Chapter 73: The Fist King, In the Realm of the Gods
The Fist King, In the Realm of the Gods
Chapter 73: The Fist King, In the Realm of the Gods
During a rare family dinner, Lee Sung-min, the patriarch of the Silver River Merchant Group, asked Dan Woo-sung a question.
"I hear Lady Baek has been visiting frequently. Hwa-eon mentioned you've even prepared lodgings for her."
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"That's correct."
Lee Sung-min sipped his soup and asked,
"Is she to be my first daughter-in-law?"
At their father's question, Lee Hwa-eon stifled a laugh as he glanced at his older brother.
Dan Woo-sung replied,
"Should I take her as my wife?"
Lee Sung-min smiled and countered,
"That's not for you to decide, is it? It's Lady Baek's choice. I only caught a glimpse of her, but she seemed sharp. She's also a benefactor of the Silver River Merchant Group. And from what I saw, she comes from a martial family, doesn't she?"
"That's correct."
Lee Sung-min gestured toward a drawer and said to Hwa-eon,
"Bring them here."
"Yes."
Hwa-eon retrieved several letters from the drawer and placed them on the table before explaining,
"From the Baekri, Seomun, Dokgo, and Moyong clans..."
Dan Woo-sung frowned.
"What are these letters about?"
Hwa-eon answered,
"They're marriage proposals."
It seemed nearly every major martial clan—except the Namgung—had sent letters.
Lee Sung-min looked at Dan Woo-sung.
"What have you been doing to make these prestigious martial clans scramble to propose marriages like this?"
His tone wasn't accusatory, just bewildered.
Dan Woo-sung shrugged.
"We're wealthy, aren't we?"
Lee Sung-min chuckled.
"We've always been wealthy. This never happened before."
"Word must have spread after a few fights. It's not like I'm desperate to marry. You can reject them all."
Lee Sung-min nodded.
"Love is a matter between two people, so I won't interfere. But do I only have one son?"
Dan Woo-sung and Hwa-eon blinked in unison.
"Huh?"
Lee Sung-min grinned.
"Marriage proposals aren't just for the eldest. The second and third sons are getting them too—casual inquiries about potential matches. That's why I called you all for dinner tonight. As the eldest, I also wanted to hear your thoughts on which proposals might be favorable..."
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"Exclude the youngest."
Lee Sung-min immediately agreed.
"Agreed."
When both Dan Woo-sung and Lee Sung-min turned to Hwa-eon, the younger brother couldn't hide his grin as he replied,
"If I marry a daughter from a martial clan, I won't be the one getting beaten up, right?"
Dan Woo-sung smirked.
"Of course not. But if you cheat and get caught, you might die."
Hwa-eon flinched, and Dan Woo-sung added,
"In any case, meet them all and let Hwa-eon decide."
Lee Sung-min nodded. Notably, he never asked about Lady Baek's family background or whether they were wealthy. Even if Dan Woo-sung had told him she was a descendant of Baek Mujin, Lee Sung-min likely wouldn't have recognized the name. To him, it only mattered if his son was happy.
As dinner neared its end, Dan Woo-sung added one last remark.
"About Lady Baek—she's a descendant of the Baek Mujin lineage."
Lee Sung-min tilted his head.
"Who is that? I've never heard of the family."
Dan Woo-sung clarified,
"He was once the Strongest Under Heaven."
Lee Sung-min clenched his fist.
"Ah... an old legend, then. Those who once stood at the pinnacle of the martial world must have many enemies. Take good care of her. We owe her a debt."
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"Understood."
Lee Sung-min then turned to Hwa-eon.
"Did you procure all the elixirs?"
Hwa-eon blinked in surprise.
"Yes. The Escort Team, the Double Report Brothers, and even Mount Jiuhua have received theirs."
Lee Sung-min pressed further.
"These elixirs—they help cultivate internal energy, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then does your brother currently possess the strongest internal energy in the world?"
Hwa-eon glanced at Dan Woo-sung in shock.
"Not yet."
Lee Sung-min mused,
"Then they must be difficult to obtain, even with money. It's not as though we lack funds."
"That's true."
"Acquiring rare goods is also a merchant's skill. I don't understand martial arts, but if your brother is being considered as a son-in-law by these prestigious clans, his reputation must have spread far. And with reputation comes greater challenges. Marriage proposals are important, but Hwa-eon—use every means at your disposal to make your brother's internal energy the strongest in the world. That task is more important than balancing ledgers. Now that I've regained my health, I'll resume managing the merchant group."
Hwa-eon bowed.
"Understood."
Lee Sung-min added,
"You three are more important to me than wealth. What's the point of hoarding money I can't spend after death? Use it freely. Only if you three remain safe can our family prosper."
After dinner, Dan Woo-sung and Hwa-eon took a stroll around the merchant group's grounds. Walking in silence, Hwa-eon suddenly looked at his brother.
"Hyung-nim."
"Yeah?"
"Where exactly can we find more elixirs?"
"I've already consumed many—Supreme Elixirs, century-old purified ginseng... The fact that my internal energy isn't yet the strongest just means I haven't put in enough time or effort. You can't become the Strongest Under Heaven in a year or two. It takes patience—building energy layer by layer through cultivation."
"Is that so? Well, it hasn't been long since you started learning martial arts."
That much was true. Even including his time in Anga, it had only been two years. In those two years, he had won the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament, taken over the Eight Dragons Sect, slain Jeokye, defeated the Guyang Clan's leader, and now stood as the head of the Merchant Alliance. By any measure, it had been a breathless ascent—and not once had he skipped a day of training.
Hwa-eon's own duties kept him busy, but watching his brother train often unsettled him. It felt as though Dan Woo-sung was driven by some desperate, unspoken purpose tied to their family.
Hwa-eon ventured a question.
"Hyung-nim, is this transformation of yours... about revenge?"
Dan Woo-sung hesitated, then nodded. Hwa-eon pressed further.
"Whose revenge?"
"My master's."
"Ah..."
Dan Woo-sung turned to him.
"Why the sudden question?"
"Because I wanted to ask?"
Hwa-eon smiled.
"You might think each day is the same, but from my perspective, it's different. You train at dawn, spar with the Double Report Brothers after breakfast, duel Lady Baek or train more in the afternoon, then either seclude yourself in your room or go out to train again at night. It's been going on for so long—yet you never show exhaustion. I've wondered how you endure it."
"Hmm."
"And lately... you haven't been sleeping well, have you?"
"Why do you say that?"
"The servants mentioned you often wake up at night. If you train so hard during the day yet still can't sleep, something must be wrong."
Dan Woo-sung didn't deny it.
"You're right. I keep having dreams."
"What kind?"
"Dreams where past Strongest Under Heaven figures beat me down, or my master's enemies appear to fight me."
"Not exactly peaceful dreams. Are they recurring?"
Dan Woo-sung nodded, and Hwa-eon asked,
"Did you win?"
"No. I can't. One of them is Lady Baek's ancestor. His martial arts are so vividly imprinted in my mind."
Hwa-eon said casually,
"Hyung-nim, if you win even in your dreams, you'll stop having them. It's just a dream—your willpower should reflect in it."
"The Strongest Under Heaven aren't easy opponents. At first, random figures appeared, but now it's only those hailed as the greatest throughout history."
"That's the past. Right now, it's just a dream. Beating them in a dream won't bring them back to life. It's just a dream."
Hwa-eon then posed a sharper question.
"Hyung-nim... Forgive me for asking, but your late master—he wasn't the Strongest Under Heaven, was he?"
Dan Woo-sung nodded bitterly.
"No, he wasn't."
"Then why do you carry that inferiority complex? You and I are still so young..."
Dan Woo-sung sighed.
Because that was me.
The thought flickered through his mind. Seeing his brother's wry smile, Hwa-eon chuckled.
"Why are you laughing?"
"You mentioned an inferiority complex, and suddenly I thought of Myeong-ho."
"Myeong-ho hyung-nim is the embodiment of an inferiority complex. How old was your master?"
"Mid-forties."
"You're over twenty years younger. Don't groan like an old man. Lately, you've started looking more and more worn out."
"Why are you nagging so much today?"
"It's been a while since I've nagged, hasn't it?"
"I suppose it has."
As they returned to the Silver River Merchant Group's main gate, Dan Woo-sung said to his younger brother,
"Anyway, thank you for worrying about me."
Before heading inside, Hwa-eon declared firmly,
"Hyung-nim, trust me just this once. I'll do everything I can to procure elixirs. Father is concerned too, but somehow... I feel that if you don't become the Strongest Under Heaven, the Silver River Merchant Group might collapse. Just a hunch."
Dan Woo-sung silently met his gaze, and Hwa-eon vowed,
"Hyung-nim, commit fully to becoming the Strongest Under Heaven. I'll handle all the preparations outside of your training."
Strangely, his words were the polar opposite of what the Heavenly Demon had once told the Sword Demon. Dan Woo-sung patted Hwa-eon's back and replied,
"Understood."
That night, the dream began calmly.
Dan Woo-sung wandered endlessly through a white, mist-filled space. Previously, the dreams had started with him being beaten, but now that he had resolved himself, the dream took an absurd turn. Of course, since it was a dream, his consciousness wasn't entirely intact—only a small ember of determination lingered, dominating his thoughts.
The simple resolve not to lose was all he had.
Straddling the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness, he searched for the Strongest Under Heaven figures.
Somewhere, laughter erupted, and Dan Woo-sung sprinted toward it. His movements felt sluggish, as though he were walking underwater rather than through mist. After wandering for what felt like ages, he arrived at a clearing where the mist had vanished—replaced by pristine air and a tranquil forest.
There, a small drinking table was set...
And two Strongest Under Heaven figures sat facing each other.
Jin So-han was laughing so hard he clutched his stomach, while Baek Mujin watched him with an amused smile. Though Dan Woo-sung couldn't hear their conversation, even the composed Baek Mujin seemed to be holding back laughter.
This dream was different.
Even after Dan Woo-sung arrived, the two men continued talking as if he weren't there.
Annoyed, Dan Woo-sung strode forward.
"Hey, what's so funny?"
His tone lacked courtesy, colored by the frustration of past defeats. But the two men didn't react—they simply passed drinks back and forth, their lips moving soundlessly.
Dan Woo-sung crossed his arms and glared down at them before suddenly reaching out to grab Baek Mujin's shoulder.
His hand passed through empty air.
Furious, Dan Woo-sung taunted them.
"What, are the former Strongest Under Heaven scared?"
Of course not.
They simply couldn't see or hear him. Growing impatient, Dan Woo-sung circled them restlessly, muttering to himself.
"Let's fight. Enough drinking. Are you both that addicted? Or do you just have nothing better to do?"
He scanned the surroundings but found nothing. Why was this dream different from the others? It was baffling. Suddenly, as he paced, his gaze landed on a tree. He punched it.
Thud!
The entire tree shook, scattering a few leaves. Then, turning his head, Dan Woo-sung glared at the drinking table between the two legends.
He activated his Lightfoot Technique, closing the distance in an instant, and kicked the table with all his might.
Let's see what happens.
The moment his foot was about to connect—
Baek Mujin calmly blocked the strike with his right hand.
Tap.
Then, Jin So-han flicked his white folding fan with his left hand, sending Dan Woo-sung flying dozens of feet until he crashed into a maple tree.
CRASH!
Dazed by the pain—so vivid it blurred the line between dream and reality—Dan Woo-sung struggled to his feet. Then, inexplicably, his eyes caught a sign or plaque in the corner, bearing two words:
Divine Martial Inn.
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