Chapter 187

The King of Power, Granting Good Fortune

Sajo-i scrutinized Dan Woo-sung from head to toe.

“The best in the land… You’re young.”

Danwooseong slowly revealed his prayer, glaring as if testing Sajo-ui’s resolve.

Yet Sajo-ui remained completely oblivious, while only the surrounding elite masters of the Yi Clan shifted into tense expressions.

Sajo-ui continued.

“I hear that martial arts in the Central Plains emphasize internal energy, and it takes many years to become the best under heaven. That’s why I’ve heard those who come close to being the best under heaven are all quite old. Yet you look younger than my own aide.”

Dan Woo-seong, hands behind his back, cut straight to the point.

“General, cut the nonsense. I’ll explain why I’m here.”

The generals seated at the far end leapt to their feet at Dan Woosung’s outburst, but Sajoo-ga extended his hand.

“Everyone, sit down. This man has come bearing the fate of the Martial Alliance. Surely we can hear him out.”

Dan Wooseong looked around at the generals as he spoke.

“If you refrain from plundering on your way to Hebei, refrain from abducting women and children, and refrain from cutting the farmers’ grain without permission, you will have no further quarrels with the Martial Alliance.”

The generals laughed.

“Heh heh heh.”

“Hahaha.”

Since they were boosting their soldiers’ morale through plunder, it was an unacceptable demand.

Dan Wuseong continued.

“Whether you wage war and become Emperor of the Great Yan Empire or not, I have no interest in such matters. You need only promise me the safety of the common people and then depart. I trust a general commanding a great army would not make empty promises. Will you pledge it?”

The general at the end of the table tilted his head and said.

“Is this guy crazy?”

Danwooseong’s gaze, which had been fixed on Sajoui, shifted to the general who had spoken.

Hwa Eun-wol’s warning came to mind, but his patience had its limits.

As Danwooseong slowly raised his right hand, all eyes turned to his hand.

Then, the general was pulled toward him by a force of nature and caught in Dan Wooseong’s hand.

“Gah.”

The general’s face began to turn pale from Dan Wooseong’s grip.

Dan Wooseong scanned the room, then flicked his left finger toward the general’s forehead, which he held in his right hand.

Thwack!

With a strange sound like a skull shattering, the general collapsed to the floor with a thud and lay motionless.

Dan Woo-sung pressed his foot down on the man’s neck as he spoke.

“Commander.”

Sajo-ga frowned and replied.

“Speak.”

“I came here alone because I can kill every single one of you with my own hands. If you don’t believe me, give the order to your soldiers. I’ll wait until your forces are ready for battle.”

Sajo-ui remained silent.

“······.”

Danwooseong watched the expressions of the generals and the elite warriors of the Yi tribe, then shook his head.

“No. You wouldn’t easily believe my words. Humans only change their minds when they see it with their own eyes.”

Dan Woo-sung applied pressure to his foot, and with a snap, the general’s neck broke.

“Ah, damn it…”

The words of the commander-in-chief, telling him not to kill, flashed through his mind.

‘Well, the commander isn’t going to conduct a headcount anyway.’

Dan Wooseong sighed, then sat down at the leftmost seat and stroked the general’s head with his left hand as he spoke.

“Anyway, I’m the one you’ll meet when people like you kill and get killed.”

As Dan Woo-sung grabbed the unknown general’s head and injected his brain energy, the general’s eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed unconscious on the spot.

This time, no scream escaped his lips.

Dan Woo-sung walked toward Sa-jo, meeting the glaring stares from those on either side.

Two elite warriors of the Yi tribe simultaneously leapt forward from both sides, swiftly drawing the daggers at their waists and thrusting them toward Dan Wooseong’s throat.

Danwooseong stepped back a pace, grabbed the dagger’s blade with his bare hands, then thrust with added force, crossing his hands. Two daggers plunged simultaneously into the neck and chest of the two-legged master.

Thud! Thud!

With the daggers still embedded in his body, the two men collapsed. Dan Wooseong then slowly walked forward again and stood before Sa Jo.

Dan Woosung glanced sideways at Asaduk and said.

“Asaduk, the National Teacher, are you the best fighter in the North?”

Asaduk still couldn’t gauge Danwooseong’s true level. His body was stiff with tension, especially since he knew his own skills weren’t enough to kill the elite warriors of the other tribe in a single strike.

Danwooseong pointed at himself.

“Do I look polite? Do I seem like some pedantic martial arts master who follows the Five Relationships and the Four Virtues?”

“……”

“I’m a down-and-out rogue who used to drink himself silly in the marketplace, frequenting gambling dens, taverns, and brothels. I only stepped into the martial world afterward. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

It meant he was a reckless brute from the start.

Sajogi nodded.

“Understood.”

Dan Woo-sung retorted immediately.

“No way.”

In that instant, the brief rustle of flowing robes echoed as Dan Woosung appeared behind Sa Jo-ui using his lightness skill. He hooked an arm around Sa Jo-ui’s shoulder, and they sat side by side, observing the generals and the elite warriors of the Yi tribe.

Then Dan Woo-sung ruffled Sa Jo-ui’s hair.

“Ten thousand troops… That’s terrifying.”

What Dan Woo-sung desired was the inviolability of Guanwu.

Thud!

Dan Woosung began slowly tapping Sa Jo-ui’s head with his hand. At first, it was gentle, but the intensity gradually increased.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

When Sajo-ui endured to the end, Dan Wooseong gestured toward the generals with his chin and said.

General Sa, give the order. Kill me. Let’s have it out.

To them, Dan Woosung’s actions, tone, and gaze all seemed utterly mad.

Dan Woosung had already insulted General Sa Jo-ui. But he anticipated that if he ended things half-heartedly at this point, Sa Jo-ui would surely lead his forces to attack the Martial Arts Alliance or raid villages on his way back.

While Sajo-i was caught off guard, Danwooseong endured to the end, then grabbed Sajo-i by the ear and hurled him toward the entrance of the tent.

Thud!

“General!”

Sa-jo-ui, his ear torn off, rolled on the ground and reached out to his men.

If the soldiers saw us suffering such a humiliating defeat here, it would not only crush the army’s morale but also likely scatter the remnants of our forces in all directions.

Dan Wooseong tossed Sa Jo-ui’s large ear aside and drank alone. The moment Dan Wooseong tilted his head back with his cup, Asaduk, destined to become the state’s minister, launched his surprise attack.

A surprisingly fierce force surged in from the left.

Dan Wooseong thrust out his left palm and continued drinking.

Thud!

Dan Wooseong poured his energy into his left palm, set down the cup, then looked around the gathering as he continued his clash of force with Asaduk.

Dan Woosung spoke.

“Truly a great master of martial arts.”

His inner strength was so profound he could crush and defeat the leader of any ordinary martial arts sect. As Dan Woo-sung surveyed the crowd and drew up his power, Asa Deok’s scream erupted.

At that instant, Dan Woosung simultaneously burst into laughter, drowning Asaduk’s screams in a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the tent.

Those inside the tent instantly covered their ears.

When Dan Woosung withdrew his palm, Asaduk, who had been locked in an internal energy duel, collapsed, blood streaming from his eyes, nose, and mouth, and died.

Dan Woosung chuckled indifferently, as if it meant nothing to him.

“I am the leader of the martial arts world. General of the Four Sects.”

As the aide who brought the bandage bound Sajo-ui’s ear, Danwooseong asked again.

“Ten thousand troops against the Martial Alliance—are you up for it? Leader against leader, man against man—let’s settle this. If you accept, return to the Alliance, gather your men, and bring them here.”

Just then, the captain who had guided Dan Wooseong slipped inside the tent to peek around. Sajoo-ui urgently ordered,

“Get out. Make sure no soldiers approach.”

“Yes.”

Dan Woosung addressed the Captain and Sa Jo-ui.

“Bring me my sword first.”

Sa Jo-ui urgently told the captain outside.

“Bring me the sword you retrieved.”

“Understood.”

The captain quickly retrieved Dan Woo-sung’s sword and entered the tent, only to stop abruptly with a startled expression. The smell of blood was overwhelming, and several corpses lay scattered about. Worse still, the seat of honor where the General of the Four Seasons should have been seated was occupied by the Martial Arts Alliance Leader.

Dan Wooseong tapped the table with his hand.

The captain, barely able to catch his breath, walked over, placed the sword on the table, and turned to leave.

Then Dan Woosung threw the sword toward Sajo.

As Sajo-ui caught the sword, Dan Wooseong spoke.

“Cut off one pinky finger from each of you still alive here. If you fail to keep what I said earlier, I’ll hunt you down all the way to Hebei and take each of your lives. Let’s see, starting with the General… like a man.”

Sajo-ga retorted as if he intended to negotiate to the very end.

“Cutting off our pinkies will make wielding swords difficult, which means defeat in war. Find another way.”

Dan Woosung retorted.

“Another way.”

When Sajo-ui nodded, Dan Wooseong replied as if accepting.

“Then let’s settle for one eye. Like Xiahou Dun… Those willing to cut off a finger, cut it off. Those unwilling, give up one eye. No more demands. I’ve endured enough.”

Dan Woo-sung pointed at the assembled men with his finger as he spoke.

“Each of you has a sword… Do as you please. And send the women sent to the general’s quarters back home with some travel money. I’m tired of messing around with you lot. From now on, if things don’t go my way, I’ll deal with you one by one… General!”

Dan Woo-sung bellowed.

Sajo-ga unconsciously responded in formal speech.

“Yes, sir.”

Dan Woosung said with eyes wide open.

“Finger or eyeball. Choose.”

Dan Woo-sung’s expression looked like it had exploded after holding back. He seemed to jump up, but in an instant, he appeared with his hand around Sa Jo-ui’s neck, grabbing his right eye with his fingers and ripping it out.

Pop!

“Gwaaah…!”

Dan Wooseong shoved the eyeball into Sa Jo-ui’s mouth and then struck his jaw. Then, drawing the White Soul Sword, Dan Wooseong looked at the other generals and said.

“Cut. Before I strike your necks.”

The other generals, horrified, proceeded to cut off their own fingers.

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

Only then did Danwooseong sheathe his sword before swinging his left hand toward the ceiling of the tent.

With a loud crack, the pillars supporting the tent were simultaneously uprooted, and the entire structure flew away with a tremendous noise.

Only then did he see the soldiers surrounding the barracks, perfectly encircling it, waiting with swords and shields raised.

Dan Wooseong looked around and smiled.

With all the generals, including Sajo-ui, bleeding, how could the soldiers dare to attack?

Dan Woosung said to Sajo-ui.

“General, you want to try?”

With his hand pressed against his missing left eye, he bellowed at those around him.

“Everyone, back off!”

Dan Woosung asked Sajo-i as if he had just blinked.

“Ah, but who was it that first suggested we demand provisions from the Martial Alliance?”

After Dan Woosung spoke and looked around, the remaining generals were all staring at one man.

Then, as Danwooseong unleashed his palm strike toward the man who had proposed the plan to secure military provisions, the man’s face was torn clean off by the palm wind and rolled across the floor while the generals watched. Instantly, the soldiers forming the defensive formation retreated as if they had seen a ghost, then fell down with a clatter.

Dan Wooseong looked down at Sa Jo-ui and said.

“General Sa.”

“Yes.”

“From now on, show proper courtesy when you see martial artists. Then such incidents won’t occur. Be especially cautious with the Martial Alliance. If my men die, I won’t let it end this easily.”

“Understood.”

Danwooseong spread his arms wide, surveying the ten thousand troops before bidding them farewell.

“Then, generals… soldiers. Until we meet again. I wish you good fortune.”

Dan Woo-sung walked toward the densely packed troops without using his lightness skill. The crowd parted automatically, opening a path.

Dan Wooseong glanced left and right before speaking in an unpleasant tone.

“Show some respect, soldiers.”

The moment Dan Wooseong spoke, the troops who had been pushed aside simultaneously dropped to their knees. Dan Wooseong, humming a tune absentmindedly, voiced a thought that came to mind.

“The government is the government, and the martial world is the martial world—don’t bother us.”

Truthfully, the martial world isn’t always inviolable. History has seen otherwise. Yet while Dan Woo-sung remained its leader, today’s incident would spread, ensuring that the unwritten pact of martial inviolability—unwritten in any code—would hold firm.