Chapter 58

Episode 58

Yoo-seong answered immediately. “I’m sorry, but I refuse.”

Yang Jeong-cheon raised a brow at his tone.

‘He answered me so firmly,’ he thought. Then, he threw his head back and laughed heartily. As he watched the unexpected reaction, thoughts were running in Yoo-seong’s head.

‘It’s really like watching an old Hong Kong movie.’

The only thing he found unusual when he spoke with Jin Wei-baek was the old man’s accent. If you haven’t heard his poor Korean, you wouldn’t have noticed that he was Chinese.

But the man before him… even his laughter sounded straight out of a martial arts film.

“Good, good,” he watched the Yang Jeong-cheon nod approvingly. “A man must know how to say no.”

Yoo-seong’s eyes wandered as he admired the unreal scale of the mansion’s interior from his seat.

“What do you think about us?” Yang Jeong-cheon asked him.

“Honestly speaking, it’s very grand,” Yoo-seong said. “But there seems to be a misunderstanding. I don’t know what your daughter told you, but I’m here because…”

“I know,” Yang Jeong-cheon took a sip of tea.

His tone was casual. “I could tell you haven’t accepted my daughter’s proposal.”

“Yes?”

“As a hunter and a Vice-Lord, my daughter does her job well, but she’s clumsier than me in terms of worldly exchanges. It isn’t possible nowadays to get a man to accept a marriage just like that.”

Yang Jeong-cheon had read the situation completely.

“But,” he added, “somehow, you came here.”

Yoo-seong was silent.

He hadn’t really expected that Yang Biyeon would bring her to their home. He observed Yang Jeong-cheon in silence.

A man ranked high in the Ship Zone.

Even if he had withdrawn from the front lines, his organization still controlled half of the great city of Shanghai.

“So,” Yang Jeong-cheon placed his cup of tea down, “what do you think about us?”

‘He asked the same question,’ Yoo-seong recognized.

This time, he considered his answer more carefully.

He was a hunter from a small peninsula. He wanted to test his skills on the mainland. What he saw was wealth beyond his imagination.

And power.

Biyeon had just sped through the middle of the city with a supercar’s top speed. It was against the law, no question.

However, Yoo-seong saw how the policemen turned a blind eye rather than chasing them.

It was completely different from Korea.

At home, a ranker violating traffic rules, even as little as a signal violation, was scandalous enough and would definitely get published in newspapers. In this country, it seemed that the people didn’t follow the law.

They followed power. Yoo-seong was being invited to join one of the most powerful families in the city.

“Well… I’m not sure. I haven’t seen enough,” Yoo-seong sighed.

Yang Jeong-cheon tilted his head.

“You’re not sure?”

“It has only been about a week since I arrived. Everything seems to be larger in scale.”

Yang Jeong-cheon nodded as Yoo-seong continued to speak.

“Of course, the level of Ki I’ve witnessed here is overwhelmingly superior. However, in the actual operation, there were a few parts that could be considered lacking, compared to how we do it in Korea.”

The Red Dragon Society was not an exception.

Even though they were a team, each member acted as if they were on a solo hunt.

“I thought I could learn something here with regards to operations, but I feel like the only thing I could bring home is the reputation of someone who has worked in China.”

Yoo-seong did not hold back. He calmly observed Yang Jeong-cheon’s reaction.

How would someone who was part of the Ship Zone, react to getting his country criticized right at his house?

“I think I’ve said too much,” Yoo-seong realized.

“More than necessary, yes,” Yang Jeong-cheon spoke. “You were trying to be polite.”

Then, he threw his head back again and began laughing.

“Hahahaha!”

Yang Jeong-cheon kept his smile as he stared at Yoo-seong’s eyes.

“You are saying that you are disappointed and that our country is nothing more than empty strength,” he said.

“No, I didn’t intend to use such harsh expression…”

Yoo-seong felt his surroundings gradually warming up.

‘It’s getting hot.’

“Father,” they heard footsteps approaching.

Yang Biyeon shyly came up to the table. Like Yang Jeong-cheon, she also wore traditional clothing.

She felt the ugly Aura in the room as soon as she arrived.

“What’s happening here?”

The heat rising from Yang Jeong-cheon’s body died down as he watched her daughter arrive. He pointed at the seat next to Yoo-seong.

“Go sit next to your groom,” he beckoned.

Biyeon blushed. She took the chair and placed it on another side of the table, thus forming a three-way position.

As soon as Biyeon was seated, Yang Jeong-cheon continued his conversation with Yoo-seong.

“You are right,” he said. “There’s something wrong with this country.”

They sat in silence for a few moments. Then, Yang Jeong-cheon spoke again.

“Okay, for the third time, I’ll ask you again. What do you think about us?”

This time, the old man pointed at himself and his daughter.

Yoo-seong thought about the Chinese hunters he met. There were the Tenz members he had spoken with, including Seoyu, to Yang Biyeon and Yang Jeong-cheon. They were strong, granted. But there’s something unusual with them.

‘They were like people from another era living in a modern world.’

“When I was your age, I never thought this would happen,” Yang Jeong-cheon began.

“Monsters from another world are coming to invade Earth. What an absurd story.”

But it happened and is now part of history.

Every organization which relied on strength and power, from martial arts schools to gangs and mercenaries, faced a great opportunity.

It catapulted them into an unprecedented boom.

“Even if we went back centuries ago, no groups would have received this much prestige… this much wealth,” Yang Jeong-cheon continued. “We seem to be stuck in that era where families ruled the land and enjoy their privilege…”

“You don’t consider yourselves as hunters,” Yoo-seong finished.

Yang Jeong-cheon nodded approvingly. The younger man understood what he was saying.

A hunter’s primary duty was to protect civilians from monsters. They were guardians who provide security and peace of mind for society to continue.

“So far, the hunters that I have met here…” Yoo-seong said. “They don’t seem to consider themselves as hunters.”

“We haven’t gotten out of the mindset from the previous era,” Yang Jeong-cheon agreed.

Everyone’s identity and pride were dictated by the factions they belong to.

It was one of the reasons why the Chinese industry rejects foreign hunters. Yang Jeong-cheon then looked at her daughter.

Even if they spoke in Chinese, she wouldn’t understand the conversation they were having.

“When my daughter was born, I thought this mindset would have disappeared in their generation. I didn’t realize it would remain a problem.”

Young hunters, including Yang Biyeon, inherited not only their predecessors’ skills but also their spirit.

A traditional spirit that impeded progress.

“We stay faithful to the glory of the past, ignoring the present. If there was any change or an unexpected situation, I don’t think we would be flexible enough to deal with it,” Yang Jeong-cheon sighed.

Yoo-seong considered it.

He thought about Jin Wei-baek – his modern outfits, his decision to recruit a foreign hunter.

After listening to Yang Jeong-cheon, it had become clearer to him. He also thought about Goryong Company, which had purchased Team Quarts in exchange for the secrets of their Tech.

The movement wasn’t just about dominating the Korean market. Perhaps, the leaders of the industry had recognized the crisis.

That is why they were beginning to reach out overseas.

“To my knowledge, Red Dragon Society’s influence is limited to Shanghai,” Yoo-seong commented.

Of course, that alone was enough to enjoy unimaginable wealth and power.

Yang Jeong-cheon nodded. “Yes. It’s embarrassing. But a solution is in front of me right now.”

As Biyeon suffered to learn basic Korean over the past few days, Yang Jeong-cheon also did his research. He studied about Yoo-seong.

His unusual talent, his determination, and his tendency to keep his calm during crucial moments.

Yang Jeong-cheon also learned about this young man’s impact in Korea and how he performed during his first hunt in China.

‘If I can hold that energy in my hand,’ Yang Jeong-cheon thought, ’we could drive towards the future.’

The Red Dragon Society would be revived. No, it would be reborn.

“You have to be my son-in-law,” Yang Jeong-cheon said firmly.

“I have no reason to do that,” Yoo-seong responded.

Under the table, he sent his location to Seoyu, just in case.

“You have to. I don’t know how much Tenz paid you. I understand that the person behind it is much stronger than me.”

Yoo-seong raised an eyebrow.

‘Does he know that Wei-baek is the power behind Tenz?’

Looking at Yang Jeong-cheon’s expression, he recognized a strong animosity towards Tenz.

“But look around you,” Yang Jeong-cheon confidently said.

“Yes?” Yoo-seong stared at him.

Despite the luxurious mansion, the Red Dragon was inferior to Tenz. Whatever price they could come up to could be easily matched by Jin Wei-baek.

“I am prepared to pay the price,” Yang Jeong-cheon offered. “You can leave your last name here.”

Yoo-seong’s eyes widened.

Of course, if he accepted Biyeon’s proposal to him, he would be part of the Red Dragon’s Society. However, sons-in-law are outsiders. They were not in line to possess the Red Dragon.

However, what Yang Jeong-cheon was offering him…

A successor.

He stood to inherit everything.

The Red Dragon’s Society’s future generation would not carry Yang Jeong-cheon’s last name, but his. They were prepared to abandon their tradition for Yoo-seong to take it towards the future.

“I am prepared to pay the price. Even if my last name would be cut off in the future generations, as long as the Red Dragon survives…”

Yang Jeong-cheon spread his arms, gesturing towards the grand interior of their mansion.

Everything that Yoo-seong was seeing would be his.

Wealth and power.

Techniques and traditions.

All of Red Dragon Society would be in Yoo-seong’s hands.

“I passed some to my daughter, but there are still more than half of my CE within my core,” Yang Jeong-cheon added, touching his abdomen.

“No one in this country can offer you as much as I do,” he said.

Even he, who made the offer, felt excited. However, as he looked at Yoo-seong’s face, he noticed that the younger man remained calm.

‘Was it possible to have such extreme self-control to hide his excitement?’ Yang Jeong-cheon wondered.

‘Or could it be that the offer wasn’t exciting for him?’

It could only be one of the two.

The young man sitting across him had a mysterious expression on his face. Yang Jeong-cheon held his breath as he waited for the response.

Yoo-seong then slowly opened his mouth.