Chapter 25

Ch. 25

King of Fist, Creates a Fortuitous Encounter 3

Empty Clear Stone Milk was an elixir that martial artists could only dream of.

The elixirs that could compare to it were Natural Wine Fruit, Moon Dan Flower, and Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng.

Of course, there would be other elixirs unknown to the world. However, these four were the highest-grade elixirs that martial artists clearly understood in name and efficacy, yet were extremely difficult to obtain.

Where on earth had he obtained it?

Why hadn't someone consumed this, instead sending it as a gift in the name of friendship?

Was it possible because he was a man competing for the position of the richest person in Central Plains?

How had a merchant obtained something that even martial artists found difficult to acquire?

Dan Wooseong had various thoughts crossing his mind.

However, he had no doubt about the elixir in the medicine bottle. The smell and color were definitely Empty Clear Stone Milk. In his previous life, he had barely drunk a few drops, but what was in the medicine bottle was a much larger amount.

When consumed, the aftereffects would be tremendous.

Taking an elixir with excellent efficacy was similar to waging war with one's own body until accepting that efficacy into the body.

There were often those who thought it would be unconditionally good if someone with no foundation or inner qi consumed good elixirs recklessly. However, depending on the nature of the elixir, there were cases where they couldn't withstand excessive energy and died with their blood vessels bursting or bleeding from every opening.

Empty Clear Stone Milk was an elixir with aftereffects.

Dan Wooseong steeled his mind and then downed the Empty Clear Stone Milk in one gulp with the mindset of starting a war. Every last drop disappeared into Dan Wooseong's mouth.

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Lee Ja-eon, soaked with water, cautiously asked.

"Senior brothers, this junior would like to offer you a meal."

Zhou Zi-liang fanned his student fan and replied.

"What meal would you offer in these rough mountains? Will you catch a pheasant or something? With your skills, you probably couldn't even catch a rabbit by sunset."

"Ah, I have my villa not far from here."

When he introduced the Ahn family's place of the Galaxy Merchant Group as his villa, Sima Ge inwardly sneered.

'How is that yours, you shameless fellow.'

Since both happened to be hungry, Zhou Zi-liang casually replied.

"Senior brother, it wouldn't be bad to get a warm meal from a junior after a long time. I'm tired of catching and eating pheasants and wild boars now. If senior brother teaches some martial arts, wouldn't that be sufficient payment for our meal?"

Sima Ge stood up.

"What's so difficult about getting one meal? Let's do that."

Lee Ja-eon repeatedly bowed his waist while guiding the two to the Ahn family's place.

"This way. Be careful of the stones. There are many slippery places. The walking path wasn't like this before, but it seems to have changed a lot."

Sima Ge and Zhou Zi-liang made eye contact and then turned their heads away.

Lee Ja-eon was at the front, unable to hide his joyful expression. If he could learn martial arts for just one meal, it would be nothing short of a windfall.

'This is exactly a fortuitous encounter. Yes, indeed.'

Lee Ja-eon guided the two with a serious expression and courtesy.

"This way."

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.

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Lee Ja-eon waited until the two who had finished their meal were drinking tea, then cautiously asked.

"By the way, this foolish junior dares to ask for your esteemed names."

Sima Ge said.

"Friends call me Sword Immortal. I abandoned my name long ago since it had no meaning."

Lee Ja-eon shouted loudly.

"What?"

"Why are you so surprised?"

"Ah, no. I learned that Sword Immortal is the title of a master who has competed for the world's best since very ancient times."

Sima Ge didn't deny it.

"It's just a title, so don't mind it. I forgot the grudges and debts of Jianghu long ago."

When Lee Ja-eon looked at Zhou Zi-liang, Zhou Zi-liang also introduced himself.

"I don't know martial arts. Friends call me Scholarly Immortal. Among hermits, they call my senior brother and me together the Twin Immortals of Nine Flower."

Lee Ja-eon nodded.

'Indeed, they were hermit extraordinary people. Well, of course. If they're extraordinary people, I wouldn't know them. But if they're called Sword Immortal in Jianghu, it means they're at least among the top ten masters of Jianghu... This is jackpot.'

Lee Ja-eon swallowed his saliva.

'Don't you take disciples?'

Sima Ge, who claimed to be Sword Immortal, also looked at Lee Ja-eon intently and thought.

Why does this immature fellow long for Jianghu?

Why does he think about wanting to become strong?

Since he was thinking about accepting him as a disciple anyway, he became curious about Lee Ja-eon as a person.

Sima Ge asked.

"But you."

Lee Ja-eon energetically replied.

"Yes!"

"What's your reason for coming into these deep and rough mountains to learn martial arts? With wealth enough to have such a villa, your life should be prosperous and you shouldn't have big worries."

Zhou Zi-liang added.

"He's an admirable young man."

Understanding that they wanted to engage in Zen dialogue befitting extraordinary people, Lee Ja-eon cautiously replied.

"There must be other reasons. I simply want to become strong."

Suddenly Sima Ge nodded, then stood up with a cold expression.

"Ah, I see. We ate well. I hope you become strong."

When Sima Ge stood up, Zhou Zi-liang also added.

"Today's meal was appreciated. But don't interfere with senior brother's training again. Just wanting to become strong - it's been a while since I heard such a pretentious answer. Hmph..."

The two's push and pull was already at immortal level. An earthquake occurred in Lee Ja-eon's pupils.

"Ah, this junior misspoke!"

Lee Ja-eon, who jumped up, knelt beside the table and banged his head hard enough to make a thud. Lee Ja-eon wasn't an ordinary Jianghu Hero either.

Zhou Zi-liang sneered.

"If fate connects us, we'll meet again. I hope you just become strong. Though I don't know where you'll use that strength. Senior brother, this is why I dislike martial arts."

When the two cleanly finished their meal and walked out of the Ahn family's place as if they had no more business, Lee Ja-eon followed and shouted.

"Ah, I'll help the weak!"

Sima Ge looked back with an unpleasant expression.

"Hoho, how absurd. Do we two look so unreliable to you? Help the weak? Are you talking about being a hero? In my eyes, you don't look like a man who could become a hero."

Zhou Zi-liang asked.

"Have you ever helped the weak even once?"

"Ah, no."

Sima Ge said.

"People don't change much. To think that the Jianghu junior I met after a long time was someone who only spoke honeyed words. Tsk."

As Sima Ge sighed and walked away, Zhou Zi-liang chased after him saying.

"Senior brother! Please calm your anger. Kids these days are all like that. The principles of Jianghu fell to the ground long ago."

Lee Ja-eon stared at the two walking away. He thought a fortuitous encounter had come, but it was quickly moving away.

'No... it can't be. Where else will I meet a martial artist of such high level called Sword Immortal?'

Anxious Lee Ja-eon chased after the two and dropped to his knees.

"Please forgive this junior's mistake. I am a worthless person. Even I think my reason for wanting to become strong is absurd, so I lied to avoid the immediate situation. Please give me guidance."

Sima Ge nodded.

"Why did you think you wanted to become strong? Speak honestly. I don't know what kind of person you are. I just want to know first whether you're an honest person or not."

Indeed, it was a difficult question.

Lee Ja-eon, who had been pondering, replied honestly.

"Ah, that is... recently, I wanted to beat up my older brother."

Sima Ge and Zhou Zi-liang were greatly shocked.

Lee Ja-eon's words continued.

"Yes, it's an absurd thought. But my true feelings were really like that. I'll completely fix such thoughts. Ah, of course this isn't the entire reason. There's also the fact that the merchant group's situation is turning too urgent. A man's life - isn't there meaning in becoming strong? I had such rambling thoughts too. I've spoken really honestly."

Sima Ge's eyes widened at Lee Ja-eon's rambling.

'You dare? My friend? We're going through this hardship because of you and your brother?'

Sima Ge's face turned bright red. Zhou Zi-liang's face also reddened. The youngest's way of thinking was worse than expected to a degree that broke expectations.

"Beat up your brother?"

Lee Ja-eon also realized his verbal mistake and was greatly shocked.

"No. I was wrong. Ah, it's because my relationship with my brother isn't good, so with a childish mind... Even if I become strong, I won't do that."

He was certainly immature.

Because he had never experienced hardship at all.

Sima Ge thought not as a master, but from the position of becoming Lee Ja-eon's older brother. He kept remembering his friend's expression and tone when asking favors. A friend who usually gave generously like a fool. Even though such a friend planned this thinking of his younger brother, this fellow wanting to beat up his older brother made Sima Ge boil with anger.

After Sima Ge suppressed his anger for a moment, he said.

"If you want to become strong, you'll need to completely overhaul that mental state first."

"I'll fix it."

"Since I feel bad about getting one meal, I'll teach you some martial arts."

"Thank you!"

Zhou Zi-liang said.

"Though you say some martial arts, that's also formally establishing a connection between master and disciple. Nine bows are complicated, so perform the three-bow ceremony to senior brother. And when you serve senior brother as master, you naturally become my student-nephew. Know that too."

Lee Ja-eon nodded.

"Of course. Master, Grand-master. This disciple will perform the bow."

While Lee Ja-eon performed the three-bow ceremony, Sima Ge and Zhou Zi-liang received the bows with stern expressions.

After accepting him as a disciple, they planned not to leave him alone.

Of course, since his friend had also asked them to treat him harshly, only now was that intention being properly understood.

Sima Ge looked at Lee Ja-eon with a cold expression.

'Ja-eon, you're really going to suffer tremendously. For your tremendous suffering, I'll also endure that tremendous suffering. Let's train together and see who dies first.'

Zhou Zi-liang felt the same.

'If I don't make you into a human, this Zhou Zi-liang isn't human.'

In spare time, he planned to teach literary studies. Since his mindset wasn't proper, there was a need to teach Confucius's words first.

Sima Ge spoke again in a calm tone.

"Ja-eon."

"Yes, Master."

"Rest inside today and come out to the waterfall before dawn breaks tomorrow."

Lee Ja-eon answered energetically.

"I understand."

Sima Ge said.

"If you slack off even one day, I'll expel you."

Zhou Zi-liang nodded.

"When expelling you, I'll take back the martial arts we taught."

Sima Ge planned to become diligent himself first in order to treat this worthless disciple harshly. It could be said this was the point when Dan Wooseong's arrangement of fortuitous encounters began to turn in mysterious ways.

Lee Ja-eon, perhaps because his verbal mistake still bothered him, asked for forgiveness from the two again.

"Master, Grand-master. This disciple made a great verbal mistake. Please forgive me."

Sima Ge replied as he walked away.

"Words are easy. Actions are difficult. I'll be watching."

Sima Ge was straightening his mindset to teach Lee Ja-eon. Because he took his friend's request seriously. To make a worthless disciple into a human, he himself first had to become a proper person.

What should such fate be called? In some ways, it could be said to be more remarkable than a fortuitous encounter.

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