Chapter 8

Ch. 8

King of Fist, strikes back

He inflicted pain on one shoulder equally with his own strength.

In fact, the rule was that whoever screamed first would lose, so Lee Ja-eon had already been defeated. However, the two men were gripping each other's shoulders like close brothers.

It was a heartwarming scene.

Upon their reunion, they immediately placed hands on each other's shoulders and looked closely into each other's faces.

Lee Ja-eon barely suppressed his groan and then gripped the Great Young Master's shoulder even more strongly. He felt too wronged and angry to lose to such a ragamuffin.

Dan Wooseong's voice continued again in a calm tone.

"Refrain from drawing your sword against family. You even directly injured our second brother... No matter how much trouble I caused, Father never collapsed like that."

Lee Ja-eon was holding back the scream that seemed ready to burst from between his lips.

"Ah..."

While his whole body was trembling, he released his right hand that had been gripping the Great Young Master's shoulder and threw a punch toward Dan Wooseong's face. Because he was upset about losing the grip contest, he planned to at least knock out the Great Young Master by striking his face.

With a thud sound, Dan Wooseong caught Lee Ja-eon's flying punch with his left hand and said.

"Your temper, really..."

In Dan Wooseong's eyes, he only looked like a child, so a smile naturally appeared. Then Dan Wooseong slightly injected the lightning qi of White Lightning Ten-Stage Art into his right hand.

"Keu... heu..."

The scream that Lee Ja-eon had been holding back wriggled and flowed out from his mouth. While his whole body was trembling, Lee Ja-eon knelt on the floor as Dan Wooseong's right hand pressed down.

Dan Wooseong looked down at Lee Ja-eon.

He needed to clearly imprint who was on top to make things easier. Moreover, he could finish things without killing anyone.

Dan Wooseong injected lightning qi with an expressionless face until Lee Ja-eon drooled white saliva between his lips. Only after Lee Ja-eon, who had been trembling all over, became half-unconscious did Dan Wooseong withdraw the lightning qi and speak.

"Third brother."

When Lee Ja-eon couldn't respond like someone struck by lightning, Dan Wooseong slapped Lee Ja-eon's cheek as if telling him to come to his senses.

Smack—!

"Ja-eon... hey."

Dan Wooseong was also inwardly flustered. Lee Ja-eon's inner qi was more lacking than expected, so he might faint like this. The human body has somewhat funny aspects. At times like this, a slap was medicine.

"You bastard, get a grip."

With a smack sound, Lee Ja-eon's head turned again. Lee Ja-eon shook his head vigorously and finally came to his senses. Lee Ja-eon drew in breath.

"Heo-eop."

Dan Wooseong, who was crouching, grabbed Lee Ja-eon's chin and examined his face here and there, then raised his right hand as if to slap his cheek again while saying.

"Get your mind..."

Lee Ja-eon quickly responded.

"I've come to my senses."

Indeed, beating was the medicine.

Dan Wooseong lowered his hand and said.

"That's fortunate. I thought you were dying. The third son of Galaxy Merchant Group who trains in martial arts more diligently than anyone shouldn't die so futilely."

Lee Ja-eon looked at his big brother while gasping for breath.

He wondered if this was really the same brother who had tormented him terribly since childhood. Of course, since he had tormented him secretly from the adults, it was a past only the brothers knew about.

Dan Wooseong also suddenly let out a sigh.

Since the Great Young Master's memories were passing by, looking at Lee Ja-eon like this, he could well understand what their relationship had been like. Dan Wooseong, feeling inexplicably mischievous, slapped Lee Ja-eon's cheek again.

Thwack!

This time emotion was involved, so twin streams of nosebleed flowed down from Lee Ja-eon's nose.

Dan Wooseong said to Lee Ja-eon, who was dripping nosebleed.

"Let's finish the old matters with this. Third brother. Answer quickly. If you don't want to get beaten."

"I understand."

"Speak more politely too. Am I your friend?"

Lee Ja-eon wiped his nosebleed and responded.

"...Ah, I understand."

Lee Ja-eon knew he could die with this level of martial arts difference, so his emotions surged up.

He had trained so diligently, yet was beaten by the big brother he had looked down on all his life, so it was understandable he felt wronged.

But that 'diligently' was diligent at Lee Ja-eon's level - compared to Dan Wooseong who had traveled the vast Martial World, it was actually nothing. A drop in the bucket, like a day-old puppy not knowing to fear a tiger.

Dan Wooseong already knew that the person who recommended Gongson Myeong was Gu Yanghu, but asked to make sure.

"Who brought Gongson Myeong?"

"What do you mean who brought him. What are you talking about?"

Dan Wooseong asked while observing Lee Ja-eon's expression.

"Who hired him? Was there someone who introduced him?"

Lee Ja-eon spoke what he knew without much thought.

"Gongson Myeong was probably introduced by Guard Brigade Leader Gu Yanghu. I heard he recommended him for his good skills."

Dan Wooseong responded.

"Are you certain? If you're lying, don't expect the brotherly affection I have left for my few remaining brothers."

"It's true. Second brother would know too."

"Didn't Gu Yanghu approach you guys?"

"There was no such thing."

"I see. I'll take note."

Lee Ja-eon, suddenly feeling anxious, asked.

"Why? Did something happen at the Ahn Family?"

"How did you select the personal guards? They don't seem to be part of the guard brigade - did you hire them?"

Lee Ja-eon responded, trailing off.

"Ah, they are retainers of the Gu Family that Gu Yanghu recommended..."

While Lee Ja-eon was speaking, Dan Wooseong slapped Lee Ja-eon's cheek again. Though he hit more gently than before, a smack sound still rang out.

Lee Ja-eon asked as if feeling wronged.

"Why did you hit me again?"

Dan Wooseong said.

"Third brother, get your head on straight. Are you planning to hand over Galaxy Merchant Group entirely to the Gu Family? Why do the people Gu Yanghu pushed in keep increasing at the merchant group? We're already paying considerable tribute, and now we're even taking care of their people's monthly wages. Is this right?"

Lee Ja-eon rubbed his cheek and opened his eyes wide. Lee Ja-eon wasn't a fool either. He was sensing something strange in his conversation with his big brother.

Lee Ja-eon knew that his guard had picked a fight first over nothing significant, so it had to be even stranger. It was a much more serious matter than him getting a nosebleed from being hit by his brother.

Before this, there had been the Laughing Immortal Sect incident, so Father's mood had been twisted, and the Gu Family turning their backs was also infuriating. Since Father was a merchant who valued trust above all, he hated this kind of response the most.

When Dan Wooseong stood up, Lee Ja-eon urgently asked.

"How will you respond?"

"If you've been colluding with the Gu Family, I won't stop at just breaking your limbs. If you have something to say, say it here. Before things get bigger."

When he uttered these words without any change in expression, Lee Ja-eon swallowed once.

"What? There's no such thing. There won't be in the future either. Why would Galaxy Merchant Group belong to the Gu Family? It's a business Father built. I can't stand to see others take it. I'll step forward first and kill them all. That's why I'm learning martial arts."

Dan Wooseong grabbed Lee Ja-eon's head and said. This time Dan Wooseong's eyes contained terrible killing intent.

"Little brother, I hope those words are true."

Only then did Lee Ja-eon become frightened. He felt like his big brother had returned completely insane.

"Yes..."

"You just keep training martial arts diligently. Stay out of the rest. I'll deal with the Gu Family. Got it?"

"I understand."

Lee Ja-eon looked at his big brother.

How exactly would he deal with the Gu Family? He thought the Gu Family was using such methods because they were from the white path. He thought they used such methods because they couldn't swallow like snakes in the shadows due to the Martial World's attention.

In fact, whether the Gu Family was deeply involved or whether Gu Yanghu, who came in dispatch form from the Gu Family, was acting greedy alone was a matter to investigate and deal with.

Dan Wooseong, who had thoroughly beaten up his third brother, said in a tone without much emotion.

"I'm going. Train well. Earlier when you were cutting wood, your left foot's position wasn't good, so your waist couldn't properly transmit power."

"Mm..."

Dan Wooseong took a few steps then stopped and looked back at Lee Ja-eon, who wasn't answering. Lee Ja-eon was actually in great shock that his big brother had given him martial arts advice. He was confused whether the Great Young Master had gone crazy or he had gone crazy.

Lee Ja-eon finally responded.

"Ah, I understand."

Dan Wooseong commanded in a very natural tone.

"And go apologize to second brother. Not an apology, but a formal apology. Got it?"

Lee Ja-eon responded.

"Yes, I will."

"After you apologize and second brother forgives you, then go visit Father's sickroom and tell him that Hwa-eon forgave you. His heart will be much more at ease, so he'll get up soon."

"Yes."

When Dan Wooseong disappeared, Lee Ja-eon covered his face with his hands.

It felt like some kind of storm had passed through once. Getting hit by his big brother wasn't that upsetting, but the words he had said after coming here remained in his heart.

Then Lee Ja-eon made an expression as if realizing something.

'Huh? Could it be?'

Lee Ja-eon struck the ground with his fist and let his imagination run wild.

"I should have gone to Nine Flower Mountain! He met a hermit expert there! Otherwise, how could that weakling!"

A young man who had longed for the Martial World all his life fell into solitary 'Jianghu-style delusion.' Lee Ja-eon repeatedly struck the innocent ground with his fist.

"I should! I should! I should! Have gone to the Ahn Family!"

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Lee Ja-eon suddenly grabbed his fist and frowned. The regret of a Jianghu Hero came rushing belatedly.

"Damn, son of a... almost broke it."

.

.

.

Lee Ja-eon's guards, who had been waiting in the narrow passage from the rear garden to the main hall, tilted their heads and glared at Dan Wooseong as he approached when the Great Young Master came out looking fine.

Dan Wooseong also looked at the guards staring intently at him from left and right, then headed straight for the main hall door. Then two guards followed and blocked Dan Wooseong's path.

Mok In-seop, who had been crouching in the main hall, stood up and said to the two guards in a cold tone.

"You two, step aside when I'm asking nicely. What are you doing?"

Since they were external hires who had injured a guard brigade colleague, Mok In-seop hadn't felt good about them from the start.

Mok In-seop was about to draw his sword but stopped with his eyes wide open.

The two people who had blocked the Great Young Master were grabbed by the neck and simultaneously lifted into the air. Mok In-seop couldn't even see how the Great Young Master had moved.

"Kuk!"

"Kek!"

Then with thud! thud! sounds, the two guards rolled on the floor and were making choking sounds while grabbing their necks with both hands. Not only was his grip strength strong, but due to strange energy, the area around their necks felt like it was burning up.

When Dan Wooseong looked at Mok In-seop, Mok In-seop grinned and opened the main hall door.

Dan Wooseong said without even looking at the fallen ones.

"The guards' skills are ragamuffin level."

Quick-witted Mok In-seop grinned and responded.

"What shall we do?"

Dan Wooseong said in an irritating tone.

"If they have no skills, they should leave. They fought with other guards too, right? We don't need guys who only cause discord."

"That's right."

Dan Wooseong said while heading to his quarters.

"They're fired."

Mok In-seop wanted to laugh loudly but was deliberately holding back. In fact, he didn't know whether the Great Young Master could fire them or not, but judging from the situation so far, the result seemed likely to flow as the Great Young Master wanted. The frustrating situation at the merchant group was flowing more and more refreshingly.

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