Words Speak Louder Than Fists
“Haha……”
Every time his eyes met Baek Yu-hwa’s, he let out an awkward laugh.
Not all conversations are held in words.
That was exactly the state between Dan Yeop and Baek Yu-hwa right now.
In the subtle atmosphere, as the warmth of alcohol brought a sweet haze over them, a loud thud echoed from below, followed by the sound of someone rushing up to the second floor.
At the commotion, both Dan Yeop and Baek Yu-hwa turned their heads toward the stairs.
Baek Yu-hwa cried out in surprise.
“Senior Brother Im!”
Im Song, covered in blood, staggered toward the two of them.
“Huff! Huff! Junior Sister Baek, Instructor Dan……”
Right after, two men slowly climbed the stairs.
Seeing them, Baek Yu-hwa asked Im Song,
“Senior Brother Im? What happened?”
“Ugh… that bastard Chuhongwi Jong Yo suddenly picked a fight……”
“What?”
“He said we trash should live quietly instead of causing a ruckus……”
Dan Yeop and Baek Yu-hwa stared at the men who had followed him with dumbfounded expressions.
Chuhongwi Jong Yo approached Dan Yeop’s group with an arrogant swagger.
“So this is where you ran off to, Im Song? Are you lot from Haomun too?”
Im Song asked with a hardened face,
“Senior Jong, have we or Haomun done anything wrong?”
Jong Yo sneered.
“You’re really asking that, you son of a bitch? Do you know how inconvenient it’s become because of you trash? The inspections at the gates have gotten so strict!”
It was true that entry procedures into the city had become stricter because of Haomun’s war.
But compared to the inconvenience caused by fights between other factions, it was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
“Senior Jong, other factions fight too. Even the Sangbang do it all the time.”
“Are other factions the same as Haomun? What the hell have you lot been eating lately? You actually think you deserve the same treatment?”
Im Song grit his teeth in humiliation.
He was furious, but since Chuhongwi Jong Yo was the outer hall leader of Heukru, he couldn’t say anything that might escalate the situation.
“You made me come all the way here, so as an apology, cut off one of your arms. Then I’ll let this end with just you. If you refuse, I’ll cut off all their arms too. You trash can still live just fine with one hand anyway. So what’s it going to be? Are you going to be selfish and ruin your juniors’ lives? Or will you end it with just yourself?”
Jong Yo arrogantly planted one foot on the table.
The snack plate caught on the tip of his foot flipped over with a crash.
Food splattered all over Dan Yeop.
Dan Yeop stood up, brushed off his clothes, and turned to face the middle-aged man.
“My name is Dan Yeop. May I ask for your honorable name?”
“Pfft! Me? I am the great Chuhongwi Jong Yo. Why? You want me to go easy on you? No can do. You choose. Should I cut off Im Song’s arm? Or should I cut off all of yours?”
“Senior Jong, there’s no need to push us so unreasonably. Even an earthworm will squirm when stepped on.”
Jong Yo looked at Dan Yeop with an incredulous expression.
“What? Senior Jong? Damn, these crazy bastards. And what? Squirm? Are you threatening me right now? Kkukuku! This is ridiculous. Im Song, you saw that, right? One arm won’t be enough for this guy. Just kill him.”
Jong Yo’s fist flew toward Dan Yeop’s head.
In that instant, Dan Yeop lightly deflected the punch and immediately counterattacked.
With a thud, Jong Yo staggered backward.
His lip was split open—clearly a clean hit to the face.
…….
A strange silence fell over the room.
The struck Jong Yo blinked in disbelief before quickly drawing his hengdao.
“You son of a bitch!”
Dan Yeop swiftly drew his own blade, pointed it at Jong Yo, and said,
“Blades have no eyes. Stop while you still can.”
Those words made Jong Yo completely lose his mind.
Because that was exactly the kind of warning a master gave to an inferior opponent.
“Die!”
Jong Yo’s hengdao moved with dazzling speed.
It was the Gwiyeong Sword Technique that had earned him the title Chuhongwi.
But in Dan Yeop’s eyes, the ghost-like trajectories of the blade were perfectly visible.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Slice—.
With a horrifying tearing sound, Jong Yo, who had been pressing Dan Yeop, suddenly stopped.
Then the hand holding the hengdao dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
“Aaaargh!”
Blood sprayed from Jong Yo’s severed wrist.
“Hall Leader!”
Jong Yo’s subordinate rushed forward in panic and began trying to stop the bleeding.
A moment later, Jong Yo, grinding his teeth, left without even looking back, supported by his subordinate.
Im Song spoke with a worried expression.
“Chuhongwi Jong Yo is the outer hall leader of Heukru. I’m not sure if this will be okay.”
“Hmph! Senior Brother Im! Were we supposed to just offer up one of our arms to that man?”
“No, that’s not what I mean… I’m just saying he doesn’t seem like the type to let this go. If Heukru decides to take revenge, things will get much bigger.”
“Even if it gets bigger, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“But if that happens, Haomun might……”
Im Song couldn’t finish his sentence.
If Heukru attacked Haomun, it was obvious that Haomun would be torn to pieces.
Dan Yeop, who had been quietly watching the conversation, stared directly at Im Song.
“Warden Im.”
“Yes?”
“If that’s the case, why did you run to us instead of somewhere else?”
“That’s……”
Im Song couldn’t answer and could only glance at Dan Yeop.
He had fled to the second floor because he wanted to show them what he was made of.
He simply hadn’t expected Dan Yeop to actually cut off Jong Yo’s hand.
He had thought they would fight moderately and that Dan Yeop would win in the end.
“I told you, didn’t I? Blades have no eyes. You got lucky that it ended at the wrist. Jong Yo could have died.”
“I’m sorry. Blinded by humiliation, I dragged you into my revenge.”
Dan Yeop didn’t press the matter any further.
He simply hoped Im Song wouldn’t keep coming and going like this in the future.
Baek Yu-hwa carefully interjected.
“I’ll report today’s events to the Branch Leader. With his experience, he’ll come up with a proper plan.”
The drinking party that had begun pleasantly ended in a heavy atmosphere.
Dan Yeop returned to Son-taek around the hour of the Rat (10 p.m.).
As he crossed the courtyard, he heard the sound of a bell ringing in the distance.
I barely made it.
When curfew began, not only were the city gates closed, but all one hundred and eight districts were also sealed off.
One would either have to sleep where they were or sneak past the patrols to return home.
A short while later, Dan Yeop arrived at the annex but did not enter his room.
The incident with Chuhongwi Jong Yo had left his mind unsettled.
As he strolled through the garden, Son Ji-heon came looking for him.
“Hey! Friend. You just got back?”
“Yeah.”
Dan Yeop gave a small chuckle when he saw him.
It looked like the boy had been waiting for him, probably to ask whether he had received permission from his master.
And sure enough—
While walking side by side through the garden, Son Ji-heon suddenly asked,
“Did you speak with your master?”
“I did.”
“What did he say?”
Son Ji-heon glanced at him with an expectant face.
“He said that if you’re willing, he’ll allow me to teach you.”
At those words, Son Ji-heon jumped up and down in uncontrollable joy.
“Ahhh! That’s wonderful!”
Unlike the delighted youth, Dan Yeop’s expression remained somber.
Now he had to reveal which sect he belonged to.
“It’s too early to celebrate.”
“What do you mean? Is there some condition?”
Son Ji-heon calmed his excitement and studied Dan Yeop’s face.
“There’s no condition. I’m only saying this because once you know which faction I belong to, you might lose the will to learn.”
“That can’t be. Like I said before, even if your faction is……”
“It’s Haomun.”
The answer far exceeded anything Son Ji-heon had imagined, and he froze in place.
He soon convinced himself that Dan Yeop was just teasing him.
There was no way such profound martial arts could belong to Haomun.
“Come on, stop joking around.”
“It’s true. When have I ever joked with you?”
“You’re really from Haomun? The faction made up of courtesans and shop clerks?”
“That’s right.”
“……”
Only then did Son Ji-heon realize it wasn’t a joke and fell silent.
Even if it had been a demonic sect, he would have still wanted to learn.
He had thought that as long as it wasn’t Cheonlyeon, any faction would be fine.
But Haomun?
He had never even considered them.
They were nothing more than a vulgar group that didn’t even deserve to be called a proper faction.
Faced with the familiar reaction, Dan Yeop asked in a calm tone,
“Now that you know it’s Haomun, have you lost the desire to learn?”
Son Ji-heon couldn’t answer right away.
Learning Haomun’s martial arts was essentially the same as becoming one of them.
The grandson of the great scholar Son Yu-baek, who had once served as a high official, becoming a member of Haomun?
If his grandfather found out, he might be kicked out of the house.
No matter how much he preferred martial arts over academics, did he really have to go that far?
Dan Yeop watched him struggle with the dilemma but felt no disappointment.
“Don’t just think about your reputation. If you learn Haomun’s martial arts, you become part of Haomun’s network. That means one day they might come to you for help.”
Son Ji-heon looked stunned.
The words “network” and “ask for help” felt utterly absurd.
Me, part of Haomun’s network?
It sounded utterly filthy and distasteful.
Yet Dan Yeop’s martial arts were simply too tempting to give up over such reasons.
After walking in silence for a while, Son Ji-heon asked,
“Friend, answer me honestly. Was what I saw that day really Haomun’s martial art?”
“Yes.”
“Then… I’ll learn it.”
“……Understood. From today onward, you are an anonymous disciple of Haomun. That means you don’t have to bear any responsibility or duty toward Haomun. I’ll make sure only the Branch Leader and I know your identity.”
“Thank you.”
“Come find me whenever you have time starting tomorrow evening.”
A short while later, Dan Yeop parted ways with Son Ji-heon and entered the annex.
He then recorded the day’s events on a white slip.
Since he wouldn’t be meeting Baek Yu-hwa for a while, he planned to summon the heart demon he had been putting off tomorrow morning.
Words Speak Louder Than Fists
Uiseong (Right City, Western Market District), Geumcheon District.
The high-class guesthouse Chwiyeolru.
Late at night.
On the third floor, in a prime window seat with an excellent view, three elderly men were drinking with courtesans.
They were Heukru’s master Hyeolmuheun Yu Gwang-hyeon, the protector Swishinjang No Jin-geon, and the outer hall leader Muyeongsal Jang Mok.
Although the time for the city gates to close was fast approaching, there was no sign of the gathering ending.
The courtesans pressed their bodies even closer to the old men.
“Oh my, look at our big brother’s muscles. I’d believe you if you said you were in your thirties.”
One courtesan clung to Hyeolmuheun Yu Gwang-hyeon’s arm and acted coquettishly.
It wasn’t just flattery.
In truth, although these three old men looked middle-aged, their bodies were as firm and powerful as men in their prime.
The other courtesans also made a fuss.
“Sister, our big brother is no joke either.”
“Ten scholars wouldn’t be able to handle him.”
Swishinjang No Jin-geon laughed and replied in kind.
“Hahaha! Not ten scholars— even a hundred wouldn’t be able to touch me.”
“Oh, how impressive.”
“Our big brothers are the best.”
“I love it so much.”
Just as the courtesans were wholeheartedly throwing themselves into the old men’s embrace—
A middle-aged man with a long knife scar across his cheek climbed to the third floor.
It was Heukru’s patrol leader, Amyeonggaek Kang Rim.
He approached the table without delay, clasped his hands together, and spoke.
“There’s been an incident.”
Yu Gwang-hyeon immediately sent the courtesans away.
After confirming no one was listening, Patrol Leader Kang Rim opened his mouth.
“Just now, Jong Yo returned with his wrist severed.”
“Jong Yo’s wrist was cut off? Was it the work of Hyeonmu Hall?”
“No. According to Jong Yo, he was defeated by a master from Haomun.”
“That Hong So-gwang has really grown some balls.”
Yu Gwang-hyeon immediately thought of Hong So-gwang.
There weren’t many people in Haomun who could defeat Jong Yo.
And even among those stronger than him, the only madman who would dare lay a hand on a Heukru expert was that lunatic.
“It wasn’t Branch Leader Hong. He says he was defeated by a young bastard named Dan Yeop.”
“What? A hall leader of Heukru was defeated by nothing more than a whelp from Haomun?”
Yu Gwang—