Homeward with Pork: Brothers Awakened
The cart loaded with the dressed pig—once a hefty thwack-thwack beast—felt surprisingly heavy. They'd carved out hefty slabs of pork, sure, but negotiating protection fees from Gu Sam's butcher shop for Yi Gajang was no easy feat. Yi Jinpyeong had slyly suggested they just hand over the standard three-tenths they'd paid to the Dongbeonhoe before...
"No way in hell! Yi Gajang's basically a newborn household right now, isn't it? Demanding Dongbeonhoe-level dues doesn't make a lick of sense!"
Gu Sam's logic was airtight. Bizarre how the guy suddenly turned sharp only when it mattered. How did he manage to squeeze every last concession without giving an inch? The haggling dragged on, tallying what they'd spared and what they'd "stolen," until they finally settled: one-tenth of sales as protection money, in exchange for regular deliveries of prime cuts to Yi Gajang.
For a house scraping by without enough to eat, it wasn't a bad deal. And thanks to Yi Jinpyeong's insistence, one more clause got tacked on...
"This agreement stays secret from the other shops."
"Why's that?"
"Once Yi Gajang gets strong enough, I'll squeeze the full three-tenths out of those latecomers."
"...Ah, got it!"
Gu Sam grinned like he'd just learned a masterstroke, pursing his lips and winking as if to say secrecy was no issue. Yi Jinpyeong had to squeeze his eyes shut at the grotesque sight.
God, what a ridiculous bastard.
Recalling the brutal back-and-forth with Gu Sam, Jinpyeong let out a hollow chuckle. The burly butcher might look as dumb and crude as he appeared, but when his livelihood was on the line, that brain spun like a top. And his stubbornness? Ironclad. Which made him the perfect first shop owner to ally with Yi Gajang—before the family had the scale or structure to properly protect its turf. The road ahead would be rough for a while.
Soon enough, he'll get his reward. It won't take long.
I'll make sure of it.
Faith or grudge, Yi Gyeol always repaid in kind.
Rattle.
Rattle.
The pork-laden cart grew heavier by the mile. For frail Yi Jinpyeong's body, dragging it was a real workout. Hardly fitting for his noble blood. But he didn't mind a bit. Why not use this chance to build stamina and muscle?
The road ahead is long.
Physique. Stamina. Strength. And inner energy, too. Nothing was trivial on the path to the pinnacle.
What was hard about it? He'd already been there once.
Sweat poured like rain. And with it, Jinpyeong's body was hardening.
Time had passed, but they were still out cold. Yi Jinpyeong's brothers lay neatly stacked. No response, no matter how much he shook them. Eldest brother Yi Jingang. Second brother Yi Jinun.
"...Dead?"
He checked their pulses again, just in case. Who else could make survival so hard to confirm? They were like walking skeletons—barely corpses clinging to bones. No reaction to anything, so he grilled some pork crisp and held it to Yi Jingang's lips as a test.
Then something odd happened. Jingang's nostrils twitched. Eyes still shut, he gaped like a baby bird and snatched the meat.
"Whoa! You're really passed out?"
Jinpyeong marveled at his brothers' freakish talent. But the real shock came next. After one bite, Jingang's body visibly relaxed, color blooming across his face. Dramatic didn't cover it—like a desert monsoon.
"Unbelievable. Absorption like that?"
He muttered to himself, then tried the same with Yi Jinun. Same story: nostrils flare, meat vanishes, flush returns.
So it was all just malnutrition. Their bodies twitched. Consciousness wouldn't be far off.
What to say when they woke? Scold them for living like this? Demand back the wealth they'd given away? Teach them proper martial arts first—harshly?
All those thoughts evaporated as Jingang and Jinun's eyes snapped open.
Simultaneously aware.
"Jinpyeong!!!"
A shout that could shatter eardrums, then they lunged, hugging him so tight he couldn't budge.
Tears and snot flowed. Theirs, of course. Jinpyeong's shoulder was soaked.
"You're safe! You're alive!"
"You brat! Didn't I tell you not to climb that pavilion?!"
"Can't take my eyes off you for a second! What if something had happened?!"
"Sniff... Brothers. I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I got distracted at the ancestral rite..."
"What'd you do wrong? It's this worthless big brother's failings. Sob..."
"Anyway, you're safe. That's all that matters...!"
Them bawling like kids—not very manly. Yi Jinpyeong—or rather, the world's greatest, Yi Gyeol—found it absurd. What was this weakness? Get off me. Stop crying. He almost barked it.
But then—maybe because they clung so tight—the memories of fifteen-year-old Yi Jinpyeong surged like waves from the darkness.
Brothers soothing his endless seizures, heedless of their own injuries as they held him. Alternating watches day and night, terrified he'd vanish from sight. Even when the last servants fled, vowing to care for the youngest somehow. Starving themselves to feed him one more bite.
"......"
To Yi Gyeol, the pinnacle man, it was utterly foreign. He'd never leaned on anyone. Family and clan? Just admirers gazing up. Respect or fear—that was it. Anyone loving him this fiercely, even if he weren't the greatest?
Yi Gyeol wasn't sure.
Fifteen-year-old Yi Jinpyeong spread his arms wide. Then wrapped them around the waists of his brothers—Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun—who hugged like they'd lose him again.
"Brothers."
His unfamiliar voice made them flinch. They pulled back to check his face. Jinpyeong held them firm.
"I'm back. So no more worries from now on."
Finally prying free from Jinpyeong's grip, the brothers eyed each other, then him. Their faces were a sight—less joy than disbelief, shock, panic.
"H-how..."
"Whose voice was that? Jinun, was it you?"
"Brother, it wasn't me. And not you either, right? You're not pranking?"
"As if! Then... that was..."
Fair reaction. The youngest had endured lifelong madness—only staring blankly or groaning otherwise.
"Brothers. It's me. Yi Gajang's third young master, Yi Jinpyeong."
"...!!!"
This time they saw it clear: lips parting, throat working, voice emerging.
"Our Jinpyeong... spoke? Actual words? Combined into sentences?"
"Brother, are we possessed?"
They grabbed his face, flipping eyelids, pinching cheeks, prodding everywhere. Jinpyeong's feather-light patience snapped.
"Come on, haven't you been duped your whole lives? I'm back—why the fuss?!"
He swatted their hands, yelling. They gaped at each other... then clasped hands and danced a jig.
"It's real! Little brother's madness is gone!"
"Brother, heaven must be moved!"
"No, today's the exact ancestral day! Our founder helped!"
"Right! Speech is weird, but... big shock, maybe?"
"Who cares about speech? Sanity's back—that's what counts!"
Hugging again, bodies shaking with joy. Their pure faces left Jinpyeong unable to stay mad. How much had they suffered, half-starved themselves to tend a worthless dongsaeng when they could barely manage?
If it were him? He'd have kicked Jinpyeong out—or left first.
"Jinpyeong. What happened? When did you start talking? Do you recognize us?"
"Of course. Brothers, quit that weird dance and sit here."
"R-right! Yeah!"
They plopped down, calming a bit. Jinpyeong explained: mind cleared suddenly one day. Speech just worked when he tried. Memories spotty, but no more fits—worry not.
He skipped the Yi Gyeol reincarnation bit. Too much shock already; they'd suspect lingering madness.
No details needed—they marveled, slapping knees, eyes tearing up again.
"Little brother, it's a miracle! You endured so much!"
"A day like this for us brothers... after so long."
"We've all suffered. But united, what can the world throw at us?"
Then sniffling Yi Jinun perked up, sniffing around.
"Brother, smell something?"
"Smell talk now? We're not used to sour sweat anymore?"
"Not that. Definitely meat or something..."
"Meat smell at Yi Gajang? Impossible."
"Sure of it. Faint memory... from ages ago."
Jinpyeong chuckled. Yeah, you scarfed it right down. Missed it, huh?
With only a jujube on the ancestor's altar, how had they survived? Good thing he'd wrangled the pig.
To mark this day? No skimping on food.
"Brothers. Not imagining. Look."
He tilted the cart. Their eyes bulged white.
"M-meat!"
"Pork, even!"
Right. Samgyeopsal on empty stomachs. Irresistible!