Chapter 138: Avaricious Wolf (1)
Song Ha-Eun’s jaw dropped. “The Avaricious Wolf?!”
Cheon Sang-Gil, known to the world as the Avaricious Wolf, ruled over the Ganghwa Island Special Autonomous Zone—better known as Paradise.
He was the undisputed strongest Awakener in Korea and counted among the top ten most powerful in the world. And now, that man had come searching for Kwon Oh-Jin.
Not through an envoy. Not with a subordinate. Cheon Sang-Gil had come himself.
Song Ha-Eun gawked, looking back and forth between him and Kwon Oh-Jin. “Why is the Avaricious Wolf looking for Oh-Jin...?”
Cheon Sang-Gil leisurely walked up to Kwon Oh-Jin. “This old man may be on his last legs, but his ears fortunately still work. I’ve heard plenty of stories about you, Thunder Wolf.”
“It’s an honor,” Kwon Oh-Jin said, bowing respectfully before shaking Cheon Sang-Gil's wrinkly hand, from which he could feel a serene energy. His mana was pure and untainted like distilled water.
Is this guy an actual Taoist or something?
Kwon Oh-Jin had encountered countless Awakeners before, but never one with mana this clean.
“I wanted to have a word with you, so I came to find you myself. Do you have some time?” Cheon Sang-Gil asked.
“Of course.”
Kwon Oh-Jin had no idea what this was about, but he couldn't simply refuse one of the Seven Stars after they'd personally sought him out.
The Avaricious Wolf, huh?
A living legend whose name had been drilled into Kwon Oh-Jin's ears for years had personally come to see him.
I guess the name "Thunder Wolf" has a lot more influence than I thought.
“Thank you. I’ve already arranged a place for us to talk." Cheon Sang-Gil flashed a faint smile and turned around. "Follow me.”
“Oh-Jin, I can tag along for this, right?” Song Ha-Eun asked.
“Don’t see why not. He didn't say he wanted to talk to me alone.”
The two followed Cheon Sang-Gil to a quiet, traditional hanok-style[1] teahouse so lavish that Kwon Oh-Jin wondered if they were in a palace from the Joseon Dynasty.
What kind of teahouse is this big? I don't think you could run this place even if you sold opium, let alone tea.
“Let’s have some tea first. Do you have any preferences?” Cheon Sang-Gil asked.
“I don’t know much about tea,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied.
“In that case, I’ll order for all of us.”
With a light shake of the bell on the table, the sliding door opened and a server in an elegant hanbok[2] stepped inside.
“Three cups of astral tea, please,” Cheon Sang-Gil said.
“Of course,” the server replied.
Astral tea? That’s a thing? Kwon Oh-Jin thought.
“It’s brewed from the steeping of tea leaves that are grown with fertilizer made from finely ground Starstones," Cheon Sang-Gil conveyed. "The taste is exceptional, but more importantly, it helps with the circulation of mana.”
Kwon Oh-Jin didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded ridiculously expensive.
After a brief wait, a server entered carrying steaming cups of tea with a faint blue hue.
“Thank you,” Kwon Oh-Jin said and took a sip.
A pure, minty taste spread through his mouth.
“Does it suit your taste?” Cheon Sang-Gil asked.
“Yes. It feels refreshing like my head just got clearer.”
“I’m glad.” Cheon Sang-Gil smiled softly and sipped his own tea.
Song Ha-Eun hesitated for a moment before following Kwon Oh-Jin’s lead. As soon as she took a sip, her eyes widened and she immediately downed the entire cup.
He felt somewhat embarrassed watching her. That’s not beer, woman.
“I came to see you firstly to express my gratitude,” Cheon Sang-Gil declared.
“Sorry?” Kwon Oh-Jin was confused. He couldn’t recall doing anything that warranted the Avaricious Wolf's gratitude.
“You stopped my foolish younger brother before he could commit even greater atrocities. It’s only right that I thank you.”
Song Ha-Eun, who had been sneakily sipping Kwon Oh-Jin’s tea, spat it out in shock. “Pff! W-What? Younger brother?!”
There was no need to think too hard about who he meant.
“... You and Cheon Do-Yoon were brothers?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.
“We were never close enough to check in on each other, but yes.” Cheon Sang-Gil sipped his tea with a bitter smile. “Actually, it’s been eight years—no, nine now. I’m getting old, so my sense of time is slipping. I hope you understand.”
Setting his cup down, he continued. “After the rift to the Demonic District opened in the North Pole, I lost all contact with Do-Yoon. Naturally, I assumed he was dead...”
“And you only found out recently that he survived,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.
“That’s right. Along with the fact that he'd become an Executor of the Black Star Society, committing unspeakable crimes.” Cheon Sang-Gil’s eyes shone coldly.
So that was why the Heaven’s Grace Guild joined the recent Owl uprooting operation, Kwon Oh-Jin thought. They rarely leave Paradise, after all.
“I wanted to deal with my foolish brother myself before he could commit any more crimes... but unfortunately, he managed to escape somewhere.” Cheon Sang-Gil let out a deep sigh. “And that’s when I heard about what you recently did... which is why I came in person to express my gratitude.”
The fact that Kwon Oh-Jin had defeated Cheon Do-Yoon wasn’t public knowledge, but it seemed even he couldn’t escape the Heaven’s Grace Guild's information network.
“Thank you. You’ve done what this foolish old man should have taken care of himself.” Cheon Sang-Gil rose from his seat and bowed deeply.
Kwon Oh-Jin carefully observed his expression, wondering if he knew about Open Heaven. However, there was no sign that he did.
“No, I only did what had to be done,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied.
“Haha! Truly, you are worthy of being called a hero.”
Cheon Sang-Gil seemed to have convinced himself that Kwon Oh-Jin took down Cheon Do-Yoon in the name of justice. In reality, he'd fought simply because Cheon Do-Yoon dared to touch Song Ha-Eun.
But this is even better for me. There's nothing more useful than the title of hero.
Humans were instinctively drawn to good people. More precisely, to people who seemed good. The only thing that really mattered was what felt true.
“I could never compare to one of the Seven Stars,” he said.
“That title is far too grand for an old man like me.” Cheon Sang-Gil sat back down.
“Not at all. I’ve heard so much about your incredible feats, I thought my ears might fall off.”
In truth, Kwon Oh-Jin had never been particularly interested in the Seven Stars, so he didn’t actually know much about the Avaricious Wolf’s accomplishments. The only thing he was somewhat familiar with was how Cheon Sang-Gil had earned the name "Avaricious Wolf."
With an exaggeratedly excited tone, Kwon Oh-Jin exclaimed, “A high-ranking Awakener under Capricorn capable of freely manipulating sound! There’s not a single person in the world who hasn’t heard the legend of how you subdued thousands of rampaging monsters with a single whistle after they poured out of a gate six years ago!”
“A-Ahem. I-Is that so?”
I have no idea, but it is a damn famous story.
“To the people of Korea, you are a hero beyond admiration, Mr. Cheon Sang-Gil.”
“Haha, that’s enough. Any more of this embarrassing stuff, and I won’t be able to raise my head.”
Despite his words, the corners of Cheon Sang-Gil’s lips were curling into a smile.
Guess even the Seven Stars are still just people at the end of the day, Kwon Oh-Jin thought.
“So... was expressing your gratitude your only reason for coming to see me today?”
No way a Seven Star would just say thanks and leave, right?
“That was the biggest reason, yes. Ah, of course, I don't intend on leaving it at mere words. I’ve prepared appropriate compensation for you.”
“Th-There’s no need!”
Fuck yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!
“Just meeting a hero I respect is more than enough for me!” Kwon Oh-Jin said.
Now, hurry up and show me what you brought.
“This is for you,” Cheon Sang-Gil said, pulling out a small box.
“You really didn’t have to...”
You really did have to.
Kwon Oh-Jin sighed. “But I can’t just ignore your sincerity. I’ll gratefully accept it, then.”
He took the box and flipped it open to find a rectangular card that looked like a passport.
“It’s a pass to Paradise,” Cheon Sang-Gil declared.
Kwon Oh-Jin looked mildly disappointed. “Ah... I see.”
He would've been excited over it back in the day, but that wasn't the case now. He could just buy it for ten billion won himself.
“Well, in this case, it’s more appropriate to call it an invitation,” Cheon Sang-Gil clarified.
“An invitation?”
“I’d like to invite you to paradise.”
Paradise, huh? The whole place is shrouded in mystery, so I did want to visit it at least once, but...
“I apologize. I have other urgent matters I must take care of."
Freeing Vega from the seal comes first.
“There’s no rush," Cheon Sang-Gil said. "Just come visit whenever you find the time. I believe it will be a valuable experience for you.”
“I understand. I’ll stop by when I get the chance,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied. There was no reason to outright refuse when he was insisting this much.
“By the way... may I ask what these urgent matters are?”
“That’s...” Kwon Oh-Jin paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly. “I have some business in Japan.”
“Japan... Are you after the Seahorses?”
As expected, he's aware of the Seahorse faction too.
“In that case, you should meet up with this guy.” Cheon Sang-Gil lightly tapped the table and an attendant in a modern hanbok appeared, carrying a sheet of paper and a pen.
Cheon Sang-Gil gracefully moved the pen across the paper as if painting with a brush and wrote down some contact information for a "Sakaki Ryo."
“He’s an Awakener with whom I have some ties. His personality is... let’s say, unique. But he’ll be of help to you.”
“Thank you. I’ll reach out to him,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied. He would need local connections to hunt down the Seahorse faction anyway. An Awakener with personal ties to the Avaricious Wolf was worth trusting.
“Well then, this old man shall take his leave. Ah, and don’t worry about the bill. I’ve already covered it. Take your time and enjoy a meal with your lady. The traditional cuisine here is quite famous for that.”
Kwon Oh-Jin was confused. “That?”
Cheon Sang-Gil glanced between the couple with a mischievous grin. Then, puckering his wrinkled lips slightly, he let out a whistle.
His voice echoed inside Kwon Oh-Jin’s head.
—Stamina, my boy! Stamina!
It was hard to believe those words had come from a man who looked more like an enlightened Taoist or a mystical mountain sage.
What the hell is this old man going on about?
—Haha. Just try some, and you’ll see for yourself tonight. Your feisty pillar will go boom!
Cheon Sang-Gil clenched his fist and thrust it dramatically into the air.
Stop it, you crazy old man. Kwon Oh-Jin turned urgently to Song Ha-Eun, but she remained completely unfazed. It seemed like he was the only one who could hear this nonsense.
When Kwon Oh-Jin shot him a dumbfounded look, Cheon Sang-Gil burst into hearty laughter and stood up.
“Hahaha! This old man is getting ahead of himself!”
Just before stepping out the sliding door, he glanced back at Kwon Oh-Jin solemnly.
“One last thing...”
His low voice echoed in Kwon Oh-Jin's head.
—Beware of the Serpent.
Then, the door quietly slid shut.
“... The Serpent, huh?” Kwon Oh-Jin reached for the small bell on the table.
“Yes, may I take your order?”
“We’ll have the full traditional course meal.”
1. traditional South Korean house ☜
2. traditional South Korean clothing ☜