Chapter 17

Yeom Jisang immediately stopped his disciples when they tried to rush out recklessly.

“No. No, surround him first. And Gwak Pyeong, you gather the equipment with these guys… The rest of you encircle and hold your ground. He’s a fast one. If he escapes, don’t chase him. There are more enemies outside, or it’s a lure.”

Yeom Jisang said, gazing up at the sky.

The moon is dim. Let’s fight only here. This moonlight isn’t bright enough for open combat.

Dan Wooseong clapped upon hearing Yeom Jisang’s precise assessment of the situation. Only then did Yeom Jisang notice the cloth wrapped around Dan Wooseong’s wrist and hand, asking with a slightly startled expression.

“Are you perhaps the young master of the Eunhasa Trading Guild?”

The object at his waist was an iron club, hardly a primary weapon, and upon seeing the cloth wrapped around his fist, Yeom Jisang had apparently recognized him as a young martial artist.

“Right? Wow, the Eunha Trading Company’s intelligence network is exceptional.”

At the mention of the Galactic Grand Prince, the disciples of the Small Star Sect set up an encirclement and waited. This was because the original order had been to capture the Grand Prince alive.

Yeom Jisang was also troubled.

‘This doesn’t seem like someone we can handle easily.’

Yeom Jisang ordered.

“Attack with the intent to sever one limb at a time. Capture him alive at all costs. Don’t worry about inflicting injuries. Just keep him alive—he’ll be worth his weight in gold.”

It was an appropriate order for his subordinates, but it was also something Danwooseong could take note of.

‘So he was trying to trade it for money.’

Yeom Jisang leapt into the air and instantly landed atop the wall, scanning the surroundings. Despite his flippant tone, he was meticulously thorough. While checking for any remaining enemies, he ordered his men.

“Attack.”

The disciples of the Small Star Sect charged at Dan Woosung. Dan Woosung moved. Then, one disciple emerging from inside threw something at Yeom Jisang and shouted.

“Master!”

As the long wooden box flew toward him, Yeom Jisang caught it, skillfully opened the box, and glanced at the fight. As expected, the movements of the Silver River Merchant Guild’s young master were swift. Already, three or four men were rolling on the ground.

The wooden frame was divided into upper and lower sections. The lower section housed the mechanism for firing steel darts, while the upper section was densely packed with thin, long steel darts. Though it was inconvenient to lower the darts into the lower section after firing five shots, it was a highly effective portable weapon with remarkably simple aiming and firing.

Yeom Jisang, having loaded five rounds, aimed at Danwooseong through the indentation at the end of the wooden frame and pressed the firing mechanism.

Push!

The flying steel dart embedded itself with a thud in the back of the So Seonpa disciple’s neck.

Yeom Jisang clicked his tongue.

“Tsk.”

As his disciple collapsed with a thud, Yeom Jisang narrowed his eyes again and aimed at Dan Wooseong.

Danwooseong was simultaneously kneeing a disciple in the forehead and leaping into the air.

A perfect opportunity to strike.

Yeom Jisang pressed the firing mechanism again.

Psssh!

But the moment the steel dart left the mechanism, something reflecting moonlight shot swiftly from Dan Wooseong’s waist.

Clang! Crack!

It hadn’t just shot up into the air for no reason. Dan Woo-sung had thrown the iron baton from his waist, instantly smashing the machine Yeom Jisang was holding as he landed.

Yeom Jisang, startled, tossed the shattered device aside. His hands were numb.

‘Quick reflexes.’

Yeom Jisang drew his sword and said to his disciples.

“Catch the fish.”

A throwing net flew toward Dan Woo-seong, who was swiftly moving and knocking down disciples. Not only nets, but small snares targeting Dan Woo-seong’s ankles were being hurled from all directions.

The moment Danwooseong used his lightness skill to escape the overly crowded target area, he snatched the end of a falling net from midair, channeled his inner energy, and twisted his wrist.

Swish!

The net coiled in one direction, tangling itself, and in an instant, it transformed into a long, thick whip.

Trapped within the circular encirclement, Danwooseong swung his whip made from a fishing net. Instantly, five or six disciples clutched their faces with both hands and screamed.

Dan Wooseong didn’t bother with precise aiming, given the sheer number of disciples. He channeled his internal energy into the whip, striking vertically and diagonally, lashing out at two or three at a time. Moreover, it was a throwing net infused with thunder energy.

Crack! Thud! Crack! Thud! Swoosh!

When attackers closed in, he swung it horizontally. One man who approached gasped, his throat seized. The whip’s tip had sliced through his neck, leaving it torn open.

Yeom Jisang’s expression, watching from the sidelines, was growing increasingly stiff.

‘How does he fight so well?’

The Crown Prince of Eunhwasangdan should be a young man, yet his fighting style was that of a seasoned veteran. He clearly had immense experience battling large numbers. Yeom Jisang, who had been about to join the fight, watched Danwooseong with wide eyes for a moment.

He was ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.

Then, the net he’d been wielding like a whip fell vertically, unfurling completely as it did so, trapping seven or eight men inside.

What followed was a sight to behold.

On a night when the moon wasn’t particularly bright, the white lightning that began in the Grand Prince’s hand shot out with a crackling sound, like a net being cast. Seven or eight people screamed simultaneously as convulsions shook their entire bodies.

“Kyaaaaaaaah!”

As those electrocuted by the lightning collapsed to the floor, the startled disciples of the Small Star Sect instinctively took a step back.

As a brief lull descended…

Dan Woosung, still clutching the net, stared blankly at Yeom Jisang leaning against the wall. When Yeom Jisang blinked back at him, Dan Woosung spoke.

“What are you staring at, you idiot? Come down. Don’t think you can sneak away while you’re watching.”

Yeom Jisang’s eyes widened in disbelief. Ridiculously, the number of disciples still able to fight was now barely over ten. Before he knew it, the rest were all lying on the cold floor.

When Dan Woo-seong spoke these words, the disciples, oddly enough, stopped attacking and looked at their master. They could have been prepared to die fighting alongside him, but if their master was only pushing them to their deaths, they had no intention of fighting either.

Yeom Jisang spoke.

“What are you doing? Attack!”

Dan Woosung replied as if surprised.

“Look at this guy? Was he really planning to run away?”

Yeom Jisang looked at Dan Wooseong and said.

“No way.”

Yeom Jisang ducked behind the wall with his horse, then began fleeing using his lightness skills. Sighs escaped from the disciples here and there.

Dan Woo-seong, running with his net, snatched up a noose that had fallen to the ground and immediately leaped into the air.

The surviving disciples looked at each other’s faces.

“Let’s flee. He’ll kill our master anyway, then come back and kill us all too.”

The surviving disciples began sprinting in the opposite direction from where Dan Woo-seong and Yeom Ji-sang were heading. It was the typical outcome when a sect with no ‘tradition’ to speak of was defeated.

Yeom Jisang, who had begun fleeing first, had lost his sense of direction due to the darkness. After pausing to look around, he heard the footsteps of the Grand Prince pursuing him fiercely and was startled. He then began fleeing again into the darkness.

Then, as what he suspected was a hidden weapon flew toward him from behind, lying flat on the ground, Yeom Jisang leaped into the air.

A fiercely spinning noose passed beneath him. Immediately sensing something, a startled Yeom Jisang swung his sword toward the air.

Swoosh!

Whether he swung his sword or not, the net engulfed Yeom Jisang. Immediately after, Danwooseong’s fist flew toward Yeom Jisang’s face.

Thud!

Yeom Jisang rolled backward, wrapping the net tightly around his entire body. If only his disciples had come to his aid during the martial arts duel, he could have fought far better than this. Yeom Jisang was captured without even getting a proper fight.

Yeom Jisang bellowed.

“Your Highness!”

“Why do you call out so desperately?”

Dan Woo-sung appeared, looking down at the fish caught in the net. His beard made him look like a large catfish.

Yeom Jisang cried out.

“I’ve amassed quite a fortune myself! I’ll pay the ransom… just spare my life. I’ll pay handsomely… no, I could even give you all my wealth.”

Danwooseong retorted.

“Why do you keep thinking of people’s lives as money?”

Dan Woo-sung’s foot landed on Yeom Ji-sang’s face.

“You’re useless. Just die.”

With a thud, Yeom Jisang’s life ended. Dan Wooseong instinctively scanned his surroundings once more before heading back toward the Shihwa Pyeong estate. He didn’t feel particularly good, remembering how Yeom Jisang had appeared at first, pulling up his trousers.

.

.

.

Dan Woo-sung entered the manor where the disciples of the So Seonpa had fled and searched around. Hearing someone sobbing somewhere, he headed in that direction. Opening the door, he found a woman bleeding from both wrists, struggling to free her hands bound to the bedding.

The woman was startled by the masked man’s appearance and could only weep.

Dan Wooseong looked at the woman’s naked body. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have been beaten. Still, the sight of the courtesan’s naked form was heartbreaking.

Dan Wooseong pulled the quilt over her body, then untied the ropes binding her wrists. Only then did the woman finally stop her sobbing and stare blankly at Dan Wooseong.

Dan Woo-sung sighed at the sudden memory that came to mind. Of all people, it was someone he knew.

‘Was she the courtesan from Danhyang Pavilion?’

He had never slept with the Crown Prince. She was a woman he had avoided because he’d heard she’d slept with an acquaintance.

“Get dressed and come out. I’ll walk you home.”

The runaways were nearby, making it too dangerous to send her alone. A short while later, Dan Wooseong walked the night path with the courtesan Sulan.

Their destination: Danhyangru.

Neither spoke; they simply walked. Therefore, it was impossible to tell whether Sulan remembered the scoundrel prince of the Eunhwasangdan.

While walking, Sulan stopped in shock. The pervert who had been tormenting her lay on the cold floor, wrapped up in a net. Sulan said,

“One of my subordinates came asking if I could attend a drinking party hosted by an old scholar who’d come from afar. The location was Shihwa-pyeong, and I had no idea these were the kind of people involved.”

Her somewhat pitiful excuse flowed out, though it wasn’t really necessary. But what she said next startled Danwooseong.

“He took money out of his belt pouch.”

Money again? Dan Wooseong pretended to understand.

“Look for it.”

Suran approached the corpse, rummaged through its pockets, and pulled out a belt pouch. Just as Suran had said, thick leather pouches were strung along the belt.

Danwooseong asked.

“Does that mean we don’t have to return to Danhyangru?”

Suran looked at him with genuinely startled eyes.

“Who are you?”

She seemed unable to remember. The mask and deep darkness made recognition difficult.

“A man who frequented brothels back in the day.”

Suran said, holding out her pouch.

“I have nowhere to go. I don’t know anyone else. I don’t need money either.”

Danwooseong stood still, and Surani approached him, carefully placing the belt over his shoulder.

“Thank you for saving me.”

Suran took a few more steps along the pitch-black night road, then turned back to Danwooseong.

“In return, would you see me off just until the lights appear?”

With the pouch draped over his shoulder, Danwooseong walked beside Surani, as if to escort her further.

The night road stretched on endlessly.

As they entered the bustling night streets, Danwooseong had no choice but to lower his mask. Only then did Sulan recognize his face, her memory apparently returning.

“Would you come for a drink next time? Your Highness.”

Dan Wooseong shook his head.

“No. Giru is exhausted.”

Suran nodded as she spoke.

“You’ve changed a lot. Thank you so much for today.”

Danwooseong said as he headed toward the Galaxy Trading Company.

“Live well.”

There was nothing more to say.

ⓒ Yoo Jin-seong

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