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Chapter 05
The best way to repay a debt, needless to say, was to borrow the power of the Imperial Palace.
No matter how large the sum, the Emperor would hand over the money without a word.
But he had no intention of doing that.
He was the one who had walked away.
He had let go of the wealth and honor that had been offered to keep him.
He had left everything behind in the Imperial Palace.
Asking for help was different from asking for something he had already left there.
‘That physician used to be my subordinate, so I just casually called him over.’
The debt was something Dan Hyun-woo had to bear.
Whether as the head of the family, or as the price for abandoning his family for twenty years.
Still, this debt had appeared at a suspiciously convenient time.
He didn’t believe in convenient coincidences.
That was simply how the world worked.
Having experienced all kinds of affairs in the martial world while serving under the Imperial Palace, he knew this well.
In the martial world, “convenience” was not luck.
Nine times out of ten, it was a trap laid by someone.
Mokhwa Merchant Group. The Nine Dragons Sect.
Those two names lingered in his mouth like thorns.
‘If it’s that kind of debt, then there’s no need to repay it all.’
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As he was deep in thought, the loud, grating sound of someone pounding on the door rang out.
Only then did Dan Hyun-woo realize why the main gate of the Dan estate was crooked and creaking.
“……!”
At the sound of the knocking, the expressions of his family—who had been smiling for the first time in a while—hardened instantly.
They knew all too well what that sound meant.
His mother and younger sister broke out in cold sweats, as if having a seizure.
The warmth that had briefly returned to the Dan estate vanished in an instant.
‘They came sooner than I expected.’
Out of habit, Eun Do-yoon moved to deal with the debt collectors, but Dan Hyun-woo stopped him.
“Go to your room.”
“If I go out, it might end more gently. Uncle, you don’t know how terrifying those debt collectors are. They’re martial artists who carry swords.”
Even the young Eun Do-yoon knew that his uncle had learned martial arts.
He had felt the effects of the strange massage and breathing technique.
But he didn’t know how skilled his uncle actually was.
Even if the opponents were just third-rate black-path fighters, they lived by the blade.
On the other hand, his uncle might even be worse than them.
That thought filled him with deep anxiety.
Eun Do-yoon stood his ground against Dan Hyun-woo, blocking his way.
“Go to your room!”
The unexpectedly firm command fell from Dan Hyun-woo’s lips.
Eun Do-yoon flinched but hesitated.
The suffocating smell of blood coming from those who always came in groups of five terrified him.
Dan Seo-yeon felt the same.
She reached out, wanting to stop him.
But fear gripped her throat, and her words only circled uselessly in her mouth.
Her older brother, who had clearly returned home after failing.
Even if he had learned martial arts, she knew what it meant to return home like that.
It meant he had no choice but to return.
Which meant his skills were lacking.
So, with trembling legs, Dan Seo-yeon stood and moved toward him.
Grab.
But Eun Do-yoon was faster.
Clutching Dan Hyun-woo’s collar, he pleaded,
“Uncle, you mustn’t open that door!”
“We’ve only just met again, and you worry for me this much?”
“How could I not? If you get seriously hurt, Grandmother will be heartbroken. And I don’t want you to get hurt either. You just came back home after twenty years!”
At Eun Do-yoon’s heartfelt words, Dan Hyun-woo smiled faintly.
He had grown up well.
Just as Eun Do-yoon had already become a precious nephew to him, it seemed Eun Do-yoon now thought of him as a precious uncle.
He felt a slight regret.
If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have spoken so harshly out of habit.
Slip.
Dan Hyun-woo smoothly slipped out of Eun Do-yoon’s grasp.
“……?!”
Eun Do-yoon’s eyes widened.
His uncle had done nothing, yet escaped his grip.
As Eun Do-yoon stared blankly at his own hand, Dan Hyun-woo ruffled his hair with a rough hand.
“All the bad things that happen at the Dan estate—I’ll handle them. Don’t forget, I carry a sword just like them.”
Holding his sword, Dan Hyun-woo walked toward the main gate.
His family watched him with dazed expressions.
Somehow, he looked reliable and impressive.
But not to Eun Do-yoon.
“Just because you carry a sword doesn’t make you a master…”
But it was too late to stop him.
The main gate of the Dan estate was already opening.
* * *
The hand of Guo Daesan, a warrior of the Nine Dragons Sect, was rougher than usual.
“Damn it, these bastards aren’t opening the door?”
His hand, after knocking three times, felt slightly sore.
At this rate, the already warped door looked like it might fall off.
But it didn’t matter.
At last, permission had come down from the higher-ups of the Nine Dragons Sect.
He was to bring back a signed approval to take over the Dan estate—even if it meant killing everyone.
‘Should’ve done this earlier. Been making me suffer for months.’
He had endured a lot while dealing with that little brat.
He had come dozens of times, even hearing that he’d lost his temper.
He only held back because acting too hastily would bring consequences.
But today, he didn’t need to hold back anymore.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Stubborn as hell today. Did they realize it’s their funeral day?”
Guo Daesan raised his foot.
The door was already wrecked.
The higher-ups would cover the repair costs anyway.
Thinking that, he launched a kick.
But just before his full-powered kick connected—
The door swung wide open.
“Guh!”
His leg, filled with force, cut through empty air.
Missing his kick was already embarrassing, but the momentum spun his body around.
He had a bad feeling something even more embarrassing was about to happen.
Thud!
Losing his balance, Guo Daesan collapsed onto the ground in an ugly heap.
‘Ah, damn it! Why are my bad premonitions always right?! This is beyond humiliating!’
His face burned red with embarrassment.
For martial artists, nothing was more shameful than tripping in combat—
Except falling over by yourself like an idiot.
He could clearly see his subordinates trying to hold back laughter.
Blood rushed to his head.
‘You bastards… I’ll deal with you later.’
Swallowing his humiliation, Guo Daesan sprang to his feet.
Tilting his head, he looked at the one who had opened the door.
A young punk he had never seen before stood there.
There was something irritatingly cocky about him.
Of course, that alone wasn’t enough to intimidate Guo Daesan.
“Who the hell are you, coming out of the Dan estate? Huh? Who are you?!”
“So you’re from the Nine Dragons Sect.”
“I asked who you are! Are you deaf?!”
“Is this all? Just five of you?”
“Who the hell are you, you bastard?!”
Instead of answering, Dan Hyun-woo smirked.
As if to say they weren’t worth telling.
That expression snapped what little patience Guo Daesan had left.
His sword shot out, trembling with anger.
The tension in his grip showed just how furious he was.
Grinding his teeth, he spat,
“I was planning to kill you all anyway, so it doesn’t matter who you are now. How dare you look down on the Nine Dragons Sect? Looks like you’ve handled a blade before—but not all blade-wielders are the same. A pup that doesn’t recognize a tiger is bound to get eaten. Boys!”
“Yes!”
“Show him what it means to truly live by the blade.”
The four men drew their swords and surrounded Dan Hyun-woo.
Their scarred faces twisted as killing intent filled the air.
Tap.
One of them moved first.
As if it were a signal, all five charged at once.
Dan Hyun-woo still hadn’t drawn his sword.
To them, it looked like he was too frightened to react.
A blade slashed toward his waist.
Dan Hyun-woo moved lazily.
With a slight lift of his scabbard, he deflected the attack.
Clang!
At the same moment, his hand struck another attacker’s face.
Thud!
“Ghk!”
The man flew back, his eye swelling instantly.
Another tripped over his fallen body—
Crack!
Dan Hyun-woo lightly kicked his face.
His eye swelled black as he was sent flying.
At the same time, Dan Hyun-woo tilted his head.
Whoosh!
A blade barely grazed the tip of his hair.
The problem was, that blade was now headed toward Guo Daesan.
“Guh!”
For the second time that day, Guo Daesan gasped.
He barely managed to block it.
Clang!
Chaos among allies was the best opportunity for an enemy.
Dan Hyun-woo shoved another man’s head—
It slammed straight into Guo Daesan’s face.
“Urgh!”
“Aaagh!”
Their heads collided with a cracking sound.
Guo Daesan blacked out from the impact, while the other man’s nose shattered.
In an instant, four men were down.
The last remaining warrior’s eyes filled with terror.
This couldn’t be happening.
Even if the others were weak, Guo Daesan was considered fairly skilled.
Yet his head had been split open.
“Uh… I… I was just told to follow along…”
The last man stepped back awkwardly.
With every step, his face turned paler.
Dan Hyun-woo kicked Guo Daesan’s fallen sword into the air.
Whoosh!
The spinning blade smashed into the man’s face.
He flipped three times midair before crashing down.
“Aaaargh!”
The last man, too, lost consciousness with both eyes swollen shut.
None of them were bleeding, but all five lay there drooling, their eyes bruised black.
* * *
A short while later, Guo Daesan regained consciousness.
But he couldn’t quite remember why he was lying on the ground.
‘What happened? I wouldn’t just be lying here for no reason…’
Then his memory quickly returned.
‘Right! That cocky young bastard from the Dan estate… I tried to teach him a lesson, but got beaten instead.’
Though his memory was hazy from the blow to his head, he was certain.
He recalled the young man’s movements.
‘His stance never changed. His hands and feet barely moved a foot. That means he’s a master. Hmm… Even if I fought him twice, I’d lose both times. Haha… better not provoke him.’
His embarrassment had already vanished.
The cold ground felt strangely comfortable.
He decided to just lie there forever.
At that moment, Dan Hyun-woo’s cold voice rang out.
“If you’re awake and still not getting up, I’ll take it as a sign you need another beating.”
“Gah!”
All five men sprang upright at once.
They exchanged awkward glances.
Apparently, they had all found the ground quite comfortable.
“Get up.”
“Yes, sir!”
They stood up faster than lightning.
“Lead the way.”
“…Pardon?”
Guo Daesan looked at his subordinates as if asking, ‘Do you know what he means?’
They replied with their eyes, ‘How would we know if you don’t?’
‘Lead the way? What does he—oh… no way?’
“Didn’t you hear me? Take me to your leader.”
Guo Daesan and his four men exchanged looks.
“Y-you really intend to go? That means going to the Nine Dragons Sect headquarters…”
“Of course. It’s not like you lot know anything useful anyway.”
‘Well… that’s true,’ he thought.
But he couldn’t actually take him.
If they went, someone would die.
Whether it was their leader or this young man—
it would definitely be him.
Their lives felt like they were hanging off a rotten rope over a cliff.
‘I have to stop him from going to the headquarters!’
Guo Daesan quickly spoke,
“It’s… not a good time right now. My boss isn’t much, but recently someone he’s sworn brother to came. That man is a true martial arts master. So how about we… hold off for now…”
He raised his head to check the young man’s reaction—
—and froze.
Their eyes met.
He had once heard the phrase “eyes filled with killing intent.”
He hadn’t believed it.
Now he did.
Completely.
To the point he felt like anyone who didn’t believe it would be killed.
‘If I act up, I’m dead. Damn… I didn’t piss myself, did I?’
At this rate, they’d all end up as corpses.
He wasn’t even married yet.
And Bong-soon was just about to accept him.
His mind raced faster than it ever had.
‘Right. A punch closer to you is scarier. Better to take him to the Nine Dragons Sect than die here. He seems skilled, but there’s no way he can beat that man.’
He could spin the story later.
Say he brought him intentionally because of the sworn brother.
He might get punished, but that was better than dying.
He’d even be grateful if the punishment was cleaning the sect’s toilets for a month.
‘That man isn’t just any master. He’s one of the best in Hangzhou. They say there are barely any who can match him. No matter how strong this guy is, he’ll be dealt with cleanly.’
Having finished his calculations, Guo Daesan forced an awkward smile and gestured ahead.
“It’s not far. Just one li and a bit more.”
