Chapter 15

Lee Ja-eon, who had been grumbling, startled as if caught red-handed while stealing as he passed through the inner courtyard.

“Whoa, you scared me!”

‘Why are you coming out from there, bro?’

Lee Ja-eon met Dan Woo-sung’s gaze with a bewildered expression.

Dan Wooseong gestured.

“Come here. If you’re going to review, do it properly. Mimic it with your sword. You were following the last move of the Gu Yanghou style quite well.”

Lee Ja-eon gazed into the distant sky.

‘Wow, he was watching that too.’

Lee Ja-eon raised his sword as if reluctantly, then stabbed his shoulder half-heartedly. Dan Woo-sung remarked.

“Ah, you stabbed half-heartedly like you. I knew right away it was Heo Cho.”

Ji Sa-eon’s expression changed.

Retracting his sword at his elder brother’s words, he thrust his left palm out, just as Gu Yang-hu had done.

Dan Wooseong countered with a fist and said.

“Having already gauged the force of the thrust, I waited for the follow-up attack. I anticipated he would unleash his final move on the third strike, so I intended to intercept it beforehand.”

Lee Ja-eon silently nodded, then aimed his sword at his eldest brother’s chest.

Dan Woo-sung stepped forward, seized Lee Ja-eon’s wrist, and said.

“If your reaction had been normal, you would have aimed for a stalemate here with a force of tension duel. Since each of us has one hand free.”

“That’s correct.”

But Gu Yanghou, flustered, summoned his inner energy. Instinctively, he tried to protect his right arm wielding the sword. It was the fear that his life as a swordsman would end. In that split second, anticipating a feint or counterattack, he launched an attack with his left side while his left hand prepared to parry. But it was already over. Next came the fist, and the rest didn’t matter how it ended.”

That this judgment occurred in an instant was proof of his strength.

Lee Ja-eon, his eyes widening unconsciously, nodded.

“Hmm, I see.”

The psychological warfare in the actual battle was deeper than what he had replayed in his mind. As Lee Ja-eon suddenly wondered why someone would kindly teach him such things, Dan Woo-sung smacked him hard on the head.

Thud— With the sound, Lee Ja-eon rubbed his head.

“Why are you hitting me again?”

“Oh, because you’re a good-for-nothing.”

Left speechless, Lee Ja-eon scratched his head and lowered his gaze.

“Ah, I spoke out of turn. I’ll be careful.”

When Danwooseong raised his hand as if to strike again, Lee Jae-eon reflexively ducked his head to the side and said.

“Take it easy, brother. You were impressive today.”

Danwooseong walked as if nothing had happened, and Lee Jae-eon watched him with a sidelong glance. Somehow, it was strange that his eldest brother didn’t seem to hate him that much. As he thought about it, he began to feel his brother was actually quite scary, leaving him with mixed feelings.

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The day after the Gu Yang-hu incident.

Lee Sung-min, the head of Eunha Trading, who had risen from his sickbed after a long time, listened silently to his second son’s words.

The story of his eldest son’s life-or-death battle with Gu Yang-hu, and the schemes Gu Yang-hu had been plotting… Though Lee Seong-min had long suspected his eldest son had been learning martial arts and had returned, the news was undoubtedly astonishing.

Lee Sung-min asked.

“So you intend to purchase the most precious elixir in the martial world?”

Lee Hwa-eon nodded.

“Yes. It seems the fate of the merchant guild now rests with you, eldest brother. We must first avoid the great wave that is the Gu Yang Clan.”

The seasoned merchant spoke as if challenging him to a contest.

“Hmm… Do you really think our fate will change with just one elixir? Whether earning money or protecting it, bold investments are sometimes necessary. I won’t consider this an expense. When you factor in the money we’ve been losing to the Gu Yang Sect, the gifts we intended for the Xiao Xian Sect, and the monthly stipends for those retainers, it’s hardly an excessive expenditure.”

“That’s right.”

“Let’s consider this: our Galaxy Trading Company is seriously committed to properly training a single martial artist. Moreover, that martial artist happens to be my son and your brother. There’s no need for hesitation.”

Lee Hwa-eon looked at her father with a slightly surprised expression. She had only cautiously mentioned that she intended to purchase quite expensive elixirs, but her father had entirely different ideas.

“Send letters to the heads of our business branches everywhere, to my old friends, and to the respected great merchants. Tell them we need large quantities of high-quality elixirs. Don’t hold back. Tell them we have no choice if we are to overcome the crisis facing our trading house. If our house falls, they will suffer too, so they will consider it seriously. Make it clear this is a request for mutual benefit.”

“Understood.”

Lee Sung-min’s voice had regained its strength, as if he had fully recovered from his sickbed.

“You must also meticulously gather information on any elixirs being traded within sects or clans. Consult closely with your brother on this and pour money into it. Bringing Gu Yanghou in as the head of the escort was my mistake. Entrust this matter entirely to the two of them.”

Lee Hwa-eon bowed his head.

“No, Father. A mistake? It was merely an unfortunate outcome.”

“Second son, if the outcome is bad, everything is bad. This holds true for merchants and warriors alike. My mistake is correct.”

“Yes.”

Then, out of the blue, Lee Sung-min tilted his head and asked.

“This morning, the third son suddenly apologized for fighting with you. I’m so flustered by how my sons change so suddenly. I wondered if it was the third son’s turn this time.”

Lee Hwa-eon suppressed a smile and replied.

“Really? You know, he suddenly apologized to me too.”

Lee Sung-min nodded and said.

“Well… he probably got hit by the oldest one. They weren’t exactly on good terms. Looks like he got a slap. Here, his cheek is still a bit swollen.”

Lee Hwa-eon nodded.

“Considering how things were back then, it’s fortunate it ended that way.”

Lee Sung-min stroked his chin as he asked.

“By the way, what was in our family’s private residence at Guwhasan? The third son asked me about it casually. He asked if he couldn’t just rest there for a bit and come back, even though he’s not even sick. I refused him for now.”

“Oh, Father. Sending him to the country house is all an expense. Would that guy go alone? You did well. For now, it’s better to focus all non-business expenses solely on the eldest brother.”

Lee Sung-min nodded. It was strange how the second son seemed in a better mood than usual. Come to think of it, all three sons felt different somehow.

“Alright. You handle that.”

Kang Ho-chung’s futile attempt was easily thwarted. Lee Sung-min asked what he was most curious about.

“Since the eldest stopped going out drinking, I’ve been feeling uneasy. He really has changed, hasn’t he?”

“Ever since having a drink with Samaguk, Ju Jaryang, and Brother Guwoong, he’s given up alcohol. It seems he’s only practicing now. By the way, I hear the servants are often startled because Brother occasionally spars with those big men in the annex.”

“What should be done about it?”

“Once my brother finishes his personal training, he beats those two mercilessly. I was worried and asked him about it, and he said it’s a unique martial art, so the training method is inherently like this. Especially those two—surprisingly, they seemed incredibly stubborn.”

This is how it appeared to Lee Hwa-eon. Lee Sung-min nodded.

“The ways of the martial world are truly unfathomable. To say that being beaten is training…”

As Lee Sung-min walked back toward the bedding, Lee Hwa-eon helped his father up.

A muttered remark, almost a soliloquy, escaped Lee Sung-min’s lips.

“It’s fine. Better this way. I’ve spent my whole life just making money, but somehow, it feels like I won’t be bored anymore.”

Lee Hwa-eon remained silent, wondering what her father meant, while Lee Sung-min, lying on the bedding, gazed at the ceiling and said.

“Let’s think about how to spend the money.”

The old merchant wore a stubborn expression once more.

Kangho was displeased. This was Lee Sung-min, who usually tried to get along smoothly. But now his thoughts had changed. His son had gone to Kangho, and the idea of supporting him to dominate that Kangho had left him feeling utterly drained.

The eldest son fought with martial arts, while his father intended to fight with money. With both son and family embroiled in the affairs of the martial world, how could they hope for peace? Lee Sung-min also planned to actively recover his body, damaged by illness.

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News of Gu Yang-hu’s death reached the Xianxian Sect before the Gu Yang Clan.

“He’s dead?”

“Yes.”

“This is hard to comprehend.”

Yan Zhixiang, the head of the Xiaoxian Sect receiving the report, stroked his long, bushy beard. Yan Zhixiang had the corners of his lips turned up, giving him a perpetual smile.

Yan Zhixiang asked.

“Was the Crown Prince that strong? Did he die in a single strike?”

His tone was uncharacteristically light for someone of his stature, yet the man replied as if accustomed to it.

“Not really. It wasn’t that long. Even considering we split the fight into two parts, it couldn’t have been more than thirty exchanges.”

“That’s quite strong, I suppose.”

The reason the reporting man knew such details was that he had been a retainer of the Gu Yang family who had witnessed it firsthand. He was the man who delivered Gu Yang Hou’s letters and messages to the Xiao Xian faction.

Yan Zhishang asked.

“What about weapons?”

“He uses fists.”

Yan Zhishang clicked his tongue.

“Good heavens, a swordsman losing to such a young martial artist? What a disgrace. The Gu family will be furious.”

The man asked in a somewhat displeased tone.

“Weren’t you two friends?”

Yan Zhishang looked at the man and retorted.

“Why are you asking such a stupid question?”

“Huh?”

“Seems like you’re hard of hearing.”

Suddenly, the man glanced around, sensing hostility emanating from all directions. He knew well how ruthless the methods of the Soseonpa were. He said to Yeom Jisang.

“Ah, I misspoke.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Watch your words in the martial world. Got it? Now get back to work.”

“Hmm…”

“Anything else?”

“What about revenge…”

Yeom Jisang wore an expression of utter bewilderment.

“How could I seek revenge over the outcome of a fair duel? We’re not outlaws. How rude. Return to the Gu Yang Sect and properly conduct my friend’s funeral. I cannot leave my post, but I’ll send disciples depending on the situation.”

They weren’t outlaws, but in the martial world, they were a sect regarded as honorable.

“Understood. Then…”

After the foolish guest bowed his head and left, Yeom Jisang’s disciples gathered around him. Yeom Jisang rubbed his hands together and said.

“The Eunha Trading Guild refuses to pay us taxes, and now they’ve killed Gu Yanghou like that? How are we supposed to accept this?”

Though his tone remained consistently light, his disciples responded respectfully.

“It means they hold the Xiaoxian Sect in utter contempt.”

“Even if it was a legitimate duel, the young master will likely not survive. No matter how righteous the Gu Yang family claims to be, how could they possibly spare the young master of a great merchant guild?”

Yan Zhishang said.

That’s anyone’s guess. After all, taking over the trading company is more profitable than killing your own son. But what about us? We played along with Gu Yanghou’s schemes and gained nothing. I’m not interested in revenge. I just covet the money of the Galaxy Trading Company. Rumor has it that old man Lee Sung-min is shrewd and has far more money than we realize. That’s why Gu Yang-hu targeted him.”

The disciples fell silent at this point. Decisions always fell to the master anyway. And the disciples could never predict the master’s decisions.

Yeom Jisang, who had been pondering, asked this.

“How much do you think Lee Sung-min will pay for his son’s ransom? I’m no longer interested in killing him or anything like that. Living has taught me that money really is the best thing. Before the Gu Yang family swallows up the Galaxy Trading Company, capturing that son of his and extorting money seems like the best option we have.”

The senior disciple cautiously replied.

“He seems quite formidable.”

Yeom Jisang clicked his tongue.

“You fool! When our Soseon Sect steps in, we can kill that Gu Yanghou in three or four blows, not thirty. How many disciples do we have? And I’m joining in. Why are you worrying about that young punk’s skill?”

As Yeom Jisang spoke at length, the senior disciple suddenly knelt down.

“Master, I have spoken out of turn.”

Yeom Jisang replied nonchalantly once more.

“Be careful, disciple.”

In any case, it meant the entire Soseon Sect was stepping forward. Yeom Jisang tapped his chair as if urging focus and asked.

“So how much do you expect?”

“Wouldn’t they at least put up a million nyang?”

“It’s the Eunha Trading Company. They’ll put up at least two million nyang.”

At the mention of such a vast sum, a satisfied smile already spread across Yeom Jisang’s face. Stroking his beard, Yeom Jisang said.

“Get ready. Pack your gear thoroughly. Even a tiger runs hard when chasing a rabbit, you know.”

After his disciples left, Yeom Jisang, suddenly feeling bored, picked his nose and muttered to himself.

“The sun’s already setting. Maybe I’ll head to the brothel…”

ⓒ Yoo Jin-seong

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