Chapter 11

Cheol Myeong-ho, struck in the face by the club, swung his straight sword wildly in his flustered state. But to Dan Woo-seong’s eyes, it appeared to be crude sword technique. Consequently, both the arm wielding the straight sword and the man’s hair were seized by Dan Woo-seong simultaneously.

Unlike when striking the Ssangbo brothers, the lightning energy of the Hundred Battles Ten Thousand Strikes Palm was immediately infused into Cheol Myeong-ho’s body. The moment Cheol Myeong-ho dropped the straight sword, he let out a scream as if being wrung out.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The gatekeeper waiting outside the iron gate sighed and shook his head.

“Oh dear, this is going to kill someone. Could you please show some restraint?”

He naturally assumed Cheol Myeong-ho was assaulting the Great Prince of the Eunha Trading Guild.

Cheol Myeong-ho continued screaming, his body trembling violently.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Sizzle- The sound of Cheol Myeong-ho’s hair burning echoed. Cheol Myeong-ho felt pain as if engulfed in flames.

Danwooseong withdrew his brain-piercing energy, then grabbed Cheolmyeongho’s wrist and pinned it to the desk, exposing the back of his hand.

Cheol Myeong-ho, engulfed by the lightning strike, convulsed in a dazed state.

Dan Woo-sung grabbed a short club on the desk, jolting Cheol Myeong-ho back to his senses.

Thud!

“Gah!”

Cheol Myeong-ho’s left pinky finger was crushed by the short club, causing a different kind of pain from the brain shock, jolting his consciousness back.

Dan Woosung spoke as if suggesting they talk.

“Snap out of it.”

Cheolmyeongho stared at Danwooseong with a murderous glint in his eyes even as he groaned. He wasn’t called the Vicious Dog for nothing. Cheolmyeongho gasped for breath, panting heavily, but as the pain subsided, he immediately retorted.

“I’m ready. Why?”

His tone was truly defiant.

Dan Wooseong met his gaze, nodded several times, then brought the club down again. After smashing each of the five fingers, he struck the back of the hand.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Cheol Myeong-ho’s left hand was shattered to shreds. Tears streamed from his eyes as he spoke.

“What the hell are you doing? You son of a bitch… Why the hell are you doing this?!”

Dan Woo-sung wiped Cheol Myeong-ho’s tears with the end of his club as he retorted.

“Why ask for a reason now? Between us… If you hit me, I hit back. Wasn’t that our deal? Where’s the key?”

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded as if he understood, then snapped back with a snarl.

“Ah! That’s true! But I still can’t give you the key! Can’t I ask for something else instead?”

Danwooseong finally released Cheol Myeongho’s battered left hand and met his gaze.

“Then, for now…”

“Uh.”

“Give me your right hand.”

Cheolmyeong-ho finally clenched his teeth, his expression hardening.

The two men glared at each other.

Memories surfaced, old events flashing through their minds.

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded several times. He had tormented and extorted money from him many times, so it was no surprise at all that the Crown Prince was confronting him like this.

Raising his trembling left hand, Cheol Myeong-ho spoke calmly.

“Hey buddy, let’s just call it fifty-fifty. I gotta eat too, you know? My left hand’s fucked up now, so cut me some slack. Sure, you did hit me back, but that was when we were kids. Hey, you don’t have any crippled parts, do you? You fucking asshole, isn’t this suddenly a bit much?”

Dan Woosung said.

“Myeong-ho, you’re doing this to me now because you can’t bring yourself to kill a person, right?”

Their conversation still continued within the bounds of ‘friends’.

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded.

“You know me well. I say this because I don’t think you could ever kill a person. You’re too kind. Do you even realize what a useless fool you used to be? Still, I’m glad you finally grew into a real man. Hey, kid. Congratulations. You’ve really grown up.”

Cheol Myeong-ho said to the Ssangbo brothers, who had regained their senses.

“Hey, pay your respects. From now on, treat him with utmost respect as your elder. Congratulate him too. He’s changed.”

Surprisingly, the Ssangbo brothers bowed their heads without much emotion, looking at Danwooseong.

“Congratulations, brother.”

“Congratulations, brother. You’ve grown strong.”

Danwooseong looked at the Ssangbo brothers and said.

“Myeong-bo, Jin-bo.”

“Yes, Brother.”

“Once we become sworn brothers, we’re sworn brothers forever. Is that okay with you?”

The Ssangbo brothers stared intently at Danwooseong, then looked back at Cheolmyeongho as if seeking his permission. When Cheolmyeongho nodded, the Ssangbo brothers pledged to Danwooseong.

“Yes, we will also treat you as our elder brother from now on.”

Dan Woo-sung smiled and replied.

“Then it’s settled. You two, wait outside.”

Cheol Myeong-ho sensed something was off, but he couldn’t stop Dan Woo-seong’s order. The Ssangbo brothers stood up and silently walked outside.

Only then did Dan Wooseong look at Cheol Myeongho with a peculiar expression.

Cheol Myeong-ho stared at the iron gate through which the Ssangbo brothers had exited, then checked Dan Woo-seong’s expression again. Only then did he grasp Dan Woo-seong’s intent.

Cheol Myeong-ho hurled curses at Dan Woo-seong.

“You bastard!”

Truthfully, even if he lost every last penny in this gambling den, as long as he had the Ssangbo brothers, he could establish himself anywhere. Only then did Cheol Myeong-ho realize the Crown Prince hadn’t come for the money, but to take the Ssangbo brothers. His mental slaves, more precious than any sum of money.

Dan Woosung said.

“Myeongho, you’ve been exploiting those naive kids. That’s no way to treat people. From now on, I’ll teach them properly and keep them under my wing.”

The Sangbo brothers were individuals who, under Kwonwang’s guidance, could become dozens or even hundreds of times stronger than they were now. They could be placed in the guard unit or kept as personal bodyguards without issue. They would surely lead far better lives than doing evil deeds under Cheol Myeongho.

Cheolmyeongho asked in a cold tone.

“······What the hell are you doing? Just take all the money. You crazy bastard. Just kill me already. My hands are fucked up, and without the Ssangbo brothers, I’m just asking to get beaten to death somewhere.”

Danwooseong spoke as if suggesting they start over.

“What’s with the whining, you bastard? Deal with that yourself. Just hand over your right hand.”

Cheol Myeong-ho blinked his eyes, his mouth tightly shut. His attitude made it clear he wouldn’t give up his right hand, even if it meant dying soon. Dan Woo-sung then picked up the club and began beating Cheol Myeong-ho.

He’d seriously misjudged the man.

Dan Woo-sung, who had crushed Cheol Myeong-ho’s shoulder blade, ribs, wrist, and even his right hand, stood up and roughly pushed the desk aside with his left hand.

Dan Wooseong grabbed Cheol Myeong-ho by the collar and threw him to the floor. Cheol Myeong-ho screamed in pain.

“Just… kill me!”

Dan Wooseong halted his downward strike and stared at Cheol Myeong-ho.

“Kill me?”

Cheol Myeong-ho retorted with eyes blazing like fire.

“Kill me, you bastard.”

Dan Wooseong nodded.

“Alright, you’ve suffered enough.”

Dan Wooseong grabbed Cheol Myeongho’s hair and brought the club down. With a thud, his forehead split open. He raised the club again in the same motion.

Cheolmyeong-ho, stunned as if struck on the head, thought Danwooseong was truly going to kill him. In fact, Danwooseong intended to strike him dead right then.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

As Cheol Myeong-ho was being hit, he muttered something, and Dan Woo-seong replied.

“I can’t hear you very well…”

Cheol Myeong-ho said, his face covered in blood, just before passing out.

“The key… it’s with Myeongbo…”

Dan Wooseong pressed his ear close and said.

“…Ask me to kill him?”

“No, to spare my life.”

Dan Wooseong threw the club aside, then glared at Cheol Myeong-ho and said.

“Myeong-ho, is that how someone pleads for their life?”

Cheol Myeong-ho said.

“What the fuck, should we even use polite speech between friends?”

Just how far apart were the ‘friends’ spoken of by those bastards at Yeoseongju and the ‘friends’ spoken of by Cheol Myeong-ho? Even Dan Woo-seong couldn’t fathom it. At the bottomless arrogance of that scum, Dan Woo-seong laughed as if wind had entered his lungs.

As Dan Wooseong laughed, Cheol Myeongho also laughed along, baring his blood-stained teeth as if to show he was the ultimate embodiment of a bottom-feeder.

He truly was a formidable bastard in every sense.

Only then did Cheol Myeong-ho beg for his life in a slightly softened tone.

“Spare me? This poisonous scoundrel admits defeat.”

Danwooseong looked out the door and said.

“Ssangbo, open the door.”

With a clang, the door opened, and Ssangbo and the startled gatekeeper entered. The gatekeeper stared at Cheol Myeong-ho, covered in blood, and muttered.

“No, brother, what on earth…?”

Dan Wooseong looked at Ssangbo and said.

“Cheol Myeong-ho will tell you the outcome. Hear it yourself.”

Yuk Myeong-bo, looking unusually flustered, asked Cheol Myeong-ho.

“Brother, did we lose?”

Yuk Jinbo asked the same question.

“Did we really lose?”

Despite having watched him get thoroughly beaten up until now, they were still insisting on asking Cheol Myeong-ho about the outcome.

He was a ruthless bastard, and they were his slaves.

Cheolmyeongho looked at Yukmyeongbo and Yukjinbo, whom he had used like slaves. They were brothers who had lived like dogs under him. He had believed only he could handle these two men, but somehow, that wasn’t the case now. Somehow, a thought lingered in the back of his mind that it might be better for them to go under the Grand Prince, who was far stronger than himself.

Cheolmyeongho sighed before answering Ssangbo’s question.

“Well, I lost. From now on, you should treat Jin-eon as your elder brother.”

Tears welled up in Cheolmyeong-ho’s eyes. He felt a humiliation worse than having his money stolen.

Yuk Myeong-bo and Yuk Jin-bo exchanged glances before responding to Cheol Myeong-ho.

“Yes, we understand.”

“We’ve been greatly indebted to you all this time.”

As the Ssangbo brothers spoke coldly, Cheol Myeong-ho stared at them with a look of surprise.

Dan Woo-sung addressed the Ssangbo brothers.

“Take everything out of the safe and put it on the desk. And you.”

Dan Woosung looked at the gatekeeper, the fat man. The fat man replied in shock.

“Yes.”

“Carry Myeong-ho and take him to the doctor.”

“But I don’t have any money?”

“Isn’t that money on the floor?”

As the burly man groaned and strained to pick up the money with his heavy frame, Dan Woo-sung spoke again.

“Lose some weight, you bastard.”

“Yes.”

Cheol Myeong-ho stood up, swayed unsteadily, leaned against the wall, and said to Dan Woo-seong.

“What are you carrying me for? I can walk on my own. But you’re not giving me my severance pay, are you?”

It was a remark worthy of the most stubborn bastard, no, the world’s most stubborn bastard.

Cheol Myeong-ho asked with a serious expression, and Dan Woo-sung retorted.

“Get lost, you bastard. There’s no way that bastard Jong-ho only buried money here. After you go to the doctor, clean up the gambling den too. If you’re still running it when I come back next time, I’ll burn the place down.”

“You heartless bastard, why have you changed so much?”

Cheol Myeong-ho sighed, then stumbled outside, supported by the burly gatekeeper. He remained true to his vicious nature to the very end. That he didn’t look servile despite suffering such cruelty was a talent in itself, if you could call it that.

Dan Wooseong crossed his arms and watched the Ssangbo brothers. Without a word, one opened the safe while the other tidied the room, setting the desk back upright. They were men who carried out orders with utter silence. Then, the two looked at each other, simultaneously stopped what they were doing, and turned their gaze to Dan Wooseong.

Yuk Myeong-bo and Yuk Jin-bo spoke to Dan Woo-sung at the same time.

“Brother.”

Dan Woosung replied.

“Why?”

Yuk Myeong-bo said.

“Myeong-ho, thank you for saving me.”

Yuk Jin-bo said the same thing.

“Thank you for sparing my life.”

Danwoo Seongdo stared at the two men, greatly startled, then slowly nodded his head.

They weren’t slaves, nor were they under Cheolmyeongho out of fear. They were simply people as solid and heavy as steel.

Even Yook Myeong-bo and Yook Jin-bo had expressions. With a peculiar expression that shifted like a twitch, they met Dan Woo-seong’s gaze before silently returning to their work.

Dan Wooseong thought that expression might have been a smile.

Even the man called the King of Fists found it difficult to accurately read a person’s inner thoughts.

It was harder than martial arts.

ⓒ Eugene Sung

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