Like Father, Like Son
A man's stride carries his presence.
In that regard, Do Ye-cheon's presence was like a raging storm.
No, it was more like a howling beast.
Or perhaps a bird of prey soaring through the heavens.
Confidence was etched into his every step, radiating sheer pride.
It was only natural that Jeok-un found himself recalling his past encounters with the man.
The Mad Soul Fist, Do Ye-cheon.
Thirty years ago, when Sadocheon waged daily war against Black Hegemony Castle, he was a martial artist of the Profound Realm who swept through the battlefields alongside the Lion Sword Emperor, Dok-go Cheon.
That single description was more than enough to define him.
'The brother-in-arms of the Lion Sword Emperor. That title alone was enough for everyone to know who Do Ye-cheon was.'
As his epithet, the Mad Soul Fist, suggested, Do Ye-cheon possessed an extremely domineering nature.
He was always the first to charge into battle, and not a day passed without his hands and sleeves stained with blood.
Because of this, those who did not know him personally assumed he was a brutal, bloodthirsty tyrant in his daily life.
But the reality was entirely different.
Do Ye-cheon rarely revealed his true thoughts, carrying himself with the quiet restraint of a hidden sage.
Thus, the majority of Sadocheon, including the Lion Sword Emperor Dok-go Cheon, believed Do Ye-cheon was simply another archetype of the Unorthodox path—one deeply devoted to the martial arts.
'But the truth is far from it.'
It was true that Do Ye-cheon hid his thoughts.
It was also true that he kept a low profile and avoided drawing attention to himself.
But those were merely masks he wore.
Behind the scenes, he thoroughly concealed his wicked, depraved nature, pulling the strings as a mastermind to commit all manner of atrocities.
Men like the brothers No Hwang-mun and No Hwang-gu, as well as the Night Lord Ji Dong-tak, were among his countless loyal dogs.
Through these filthy, underhanded schemes, Do Ye-cheon amassed gold like sand. He used this wealth to buy loyalty, gather supporters, and solidify his grip on power.
He did not care in the slightest how many commoners—fragile as blades of grass in a field—were trampled and broken in the process.
He wore the guise of an Unorthodox martial artist but acted like a demon.
Do Ye-cheon was a walking contradiction, a man consumed by absolute selfishness.
'Since Dok-go Cheon was the one who handed such a man his very first defeat, his resentment must have been boundless.'
As mentioned before, Sadocheon had waged war against Black Hegemony Castle day in and day out.
Finally, after a grueling ten-year conflict, a truce was reached.
The two men credited with the greatest contributions to the war effort were Dok-go Cheon and Do Ye-cheon.
Since the previous Lord of Sadocheon had died in battle, leaving the seat vacant, an exceptional agreement was made: whichever of the two was deemed to have contributed the most would succeed as the next Lord.
As evidenced by the fact that Dok-go Cheon was the current Lord, he had won the title of top contributor by an overwhelming margin.
No matter how many supporters Do Ye-cheon had bought with his gold, he could not overcome Dok-go Cheon's immense popularity and the natural flow of the tide.
'The problem was that Do Ye-cheon could never accept it.'
Do Ye-cheon had clearly lost to Dok-go Cheon.
Yet, he refused to acknowledge his defeat, convincing himself that the position of Lord had been stolen from him.
This was the root of the issue.
His pride had been deeply wounded, and he sought to heal that wound by any means necessary—and eventually, exact his revenge.
'For over a decade, he ground his teeth beneath the surface, plotting in the shadows until he could bring about Dok-go Cheon's ruin...'
And Do Ye-cheon had actually succeeded.
His schemes succeeded in poisoning Dok-go Cheon.
When the Lion Sword Emperor fell critically ill, Do Ye-cheon challenged him, won, and ascended as the third Lord of Sadocheon.
Although the Unorthodox faction revered strength and believed might made right, this was a step too far for many to accept.
Naturally, loyalists of the Lion Sword Emperor like Hu Seong openly rebelled, declaring they could never recognize a cowardly snake like Do Ye-cheon as their Lord.
In response, those who rose to power alongside Do Ye-cheon ruthlessly persecuted the dissenters.
This internal strife completely fractured Sadocheon.
'If not for this division, the Unorthodox faction wouldn't have been pushed back so easily when the Demonic Cult rose...'
Even now, the memory left a bitter taste in his mouth.
If only he had realized Do Ye-cheon's true nature a little sooner.
Perhaps Sadocheon's complete ruin could have been averted.
But back then, unlike now, Jeok-un had been too inexperienced, lacking the insight to see through the schemes of others.
When Jeok-un first joined Sadocheon, he had served Do Ye-cheon, the newly crowned Lord.
Recognizing his potential, Do Ye-cheon had held Jeok-un in high regard.
'But only as a hunting dog.'
Do Ye-cheon had pretended to care for Jeok-un and his subordinates, but in truth, he only used them as disposable hounds, sending them on the most perilous missions.
He was a hypocrite to the core.
He treated Jeok-un as nothing more than an obedient beast, fully prepared to discard him the moment his usefulness ran out.
In his past life, Jeok-un had only realized this after staring death in the face on countless battlefields. He had raised the banner of rebellion and dragged the bastard down from his throne.
And now...
'This time, I'll crush him even sooner.'
The timeline would be moved forward, but the outcome would remain exactly the same.
"Hmm. You see your superior, yet you are slow to greet me?"
Do Ye-cheon's voice snapped Jeok-un out of his thoughts.
His gaze naturally focused on the older man's face.
'His mask is on the verge of slipping.'
Do Ye-cheon maintained a calm facade, playing the part of a relaxed, magnanimous ruler.
But in truth, he was so enraged that he wanted to tear Jeok-un limb from limb this very instant.
Having once served as the man's hound, Jeok-un could tell just by looking at him.
A smirk played on Jeok-un's lips.
"I was surprised by your sudden visit. I am Jeok-un, Leader of the White Night Squad."
"..."
Knowing this, Jeok-un deliberately acted in a way that would needle him further.
Do Ye-cheon had likely expected a face pale with fear, but Jeok-un merely offered a casual, confident greeting.
As if nothing had happened.
Though his words carried a polite register, his posture—leaning lazily on one leg—was the height of insolence.
As expected, Do Ye-cheon's eyebrow twitched, but he forced himself to endure it.
Instead, he shifted his gaze elsewhere.
"I wondered what gave you the confidence to run wild like this. It seems you have the Go Family Manor backing you."
"Hup, wha—?!"
Go Bok-gil gasped, nearly choking on his own breath.
The sudden mention of his family made him cough, but he forced it down.
'N-No, that's not it...!'
Go Bok-gil wanted to scream that it was a misunderstanding, that he had nothing to do with this.
But under the crushing weight of Do Ye-cheon's aura, he could not squeeze out a single word.
"Well, to win over the third son of the Go Family Manor so soon after arriving in Changsha... you must have some talent. I will give you credit for your resourcefulness."
"?!"
Go Bok-gil writhed in silent agony.
But Jeok-un remained silent.
"Jegal Jeok-un."
"Tsk. Drop the Jegal."
"...Fine. Jeok-un."
Do Ye-cheon's expression shifted instantly.
Then, he uttered words that Go Bok-gil never could have anticipated.
"Swear your loyalty to me."
"...!"
"Spit out 'that' which the Night Lord hid, get down on your knees, and show proper respect. If you do, I will overlook what has passed."
Do Ye-cheon's tone was magnanimous.
As if he were granting a supreme act of mercy.
Do Ye-cheon truly believed he was being generous. Seeing Jeok-un's face turn expressionless upon hearing the offer, he assumed his mix of conciliation and threat had worked.
A faint smile touched Do Ye-cheon's lips as he spoke.
"You saw how I tolerated even a wretch like the Lust Demon. I do not dwell on minor mistakes of the past."
His intention was clear.
"I only care about how much loyalty you can show me."
If Jeok-un swore fealty, he would be rewarded handsomely.
"I will give you something so grand that what the Night Lord achieved will look like child's play. Wealth, power, martial arts—name whatever you desire. I shall grant it all."
"..."
Jeok-un still did not answer.
Interpreting this silence as hesitation, Do Ye-cheon delivered his final blow.
"It seems you killed a daughter of the Geumhwang Merchant Group before coming here."
He was referring to Lady Oh, Jegal Wi-yeon's biological mother.
Lady Oh was a direct descendant of the Geumhwang Merchant Group, whose immense wealth was famous throughout the entire Jianghu.
"The Geumhwang Merchant Group is targeting you. According to the reports from our Intelligence Division, danger is already at your throat, though you may not know it yet."
Go Bok-gil gasped in shock at Do Ye-cheon's words.
The Intelligence Division was Sadocheon's premier spy network.
If their reports were accurate, Jeok-un was indeed in grave danger.
Yet, why did it feel off?
Why did Do Ye-cheon's words sound less like a warning and more like a threat?
Sure enough, Do Ye-cheon's eyes gleamed with the predatory glint of a wolf.
"The danger might be lesser here in Changsha, our headquarters. But can you stay inside Changsha forever?"
Every squad and its leader had to leave Changsha on missions from time to time. If Do Ye-cheon wished, he could easily send Jeok-un to his death.
In short, Do Ye-cheon's words were a thin veneer of concern masking a blatant threat.
He was warning Jeok-un that if he refused to submit, he would find a way to force him out of Changsha.
Seeing Jeok-un's stiff expression, a knowing smile spread across Do Ye-cheon's face.
'Of course. Do you finally realize the vast gulf between us?'
Surely, this wild beast would soon tuck its tail and submit.
But Do Ye-cheon had no intention of keeping him around.
Even if they shook hands, he planned to slaughter him the moment the hidden funds were recovered.
"So, while I am extending my hand to you—"
Jeok-un could not hold it in any longer.
"Bwahahaha!"
A booming, boisterous laugh echoed through the prison.
Jeok-un clutched his stomach, roaring with laughter inside the dungeon cell. It was a display of absolute, unmitigated contempt.
Do Ye-cheon's eyes turned ice-cold.
Regardless, Jeok-un wiped a tear from his eye and continued.
"Ah, my apologies. I wanted to see how long you could keep spouting this bullshit, but it just kept going."
"...You bastard."
Do Ye-cheon's clenched fists began to tremble.
Ever since he had earned the title of Mad Soul Fist, he had never suffered such humiliation.
"Foolish. Are you the type who needs to see his own coffin before he regrets his choices?"
Do Ye-cheon's voice was freezing.
Jeok-un slowly let his laughter die down.
Since they were already enemies, and his laughter had drawn a line in the sand, there was no longer any need for masks—or even the barest pretense of politeness.
"Man, I have so much to say, but only one thing comes to mind right now."
"...?"
"Looking at Do Ju-man and then looking at you, I realize the ancient sages were right."
"What?"
"Like father, like son. Or rather, a dog father begets a dog son."
"!!"
Do Ye-cheon's brow furrowed violently at the mockery.
It was clear his fury had reached its boiling point.
Yet, Jeok-un's mockery did not stop.
"You rambled on and on, but the bottom line is you're just whining for me to give back your money."
"Aren't you embarrassed? A 'superior' who managed to become the Vice Lord, acting like this."
Throwing Do Ye-cheon's own words back in his face, Jeok-un watched as the Vice Lord unleashed his aura.
A freezing, razor-sharp wind swept through the narrow dungeon.
Go Bok-gil turned pale as a ghost and shrank into the corner, but neither of them paid him any mind.
"It seems you don't realize how dangerous it is to make an enemy of me."
"I don't think I ever will. You have to be scary for me to fear you."
Jeok-un spoke as if he genuinely wanted to know what there was to fear.
He shrugged.
"Why would a grown man be afraid of a mangy, decrepit old dog?"
"...You have crossed the line."
Do Ye-cheon's aura flared with raw, murderous intent.
A tidal wave of killing intent erupted.
Hit by the direct, explosive malice of a Profound Realm master, Go Bok-gil's eyes rolled back, and he fainted, foaming at the mouth.
Do Ye-cheon extended a hand.
If he unleashed his energy now, he could obliterate Jeok-un without leaving a trace.
But the energy slowly subsided.
Though he wanted nothing more than to tear him apart this instant, he had to hold back.
'If I kill him, the secret funds will be lost forever.'
The slush fund entrusted to the Night Lord amounted to nearly half of all the wealth he had embezzled throughout his life.
He had to recover it.
Do Ye-cheon suppressed his murderous urge, grinding his teeth.
He spoke each word slowly and deliberately, as if carving them into Jeok-un's bones.
"...I promise you. I will kill you. Slowly, and in the most agonizing way possible."
"I will make you regret the day you were born."
"I will make you regret the attitude you showed me today."
"Even in death, you will weep with regret."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Before Do Ye-cheon could even finish, Jeok-un let out a wide, bored yawn.
"If you're done barking, get the hell out."
He delivered his final declaration of war.