Chapter 34

Ch. 34

King of Fist, Glimpsing Potential

"I said I'd be back, didn't I?"

Who on earth was he conversing with? These were words that Cheol Myeongho uttered alone in the chaos where no one replied.

By the way, Cheol Myeongho's arm was beginning to go numb. But something miraculous happened. When the face he remembered appeared right before his eyes, the pain wrapping around his entire arm disappeared as if washed away. In a way, this was also the identity of Venom Fox. When harboring venomous thoughts, he could easily endure most pain, hardship, and difficulties.

Cheol Myeongho wandered around the place where Dan Wooseong had started rampaging, selecting only those who had chased him desperately before and smashing their heads with his Heavy Umbrella.

"...Two thousand eight hundred ninety-eight."

Dan Wooseong's words echoed in his ears like an auditory hallucination.

A rat bastard or Venom Fox...

Cheol Myeongho replied alone like a madman.

"Ah, no. I'm Venom Fox."

Because the pain disappeared only when he exhaled venom, Cheol Myeongho had no choice but to keep muttering words. He was determined to achieve one hundred thousand repetitions, then hear from his friend's mouth, "Indeed, that's just like Venom Fox."

In fact, aside from the nickname Venom Fox, Cheol Myeongho had nothing left.

His martial arts weren't strong, his family had been destroyed long ago, women had left him, and no one he could call a friend remained around him.

No, there was one person.

At least he had bought him noodles when he was hungry.

Cheol Myeongho was a person with strange thinking. He didn't hold a grudge about all that money being taken back by Dan Wooseong. Rather, the three bowls of noodles bought when he was hungry were more important. Because it was a situation where he had nothing to say even if Dan Wooseong told him to get lost right there.

This Cheol Myeongho wandered around the Six Complete Prosperity District, which was becoming a complete mess, like a wanderer carrying a black umbrella and wearing a hideous human skin mask.

Then when he spotted someone who had chased him, he would persistently follow them before bringing down his heavy Heavy Umbrella. Most were injured or terrified, so killing them was easy.

By the way, just how strong had that friend who ordered him to do one hundred thousand repetitions become?

Whenever Cheol Myeongho felt tired, he watched Dan Wooseong fighting.

'Ah, that guy really fights well.'

Admiration and envy mixed together. He thought it would be nice if someday he could fight like that too.

When Cheol Myeongho turned his head, he saw underlings from Zhangshan Sect and Old Leopard Gang, who usually didn't get along with him, lying together peacefully.

There were quite a few who had died in strange positions here and there.

The executives of Jiao Long Gang and Red Happy Fortress had died with their bellies pierced by each other's swords.

There were also those who had died embracing each other tenderly. These had apparently ascended to heaven with their heads smashed. Since there were many, quite a few were fleeing.

They were the wisest ones.

What should this situation be called?

The appropriate term was this:

Dark Path Extermination.

Most of the fairly strong ones that Cheol Myeongho remembered were already corpses.

Like Venom Fox, Cheol Myeongho was searching for faces he remembered when he stopped walking upon seeing an unexpected scene.

As this carnage unfolded, there were quite a few who were rejoicing. He could hear merchants muttering.

"Does this mean we don't have to pay tribute anymore?"

"They're all dead or fled, so who would we pay?"

"I wonder if that Great Young Master from Galaxy Merchant Group will take over."

Cheol Myeongho, passing by, replied to the merchants' words in an indifferent tone.

"He's not that kind of guy."

"Excuse me?"

Cheol Myeongho glared at the merchants while wearing his bizarre human skin mask.

"I said he's not that kind of guy. He has more money than you. It's a pointless worry."

Though they had pointless worries, the merchants watching the fight anyway cheered for the Great Young Master of Galaxy Merchant Group.

Moreover, this crowd was sufficiently cruel. Some merchants took fish-cutting knives and severed the necks of those who usually bullied them or caused trouble while collecting money.

Especially those who worked as butchers killed the dark path groups without hesitation.

Because they considered this incident an opportunity for Six Complete Prosperity District to escape the dark path and be liberated.

They had joined the extermination.

Some butchers encouraged their colleagues and even brought out their brothers. Pickaxes and sickles appeared, and there were those who rushed forward with crude Blade and swords stolen from someone.

In the midst of it all, Cheol Myeongho laughed inside his human skin mask.

"Kahahaha... Interesting. Interesting."

It was a boring and tedious daily life. It seemed like a festival of liberation from oppression was taking place.

Cheol Myeongho was suddenly startled by his own laughter. He realized it had been a very long time since he had laughed out loud.

'Ah, so this is what laughing was like.'

In the midst of joy, his thoughts became jumbled. Cheol Myeongho moved as if dancing in the place where the blood festival was taking place and muttered.

"I want to become strong."

He wanted to become madly strong.

Not as a man wearing a human skin mask in this blood festival, but like that childhood friend rampaging over there. Cheol Myeongho, who had been bursting into laughter like a madman, suddenly looked around and brought down his Heavy Umbrella forward.

"Two thousand eight hundred ninety-nine!"

When his muscles sent a signal that they were 'in pain,' Cheol Myeongho replied as if it was far off.

"I am Venom Fox Cheol Myeongho."

The man swinging a black umbrella in the crowd continuously recited the count. His lifelong interest had completely changed from money to becoming strong.

...

Originally, Dan Wooseong knew of Venom Fox's potential. He had merely given him an opportunity. However, seizing that opportunity was not something just anyone could do.

Dan Wooseong had also glimpsed Sima Ge's potential, and even held small expectations for his youngest. Everyone had embers in their hearts.

It was enough for those small embers to become flames and burn throughout their hearts.

Even while smashing Jeok Ye's subordinates, Dan Wooseong witnessed the umbrella ghost wandering around like a madman, but didn't particularly acknowledge him.

He could see well even from a distance.

The venomous one was swinging his Heavy Umbrella as taught.

However, he could assert that whether it was Cheol Myeongho, Sima Ge, or Lee Ja-eon, none could approach Dan Wooseong's mindset.

In this lifetime, he would become an undefeated martial artist.

However, the martial world Dan Wooseong desired was one separated from the powerless. Whose lifeblood were the powerful squeezing?

It wasn't because of money that he staged this massacre.

He had only rampaged for half a hour, but now except for Dan Wooseong, there was no one properly standing.

Red Harvest Alliance had literally disbanded.

Dan Wooseong hadn't killed them all alone.

Ordinary merchants and workers, boatmen who tried to overcome daily fatigue with a drink, and shop boys who had been beaten and humiliated countless times had also joined in capturing the fleeing dark path members.

The ember had certainly been lit by Dan Wooseong...

But those who blazed were ordinary common people.

Before they knew it, all those who made their living in Six Complete Prosperity District had rushed out and occupied the area.

This was something even Dan Wooseong hadn't expected.

People flocked to Dan Wooseong. Were they trying to buy him a drink? Or were they trying to express their gratitude by uttering a few awkward words?

Dan Wooseong wasn't interested.

After deliberately turning away those who approached, he headed toward Yanghwa Street without saying much.

It was truly a grand outing.

What would happen to the wealth Jeok Ye had accumulated?

All the ordinary people of Six Complete Prosperity District were looking at Dan Wooseong.

Dan Wooseong thought the money Jeok Ye had accumulated also belonged to them. It would have been wealth accumulated from tribute originally.

Later, he planned to send General Manager Lee Hwa-eon to appoint one representative of Six Complete Prosperity District and have only that representative join the Merchant Association. Since Dan Wooseong had started this anyway, he intended to protect them.

That was also the purpose of the Merchant Association.

After finishing his noisy outing, Dan Wooseong arrived at Yanghwa Street and only then realized he was thirsty. Since he had come out for an outing anyway, he intended to quench his thirst and return. Naturally, Dan Wooseong's steps stopped at the inn where he had previously gained extra money by smashing chairs and tables.

The shop boy who was wiping tables came out and acted familiar.

"Great Young Master, where have you been?"

Dan Wooseong replied.

"An outing."

The shop boy grinned and said this as a joke.

"You didn't go somewhere and cause another ruckus, did you?"

When Dan Wooseong looked at the shop boy as if it was strange, only then did the shop boy startle and say.

"Ah, it's a joke, Great Young Master. If I offended you, I apologize."

Dan Wooseong replied briefly.

"No. You're right. The outing was a bit noisy."

"Yes."

Suddenly Dan Wooseong looked at a few chairs and tables. They didn't look newly bought, but rather as if someone had done some hammering and replaced a few table legs with new ones. The shop boy said with a flustered expression.

"Ah, I recycled them. It was too wasteful to throw them away."

The shop boy seemed to have pocketed some money, but Dan Wooseong didn't mind.

"Let me drink some Maotai. I don't need side dishes."

"Understood."

The Maotai here had a deep aroma and wasn't too strong. Since he intended to return after just quenching his thirst, he took a seat outside the inn. He was curious about the name of the surprisingly quick-witted shop boy, but didn't bother asking.

While drinking a few cups, he intended to catch any remnants who might flee this way. Since Yanghwa Street was Dan Wooseong's living area anyway, he intended to make it impossible for the dark path to set foot there.

When Dan Wooseong had poured and drunk two cups of Maotai alone, Cheol Myeongho appeared breathing roughly, tucked his Heavy Umbrella under his arm, and said. He still wore the human skin mask.

"Give me just one cup."

When Dan Wooseong poured alcohol into two cups, Cheol Myeongho picked up the cup and looked at it.

The two men had nothing particular to say.

They looked into each other's eyes briefly, then drank simultaneously.

Cheol Myeongho put his cup down on the table and said.

"One hundred thousand times isn't that many. Wait. I'll be back. When I finish one hundred thousand times, you have to teach me what comes next too."

After saying only this, he gripped his Heavy Umbrella with his right hand again and headed somewhere.

He was truly a busy man.

The shop boy brought dried snacks in a bowl without being asked, set them down, then watched the man who had a drink and left while asking.

"What was that beggar bastard saying?"

"He's extremely crazy, so don't worry about it."

"Hmm, I see."

Dan Wooseong watched the departing Cheol Myeongho with an indifferent expression.

Striking down, what came next was actually nothing special.

It was just a difference of whether it would be another three hundred thousand times or five hundred thousand times.

He was qualitatively different from Sima Ge, who he had made learn by creating the unprecedented Solitary Ultimate Sword, or his youngest. Dan Wooseong thought there would be a sword technique that suited Cheol Myeongho separately. If Cheol Myeongho accomplished what he was told, next he intended to teach him how to slash horizontally. Slashing horizontally would also involve repeating roughly hundreds of thousands of times.

Next would be repeating thrusts.

If he accomplished all of this, things would become simple.

Dan Wooseong wouldn't have taught sword techniques, but Cheol Myeongho would have created his own sword technique.

This too was martial learning.

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