Reincarnation of the Fist King Chapter 15

<The King of Power, Time for Investment>

As Lee Ja-eon, who had been muttering, passed by the hospital, he was startled as if he had been caught stealing.

“Oh, it’s a surprise.”

'Why are you there, hyung?'

Lee Ja-eon met Dan Woo-seong's eyes with a bewildered expression.

Danwoo Seong gestured.

"Come here. If you're going to do a revival, do it properly. Try imitating it with your sword. You were good at copying the last Guyanghou's first technique."

Lee Ja-eon looked at the distant sky.

'Wow, I was watching that again.'

When Lee Ja-eon raised his sword as if he was going to force himself and roughly stabbed his shoulder, Dan Woo-seong spoke.

"Oh, I stabbed you roughly and without much force. I knew it was a lie right away."

Lee Ja-eon's expression changed.

As he took back his sword at his older brother's words, he stretched out his left arm just like Guyanghou had done.

Danwoo Sung responded with his fist and said.

"I had already gauged the strength of the tension, so I waited for a follow-up attack. I anticipated a third, desperate move, so I planned to block it in advance."

Lee Ja-eon nodded silently and aimed his sword at his older brother's chest.

Danwoo Sung took a step forward and grabbed Lee Ja-eon's wrist as he spoke.

"Normally, if I had reacted quickly, I would have aimed for a two-sided battle here, with tension at the ready. Since both sides had one hand empty."

“Yes.”

"But Guyanghou, panicked, raised his internal energy. He instinctively tried to protect his right arm, which wielded the sword. Fearing that his swordsmanship would be over. He prepared for a fleeting trick or counterattack, so he launched an attack with his left arm, keeping his left arm ready for a counterattack. But it was already over. Next came the punch, and the rest was up to him."

The fact that this judgment was made in an instant was proof of strength.

Lee Ja-eon nodded, her eyes widening without her realizing it.

“Oh, I see.”

The psychological warfare of the actual battle was far more profound than what he had recounted. Then, suddenly, Lee Ja-eon wondered why he was being so kind to teach her this. As she looked at him, Dan Woo-seong struck her on the head.

With a thud, Izaeon rubbed her head.

“Why are you hitting me again?”

“Oh, because it’s a dog class.”

Lee Ja-eon, who had nothing to say, scratched her head and looked down.

“Oh, I misspoke. I’ll be careful.”

When Danwoo Sung raised his hand as if to strike again, Lee Ja-eon reflexively turned her head to the side and spoke.

“Take care, brother. You looked great today.”

As Danwoo-sung walked away as if nothing had happened, Lee Ja-eon glared at him. It was strange, in a way, that his older brother didn't seem to hate him that much. But then, thinking about it, he began to feel a bit scared of his older brother, and his feelings were complicated.

.

.

.

The day after the Guyanghu incident.

Lee Seong-min, the owner of the Galaxy Group, who had just woken up from his sickbed after a long time, was silently listening to his second son.

The story of the eldest son's life-or-death battle with Guyanghou, and even the plot that Guyanghou had been plotting… Lee Seongmin had long suspected that his eldest son had returned after learning martial arts, but this news was undoubtedly surprising.

Lee Seong-min asked.

“So you want to buy the most precious elixir in the world?”

Lee Hwa-eon nodded.

"Yes. It feels like the fate of the upper class rests with my eldest brother. First, we have to avoid the great wave of the Guyangse."

The old merchant spoke as if he were going to take a gamble.

"Hmm… Will a single elixir change our fate? Making money, and even protecting it, sometimes requires bold investments. I won't consider this an expense. Considering the spending I've been doing on Guyangsega, the gifts I was planning to give to the Soseonpa, and the salaries of those diners, it's not exactly an excessive expense."

“Yes.”

"Let's assume our galaxy's top brass is serious about properly raising a single unmanned individual. And fortunately, that unmanned individual is my son and your older brother. There's no need to hesitate."

Lee Hwa-eon looked at her father with a somewhat surprised expression. She had only mentioned it cautiously, as she was purchasing a rather expensive elixir, but her father had a completely different perspective.

"Send letters to the branch managers of each business, my old friends, and the respected merchants. Tell them you're seeking a large quantity of high-quality elixir. Don't be a joke. Tell them this is unavoidable if we're to overcome the crisis facing the merchants. If our merchants collapse, they too will suffer, so we'll seriously consider this. Make it clear that this request is for the sake of mutual prosperity."

"All right."

Lee Seong-min's voice was becoming stronger, as if he had completely gotten out of bed.

"You must also meticulously gather information on elixirs traded within sects and factions. Discuss this closely with your brother and invest your money. It was my mistake to have Guyanghou as the head of the escort group, so leave this matter entirely to you two."

Lee Hwa-eon bowed her head.

"No, Father. It was a mistake. The result was just bad."

"Second, if the results are bad, everything else is bad. This applies to both merchants and civilians. It was my mistake."

"yes."

Then, suddenly, Lee Seong-min tilted his head and asked.

"My third son suddenly apologized for fighting with you this morning. My sons' sudden changes have caught me off guard. Is it my third's turn this time? That's what I thought."

Lee Hwa-eon answered, holding back a smile.

“Is that so? That’s right. He suddenly apologized to me too.”

Lee Seong-min nodded and said.

"Well… he must have gotten hit by the big guy. They weren't on good terms. He must have gotten slapped a little. Here, his cheek is still a little swollen."

Lee Hwa-eon nodded.

“When I think about the old days, I’m glad it ended like that.”

Lee Seong-min asked while stroking his chin.

"By the way, what was happening inside our Guhwasan Mountain? My third son asked casually. He wasn't even sick, so he asked if he could rest there for a while, so I declined for now."

"Oh, Father. Sending him away is also an expense. Would he go alone? You did well. For the time being, it would be better to focus all non-business expenses on you, my eldest brother."

Lee Seong-min nodded. It was strange how his second son seemed happier than usual. Come to think of it, it felt like all three of his sons had changed.

“Okay. You figure that out.”

Thus, Kang Ho-chung's futile attempt was easily thwarted. Lee Seong-min asked the question he was most curious about.

"I'm starting to feel uneasy because my eldest son doesn't go out drinking. Something has definitely changed, hasn't he?"

"After having a drink with Sima Ji, Zhu Ziliang, and Gu Xiong, you've quit drinking. It seems you're just practicing. By the way, I heard the maids are often surprised by your occasional sparring with larger men in the annex."

“What should I do?”

"When my brother finishes his personal training, he beats those two ruthlessly. I was worried, so I asked him about it, and he said it was a unique martial art, and that this was the original method of training. Those two, in particular, seemed surprisingly honest."

This is what it looked like to Lee Hwa-eon. Lee Seong-min nodded.

"You never know what's going on in the world of martial arts. Being right can be considered training…"

As Lee Seong-min walked back to the bed, Lee Hwa-eon supported her father.

A mutter like a soliloquy came out of Lee Seong-min's mouth.

"It's okay. It's actually better. I've spent my whole life making money, but somehow I feel less bored now."

Lee Hwa-eon was wondering what her father meant, so she remained silent. Then, Lee Seong-min, who was lying on the bed, looked up at the ceiling and spoke.

“I’ll think about how to spend the money.”

The old merchant looked stubborn again.

Kang-ho was displeased. Lee Seong-min had always tried to live amicably. But now, his thoughts had changed. Now that his son had left for Kang-ho, the thought of supporting him in taking control of Kang-ho left him heartbroken.

The eldest son was determined to fight with martial arts, while his father was determined to fight with money. With his son and family embroiled in the world of martial arts, how could he hope for peace? Lee Seong-min, too, was determined to actively recover from his illness.

.

.

.

The news of Guyanghu's death was heard by Soseonpa before Guyangse.

“He died?”

"yes."

“It’s a difficult thing to understand.”

Yeom Ji-sang, the leader of the Soseonpa faction receiving the report, stroked his long beard. The corners of his lips were turned up, giving the impression of a perpetually smiling expression.

Yeom Ji-sang asked.

“Is the Archduke really that strong? Did he die in one blow?”

Although his tone was light, unbecoming of his status as a long-time member, the man responded as if he was used to it.

"No, it wasn't that long. Even considering the fight was split into two parts, it probably didn't exceed thirty rounds."

“I guess that’s pretty strong.”

The reason the man reporting this knew so much detail was because he was a guest of the Guyang family, having personally observed them. He was the man who relayed Guyang Marquis's letters and words through the Soseonpa.

Yeom Ji-sang asked.

“What about the sergeant major?”

“I use the power.”

Yeom Ji-sang clicked his tongue.

"Oh, and how embarrassing for a swordsman to lose to such a young warrior. The Goyang family will be furious."

The man asked in a somewhat unpleasant tone.

“Aren’t you two friends?”

Yeom Ji-sang looked at the man and replied.

“Why are you asking such a stupid question?”

"yes?"

“I guess you can’t hear very well.”

Suddenly, the man looked around, sensing a tinge of murder everywhere. He knew full well that the Soseonpa's methods were brutal. He spoke to Yeom Ji-sang.

“Oh, I made a mistake.”

"yes?"

"yes."

"You have to be careful what you say in the world of martial arts. Understood. Now, you go about your business."

"hmm······."

“Do you have anything more to say?”

“Maybe revenge······.”

Yeom Ji-sang made a bewildered expression.

"How can I take revenge on the results of a just war? We're not even the Black Swords. How rude. Go back to Guyangsega and arrange a proper funeral for my friend. I can't leave, so I'll send my disciples as the situation demands."

Although it was not a black sect, it was a sect that was considered a true sect in the martial world.

“Okay. Then······.”

As the foolish diners bowed their heads and left, Yeom Ji-sang's disciples gathered around them. Yeom Ji-sang spoke, wringing his hands.

“The Milky Way Alliance refuses to pay us taxes, and then kills Guyanghou like that. How can we accept this?”

Although the tone was light throughout, the disciples responded politely.

“It means that the small ship faction is not even considered.”

"Even if it was a legitimate fight, it would be difficult for the Grand Duke to survive. Even if the Guyang Family is a hundred-way faction, how could they possibly spare the Grand Duke of the Sangdan?"

Yeom Ji-sang said.

"I don't know. It's more profitable to eat the Sangdan than to kill my son. And what about us? We played along with Guyanghou's rhythm, but we got nothing in return. I'm not interested in revenge. I'm only after the Eunha Sangdan's money. There are rumors going around that old man, Lee Seong-min, is more resourceful than we realize. That's why Guyanghou was after him."

The disciples were silent at this point. After all, the Master always made the decisions. And the disciples were never able to predict their Master's decisions.

Yeom Ji-sang, who was worried, asked this.

"How much will Lee Seong-min pay for his son's ransom? I'm no longer interested in killing him. Life has shown me that money is truly everything. Before the Guyang Family swallows up the Galaxy, capturing that son and extorting money seems like the best option we can do."

The great disciple answered cautiously.

“It seems quite strong.”

Yeom Ji-sang clicked his tongue.

"You rascal, if our Soseonpa were to step forward, we could kill someone like Guyanghou with not thirty, but three or four. How many disciples do you have, and with me even coming forward, why worry about that young man's skills?"

As Yeom Ji-sang spoke at length, the great disciple suddenly knelt down.

“Master, my disciple made a slip of the tongue.”

Yeom Ji-sang responded again as if nothing had happened.

“Be careful, disciple.”

In any case, it meant that all the small groups were coming forward. Yeom Ji-sang asked, tapping the chair as if to refocus.

“So how much do you expect?”

“But wouldn’t you still pay a million nyang?”

“It’s the Galaxy. I’ll pay at least two million nyang.”

A pleased smile spread across Yeom Ji-sang's face as soon as the large sum of money was mentioned. He stroked his beard and said:

"Get ready. Pack your gear carefully. They say even a tiger runs hard to catch a rabbit."

As the disciples left, Yeom Ji-sang suddenly felt bored and muttered while picking his nose.

“The sun is already setting. Should we go to Giru······.”

<The King of Power, Time for Investment> End

ⓒ Eugene Sung

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