Chapter 6

Ch. 6

King of Fist Returns

"From now on, it will be difficult for you to believe what I'm about to say."

These were the words Mok In-seop, who had returned before Dan Wooseong, spoke to his colleagues at their lodging. Those who were organizing their bedding or doing their own work here and there each responded.

"Why? Was the Great Young Master rolling around with the maids at the Ahn Family from broad daylight?"

"Oh, you must have had quite a show? You were peeping, you pervert."

Mok In-seop sighed.

"Am I your elder? Would I peep at such things?"

"Then what is it?"

Mok In-seop said with a grin.

"What do you think?"

Everyone didn't seem particularly curious.

"Anyway, what a comfortable life. Born into a good family, living in luxury and ease. I'm envious, so envious. Aren't you envious?"

"Of course I'm envious. Even if he's groping the maids' bottoms at the Ahn Family, he doesn't have to worry about money. Anyway, people need to be born well. Effort and such are completely useless. Look at our Vice Leader. He's devoted his entire youth to the guard brigade, but just because Gu Yang from outside... I'll stop here."

Everyone glanced at the guard brigade's Vice Leader Han Yeop.

Han Yeop looked at Mok In-seop with a sour expression and said.

"How was the Great Young Master's health?"

Han Yeop was the only man in the guard brigade who worried about the Great Young Master.

Only then did the guards all look at Mok In-seop at once.

Mok In-seop spoke with a smiling expression as if he knew an interesting story.

"Don't think it's a lie. You'll all find out anyway."

Only then did those who became a bit more curious press Mok In-seop.

"Hurry up and tell us. What is it?"

"If it's nothing special, you know you'll die."

Mok In-seop said.

"The Great Young Master has completely changed as a person."

Of course, since he had changed from Lee Jin-eon to Dan Wooseong, it was the right thing to say. One man replied like this.

"Everyone has times when they change. Since the Great Young Master is still young, it's not strange even if he changed. It's not too late either. He must have matured a bit at the Ahn Family."

Mok In-seop shook his head.

"It's not to that extent. Would I have been surprised by just that much? I also saw the Great Young Master after a long time, and to my eyes, he had become a perfect martial artist. He was a real martial artist."

"Hmm..."

At Mok In-seop's words, the guard brigade looked at each other's faces and then burst into laughter all at once as if they had made a promise.

"Hahahahaha..."

"Puhahahaha."

One man pointed at Mok In-seop and said.

"That's funny. That's funny. Our Mok guy sometimes has the talent to make people laugh. That's an interesting story. The Great Young Master became a martial artist. That's on the same level as saying Mok guy quit drinking and left to study literature."

"It's on the same level as Mok In-seop bumping shoulders on the street and then politely apologizing."

Since it wasn't a bad thing, Mok In-seop also laughed along.

"Yes, yes, I knew you wouldn't believe it. Anyway, don't be surprised when he returns. This Mok In-seop got nervous every time I made eye contact with the Great Young Master. You'll know when you see him."

"You got nervous in front of that scrawny guy? Does that make sense? Are you crazy, Mok guy?"

The guard brigade was basically a man's world.

Although they were martial artists belonging to a merchant group, they had a rougher side because of that. The ones they met most often while doing merchant work were groups from the martial world, bandits, and horse thieves.

Because they were people who lived seeing blood for various reasons, even though they belonged to a merchant group, they were far from being merchants. Rather, they were men who had half a foot in the martial world. Among them, Mok In-seop had the nickname "mad dog" because he got involved in fights whenever he had the chance, even in places like inns.

Vice Leader Han Yeop asked Mok In-seop.

"Becoming a martial artist must mean his health has recovered too."

"That's right. He looked perfectly healthy."

"Then when did he say he would return?"

"I don't know the timing. He said he would return soon."

Han Yeop said with a serious expression.

"If the Great Young Master has changed so much, it's something to congratulate. Let's do this. On the day the Great Young Master returns, tell all the off-duty guards to gather."

"Gather for what?"

Han Yeop said something that was unclear whether it was a joke or serious.

"We should properly celebrate the Great Young Master's return with courtesy."

When everyone burst into laughter at Han Yeop's words, Han Yeop said with a straight face.

"I'm not joking."

"Really?"

"You really want to do that?"

Han Yeop nodded and uttered these words.

"When a man changes, it's something to celebrate and be amazed by. There's an old saying about looking at someone with new eyes. Lu Bu from Romance of the Three Kingdoms also..."

Mok In-seop interrupted.

"It wasn't Lu Bu, it was Lu Meng. The story about looking with new eyes..."

Han Yeop beckoned Mok In-seop with his finger.

"You, come here."

When Mok In-seop reluctantly put his head forward, Han Yeop struck Mok In-seop's head once and said.

"Where did you learn the habit of talking back every single time? Is Lu Bu important now, or is Lu Meng important? We're talking about the Great Young Master, you bastard."

When Mok In-seop got hit once, giggles erupted from here and there.

Han Yeop said.

"Anyway, where was I?"

Mok In-seop said while rubbing his struck head.

"You got to looking with new eyes."

"Right. It's wonderful that the Great Young Master became a martial artist. His health didn't look good either. Honestly, my heart ached whenever I saw the Great Young Master. I regretted a lot that I should have made him into a person by constantly beating him like I do to you guys. But then again, how much mental suffering must a man have gone through there to change like that? Since this is sincere and not a joke, tell those who aren't here the same thing."

Only then did everyone respond with serious expressions.

"Understood. We'll convey it."

Han Yeop looked at Mok In-seop and said as if leaving an impression.

"If our neighborhood mad dog evaluated him as a martial artist, then the Great Young Master must have really become a martial artist. You're an arrogant bastard, but you're not one to lie."

Mok In-seop grinned and replied.

"That's right. Vice Leader, you saw correctly."

Han Yeop also looked at the cheeky Mok In-seop and chuckled.

...

A few days later, a man from the guard brigade entered the lodging with hurried steps and said.

"The Great Young Master has arrived."

When the guard brigade martial artists looked at each other's faces, one veteran said.

"Didn't you hear the Vice Leader's words? Everyone get ready to rush out. If we go now, we'll be able to pay our respects."

"Understood."

"Contact the Vice Leader too."

"He's guarding the merchant leader, so shouldn't we see him first?"

"Right. Let's go."

The men put on proper attire and even prepared their weapons while uttering various words.

"Well, if he had just not caused accidents, he was officially the Young Master with a bright future as the next merchant leader..."

"Who knows. The other young masters are also fighting among themselves, so from our standpoint..."

Anyway, aren't all three of them ragamuffins, he was about to say but closed his mouth. They too had become very curious about the Great Young Master who was suddenly returning. When a person changes, it's something mixed with such expectations.

* * *

Dan Wooseong was looking at his house.

'He really was wealthy.'

After sending the maids who had returned with him from the Ahn Family inside first, he stood alone looking at the tall main gate and walls of the Galaxy Merchant Group, and the scale of the house was truly enormous. Every time he looked around, Lee Jin-eon's memories overlapped as if retrieving childhood memories.

This was a place Lee Jin-eon had been proud of. In Lee Jin-eon's memories, there was a resolution that someday he too should manage the merchant group well. Therefore, Lee Jin-eon's memories seemed to be saying to Dan Wooseong, "Please take good care of the merchant group."

Dan Wooseong nodded.

'Don't worry.'

It seemed like quite many people must have suffered to maintain such wealth in the martial world. They would have spent part of the money they earned for survival in various places.

The merchant leader's mental suffering must have been severe.

Dan Wooseong, who had been looking around, finally opened the main gate and entered the Galaxy Merchant Group. Even though the maids who had entered first would have announced his return, not a single person came out to greet him.

He just looked around as if reviewing Lee Jin-eon's memories and headed toward the main hall where guests were received, passing through the wide courtyard.

Inside the main hall, Lee Jin-eon's memories passed by like phantoms.

It was also the main hall where he had played with his younger brothers, and where they had grabbed each other's hair and fought.

In one corner, he could see the three brothers Lee Jin-eon, Lee Hwa-eon, and Lee Ja-eon kneeling after being scolded by their father.

The three had sullen faces and were holding up their hands.

Then Dan Wooseong stopped walking.

He saw a phantom where young Lee Jin-eon stood dazed as if shocked, and Lee Jin-eon's father was carrying their mother on his back and rushing outside.

The phantom Dan Wooseong was watching disappeared at someone's voice.

"Great Young Master, have you arrived?"

Vice Leader Han Yeop of the guard brigade walked out alone from inside the main hall.

Han Yeop looked at Dan Wooseong and said.

"Congratulations on your healthy return."

Dan Wooseong, who had been staring at Han Yeop, replied.

"Have you been well, Vice Leader?"

Han Yeop said while carefully examining the Great Young Master.

"Yes, I've been well since the merchant leader always takes care of me. I had ordered the guard brigade to welcome you, but I came first."

As soon as Han Yeop finished speaking, the martial artists of the guard brigade came rushing in from outside the main hall making noise.

When Han Yeop and Dan Wooseong stood side by side and watched, the guard brigade lined up in a row and took their positions, then said simultaneously.

"We congratulate the Great Young Master's safe return."

The guard brigade held their swords vertically and performed a sword salute by placing their right hands over them.

It was by Han Yeop's command, but it was the only welcome anyway. Dan Wooseong smiled at the guard brigade and replied.

"Such excessive hospitality for a ragamuffin. Thank you all."

When the Great Young Master made a self-deprecating joke, everyone smiled at the corners of their mouths. Then when Dan Wooseong performed a cupped fist salute toward the guard brigade who had come to greet him, everyone's expressions hardened stiffly.

Only then did they remember Mok In-seop's words. Moreover, the way he performed the cupped fist salute was neither excessive nor lacking. It was a motion that showed sufficient courtesy.

Han Yeop, who was watching this, said with a strange smile.

"Everyone go about your work. I'll guide the Great Young Master."

"Understood."

Both Han Yeop, who was guiding the Great Young Master to the bedridden merchant leader, and the guard brigade returning to their lodging were all thinking the same thing.

'Wow, he really changed tremendously.'

There was no need for long conversation. He had changed to the extent that a martial artist's aura could be felt.

Martial artists recognize each other.

Now they could understand why Mok In-seop had been so surprised. It wasn't just that his health had recovered, but it felt like a strange martial artist they were seeing for the first time had entered the house. And with the feeling of an ally, not an enemy.

Han Yeop stood in front of the merchant leader's room door and said.

"The Great Young Master has come."

A weak voice was heard from inside the room.

"Let him in."

Han Yeop opened the door and said to Dan Wooseong.

"Great Young Master, please go inside. I'll be outside."

When Dan Wooseong entered the room alone, he could see a man lying in the spacious room.

Dan Wooseong was inwardly greatly surprised. Was the existence called father such an aged man? Because he was an orphan, he had no memories or information about the existence called father.

The middle-aged man, whose face clearly showed traces of much hardship, looked at Dan Wooseong and said.

"...You came."

It was a monotonous tone without any hatred or expectation. Dan Wooseong and Lee Jin-eon seemed to answer simultaneously.

"Yes, I've returned."

"Sit down."

Dan Wooseong sat down while looking at the unknown existence called father.

"I heard you have a fire disease."

His father replied with a faint smile.

"It seems so. It must be fire disease. I've had fire disease from before, but my body has aged and won't endure it."

Only then did Lee Seongmin, who got to properly see Lee Jin-eon's face, reach out his hand and touched his eldest son's cheek.

"Your face looks better. Your mind seems more at ease too. Your expression has changed. Are you really Jin-eon?"

It was also a question that could be asked because he was Lee Jin-eon's father. Dan Wooseong nodded and replied.

"Yes."

"I'm glad you've improved."

Dan Wooseong's emotions were also strange.

It could be because the existence called father was a much older man than Dan Wooseong from his previous life.

Aging was such a sad thing.

This man's aging could be said to have come faster because the fate of the work he led and various family members depended on it. Dan Wooseong could see through better than anyone that he was a man who had suffered much mental anguish.

And, being immature in front of a father was no different whether it was Lee Jin-eon who had been a ragamuffin or Dan Wooseong who had been an orphan.

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