Chapter 7

Ch. 7

King of Fist, Meet Your Brother

"Father, please give me your hand."

When Lee Seongmin extended his hand and entrusted it to his son, Dan Wooseong grasped Lee Seongmin's rough and coarse hand and checked his pulse. Learning martial arts meant understanding the body, so Dan Wooseong could be considered more skilled than most physicians. However, it felt awkward to act like a physician in front of Lee Seongmin, so he massaged it as if applying acupressure.

Dan Wooseong said,

"I heard that Fire Disease is an illness that can be easily treated if you just remove the cause. I will gradually remove that cause for you from now on, so please recover quickly."

There was no serious illness.

It was literally a disease of the heart.

Fire Disease itself caused by psychological factors. Of course, if the situation didn't improve, it was a case where even a healthy body could develop various illnesses due to mental state.

Lee Seongmin, who was lying down, couldn't readily answer. The very person who had been the biggest cause of his Fire Disease had returned so changed that he couldn't help but be flustered. After swallowing dry saliva several times, Lee Seongmin finally answered like this:

"Even just the words are appreciated."

Dan Wooseong patted the back of Lee Seongmin's hand and spoke as if telling him not to worry.

"I'm not just making promises with words - it will truly happen."

When Dan Wooseong smiled, Lee Seongmin looked at Dan Wooseong's expression and nodded his head.

"Yes. I understand. You've returned well. You should also go and rest soon."

"Yes."

Lee Seongmin gazed intently at his eldest son leaving, then suddenly looked at his own hand. His eldest son had applied acupressure so forcefully that red marks were stamped all over his palm. Even this man who had grown tough through business had some perception. Looking at his palm, he was making this speculation:

'My son has learned martial arts.'

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Dan Wooseong temporarily kept secret the news that Gongson Myeong had died. It would only complicate the sick person's mind. Except for the one who had ordered it, the atmosphere was such that no one cared about Gongson Myeong's absence. Since he wasn't family, there was no reason to return together either.

Dan Wooseong came out after meeting the sect leader and moved to meet his second younger brother with a maid's guidance.

The second brother Lee Hwa-eon, who worked as General Manager, was injured and receiving treatment.

He couldn't expect a warm welcome from his brothers from the start. It was a well-known fact that brothers from wealthy families tended to fight frequently as they grew up.

He was simply curious about his younger brothers' expressions. He intended to find out who had ordered the physician, and he would start with those closest to him.

Dan Wooseong had seen countless cases in his previous life where family became enemies. Those with power tried to solve things with power and tragedies occurred, while those with money caused tragedies to gain even more money.

* * *

Second brother Lee Hwa-eon was shirtless, with a maid applying wound medicine to his shoulder.

The guard outside the door said,

"General Manager, the Great Young Master has come."

Lee Hwa-eon tilted his head and gestured to the maid as if telling her to go out and check. He knew about the return, but it was strange that the Great Young Master had come to visit first.

Dan Wooseong said from outside the door,

"I'm coming in."

"Yes."

When the Great Young Master entered with a stern expression, Lee Hwa-eon hastily put on his upper garment and spoke in a dry tone:

"I was applying wound medicine..."

"Stay comfortable."

The two brothers looked at each other for a moment.

Dan Wooseong could see that Lee Hwa-eon resembled the Great Young Master quite a bit. The emotions revealed in Lee Hwa-eon's expression and eyes were not favorable. Even though they were meeting after a long time, his attitude showed he wasn't pleased. Since these were feelings toward Lee Jin-eon, Dan Wooseong didn't pay much attention. Even in Lee Jin-eon's memory, Lee Hwa-eon wasn't particularly troublesome.

Lee Hwa-eon asked with an expressionless face,

"How is your health? You look quite improved."

Dan Wooseong looked around the room and at the documents piled high on Lee Hwa-eon's desk as he spoke:

"I'm fine now. I heard from Mok In-seop that you fought with the third brother."

"Yes."

"I understand the fighting, but how did you end up getting cut with a sword?"

At the changed Great Young Master's way of speaking, Lee Hwa-eon tilted his head and replied:

"That's how it happened."

"Who hit you..."

"Would I have been hit by the guards? It happened while trying to stop the fight. I was also holding a sword, so I have nothing to say."

"The third brother hit you?"

"Yes."

Dan Wooseong nodded.

Whether he had ordered it or not, the third brother seemed like he needed to be beaten. Since childhood, the third brother had longed for the Martial World, so his violent tendencies were the worst among the three brothers.

Lee Hwa-eon, perhaps sensing his eldest brother's change, asked:

"But did something happen at the Ahn family? You seem completely different. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

Dan Wooseong nodded.

"Do I seem that way?"

"Yes."

"You observed well. By the way, when will you return to General Manager duties?"

"It's not a serious injury. I plan to rest just until today and work normally starting tomorrow."

Dan Wooseong immediately replied:

"Then contact them to refuse what Laughing Immortal Sect requested."

Lee Hwa-eon replied with a somewhat surprised expression:

"What? I was planning to send some gifts to smooth things over. If there was no response, they seemed ready to come to us. They hinted that they could interfere with other businesses as well."

"Did they?"

"Yes."

Dan Wooseong smiled and said:

"Then that's even better. Refuse them. If they come, I'll have to meet them. We're a merchant group that makes profits, not a charity organization. There's no need to bow our heads every time Martial World sects get angry. And after hearing the story from Mok In-seop and thinking it over carefully... I don't think Laughing Immortal Sect is the strange one in this matter."

"Then?"

"Gu Family is the strange one. If Laughing Immortal Sect is demanding money from us with Gu Family's consent, they'll offer part of that extorted money to Gu Family. While Gu Family receives money from us under the pretext of protection fees, they'll also receive our money again through Laughing Immortal Sect."

"Isn't that too much of a leap in speculation?"

When Lee Hwa-eon tilted his head, Dan Wooseong replied:

"Anyone can see that Laughing Immortal Sect's power is weak, yet they're going to extort money from a merchant group that has a Gu Family master as guard brigade leader? What would be stranger? If Laughing Immortal Sect threatens us, this isn't Laughing Immortal Sect being strange - we should handle it knowing that Gu Family has become strange. At least if a force stronger than Gu Family pressures us, that would be understandable, but..."

Lee Hwa-eon fell into thought for a moment before speaking:

"I'll refuse this. Your words are correct, brother. Since a fight might break out, I'll tell the guard brigade to prepare as well."

Dan Wooseong nodded and flipped through the employee roster he found on the desk. When his eldest brother rummaged through ledgers that Lee Hwa-eon had never looked at in his life, he was even more amazed.

"What are you looking for?"

"Let me examine the roster for a moment."

"Yes."

Merchants keep thorough records.

Moreover, since his younger brother was the General Manager, it was safe to say all the merchant group's important information was here.

Dan Wooseong read through the employee roster with his finger and stopped at the place where 'Gongson Myeong' was written.

「Gongson Myeong, from Weian, recommended by Gu Yanghu, Second-rank Third-grade monthly salary.」

When the name he expected appeared, Dan Wooseong felt relieved in one way. He had avoided having to kill Lee Jin-eon's brother with his own hands.

By the way, this guard brigade leader Gu Yanghu seemed to have made plans to completely swallow Galaxy Merchant Group whole. He was shaking up the merchant group inside and out as he pleased.

Dan Wooseong closed the roster as if there was nothing more to see and said:

"Hwa-eon, take good care of your health."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to educate the third brother a bit."

"What?"

When Dan Wooseong left abruptly, Lee Hwa-eon kept tilting his head. It was strange that he was taking interest in merchant group affairs, strange that he was going to meet the third brother with whom he didn't get along. Most of all, the atmosphere and tone of their conversation was strange.

Education?

It would be fortunate if he didn't get beaten up.

At least it seemed like a positive change, so it was fortunate that his mood wasn't entirely bad. The Great Young Master's return was bewildering in many ways.

When Dan Wooseong came out of Lee Hwa-eon's quarters, Mok In-seop grinned and followed along.

"Great Young Master, this is Mok In-seop. I was late with greetings due to shift change."

Dan Wooseong walked alongside Mok In-seop and said:

"How unusual for the entire guard brigade to come out and greet me. It was excessive hospitality for a ragamuffin."

"Hehe, is that so? By the way, where are you going? Young Master's quarters are not this way."

"To the third brother."

"Haha, then I'll accompany you."

"Why?"

Mok In-seop grinned and said:

"Won't it be noisy? Since you don't have an assigned guard yet, I should accompany you. Since the General Manager was injured, we got severely scolded by the Vice Leader too."

Mok In-seop was curious about the confrontation between the changed Great Young Master and the hot-tempered Third Young Master. If the Third Young Master's guards drew their swords again this time, Mok In-seop wasn't planning to just stand by either.

In front of the quarters where the Third Young Master stayed, Mok In-seop deliberately spoke arrogantly:

"Hey, the Great Young Master has come, so announce it inside."

"Yes."

When the young man who was sweeping in the courtyard hurried away, Mok In-seop spoke as if telling him to enter first:

"Please go in."

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.

"You've come?"

This was Third Young Master Lee Ja-eon's first words upon seeing the Great Young Master. Lee Ja-eon glanced at Mok In-seop and spoke indifferently:

"It's been a while for the Mok fellow too."

Mok In-seop grinned and replied:

"Yes, Third Young Master."

Lee Ja-eon was cutting wooden dummies with a real sword in the training ground prepared in the rear garden, with two of Lee Ja-eon's personal guards standing and watching.

With Dan Wooseong also watching, Lee Ja-eon consecutively cut two wooden dummies standing side by side. Lee Ja-eon examined the cut surfaces of the dummies and said:

"What wind brought you all the way here?"

Dan Wooseong didn't reply.

Instead, he examined the training ground floor, then gazed intently at the faces of the guards standing with stern expressions. They were people not in Lee Jin-eon's memory either. Dan Wooseong also didn't feel like beating the third brother in front of outsiders.

Dan Wooseong looked at Mok In-seop and said:

"I have things to discuss with the third brother, so all of you get out."

Mok In-seop replied first as if disappointed:

"Yes, understood."

Mok In-seop was expecting that the third brother would soon get beaten up.

'Ah, I should watch this... what a shame.'

When Mok In-seop strode out, the guards looked at Lee Ja-eon's face. Their attitude was that they would move only if Lee Ja-eon told them to leave.

Lee Ja-eon smiled and said:

"Why the guards? Are you planning to have a bout with me? Did you dig up an elixir or something from Nine Flower Mountain? How absurd."

Lee Ja-eon threw his sword to the guards. When one guard caught the sword, Lee Ja-eon waved his hand and said:

"Listen here, when Galaxy Merchant Group's Great Young Master tells you to leave, what are you hesitating for? How presumptuous..."

The guards bowed their heads and replied:

"Yes."

After Mok In-seop and then all the guards disappeared from the rear garden, Lee Ja-eon walked up to Dan Wooseong and examined his face from various angles.

"You've gotten healthy. Your expression makes you seem like a different person. Did something happen? You even know how to glare at people now. Did you take the wrong medicine? Or did some tonic affect your brain?"

Dan Wooseong said:

"Ja-eon."

Lee Ja-eon placed one hand on Dan Wooseong's shoulder and said:

"Brother, let's get our heads straight. Now that you've returned, stop causing trouble. And stop drinking so much."

Dan Wooseong nodded.

"That's what I'm thinking."

Lee Ja-eon nodded.

"Good thinking. I'm afraid to say I'm still Lee Jin-eon's younger brother when I go places. If father hadn't sent you to the Ahn family, your nickname probably would have become Lustful Demon instead of going out to the Martial World."

Dan Wooseong examined Lee Ja-eon's physical condition. He was curious about how much he had trained. But the hands of someone who claimed to practice swordsmanship were truly clean and soft.

Lee Ja-eon continued:

"Lustful Demon would be too high a rank, so let's make it Tavern Lustful Demon. That would suit your level, brother."

While speaking, Lee Ja-eon's grip strength was added to Dan Wooseong's shoulder.

Toward Dan Wooseong who stood still, Lee Ja-eon spoke in a voice small enough that those around couldn't hear:

"If you don't want to get beaten like before, behave quietly. I'll also live without paying attention. The merchant group's atmosphere isn't good these days."

Usually by this point, the Great Young Master would make a fuss about his shoulder hurting, but now his expression didn't change even once. Instead, Dan Wooseong grasped Lee Ja-eon's shoulder with his right hand in the same posture and replied:

"I understand."

"Oh, you're going to get your head straight?"

Dan Wooseong also raised his grip strength and said:

"When a person passes through a life-or-death crisis, there are times when they change. In my case, I'd say I changed very positively."

Lee Ja-eon's face immediately contorted. A short, cut-off scream leaked out.

"Ah! Ah, ah, ah!"

His eldest brother's grip strength was tremendous, making his shoulder painfully feel like it would crumble. The unfortunate fact was that Dan Wooseong was just now starting to apply proper force.

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