Chapter 27

Ch. 27

King of Fist, Receiving Threats

"Father is curious. He wonders what the elixir sent by the great merchant of Taiho Merchant Group is worth. Actually, I came here because I was curious too."

Dan Wooseong replied to General Manager Lee Hwa-eon's question.

"Even I find it difficult to gauge the value of this."

He didn't even mention the term Empty Clear Stone Milk. Lee Hwa-eon asked with a surprised expression.

"Is it that expensive? Actually, father seems to be troubled. West Wind Escort Agency has been sharing joys and sorrows with us from the beginning, but the great merchant is different. He thinks he must repay the favor someday."

Dan Wooseong nodded.

"Since it's an item that cannot be priced, repaying with money wouldn't be the right approach either."

"Then what should we do?"

Dan Wooseong thought for a moment before replying.

"It's fine without a headquarters, fine without substance. It doesn't matter much whether the elder of Taiho Merchant Group becomes the sect leader or father becomes the sect leader. Originally, large merchant groups like us typically maintain guard brigades. However, there are merchant groups like West Wind Escort Agency that don't have such resources. Let's establish a Merchant Alliance under your leadership, including Taiho Merchant Group that sent the elixir."

"What? This is getting big, brother."

"No. We can start small by just including a few friendly forces like our business partners and Taiho Merchant Group. Instead, wherever the location may be, let's invite some notable figures and hold a modest feast. You handle that. Anyway, we need to announce to the surroundings that a Merchant Alliance has been formed. Since we received something difficult to repay with money, we must repay with something other than money."

Lee Hwa-eon asked like a proper general manager.

"What about things like regulations or membership fees?"

"Make the regulations simple like High Ancestor (Liu Bang of Han Dynasty), and don't collect membership fees for now."

"What should the purpose be?"

"Let's make the purpose not protecting interests but protecting the lives of merchants themselves. Normally it would be a friendship gathering. Actually, if problems arise immediately, it won't be easy to rush over and help. But we could take follow-up measures. News will fly in."

"What will you do when news flies in?"

"I'll have to go."

Dan Wooseong looked at his younger brother. When large merchant groups had problems, it was mostly because they were being harassed by martial world sects. Especially Dark Path forces were blatant about it.

When Lee Hwa-eon looked puzzled, Dan Wooseong explained.

"I told you. The elixir sent by the great merchant is an item that cannot even be priced. It helped me that much. Father would think of repaying the favor, but so would I."

"When you say it helped, should I understand that you've become much stronger anyway, brother?"

"Yes."

Lee Hwa-eon put his right arm on the table and said.

"Good. Brother, let's arm wrestle once. I don't think you've ever beaten me, so let's see how much stronger you've become."

Dan Wooseong blinked and replied.

"What? Are you joking?"

"It's not a joke. Are you scared?"

Since it was his younger brother's prank, Dan Wooseong grinned, grabbed Lee Hwa-eon's hand, and naturally pushed his arm down.

Dan Wooseong said.

"Go ahead."

Lee Hwa-eon also got up without any emotion and bowed his head slightly.

"Yes, brother. I'm going."

"Mm. Good work."

Lee Hwa-eon walked a few steps then turned around.

"Brother, but since you returned, my work keeps increasing. I'm dying from being busy lately."

When Dan Wooseong stared at his younger brother, Lee Hwa-eon grinned.

"I like it. For merchants, the busier the better."

After Lee Hwa-eon disappeared, Dan Wooseong fell into thought for a moment. When Lee Hwa-eon said he was busy, why did Failed Scholar Zhou Zi-liang naturally come to mind?

'I wonder how the Nine Flower Mountain trio is doing.'

The fact that the ragamuffins had awakened through anger because the immature Lee Ja-eon had shaken their hearts was something even Dan Wooseong couldn't clearly predict.

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Lee Hwa-eon was returning to his quarters when he saw Mok In-seop walking quickly from the opposite direction.

Mok In-seop shouted loudly.

"General Manager! Is the Great Young Master inside?"

"Hey, you're loud. I just finished meeting with him and am coming out. Why?"

Mok In-seop delivered the news as if making a request.

"General Manager, please go straight to your quarters. The head of the Gu Family is in the main hall. He brought few people but I don't know what he's thinking by coming. First, I'll go tell the Great Young Master."

Lee Hwa-eon's eyes immediately widened.

"The family head came personally?"

"Yes. It would be better if only our guard brigade was in the main hall."

As soon as Mok In-seop finished speaking, he ran to the Great Young Master. If it was the Gu Family head, he was definitely a master that the guard brigade couldn't handle. He was quite shocked inside, thinking it would be the same even if Hanyeop, who had newly become the guard brigade leader, stepped forward.

It was hard to explain why the family head would come personally just because three young masters had been defeated. Since he wasn't causing trouble but consistently asked in a quiet tone to call the Great Young Master, it made them even more anxious.

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When Dan Wooseong and the Twin Treasure brothers appeared in the main hall, Gu Yangsheng, who had been looking around the main hall with his hands behind his back, turned around. His gaze was fixed on Dan Wooseong, not the Twin Treasure brothers.

"So you're the Great Young Master of Galaxy Merchant Group. I am Gu Yangsheng of the Gu Family."

Dan Wooseong was also meeting this man for the first time. He knew about the heads of the Five Great Families of the martial world, but didn't know much about the people of the Gu Family in detail.

Gu Yangsheng looked at the guards he brought and said.

"The young master who educated my sons is also quite handsome. You wait here."

"Yes, understood."

Gu Yangsheng said to Dan Wooseong.

"Great Young Master, let's go for a walk, just the two of us."

At those words, Dan Wooseong said to the Twin Treasure brothers.

"You wait too."

"Yes."

A moment later, the two men left Galaxy Merchant Group and walked silently. They weren't close, and the matter with Gu Yanghu and the defeat of the Gu young masters must have been bitter, so it was natural that they spoke little.

However, Gu Yangsheng spoke in a friendly tone as if asking a friend.

"Great Young Master, what happened with Gu Yanghu?"

"He tried to take over the merchant group for free."

Gu Yangsheng nodded without mentioning the Great Young Master's speech or attitude at all.

"I see. Well, he's that kind of bastard. You don't seem like a man who would lie."

The two men briefly changed the subject as an ordinary passerby approached. Gu Yangsheng looked around and said.

"It's a peaceful neighborhood. I suppose many people supply goods to your merchant group? You've made quite a good place for merchants to rest."

After the passerby passed, Gu Yangsheng again brought up martial world matters.

"My sons and even Shin So-baek... I was relieved they weren't hurt. I should thank you for that. Well, with that level of skill, even sending a young master wouldn't have made a difference. That's why I came personally. I was curious what kind of young man you are. It's rare for a merchant group's heir to be this strong. What's your school?"

"I cannot reveal it."

"As you wish."

Dan Wooseong half-listened to Gu Yangsheng's rambling. When Dan Wooseong said nothing, Gu Yangsheng said.

"Let's go this way."

It was a more secluded place than where they had walked. Gu Yangsheng asked.

"Have you heard of the Emperor's Association?"

Dan Wooseong nodded.

"I've heard of it."

"How much do you know?"

"An organization centered on the Four Great Families excluding the Tang Family."

Gu Yangsheng nodded.

"That's what everyone knows. Our Gu Family is also part of the Emperor's Association. Though we haven't been members for long. I suspect those guys Gu Yanghu was keeping must have been talking everywhere. I went to an Emperor's Association family head meeting and felt slightly unpleasant. When I returned, I threw out all those hangers-on. They were just wasting food."

He didn't throw them out, he buried them somewhere. Gu Yangsheng pointed to his chest and said.

"My heart was greatly hurt. Not that I'm trying to blame you for it."

Gu Yangsheng, who had been walking to a deserted place, looked around and said.

"May I ask a favor?"

"I'll listen."

"Would you join the Emperor's Association? Not Galaxy Merchant Group, just you personally. Even if you enter as an ordinary martial artist, your merchant group would receive great help. Anyway, the families of martial artists belonging to the Emperor's Association would be protected. It's not with the intention of demanding tribute or extorting money. I'm different from Gu Yanghu. How is my proposal?"

Dan Wooseong replied.

"What if I refuse?"

"Why? I want to ask why. It's not a losing proposition. The merchant's son is slow at calculating."

"What would a merchant group's heir do in the Emperor's Association? It's not like we lack money. Moreover, an ordinary martial artist position..."

When Dan Wooseong spoke as politely as possible, Gu Yangsheng nodded and smiled.

"Well, it's a sudden request, so you might refuse."

Dan Wooseong stared at Gu Yangsheng. Gu Yangsheng continued with a smiling face.

"You don't kill Gu Yanghu. You don't defeat my sons. You refuse even when a family head comes personally to ask. You're quite manly."

Dan Wooseong replied.

"Don't mention it. If we're not going to have a fight, let's go back. It wasn't a pleasant walk."

Gu Yangsheng pointed toward Galaxy Merchant Group and replied.

"Let's do that. It wasn't a pleasant walk for me either."

In the uncomfortable atmosphere, the two men retraced their steps. Gu Yangsheng seemed to be in a bad mood, occasionally sighing before asking.

"So stubborn... What's so difficult about joining the Emperor's Association? It's a place others want to enter but can't."

"Isn't it an organization formed by people who broke away when the Murim Alliance returned to being centered on the old sects?"

"That's right. Is that a problem? It's a place where even ordinary martial artists are treated better than in the Murim Alliance. It would be right to see it as an organization in friendly competition with the Murim Alliance."

Dan Wooseong smiled inwardly.

Seeing how Shin So-baek had recommended the Murim Alliance, he could guess what the atmosphere of the Emperor's Association was like. It was definitely a force where direct heirs of the families were thriving. When even collateral heirs were being pushed out, what would a merchant group's heir do by entering?

Gu Yangsheng said.

"It's a pity that you could participate in the Dragon Phoenix Grand Feast as a member of the Emperor's Association and achieve great success. Then you'd be promoted quickly even as an ordinary martial artist. You don't know much about worldly affairs."

The Dragon Phoenix Grand Feast was a grand young master martial arts tournament hosted by the Murim Alliance. Naturally, from the Emperor's Association's perspective, it was an opportunity to spread their fame and compete with the young masters of the old sects, so they were participating in large numbers.

Gu Yangsheng seemed to get annoyed during the conversation and grabbed his forehead. Curses came out quite naturally.

"Damn it... another headache is coming. Look here, Great Young Master. I could just go into Galaxy Merchant Group like this, massacre everyone, then escape. I'd spare you, of course. I could manipulate it to make it a public achievement. It's such a common story that it wouldn't be particularly moving, but don't take my words lightly. I'll be honest. My pride is greatly hurt. If you come with me to the Emperor's Association and save my face once, you'll have done your part. I'll cleanly forget about the Gu Yanghu matter too."

When Dan Wooseong looked at him with an expression of being speechless, Gu Yangsheng asked.

"Why are you silent? Why do you ignore people's goodwill like that? When I spoke nicely, you didn't even listen with one ear. Are you strong enough to stop me? Is that it? It's nonsense, but even if that were true, you could kill me and it would be a public achievement. I'm a member of the Emperor's Association. What will you do? Do you feel my goodwill now?"

Gu Yangsheng waited for Dan Wooseong's answer with an expression of disbelief.

Dan Wooseong sighed and then said in a calm tone.

"Cut it out moderately. You crazy bastard. Doesn't it occur to you that I could kill you, kill all those bastards in that main hall, then set out and massacre the entire Gu Family? I'll frame your eldest son as the culprit. Want to try it?"

At this completely unexpected reaction, Gu Yangsheng looked at Dan Wooseong with a truly surprised expression.

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