Chapter 5

Danwoo Sung’s conclusion regarding Lee Jin-eon’s memories was this.

‘You must have been happy being born into a family without money.’

Lee Jin-eon knew the taste of money from a young age. When he got beaten up in the neighborhood, he brought money to settle it. When he had trouble with a woman, he took money to the brothel. His life became cowardly because of money. His lack of ruthlessness also played a part in this.

Dan Woo-sung despised people who lived naively good lives without a plan, and Lee Jin-eon was exactly that kind of person.

His nature was kind.

But what good was that?

How much good does being unconditionally kind do in navigating life?

Lee Jin-eon grew weaker because of money.

Because he mistook the power of money for his own strength, he began to be looked down upon.

The burden of the heir’s position, the emotional conflicts among his brothers, the shifting feelings of his younger siblings as they grew up, his father’s increasingly cold gaze, and even the way his family members looked at him—all of it tormented Lee Jin-eon.

But he still had plenty of money.

Whenever things got tough, he turned to drink, went through women like they were disposable, and flaunted his money in front of his friends. He even knew his friends only sought him out for his money. Yet, in his life gone awry, he lacked the courage to abandon these friends too. His main routine was leading around a bunch of freeloaders looking for free drinks, shuffling in and out of this brothel and that brothel.

In short, it was a life of utter depravity.

The main event that had unfolded was that Lee Jin-eon, who had neglected his health, collapsed while coughing up blood, and was sent to the family residence for recuperation by his father’s order.

As these memories surfaced, the faces of those he’d seen in portraits overlapped, allowing Dan Wooseong to grasp the entire situation as if he’d absorbed all of Lee Jin-eon’s memories.

If Lee Jin-eon was such a complete mess, it meant he probably didn’t give a damn about this exile place either. Dan Woo-seong decided he would recover his martial arts skills at his leisure and return when the time came.

Danwooseong, having fully absorbed the memory, sprang to his feet and dragged Gongsonmyeong out of the room by the scruff of his neck. Still, he intended to bury this unscrupulous councilman’s body intact.

***

All the servants had gathered in the main hall.

Two hours earlier, when Dan Wooseong dragged the councilor’s corpse out, one maid had been so shocked she fainted.

When the Crown Prince summoned everyone after killing the councilor, they all held their breath, wondering what was happening.

Dan Woo-sung addressed the gathered servants.

“Everyone.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I killed that doctor Gongsun. His prescriptions only worsened my health. That Yongfeng soup was practically poison. As you know, I’ve merely adjusted my drinking and eating, and stopped the soups and acupuncture. Yet my body is recovering like this. This means that doctor valued money more than his duty. That’s why he died. Even if I had spared him, he would have drifted elsewhere and used his medical skills to kill people, just as he did to me.”

The troublemakers had nothing else to say. Frankly, they didn’t need such a kind explanation.

Danwooseong reassured the servants.

“If the main house inquires about this, I’ll handle it. Whatever happens, I’ll make sure you suffer no harm.”

Only then did the attendants reply.

“Thank you, Young Master…”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Dan Woo-seong nodded and replied.

“And clean out Gongsun’s quarters properly for you to use. If you find any letters exchanged with anyone from the main house there, bring them to me.”

Danwooseong’s tone was utterly calm, and even as they answered, the disputants were overcome with fear.

As the attendants retreated, holding their breath…

Dan Woo-sung contemplated the order in which he must engrave the martial arts into his new body.

It was imprinting, not training.

Some techniques he couldn’t unleash immediately due to insufficient inner strength. Others he couldn’t execute properly because he couldn’t achieve the required speed. Therefore, he intended to find what suited Lee Jin-eon’s body best and maximize efficiency.

After much deliberation, Dan Wooseong resolved to focus solely on the Ten Thousand Battles Ten Thousand Deaths Technique up to the fourth rank. During his ascent to the fourth rank, he would engrave the Enlightened Step Technique, Enlightened Body Technique, and Transfer Lightness Skill into his very being. Speed and split-second movements were directly linked to life and death, making these the foremost areas to train.

The reason for prioritizing the Hundred Battles Ten-Segment Art was simple.

It was because the thunder energy unleashed by the Hundred Battles Ten-Tier Art could inflict agony upon his opponents.

Here, Dan Woo-sung had a peculiar thought.

It felt like carefully revisiting the martial arts he had mastered, starting from the basics. When he was the Fist King, he had never looked back on the martial arts he had learned in his early days, but now he was reviewing them for survival.

Dan Woo-sung rose from his seat and headed back toward Gu Hwa Mountain.

Dan Woo-sung never desired or expected another life. Both Lee Jin-eon’s body and Dan Woo-sung’s mind were at a point where only training was needed.

***

By the time four seasons had passed since Dan Wooseong began his training, diligently commuting between the mansion and Guwhasan without missing a single day…

A young warrior, sword at his side, entered the An family residence and asked a passing servant,

“Where might the eldest young master be?”

Shibi was startled by the voice of an outsider she hadn’t seen in ages and replied.

“Ah, he should be at the training grounds by now.”

See-bi was in the process of calming herself down because the man was dressed in the uniform of the Eunha Trading Company’s escort unit.

The man tilted his head.

“Training ground? Was there a training ground in the residence?”

“Yes. The annex in the rear garden is being used as the training ground. That way…”

The attendant pointed to a small path on the right side of the main building.

As the warrior from the main house walked toward the training ground, the attendant hurried off as if to inform his colleagues.

The unfamiliar man was a young warrior belonging to the Eunha Trading Company’s escort unit, visiting to deliver a letter to the Grand Duke.

The door to the annex stood wide open.

As Mok In-seop entered the annex, he saw a man sitting with his back turned, his upper body exposed on the wooden floor where all the miscellaneous furnishings had been cleared away.

His entire body glistened with sweat.

His bare back, exposed without a shirt, was covered in fine muscle definition.

Though he thought there was no way such a man could be the Crown Prince, Mok In-seop cautiously asked.

“Prince Jin-eon? This is Mok In-seop of the Royal Guard.”

Dan Woo-sung said as he roughly pulled his shirt lying on the floor over his head.

“Come up.”

At the command to step up, Mok In-seop looked down. It was a wooden floor raised slightly above ground level. As he tried to lift his foot, Dan Woo-sung spoke again.

“Take off your shoes.”

“Ah, yes.”

After removing his shoes, Mok In-seop stepped onto the creaking wooden floor.

Dan Woo-sung continued to steady his breathing.

Finally, Mok In-seop approached the Crown Prince, bowed once, and looked him in the face.

“It’s been a long time.”

When Dan Wooseong gestured toward the floor as if inviting him to sit, Mok Inseop handed him a letter he had taken from his sleeve before taking a seat.

Dan Woo-sung read the letter, and Mok In-seop stared in surprise at Dan Woo-sung’s upper body. Through the unbuttoned shirt, distinct abs and upper body muscles carved like a chisel were visible. Moreover, it was a bronze-colored physique, deeply tanned as if from the sun.

‘What? Was the Crown Prince’s physique this impressive?’

It felt like facing a master of external martial arts, and his face showed no trace of illness whatsoever. Hot steam rose in wisps from the crown of his head, and traces of intense training remained all over his clothing.

The white steam rising from his crown was a characteristic feature revealed when practicing the White Ten-Fold Crown Technique, which harnesses the extreme yang energy.

After reading the letter, Dan Woo-sung asked Mok In-seop.

“There’s no explanation as to why he collapsed.”

The letter briefly mentioned that Lee Jin-eon’s father was bedridden. Yet, it contained no order for the Crown Prince to return to the family home. It was merely a letter to inform him.

Mok In-seop sensed disappointment in Dan Woo-sung’s expression. He had expected concern for his father to show, but the atmosphere was utterly cold.

Mok In-seop spoke.

The tribute paid to the Gu Yang Sect under the guise of protection fees has risen again. Before that incident, we had just signed a new contract with Tiefang, who was becoming quite famous in Ouyang, to send goods to the Western Regions. Using this as an excuse, the Xiaoxian Sect, which had established itself in Ouyang, belatedly contacted us and imposed a tax on the weapons being transported. They call it a tax, but it’s nothing but an unreasonable, coercive demand. Either way, the Iron Defense merchants must have known about this too. The fact they kept quiet means both factions have double-crossed us.”

Dan Woo-sung asked.

“What exactly did the Gu Yang family do in exchange for the protection money they received?”

“They’ve stuck to their original stance: as per the contract, the Gu Yang Clan will only provide military support if the main branch of the Eunha Trading House faces trouble. The contract never involved them meddling in the house’s affairs or trivial matters. Legally, the contract is sound. Morally, though, we’re the only ones boiling with rage.”

“So that’s why you collapsed?”

Mok In-seop replied with a reluctant expression.

There’s more. Amidst these events, the personal guards of the Second and Third Masters got into a quarrel and started fighting. The fight escalated into a sword fight. The princes got caught up in the fight, and Prince Yi was injured. This incident somehow passed without major trouble… but amid these unfavorable events unfolding outside, the two princes quarreled, and it seems they both temporarily fainted. The physician said it was a common case of fire disease.”

To be honest, Mok In-seop couldn’t fathom why he was rambling on and on about his family’s affairs to this good-for-nothing Crown Prince. In the past, he would have tossed a letter over and exchanged a few words before returning.

But the atmosphere surrounding the Crown Prince’s inquiry had changed, so Mok In-seop found himself naturally elaborating at length.

Part of it was also a deliberate attempt to observe the Crown Prince closely while speaking.

After a moment’s thought, Dan Woo-sung replied.

“So, the matter with the Xian Sect’s demands can simply be refused, then.”

“Huh?”

“Even if the angry Xiao Xian faction sends a few masters, the Gu Yang family will handle it themselves.”

“The iron warehouse contract is the problem.”

“There’s no reason to keep selling a product that’s already tainted. It’s not like that’s our only business. Better to pay the penalty and cut ties. Anyway, the Gu Yang family is getting stranger and stranger.”

“What do you mean?”

Dan Woo-sung hesitated to speak immediately, unsure if his suspicions were mere conjecture.

“I’ll look into that further and let you know. But with Father in that state, and the two younger brothers fighting… and drawing swords at that. This can’t be left unchecked. If brothers start drawing swords, who knows where the sparks will fly next.”

“You’re right. It’s a serious matter.”

Mok In-seop nodded vigorously. The Crown Prince was making such perfectly reasonable points that Mok In-seop couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.

Dan Woo-sung looked at Mok In-seop and said in a flat tone.

“I’ll be back soon.”

The high-quality ginseng and rare elixirs stored in the family’s private collection had all been depleted, making the merchant guild’s financial resources essential at this point. Neither Lee Jin-eon nor Dan Woo-sung wanted to see the Eunha Merchant Guild collapse.

Mok In-seop stared intently into Dan Woo-sung’s eyes before realizing his own discourtesy and bowing his head slightly.

ⓒ Yoo Jin-seong

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