"No red paper."
Apollo almost clenched his fists too hard, his fingers digging into his skin.
That was the one clear way to defeat Charles Choi.
He grimaced. "Don't lie, Shaman, or I swear I'll beat you up worse than you can imagine."
Grabbing the Shaman by the collar, Apollo pulled him close, his face tight with fury. "Now tell me... where is the red paper?"
The Shaman blinked, utterly confused. Not once in his life had he even heard of this "red paper" Apollo spoke of.
Terrified by the pressure radiating off Apollo, the Shaman stammered, his words rushed and desperate. "I really don't know what you're talking about!"
Apollo sighed and released his grip. As furious as he was, even he could tell—the Shaman wasn't lying.
"What is this red paper, Apollo?" Jichang asked from the side, his voice firm but curious.
Running a hand through his hair, Apollo shook his head and exhaled. "Nothing much. Just a weakness of an enemy,"he muttered, stretching and cracking his joints with a light arch of his back.
'Too much anger is pointless... I'll either find it first or beat him down with pure strength.'
There were many ways to defeat Charles Choi.
The red paper wasn't the only one—and Apollo knew it.
Jichang narrowed his eyes, waiting for Apollo to reveal more about the mystery surrounding the red paper.
But Apollo remained silent.
Suppressing the itch to pry further, Jichang sat back. For some reason, he loved knowing everything that was happening around him.
'When I get back,' he thought, locking his arms across his chest, 'I'm setting up a bracket in my gang just for information gathering.'
The decision was made.
Seonji Yuk, meanwhile, was lost in thought.
Everything had happened so fast—he hadn't even had time to adjust.
The Kojima brothers, the ones who tormented him, were defeated.
The Shaman was on his knees, begging for mercy.
Cheonliang was, in theory... free.
'Or is it?'
His leg twitched again. Seonji was optimistic—but not stupid.
'The people who supported the Shaman... they're just as bad.'
His eyebrows furrowed deeper as he gazed at the pathetic figure of the Shaman.
'Can I really bring change to this village?'
His hands clenched and relaxed, over and over again. His eyes reflected the turmoil inside him.
'He's finished... and I have nothing to do with him anymore.'
Contempt darkened his gaze.
"You all can decide what to do with him. I'm not interested," Seonji said in an uncharacteristically cold tone.
He was shaken.
'For the first time... I can see the darkness in this village.
Can I even fix it?'
Apollo's gaze softened as he noticed the tremor in Seonji's leg.
His frame stood tall—but inside, the man was rattled.
And then—
A figure burst into the scene, swallowed in a peach-colored suit several sizes too large.
With a fierce cry, the newcomer landed a straight kick to the Shaman's face.
Vin Jin.
Tears streamed down his face—tears of shame, guilt, and rage.
The man who took his mother away. The man who turned him into a living sacrifice.
He destroyed my life.
His double pupils locked onto the Shaman with a fury only a boy robbed of everything could muster.
His small fists, trembling yet heavy with emotion, began to rain down blows.
Pow.
Crack.
Pow.
Each strike landed with raw, helpless rage.
The Shaman didn't dare fight back—the eyes of the Kings pinned him in place, cold and merciless.
After countless blows, Vin Jin's furious sobbing turned into soft, broken whimpers.
The peach suit Jichang had given him was soaked with tears.
In the haze of exhaustion—or maybe relief—Vin Jin didn't even realize when the world around him started fading.
As his small body collapsed, Seonji caught him, cradling the boy to his chest, offering the warmth and protection he had been denied for so long.
The other Kings, including Apollo, nodded silently.
Seonji glanced down at the sleeping boy in his arms, his face now peaceful.
'Vin Jin... that was your name?'
He looked around the ruined village—bodies broken and battered still littered the ground.
'I don't know about the villagers... but you. I'll take care of you.'
For now... that would be enough.
The king of the mountain had found a young lion.
A cub still scarred—but still alive.
The King didn't know it yet...
But he had found his heir.
Vin Jin.
The first of many disciples Seonji Yuk would one day raise.
.
.
.
Everyone sat in silence on the bus, the chilly wind sneaking through the small cracks in the windows.
The Kings—Taesoo asleep, Jichang deep in thought, Jagyeon chattering to Apollo about cars, Gongseob flirting with someone on his phone—were quiet but connected.
They all understood now.
Why Apollo had sent them to Cheonliang.
Surprisingly, they worked well together.
And though none of them would admit it—if anyone touched one of them, the others would pounce without hesitation.
As the trip neared its end, Apollo looked around at them, his heart heavy but hopeful.
'Maybe now... he can be saved.'
The Shaman was destroyed—his body too broken to wake up for years, if ever.
The Kojima brothers, when they opened their eyes, would see Seonji Yuk standing before them.
Apollo was confident.
Cheonliang was safe.
Looking at his favorite people, huddled together, a warm pride filled him.
"Well... Cheonliang was hectic," he muttered with a smirk.
Straightening his back, his chest swelling with a new determination, Apollo announced:
"Three months. Train for two. After that, we're opening our business."
His eyes gleamed with ambition.
"It's about time we get rich."
But what Apollo didn't know...
Was that his plan would soon come to a sudden halt.
After all—
The Wolf was coming.
...
The Cheonliang arc is over guys, Tell me if the ending satisfied you, Seonji hasn't healed yet but taking in Vinjin is the first step. As well as the action and pacing of the arc, Any suggestions is welcome.
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