"First Young Master, since when have you meddled in the affairs of the merchant group? This is truly absurd."
Ouyang Hou had a slim build, narrow eyes, and pale skin — not exactly a pleasant appearance. But the Jianghu wasn't a place where appearances or aura mattered; life and death were determined solely by strength. Regardless, Ouyang Hou was someone the entire Eunha Merchant Group feared.
When Ouyang Hou deliberately sat across from Dan Woosung, Dan Woosung made the first move.
"This general meeting ends here. Everyone, leave. I have something to discuss with the Captain of the Guard Division. Hwa-Eon, go report to Father first."
Dan Woosung didn't want those unfamiliar with martial arts to get hurt in this place.
As Lee Hwa-Eon stood up with the executives, only Vice-Captain Han Yeop, Dan Woosung, and Ouyang Hou remained at the meeting table.
Dan Woosung asked,
"Vice-Captain, you..."
Han Yeop replied,
"I'd prefer to stay here."
Ouyang Hou smirked. He knew Han Yeop wanted to stay out of concern for the First Young Master, but didn't object.
"Stay, then."
But Dan Woosung declined with a subtle twist of words.
"You bear a heavy responsibility, Vice-Captain. It would be better for you to leave. There's a chance some rat-like scum remains within the group, and they could cause harm to my ailing father..."
Han Yeop widened his eyes and stood up. Only then did he realize what was more important. He gave Dan Woosung a slight nod, as if telling him to be careful.
"Understood. Then, I'll leave the two of you to your conversation."
"Make sure no one comes near until we're finished talking."
"I'll deliver the message."
Ouyang Hou was dumbfounded that the First Young Master had even dismissed Han Yeop, the strongest expert in the merchant group besides himself.
'What in the world gives this guy such confidence…'
Ouyang Hou asked as if genuinely curious,
"Alright. First Young Master, I'd like to hear your reason for wanting to dismiss me."
Dan Woosung let out a long yawn right in front of Ouyang Hou, as if he hadn't slept enough.
Ouyang Hou was quite a powerful man, and Dan Woosung was currently going through the process of engraving the martial arts he had mastered in a previous life onto his new body.
But so what?
The Fist King was still the Fist King.
If he lacked internal energy, he was ready to fight as he was.
While yawning, Dan Woosung looked around, then asked Ouyang Hou for a favor.
"Captain of the Guard Division."
"Speak."
"Is there truly no one around us right now?"
He was asking Ouyang Hou, whose martial arts were excellent, to confirm there were no eavesdroppers. Ouyang Hou looked around, then turned back to Dan Woosung.
"At least in this area, there's no one."
Dan Woosung responded,
"Good. I have a theory I'd like to share. It might just be the delusion of the Eunha Merchant Group's First Young Master, who lacks Jianghu experience. If there are any flaws, I'd be grateful for your guidance."
Ouyang Hou crossed his arms and nodded, indicating for him to speak.
"I'm listening."
Dan Woosung pointed at Ouyang Hou and began to speak.
"It's about the method an outsider would use to take over the merchant group."
Ouyang Hou raised his narrow eyes.
'This bastard…'
"First off, it must've been fortunate that the official successor was a complete mess."
Dan Woosung pointed to himself as he spoke.
"Like me."
Ouyang Hou nodded.
"I'll agree with that point."
"Since the screw-up went off for rest on his own, he's out of the picture. During that time, you plant your men everywhere and stir up a fight between the second and third sons. Once blades are drawn, emotions will be heavily strained. Next, you assess which of the two — the second or third — will be more obedient. Then, you offer one of them to become your disciple. As you're a fairly well-known swordsman, the young masters would have no reason to refuse. Especially since they're already emotionally at odds. Around this time, external forces begin to pressure the group for money. It doesn't matter if the money's collected or not. The merchant leader has collapsed, and just the pressure alone is enough."
Ouyang Hou spoke up.
"Hey, First Young Master…"
"Just listen a bit more. The Captain of the Guard Division, despite receiving a decent monthly salary, apparently frequents the most expensive brothels, according to some of my degenerate friends. Where would he get the money? I began to think — what if he wasn't spending his own money but was being entertained and treated by external merchants? As you know, our Eunha Merchant Group never compromises on quality. Even if someone wants to do business with us, they can't push in subpar goods. But what if the person poised to be the future mentor of the next heir hints at a bribe? The desperate one would come forward first with gifts, good liquor, and beautiful courtesans. If they can just push their goods into our group, it'd be a profitable trade. So many bastards out there with no business ethics. And if that disciple eventually becomes the merchant leader…"
Dan Woosung tapped the table.
"Then that's practically taking over the group without lifting a finger. That person would wield more influence than the merchant leader himself. That's quite a sweet life, don't you think?"
Dan Woosung shook his head and laughed.
Ouyang Hou laughed along with him.
"Ahahaha!"
"But then…"
Dan Woosung, watching Ouyang Hou laugh, changed his tone abruptly.
"Gongsun Myung is dead. I killed him."
Just like a lie, Ouyang Hou's laughter came to a sudden halt.
Dan Woosung smiled.
"Fate has started to change."
Ouyang Hou had planned to laugh heartily and then dismiss the First Young Master's story as the delusion of a madman. But now that the laughter was gone, he struggled to keep his composure and asked,
"May I ask why Gongsun Myung, an innocent man, had to die? First Young Master."
Dan Woosung replied,
"He wasn't innocent. He harbored murderous intent."
"And the evidence?"
Dan Woosung stared coldly at Ouyang Hou and answered,
"There is none."
Ouyang Hou failed to control his expression for the second time. He had expected Dan Woosung to list some kind of evidence.
As Ouyang Hou stood speechless, Dan Woosung asked,
"Why? Are you someone who must avenge him, Captain of the Guard Division? Don't tell me you two were close?"
Ouyang Hou replied with a cold tone.
"Do you think being the First Young Master of the Eunha Merchant Group makes you free from the debts and grudges of the Jianghu?"
"I don't wish to be free from them. If there is a favor, I repay it. If there's a grudge, I settle it. That's the life I seek. But really, the Captain of the Guard Division, who pays no mind to my father's safety, was sneaking off to the Golden Blossom House night after night… tsk tsk… If you wanted to devour such a large merchant group, you should've worked a bit harder. You're no Zhuge Liang, after all."
It sounded like he was asking why a fool would resort to a scheme bound to be exposed.
Ouyang Hou's face turned red, like climbing a staircase, shade by shade. It had been so long since he had been openly mocked like this, he could barely remember the last time.
Even after such jeering, when Ouyang Hou didn't lash out, Dan Woosung, as if possessed by the scoundrel version of the First Young Master, waved his hand lazily and said,
"If you get the message, get the hell out. You're fired."
In that moment, Ouyang Hou, as if something inside snapped, roared from his seat.
At the same time, Dan Woosung clenched his fist and struck with Thunder Fist.
As palm and fist collided, a thunderous boom rang out.
KWAANG!
With a loud cracking sound, the table the two had been sitting at split apart under the shockwave. Both men were pushed back in their chairs and sprang to their feet. They had kept their posture with strength in their lower bodies to avoid falling over awkwardly.
Ouyang Hou clenched and opened his right hand, as if it had gone numb, glaring at the First Young Master.
"Thunder energy?"
That sensation that rose all the way to his wrist — it was definitely thunder energy.
However, because thunder energy wasn't exclusive to one school, he couldn't pinpoint the First Young Master's affiliation.
But one thing was clear.
Thunder energy was a martial technique taught only by noble houses or prestigious orthodox sects. There was no special reason for this — to raise one's level, you needed a renowned teacher and potent medicinal elixirs. It wasn't something that a shabby sect could touch lightly.
Facing a fight, Ouyang Hou actually seemed calmer, and said,
"First Young Master, congratulations. Seems you've joined quite a fine school."
The congratulatory words clashed with the sharp sound of a blade being drawn — shring.
"But since you dared to mock me and even killed Gongsun Myung, who had done no wrong, you must pay for that. I'll accept the dismissal. But I plan to take one of your arms before I leave. Think of sparing your pathetic life as my way of repaying the time I spent in this place."
Dan Woosung replied,
"Aww, how thoughtful. You bastard."
Ouyang Hou frowned.
"First Young Master, at least bring a weapon. What kind of senior fights bare-handed against such a junior?"
He was someone steeped in the White Path, still adhering to the 'rituals' of the Jianghu that had been passed down like tradition.
Dan Woosung answered,
"I don't have a weapon. Unlike you, crawling into a merchant group like this after being cast out from a noble house just to prepare for old age, I don't plan to use one."
As Dan Woosung spoke, Ouyang Hou, from quite a distance, lunged with a thrust. The sharp sword wind, condensed by internal energy, poured out. Dan Woosung dodged it with a slight tilt of his head.
With a scream-like howl, the sword wind slammed into the great hall's wall, knocking down and smashing several ornaments.
Dan Woosung, as if the ornaments were a loss, muttered,
"I'll be sending a compensation claim."
Before his sentence even finished, Dan Woosung, bare-handed, responded with a rising straight punch similar to what Ouyang Hou had just done, twisting his fist midair.
Shweeek!
The fist wind shot toward Ouyang Hou's face…
Dan Woosung then moved as if pushing off the ground using the Awakened Footwork, confirmed Ouyang Hou's reaction, and twisted his body using the Awakened Body Arts.
The sword missed.
Swish!
Finding an opening, Ouyang Hou raised his sword vertically to strike again — but at that moment, Dan Woosung's body suddenly accelerated.
Shifting Lightness Technique.
Though "shifting" simply meant moving locations, because it was a martial technique, it naturally involved extreme speed.
As Ouyang Hou's sword chased after Dan Woosung, maintaining a precarious distance, Dan Woosung, as if aiming for a blind spot, sent a fist wind into Ouyang Hou's armpit.
The sword barely grazed Dan Woosung's shoulder, but—
Thwack! With a loud sound, Ouyang Hou barely blocked the fist wind with his elbow.
Though the thunder energy seeping in caused a bit of pain, Ouyang Hou wasn't too concerned. Narrowing his eyes, he smirked and said,
"Heh, for something you picked up in such a short time, that's not bad. But you're no Fist King… how arrogant."
Dan Woosung blinked at him, then gave a light cough.
"Hmm…"
He had nothing particular to say. He had called his father "Father" and his brother "Brother," but even now, he couldn't simply say, "I am the Fist King." That was something to be declared only when he had once again earned the title through strength.
< Fist King, The Way to Take Over a Merchant Group > End