The First Fence
Gu Sam, the butcher, had completely forgotten his brush with death and was glaring at the scrap of bone in front of him like it was the enemy.
"You gonna be this stingy? If it weren't for me, you'd be dead!"
Was it such a shock that he was still alive? Even after Yi Jinpyeong explained what had happened, Gu Sam looked skeptical, like he couldn't quite buy it.
"You, kid? How the hell did you pull that off?"
What a world, where trust had hit rock bottom. With no other choice, Yi Jinpyeong recreated the key moments for him. He hefted a pig bone and brought it down on a few Jang Gapae thugs still out cold. Thwack, thwack—the victims twitched with each impact. Onlookers who'd been peeking warily scattered in horror.
At this point, it was hard to tell who the real villain was.
Gu Sam, watching, frantically waved both hands. "S-stop! I believe you, so cut it out!"
He blinked dumbly at the sprawled Jang Gapae thugs, the crowd keeping their distance, and Yi Jinpyeong's utterly nonchalant expression.
"Whew... Anyway. Who'd have thought you were really Yi Gajang's mad third young master. I figured you were just messing around."
"Leave out the 'mad' part."
"Fair enough. You're not like the rumors, though. Still, looking closer now, your clothes and build do remind me of them a bit."
Remind him of them? He was probably talking about his eldest brother Yi Jingang and second brother Yi Jinun. Being compared to those skinny skeletons didn't sit well.
"You know my brothers?"
"Not really. But the White Bone Heroes are famous enough that anyone would recognize them. They wander the markets here sometimes, but they've never once stopped by my shop."
...So White Bone Heroes was their nickname. Fitting, in a grimly poetic way. No wonder—with the family barely scraping by, offering a few dried jujubes on the ancestral altar. How could they afford proper meat?
Suddenly, Yi Jinpyeong realized quite a bit of time had passed. The shock of catching him mid-fall from on high, combined with malnutrition, had left the White Bone Heroes still collapsed limply.
"Now that you know how grateful to be, pack me some generous meat. That one looks about right."
Yi Jinpyeong pointed at one of the thugs penned up in the enclosure. The plump little piglet that had caught his eye from the start, fat and juicy.
Gu Sam stammered in panic. "L-look, I'm really thankful for the help, but that pudgy one's my favorite in the whole shop. Asking me to butcher him out of nowhere is..."
"...Pudgy?"
"That's his nickname."
No matter how attached, giving a pig you planned to slaughter a nickname? Gu Sam eyed him cautiously.
"Taking that bone is fine, no issue. How about we forget you tried sneaking it off while I was getting beat?"
Yi Jinpyeong glanced at the bone in his hand. Yeah, pocketing it while Gu Sam was down was shady. But while smashing the Jang Gapae thugs, the meager meat had flaked off, leaving only gristle and scraps that shouldn't be there clinging stubbornly.
What was he supposed to do with this?
"......"
A surge of irritation boiled up. If the guy had some exploitable flaw, fine—but this merchant, clueless in martial arts, wouldn't budge an inch in haggling. Infuriating.
"Hey! After riding the same boat, you gonna be this cheap?"
"Same boat? What're you on about?"
Gu Sam looked baffled. Yi Jinpyeong repeated what he'd said before passing out: forget other factions, sign an exclusive deal with Yi Gajang. They'd protect him, let him focus purely on business without worries.
"That ridiculous nonsense again..."
"Ridiculous? You still don't trust me?"
"I believe you can fight now. But that's it."
Gu Sam's tone was surprisingly firm. Yi Jinpyeong scowled. That menacing aura should've cowed him, but Gu Sam pressed on undeterred.
"I'm grateful for today—that's a debt I'll repay somehow. But an exclusive contract? That's a whole different beast. Yi Gajang might've been big once, but now it's just you three brothers, right? How can you alone stand against giants like Jang Gapae or Dongbeonhoe—with dozens, hundreds of warriors? What if they trash my shop while you're busy fighting?"
"......"
"You should watch yourself too. If it's just a brawl, fine—but threaten their interests, and they won't sit idle. Same for me. Might've been better to take a few beatings or stabs and call it done. Things could spiral out of control... I might even have to leave this place for real."
Gu Sam gazed wistfully over the market. His words rang true, grounded in harsh reality. They laid bare Yi Gajang's dire straits.
Nothing reliable except Yi Jinpyeong himself...
But Gu Sam didn't know. Didn't know who Yi Jinpyeong really was, or what he could achieve.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Yi Jinpyeong clicked his tongue. "You're clueless. No turning back now."
"...What do you mean?"
"You already declared our deal in front of all these witnesses. Folks think you're Yi Gajang's man now."
"M-me? No way!"
"Don't remember? Go grab some market folks and confirm."
True, it'd happened after Gu Sam blacked out, but what did that matter? Perception was key.
"Wriggle all you want—no escape now. Gu Sam's Butchery is officially the first shop under Yi Gajang's fence."
Gu Sam gaped at the unbelievable reality. Yi Jinpyeong proclaimed, hand on his waist, gazing at the vast sky.
"And that fence? It's gonna grow big enough to enclose the entire Central Plains."
Gu Sam finally accepted reality.
"Fine. Already burned bridges with Jang Gapae, and Dongbeonhoe's not lifting a finger—might as well trust you once. Gu Sam's Butchery's fate rides with Yi Gajang now!"
His voice boomed. Unlike his earlier skepticism, once decided, Gu Sam was all-in, hearty and bold. Even without a single concrete plan on how Yi Jinpyeong would protect them.
"By the way, what kind of scum are they? Jang Gapae, Dongbeonhoe—both."
Only after the deed was done did Yi Jinpyeong ask about the enemy.
"Dongbeonhoe's basically a merchant guild. Short for Dongjeong Prosperity Association—everyone calls it that now."
"Sloppy habit, shortening names like that."
"Anyway. Their turf's huge—nearly half the markets around Dongjeong Lake fall under them. Pay three-tenths of sales as dues, and they license your business."
"Three-tenths... That's steep. What do they even provide? Business must boom enough to survive that."
Gu Sam shrugged. "This is Dongjeong Lake—where land and water routes converge. And the neighborhood that benefited most from your Yi Gajang back when you ruled the world. Bet it's the fastest-growing, most populated spot in the Central Plains over the last century."
"...Our family's beggars now, but the neighbors prospered off our legacy."
Nice thoughts, nice thoughts... Yi Jinpyeong swallowed rising fury, the world tinting yellow.
Gu Sam continued. "That's why gangs like Jang Gapae keep popping up. Word is, they're outsiders who heard milk and honey flow here and reached in. They promise protection from other thugs or bandits, then demand another three-tenths as 'protection fee.' Outrageous! Merchants trusted Dongbeonhoe for business, and now this? Begged them to sort it out, but they barely budge. No clue what they're thinking!"
"Scared of Jang Gapae, probably."
"Doubt it. Dongbeonhoe ranks pretty high among local factions."
"...Factions have rankings?"
"Sure—everyone loves rankings. Dongbeonhoe's... hmm, top ten fingers, I'd say?"
He'd just called them high-ranked. Yet only top ten around Dongjeong Lake? How many factions were there?
"How many factions operate here?"
"Tons. Someone tallied recently: all the bangs, hoes, mun, pa—ninety-eight total. Add Jang Gapae, makes ninety-nine!"
Ninety-nine around Dongjeong Lake alone. Astonishing. A century ago, Yi Gyeol remembered it as far less cutthroat.
Was Yi Gajang on that list? What rank? A former hegemon, maybe...
Gu Sam shook his head firmly. "Yi Gajang dropped off ages ago. Add 'em, hits a neat hundred. Probably starts at rock bottom—Hundredth House? Climb one, Ninety-Ninth House? Hahaha!"
Gu Sam laughed obliviously. A pig trotter smashed into his temple.
Crack!
Oh no! Beating up the first shop owner allied with Yi Gajang.
Yi Jinpyeong calmed his excitement and carefully roused Gu Sam.
"Wh-what...? What happened to me...?"
Luckily, the massive blow wiped his recent memories. Annoying to restart talks, but Gu Sam agreed again to be Yi Gajang's first contracted shop.
In a way, a blessing. Willingly tying to the Hundredth House faction.
Brain trauma? Or marking a new start? Gu Sam even butchered his prized pudgy pig.
"Truly grateful. Pudgy's sacrifice will be remembered forever."
"Huh? How'd you know his name?"
"...Just felt like it."
Finally, Yi Jinpyeong could return to his brothers. Pulling a cart heaped with pork.