Reincarnation of the Fist King Chapter 45

<King of Fists, Two Fists!>

When Hwa Eun-wol glared at him, Dokgo Han, feeling displeased, responded like this.

“Can you take responsibility for that?”

“If you’re willing to take responsibility, I think you’ll say something interesting. Go ahead and try.”

"I'll bet ten thousand nyang of my own money that there will be a winner in the Martial Arts Alliance or the King's Association. Let's have Namgung Wi, with whom I'm not on good terms, be the notary. What do you think?"

When Dokgo Han made a bet, Hwa Eun-wol responded while waving her fan.

"Ten thousand nyang? Add another ten thousand to that, and it'll be thirty thousand nyang. I'll also appoint Namgung Wi, with whom I'm not on good terms, as a notary. Namgung Wi, too, is a useful man."

Dokgo Han chuckled.

“Does the Hwa family have that much spare money?”

“I’m worried again. I’m the head of a small household.”

Dokgo Han, who had not yet been recognized as the successor, stood up with a truly angry expression and looked down at Hwa Eun-wol.

"Gongja Hwa, you've given me even more reason to work hard. Thank you."

“No need to mention it. I wish you good luck.”

Dokgo Han took his sword and turned around, leaving these words behind.

“Prepare some money.”

Hwa Eun-wol smiled as she watched Dokgo Han walk away while fanning himself.

'It's annoying, you punk.'

Hwa Eun-wol also took a gamble. Dokgo Han and Namgung Wi seemed capable of handling the situation, but Dan Woo-seong's fate was unpredictable, so they took a gamble.

.

.

.

“Please tell me the pseudonym or nickname you would like to have written on your nameplate.”

Dan Woo-seong, who arrived at the reception desk guided by Baek Han-gyeong, looked at the name tag held by Maeng-won and replied.

“Are you saying that a pseudonym or nickname is okay?”

The man holding the brush explained.

“Of course. You don’t have to write your real name in the preliminary round.”

Danwoo Seong looked at the nameplate.

I wanted to use the nickname "Kwon-wang." But I couldn't. Dan Woo-seong, now in his current state, hadn't yet surpassed his former self. It wasn't polite to be called "King."

Maengwon said with a smile.

"You can write anything you want. If you collect three name tags from other participants, you'll advance to the finals. Then, come back here and register."

Danwoo Seong said.

“Please write ‘Kwon-gaek (拳客)’.”

Maengwon wrote his nickname, "Gwongaek," on a nameplate with a thin brush. He held out the nameplate and spoke.

“I wish you good luck.”

“Thank you.”

Maengwon briefly watched Danwoo-seong heading to the preliminary round. The nickname "Gwongaek" was new to him, so it felt strange. Considering the common term "geomgaek" (劍客), it wasn't particularly unusual.

'I have a feeling I'll make it through the preliminaries.'

As I took on so many people, I also developed a sense of humor for this low-ranking member.

When Danwoo arrived at the preliminary round, contestants were gathered in various places in the waiting area. Some were resting after their victories, while others were too nervous to move forward. One man even came all the way here to sit cross-legged to calm his mind, while others were running in place, determined to at least break a sweat.

At this time, a judge near the waiting area scolded the contestant in an angry voice.

“Hey! Wasn’t the match already decided before?”

"sorry."

"Medical team, come in quickly. The bleeding is severe."

It was the voice of a fairly old person.

At that moment, a “thud” sound was heard, and the participant spoke in a pleading voice.

“No! Your Honor!”

It looks like the old judge broke the contestant's nameplate.

"You lack both the skills and the character to advance to the finals. You're out. If you cause any more trouble, I'll have no choice but to call the executive branch. Just leave quietly."

The commotion in the waiting room grew louder.

"I won, but is this even happening? Please, be considerate. I've come a long way from Shanxi."

The referee roared.

“This is the Murim Alliance! Get out! Get out!”

He was an old man with a truly fiery temper.

Danwoo Sung found himself laughing without realizing it.

'You have a temper.'

When Danwoo Seong handed his name tag to Maengwon, he was immediately guided.

“Come this way.”

Danwoo-seong asked as he entered the passageway covered with a white curtain.

“Can we possibly go to where that scolding judge was?”

“Huh? Oh, it doesn’t matter.”

Maengwon scratched his head and guided Danwooseong to the preliminary stage where the old man who had been yelling was.

Danwoo Seong, who had opened the curtain and entered, bowed to the old referee with gray hair.

The old judge's expression was solemn, as if it said, "I am a stubborn old man." He seemed like a man who had spent many years in the martial arts world, known for his sincerity and stubbornness.

The referee didn't know who Dan Woo-seong was, but he politely greeted him and then extended his hand.

“Young man, give me your nameplate.”

"yes."

The referee read the names on the nameplates.

“I wish you good luck, you are a martial artist.”

"thank you."

As soon as Danwoo Seong turned around, a contestant who had been guided to another waiting area immediately entered the non-stage area and handed a name tag to the referee.

The referee's eyes wavered slightly as he read the nameplate in a stern tone.

“I wish you good luck in the seventh ascension to heaven.”

Suddenly, the stubborn old man clenched his teeth, perhaps thinking the nickname was funny. The man in black, clutching a sword to his chest, turned around, and upon belatedly spotting Danwoo Sung, his eyes widened.

"omg!"

The referee said.

“Injuries resulting from a fight are unavoidable, but if you intentionally harm your opponent······.”

Before the referee could finish speaking, the man in black spoke.

“······I will abstain.”

The referee's eyebrows rose.

“What? Why?”

The old man's speech became increasingly informal whenever he got excited. In fact, since he was a senior in the martial arts world, no one would object to his informal speech.

The man in black said.

"Ah, I saw my opponent's skills at the pre-event. My skills are lacking."

The referee glared at the black man, then shouted.

"Get out! You're out! Try again in ten years! With that kind of mindset, did you even participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Festival? Is the Dragon and Phoenix Festival any joke?"

“Why are you angry······.”

“Get out of here!”

As Danwoo Sung linked arms, the challenger left with a sullen expression.

The referee spoke with a grin.

"Kwon-gaek, your opponent has forfeited, so it's a win. Should we rest or continue?"

“I will continue.”

"Well, I guess there's no need to rest. There are a lot of crazy people this year too."

The referee gave orders to the members waiting outside.

“Bring the next participant.”

While waiting for a moment, the referee looked at Dan Woo-seong blankly.

'Well, he's young but he's strong.'

But he muttered this, as if he couldn't calm down because of the previous participant.

“There are a lot of fools out there, so you have to understand. It’s called the Seven-Second Ascension to Heaven, but it’s more like the Seven-Second Homecoming.”

This time, Danwoo-seong bit his molars lightly.

The old man coughed as if it were his habit and asked this.

“Ahem, judging by your physiognomy, you don’t seem like the type of person to show off your strength at the eve of the festival.”

The question was how he was active at the eve of the festival.

Danwoo Seong replied.

“Do you also read faces?”

“Well, as you get older, you start to see things more clearly.”

“I came forward because I thought my friend was going to get beaten up.”

"aha."

Only then did the old man's expression change as if he was satisfied.

“Well done. That’s the attitude of a martial artist who is learning martial arts.”

Danwoo-seong smiled as he looked at the old man.

Occasionally, even the Baekdo clan would tremble in anger, infuriating the King of Fist. Like the recent Guyang Sega incident. However, because of these old generals and the occasional swordsman, I couldn't possibly hate Baekdo.

The next contestant came in and handed the referee his name tag.

The referee said.

“Talmyeonggoejang (奪命怪杖), I pray for good luck in battle. I will not permit you to abstain.”

The troll with long, unkempt hair tilted his head and asked.

"yes?"

“Can’t you hear well? I said there would be no abstentions.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

The referee said.

"Okay. Manly. Let's start by sharing an example."

The slain leader, who had been ostracized, looked like a beggar, but having not witnessed the eve of the festival, he felt no emotion at all when he saw Danwooseong. He took a measured, nonchalant expression and, after a moment of politeness, pointed his crooked cane at Danwooseong and asked.

“Are you ready?”

Danwoo Seong responded in a normal manner.

“Okay.”

The deposed monster frowned.

'hmm.'

In cases where it was difficult to identify the opponent, the advantage of long weapons had to be utilized.

The leader of the thugs rushed in.

He spun his staff around in the air, then kicked the ground with his left foot and quickly closed the distance with a powerful thrust.

Danwoo Sung took a step forward and quickly thrust out his right fist.

Bam!

The tip of the staff and Danwoo's fist collided directly.

The assassin's eyes widened. Who would respond to a weapon with such ignorance? It was astonishing. But in an instant, the tip of the staff swelled and split, and with a crack, the entire staff split into dozens of twigs, sending the assassin retreating.

The slain leader frowned and grabbed his right arm. Pain surged through him, as if his shoulder had been ripped apart.

Then, the referee pointed one hand at Dan Woo-seong with a surprised expression.

“Victory! Stop it.”

Danwoo Seong replied briefly.

"yes."

The judge asked the exiled general.

"Are you alright? There's a doctor outside, so show him your arm."

"All right."

The slain leader walked away with a pained expression, then looked back at Danwoo-seong as if he had blinked.

“I learned a thing or two.”

Then, Danwoo Sung also responded with a polite attitude.

“I apologize for the cane.”

“Oh, no. If it fits your body… well, then anyway.”

When Kwon Gaek achieved his second victory, the referee smiled and stroked his beard, feeling pleased.

“I feel so refreshed.”

It wasn't something a referee should say. He was an old man with a childlike demeanor.

“Would you like to continue?”

“I will do that.”

“Okay, let’s send in the next opponent. And you come for a moment.”

The referee called Dan Woo-seong and looked at the armor here and there as he spoke.

"What's that? I've been a martial artist for over fifty years, but this is the first time I've seen this kind of armor."

Danwoo Sung responded by extending his hand.

“I received this as a gift from the Confucius of the Hwa family, but I don’t know the exact material.”

“Can I touch it?”

“Please do so.”

The referee looked at Dan Woo-seong's hand with a curious look.

"As for the material. It feels like the heavenly silk that Baekri Sega occasionally made. If so, it must be an incredibly precious gauntlet. I'm not sure. I doubt it'll be easily cut by a blade."

"hmm."

Because Hwa Eun-wol had given it to him so nonchalantly, Dan Woo-seong was even more taken aback.

The next opponent came in and was startled. The referee was massaging Dan Woo-seong's hand.

The referee also looked at the contestant with a surprised expression.

“Ahem, come in. The nameplate.”

"yes."

“Nothing much. I was just looking at the armor.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Let’s see. Is his nickname Jeoksu Gongja (赤手公子) or Kwon Sa?”

"yes."

"This is going to be a good showdown. Let's start with an example."

The newly emerged challenger, Jeoksu Gongja, said as he took the lottery ticket from Danwoo Seong.

“I was very impressed by the eve party.”

The enemy smiled with a confident expression. Danwoo Sung responded with a calm expression.

The referee paused for a moment, raising one hand, then looked at the two men before crossing his hand and speaking.

"start!"

At the same time, the two people, as if bouncing off the spot, closed the distance between them and each threw out a single punch.

Bam-!

A loud bang was heard, and the enemy's master flew beyond the screen. Danwoo-seong had deliberately channeled his inner energy into his fists, employing the iron wall technique, and the enemy's master was knocked out by his own strength and inner energy.

The referee's mouth was half open.

“Haha, you’re the first guy in my entire life to pass the preliminaries with just two punches.”

The referee handed three name tags to Dan Woo-seong and shouted in a cheerful voice.

"Passed! See you in the finals!"

<Kwon-Wang, Two Fists!> End

ⓒ Eugene Sung

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