fee? As he disappeared with a troubled expression, the woman deciphered the coded conversation and relayed it.
"For an interesting story, we'll need our best to move. Timing, strategy—the details will be discussed by the operations team. But first, get the guild leader's approval."
A woman's voice answered from behind an unseen wall.
"Understood."
Meanwhile, the Fist King—who had somehow been dubbed the Most Eligible Bachelor in the Martial World by intelligence organizations—was speaking with the Chief Administrator.
"Brother, Lady Baek is now our merchant group's benefactor."
Dan Woo-sung let out a small sigh.
"Indeed. We're indebted to her in a way that won't be easy to repay."
Lee Hwa-eon spoke with a hint of awe.
"She didn't demand anything from us or act high-handed at all. It makes me wonder—is this what the martial world is like? It feels strange. Definitely different from merchants. That's why I couldn't decide on my own. I need your opinion."
Dan Woo-sung replied.
"They've come from afar, and she even booked lodging nearby to challenge me to a martial duel..."
"Yes."
"But the duel isn't her main purpose. Unless she achieves some result, I doubt she'll leave the Central Plains anytime soon."
"Ah, I see."
"In that case, it's better if we treat her as an honored guest first. Prepare accommodations for her. No matter how good her current lodgings are, they won't be as comfortable as what we can provide. Her entourage isn't that large, either. We could even build an entire house if needed. That's the kind of hospitality befitting the Silver River Merchant Group."
Lee Hwa-eon stood up.
"Understood. Father won't object, so I'll inform him and proceed. Since things have come to this, we should treat her with utmost respect—perhaps even welcome her as my sister-in-law."
"Right... Wait, what?"
"Rest well, Brother."
Lee Hwa-eon quickly made his escape, and Dan Woo-sung called after him.
"What did you just say?"
Lee Hwa-eon dodged the question as he vanished.
"Calm your startled heart and get some sleep. The night is deep."
As he left his brother's quarters, Lee Hwa-eon glanced back.
Pretending not to hear, huh?
The moment Lee Hwa-eon left, the Double Report Brothers spoke from outside the door.
"Brother, may we come in for a moment?"
"Enter."
The twins stepped inside with expressionless faces and sat across from him. Yook Jin-bo asked in a slightly excited tone.
"Brother, about Lady Baek and her subordinates—how are they so strong? It felt like it took less time to kill them all than it does to drink a cup of tea."
The twins had recently grown deeply interested in martial arts history. Understanding these things was important.
Dan Woo-sung explained.
"Lady Baek's ancestor was a legendary figure, once known as the Strongest Under Heaven. No martial family's reputation could compare to theirs. Even so, reaching that level of skill at her age couldn't have been easy."
Yook Myung-bo replied.
"Wasn't Jin So-han the most famous Strongest Under Heaven?"
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"Correct."
"But is Lady Baek's family even more renowned?"
Dan Woo-sung answered.
"Jin So-han wasn't a man who became strong through traditional training or a specific martial art. He was simply strong by nature. That's why it was impossible for anyone to inherit his martial arts. Even his own children each learned different styles. No matter how great Jin So-han was, he couldn't force his beloved children to practice sword dances for over a decade. He knew better than anyone that while he was special, he couldn't raise a true successor."
"Sword dances?"
"Bizarrely, yes. For ten years, he trained in sword dances—forms that held no value as actual techniques. Only afterward did he learn proper swordsmanship. That's why, when discussing the greatest of all time, Jin So-han and Baek Mujin are always mentioned first. But when talking about martial families, the story changes."
The twins exchanged glances and nodded.
"We understand."
Yook Jin-bo asked casually.
"If those two fought, who would win?"
Dan Woo-sung gave him a baffled look.
"What? They lived in different eras."
"Hypothetically."
Baek Mujin and Jin So-han had many legends. Having read their records, Dan Woo-sung answered.
"First, we can't know who was stronger in their later years. According to the records, both were already peerless in their youth. We can only compare their strength during their active periods. If the two fought one-on-one in their primes, Jin So-han would run away first."
"But he was the Strongest Under Heaven?"
"That's the kind of man he was. After fleeing, he'd rally his forces and return to crush everything around Baek Mujin. Then they'd fight again. If the battle remained unresolved, Jin So-han would flee once more. He'd train, then come back—over and over until he won. Baek Mujin fought honorably, but Jin So-han didn't care about methods."
"So what's the conclusion, Brother?"
"Jin So-han was not a man to be trifled with. Not even by Baek Mujin. Still, I doubt they would've fought if they'd met."
"Why not?"
"They'd recognize each other as rare kindred spirits at a glance. They'd probably just share a drink."
The twins smiled at Dan Woo-sung's words.
"I see."
"Feeling inspired?"
"We are."
Dan Woo-sung grinned.
"How wonderful would it be to sit at that table and share a drink with them? Myung-bo, Jin-bo."
"Yes."
"Arguing over who was stronger between men we'll never meet is meaningless. What matters is growing strong enough that if we ever meet them in another world, we can raise a cup as equals."
"Understood."
"Go on, now."
Left alone, Dan Woo-sung briefly pondered the twins' foolish question.
As he did, he belatedly realized why he felt slightly unsettled. Whether it was Jin So-han or Baek Mujin, they were still beyond his reach. In their later years, both had been so peerless that they grew bored.
Meanwhile, Dan Woo-sung still had masters he hadn't surpassed in his past life—and enemies he needed to take revenge upon.
As he was now, he wasn't worthy of joining those legendary figures' drinking table.
Dan Woo-sung woke before dawn, his eyes snapping open on their own.
"Ugh..."
Last night, the legendary Strongest Under Heaven figures from martial history had taken turns beating him up in his dreams.
He had been hit so many times it was absurd.
What kind of ridiculous dream was this?
Every single Strongest Under Heaven whose name Dan Woo-sung knew had appeared and beaten him. Even though it was just a dream, his entire body ached as if he'd really been struck.
Unconsciously, he rubbed his cheek. The memory of Baek Mujin slapping him was still vivid.
"What kind of shitty dream..."
After changing into his training clothes, Dan Woo-sung muttered curses as he left the Silver River Merchant Group.
"Damn Strongest Under Heaven bastards... If I see you in my dreams again, I'll beat you until the dust flies."
Thinking back, he remembered that when he'd fought Jin So-han, all his clothes had been shredded—cut apart by sword dances.
Dan Woo-sung grumbled.
"Black Path scum..."
As he walked through the thick morning mist, Baek Yak appeared from the opposite direction, as if she'd woken at the same time.
"You're up early?"
Without thinking, Dan Woo-sung touched his cheek. He couldn't very well tell her that her ancestor had slapped him in a dream. Still, running into Baek Yak at this hour—without any prior arrangement—somewhat lifted his mood.
"Going to Yangping Lake?"
Baek Yak nodded.
"Let's walk for a while first."
The two vanished into the mist, leaving only scattered snippets of conversation behind. After a while, Baek Yak burst into laughter, her voice bright.
Dan Woo-sung had ended up telling her about being beaten up by the legendary Strongest Under Heaven in his dreams.
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